Strawberries & Cream

A Fabulous Family Favorite!
We used to wait all year for the few weeks that our local cupcake shop would sell this delicious treat. It is just too hard so we created our own recipe and LOVE enjoying it at home.

Ingredients:
- 2 lbs fresh strawberries
- 3 cups Half & Half
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions:
- cut tops off strawberries and slice or dice
(I use my Ninja to get quick even slices)
- pour half & half in blender while adding sugar in stages as you whip it together.
- Combine in a large bowl and enjoy

Substitutes:
-Sliced peaches, other berries are also divine
- If you use frozen fruit in the blender with the milk and sugar mix, you create a soft icecream.

Merry Cranberry Orange Smoothie

This is one of my favorite Christmastime smoothies/drinks. It is healthful, packed with vitamin C and antioxidants, and satisfies that snacking craving. 
All you need is a handful of fresh Cranberries, some Orange Juice concentrate to taste, a few Ice Cubes, then fill the rest with Water. I use my Nutri Ninja to blend a single serving.
It is tart but I love it!

Great Tips to Know for Storing Fresh Produce and Foods

http://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/how-to-store-your-groceries#.qg5G8Wa68

Hawaiian Haystacks

There isn't really a "recipe" per say for Hawaiian Haystacks except for the sauce, the rest is up to you as long as you keep it Hawaiian that is.  I get lots of compliments on my sauce and people ask for the recipe often.  It just makes me laugh because I can't take credit for it.  You will see when you read it.

Chicken Cream Sauce:
- 2 cans Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup
- 1 can of milk
- 1 can Kirkland Signature  premium chunk chicken breast (we just LOVE this chicken)

Stir together in a pot as you warm it on the stove.  Done!

 Prepare a pot of rice as your base.  I always use our rice cooker which is super easy as well.

Toppings:
First are the must haves or it just can't be called Hawaiian,
- tidbit pineapple chunks, I prefer this size
- shredded coconut

Other Typical Toppings:
- shredded cheese
- sliced almonds
- diced onions, white and green
- diced peppers
- diced tomatoes
- sliced mushrooms
- black olives
- diced celery

Other things we have tried that we have liked:
- Chow Mein Noodles
- chickpeas aka garbanzo beans
- kidney beans

Now you build it how you like it.  My husband loves it when I make meals like this.

-Put the rice on your plate or bowl first, add the sauce, and put on any toppings that you would like.

If I am in the mood for this I always check that I have the essentials first or I won't make it.  The rice, sauce, pineapple and coconut.  Whatever else I put out is whatever I have in the fridge and cupboard at the time.  Always turns out great!

Strawberry Cream Smoothie

Another Smoothie favorite of my family.  This one fits more in the dessert category than a healthful meal since we use ice cream, but it is GOOD.
I used my Blendtec and did a full jar so the measurements are for quite a bit since my family is so large but you can modify it as you wish.  I just love that about smoothies, everything is to taste and relative, easy peasy!

Strawberry Cream Smoothie:

- 3 cups milk
- 1 whole peeled banana
- 4 scoops vanilla ice cream or vanilla frozen yogurt
- 1/2 package instant vanilla pudding powder
- 2-3 cups frozen strawberries

Use the smoothie setting and it comes out beautifully.

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows for Christmas treats

This is something I started about five years ago and it has always been a huge hit.  I use the large marshmallows with plastic forked picks, straight ones are a little harder to keep a good hold on the marshmallow but are ok.  One year I tried the huge campfire roasting marshmallows and used a popsicle stick.  They were enormous and fun but I prefer the standard ones.

What you will need:
- trays
- wax paper
- forked tooth picks
- double boiler (or two pans of different sizes that have the same effect)
- chocolate chips or melting chocolate
- marshmallows
- toppings of your choice

Preparation:
- line the trays with wax paper
- place the marshmallows standing up on one tray and push the picks in all the way to the bottom
- prepare several saucers with the toppings you wish to roll the chocolate covered marshmallows in,
  Suggestions:
  Chocolate = use hot chocolate mix
  Chocolate Orange = use Tang powder, this has quite a punch and tastes great
  Smore = use graham cracker crumbs
  Cinnamon = sprinkle with cinnamon sparingly, or you can use cinnamon candy bits
  Chocolate Mint = use crushed peppermint candy pieces or chocolate mint hot cocoa mix
  Chocolate Nut = use diced nuts, pecans/walnuts/peanuts/etc...
  Sprinkle = any sprinkles you would like, we use holiday ones to be festive
  *anything else you can think of that would taste good and adhere to the melted chocolate
- place your melting chocolate in the double boiler on med/low to melt the chocolate
  I suggest reading up on how to properly temper chocolate, too hot too fast too long can all cause problems.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_evlqvYZOM

 Rolling the Marshmallows:
- Using a spatula, scoop up some chocolate
- Holding the stick, roll the marshmallow in the chocolate on the spatula until the sides are coated
- Dip in the chocolate to cover the bottom and use the spatula to drop enough chocolate to cover the top
(If your chocolate is deep enough you could dip the entire marshmallow, but the weight may pull it right off the stick)
- Next, roll (don't slide) the dipped marshmallow in the topping
  For heavier toppings, like nuts and sprinkles, I only coat two opposite sides by laying one side down at a time on the dish
- Set on a tray with wax paper to cool and dry, it takes an hour or two

Now they are ready to eat or to bag up and give away as Christmas Treats!  Enjoy!


                     

Mushroom Cream Sauce

Another super easy, super quick recipe to enhance your meal.

Mushroom Cream Sauce
 - 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
 - 1/2 can milk
 - 1 small can mushroom slices or pieces (optional)
 - 1/2 cup sour cream

Stir this together in a medium saucepan on med high heat with a whisk until hot, avoid boiling.
Enjoy!

I like to pour it over rice but pasta would be great too.

Cream of Soup Substitute

I borrowed this from afrugalsimplelife.wordpress.com.

Cream-of-Whatever Soup Substitute

September 7, 2011 

Basic White Sauce (thick):

• 3 Tablespoons butter or oil
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash of pepper
• 1-1/4 cup liquid, milk or stock

Melt butter or oil in saucepan. Stir in flour and seasonings. Cook over medium heat until bubbly. Add liquid slowly, stirring with wire whisk to prevent lumps. Cook until thick. Makes 1 cup or 1 can of condensed soup.

Tomato Soup: Use tomato juice for the liquid. Add dashes of garlic, onion powder, basil and oregano.

Chicken Soup: Use chicken broth for half the liquid. Add 1/4 t. poultry seasoning or sage.

Mushroom/celery/chive soup: Saute 1/4 C chopped mushrooms, celery or chives and 1 T minced onion in butter before adding flour.

Allergy Suggestion:  If you use a gluten-free flour (rice, tapioca, etc.), you can make the soup gluten-free.  And if you use a stock rather than milk, you can make it milk-free, too.