Ghostly Pancakes

I found this on Gourmet Mom to Go (fun blog to check out)

Ghostly Pancakes

Your little ghouls will scream with delight when they see this spooky and fun breakfast! You could also use them for a Letter "G" snack!The best part? You probably already have all the ingredients in your pantry right now! They're a snap to make and they'll vanish before you can say, "Boo!"Ghostly Pancakes
Ingredients:
Your favorite pancake batter (or simple recipe below)
Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Spread pancake batter in blobs on griddle heated on medium-high heat. Don't worry too much about the shapes, just make sure they aren't circles.

Place two chocolate chips, pointy side down, on the pancakes for eyes and another chocolate chip for the mouth. Cook until bubbles form, flip pancake and cook for an additional 30 seconds-1 minute on the other side.

Remove from pan and serve!

Notes: MothertoMany had a great idea! She said, "A healthier version would be to use some "boo"berries for the mouth and eyes instead of chocolate chips, or raisins, or even craisins." Happy Ghosting!

BASIC PANCAKE BATTER
Ingredients:
2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 c. milk
3 tbsp. oil
Mix all together. Pour 3 tablespoons batter in skillet. Brown on both sides until batter is done.

Almond and Lemon scented Granola

6 cups (480g) old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup (40g) slivered almonds
1/2 cup (125g) vegetable oil
1 cup (250g) honey
1/2 cup (125g) brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 cups (400g) dried sour cherries, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees (150 degrees Celsius). Combine oats, oil, honey, brown rice syrup, vanilla, almond extracts, nutmeg, and lemon zest in a large bowl (that’s everything except for the cherries).

2. Spread mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet (half sheet size). Bake for 15 minutes, and stir the mixture with a spatula. Return the mixture to the oven, raise the heat to 350 degrees (180 degrees Celsius), and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until oats are a golden brown.
3. Remove cookie sheet from the oven, and allow the mixture to cool completely. When it has cooled, break up the mixture in large and small pieces. Place in a large bowl and stir in dried cherries. Serve alone, with milk, or on top of yogurt and fruit. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.

Yummy chocolate chip cookies

Grandma's Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/3 C. butter

1 C. sugar

1 C. b. sugar

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

3 C. + 6 T. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

2 C. chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars; add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Mix in flour, soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

They are delicious. Sugar and hugs and chubby little babies fix everything-right?

Whole Wheat Waffles

Whole-wheat waffles

1 cup milk
1 1/4 cups wheat
*blend in blender for 2 minutes

add 1/2 cup more milk
*blend for 2 more minutes

add 1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1 T. baking pwd.
1 tsp. salt
1 heaping tsp. sugar
*blend for 30 more seconds

These were so easy and yummy and I just used my bosch blender. Thanks for the recipe mom!

Crock-pot roast

My favorite thing in the crockpot is my amazing Salsa Roast. I buy a big, cheap beef roast and put it in the crock. I top it with 1 packet of dry onion soup mix, about 8-12 oz of salsa, and 1 can of cream of mushroom soup. I cook it on high for about 4 hours and then turn to low and cook it until it is falling apart and easily shreds with a fork. We then eat it on buns, in tortillas with burrito toppings, or on top of mashed potatoes or rice. It is SOOOO GOOD!!

(sorry, not sure where this recipe came from to give credit)

Carmel French Toast

This is a fun recipe from my friend Kristin who is an awesome cook. I like to make this for brunch on special occasions and serve with lots of fresh fruit.

CARMEL BOTTOM FRENCH TOAST

1 CUP BROWN SUGAR
1/2 CUP BUTTER
2 TABLE SPOONS CORN SYRUP
12 SLICES FRENCH BREAD
1/4 CUP SUGAR
1/2 tsp CINNAMON
-MIX TOGETHER

6 EGGS
1 1/2 CUPS MILK
1 TSP. VANILLA
1/2 TSP. CINNAMON
-BLEND IN BLENDER

*IN A SAUCEPAN, OVER MED. HEAT, BRING BR.SUGAR, BUTTER & CORN SYRUP TO A
BOIL, STIR CONSTANTLY, REMOVE FROM HEAT. POUR IN GREASED 9x13 BAKING
DISH. TOP WITH 6 SLICES OF BREAD. SPRINKLE WITH REMAIN CINNAMON/SUGAR. SET ASIDE.

