Best ever Sloppy Joes

We wanted to share a recipe with you that we got from one of Fifth Ward's many wonderful cooks - Sister Schaufert.    This recipe was specifically requested and comes very highly recommended.   In fact, rumor has it, that even our very own BISHOP has dubbed this  the best chili burger recipe EVER!

 So what are you waiting for?   Try it out with your family this week and then be sure to let Sister Schaufert know how AWESOME it is!

Sister Schaufert's BEST EVER Sloppy Joes

1 1lb ground beef

1 onion chopped fine

1/2 cup green pepper chopped fine (feel free to add more if you'd like)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp mustard

1/2 cup chopped celery

3 tsp Brown Sugar

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tsp chili powder 

1 cup Chili sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

salt and pepper to taste (she uses 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp pepper)

Note:  You could also add 1 can of tomato soup if you wanted to

Brown the hamburger and saute the onion and celery.  Add the remaining ingredients and lightly simmer for 35 minutes.   

Serve with your favorite buns!  

(Thank you Sister Schaufert for so kindly sharing this recipe with us all)

ENJOY!!!

      

Soup, Salad and Scriptures- Recipes!

In case you were not able to make it to the most recent Relief Society activity we wanted to share with you a little bit of what we all enjoyed.   Of course this cake, (made by Sister Ridley) was absolutely FABULOUS, and it's slightly tragic that I don't yet have the recipe to share with you.    Really.  You need this cake in your life.

We're working on that.   

In the meantime-enjoy the four equally awesome Soup Recipes.   Thanks to all of the Sisters who brought soup that night!

Soup # 1:  Home made Chicken Noodle Soup 

Brought by Sister Bonnie Bridge

Cover 1 chicken with water and season with carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt and pepper.

Cook until done.   Remove chicken from the broth.   Refrigerate the broth, perhaps even overnight if you have time.  (This will make it easy for you to skim off the fat that settles at the top.)   Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and put in fridge.

Once you have skimmed the fat off and discarded it- you can then heat your home made broth until simmering, and add the chicken pieces as well.  

To make the noodles:   Beat 2 eggs in a mixer really well.   Add about 1 cup of flour.   Then flour your counter and roll the dough out as thin as possible, adding flour under and on top.    Cut into noodles.

Once cut into strips- drop the noodles into the simmering broth.  Feel free to adjust the seasoning as desired, including chicken soup base if you'd like.  

(Tip:  In a pinch you could use Chicken Broth and a roasted Chicken from the store)

Soup #2:  Corn Chowder

Brought by Sister Wolff

1 lrg onion chopped

2 cans niblet corn

2 cans mushroom soup

3 cans diced raw potato

3 cups milk and cream

1 cup chopped ham

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Combine and heat through until nice and warm!

Soup #3:  Taco Soup  Brought by Sister Mandi Spencer

(taken from Dorothy Secretan's much loved cookbook)

1 lb ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

16 oz can tomatoes with liquid

16 oz can kidney beans with liquid

16 oz can niblets with liquid

8 oz can tomato sauce

1 pkg taco seasoning 

grated cheese

sour cream 

tortillas

Brown beef and onions and then add the next five ingredients.   Simmer.   Top with cheese, sour cream and tortillas.

Soup #4:  Cheddar & Broccoli Soup

Brought by Sister Hardy

1 can chicken broth

1 small onion diced

1/3 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

pepper (to taste)

2 cups of milk

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar

1/2 cup shredded swiss

2-3 cups of steamed broccoli

Simmer chicken broth and onion for 15-20 minutes (until onions are clear).   In a separate pot-melt the butter and then add the flour.  Cook together for a minute and add milk and pepper.   Whisk this well!   Stir and heat on medium heat until the white sauce begins to thicken.   Add the chicken broth and onions and stir until well blended.    

Mix in the two cheeses and allow to melt.   Add the steamed broccoli and serve immediately!

Really- do serve this immediately.   The longer it cooks on the stove- the higher the risk of the milk being scorched etc.   Try serving it in a bread bowl, because EVERYTHING tastes better in a bread bowl!

The Recipes from the Scrumptious Relief Society Christmas Dinner!

If you were able to enjoy the fabulous Christmas dinner put on by the Relief Society last week, you are probably still dreaming about all that yummy food, and wishing that you had a few of those recipes right about now.    (I know I am)   Thankfully Sister Lori Brooks has shared them with us! 

Now you can make each and every dish for your family and friends.  They'd no doubt be impressed!

Thanks Sister Brooks! 

