Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

I'm sure everyone has their own variation on these, and our family has been making them for as long as I remember. SO quick and SO yummy.

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oats

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients, except peanut butter and oatmeal. Bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. Remove from heat and add peanut butter. When peanut butter is melted, add oats and mix well. (If the mixture looks really runny after a minute, add in a few more oats.) Drop by tablespoonful on wax paper. Cool completely. Eat.

Asparagus

I received this recipe from another family in our ward. Since that time, this is the only way we eat asparagus. My kids always ask for more. Hope you all enjoy it too :)

Ingredients:

extra virgin olive oil
Italian seasoning
asparagus
Parmesean cheese

Directions:
1. coat bottom of baking dish with the extra olive oil and liberally sprinkle Italian Seasoning in oil...place in oven as you heat it to 400 degrees (heating gets the seasoning infused into the oil)

Meanwhile snap the asparagus at the breaking point (discard the tougher lower ends)

2. Take pan out of oven and roll asaragus in flavored oil so it is well coated on all sides (thin asparagus works best) Place in heated oven and let roast for 7-8 minutes. Do not overcook. Remove from oven and sprinkle liberally with Parmesean cheese.

Soda Can Chicken

1 whole chicken (base the size on your family needs and the size of your grill. If you need more than a single soda can is able to handle try two small birds.)

1 bottle hard cider

1 soda can

foil

Preferred spice rub (exp poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, S&P, cumin & paprika)

Preheat grill - medium high heat. Clean chicken, remove internal fat and giblets and cover with spice rub. Fill empty soda can 3/4 full with hard cider. Create a drip pan with the foil to set the chicken on top of once on the grill, this will prevent flare ups. Place the chicken upright onto the soda can and cook over medium high heat until the outside is golden brown and the juices run clear (approx 1.25 hrs for a 4lb bird). Use indirect heat if possible.

I have made this for many parties and the spice rub always changes to match the rest of the dishes so go with what you like best. If you want to try something really impressive but really easy for a party try... clean the chicken and use your fingers to lift the skin covering the breast of the chicken. Stuff the cavity between the meat and skin with thinly sliced lemons and apples and pull the skin tight over the top securing with a toothpick if necessary. Then follow directions as above. The fruit gives the chicken a wonderful intense flavor and really impresses a crowd but only takes about 2 more minutes.

Roller Ice Cream

1 cup cream
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
flavoring of your choice (vanilla, almond, lemon, chocolate, etc)

Mix well and pour into 1lb coffee can (tape lid closed). Place 1lb can into 3 lb coffee can and fill the cavity with ice and salt. Tape lid on for security and roll for 15 min.

This is my moms recipe and we used to love helping make this as kids. She'd set everything up and we'd roll them back and forth between two of us in the back yard. She always used coffee cans because they were readily available to her but they can be substituted with any other metal cans approx the same size.

Italian Summer Corn

4 whole corn cooked and cut off cob
2-4 tbls butter
1/2-1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
S&P

Cook the corn through on the grill or via boiling water. Cut kernels off into large bowl and add butter, cheese and S&P to hot corn. Combine and allow butter and cheese to melt into corn. Serve warm. (some of the measurements vary depending on size of corn and family preference)

Apple Coleslaw

Dressing:
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 cup mayo
1/3 cup poppy seeds
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp S&P

Slaw Mix:
1 medium cabbage shredded
2 large carrots julienne cut (or shredded)
1 bunch scallions thinly sliced
4 Fuji apples peeled and julienne cut

Combine dressing first and allow to sit and combine. If buying and shredding your own cabbage I recommend half a purple and half a green, the flavors and colors work very well together. Combine all ingred, dredge with dressing and allow to sit in fridge for a few hours before serving for best flavor. If tight on time, use a store bought bag of pre-shredded slaw mix (found in the super market near the bags of spinach etc) and cut the dressing recipe, carrots, apples and scallions in half.

