Ramen Chicken Salad

This is a weird sounding recipe, but it works and it's pretty tasty. Feel free to substitute the vegetables in this for others.

Ramen Chicken Salad

2 packages ramen noodles, uncooked (save the seasoning packet for something else)
1 c. cubed cooked chicken
1 small can sliced water chestnuts
1/4 c. diced sweet onion OR green onion OR red onion
1 c. shredded cabbage (I prefer napa cabbage for this)
1/2 c. thin sliced carrots
2 T. soy sauce
1/4 c. blush wine vinaigrette OR raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing
OPTIONAL - other veggies cut into bite size pieces, i.e. broccoli, zucchini, snow peas, radishes, etc.

Break up ramen noodles into small chunks and place in a large bowl. Add chicken, water chestnuts, onions, and vegetables. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce and salad dressing. Pour over the other ingredients. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, better overnight.

Stir before serving.

If you don't want to use the vinaigrette salad dressing, substitute in 2 T. vegetable oil of your choice, 2 T. vinegar (rice or red wine are both good), and 1 t. sugar. Mix well with the soy sauce before pouring over the salad.

Chilled Monkey Brains (dessert from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)

I adore the dinner scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I love it so much, I created my own version of all the recipes. Kid safe, family approved, and easy-to-find ingredients, though. Still fun to serve. Here's dessert:

Chilled Monkey Brains

2 small boxes of raspberry gelatin, the four serving size
2 c. boiling water
1 c. frozen blueberries, strawberries (chopped or sliced), raspberries, or any combination of frozen berries
1 c. very cold water
1 c. vanilla yogurt
1 8 oz. tub whipped topping

Mix gelatin in the boiling water. Stir at least 5 minutes until completely dissolved. Add frozen berries and cold water. Stir until it starts to thicken. Stir in yogurt and whipped topping. Pour into nice dish or mold. Brain molds are really nice. Refrigerate until set. Hide at the back of the table when serving so you have half a chance of leftovers. Take home the empty bowl and mix up another batch just for yourself.

Blueberry Cake

Not too sweet and so easy! You can make it with frozen blueberries, but it's best with fresh ones.

Blueberry Cake

1/4 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 T. baking powder
1/4 t. nutmeg
2 1/2 c. flour (I recommend all white for this one)
1 c. milk
2-3 c. blueberries

Cream butter and sugar, add egg. Beat until light and fluffy. Stir in baking powder and nutmeg. Add 1 c. flour, stir. Add 1/2 c. milk, stir. Add another cup of flour, stir. Add the rest of the milk. Add the last 1/2 c. flour with the blueberries. Stir gently to mix.
Grease and flour a bundt pan. Do this well or it will stick! Pour the batter into the pan. Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes.
Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate.

Orange Dreamsicle Dessert

I was going to call this salad, because that's a Utah thing, but it's definitely more of a dessert. Sweet and luscious and reminds me of an orange creamsicle.

Orange Dreamsicle Dessert

1 4-serving package orange gelatin
1 c. boiling water
2 8-oz cans mandarin oranges
1/2 c. vanilla yogurt
1 8-oz tub whipped topping

Mix gelatin with boiling water, stir until completely dissolved, at least 5 minutes. Drain mandarin oranges, saving the juice! Measure out 3/4 c. juice and add to the gelatin. Stir around. Set it aside until it starts to thicken and set up. This usually takes about 30 minutes in the fridge or 1-2 hours on the counter. Once it starts to thicken, stir in the orange slices, yogurt, and whipped topping until blended.
Refrigerate until set, at least 1-2 hours.

This recipe works great in a jello mold. I love my smaller one from Tupperware with the heart or star in the bottom.

Bavarian Cream Salad

This one is in honor of Utah, where I spent much of my life. The ONLY recipe I can think of that uses lime jello that is actually edible, although I personally prefer the orange creamsicle version (which I'll post next).