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Caramelized Pecan Salad

The salad was romaine lettuce, strawberries, fresh pineapple, pomegranate, and caramelized pecans. To make the caramelized pecans you just place a handful of sugar in your pan and turn it on high. As soon as it liquefies place pecans in the pan and stir until they are covered in the liquefied sugar. Use a fork to pull them apart so they don't clump too much. The dressing for the salad is just olive oil and white wine vinegar. Toss to the consistency of taste. The fruit should be more enhanced in flavor after putting the dressing on.

Pesto Chicken

The pesto is made by filling your blender with spinach and 1-2 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp of salt & pepper. Add a handful of pine nuts (approximately 1 cup) and then add olive oil until it begins to liquefy. Then add balsamic vinegar - this is a personal taste - but this gives the pesto a significant flavor. Marinate the chicken in this approximately 1 hour before baking in the oven for approximately 1 hour at 375 degrees.
 
 

Carrot and Asparagus

The vegetables (asparagus and carrot) were boiled and then tossed with olive oil and freshly grated ginger.  One could also parboil the carrots & asparagus and place on a grill for marks, it is equally impressive.
 
 

Bulgar

(served under the chicken)

The bulgur is made with 1/2 tsp salt to 1 cup of bulgar and 3 cups of chicken stock with 2 pieces of crystallized ginger cut up and added. Boil the chicken stock add the salt and ginger and then stir in the bulgur and boil for a few minutes and then turn down to low and simmer with the lid on for approximately 3-5 minutes- then shut the stove off and let it sit for approximately 30 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Recipes!

Sister Deb Fletcher sent along this great link for these ADORABLE Pots of Pumpkin Cream Pie!  

Wouldn't they make great gifts!

And a HUGE thanks to Sister Hegedus for forwarding on these three pumpkin recipes. If you are planning on celebrating American Thanksgiving, or if you just happen to really like Pumpkin - then these recipes are exactly what you need!

Pumpkin Bread

This is a great pumpkin bread recipe! It has an attractive orange color, it’s moist, and it’s packed with nutrition and flavor. We usually make it with white bread flour but you can substitute whole wheat flour. (If you use all whole wheat, add several tablespoons of wheat gluten.) The recipe calls for raisins but walnuts make it a great pumpkin bread also.
This bread is not sweet like a dessert bread. You can add more sugar if you like. If you choose, add one cup of chopped walnuts. Incidentally, try this bread toasted with red current jelly. It is terrific!

Ingredients
5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups white bread flour (you can substitute up to 3 cups whole wheat flour)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 seven-gram packet of instant yeast
1 1/3 cup warm water, 110 degrees
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup puréed pumpkin or canned pumpkin
1/2 tablespoon salt
6 tablespoons melted butter
1 1/2 cups raisins, golden raisins, or currents

Directions
1. Place half the bread flour, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of your stand-type mixer. Add the warm water and beat with a dough hook until it is partially mixes. (The purpose of this mix is to hydrate the yeast.)

2. Add the rest of the flour, the spices, the pumpkin, the salt, and the butter. Knead with the dough hook at medium speed for four minutes. When the dough comes together, add the raisins and continue beating for the remainder of the four minutes or until the gluten is developed. You will likely need to adjust the moisture level either by adding flour or water. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turn once, and cover. Set the bowl in a warm place and allow it to double in size.

3. Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. Form two loaves, cover them, and let them rise until doubled and puffy.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until done. The internal temperature should be at 190 to 200 degrees. Remove the loaves from the pans and let the bread cool on a wire rack.
Baker’s Note: The pumpkin in this bread makes it very moist. Pumpkin has a very mild flavor and acts as background for the spices and this has a mild bread combination of spices. Add more spices if you like.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe with a Chocolate Swirl

You can pair chocolate with pumpkin for a really nifty-looking, scrumptious dessert. This makes a great holiday or seasonal dessert but since canned pumpkin is available anytime, you can indulge year around.
This is an easy cheesecake to make. The chocolate requires an extra step but otherwise, this is as easy as most other cheesecakes.



Ingredients
2/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 16-ounce can pumpkin (about 1 3/4 cups)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
1 cup pure dark (semisweet) chocolate chips


Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
1. For the crust, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press onto bottom of a ten-inch springform pan.

2. For the cheesecake, in the bowl of your stand-type mixer, beat the cream cheese, salt, and granulated sugar together. Beat in the pumpkin, eggs, cream, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

3. Heat the chocolate chips until melted, either in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add one cup of the pumpkin batter and stir it into the melted chocolate.

4. Pour the pumpkin batter into the prepared crust. Spoon the chocolate batter on top. Use a straightedge spatula and vertically cut through the batters to create a chocolate swirl in the cheesecake.

