Best Toffee Recipe Ever!

 

I got this recipe off of Pinterest.. and it is AMAZING. I am making this stuff like crazy. 

Recipe for Utahna's English Toffee

1 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons water

1 cup toasted pecans broken in pieces--Toast in 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

Milk chocolate chips

Place toasted pecans in the bottom of  8 x8 pyrex pan.  Put butter, sugar, and water in medium heavy sauce pan and cook at high temperature.  I always break up my butter in small pieces in the sauce pan.   Stir with wooden spoon throughout the cooking time.  The mix should always appear fluffy at all times.  Cook until mixture turns an amber color, starts to leave the sides of the pan, and is slightly smoking, take off heat and turn immediately over onto prepared nuts. The cooking time is relatively short, depending on your stove, approximately 7 to 8 minutes with a gas stove and 10-11 minutes with an electrice stove.  These are just approximate times.   Let toffee cool for 8 to 10 minutes.  Then sprinkle with milk chocolate chips.  When chips are melted, swirl around with knife.  Let chocolate dry -- this takes several hours.  When chocolate is dry, turn over toffee on wax paper and break into pieces.

Candy Making Notes:
While stirring, use a wet pastry brush or clean, wet dishcloth to wash down the sides of the pan to dissolve any undissolved sugar crysals.  If you skip this step, the candy might sugar.  Also when you pour the toffee mixture on the pecans, do NOT scrape the pan.  If you do scrape the pan, this could also cause the mixture to sugar. If you are making more than one batch, make sure that your pan and spoon are clean of sugar crstals.  If it DOES sugar, it tastes wonderful broken up and served on a good quality vanilla ice cream.  Also, make sure that your toffee is truly an amber color before you take it off the stove.

Garlic Cheesy Rolls

INGREDIENTS:

5 1/2 cups flour, divided (as needed)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 package (1/4 ouce size) active dry yeast
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried chives
1 teaspoon dried Italian Herb seasoning
2/3 cup sharp cheddar, grated

 

PREPARATION:

Combine 3 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Combine milk and 1/2 cup water in saucepan, heat to 120F. Gradually stir milk mixture into flour mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter. Beat at low speed with electric mixer about 30 seconds, then beat at high for 1 minute.

Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn dough onto floured surface. Knead until smooth, 6-8 minutes. Place dough in a large bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until double in bulk.

Punch down dough, cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Combine remaining ingredients; 1/4 cup butter, olive oil, chives and Italian seasoning in a bowl. Divide dough into 24 pieces. Place a heaping teaspoon of grated cheddar in center of each dough piece and roll into a ball. Dip the balls in butter mixture and place in muffin tin. Drizzle remaining butter mixture over dough balls. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Heat the oven to 375 F. Bake rolls until golden brown, about 14 minutes. Serve warm.

Sara's Cafe Rio Night of Cooking!

Okay, so I owe all of this to Jolyne.. and I blame her too! For the past 3 days, I have LIVED off of leftovers from my day of cooking a Cafe Rio style meal.


LIME-CILANTRO RICE ( THE BEST RICE EVER! )
2 Tbsp. oil
4 c. long grain rice (6 c. water)
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
juice of 2 limes ( I used 3 .. I like lime)
2 tsp. crushed garlic
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add rice, cilantro, and garlic. Saute 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add water and lime juice and bring to boil. Then reduce heat and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed by the rice (about 20 minutes). You can also use a rice cooker if you have one.

[ CREAMY TOMATILLA SALAD DRESSING ]- SO tasty and perfect!!
1 packet hidden valley ranch buttermilk dressing
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. mayo or sour cream
2-3 tomatillas (peel off outer leaf/shell)
1 tsp. crushed garlic
¾ bunch fresh cilantro ( I put in a whole bunch instead of 3/4)
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
juice from 1 lime (about 2 tsp.)
salt & pepper
Blend all ingredients in the blender. Refrigerate.

HEALTHY - Beans

·  1 cup pinto beans ( or kidney beans/black beans ) or use canned beans

·  1 red onion,chopped

·  2-3 garlic cloves, minced (or as per your taste)

·  1 tomato,chopped

·  1 bay leaf

·  1-2 green pablano chilles/green chillies, sliced thinly (or as per taste)

·  salt to taste

·  few cilantro sprigs for garnish

Soak the pinto beans overnight.

