Favorite Things

When Brent and I were getting married, my mom was so cute and gathered together all these little things she thought essential for home life. Two were tupperware items, and this hamburger press has really become one of my favorites too. The first recipe I posted was a hamburger recipe (that no one tried). It's still our favorite. It's a juicy burger with chopped onions cooked right in it. And, this press makes the perfect patties. I love making my own burgers cause they're so easy. If I were Oprah, I would buy all of you one of your own. But, I'm not. So, treat yourself and thank me later!

Bird's Nests

This is another family tradition of ours. I've been making them for the past four years. And, I'm sure you do too. But, if anyone is missing out on this one--they're pretty fun. This is the recipe I like best. Happy Easter!

2 cups butterscotch chips
1 cup peanut butter
10 oz small chow mein noodles
4 cups marshmallows

Melt butterscotch chips and peanut butter in double boiler or microwave. I microwave for 1 minute, then 30 seconds until smooth. Stir in chow mein noodles and marshmallows until blended. Drop by heaping spoonfuls on wax paper. Press your thumbprint in the center. Chill until set. Put jelly beans or any other egg-shaped candy in the center!

Banana icecream topping

Made this last night for FHE and it was a big hit! So easy and soooo yummy! This recipe is out of my Taste of Home magazine. Love it!
I halved this recipe for my family

6 Tbls. butter
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. orange juice
4 bananas sliced
2 tsp. vanilla
vanilla ice cream

Combine butter and sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat stirring contantly until butter is completely melted. Add orange juice and continue cooking and stirring for 2-3 minutes until mixture is slightly thick. Add bananas and stir to coat and heat through. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Mix well and serve over vanilla ice cream. Makes 8 servings

Mexican BBQ chicken Salad

My cousin posted this recipe on her blog and I tried it the other day and LOVED it! She said the recipe is from Nordstrom's Cafe. Never been there but I love it already! This is really easy to put together and very versatile! You can adjust the amount of ingredients to your needs. Enjoy!

tortillas
lettuce torn
BBQ chicken breasts shredded
corn
black beans
tomatoes
avacado
ranch dressing

Layer and enjoy!

Chicken Salad Sonoma

We had this chicken salad on croissants at our Relief Society birthday dinner. It was super yummy. I could have totally eaten two or three of them if I wasn't on a diet! The girl who made them finally posted the recipe on her own blog so I could steal it and put it on mine! Plus, who doesn't need more recipes that are good for warm summer days?

Chicken Salad Sonoma

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
5 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons poppyseeds
sea salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste

Salad:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
2 cups red seedless grapes, halved
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

Prepare the dressing by thoroughly mixing together all dressing ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to dress the salad. Can be prepared up to 2 days in advance.
Cook chicken. Cool in fridge for 2 hours. Dice them into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in pecans, grapes, celery and dressing. Enjoy on croissants, bagel bread, or large pieces of lettuce, however you like to eat your chicken salad!

Cranberry Orange Muffins

For the baby blessing, I had a breakfast theme. I had breakfast casseroles, bagles with cream cheese, fruit, and muffins! It was so fun to have all these different muffins to try (thanks for the idea Kristi!). My sister made these and they were a huge hit! She shared the recipe, so I'm passing it along!

• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for preparing the muffin tin
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus up to 1 tablespoon for topping the muffins, if desired
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the cranberries and orange juice in a small saucepan, and bring just to a simmer over medium heat. Remove berries from the heat, and set aside to cool and plump. Drain off any excess liquid and set aside.

Lightly brush a 12-muffin tin with butter. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with an electric hand-held mixer in a large bowl, cream the butter, orange zest, and 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer.

Fold the flour in 3 parts into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk in 2 parts, until just combined. Fold in the cranberries. Do not over mix. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tin and sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool muffins in the pan on a rack. Serve warm.

Buttermilk Yellow Cake and Buttercream Frosting

My friend made this for her daughter's birthday cake and it was so delicious. It was like wedding cake, you know, where it is a little denser than boxed cake? And the buttercream frosting was delicious. I am going to use this cake recipe from now on, especially for birthday cakes because it was so easy to frost and didn't fall apart when you start cutting into it! I don't even like cake and I kept sneaking back to this one for more!

Buttermilk Yellow Cake
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter softened
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk(1 Tbsp vinegar to l cup milk)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt

1. Cream butter and sugar till smooth.
2. Add one egg at a time while blending on low speed.
3. In a separate bowl add baking powder to flour.
4. In another bowl add baking soda to buttermilk.
5. Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients to sugar mixture ending with dry ingredients.
6. Add vanilla to all.
7.Bake in greased and floured pans at 325 degrees. Two round pans cook about 20-25 minutes, 9x13 pan cook about 45 minutes.Frost with whatever you want. My friend used the Wilton's vanilla buttercream frosting. (Recipe below)

The Buttercream Icing recipe is perfect for spreading or decorating. Follow our instructions to make it the ideal consistency you need.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract (or regular, it just adds a little color)
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
2 tablespoons milk
Makes: About 3 cups of icing.

Instructions(Medium Consistency)In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.

For Pure White Icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and add 1/2 teaspoon No-Color Butter Flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes.

Tomb Buns

I got this recipe randomly last year. But, I had these rolls at Brent's work party before. They're unique because they are empty inside. So, they're the perfect Easter treat. They represent the empty tomb after the Savior was resurrected. And they're fun & yummy. Win win win.

Tomb Buns (Also called Balloon Buns)

Dough:
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups flour
1 TBSP yeast

Mix the dough as you would any other bread dough. You could even use Rhodes frozen rolls in a pinch (thawed of course). But once you h ave the dough you separate it into 18 equal pieces and roll each slightly into a round of dough.

For the rest of the recipe you will need:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
18 marshmallows

Mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Dip one marshmallow in the melted butter, covering it completely, then roll it in the sugar and cinnamon mix. Take one of the rounds of dough and wrap it around the marshmallow, sealing it carefully. This is tricky with the greasy butter, but if it doesn't seal the marshmallow will leak out during the baking.

Once they're sealed, dip the tops in melted butter. Then dip in cinnamon sugar. Place them in greased muffin tins (not lined with papers). Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly browned. The marshmallow melts, leaving a cave of sugary-cinnamony-melted goodness inside, hence the name "tomb buns."

Eat while warm with a cool glass of milk!