Bavarian Cream Salad

1 4-serving package of lime gelatin
4 oz cream cheese (1/2 of a regular package)
1 16-18 oz can pears
1 8-oz tub whipped topping

Drain pears, saving the juice! Bring the juice to a boil and stir in the gelatin. Keep stirring until the gelatin dissolves completely, this should take about 5 minutes. Add cream cheese to the mixture. Beat, with a mixer if needed, until the mixture is creamy and thick. It should look like a disgusting mess of green gelatin and cottage cheese at this point. Smash the pears and add them. Stir it together. It should look like pale green cat vomit. Stir in the whipped topping. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

You know what? Never mind on this recipe. Anything that looks like cat vomit while you're making it is probably not a good idea. I'll just pass on the green jello....

One-Hour Cinnamon Rolls

Plus a little baking time.

One-Hour Cinnamon Rolls

2 c. hot water (like really warm bathtub temperature)
1/2 c. powdered milk
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter
2 T. yeast
1 t. salt
1 egg
3-4 c. flour
1/3 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 t. cinnamon (or up to 4 t. if you really like cinnamon)

You can use 2 c. milk instead of the hot water and powdered milk - just warm it in the microwave. Stir it well, and check the temperature. If you can't put your finger in it, it's too hot. Let it cool back down until it's really warm tap water temperature.

Mix hot water, powdered milk, sugar, butter, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Stir it well. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Stir in salt, egg, and 2 c. of the flour. Beat by hand until well mixed. Add another cup of flour. Knead until a soft dough forms, adding more flour if needed. It should be sticky and very soft but not impossible to work with. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.

Beat together 1/3 c. butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Lightly flour the counter or a large cutting board. Roll out the dough on the floured surface into a rectangle about 10x15 inches. Spread the filling mixture over the dough. Roll, using the long edge, to make a roll about 15 inches long. Cut into 15 rolls.

Grease a 9x12 cake pan. Place the cut rolls into the pan. Cover and let rise for about 15 minutes while the oven heats to 375°F.

Bake for 14-17 minutes, until golden brown on top. Frost if you want. Serve warm or cold.

Frosting for sweet rolls:
Melt 1/4 c. butter. Beat with 1 c. powdered sugar, 2 T. milk, and 1/2 t. vanilla. Spread over cinnamon rolls as soon as you pull them from the oven. It will melt into the rolls, mostly, so don't worry if it seems thick.

Pantry Salad Dressing

I think the original of this one was published in a Taste of Home magazine years ago. It's a basic red dressing, easy to whip up from things most people keep in the pantry.

Pantry Salad Dressing

1 c. sugar
1 c. ketchup
3/4 c. white vinegar
3/4 c. oil
1/3 c. diced onion
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. ground black pepper

Dump everything into the blender and give it a good whirl or three. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using so the onion isn't so overpowering.

Easy Baked Beans Deluxe

My dad used to do these in a big dutch oven over a fire in the backyard. Tasty and delicious and really easy to throw together. Here's my bake-in-the-oven take on it.

Easy Baked Beans Deluxe

1 large can kidney beans (16-20 oz)
1 18 oz can pork'n'beans
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. ketchup
1 small onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 T. worcestershire sauce

Drain and rinse the kidney beans. Stir everything together. Pour into a 2 qt casserole dish. Cover and bake at 325°F for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 30-45 minutes, until thick and bubbly.

Pumpkin Squares

This is one of the few recipes I use that calls for a boxed mix. Not sure how to make it otherwise, though I'm sure I could come up with something if I really wanted to.

Pumpkin Squares

1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 2-lb can pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
2 t. pumpkin pie spice

Mix cake mix with egg and butter. Set aside 1 c. of mix. Pat the rest of the mix into the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 cake pan.
Beat pumpkin, eggs, milk, and spice together until well blended. Pour gently over the cake mix in the pan. Sprinkle with the reserved 1 c. of cake mix stuff.
Bake 350°F for 50-55 minutes, until pumpkin is set.
Let cool and cut into bars.

