Sweet Potato Rolls

I requested this recipe from my mother-in-law after she made these for us on one of our visits to Idaho. These rolls are so soft and dense and delicious. As usual, I've tweaked the recipe a bit, so that's what you see below. But I've included the original recipe in the photo, just in case you want the authentic version. :)

1 pkg. (2 1/4 tsp.) instant yeast*
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/3 c. sugar (67g)
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 c. shortening (128g)

2 eggs

1 c. canned yams, drained and mashed 

       OR 1 c. canned pumpkin

6 1/2 to 7 c. flour

Softened butter (for spreading on dough before rolling up)

In a stand mixer, combine water, sugar, salt, shortening, eggs, sweet potatoes and half the flour - Sprinkle the yeast over the flour before mixing. Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle. Either turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 5 minutes, OR knead in stand mixer for 5 minutes. Dough should be smooth and elastic, but not sticky.

Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 16" circle, about 1/4" thick. Spread with softened butter. Cut into 16 wedges. Roll up, beginning at rounded edge. Place point underneath on baking sheet. Let rise until light. (This sometimes takes a while, 2+ hours. Mine rise more when baking.) 

Bake at 375º for 12-15 minutes.

*the original recipe calls for active dry yeast with instructions on how to properly incorporate it, but I always use instant yeast and I add it when I add the flour. No need to dissolve first.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup - Easy Version

We LOVE gnocchi soup! It is definitely a favorite around here. But the recipe I originally used takes forever to make so we didn't eat it nearly as often as we would have liked. This version of the recipe is a game changer - it literally takes at least 30 minutes off the prep time - and is every bit as good! You really can't go wrong either way, but this one is my current go-to. Yum! (Originally found here.)

2-3 chicken breasts grilled using Perfect Chicken recipe*, diced

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/2 white onion, diced (yellow or red onion is fine, too)

2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 cups chicken broth (4 bouillon cubes + 4 c. water works fine)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp thyme

1/4 cup flour

16 oz. potato gnocchi (I literally buy this at Dollar Tree)

2 cups half and half

1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add celery, onions, garlic, and carrots. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until onions are translucent.

Add salt, pepper, thyme and flour. Stir to coat veggies. Add chicken broth and stir well. Add chicken. Bring to a boil, then gently stir in gnocchi. Boil for 3-4 minutes more, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes** to finish cooking gnocchi. (**Or cook the gnocchi in a separate pan according to package directions before adding to other ingredients. Then you can skip the last 10 minutes of cooking time.) 

Stir in half and half and spinach and cook another 1-2 minutes until spinach is tender. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve alone or with homemade bread, breadsticks or rolls.

*You can substitute a 12.5 oz. can of chicken breast if you don't have time to make Perfect Chicken. Or make it without the chicken. I did that once on accident and no one noticed! Or just cook the chicken however you like!

Cafe Rio Style Sweet Pork

We love Cafe Rio. There are a few restaurants we try to fit in every time we travel out west and Cafe Rio is definitely on that list. Their sweet pork tacos are especially delish when you add their yummy green sauce and some cilantro lime rice. I know it looks like a lot of work, but it's really not hard and we almost always have plenty of leftovers so I can freeze some for later or just enjoy sweet pork tacos for lunch the rest of the week. I found this recipe on a blog called The Recipe Society and it's a keeper for sure!

Put a 3-6 lb. pork roast in the crock pot and cover halfway up with water. Cook it overnight*. Discard water. Shred.

When the pork is shredded, combine:

12 ounces of salsa
1 can caffeine-free coke
2 cups brown sugar

Pour over the shredded pork in the crock pot and continue to cook for another 3-4 hours. 

Eat on a tortilla with cilantro lime rice (or just plain rice), black beans, cheese, lettuce, yummy green sauce, and/or whatever you like on your tacos. 

