Smashed Potatoes

small, yellow potatoes
cheddar cheese
crumbled bacon

Bake the potatoes until soft.  On a pan covered with parchment paper, smash each potato individually- just one smash so they look flattened.  Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon.  Put them back in the hot oven and let the cheese get all melty.

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Jello Popcorn

1/4 cup butter
3 Tbls corn syrup

Melt together over medium heat until butter is melted.  Add:

1 3.5 oz package of Jello
1/2 cup sugar

Stir until combined and then let simmer for 5 mins.

Dump over 8 cups of popped popcorn.

If you want it to stay gooey, then it's done.  If you want it crunchy, bake at 300 degrees for 10 mins.

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Mini German Pancakes

These were a pinterest find and were a hit with my kids. 

Mini German Pancakes
1 cup milk
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. orange zest (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Blend first six ingredients (milk thru orange zest) in a blender. Be careful to see that any flour clumps get well-blended.
2. Blend in butter a little at a time in order to temper the eggs.
3. Grease muffin tins well and distribute batter evenly between 24 tins. Bake for 15 minutes, or until puffy and golden on top.
4. Served with your favorite toppings.

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Mom's Banana Bread

3/4 cup margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
4 mashed bananas (mom usually puts more. Lots more. I recall she told me once that she was pretty sure she jut doubled the bananas.  That's why her bread always turns our waaaay more dense and moist than everyone elses dry fluffy flavorless banana bread)
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Nuts or chocolate chips if desired. (I have begun taking the D&C 4:3 approach to recipes. Look it up and count it as your scripture study for the day.)

Makes 3 regular loaves, bake for 60-75 minutes, longer if there is more banana in it.

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S'more Gorp

Say it out loud. SAY IT! It's fun to say.
It seems like a no-brainer now, but when I thought of it ten minutes ago, I felt like a genius. So in order to spice it up, I'm posting the recipe only in pictures.

You are welcome.  

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My Chili

I've started a new spice combination that works really well with chili.  I didn't tell Tom what was in it until he confirmed that he likes it, too.

Basically, dump this all in and simmer on the stove or go for the crockpot.  I prefer it in the crockpot.

2 jars home canned tomatoes or 1 can of tomato sauce and 2 cans of diced tomatoes.  If you use the home canned tomatoes, run a stick blender in there to break it up to whatever chunkiness your family prefers.
1/2 green pepper chopped
1/2 lb to 1 lb ground hamburger cooked with 1/2 yellow onion chopped
1-2 cups sweet corn
2 cans of beans (I like black and red kidney.  Today we are just using kidney because that's what I have)

Seasoning:
approx 2 tablespoons cocoa and 2 tablespoons ground chipotle pepper
mild chili powder to taste

Really, the cocoa and chipotle pepper combination is SO good. 

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Mom's Peach Spice Jam

Jessica and I put this together, and I'm not gonna lie, we nailed it.  It tastes exactly like we remember. 

4 cups mashed peaches
2 TBsp Lemon juice
1/2 tsp butter or margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 box of sure-jell pectin
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
5 1/2 cups sugar

Measure sugar and dry spices into a bowl, set aside (close to the stove).
Put your jar lids in water to boil.
Put mashed peaches in pot with lemon juice, vanilla, butter, and sure-jell into a big pot.  Turn heat to high and stir until it comes to a rolling boil (boiling without stopping even when you are stirring)
As soon as it is boiling, pour your sugar/spice mix in and continue stirring. 
Bring it back to a rolling boil.
As soon as it is boiling again (rolling) time ONE MINUTE and stir constantly.
After the one minute, remove it from the heat, pour it into the jars, put the boiled (and still hot) lids on the jars, (make sure you wipe the rims first) put the rings on and flip the jars over. 

We used a half pint jar size and they sealed up perfectly within an hour. This recipe filled 8 jars (so 4 pints total). 

It turned out so yummy that we made two batches.  And I think I'll make a few more if I can find more equally awesome peaches. Awesome.

PS.  I should note: the 1/2 tsp of butter is supposedly to help reduce foaming.  I remember loving the foam.  So I debated whether I should put it in.  I don't think that mom actually used the butter, so consider it optional.  

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