Author: sarafillmer

Peanut Butter Lunch Lady Bars

On By sarafillmerIn Bars, DessertLeave a comment

This recipe is courtesy of Cookingclassy.com via Pinterest.  Although the directions look a little time consuming, it’s actually a very simple recipe.  They go perfectly with a glass of milk.

Bars

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups quick oats
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Icing

  • 1 stick of butter
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda, then whisk in quick oats, set aside. In the electric stand mixer whip together butter, light-brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Blend in peanut butter. Stir in eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until combine. Mix in vanilla. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combine. Spread mixture into an even layer into a 15 by 11-inch rimmed cookie sheet (it will be fairly thin once spread). Bake in preheated oven 13 – 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes, then dollop remaining 3/4 cup peanut butter by the spoonfuls over peanut butter bars. Allow dolloped peanut butter to rest about 1 minute then carefully spread peanut butter into an even layer over top. Prepare chocolate frosting according to direction listed and spread over peanut butter layer. Allow to cool (if you can handle waiting) before cutting into squares. Store in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature.

For the chocolate frosting

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in cocoa powder, then whisk in milk and bring mixture just to a boil. Once mixture reaches a boil, remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Add in powdered sugar and mix until well blended. Immediately pour frosting over peanut butter layer and spread into an even layer.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

On By sarafillmerIn Side ItemLeave a comment

These tortillas are very easy to make and taste better than store bought.

  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup lard
  • 1/2 cup cool water

Whisk together the flour and salt, then cut in the lard with your hands, a fork or pastry blender.  Add in the water until the dough comes together.  I like to knead the dough for a minute or so to make sure it’s fully incorporated, then pull off small pieces at a time and roll into circles. If you want taco size tortillas it will make about 12.  If you want bigger tortillas it will make about 8. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes, then roll out the balls one by one and put the tortilla rounds onto a hot griddle, cooking on each side until you see the brown spots on both sides.  Store in a tortilla warmer or plastic baggie.  Will keep for a day or so.

Butter Dip Biscuits

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These are some of the best biscuits I’ve ever eaten.  Hot from the oven, the top is crispy and buttery, just the way a good biscuit should be. Recipe is courtesy of The Country Cook.

  • 1 stick of butter (melted)
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 4 teaspoons sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 3/4 buttermilk

Melt the stick of butter in an 8×8 baking dish.  Make sure to coat the sides of the dish with butter, or you can use baking spray.  Mix together the dry ingredients, then mix in the buttermilk.  Batter will be sticky. Then press the batter into the baking dish, right on top of the butter, making it as even as possible.  Butter will cover the top of your dough. Bake at 450 for 20-25, or until the top is golden brown and springs back to the touch.

Sweet Cornbread

On By sarafillmerIn Bread, Side ItemLeave a comment

This recipe is a dead ringer for Boston Market’s famous cornbread.  Really try to use the Jiffy mixes otherwise it will taste too cakey, trust me on this. Courtesy of The Sisters Dish.

  • 1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
  • 1 box Jiffy yellow cake mix

Mix both boxes according to directions, and combine the batter. You can use a large mixing bowl and combine both boxes of mix together and add the other ingredients all at once. Spray an 8×8 pan with cooking spray, then pour the prepared batter in. Bake at 350 until done, approx. 30 minutes. Toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.

Quiche!

On By sarafillmerIn BreakfastLeave a comment

This recipe came from Pinterest.  I like how moist it is, my husband likes how much protein there is.  The recipe will show bacon, but you can use ham or sausage or whatever meat you like. I also switch up the cheese based on what’s in my fridge at the time. Courtesy of For the Love of Food.

  • 1 pie crust (I use Pillsbury, or you can make from scratch)
  • 8 slices bacon, crumbled
  • 2 1/2 cups cheese, your choice
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup half and half
  • salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. Cook bacon in the microwave (or oven) until crisp. Once cool, crumble and set aside. Place your pie dough in the pie dish so that it’s ready to have everything poured in; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the cheese and flour – mix well. In a large bowl, beat the eggs slightly, and then add cream, half and half, salt, pepper, bacon, and cheese mixture. Mix well. Pour into the pie crust-lined pie dish. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Let it stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Pork Carnitas

On By sarafillmerIn EntreeLeave a comment

I made this for the first time this week, and I liked the hint of orange in the marinade. Recipe is courtesy of the blog My Kitchen Escapades. Don’t be intimidated by the instructions, it is very easy to do.

