Whiskey Caramel Cookies

Whiskey Caramel Cookies 

1 cup Butter

1/2 cup Sugar 

1/2 cup Brown Sugar 

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tbsp Water

2 1/4 cup Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder 

1 tsp Baking Soda 

1/4 tsp Salt 

Topping:

24 Caramels

3 tbsp Whiskey

3 oz Chocolate, melted 

Sea Salt( optional)

Beat butter and sugars in a large bowl until crumbly. Mix in the vanilla and water. Sift together the dry ingredients and gradually beat into the butter mixture. 

Shape into 1 inch balls and place onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Flatten cookies with the bottom of a glass dipped in flour. 

Bake @350°f for 7-9 minutes or until edges are lightly brown. Immediately use the bottom of a teaspoon to put a slight indent in the middle of each cookie. Cool in pan for a few minutes and then remove onto a wire rack to cool.

Melt caramels and whiskey in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Spread in the middle of each cookie. Drizzle with melted chocolate and put a few sprinkles of sea salt on top of so desired. 

Baked Mac & Cheese

 Baked Mac & Cheese 

2 1/2 cup dry Macaroni 

1/2 tbsp Olive Oil or Butter

2 tbsp Cornstarch

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp dry Mustard 

1/4 tsp Black Pepper 

1 1/2 cups (12 oz can) Evaporated Milk

1 cup Water

2 tbsp Butter or Margarine 

2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese

3/4 cup Panko Crumbs

3 tbsp melted Butter

Cook Macaroni according to the directions on the package, but cook it 1-2 minutes UNDER al dente. Drain. Drizzle with olive oil and toss it to keep it from drying. Set aside.

Combine the Cornstarch, Salt, dry Mustard and Pepper in a saucepan. Stir in the Evaporated Milk and Water. Add the Butter. Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer for about 1 minute.  Remove from heat. Stir in shredded cheese until melted. Add Macaroni. Mix well and pour into a greased casserole dish. Mix together the Panko Crumbs and melted Butter. Sprinkle on top of the Macaroni and bake @375 for 20 minutes. 

*transform this side dish into a one dish meal by adding diced ham, chicken & bacon or pulled pork.

Blanching Vegetables

 Blanching Vegetables:

1 cup Pickling Salt

1/3 cup Olive Oil

1/4 cup Baking Soda 

Add all the ingredients in to a large pot filled with water. Bring to a rolling boil, only then add your vegetable of choice and blanch for one minute. Start timing as soon as you put your vegetables in. Remove vegetables and let them cool on towels on your countertop. Once completely cooled your vegetables can be put into bags and frozen.

Clean Eating Lazy Man's Cabbage Rolls

Clean Eating Lazy Man's Cabbage Rolls

2 lbs Ground Beef 

1 small Onion, diced 

1 Red Pepper, diced

2 large Carrots, shredded

1 bag Coleslaw mix 

1 tsp minced Garlic 

1 large tin Crushed Tomatoes 

1 box sugar free Chicken Broth

3 Tbsp Braggs Soya Sauce alternative 

3 cups Brown Minute Rice 

Salt & Pepper to taste 

Fry ground beef until no longer pink. Add next 5 ingredients. Simmer until vegetables are no longer crunchy. Stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer until rice is done. 

Waffles & White Sauce

Waffles:

2 large Eggs

2 cups Kefir or Buttermilk

1/2 cup melted butter

2 cups Flour

1/2 cup Almond Flour

1/4 cup Sugar

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tbsp Baking Powder

In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, kefir and butter.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir until just smooth.

Spray waffles iron with non-stick cooking spray before preheating it. Cook about 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with white Sauce and fruit of your choice. 

White Sauce

3/4 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Cornstarch 

4 cups Milk

1 tbsp Butter

1tsp Vanilla

Mix together the sugar and Cornstarch. Slowly whisk in the milk. Heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add in the butter and vanilla.

 

Dorito Casserole

Dorito Casserole 

1 lb Ground Beef 

1 small onion, diced

1 tsp minced Garlic 

1 package Taco Seasoning 

1-2 cups frozen Corn

*2 small tins Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies* (NOT drained!)

3 cups crushed Dorito's, separated 

2 cups shredded Marble Cheese

**1 tin Chili Style Beans, Pork n Beans, Kidney Beans OR Black Beans (optional)

Cook the ground beef with the garlic and onions. Drain any extra grease. Mix in the taco seasoning. Add the corn, beans of choice and diced tomatoes with green chilies. If you have picky eaters you may want to blend the tin of diced tomatoes with green chilies before adding them.

 Remove from heat.

Add 2 cups of crushed doritos. Mix well and pour into a greased casserole dish.

Add the shredded cheese and then sprinkle the remaining crushed doritos on top.

Bake @350° for about 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and heated through.

Serve with Salsa and Sour Cream.

*Regular diced tomatoes can be used instead of with the green chilies

** I used the Chili Style Beans and drained off some of the oily liquid from the top. 

If using Black Beans or Kidney beans you would want to drain and rinse them.

 

Country Fried Hamburgers

 Country Fried Hamburgers 

Hamburger Patties:

2 lbs Ground Beef

1/2 cup Mayonnaise OR 2 eggs

1 cup Bread Crumbs 

1 package Onion Soup Mix 

Mix the above ingredients together and shape into patties.

Additional Ingredients:

1 cup Milk

2 Eggs

1 cup Flour

1 tsp Seasoning Salt 

Oil for Frying

Whisk together the milk and eggs in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and seasoning salt.

Gravy:

3 tbsp Drippings from frying patties

3 tbsp Flour(use leftover Seasoned Flour if there is enough)

1 cup Milk, Cream or half & half

Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan. Dip each patty in the milk and egg mixture. Next dip it into the seasoned flour mixture, making sure to coat both side. Gently shake off extra coating. Fry each side for a few minutes or until golden brown and hamburger patties are completely cooked.  

Put 3 tbsp of drippings from frying the patties into a small saucepan. If you don't have enough then you can add some more oil or butter to equal 3 tbsp. Whisk in the flour, 1 tbsp at a time until smooth. Slowly add the milk or cream whisking as you do so to ensure that it is smooth. Turn burner on medium heat. Stir until gravy comes to a boil and starts to thicken. Remove from heat.

Serve with mashed potatoes. Gravy is good on the patties as well as the potatoes. 

Baked Beans

 Baked Beans

1 large onion, diced

2 tbsp Butter

5-6 tins Beans in Tomato Sauce 

1/2 cup Ketchup

1/4 cup BBQ Sauce 

 2 Tbsp Molasses

3 tbsp Mustard

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 lb bacon, diced and fried

Sautee the onion on low heat in the 2 tbsp of butter until soft. Add into a casserole dish along with the remaining ingredients. Bake at 325 for about an hour. Also works great to make these in a slow cooker.

Homemade Hamburger Helper

 Homemade Hamburger Helper 

1 lb Ground Beef

2 1/2 cups Rotini 

1 tsp Onion Powder

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Chili Powder 

1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning 

1 Box Beef Broth 

1 small tin Tomato Paste

Salt & Pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef. Drain any excess liquid. Add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from Heat. Let sit for a few minutes and serve.