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Custom Bleu Cheese Dressing. A Staple in my Fridge...

I love bleu cheese dressing. If I order a salad at a restaurant it is always with bleu cheese dressing. There are so many variations of bleu cheese in the stores now a days I have become pretty picky with the brands I have bought  to try; even then, none have measured up to what I was looking for. That is until we had dinner at my father-in-laws house for his famous steak dinner and they served a lettuce wedge with this AWESOME bleu cheese dressing. Needless to say, I asked for the recipe, and I almost always have a batch in my fridge. The only warning I give with this recipe, is be prepared - it is addictive. You will see your consumption of lettuce increase and friends and family will want to be at your house for dinner and request a salad in hopes this dressing will come with it.

If you like bleu cheese dressing, this is a great option to have on hand.

Ingredients

1 head of lettuce

1 Cup of mayonnaise

4 oz. of crumbled bleu cheese

3 T. milk

2 T. lemon juice

1 T. finely chopped white onion

1/4 Cup real bacon bits

2 t. sugar

1/4 t. worcestershire sauce

1/4 t. dry mustard

pinch of salt

Optional: diced tomatoes and chopped green onions to sprinkle over dressing when serving

 

Method

Combine ingredients (except for diced tomatoes and chopped green onions) in bowl and mix well. Best if refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

To Serve: Cut lettuce wedge into quarters and put on plate. Pour dressing over wedge and sprinkle with diced tomatoes and chopped green onions and serve.

 

By the way, there is one final thing you should know about this. When we have dinner at my father-in-laws for his famous steak dinner. Did I mention that already because he does make the absolute best steaks. Anyway, we call it "making out with our plates" when we go there for dinner. This is because everything is sooooo good, we seriously stop just short of completely licking our plates clean. I hope you enjoy this salad dressing and don't feel bad if it makes you want to lick your plate clean. :)

My Favorite Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

I have enjoyed this hot cocoa mix my entire life and once you taste it you'll be envious that I have had the pleasure of drinking this for so long. But no worries. I am now sharing this delicious drink with you and yours. :)

For Christmas this year. I made a batch of this mix then put it in little bags and put them in mugs I had purchased a the Dollar Store. I made little tags to attach to the bags to dress up the mugs and this is what we gave his teachers. This could also be done for Valentines day gifts with little tags that say "You warm my heart" or something sweet and mushy like that.

My favorite way, however is to have it all to myself and my family for these snowy, cold days. I prefer my cocoa plain - no marshmellows, just the chocolate dream that it is. Ross likes his with marshmellows and Jack likes his with whipped cream sprayed on top and chocolate sprinkles  - of course he does.

How ever you like your cocoa, I am sure you will enjoy this mix. So, stay warm and drink hot cocoa.

Ingredients

1-1/4 lb. instant cocoa ( like Nestle Nesquik)

12 oz. powdered coffee creamer (not flavored, regular)

1/2 lb. powdered sugar

8 qt. box of Carnation dry/instant milk

 

Method

1. Mix all ingredients together in large bowl, stirring to mix all dry ingredients together to mix thoroughly. 

 

Serving: The amount of cocoa per mug varies based on the size of mug. For a regular type mug I like 2 to 3 HEAPING serving spoon full.  You can always add more if you like more chocolate flavor so start with 2 and go from there based on mug size.

"You've Got to Put This on Your Blog!" (A Yummy Salmon Sauce)

Here was my dilemma. My 5 year old, Jack, likes salmon. My husband isn't a big fan at all. Jack and I were at Sam's Club and he begged and begged for salmon. Now, being Sam's Club the salmon was in a large quantity in the fresh fish section and if you saw those big blue eyes you'd cave to, trust me, so we purchased the salmon. I ended up grilling the fish with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and serving it for supper. Jack was a happy camper. Ross on the other hand, choked it down. He is not a big fan of salmon.  

After supper I still had a large amount of salmon left and I knew Ross and I wouldn't be all that excited about having it for night number 2. (I enjoy salmon once in awhile but not over and over.) Plus, it was pricey so I didn't want to waste it. This sent me on a mission to find something to make the perfectly pink fish in my fridge appealing for it's second performance. I Googled and Googled, read recipe after recipe until I found one that my taste buds thought would be a nice compliment to our second night of salmon. I am going to put the recipe below and let me tell you. Ross went from "Argh, I do not like salmon." to "We could have this once a week and I'd be happy." I am telling you I have converted him to enjoy salmon as much as his 5 year old son. 

He practically licked the plate, ate up all the salmon (which was my goal so we didn't waste any) and said, "You need to put this on your blog... it is really good." So, I am putting it on my blog for you all to enjoy. If you have reservations about salmon or its "fishy" taste I would challenge you to try this recipe from the CDKitchen website. Above is a picture of the sauce, I would have had the salmon next to it but someone ate it all up before the photo could be taken. :)

Ross poured the sauce over his salmon and I put the sauce in a small ramekin and dipped my salmon in it. Either way it is good.

