Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

This is probably my favorite salad dressing!  There are some in my family that love it so much they have cried.  It is super easy and fast to make, inexpensive, tastes amazing, and keeps well.  It will get your kids asking for seconds on salad!

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 c sugar
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp salt
2/3 c vinegar
3 Tbsp onion juice
2 c canola oil
3 Tbsp poppy seeds

DIRECTIONS
In a blender combine sugar, mustard, salt, vinegar, and onion juice.  While it is blending on the lowest setting slowly add in oil and beat until mixtures is thick and creamy.  Add poppy seeds and mix until combined.  Makes 2 pints.
–Melanie

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes with Buttermilk Syrup

Sunday mornings Nick and I try to make something delicious for breakfast since we don't have church until 1.  This Sunday we enjoyed whole wheat triple berry pancakes topped with homemade butter milk syrup. SO GOOD! 

Buttermilk Syrup

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 c white sugar
3/4 c buttermilk
1/2 c butter
2 Tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extra

DIRECTIONS
In a medium pot combine sugar, buttermilk, butter, and corn syrup and bring to a boil.  Boil for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in baking soda and vanilla.  Syrup will thicken as it cools.  Serve over pancakes, waffles, or French toast.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

INGREDIENTS
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 c buttermilk
1 c berries (fresh or frozen)

DIRECTIONS
Heat griddle or pan over medium/high heat. Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl.  Add egg and buttermilk and mix until all dry ingredients are wet. Add desired amount of berries to batter and fold in.  Spoon onto greased griddle into 4 inch circles. Flip when bubbles start to form in the center of the pancake.  Cook another 1-2 minutes and then serve.

–Melanie

Cilantro Lime Dressing

This tastes just like the salad dressing at Cafe Rio!  I can't wait to make the Cafe Rio Sweet Pork and make a salad with it and this dressing!  It makes my mouth water!  I was looking for a dipping sauce for taquitos and found this deliciousness on ourbestbites and altered it a bit.  I used low fat mayonnaise instead of regular and I used garlic powder instead of fresh garlic.  While watching Master Chef one of the contestants got in trouble for serving a food with raw garlic so I have made it a point to not use raw garlic if the dish will not be cooked. Delicious and so simple!

INGREDIENTS

1 pkg ranch dressing mix
1 c light mayonnaise
1/2 c milk
juice from 1 lime
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 c cilantro
1/4 c green salsa
hot sauce (optional)


DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Add hot sauce to taste. Refrigerate or serve. (Making this a few hours before serving will allow it time to thicken as it sits in the fridge.)

–Melanie

Strawberry Freezer Jam

This is my mom's strawberry freezer jam recipe.  It tastes super good on fresh whole wheat bread, mom's rolls, or a PB&J sandwich.  It is actually really easy to make, inexpensive (especially in the summer when fruit is cheap), and the best jam ever!

INGREDIENTS
3 1/4 c strawberries
1 box sure jell pectin
1 c light Karo syrup
1/4 c lemon juice
4 1/2 c sugar

DIRECTIONS
Puree strawberries in blender.  Place pureed strawberries in a large pot and mix in pectin.  Let strawberries and pectin sit for 30 min stirring every 10 minutes.  Mix in syrup and juice.  Mix in sugar 1 cup at a time.  Heat mixture to room temperature or until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and pour into cleaned and dry glass jars (nine 8oz jars or 5 pint jars).  Screw on lids, put one jar in fridge and the rest in the freeze.

Strabs

pureed

mixin in the sugar

sugar is dissolved

lids on ready to freeze

Yum!

–Melanie

Baked Potato with Broccoli and Cheese Sauce

This is a very simple meal. It is meatless so it can also save money and is easy to make if you have a big family. This takes very little time in the kitchen.

4 baked potatoes

1 head of cooked broccoli

Cheese Sauce

2 T. butter

2 T. flour

1 1/2 c. milk

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

Bake brown russet potatoes in oven for about 1 hour at 350 degrees. Check with fork to make sure potato is cooked all the way through.

Cook broccoli by either steaming or boiling on the stove.

Melt butter in sauce pan. Add flour to make a paste and immediately add milk. Stir occasionally until the sauce thickens. Then add shredded cheddar cheese. (Make sure you shred a block of cheese. Already shredded cheese will not make a smooth cheese sauce). Once cheese is melted you can serve it. You may add more cheese or milk for your desired consistency.

Cut baked potato and decorate with broccoli and cheese sauce.

*You can use this sauce as a cheese sauce for broccoli as a side dish. The cheese sauce can also be used for macaroni and cheese. You can double the sauce and pour it on cooked macaroni. Place the mac-n-cheese in a casserole dish and cover with cheddar cheese. Place in oven at 325 until it starts to bubble. You may need to add more salt if you don't salt the pasta.

Raspberry-Peach Freezer Jam

There is nothing better than homemade jam. This is my grandmother's recipe.

1 package Sure Jell pectin

4 fresh peaches (1 1/2 c. mashed)

4 small packages of raspberries (2 c. crushed)

4 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. white Karo syrup

Here are the ingredients (here we made two batches):

Mash up the raspberries and peaches to measure later into a sauce pan. To peel the peaches more easily, we blanched the peaches. This means we brought water to a boil and dipped the peaches in the water for a minute. The skin came right off.

We then measured 2 cups crushed raspberries and 1 1/2 cups crushed peaches into each pan. We then sifted in one packet of Sure jell pectin (make sure it is NOT the low sugar kind) while stirring. Set a timer for 30 minutes and stir the jam occasionally (about 5-6 times).

After the timer goes off, add one cup of white Karo corn syrup and mix well. Turn on the stove to medium heat. gradually sift in the sugar and warm the jam until it reaches 100 degrees. This will be about the temperature of baby's milk. This typically takes about 5 minutes. When the sugar is dissolved, the jam is ready.

Store the jam in plastic containers or glass jars.

Jam will last up to a year in the freezer and will last 1-2 months in the fridge. Enjoy!

Also, if you would like to use this recipe to make strawberry jam, you will use 3 1/4 c. crushed strawberries plus 1/4 c. lemon juice. If you only have raspberries you will just use 3 1/2 c. crushed raspberries to substitute for the fruit in this recipe.

Hot Fudge Sundays

This is my mom's hot fudge recipe.  It is easy to make and tastes delicious!

INGREDIENTS

1 can evaporated milk

1 c. chocolate chips

1/2 c. sugar

DIRECTIONS

Mix above ingredients together in a saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick.  Boil until desired thickness.  Makes 1 pint.

–Melanie

Chocolate Syrup

My whole childhood there was always homemade chocolate syrup in our fridge. We would use it to make chocolate milk and to mix into our ice cream which we enjoyed every night! It is delicious!

Chocolate Syrup

4 c. sugar

1 (8oz.) can cocoa

1 qt. water

4 Tbsp. vanilla

Mix with a wire whip all but vanilla in a Dutch oven. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in vanilla. Makes two quarts.

Enjoy!

–Melanie