*The problem with cooking this overnight is that the pork is ready pretty early in the day. So sometimes I start the pork at 6 or 7am and cook it initially for 6-8 hours. Add on the extra 3-4 hours with the additional ingredients and you should be able to eat dinner by 6pm. 

Grandma Stowell's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jeff's grandma, Mary Helen Stowell, always (Always!) had these cookies waiting in her cookie jar every time we made the 4 hour drive to her home our first year or so of marriage. These have long been the favorite of at least a few of my kids and the recipe has been hanging in vinyl lettering on the door of my kitchen for ages. 

1 ½ c. shortening
1 ½ c. white sugar
1 ½ c. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. water
4 eggs
4 ½ c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
One bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
        Combine shortening, sugars, vanilla and water. Beat until creamy. Add eggs and beat. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add chocolate chips. Bake at 350° for 9 minutes. Recipe may be halved. (Certain family members prefer these without chocolate chips, i.e., “Chocolate chip cookies with no chocolate chips.”)

Fudge Cookies (Cake Mix Cookies)

I've had this super easy and quick recipe for years and I've made it dozens of times. The recipe is quite versatile and the cookies are always moist and delicious. My friend, Leona, who gravitated to recipes using 5 ingredients or less, shared this with me and I'll be forever grateful!

1 package Devil’s Food cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
2 eggs
½ c. oil
1 c. chocolate chips
        Mix together cake mix, eggs and oil. Stir in chocolate chips. Shape stiff mixture into small balls or use cookie scoop. Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes. 

        Tip: You can try using different flavors of cake mix or chips. Roll the cookies in powdered sugar after baking or spread a melted Hershey kiss on top. Our favorite is piping melted Candy Cane Kisses over the top at Christmastime….or in July if you still have the kisses left because you bought so many extras. ;)

(Marta's) Coconut Crispy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These might be my favorite. I mean, I have seasonal favorites like Peppermint Balls at Christmas or Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies and Chewy Gingersnaps as soon as fall weather hits, but these are always a good idea. Sadie, who is not a dark chocolate fan, prefers them with no chocolate chips so I'll sometimes bake a pan full before adding those. Either way, the combination of flavors is SO good! (I have made minor modifications to the original recipe which I found here.)

2 sticks butter, softened
1 ½ c. brown sugar
¾ c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 ¼ c. flour (sometimes I need a little extra flour, no more than ¼ c.)
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
2 ¼ c. Crispy Rice cereal
1 ¾ c. chocolate chunks (or chips), preferably dark
1 ½ c. sweetened coconut flakes
        Preheat oven to 350°. In mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium-high until fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients, careful not to over-beat the batter. Mix in Crispy Rice, chocolate chunks and coconut on low speed just until well dispersed. Eye ball it and see if you need any more of the marvelous mix-ins.
        Roll dough into balls, a bit smaller than ping pong ball size. (I use my cookie scoop.) Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 9-11 minutes (9 minutes in my oven), just until the golden softly set up stage. Let them cool on the sheet for a minute or two.

Peppermint Balls

These are one of my favorite Christmas treats! Once Halloween is over, I start making these and I don't stop until New Years. The recipe makes a small batch, but believe me, it's much safer that way. (Yes, you can double it.) These cookies are so pretty with the glaze and candies sprinkled on top, and they are just so, so good!

½ c. butter

¾ c. powdered sugar

1 egg

½ tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. peppermint extract OR 10 drops (approx. 1/16 tsp.) peppermint oil 

1 ½ c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ c. crushed peppermint candies* (like candy canes or starlight mints)

        Preheat oven to 350°. Cream ingredients together, stirring in crushed candy last. Form into balls and bake for 9-11 minutes until barely browning around edges. Do not overbake. Allow to cool and then glaze with a powdered sugar & milk or water mixture. (I use 1/2 c. powdered sugar with 2-3 tsp. milk for the glaze. Stir well and add a drop or two of peppermint oil, if desired.) Sprinkle with some crushed peppermint candies. 

