Chocolate Butterscotch Peanut Clusters - Kristen Lockhart

6 oz. Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

11 oz. Butterscotch Chips

12 oz. Spanish Peanuts

Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips in a double broiler.  When melted, remove from heat and stir in peanuts to coat.

Drop peanut clusters by round spoonful's onto wax paper.

Let harden before serving.

Note: can add toffee bits as well.

Alabama Fire Crackers - Kristen Lockhart

1 2/3 cup Canola Oil

2 oz Ranch Dressing Mix

2-3 Tablespoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Onion Powder

1/2 teaspoon Pepper

extra large ZipLock bag (bigger than gallon)

1 (16.5 oz) package Saltine Crackers

In an extra large zip lock bag add all ingredients except crackers.  Seal bag and squish the bag with your hands until the oil and spices are well blended.

Add crackers to the bag.  Seal the bag and turn over to coat crackers with spice mix.

Let sit in bag for 1 hour then turn bag over and let sit for another hour and turn again.  Keep repeating this till crackers are well coated with spice mixture.  Then allow to sit overnight. Best if made 24 hours in advance.

Remove crackers from bag and enjoy!

English Muffin Eggs - KayDee Friel

2 wheat English Muffins

Butter

2-4 Eggs

Olive Oil

4-5 Asparagus stalks, chopped

2 Green Onion stalks, chopped

1/4 cup Spinach, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

Slap yo Mama

Split English muffins open and toast till desired doneness.  We like to put it on 6/6 for our toaster oven (highest and longest setting).  Butter muffins when they are done toasting.

Bring a pot of water to boil.  Once the water comes to a boil turn the temp down to 7ish and gently put eggs in pot and soft boil them for 6 1/2 minutes.  If really large eggs you may need to boil for 7 minutes.

When eggs go into the water turn on burner with cast iron pan to 5 (medium).  Drizzle some oil into pan and let heat up for 1 mintue.

Add asparagus and green onions to heated cast iron pan and cook for 2 minutes.  

After the 2 minutes of cooking for, add spinach and garlic to cast iron pan and cook for 1-2 minutes, until spinach is wilted, stir constantly.  Remove pan from cook top and place at table on a trivet.

When eggs are finished boiling, remove them with a slotted spoon or Chinese strainer.  Run the eggs under cold water to cool them down quickly.  

Crack the eggs open with one hard strike with a butter knife.  Pull the eggs apart and use the butter knife to scrape the egg out of the shell into a small bowl.  Add sauté veggies.  Sprinkle with Slap yo Mama.  Eat with English muffins. 

Cornbread

1 cup Yellow Cornmeal

1 cup Milk

1 cup Flour
1/3 cup Sugar
1/3  cup Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Butter, melted

3 Tablespoons Honey
1 Egg

Preheat oven to 400.

Soak cornmeal in milk for 15 minutes.

Whisk flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Add cornmeal/milk mixture, butter, honey, and egg to flour mixture; whisk until well combined.

Pour into an oiled cast iron pan.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Note: To reheat cornbread preheat oven to 350.  Place cornbread in an oven proof dish and cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes.  If the cornbread is dry and crumbling just add some butter to the top after it is reheated.

Lemon Curd

4 Egg Yolks

2/3 cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest

1/3 cup Lemon juice, 2-3 lemons

6 Tablespoons Butter, softened and cut into 6 pieces

Fill the bottom pot of your double broiler with 1-2 inches of water.  Place on high heat.  Once the water begins to boil, reduce to low heat and keep water at a simmer.

Place egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and juice in to the pot on top of your double broiler.  Wisk until completely blended, then continue to whisk as the curd cooks.  Constant whisking prevents the egg yolks from curdling.  Whisk and cook until the mixture becomes thick, resembling the texture of hollandaise sauce, about 5-10 minutes.  If it is not thickening, turn up the heat while constantly whisking.

Remove pan from heat.  Whisk the sliced butter into the curd.  The butter will melt from the heat of the curd as you whisk.  Pour curd into a jar and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top so that it is touching the top of the curd.  The curd will continue to thicken as it cools.  Once completely cool, remove the plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 10 days.

Party Meatballs

Slow Cooker Bag for easy cleaning

2 lbs frozen fully cooked Meatballs 

1 1/2 cups Grape Jelly (510g. or 18oz)

1/2 cup Bbq Sauce (140g.)

1 bottle Chili Sauce

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard (40g.)

2 Tablespoons Frank's Red Hot Sauce (40g.)

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Pepper

Place bag in slow cooker.  Add meatballs to slow cooker.  

In a small bowl whisk the Grape Jelly, Bbq sauce, chili sauce, dijon, Frank's, salt, and pepper.  Pour over meatballs and stir to combine.  

Cook on high for 2-2 1/2 hours.  Stir half way through.   

Serve with toothpicks.

Note:

If using a bag of Trader Joe's Meatballs use 2 bags.

To thicken:

After the meatballs are done cooking whisk 2 Tablespoons cornstarch with 1/4 cup sauce from crock pot. Stir into meatballs till combined. It will thicken as it cools.

Apple Butter

2 cups Unsweetened Applesauce
1/2 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1 Tablespoons Honey
Juice from 1/4 Lemon

The key to getting that thick, rich apple butter consistency is cooking it low and slow to evaporate the liquid without scorching the sugars. It should be a thick spreadable consistency when you are done. If you grab a big spoonful of apple butter, it should stay mounded on the spoon and not run off the edges.

Spread the applesauce in the bottom of a thick bottomed skillet. The more surface area there is for evaporation – the quicker your apple butter will be ready to enjoy, so pick a bigger one if you can.
Turn your burner to the lowest setting. Stir in the cinnamon, syrup, honey and lemon juice.

Continue to cook over low heat stirring every half hour until it is thick and the consistency that you like.

Wait until it cooks down before adding extra sweetener or spices so you have a chance to taste the actual product and adjust accordingly.
Feel free to add nutmeg, ginger, allspice