Wild Rice Stuffed Beef Peppers

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 3 – 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2/3 cup tomato juice
• 10 grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 4 bell peppers of choice
• 4 slices of Munster cheese
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

One: Cook rice accordingly.

Two: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add oil and onions to a large sauté pan and cook over medium high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the beef, tomato juice and seasoning. Cook until the beef is done all the way through, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and black pepper, cook covered for another 5 minutes.

Seth, our food critic of the house.... thumbs up!!!

Three: Add cooked rice to beef mixture and stir. In a glass baking dish stand peppers and fill with rice and beef mixture. Top the pepper with a slice of Munster cheese and place the top on pepper. You can also choose not to put the top on, and the cheese wont stick to the pepper top. Bake for 15 minutes.

Cherry Cheese Sweet Bread

Makes 2 large loafs! (or you can cut the FILLING ONLY in half and make one loaf and the rest rolls! The dough makes delicious rolls!)

This is NOT a quick creation!  APPROX 3-4 hours

Dough preparation time: 10-15 min mix time ~ 45 min to 1 hour rise time
Bread preparation time: 5 min filling mix time ~ 30 min loaf creation ~ 30 min loaf rise
Cook time: 20 min each loaf

2 TBSP Yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup scalded milk (heat to a little bubbly)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter/margarine (soft)
1 tsp salt
2 eggs (beaten)
4 1/2 - 5 cups flour (divide in half)

Filling: (cream together)
2 - 8 oz cream cheese
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 cans cherry/blueberry pie filling

You can do this in a mixer OR a bread maker on the "dough" setting

Soften yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water. In a kitchen aide type of mixer (or your bread maker), mix scalded milk, sugar, salt, margarine, eggs, and 2 1/2 cups flour. Add yeast and mix until smooth. Add remaining flour to make a smooth dough (not sticky). Knead 5 min. (or let the bread maker finish the mix time). Place dough in a grease bowl. Cover and let rise 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.  Punch down and let rise 10 min.

Divide dough in half; roll each into a rectangle (16x7) and place on a greased baking sheet. Place 1/2 the cheese/sugar mixture down the center and top with 1 can of cherry/blueberry filling. Cut 2 inch long cuts along each side 1 inch wide. Crisscross strips over the top, let rise 30 min.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15/20 min. You can frost with a butter frosting and garnish with red and green cherries, nuts etc... or leave plain.

ENJOY warm or even cold! You will want to store leftovers in the refrigerator. 

Oatmeal Craisen White Chocolate Chip Cookie

Beat:

3/4 c. soft butter
2/3 c. brown sugar

Add and mix:

2 large eggs

2 c. OLD FASHIONED OATS
1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 6oz. bag of craisins
2/3 c. white chocolate chips

Bake 375 for 10-12 min. or LIGHT brown on top
Makes 2 doz + cookies

Soft Pretzels

Use a bread maker that has a "dough" setting then transfer to a large bowl to rise.

FIRST add the following to the bread maker bowl/mixing bowl:

4 tsp yeast

2 TBSP brown sugar

1 1/4 cup hot water

Then ADD in order:

5 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP olive oil or veg oil

1/2 c. milk scolded

Transfer to larger bowl sprayed with oil. Let rise until double in size (about 30 min)

Get a pot and add:

2 cups water to boiling. Turn to medium low and add

1/4 c. baking soda (slowly because it will fuzz up fast)

Shape dough into desired shape (pretzel shapes or my favorite BITE SIZE about 1-2" long) and place into hot soda water for about 30 seconds. (while making the other pretzel works good too, or you can make all your pretzels and dip them in) Place on greased cookie sheets. Let rise in a warm area 30-45 min.

Preheat oven 425 BAKE 8 min.

After baking spread melted butter over tops and LIGHTLY sprinkle with salt.
OPTIONAL you can add: garlic and Parmesan cheese to the melted butter.

Dip in softened cream cheese.

Fresh Salsa

2 cucumbers diced

4-5 tomato

1 red bell pepper diced

1 orange bell pepper diced

1 yellow bell pepper diced

1 green bell pepper diced

1 small onion diced VERY SMALL

4 cloves of garlic minced/chopped up good

2-3 small limes juiced

1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped

3/4 tsp. dry dill

3/4 tsp. salt

1 can black beans drained and rinsed

1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed

1 can corn drained (or I used 2 cups of my cannery corn soaked and drained YUM!)

Cook 1lb Ground Beef and drain.  Cool and add to salsa.

avocado (on the side because they turn brown)

Cocoa Nut Balls - No sugar!

20 minutes start to finish!

MIX:

1 c. cashews ~ ground (I used the blender, be careful you don't chop too long or it gets pasty, or use the chopper)

1/4 c. unsweetened coconut

2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa

ADD:

1/2 c. dried berry fruit blend

1/2 c. Craisens

1/2 c. peanut butter

4 tsp. honey

4 TBSP coconut milk

Roll into balls and then roll in coconut. Put into refrigerator for a bit to harden up, will still be soft.

Macaroon Cookies

In a large food processor put all the ingredients in and blend for a few seconds, form into balls, refrigerate them to harden or the coconut oil will keep them too soft depending on room temperature and they will fall apart.

2 cups raw organic almonds or almond meal

2 cups organic unsweetened coconut

1/3 c. organic extra virgin coconut oil

1/3 c. agave nectar (or honey)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

Orange Rolls

Dough:

(Use bread maker on the dough setting) Or place in greased bowl and cover with wrap

1/3c. sugar (or honey)

1/3c. soft butter

2 eggs

1 cup milk heated

1tsp. salt

2TBSP yeast

3c. flour (start with 2 cups while dough is mixing then and add rest to form a not too sticky dough, add more flour if needed)

Let rise 1 hour

Roll out dough and spread on soft butter, sugar, orange zest (a good layer) roll up and cut.

*** let rise *** approx. 30-45 min.

Bake:350 for 15-20min - watch till golden

Frosting:

Cream:

1¼ c. powdered sugar

½ c. soft butter

1/8 tsp. salt

Add:

1 tsp. vanilla

2 TBSP milk

2¼ c. powdered sugar (or until slightly thick, you can always add more powdered sugar)

Add:

2-3 TBSP orange juice pulp and all

The more orange zest the better

Spread over rolls after baked and cooled

Cherry Cream Pie Dessert

Crust:
1/4c. sugar

1/3c. butter melted

1 pkg graham crakers (1 1/4 c.) crushed fine

Mix and press firmly into pie pan

Bake 8-10 min at 325 and COOL

Filling:

1 can Eagle Brand Milk

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese softened

1/3 c. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

BLEND

Add mixture to graham cracker crust, then add 1 can of cherry/blueberry pie filling on top
~ CHILL ~

FAST VERSION:

Buy the Graham Cracker crust ready made or try the Oreo cookie pie crust.