You can either cook until beans are soft or to simplify things, cook till mush too. It doesn’t really matter in this case if overcooked since you are ultimately going to mash it anyways while cooking. If you have cooking liquid – keep it, you can use it later if you feel that your beans are too thick in consistency. Or you can use water too. Meanwhile, in a skillet add 1/4 tsp of corn oil (or any vegetable oil), add bay leaf, garlic, onions and some salt, Saute them until onions are soft and aromatic. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 1-2 min until tomatoes get soft. Add the cooked pinto beans, give it a stir to 


Meat-This is my own recipe


1 chuck roast
2tsp beef bullion
1 small can roasted green chilis
1tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1tsp season salt
4 cups water
Throw it all in a crock pot and cook on low for 8+ hours. It will fall apart beautifully! 


After everything is cooked-and it will take a lot of time... cook tortillas until crispy, put the tortilla on a plate, add beans, rice, meat and top with salad and dressing.. enjoy and live off of leftovers (and there will be a lot) SO YUMMY

Healthy Peanut Butter Cups

1 - 8oz container Cool Whip Sugar Free

1/3 cup skippy all natural Peanut butter

4 TBLS Hershey’s syrup Sugar Free

Line a 12 cupcake pan with cupcake liners or spray with nonstick spray. Whisk one cup cool Whip with the Peanut Butter. Fold in the remaining Cool Whip. Pour the mixture into the cupcake liners (about 2.5 tablespoons each) Top with 1 teaspoon syrup and freeze. 

 Makes 12 servings

Serving Size: 1 cup

Calories: 55

Fat: 2.7g

Sodium: 61mg

Carbs: 10g

Fiber: 0g

Sugars: 2.5g

Protein: 1g

i am sure you could use an all natural peanut butter or lower sugar Peanut butter and make the calories even less. tasty treats though!  

5 grateful things
water-sleep-flu meds-my great husband-good choices

Southern Butter Rolls and Ham and Potato Soup .. Tasty!

This recipe is AWESOME~!  Simple and unlike any other recipe I have used. 

I made them today to go with our ham and potato soup! Another great recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

1. Mix together flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast. Mix in shortening. Mix in water.
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand for 20 minutes. Cover dough with oil. Place dough in a bowl, cover, and proof for 1 hour.
3. Form rolls, and place on a greased baking tray. Proof for 45 minutes.
4. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 12 to 14 minutes

    

   Ham and Potato Soup

   Ingredients

   • 3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
   • 1/3 cup diced celery
   • 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
   • 3/4 cup diced cooked ham
   • 3 1/4 cups water
   • 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
   • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
   • 1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
   • 5 tablespoons butter
   • 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
   • 2 cups milk

   Directions

   1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
   2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
   3. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.                                                                                                                                                                                 5 grateful things * Grandma is out of the hospital!!! * a full kitchen * baptisms *bread recipes *Personal Progress  

Turkey Day Prep!

My nice 20 pound bird is de frosting as we speak. Tomorrow it will look like the picture above. I am soaking the bad boy in a citrus brine for 16 hours ! Yuuuuummmmy! THe citrus brine consits of:

• 1 cup salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
  
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1 orange, cut into wedges
• 1 Grapefruit cut into wedges
  
• 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
• 3 cloves garlic
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 gallon cold water
• 1/2 gallon orange juice

After his soak, he will cook for about 5 hours. While that is going I will also be making:

Green bean casserole
Homemade rolls
Mashed potatoes
Creamed Peas and Onions
Corn on the Cob
Egg Nog Sweet Potatoes
Pumpkin Pie and
Apple Pie

Did I mention we are going to have 9 other people over too? I am so excited. I love cooking big meals! I am going to get the green beans all mixed together tomorrow night, along with the sweet potatoes and peas, so all I have to do on Thursday is thrown them in the oven.
A great day of remembering, thanking, praying, eating, rejoicing, watching the parade, welcoming missionaries into our home, sleeping, welcoming friends into our home, eating again, watching movies and truly appreciating everyone and everything around us!

A Day Of Posts......PEACHY MUFFINS!

Ok, Ok, I know...third post of the day, but I HAVE to share this recipe with everyone! These are AWESOME muffins!

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup peach or vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1/8 cup milk
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped peeled fresh or well-drained canned peaches

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Combine egg, yogurt, butter, milk and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in peaches. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.