  • 4 lb pork butt, trimmed and cut into 2″ cubes
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and halved
  • 1 orange, juiced and keep the halves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 cups water

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat to 300 degrees.  Combine all the ingredients in a large Dutch oven, including the spent orange halves and juice.  Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, uncovered.  Once it simmers, cover pot and transfer it to the oven.  Cook until the meat falls apart when prodded with a fork, about 2 hours. Remove the pot from the oven and turn on the broiler.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan and place it on a large foil-lined jelly roll pan.  Remove and discard everything from the pot except for the cooking liquid.  Place pot over high heat on the stove and boil until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes.  You should have about 1 C of liquid remaining when it is finished. While the liquid is reducing, use two forks to pull each cube of pork into three equal sized pieces.  Once the liquid has become a syrup, gently fold in the pieces of pork into the pot.  Try not to break up the pork any further. Taste and add additional salt and pepper. Spread the pork back onto the foil lined pan and evenly spread the meat around so there is a single layer of meat.  Place the jelly roll pan on the lower middle rack of the oven and broil until the top of the meat is well browned and edges are slightly crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes.  Using a wide metal spatula, flip the pieces of meat and broil the other side until well browned and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes.  Serve immediately in a tortilla with all your favorite toppings.

Crockpot Pulled Pork

On By sarafillmerIn EntreeLeave a comment

This recipe is is so easy and great for leftovers.  I got the recipe from Pinterest, but it is also on the back of the packet.

  • 3-4 lb pork tenderloin
  • 1 packet McCormick’s Slow Cooker Pulled Pork packet
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup cider vinegar

Place the tenderloins in the crockpot.  Mix together the rest of the ingredients then pour over the pork.  Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. Shred the pork, then mix with the rest of the sauce.  Heat through and serve on rolls.

Cinnamon Churro Chex Mix

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Here is another Chex Mix recipe.  This one is refreshing because it uses cinnamon chips, which is a nice change from all the chocolate Chex Mix recipes out there.  Courtesy of the blog Just Another Day in Paradise.

  • 9 cups Rice Chex cereal
  • 3 cups cinnamon chips
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Pour Chex cereal into a bowl. Set aside. Combine sugars and cinnamon in another small bowl. Set aside. In a microwavable bowl, melt the cinnamon chips. Heat for 1 minute then stir, repeating every 30 seconds until completely melted and smooth. Pour melted cinnamon chips over the cereal. Stir until cereal is well coated. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Toss to coat. Pour out the cereal onto a cookie sheet. Continue to sprinkle and toss the cereal with the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Peppermint Fudge

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This fudge recipe is so, so good.  And really easy to make, no candy thermometer needed.  It is from the blog A Spicy Perspective.  Although the recipe calls for dark chocolate, I used half dark chocolate, half milk chocolate because that is what I had in my pantry.

  • 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tablespoon butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
  • 1 lb. dark chocolate chunks/chips
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Andes Peppermint Chunks

Grease a 8×8 or 8×11 baking dish. Sprinkle half the peppermint chunks in the bottom of the dish and set aside. Place a medium sauce pot over medium heat with 2 inches of water. Place a glass bowl over the top–making sure the glass doesn’t touch the water. Pour the condensed milk and butter in the bowl and heat. Add the chocolate chips and salt in the bowl. Stir the chocolate and watch as it melts and thickens–about 5 minutes.The mixture should thicken to a THICK cake batter consistency–almost too thick to pour. Add both extracts and mix well. Pour the mixture into the dish. Gently tap the dish on the counter for at least a minute to allow air bubbles to rise to the surface and to smooth the surface. Sprinkle the remaining peppermint chips over the top and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, maybe longer, to set. To cut, dip a sharp knife in hot tap water, wipe and cut quickly. Dip and wipe the knife between cuts. Cut into 1 inch squares.

Candied Pecans

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These pecans are amazingly addicting.  They are courtesy of the blog Just Putzing Around the Kitchen.

  • 4-5 cups of pecans, halved
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 300. Begin by whipping the egg white until frothy.  Add in the vanilla, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  Mixture will be thick.  Add to the pecans in a large mixing bowl.  Mix well to ensure the pecans are completely coated.  Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, using a fork to make sure the pecans are evenly spread, and not too clumpy.  Bake for 20 minutes, then let cool completely and store in a sealed container.