5. Bake for 60 minutes or until the cheesecake tests done. Cool completely and then chill in the refrigerator before serving.



Pumpkin Fritter Recipe

This isn’t a baking recipe—fritters are deep fried—but this is such a beloved recipe that we had to include it. And it’s easy.
We’ve been making these pumpkin fritters for a long time. They are wonderful for supper on a chilly fall evening served alongside a soup or a salad. We serve them hot, drizzled with maple. The corn in these fritters complements the pumpkin well.
You deep fry these pumpkin fritters just as you would French fries. The fritter batter mixes together quickly so this is a quick dish to put together for those evenings when you just don’t have a lot of time  It’s also very economical.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
3 cups grated, raw pumpkin
1 cup frozen or drained canned corn kernels
Directions
1. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Add the milk and eggs and stir until mixed. Add the pumpkin and corn kernels.
2. In a deep fryer or heavy pan, heat enough vegetable oil for deep frying. The oil should be very hot, 375 degrees.
3. Drop three or four large spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil. Let them cook for three or four minutes, turning once, or until they just start to brown. Remove them to dry on paper towels. Serve immediately drizzled with maple syrup.

Halloween Party: Corn Dogs

Homemade Corn Dogs
Taken from Sister Dorothy Secretan’s Cook Book

1/2 c. cornmeal

1 c flour

1/4 c sugar

1c. milk

1 egg
3 tsp baking powder

 

Beat ingredients. Place hot dog on a stick and Dip until coated. Fry until golden at 350

How to have an Air tight seal when preserving food:

Here's a Neat idea! I hope you can make use of it.  Thank you to Sister Pat Hegedus for sharing!

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How to seal a bag and make it air-tight!

Cut up a disposable water bottle and keep the neck and top, as in photo.

Insert the plastic bag through the neck and screw the top – to seal.

The bottle is made to be air-tight, such that water will not leak,

the secret lies with the top and screw!

This is a great idea to share. Good for us and the environment too.

and you can still recycle the bottle!!!

Ward Corn Bust - Beef on a Bun

We have to give a HUGE thank you to the ward activities committee for another fabulous event! The annual corn bust, (held this past Wednesday) was a great time and the food was delicious. I don't imagine that it is a simple thing to cook enough Beef on a Bun and Corn on the Cob to feed a couple of hundred hungry people - but those working behind the scenes did just that! It was fantastic!

If you happen to be craving some of those beef sandwiches still, OR if you need to perhaps feed an ARMY any time soon - then you will love this recipe. Thanks for sharing Sister Hegedus!

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"I had never cooked such big (25 lb) roasts in my life. Being so large the outside was cooked first, so once the roast shrunk, I cut them in half and flipped them down so the middle could cook in the juice. It was recommended to use inside round roasts.   Of course buying in bulk, and so large, the price was much cheaper than normal family size.   Tip:   It's almost worth it to buy the large size and cut & tie it to make several roasts to suit your family.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sear the roast at 450* for 1 hour.
Add about 1" of water.
Seal tightly with tin foil.
Lower the heat to 260* to 300* for 4 hours.
To season I added 1 pkg of Lipton soup mix to one roast.


I rubbed Montreal Steak Spice on the other 3 before cooking.


Then I combined the juices & cooled it to remove the fat for dipping.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Notes: To reheat after cooling the meat overnight to slice the meat so it wouldn't fall apart, put parchment paper in the bottom of the roaster, and drizzle about a cup of juice over the slices, seal again with foil and heat on low @ 200* until hot. I actually used a cup over each of the 2 layers in the roasters. This large amount of meat took about 2-3 hours to reheat.
If the foil might touch the meat and stick, put saran wrap on top without it touching the sides of the pan before covering with foil.
The hardest part was slicing the meat because the grain of the meat kept changing depending on the muscle part we were cutting. This wouldn't be a problem in a regular roast."

"When Life Hands you Lemons" Chocolate Cake

A couple of weeks ago, I sat in Sacrament meeting as Sister Holt spoke to us all on the subject of Adversity.   (Are we not all going to miss her lessons and talks while she is away serving on a two year mission with her husband?)    At one point in her talk, she mentioned that inevitably at some point life hands us all lemons, which - it does right?     Those little (or large) trials that bog us down and may at times seem too difficult to overcome.    However in her ever joyful way, Sister Holt reminded us that life also gives us Chocolate!      The chocolate in life being those beautiful delightful blessed moments that remind you just how SWEET life is, even when things are not going as you'd hoped.        What a Happy Thought that is!!!


