Limeade Slush

My mom always made this for big gatherings when we wanted cold drinks to serve. But recently I had learned that adding some chopped up strawberries or whole raspberries makes this a completely different drink, without much more effort and it looks amazing in glasses.

11 C. water
1 can Limeade
3 C. Sugar

Boil Sugar and water on stove in large stock pot until sugar dissolves, then add limeade. Pour into a 1 gallon Ice Cream container and freeze until solid. To use, thaw slightly and using a knife or metal spatula, break slush up and pour into Punch Bowl, and then pour 2 2 liters of sprite or 7-up over top of slush and serve.

Grilled Potatoes & Onions

This recipe comes from Our Best Bites, which is a blog I have come to love. I recently got their cook book and can I just say Yummy! If you don't have it yet, you should get it!! I have made tons of their grilling recipes and have loved everyone of them that I have tried. This one is my favorite as a side dish though. It is so simple and yet so yummy. I like to cook mine over a little bit warmer heat so that they get a little crispy, I love crispy potatoes!

Ingredients:
1 potato per person
1/2 small onion per person
1 Tbsp. butter per person, cut into small pieces
1/4 tsp. salt per person
Freshly-ground black pepper
Smoked paprika

(You can either make small individual packets, i.e. one potato and some onion, or you can make one big packet with all the potatoes and all the onions)
Tear aluminum foil into desired length pieces depending on your preference of size. Preheat your grill. Slice Potatoes into 1/8"-1/4" thick slices, if you like thicker potatoes you will just have to adjust cooking times so that your taters get done. Next slice the onions into 1/8" thick slices. Place Potatoes on foil, top with salt & pepper then paprika, don't skimp on the paprika, it's not a strong spice so you will need a generous amount. Then place butter on top of potatoes and top with onions. Then roll the aluminum foil up so that you create a sealed packet/envelope to keep the steam inside while the potatoes cook. Then cook over low heat on a grill for 15 minutes on each side.

Fajita Marinade

I tried my neighbors fajita marinade a couple weeks ago and it was so yummy! Thanks for sharing Leslie.

For Meat:
1/4 c. lime juice
1/3 c. water
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tsp. vinegar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tap. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. black pepper
dash of onion powder

For Vegies:
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 T. water
1/2 tsp lime juice
dash of salt and pepper

In a gallon bag add all ingredients for the Meat marinade. Place chicken, steak or shrimp into the bag and marinade for a couple hours. Cook meat on a hot grill. Cook sliced peppers and onions in a pan with the veggie marinaade until carmalized then mix with meats. Serve with tortillas, cheese and sourcream.

Chicken Carbonara

This is my neighbors recipe. We have eaten it several times in their home and they've brought it to us a couple times after surgery. (They're great neighbors & know it is my hubbies favorite.) It is delicious!

1/2 lb. thickly sliced bacon
1 small onion
1 lb linguini
3 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
2 grilled Chicken breasts

Grill two chicken breasts and slice thinly. Dice bacon and cook until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Saute onion for 5 minutes in 2 tablespoons bacon drippings. Cook linguini according to aladente package directions. While pasta is cooking , beet eggs well in a small bowl. Drain pasta and toss with beaten eggs, onions, bacon, salt, pepper, parsley and parmesan. Top with grilled chicken.

Amish Friendship Bread

This is a fun little recipe you can share with friends. A neighbor brought me some of the baked bread and my kids have been begging me ever since to make more. I love that you change it up each time you make it with a difference flavor of pudding. The chocolate is yummy!

Starter Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 3 cups white sugar, divided
• 3 cups milk

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave loosely.
   

*Do not use any type of metal bowls or spoons for mixing. Do not refrigerate. If air gets in bag, let it out. It is normal for the batter to raise, bubble and ferment.

Day 1. Do nothing! This is the day you receive batter. Make sure the bag is dated!

Day 2. Mush the bag

Day 3. Mush the bag

Day 4, Mush the bag

Day 5. Mush the bag

Day 6. Add to bag: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Mush the bag

Day 7. Mush the bag

Day 8. Mush the bag

Day 9. Mush the bag

Day 10. Mix and divide starter.