        Note: I used to use peppermint extract, which is what the original recipe called for. Now I always use peppermint oil and I add a drop or two to the glaze as well. I poured my oil in a bottle with a dropper which made it so much easier to use and measure. 

*I usually use Brach's Crushed Candy Canes. 

Best Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

We love these cookies! Whenever I make cookies, I leave a few out on a plate and put the rest in a gallon ziplock in the freezer. That keeps me from eating them all. With these, my kids actually prefer them frozen. I got this recipe years ago from my friend, Dana, and it's been our favorite peanut butter cookie recipe ever since. 

1 c. peanut butter
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 ½ c. flour
2 c. milk chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)
        Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar and eggs together. Add dry ingredients. Mix and add chocolate chips. Scoop onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 7½ - 10 minutes. Makes 5 dozen.

Twice Baked Potatoes

One of my kids would not complain if we ate these every day. Since the recipe starts with pre-baked potatoes, we usually have baked potatoes for dinner with chili, cheese, sour cream, etc. and then sometime in the next 2-3 days, we use up all the leftover potatoes using this recipe. But feel free to bake your potatoes solely with this recipe in mind. Microwaved potatoes work well, too.

4-ish medium baked potatoes, skin on

1/2 c. sour cream

1/4 c. milk

1/4 c. butter or margarine

1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Bacon bits

        Start with pre-baked potatoes, cold or warm. Cut each potato in half the long way and scoop the pulp out of each half (try to salvage the skin in one piece). Mash the pulp with butter. Add milk, sour cream, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well. Spoon back into the skins. Top with bacon. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. 

        Note: I spoon the potato mixture into small (~1 cup) oven-proof glass bowls, if needed, to compensate for any skins that don't survive the scooping out process.

Chewy Gingersnaps

If you think gingersnaps always have to be hard and dry, think again. This recipe is a game changer. My kids' science teacher LOVES these. Several other friends have decided that these are their favorite cookie that I make (and I make a LOT of cookies)!! I found this recipe on the World Wide Web way back in 1999 or 2000. The recipe was contributed by "UnknownChef86." I don't even remember what made me print the recipe in the first place, but I'm sure glad I did. So thank you, UnknownChef86, whoever you are. Your recipe has brought a lot of happiness into my little corner of the world. :)

¾ c. butter, softened

2 c. sugar

2 eggs, well beaten

½ c. molasses

2 tsp. vinegar

3 ¾ c. flour

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

1 Tbsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground cloves

Cream together butter and sugar. Stir in eggs, molasses and vinegar. Sift and add the remaining ingredients. Mix until blended.

Hand form into ¾” balls or use a cookie scoop. Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet (or use a silicone mat) at 325° for 10-12 minutes or until they are barely browning around the edges. (They will appear puffy but will flatten when you remove them from the oven.) Let cool on cookie sheet for two minutes before removing to a rack. Add 2-3 minutes to baking time for crispier cookies. The dough freezes well (scoop and freeze, store in ziplock bag; thaw before baking). The baked cookies freeze well, too!

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't remember how I stumbled upon this delicious recipe, but I'm sure glad I did. These are by far my favorite pumpkin cookies ever. While I love the flavor of pumpkin cookies, I don't love how cakey they always seem to be. Well, with the eggs eliminated, these cookies solve that problem. These are chewy and perfect and I can't get enough. The amounts below are doubled from the original recipe, otherwise there wouldn't be enough! You're welcome. :)

2 sticks (1 cup) butter
2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

7.5 oz. (1/2 can) 100% pure pumpkin

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cloves

3 c. flour

2 c. chocolate chips

        Preheat oven to 350°. Cream together butter and sugars. Add the vanilla and pumpkin and mix until smooth. Combine all dry ingredients and add to the rest, mixing just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

        Bake rounded balls of dough (I use a cookie scoop) on an ungreased cookie sheet for 11-14 minutes or just until they start to puff up a little. Cool slightly before removing from pan.