Seeing as Sister Holt is the one who created this Relief Society blog, and seeing as we will all miss her while she is away,  I figured I'd post a delightful little dessert in her honor.  


One made of CHOCOLATE of course!
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This Cake is absolutely perfect and the frosting is equally delicious!    Enjoy it for dessert, or better yet - make cupcakes and share a little "Chocolate Love" with somebody who could use it!  Enjoy!


CHOCOLATE CINNAMON CAKE

(recipe and photo taken from mindikamoments.com)

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon table salt

2 cups hot water

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract


1. Preheat oven to 350 with rack in the center.

2. Spray two 8" round cake pans with nonstick spray.

3. Whisk dry cake ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

4. Combine water, oil, vinegar, cinnamon, and vanilla in a large measuring cup.

5. Add to the dry ingredients and whisk until combined- a few lumps are ok.

6. Divide batter between the two pans (about 3 cups each), then bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (35- 40 min).

7. Cool cakes for 15 minutes on a rack, then invert them onto the rack.

8. Leave upside down until completely cooled before frosting them.

CHOCOLATE CINNAMON BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

½ C. butter softened

½ - 1 C. coco powder (the more coco the more chocolaty the frosting)

Pinch of salt

½ t. vanilla

1 lb. powdered sugar

2 t. cinnamon

1/3 C. milk

1. Mix butter and vanilla until well combined.

2. Add 2 C. of the powdered sugar, salt, coco powder, cinnamon and mix well.

3. Add the milk and mix again.

4. Continue to add powdered sugar until desired frosting consistency.


(If you would prefer a vanilla cinnamon butter cream, simply leave out the coco powder. You may need just a touch more powdered sugar.)

Summer Slush!

This slush might very well be the perfect way to enjoy a warm afternoon in your backyard. Not only is it easy to make, it is also very refreshing, kinda sorta maybe healthy and 100% Delicious!

1. Grab 5 bananas and mush them up in a big bowl real good. I even took my blender to it. Unless you like banana chunks, you will want to really mash em.
2. Add to this 1 can of frozen lemonade concentrate AND 1 can of frozen orange juice concentrate.
3. Pour in 4 cups of pure pineapple juice
4. Pour in 4 cups of water
5. Add 1 cup of sugar

Stir this up and transfer to a 1 gallon ice cream pail. Place in your deep freeze and try to stir it occasionally over the next 24 hours. After that time it is ready to serve. Scoop a couple of spoons into a glass and add sprite or 7 up. That's it.
* For large groups you could just dump half of the pail into a large bowl, add about half a litre of pop and stirred this up. It makes a great Slurpee texture.

There. Make it. Freeze it. Enjoy it!

S'more Recipes for Summer!

We hope that this Recipe link is useful to you all! Now that the Summer Holidays have officially begun, here are some fun ways to enjoy every bodies favorite summer time treat - S'mores!

Nothing really can beat a classic S'more that consists of: a graham cracker, a fire roasted marshmallow, and a decent sized chunk of chocolate. It has been my experience however, that we always, without fail... run out of chocolate. And usually before we've even managed to roast a single marshmallow! It's the strangest thing! No matter how much chocolate I come prepared with - it just disappears and we are left with plain old marshmallows and crackers. (Would you believe me if I blamed that on the kids?) We've recently begun using Nutella in place of chocolate bars, and here's why. Kids, (ok and parents to) can't eat it all up with one bite, it spreads easy, and you can slather as much of that stuff on as you'd like. That means MORE CHOCOLATE!!! (The yummy hint of hazelnut doesn't hurt either!)

Another fun S'more twist that we enjoy comes in the form of these delicious S'more Cookies! They are easy to make, taste like an actual s'more, AND your kids won't smell like Campfire after eating them! (see the baking instructions below)

There. Now it is your turn to SUBMIT YOUR FAVORITE SUMMER RECIPES. Just email me your tips at (cardstonsisters@gmail.com) and we'll post them here for everyone to enjoy! Happy Holidaying!




S’more Cookies:
Ingredients:
2 cups All-purpose Flour 1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda 1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Butter, Softened ¾ cups Sugar
¾ cups Brown Sugar 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 Whole Eggs 1 cup Miniature Chocolate Chips
2 cups Miniature Marshmallows 3 whole Hershey's Bars, Chopped
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Slowly mix in the flour mixture, beating until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto un greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 minutes and remove from oven. Push 3 or 4 marshmallows and a couple of pieces of chocolate into each cookie. Return to oven and bake an additional 3-4 minutes until cookie is cooked and marshmallows are beginning to brown. Cool cookies on wire rack.