Grannie Mya's Baked Beans

2 qts great northern beans
1 lb brown sugar
1 lb bacon (diced)
1 btl ketchup (16oz)
1 onion minced

Brown off bacon in the bottom of the pot. Add all ingred. Simmer for 6hrs. This makes a load and takes some time but is so wonderful, once you try it you wont care how long it takes. It's great for summer BBQ's. Invite the whole block :-)

Summer Recipes

What are your favorite Summer recipes?

Salads, BBQ, fun stuff for the 4th?

I'm hankerin' for something summery, and I'm tired of my own standbys.

Tried it - loved it!

Thanks to everyone posting, this blog has become my go to at BL&D when I'm not sure what to make or simply when I want to try something new (which is nearly everyday lately:-). Especially thanks to Carrie for setting it up!! The picture above is the chicken enchiladas recipe posted by "Those Crazy Aliens" we love it (although we leave out the bell peppers) and I can make it on the grill as shown here (which is a blessing as my oven is broken). Thanks again - Lexi and Jeff

Cucumber,Tomato, Onion Salad

Dressing:
Equal parts water & vinegar to two parts oil.
S&P

1 yellow onion sliced thin
1-2 cucumbers sliced thin
2-4 large tomatoes sliced thin

Combine everything in a Tupperware and shake vigorously. Allow to sit in fridge a few hours before serving for best flavor.

Pot Roast with Vegetables

1 (3-4 lb) beef chuck roast
S&P
3 tbs olive oil
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 cup water or stock
1 yellow onion halved
2 garlic cloves shopped
1 bunch baby carrots
2 celery stalks (sliced)
1 cup button mushrooms (halved)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

Place all in the slow cooker the night before or morning of, cook until tender.

Slow Cooker Chicken ala Gramma H

Chicken pieces (canned, leftovers, or ...)
Thin sliced onion on top
Cream of whatever soup (celery, mushroom chicken) do not dilute
S&P
15 or so min before serving add 1/4 cup white wine
Serve over you favorite noodles.

Swiss Steak - ala my Gramma Heinzeroth

Roll and pound steak with flour & S&P.
Brown in olive oil and butter.
Put in slow cooker, add onion, celery, green pepper (sliced eggplant optional).
Top with a can of stewed tomatoes and cook until tender.

Thank you!

Ladies, I am loving the activity on here. Thank you all for your recipes and tips. :)

Cherry Chocolate Cake

My sister Janice passed this recipe along to me. One word: yum.
1 pkg. Devil's food cake mix
1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling
1 tsp. Almond extract
2 beaten eggs

Frosting:
1 c. powder sugar
1/3 c. milk
5 Tbsp. Butter
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Grease & flour 13x9 baking dish. In large bowl, mix all bar ingredients until well blended. Spread in pan. Bake 20-30 min. until done in the center.
In small saucepan, combine sugar, milk & butter. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Boil 1 min. Remove from heat. Blend in choc. chips. Let cool to spreading consistency. Spread over cooled cake. Cut when complete cooled.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1 can chicken (or you can boil and shred/dice some)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 small can green chilies
fresh cilantro to taste
1-2 tsp garlic powder/salt to taste

Mix above ingredients in a bowl. No need to heat through. Our family loves cilantro, so we use a lot, but it is optional, and you could use dried or completely leave it out if you prefer.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup salsa
1/2 small can tomato sauce

Mix above three ingredients in separate bowl. You don't want the bean mixture really soupy- just moistened through.

6 tortillas, cut into bite size squares
3-4 cups grated cheese

Take a knife or your pizza roller and cut all the tortilla into bite size pieces. You need about 2 tortilla per layer, so you might choose to cut them 2 at a time.

Lightly spray a 9 x 11 baking dish. Spread a thin layer of chicken/soup mixture on the bottom to prevent sticking and burning. Layer two cut up tortillas over this. Follow layering pattern below.

From the bottom, layer in this manner:

Chicken/Soup mixture
Tortilla Bites
Chicken/Soup Mixture
Cheese
Tortilla Bites
Bean/Salsa Mixture (use all of it)
Cheese
Tortilla Bites
Chicken/Soup
Cheese

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Serve with salad or rice.

I have also sprayed my crock pot insert and layered this casserole inside and heated through, 3-4 hours. It works fine, too...