Teriyaki Roast

I got this recipe from a friend in Utah and I make it all the time. It is a great roast and really you can't go wrong with this recipe. You wouldn't think you could mess up a crock pot meal but
I can. Hope you enjoy and thanks Melissa for recipe.

3 lbs. chuck or rump roast
1 sliced onion
1 minced garlic clove
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 Cup cider vinergar
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. ground ginger

Trim roast & poke it all over with a large fork. Slice onion and place in bottom of crock pot. Put meat on top of onions.

Stir remaining ingredients together in bowl and pour over meat. Cook on low for 10 hours.

Gravy:
Strain drippings into a sauce pan and thicken with approx. 1/4 cup water and 1 Tbsp. cornstarch. ( I have never made the gravy because I am not so good with that, I just pour
some of the juices over the meat from the crock pot).

Cafe Rio pulled pork salad/burrito

IF you love Cafe Rio, this is a pretty dang close recipe. Living on the east coast, I've felt very deprived of my lovely Cafe Rio. This is a great alternative! If you don't know what Cafe Rio is, check out caferio.com

4-6 pound pork roast with enough water to cover and cook in a crockpot for about 5 hours on low. Drain water and shred meat. Add a 16 oz jar of salsa, 1 can of coke and 2 cups brown sugar. Cook for another 2-3 hours on low.

Cilantro Rice
1/2 diced onion
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
cilantro--to taste--we like at least a bunch. finely chopped
juice of 2 limes
White rice 2-3 cups precooked and as much water as it calls for and cook as directed

Cilantro ranch dressing--this makes more than enough,(a full blender full) so you may want to half it.
1 cup mayo
1 cup buttermilk
1 can diced chiles
1/2 avacado
1/2 can tomatillos or 3-4 fresh ones
1/4 tsp cayanne pepper--I don't like anything spicy, so I make it 1/8 tsp
1 pkg dry ranch dressing
lime juice to taste
Combine everything in a blender and chill for at least 2 hours

Making your Salad:
Browned tortilla
black or pinto beans
cilantro rice
pulled pork roast
Romaine salad greens
cheese
tomatoes
dressing
Serve with a scoop of guac and sour cream on the side
Making your burrito:
Just omit the salad greens and dressing
Yummers! Makes me want to make some for tonight! A lot of prep, but well worth it and lots of leftovers!

Crock Pot Chicken and Pasta

I got this recipe at my bridal shower-it is soo good!


4 chicken breasts
1 pkg. dry zesty Italian salad dressing mix
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
Pasta Penne, cut mini lasagna, etc.

*Put chicken in crock pot. Sprinkle with Zesty Italian Salad dressing mix pkg. Cook chicken 4-6 hours. When Chicken is cooked, cut into cubes. Mix cream cheese and soup in pan over medium heat. Add chicken, serve over pasta.

Magic Cookie Bars

Ok, so you don't make this in the crock pot, but I promised Traci I would post this recipe last month. . . oops. These are so good!

1 cube butter
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 can sweetened condenced milk

Melt butter. Add to a greased 13x9 pan. Add graham cracker crumbs. Mash with a spoon, spread evenly on bottom. Add chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts, spread evenly over. Drizzle sweetened condenced milk all over top. Bake 30 minutes at 350'. Let cool completely before you cut.

Crockpot Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken or 1 pkg. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 green pepper, chopped in large chunks
1 red pepper, chopped in large chunks
1 red onion, chopped in large chunks
1 pkg. fresh mushrooms, whole
2-3 Yukon gold potatoes, chopped

Marinade:
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tsp. dried thyme
1-2 cloves fresh garlic
Salt & pepper to taste

Prepare vegetables and chicken and combine in crockpot. Prepare the marinade by combining all ingredients and whisking together. Then pour the marinade over the vegetables and chicken. Cook on low for 4-8 hours. Serve with hard, crusty bread.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Cook a 3 to 3 ½ pound pork roast all day in the crock-pot on high. Once roast is cooked, shred the meat and add sauce and simmer. The recipe will fill 16 or more buns.

Sauce:
• 18 oz bottle Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce, hickory flavor
• 2 ½ Tbsp butter
• ½ Cup ketchup
• 1 Tbsp minced onion
• ½ tsp mustard
• ½ tsp oregano
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp curry powder

Mix together and pour over shredded pork.

Homemade Oreo Cookies!

Okay, what a bad blog hostess I am. I really do have the best of intentions! I have changed the theme for the month of May, but I first have to catch up and post my recipes for April, so my May recipes will be coming. I am posting the two cookie recipes that are pretty much staple at our house, and the most requested recipes whenever I take these somewhere. Both are very basic, but good nonetheless.

Oreo Cookies:
2 Devils Food cake mixes
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil

*Mix together (use a spoon at first and then you may need to use your hands) and roll into same size balls. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
2 t. vanilla

*Mix frosting together and sandwich between 2 cookies. Store in air tight container.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

So these are my standard cookie recipe. They really are such a basic good cookie recipe and I think the pudding in them makes them so soft. One of our favorites!

2 1/4 flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 pkg. (3.4 oz) instant French Vanilla Pudding
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 pkg chocolate chips (Ghirardelli are the best!)

Combine butter, sugars, pudding and vanilla. Cream together. Add eggs. Gradually add flour and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips. Roll into small balls and drop on to cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-9 minutes. Cookies will appear underdone.
Can also add 1 cup of oatmeal and/or 1 cup of coconut.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Sorry to keep posting recipes, but I have to make up for last month!  This coffee cake is one of my favorite recipes and is always a hit.