Applebee`s Honey Pepper Sauce For Salmon
CDKitchen http://www.cdkitchen.com
Serves/Makes: 4    |   Difficulty Level: 3    |   Ready In: < 30 minutes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 (8 ounce) salmon fillets (without skin)

Directions:
Make the sauce by combining all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Stir occasionally until sauce begins to boil, then simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until syrupy. Watch the sauce closely to be sure it doesn't bubble over. Preheat barbecue grill to medium heat. Rub each salmon filet with vegetable oil, then add a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Grill the salmon for 4 to 7 minutes per side or until done. Serve salmon with a small cup of the honey pepper sauce on the side. 

Perfect Prime Rib

This is a never fail prime rib recipe. It is easy and every time I have made it, it turns out perfectly. Ovens vary so you may need to adjust the final cook time a bit if your oven cooks hot. Mine does so I only cook for about 15-18 minutes instead of the 30 minutes to get the meat to a medium rare range in my oven.

You will need at least a 4 lb. piece of prime rib. I usually get a 6-8 lb prime rib. Make sure the meat is at room temperature before cooking and you don't have to season it or you can add some salt and pepper if you'd like.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree.

2. Place meat in a roasting pan, uncovered, fat side up. If you have the choice place in a self cleaning oven because the juices will splatter a bit. Cook for 1 hour  to 1 hour and 15 minutes depending on the size of meat you are cooking.

3. Turn off heat and DO NOT open the oven door! VERY important - DO NOT OPEN.

4. Keep the meat in the oven for 3 hours - set your timer and no opening the door to peek!

5. When timer goes off after 3 hours. Turn heat back on to 375 degrees and cook for 30 minutes (this is where I reduce my time because my oven cooks hot and we like our prime rib medium rare)

Each person seasons to taste. The meat will be more well done on the ends and towards the middle will be more pink. This works great - you just need to plan ahead for when you plan on eating to start your cooking about 4.5 hours ahead. This is easy and low maintenance dinner.

Prime rib is good with horseradish mixed with mayo/sour cream or you can also buy the horseradish sauce. Because of this special cut of meat and the price, this is for special occasions but can be served with salad, baked potato, mashed potatoes, veggies, rolls or your favorite sides. 

 

Summer Potato Salad

This recipe is from my mom, which came from her dear friend Marilyn Blanding. Marilyn passed away of breast cancer many years ago, so any time we make any of her fabulous recipes she is always in our thoughts. She was a phenomenal lady who had a positive influence on everyone she met. Each time we make this recipe we make it with a lot of love, just like Marilyn would make it. It is an easy and really good recipe that is always a crowd pleaser. We all know there are about a thousand ways to make potato salad but this is one of the best.

 

INGREDIENTS

6 baking potatoes

6 Eggs 

Salt, to taste

1 Cup Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise 

1/4 Cup Vinegar

2 T. Sugar

Green Onions, to taste

METHOD

1. Wash 6 potatoes with skins on and cut in half. Put water and a little salt in a pot. Add potato halves with skins on and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender. Remove from water, while potatoes are still warm, remove skins and cut into small pieces and add to large bowl.

2. Put 6 eggs in a pan.  Cover with cold water. Cook to slow boil and boil for 10 minutes.  Turn the heat down and continue cooking another 5 minutes until result is hard boiled eggs.  Pour off water and add cold water to the eggs in the pan.  Let set a minute and repeat with cold water. Let them set until they have cooled down. Empty the water and shake the eggs in the pan to help crack them. You can take your hand and crack each egg around the sides and ends. Start peeling the eggs. Rinse each egg to make sure there isn't any shell left on the egg. Once the eggs are cracked and peeled cut eggs into small pieces and add to potatoes in large bowl.

3. Mix the Hellmann's, vinegar, salt and sugar together and add to the potato and egg mixture. Add salt to taste and green onions to taste and for color. Chill in refrigerator for flavors to merge.

The secret to this recipe is you use as many potatoes as you do eggs. (Example 8 potatos/8 eggs, 12 potatoes/ 12 eggs) Then, just increase the Hellmann's mixture to desired creaminess.

(If you would like the potato salad creamier - make a smaller Hellmann's, vinegar, and sugar mixture to add until desired creaminess.)

Rice Krispie Dessert

I should call this something more spectacular, however, it doesn't stick around long enough for me to name it a fanciful name. My husband gets really excited when he comes home from work and notices this on the counter. In fact, even Max after supper last night asked, "Did you fix a dessert." I said no and he said, "What's that!" pointing to this dessert. I smiled and said they could have some even though I was planning on taking it to a friends house the next day.

It is easy and a great little dish to take as treats. Since school is ending this week or next for most people I am dedicating the next two recipes as Rice Krispie treat recipes since kids will be home for the summer and what better way to keep them playing outside than to load them up with sugar. LOL

Here are the ingredients.

 You will need a package of semi-sweet chocolate chips, a package of butterscotch chips, 1 cup of creamy peanut butter, 1 cup of light Karo syrup, 1 cup of sugar and 6 cups of Rice Krispies.