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats

Rice Krispie Treats have never really been my thing. They're fiiiine, but there are desserts and cookies I'd rather make instead. That was my attitude before these came along. These are a game changer. Now the only reason I don't make these often is because I might eat them all. I used to always double the recipe and spread them in a big jelly roll pan, but that's pretty dangerous these days with fewer people living at home. I just don't have that much self-control!! My SIL Kristin gave me this recipe years ago (also available from this website). By the way, the recipe says to use an 8" square pan, but a 9x13 works, too. They just won't be as tall.

1 stick (4-ounces) butter, plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
Heaping 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
6 c. Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)
        Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.
        In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don't take your eyes off the pot as the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.
        As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off, sprinkle salt over the butter, and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth. Be careful not to cook the marshmallows.
        Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the cereal. Quickly spread into prepared pan. Use a piece of waxed or parchment paper sprayed with oil to press it firmly and evenly into the edges and corners. A silicon spatula works almost as well. Let cool and cut into squares. Makes 16 2-inch squares or 32 1- x 2-inch small bars.

Snickerdoodles

I lost touch with my friend, Cathy, years ago, but I still think of her whenever I make her snickerdoodles. These bake up more moist than most snickerdoodles I've tried. They are always a hit around here!

1 c. shortening
1 ½ c. sugar
2 eggs
2 ¾ c. flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar or angel cream
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
        Mix together shortening, sugar, and eggs. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill one hour (or not...). Form into small walnut sized balls (or use a cookie scoop) and roll in cinnamon sugar. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes.

Spritz Cookies

I bought a Wilton cookie press years ago and this is the recipe that came with it. The cute little cookies are so perfect in their shape, flavor, and texture that I've never had the desire to look for another recipe. My kids love these and it makes me wonder why I don't make them more often.

1 ½ c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. almond extract
3 ½ c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
        Preheat oven to 375°. Thoroughly cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, vanilla and almond extract; mix well. Stir together flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing to make a smooth dough. Do not chill. Shape dough into small logs and place in cookie press. Press cookies onto cool, ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until barely browning around edges. Remove cookies from sheet; cool on rack. Makes 7-8 dozen.

Sugar Cookies

I got this recipe almost 25 years ago from my friend, Kristen, and these have become a Halloween tradition at our house. We cut them out in the shape of pumpkins, frost with orange and green frosting, then use candy corn to make faces. The combination of these cookies and frosting with candy corn...Oh Yum!!!

1 ½ c. sugar
1 c. shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
½ c. milk
4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
        Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, vanilla, and milk. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Roll out on a floured surface at least 1/8 inch thick. Cut cookies into desired shapes and bake at 350° for about 10 minutes or until barely browning or just before they start to brown. Cool. Frost with buttery cookie icing, below.

Buttery Cookie Icing
3 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. margarine or butter, softened
2 Tbsp. milk
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
        Blend butter and powdered sugar. Add milk and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Add food coloring as desired. After decorating, let icing set before stacking cookies.

Apple Pie

This is an easy, no-frills apple pie recipe, but you can feed me apple pie until the cows come home and I'll never find one I like better. This was my dad's favorite so I always made it for him when he came to visit. I'd give anything to make it for him again. (Great, now I'm bawling...)

1 pie crust (not deep dish unless you want to use a lot more apples)
4+ large granny smith apples
½ c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
        Peel, core, and slice apples. Place them in pie shell and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar after each layer or so. Continue until apples are heaping in pie shell.