Ingredients:

1 c. butter

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 c. sour cream

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. sifted flour 

Topping:

¼ c. sugar

1/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. chopped pecans or walnuts—optional

1 (6 oz.) pkg. mini chocolate chips

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until smooth.  Add eggs, sour cream, baking powder, salt, soda, and vanilla.  Gradually add flour and mix well.

Topping:  Mix topping ingredients together.  Spray an 8 inch spring form pan or a bundt cake pan with baking spray.  Sprinkle bottom of pan with ¼ of the topping.  Alternate layers of topping and batter.  There should be three layers of topping and 2 layers of batter.  Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until knife comes out clean.  (It's usually ready after 45-50 minutes).

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

Mix these ingredients well.  Then add:

1 – 6 oz. pkg. chocolate chips

Chocolate mixture:

1 ½ cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ cup cocoa

½ tsp. salt

1 cup water

½ cup oil

1 TB. Vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

Beat everything until well blended.  Fill cupcake liners 1/3 full with chocolate mixture, top with heaping teaspoon of cream cheese mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Makes 16-24 cupcakes.

Caramel Brownies

To start, melt about 50 caramels or 1 bag of Kraft caramels in 1/3 c. canned evaporated milk over medium-low heat.

Mix the following ingredients together:

1 Devil’s Food Cake Mix

½ c. melted butter

1/3 c. canned evaporated milk

1 egg

1 c. nuts (optional)

Divide cake batter in half.  Smooth or pat ½ of the mixture in a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake for 7 minutes at 350 degrees.  Take out of oven and sprinkle with 1 ½-2 cups of chocolate chips.  Pour the caramel mixture over the top.  Carefully spread the rest of the cake batter over the top of the caramel mixture.  Bake for an additional 15-18 minutes more at 350 degrees.  Let cool.

Holbrook Family "Chocolate Cheese Cake"

We have grown up calling this recipe chocolate cheese cake. I'm not sure if that is what everyone else will call it, but... it is absolutely delicious regardless of the name!!! :)

1 cup flour
1 cube butter
1 cup crushed pecans

Crumb like pie crust & pat into 13x9 baking dish. Bake @ 350 for 20 minutes. Let cool

1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup Cool Whip

Beat cream cheese & sugar; stir in Cool Whip. Spread on cool crust w/a rubber spatula.

1 small pkg instant chocolate pudding
1 small pky instant vanilla pudding
3 cups milk

Mix together until thick.

Fold in 2 cups Cool Whip. Spread pudding mixture over cream cheese.

Put in fridge.

Top with Cool Whip and grate Hershey's chocolate candy bar on top of the Cool Whip before serving.

*You will need at least 2 medium size Cool Whips*

ENJOY!!!

Mrs. Fields Choc Chip Cookies

Ok, by far one the best cookie recipes, and one of the most delicious batters ever!

1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup white Sugar
1 Cup Butter
2 eggs
1 Tbsp Vanilla
Cream together then add:
2 1/4-1/2 flour--start with 2 1/4 and add more if needed--I like my cookies a little gooey, so I never add all the flour it calls for.
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Cups oatmeal
Cream together then stir in:
Mini choc chips--as many as desired
Raisins--that is if the rest of your family will let you--as for me, I am the only one in my home that LOVES raisins, so I save a little dough just for me!

Bake in 400 degree preheated oven for 6-8 minutes.
I know it's tedious, but I always cook 1 cookie to test for not enough flour. If it comes out too flat then I know I need to add more flour. And I never over bake them. After they are taken out of the oven, leave them on tray for a couple of minutes and then move then to a cooling rack.

Best Banana Bread

You may already have a banana bread recipe, but after I tried this one, I have yet to go back to my old one. I think it's the secret ingredient! This is an all time favorite at our home.

1/2 Cup Butter at room temp.
1 Cup Sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp Vanilla
1 Cup very ripe bananas mashed--about 2 1/2 Bananas
Cream together then add:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Cream all together and pour into 2 greased loaf pans. We will add mini chocolate chips to one loaf and keep one plain. I have converted to mini chips for my bread and cookies--the best!!! Bake in preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 35-40 min.--longer if necessary. NOTE: Recipe actually says to bake for 1 hour, however I have never baked it near that long because it always burns. Plus I have dark coated pans rather than glass, but I still only cook it around 40 minutes. I thik all ovens heat differently, so just check and insert a toothpick to check for rediness. Turn onto a cooling rack.

Tunnel of Fudge Cake

Cake:

2 1/4 Cups all-purpose flour
3/4 Cup cocoa powder
1 3/4 Cups sugar
1 3/4 Cups butter, softened
6 eggs
2 Cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar
2 Cups chopped walnuts or pecans

Glaze:

3/4 Cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 Cup cocoa powder
2 to 3 Tbsp milk or half & half

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with butter and dust with flour.

2. Combine flour and cocoa powder and set aside. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and mix thoroughly. Stir in flour mixture by hand until well blended. Gently stir in nuts. (Batter will be thick.) Spoon batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until the top is set and the edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool upright in pan on wire rack for 1 1/2 hours to allow fudge to set. Invert onto serving plate to cool thoroughly.

4. To prepare glaze, combine confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Add 2 tablespoons milk. Mix thoroughly, adding only enough milk to create a smooth but pourable glaze. Spoon glaze over top of cake, allowing some to run down sides. Serves 20.

I know that I shouldn't tell you this part, but this cake is delicious and totally worth EVERY bite. I dare you to make it just so that you can see how totally worth the calories this thing is!
Per serving: 410 calories, 26 g fat, 6 g protein, 43 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 135 mg sodium.