You need to bring the 1 cup of Karo syrup and 1 cup of sugar to a boil on the stove. After it is brought to a boil, remove from heat and add the 1 cup of peanut butter. Once the peanut butter is thoroughly mixed without clumps add the 6 cups of Rice Krispies and stir until all cereal is completely coated. Pour into dish sprayed with nonstick spray and distribute evenly.

 

Next, you will need to melt the chips. Add the package of semi-sweet chocolate morsels and the butterscotch morsels to a microwave safe bowl.

 

You will need to microwave the morsels for 30 seconds and stir. You need to microwave for a total of 3 times, each for 30 seconds and stirring between each 30 second warming. After the 3 cycles the chips should be melted. Pour over the top of the Rice Krispies and smooth. Let cool completely and let chocolate set up before eating.

 

I recommend serving alongside a glass of ice cold milk!

Sock-It-To Me Cake Recipe

This is a great coffee cake that is good for every time of day - not just breakfast. I like to serve with some fresh fruit. This is perfect when guests come to visit, for brunch, showers. 

Cake Ingredients

1 Butter or Yellow Cake Mix

12 oz Sour Cream

3/4 C. Butter Flavored Oil or Regular Oil

4 Eggs

Filling Ingredients

1/2 C. Brown Sugar

3 C. Pecans

2 t. Cinnamon

Glaze Ingredients

1 C. Powdered Sugar

3 T. Oleo, Browned lightly

2 T. Milk

Method

1. Blend first 3 ingredients (cake mix, sour cream and oil) and beat well. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each.

2. Grease and flour an Angel food or Bundt Cake pan and put half the mix into pan.

3. Add filling ingredients together and stir. Add a layer of filling using all filling and top with rest of cake mixture.

4. Bake in 350*F oven for 50-60 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.

5. Remove from pan. Cool completely.

6. Mix glaze ingredients together. Glaze cooled cake and enjoy!

Spinach Summer Salad with Yum-O Dressing

Summer Spinach Salad

This simple salad is filled with flavor and great way to eat light during the heat of summer or to serve with friends. Either way, you're sure to enjoy.

Ingredients

1 package fresh spinach - washed and broken into pieces

6 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1/4 lb. bacon fried crisp & broken

Put spinach in a bowl add chopped boiled eggs and broken bacon pieces and toss.

 Sauce/Dressing

1-1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 T. chili sauce

1 T. salad oil

2 T. vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

salt & pepper to taste

Mix dressing ingredients together and pour just enough of the dressing over salad to moisten. Extra dressing will keep in the fridge. Enjoy!

Easy Coconut Dessert. Perfect for Summer.

My mom use to make this for us growing up and it is a quick and easy way to enjoy a sweet bite of coconut. I hope you enjoy as well.

What You'll Need

1/4 lb. butter

1 package of Angel Flake Coconut

1 cup chopped Pecans

1 cup light Brown Sugar

Method

1. Add butter, coconut and pecans into a skillet and brown lightly.

2. Take off stove; add 1 cup light brown sugar and stir together, this will be crumbly.

3. Put 1/2 mixture in large size pyrex baking dish, spread evenly. Add 1/2 gallon softened vanilla ice cream. Put rest of 1/2 mixture over top. Freeze.

Enormous Crab Legs for the Boys Enormous Appetites

I went to our local Sam's Club and purchased these huge crab legs (see below). Why the indulgence? Max LOVES crab legs. Now, let me repeat in case you missed it. Max LOVES, REALLY LOVES crab legs. The first time we went to Red Lobster and he tasted crab legs it was all over and from then on he has always ordered the kids crab leg dinner. This started his expensive tastes. Sometimes, Max and I have "dates" this is special time when we do something just... the two of us. On our dates when we go to dinner or lunch I'll say, "Hey Buddy, where do you want to go for dinner?" He'll say Wed Wobster, Sushi, or Chik-fil-a. He better have a good job when he gets older to be able to afford his taste for fine food.

The other day, I thought I would do something special for the boys in my house and cook them up something unexpected. I had heard about these huge crab legs at Sam's. When I purchased them, they were $12.99/lb. Each crab leg is a pound. I splurged and purchased 2. I already had a box small crab legs as well so I included them in the mix. I had some new potatoes I quartered, tossed in olive oil and seasoned with sea salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic powder. I put them in the oven at 425*F for until tender. The crab legs, I was told to boil in water. The HUGE crab legs I boiled for about 10 minutes and of course served with melted butter.

The boys, ate them up. Max just kept saying..."UMMM, this is good Mama." Some chefs wait all their lives for a good review from a food writer but I am telling you, hearing those words from Max is all I need. This isn't something I'd do every day but Max's eyes popped out of his head when he saw how big those crab legs were, it was totally worth it.

I wish I would have put something to show the size more. The photo looks like it is just a white plate. However.... This white plate is actually a platter I serve Thanksgiving turkey on. That's right, it is a huge platter that sits on top of my refrigerator and basically covers the width of the fridge. The huge crab legs before I broke them to fit in the pot of hot water reached from finger tip to finger tip when Max's arms are stretched out to his sides. You get the picture... BIG!

If you need an indulgence. Try it. It'll feed everyone's appetites and you'll all have some fun in the process.