Topping:
½ c. sugar
¾ c. flour
1/3 c. butter or margarine
        Combine with a pastry blender until crumbly. Spoon over apples and pat down with hands to form the top “crust.” Bake on a foil lined cookie sheet at 400° for 40-50 minutes.
        Check the outer crust edge every so often and cover only that part with foil, if needed, to keep from burning. Or do what I sometimes do and cut off that rim of crust before baking. It's unconventional, but it won't burn if it's not there! ;)

Brownie Delight

This is the traditional birthday cake in our home. Always. Fortunately, with 6 kids who all have birthdays in different months, we've enjoyed it regularly over the years. I originally found the recipe when I subscribed to Quick Cooking magazine a hundred years ago. I've altered it slightly over the years so here's how we make it:

1 package brownie mix (9x13 size)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 c. powdered sugar
16 ounces cool whip, divided*
1 ½ c. cold milk
1 small package instant chocolate pudding mix
       

Prepare and bake brownies according to package directions using a greased 9x13 glass baking pan. Cool completely. 

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar for 2 minutes. Fold in 2 cups cool whip. Spread over brownies. 

In another bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix; beat until smooth – about 2 minutes on low (I usually skip the mixer and stir for 2 minutes with a whisk or spoon). Refrigerate for 5 minutes; spread over cream cheese layer. 

Spread with remaining cool whip. Garnish with chocolate shavings or sprinkles if desired. Refrigerate until serving. Makes 12-15 servings.

*A few times, I've only had 8 oz. cool whip on hand. I used just less than half in the cream cheese mixture and spread the rest on top. The top layer didn't have as much as usual, but no one knew the difference.

Amish Oatmeal Cake

As someone who doesn't like cake, this is one of the rare exceptions. It's SO moist and delicious. I love the coconut in the topping. This is a combination of two recipes. I don't remember where I got the cake recipe, but I switched out the topping recipe I used to use once I tried this one from my friend, Jeanee. So good! 

1 c. rolled oats
1 ¼ c. boiling water
½ c. butter or margarine
1 c. sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 2/3 c. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
        Mix oats and boiling water together; set aside for 20 minutes. Cream butter or margarine and sugars together thoroughly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Blend in oatmeal mixture. Sift together remaining dry ingredients. Fold into batter. Stir in vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. (22 minutes is long enough in my oven.)
   

While cake is baking, make the following topping:
2 eggs
½ c. evaporated milk
2 c. brown sugar
2 c. sweetened flaked coconut
1 c. butter
        Boil for 2 minutes. Stir in 2 tsp. vanilla and ½ - 1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans.
        Allow cake to cool until just warm before pouring topping over the cake.

Apple Crisp

This is the crisp recipe we've been making for 25 years. It's straight out of the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook we were given for our wedding. The topping is perfect!

5 cups sliced, peeled apples (Granny Smith are best)
2 to 4 Tbsp. sugar
½ c. regular rolled oats
½ c. packed brown sugar
¼ c. flour
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ c. butter or margarine
¼ c. coconut
        Place fruit in a square baking dish. Stir in sugar. For topping, combine oats, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter or margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in coconut. Sprinkle topping over fruit. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or till fruit is tender and topping is golden. Serve warm with ice cream or light cream, if desired. Serves 6.

Chocolate Cloud

This was one of my favorite desserts growing up. I still love it! I know I'm not the only one because the last time I made it, I took it to a friend's home who had invited us over for dinner. Her little boy loved it so much that he couldn't get enough and licked his plate completely clean. It was the cutest and made me feel like the best cook ever. :)

1 pkg. (9 ounces) Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers*, crushed
¼ c. margarine, melted
1 c. chopped walnuts
1 c. milk
1 lb. marshmallows
1 pint whipping cream, whipped
1 tsp. vanilla
        Mix wafers, margarine and nuts in a bowl and spread half of mixture on bottom of 9x13 pan. Melt marshmallows with milk in top of double boiler or in microwave, stirring often. Cool a bit. Fold into whipped cream. Add vanilla. Pour over wafer mixture. Top with remaining wafer mixture. Refrigerate for several hours before serving. 

*These wafers are hard to find, so you can sub chocolate sandwich cookies, with or without the cream in the middle. I've used both with success.