Pour entire contents of bag into non-metal bowl adding: 1 ½ cups flour, 1 ½ cups sugar, and 1 ½ cups milk. Mix. Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cups each into 4 separate gallon Ziploc bags. Keep one for yourself and give the other 3 to friends along with a copy of this recipe.

Preheat oven to 325. To the remaining batter in the bowl add: 3 eggs, 1 cup oil (or ½ cup oil and ½ cup applesauce), ½ cup milk, 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp vanilla, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 2 cups flour, and 1 large box INSTANT pudding mix.

Grease 2 large loaf pans. Mix in a small bowl ½ cup brown sugar and 1 ½ tsp cinnamon. Dust greased loaf pans with half of this mixture. Pour batter evenly into the 2 greased pans and sprinkle remaining sugar mixture over the batter. Bake 1 hour. Cool until bread loosens from the pan, about 10 minutes. Turn out onto serving dish. Serve warm or cold or devour with your bare hands!!!

Option: Add 1 cup chopped raisins or nuts. Use whatever pudding flavor you would like to try. You can add chocolate chips.

Note: When you divide the starter, write the date on each bag. This helps keep better track of which day you’re on. If you keep a starter bag for yourself, you will be baking every 10 days. This bread is very good and makes a great gift. Only the Amish know how to create a “starter” so if you give them all away, you’ll have to wait until someone gives you a starter back

Breakfast Casserole

Over conference weekend we had the in laws up to our place for brunch. We tried a new breakfast casserole which I do believe is now my new favorite. It got all golden brown, was fluffy and simply delicious.

1 lb country sausage
3 c. frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
3 c. shredded cheddar cheese
12 large eggs
2 c. milk
1/2 tsp salt

Grease 9x13 inch pan. Cook sausage. Spread hash browns in bottom of the pan, t hen top with salt, sausage and cheese. (You can prepare to this point and keep in the refrigerator until ready to to cook.) Before cooking, combine eggs and milk and pour over the other ingredients. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes.

Homeade Mac and Cheese

This was my first attempt ever at making Mac and Cheese that was not out of a box. My kids thought they had died and gone to heaven. Now every time it's mac and cheese for lunch again they ask if I am making "the good stuff'." Thanks Kristie for the recipe.

1 (16 oz) pkg. elbow-roni pasta
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 c. shredded cheddar
2 c. mozzarella
1/4 c. bread crumbs

Boil pasta and drain. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add flour and mix thoroughly. Add seasonings to flour mixture then slowly add milk while whisking to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil, sauce will thicken. Combine cheeses and set aside one cup of cheese mixture. In a large bowl combine pasta, sauce and cheese mixture together just until combined. Transfer to 9x13 pan. Top with remaining cheese and bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

I made these for dinner a few weeks ago for dinner and my family was fighting over the leftovers the next day. This is another new one from my ward cookbook. Thanks Kristy.

1 lb cooked chicken shredded
8 oz cream cheese
4.5 oz green chilies
12 flour tortillas
20 oz green enchilada sauce
1 c. shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Mix cooked chicken, cream cheese and green chilies in saucepan, heat over medium until blended. Pour some enchilada sauce into shallow dish and dip tortillas in sauce then fill with chicken picture. Place in 9x13 pan, pour enchilada sauce over top and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbly.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

These were in our new ward cookbook and a hit with the kids. Thanks Leslie.

2 c. Bisquick
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Mix together, drop by 2 tablespoon size on cookie sheet. Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes

2 Tbsp. Melted butter
1/8 tsp garlic powder

Mix these together and spread over the top of cooked biscuits.

Bacon Corn Chowder

This is another of my neighbor's recipe that everyone at work has been begging him for. It is divine!

I pkg bacon, crumbled

6 med. red potatoes, chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

1 large carrot

1 med. onion

4 large chicken breasts, cooked and diced

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 cans of corn

1 stalk broccoli flowerets

2 cups Velveeta

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

2 cups sour cream

1 1/2 cup milk

After cooking bacon, save a couple of tsp of grease to add potatoes, onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until tender (20 minutes). When tender add the broccoli, corn, chicken, soup and milk. Stir until smooth and warm, then add sour cream and cheese. Stir on low heat until cheese is melted.