Mom's Granola

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups slivered almonds (OR 1 cup cashews and 1 cup slivered almonds)
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 plus 2 T dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 t salt (optional)
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Mix together old fashioned rolled oats, slivered almonds and shredded coconut.

Add oil, dark brown sugar, pure maple syrup and optional ingredients.

Place on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees turning over after the first 10 minutes then every 5 minutes or less until all the morsels are golden brown.  

Let cool. 

Mississippi Roast

INGREDIENTS:

• Chuck roast (choose one with plenty of marbling for best results)
• 1 packet of Hidden Valley ranch dressing powder mix
• 1 packet of Au Jus powder mix
• 1 stick of salted butter
• 5 pepperoncini peppers*

DIRECTIONS:
Put chuck roast in crock pot,
Melt butter and add both mix packets (Hidden Valley ranch dressing &Au Jus mix)
Pour mixture over the roast
Add 5 pepperoncini peppers*
DO NOT ADD WATER.

Cook on low for 7-8 hrs
*I've made this replacing the pepperoncini peppers with about 10-15 black peppercorns (the little balls) and it turns out fantastic!

Betty Jane's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Step 1 
Mix until creamy:

• 2/3 cup liquid shortening (Crisco) I used Canola
• ¾ of a tub soft margarine (Parkay) (I used 1 ½ sticks butter)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 T. vanilla

Step 2
Add, blend and mix well:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

Step 3
Add:

• 2-12oz Nestle Semi-sweet morsels

Preheat 375
Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Grandma Link's Apple Dessert

Grandma Link's apple dessert, tastes better AND easier to make than pie! #thirdhelpingplease #familyrecipe #appledessert

A photo posted by Lisa Smith (@lmsmith97) on Dec 12, 2014 at 12:00pm PST

INGREDIENTS:

•  Apples (about 9-12 medium sized)
• 1/4 to 1/2 sugar (depends how sweet the apples are)
•  1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 stick melted butter
• 1 cup water

DIRECTIONS:
1.   In 9x13 ungreased pan,
2.   Slice apples in pan about ½ full
3.   Sprinkle on top of apple slices:

• sugar
• cinnamon
• yellow cake mix
• melted butter          
• water

4. Bake 350 degrees F for 50 minutes

Jalapeno Cheese Monkey Bread

Before the dough rises....

A photo posted by Lisa Smith (@lmsmith97) on Dec 12, 2014 at 8:05pm PST

After the dough rises!

A photo posted by Lisa Smith (@lmsmith97) on Dec 12, 2014 at 8:07pm PST

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 Rhodes Dinner Rolls (or 8 Rhodes Texas Rolls) thawed but still cold
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3/4 cup drained jalapeno slices, divided
• 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder, divided

DIRECTIONS:


1.   Cut the dinner rolls in fourths (or the Texas Rolls in sixths)
2.   Dip 16 of the roll pieces in butter and layer in the bottom of a greased loaf pan
3.   Sprinkle dough with:

•  1/2 cup cheese,
• 1/4 cup jalapeno slices,
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano and
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

4.   Dip 16 more roll pieces in butter and layer over first layer and sprinkle as before
5.   Dip the last 16 roll pieces in butter, layer and sprinkle as above, EXCEPT for the cheese
6.   Spray plastic wrap with Pam and cover loaf pan.
7.   Let the dough rise until it doubles in size
8.   Remove plastic wrap and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes
9.   Remove from oven and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese
10. Bake 5 minutes longer until cheese is melted
11. Remove from pan to cool and serve warm

Birthday Rolls (Caramel Cinnamon Rolls)

If you're like me and don't have time to finish one thing at a time, you'll really appreciate this recipe!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 24 Frozen Rhodes Rolls (dinner rolls)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 box butterscotch "Cook & Serve" dry pudding mix (NOT instant)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 stick unsalted butter (not margarine)

DIRECTIONS:

For steps 1 & 2, I use two containers with lids so I can do the prep when I actually have time and then put everything together right before bed in less than 30 seconds:

1.   Mix brown sugar and dry pudding mix with a fork (crush all the brown sugar lumps)
2.   Mix sugar and cinnamon (aka throw a lid on the bowl and shake it....BOOM. done.

Steps 3-8 you do right before going to bed, or about 10pm:

3.   Grease your bundt pan
4.   Put 24 frozen Rhodes Rolls into the greased bundt pan
5.   Sprinkle the brown sugar/dry pudding mixture over frozen rolls, then
6.   Sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture
7.   Melt butter in the microwave, and slowly pour over rolls in bundt pan, trying to cover all of the sugar
8.   Place wax paper over the pan, and a kitchen towel over that. Leave on the counter overnight and when you wake up, the rolls should have risen nicely

The last steps are done in the morning:

9.   Remove the wax paper and towel, and place the bundt pan on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes.
10.  Remove from oven and place a large serving platter on top of the bundt pan. Place the kitchen towel over both the platter and bundt pan, and fold the sides of the towel to secure (make sure no space is showing between pan & platter...the towel will catch any HOT caramel that can FLY IN YOUR FACE slide out from between the pan and platter during the next step)
11.  Holding the pan, platter and towel together, QUICKLY flip over and place on the counter. Use potholders to carefully remove the bundt pan, leaving a perfect display of gooey, delicious caramel cinnamon rolls on your platter!
12.  Using a rubber spatula, spoon the remaining caramel from the bundt pan onto the rolls.

TIP: Don't put candles in the rolls before serving (see picture above). I thought it would be a great idea for my husband's birthday breakfast until the hot rolls melted the candles and I spent the next 15 minutes scraping wax from between each of the rolls.