Starlight Cake

I think this is from Betty Crocker, but I don't remember. I'm going through some of my old handwritten recipes and posting them. Classic old recipes that are pretty easy to make. Enjoy!

Starlight Cake

2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 c. shortening or butter
1 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
3 eggs

Dump everything into a mixing bowl. Beat on low for 30 seconds to combine. Scrape down the sides and beat on high for 2-3 minutes. Pour into greased and floured pans. Bake at 350° - 9x13 40-45 minutes, round layers 30-35 minutes, cupcakes 16-20 minutes.

Let cool completely before frosting. May I suggest this chocolate frosting recipe or this one?

Cinnamon Twists

Yeast batter breads can be tricky to work with. The secret here is to generously flour the board and your hands while working with them. And don't worry too much if they look funky. Taste is what really counts.

Cinnamon Twists

1 1/4 c. hot tap water
2 T. powdered milk
1/3 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. yeast
1 1/2 t. salt
2 eggs
5 c. flour

Filling:
1/2 c. melted butter
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. cinnamon

Mix water, powdered milk, butter, sugar, and yeast in large bowl. Let sit for 3-5 minutes, until yeast starts to bubble. Add in salt, eggs, and flour. Beat by hand just until mixed. Don't knead. It should be a sticky, goody mess. Cover it and set it aside to rise until double, about 1 hour.
On a generously floured board, roll out the dough into a large rectangle. Spread the dough gently with the melted butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Fold the top long edge in about 1/3 of the way. Fold the bottom long edge up to cover it. Cut into strips. Twist each strip one and half times. Set on a greased cookie sheet to rise. Repeat with all the strips.
Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes, until doubled.
Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes.

If you search online for cinnamon twists, you'll get the idea of what these are supposed to look like.

One-Egg Cake

In case you're running low, this is a basic cake recipe that can handle substitutions.

One-Egg Cake 

2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/3 c. shortening or butter
1 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
1 egg

Dump everything into the mixer bowl. Beat on low for 30 seconds to combine, then scrape down the sides. Beat on high for 2 minutes.

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.

Prune Cake, aka Anti-Constipation Cake

This is a very tasty cake with an ulterior motive - it's great at keeping things moving. Don't make it if you're running low on tp, though.

Prune Cake

3/4 c. oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon OR 2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. sour cream OR plain yogurt
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 c. chopped prunes, as small as you can get them, scissors work the best

Syrup:
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. milk
1 t. corn syrup OR maple syrup (NOT pancake syrup) OR honey
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla OR rum flavoring

Beat oil, eggs, and sugar in a big bowl. Add in baking soda, salt, spices, milk, sour cream, and vanilla. Stir well. Add in flour and prunes and stir to combine.
Grease and flour a bundt pan. Do this well or the cake will stick! Pour the batter into the pan. Bake at 325°F for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
While it's baking, make the syrup. Mix all syrup ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture barely starts to boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
Once the cake comes out of the oven, leave it in the pan. Jab it with a toothpick, then pour half of the syrup over the top. Let it sit and soak in for at least an hour. Then repeat with the other half of the syrup. Let sit for another hour.
Place a large plate over the top of the bundt pan. Flip it over and let it sit until the cake slides out onto the plate.
Store cake in the refrigerator. And remember that a little of this cake goes a long way.

Sugar Cookies

This is the best recipe I have ever used for sugar cookies. Once you add the flour, handle it as little as possible for the most tender cookies.

Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter, softened NOT melted
2 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 t. almond extract OPTIONAL
3 eggs
1/2 t. salt
4 c. flour

Cream butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. Add vanilla, almond extract, eggs, and salt. Beat well, another 2-3 minutes.

Very gently and by hand, stir in the flour to make a soft dough. Roll out and cut out shapes. Thicker dough results in softer cookies, thinner dough will make crispier cookies.  Place on greased cookie sheet.
OR scoop out by tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Dip the bottom of a glass into sugar, then use to flatten the dough balls.

Bake at 400°F for 6-10 minutes, depending on thickness and how done you like your cookies.