*POUR EGG MIXTURE (FROM BLENDER) OVER BREAD SLICES. COVER & CHILL 8
HOURS OR OVERNIGHT. REMOVE FROM FRIDGE 30 MINUTES BEFORE BAKING. BAKE UNCOVERED @350 FOR 30-35 MIN. If desire, turn stove off and open door for about 10-15 min. This makes the bread a little crusty.

SERVE W/ STRAWBERRY SAUCE
- BLEND FROZEN STRAWBERRIES TOGETHER WITH SUGAR AND A BIT OF WATER.
YUM! ENJOY!

Taco Soup

This is the perfect soup for a nice crisp day in the Fall. I have been making this soup for years and it is a tradition to make it every Halloween. We always warm up our tummies before heading out into the cold to do some trick-or-treating. I put this in the crock-pot in the morning and love how it makes the house smell all day.

TACO SOUP

1 lb. hamburger

1/2 diced onion

2 15 oz. cans stewed tomatoes (undrained and I cut the tomatoes up a bit more)

2 15 oz. cans kidney beans

1 15 oz.can pinto beans

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 pkg. taco seasoning mix (I like Taco Bell brand, but have used other brands and it still turns out great.)

1/2-2 cups water (just depends on how thick you want your soup)

Brown hamburger and onion. Put all ingredients in a crockpot and stir together. I usually add 1/2-1 cup water at the beginning and then after it has cooked all day, add a little more water if I want. Just needs to cook until it is hot, but I usually leave in crockpot all day. If it tastes a tad too tomatoey, add 1/2 Tablespoon of sugar. Serve in large bowls and top with grated cheese, tortilla or frito chips, green onions and sour cream. We don't always have green onions, but everything else really adds to the soup. So Yummy! Leftovers freeze great.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

They served this at an enrichment activity in my ward-delicious!

1 pint strawberries-sliced

2 bunches spinach

Dressing:

½ c sugar

2 Tbls sesame seeds

1 Tbls poppy seeds

1 ½ tsp minced onion (dry is fine)

¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce

¼ tsp paprika

Put dressing in blender and blend well. Then add ½ cup vegetable oil and ¼ cup cider vinegar. Blend until well mixed.

Pizza Crust

Pizza Dough I

SUBMITTED BY: Gudny Bjorg Kjaerbo PHOTO BY: mrjackiewhite

"This one is a quick recipe that merely involves mixing a few basic ingredients and patting the dough into the pan. No need to wait for the dough to rise with this approach."

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PREP TIME	10 Min
COOK TIME	25 Min
READY IN	35 Min

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• Can add italian seasoning or other herbs to dough for more flavor
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in oil and warm water. Spread out on a large pizza pan. Top as desired.
2. Bake at 375 degrees C (190 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

PIZZA DOUGH 2

A quick yeast pizza dough that's simple to make and tastes delicious!

Yield: 1 large pizza crust

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon yeast
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour

Pizza toppings of your choice

Instructions:

1. Dissolve yeast in water and oil. Stir in sugar, salt, and flour.

2. Mix until a ball forms. Allow to rise for 5 minutes. Roll flat and place on a greased pizza/cookie sheet. Sprinkle with desired toppings. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until the crust is golden.

Preparation Time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Pop-up Pancakes

We made these for breakfast this morning. The kids LOVED them!!! These are also known as German pancakes.

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• dash salt
• Preheat oven at 400*

I like to blend all the ingredients in my blender. A whisk or electric mixer doesn't seem to get it as smooth as a blender. Then grease your muffin tins or baking pan.

Bake them for 15 minutes, or until puffy and golden on top. Use a knife to pry them out, hopefully they were greased well enough and should pop right out.

Now they are ready for toppings--syrup, powdered sugar, and fruit. We are loving fresh strawberry jam right now. Load 'em up and dive in.

Makes 24 mini pop-ups.