Prize Winning, Mouth Watering Homemade Pickles!

Bread and Butter Sliced Pickles

Okay these pickles are just simply amazing! While at my grandma's house I stumbled unto a glass bowl with what appeared to be a bunch of sliced vegetables. I thought it looked good so I pulled it out of the fridge and uncovered it. To my surprise it was pickles...I don't know why it didn't dawn on me before that you could make your own pickles. I tried one expecting it to be good but not as good as my favorite bread and butter pickles. They definitely were not as good as my "previous" favorite pickles they were so much BETTER!! I begged for the recipe and now I am sharing it with you guys...ENJOY!

Ingredients:

6 c. cucumbers, sliced
3 med. onions, sliced
1 sweet green pepper
1/2 c. canning salt
2 c. vinegar
2 c. boiling water
1 tsp. mustard seed
1 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1  1/2 c. sugar  

Directions: 

 1. Mix cucumbers, onions, green pepper and salt; let stand 2 hours.
2. Drain and rinse off excess salt.

3. Combine vinegar, boiling water, mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric and sugar.

4. Bring to a boil. Combine with cucumbers. Cook 5 minutes.

5. EITHER: Pack into hot sterilized jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace OR put pickles in an air tight container and store in the fridge (just depending if you are going to use them at a later time or eat in the next day or so)

*The pickles are best eaten chilled in the fridge!

Perfect Krispy Kream Doughnuts Recipe

Krispy Kream Doughnuts' Recipe

(CopyCat)

Ingredients:

- 2 T. Active Dry Yeast

- 1/4 cup Warm Water 

- 1 1/2 cups Lukewarm Milk

- 1/2 cup White Sugar

- 1 t. Salt

- 2 Eggs

- 1/3 cup Butter

- 5 cups All-Purpose Flour

- 1 quart Vegetable Oil (for Frying)

Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast in the Warm Water with a tablespoon of White Sugar (let it sit for 5-10 minutes).

2. In a sauce pan warm the Milk, White Sugar, and Butter (do not bowl just heat until lukewarm).

3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the yeast mixture, milk mixture, eggs, salt, and 2 cups of Flour

4. Beat in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Knead the dough in mixing bowl or by hand for 10 minutes (kneading is very important)!

5. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and set aside in a warm place to allow the dough to double in size.

6. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and gently roll out to 1/2 in thickness. Cut with floured doughnut cutter. Place doughnuts on a baking sheet and let them rise until until double in size. 

7. Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large heavy skillet to 350 degree. Slide doughnuts into the hot oil using a whide spatula. Turn  doughnuts over as they rise to the surface. Fry doughnuts on each side until golden brown. Remove from hot oil and drain on a wire rack. Dip doughnuts into the glaze while still hot. Set onto wire racks to drain off excess. Keep a cookie sheet under racks for easy clean up.

GLAZE RECIPE:

- 1/3 cup Butter

- 2 cups Confectioners' Sugar

- 1 1/2 t. Vanilla

- 4 T. Hot Water

• Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in Sugar and Vanilla until smooth. Remove from heat adn stir in Hot Water 1 T. at a time until icing is somewhat thin but not watery. Set aside until doughnuts are ready to be glazed.

World's Greatest Lasagna

World's Greatest Lasagna

A recipe from Johnchandler @allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage

- 3/4 pound lean ground beef

- 1/2 cup minced onion

- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
- 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:
* Yes this Lasagna take a little bit of work but it is worth it!!

1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.


2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.



3.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup


4.Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Tips:

• The only thing I change is that I had a cup of spinach to the sauce to give it some extra nutrients. You can't really even taste it!

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes:  Incredible Summer Dessert

Ingredients:

- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup Lemon Juice ( about 2 lemons)
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest (about 1-2 lemons)
- 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

*Bake at 350 for 20 minutes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners


2. In medium bowl mix together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest, set aside.


3. In bowl of stand mixer cream butter and sugar on medium speed until combined.


4. Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

5. Add the lemon juice and vanilla and mix well.

6. Gradually add the dry ingredients and milk, alternating starting and ending with the dry ingredients and mix until combined.


7. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full.
 

8. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.

Tips:

• The original recipe called for 1/4 cup Lemon Aid Powder but I did not have any so I used a cup of fresh Lemon Juice from the Lemons I just zested. It tasted amazing but very lemony. If you do not want it as lemony then just reduce the lemon juice. 

 

• Frosting Recipe

-  1 stick Butter
- 1/2 cup Cream Cheese
- 4 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar (add more if frosting is not thick enough)
- 4 Strawberries
- 1/2 t. Vanilla
- 1 t. Lemon Juice
Mix all together and top the cupcakes when they are completely cooled! Enjoy

Outrageous Brownies

Outrageous Chocolaty Brownies

Ingredients: 

- 1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) Butter

- 12 ounces (1 1/2-2 cups) Semisweet Chocolate Chips

- 6 ounces (1 cup) unsweetened Cocoa

- 5 Large Eggs

- 2 T. Vanilla Extract

- 2 1/4 cups Sugar

- 1 1/4 All-Purpose Flour

- 1 T. Baking Powder

- 1 t. Salt

- Walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Melt together the Butter, Semisweet Chocolate Chips, and Unsweetened Cocoa in a medium bowl over simmering water.

3. Allow mixture to cool slightly. In a large bowl stir (do not beat) together the Eggs, Vanilla, and Sugar...Then stir in the warm Chocolate mixture into the Egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

4.  In a medium bowl sift together Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. 

5. Toss Walnuts (OPTIONAL)

6. Pour into the baking sheet.

7. Bake for 20-35. DO NOT OVER BAKE

Tips:

• If you use salted butter you do not need to add the 1 t. salt. 
• I made my brownies in a cookie sheet so they only took 20 minutes because they were super thin but if you are cooking them very thick in a glass pan then cook them closer to 30 minutes
• Make sure to stick the middle of the brownies with a tooth pick to make sure they are done.

"Andes Mint" Cookies

Awesome Andes Mint Cookies with Green Frosting!

Ingredients:

- 1 cup Butter

- 1 cup Sugar

- 2 cup Packed Brown Sugar

- 3 eggs

- 3 tsp. Vanilla

- 4 1/2 cups Flour

- 1 1/2 tsp. Soda

- 1 1/2 tsp. Salt

- Andes Mint Candies

 Directions:

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. In a large mixing bowl combine Butter and Sugars and mix until creamy

2. Add Eggs and Vanilla

3. In a medium size bowl combine Flour, Soda, and Salt and whisk together. Then add the Flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Mix well

4. Add the Andes Mint Candies (as much as desired)

5. On an ungreased pan drop Tablespoon size cookie dough balls in rows of 3 x 4 .

6. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10-12 minutes (DO NOT OVER BAKE)

7. OPTIONAL: When cookies are cooled top with a green
frosting it just completes the mint and chocolate
 theme.

Tried to make 4 leaf clovers for St.Patty's Day

Homemade Frozen Yogurt

Delicious Homemade Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients: 

- 3 cups Greek Yogurt

- 3/4 cups Sugar

- 1 T. Vanilla

- Any other flavor you want to add to the yogurt ( Strawberry, Chocolate, Blueberries, Acai Berry, Etc.)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl mix together the Greek Yogurt, Sugar, and Vanilla until Sugar is dissolved. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and set aside in the refrigerator for 1 hr. 

2. Set up your ice cream machine (set up according to the manufacturers instructions, I use the ice cream maker attachment to the kitchen aide).

3. Pour the chilled yogurt mixture into the churning ice cream maker and mix until the yogurt become the consistency of soft served ice cream.

4. While the yogurt is churning add any additional flavor. In my yogurt I added Acai Berry Puree and Blueberry Puree. 

5. Move the Yogurt to a large bowl, cover, and freeze int the freezer until ready to serve. ENJOY