BAR-B-QUE Beans

This is the recipe for the bar-b-que beans I brought to the ward Christmas party last Friday. Hope you enjoy!

BAR-B-QUE BEANS

By: Vicki Westerlund

2 med. cans of Bush Beans (I use one maple flavor and one honey flavor)

1 lb. browned and rinsed sausage (I use Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage)

1 cup bar-b-que sauce (I use Jack Daniels Honey Smoke flavor)

3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)

Cook most of the day, perferably in a crock pot on low.

Just before serving add as much cheese as desired (I use about 8 to 12 oz. sharp cheddar cheese cut into cubes) and stir until melted.

Chocolate Trifle and English Trifle

Here is the chocolate trifle that I brought to the ward party. I'm including the other trifle I use for the summer months.

Chocolate Trifle

By: Katrina Moody

1. Bake a package of brownies. Let cool.
2. In a bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff and forms peaks when lifting out beaters. (I don't add anything to the whip cream, though you can add vanilla or sugar.)
3. In a bowl, mix 1 large or 2 small packages of instant chocolate pudding.
4. Purchase bag of toffee bits.

In trifle or glass dish (so you can see the nice layers) layer brownies, pudding, toffee bits, and whip cream. Repeat layers. Add a few toffee bits on the last layer of whip cream for some prettiness.

English Trifle

By: Katrina Moody

Ingredients:
bananas
blueberries
strawberries
pound cake
vanilla pudding
whip cream

1. Peel and slice bananas.
2. Cut off tops and slice strawberries.
3. Rinse and drain blueberries.
4. Make 1 large or 2 small packages of vanilla pudding.
5. Cut pound cake into 1" cubes.
6. Beat whip cream until it is stiff and forms peaks when lifting up beaters.

In trifle dish or glass bowl, layer cake, bananas, pudding, blueberries, strawberries and whip cream. Repeat layers. Add a few pieces of fruit on last layer of whip cream for some prettiness.

Tile Coasters

I just wanted to share a quick craft that would be perfect for Christmas gifts. I made a million of them this year for my husbands co-workers. You can personalize them however you want. They look great stacked on top of each other and tied with a bow.

Anyway...these were so easy to make!!! Here is what you need:

1. Tumbled tiles, 4x4's (they come 9 to a box at Home Depot and cost $5)

2. Stamps

3. Stazon ink

4. Distressed ink (optional)

5. Sponge

6. Spray adhesive so the water from the cup won't ruin them

7. Cork for the bottom...the kind that is like a sticker on the bottom.

First wipe down each tile (there is a powder on all of them). Then stamp away with the stazon ink. I then used the distressed ink and sponge and inked the edges and the whole tile to make it looke a little distressed. Let the ink dry. Then preheat the oven to 335 degrees and bake them for about 4 minutes. After that, spray with the adhesive. When it is all dry, put some cork board on the bottom (it is sticky on one side, so just cut it to the right size and stick it on). Thats it! Very easy!

This is one of my favorite meals. It is so quick and easy. I like to eat it with corn tortillas and black beans and all the other yummy fajita fixings. Hope you enjoy!

Bajio Chicken

recipe from Real Mom Kitchen

posted by: Summer Thatcher

5 chicken breasts
1/2 cup salsa
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 cup brown sugar (more to taste, I added at least an extra 1/8 cup)
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
6 oz. Sprite (1/2 can)

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Return to crock pot and cook 1 more hour. Thicken the juices with a little cornstarch mixed in water.
Serve with flour tortillas, lettuce, cheese, black beans and any other taco fixings.
If you want it spicier rather than sweeter add a hotter salsa and more green chilies.

Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Cookies

Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Cookies

adapted from Picky Palate

posted by: Summer Thatcher

1/2 cup margarine (I used butter)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
about 24 miniature peanut butter cups (mine made about 32 cookies)

36 mini marshmallows
1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
2-3 TBS heavy cream
1/4 c. mini M&M's

Cream margarine and peanut butter. Add sugars and flour and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, salt and soda. Chill one hour, shape into 1 inch balls. Spray mini-muffin pans with Pam. Put balls into pans and bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Remove and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into the middle of the cookies. Top each cookie with 3 mini marshmallows and return to oven for 2-3 more minutes or until marshmallows are puffed. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Place chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted smooth. Stir in 2-3 TBS heavy cream until silky and smooth. You can return back to microwave for 15 seconds to get a thinner consistency. Spoon chocolate over top of puffed marshmallows and sprinkle with mini M&M's.

Cafe Rio/ Costa Vida Sweet Pork

Cafe Rio/ Costa Vida Sweet Pork

By: Katrina Moody

In crockpot:

Cook 6 lbs of pork for at least 12 hours on low.

2 hours before serving:

Drain juices and trim off fat. Shred pork. Place back into the crockpot with:

2 c brown sugar
1 can cola
16 oz. taco sauce

Cook for 2 more hours.

Peanut Butter S'Mores Turnovers

These are so yummy! You definitely need the whole 1 TBS of peanut butter on them, so don't skip like I did;) These would also be really good with Nutella instead of the chocolate bar.

Peanut Butter S'Mores Turnovers

from: Recipe Girl

Submitted by: Summer Thatcher

1 box Puff Pastry (2 sheets), thawed
3 whole graham crackers, gently broken into fourths
9 small milk chocolate bars (I used Hershey’s .49 oz. bars)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
small bowl of water
1 egg whisked with 1 Tbsp. water (to make egg wash)
1/2 cup jarred Marshmallow Creme (or Fluff)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray.

2. Lay Puff Pastry on cutting board. Working with one sheet of Puff Pastry at a time, cut on three folds, creating 3 rectangles (about 3″ x 10″ each). Cut each 3 x 10 rectangle in half. You’ll have 6 pieces to work with for each sheet of Puff Pastry.

3. Assemble turnovers: Lay graham cracker on 1/2 of each square, top with chocolate that has been cut down to match the length of the graham cracker. Scoop a scant 1 Tbsp. peanut butter on top of each chocolate bar.

4. Working with one turnover at a time, wet edges of Puff Pastry and fold (over) in half to meet opposite edges. Gently push edges together to stick; use fork to seal edges together and create ridged pattern. Repeat with each turnover until all are sealed up. Gently move sealed turnovers to baking sheet with a small spatula. (At this point, the turnovers may be refrigerated for up to an hour before baking- cover baking sheet with plastic wrap- when ready to bake, remove from refrigerator and continue with instructions).

5. Brush turnovers lightly with egg wash, then use a sharp knife to cut two small slits into the top of each turnover.

6. Bake 15 minutes, or until turnovers are puffed and golden. Remove from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes. Scoop marshmallow creme into a zip baggie (don’t zip). Microwave for 8 seconds to soften. Zip bag and snip a small piece off of the corner of the bag. Drizzle marshmallow onto the top of each turnover. Serve immediately.

Servings: 12
Yield: 12 Turnovers

Cooking Tips
*Use any sort of chocolate that sounds good to you. Just cut it down or break it into pieces that fit on top of a 1/4 of a whole graham cracker. (Leftover mini Hershey’s bars from Halloween work great!)
*I tested this recipe with real marshmallows and they didn’t work as well as the marshmallow creme.
*This recipe can be easily cut in half- just thaw out one sheet of Puff Pastry.
*These are best served while warm & gooey, but they can certainly be eaten any time!