Roast Sticky Chicken

Recipe Courtesy Doris Beck, Photo Courtesy Google.com
INGREDIENTS:
4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried thyme
2 onions, quartered
1 tsp white pepper
2 (4 pound) whole chickens

DIRECTIONS:
Remove and discard giblets from chicken.In a small bowl, mix together salt, paprika, onion powder, thyme, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder.

Rinse chicken cavity, and pat dry with paper towel. Rub each chicken inside and out with spice mixture. Place 1 onion into the cavity of each chicken. Place chicken in a resalable bag or double wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 to 6 hours.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Place chickens in a roasting pan. Bake uncovered for 5 hours a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees F. Let the chickens stand for 10 minutes before carving.

Special K Bars

Recipe Courtesy Liz Heath, Photo Courtesy Google.com
When you think of Special K, you think of healthy, right? Well, think again. Rob had these growing up. The mom of his good friend, Ben, made these for them and I've been asked to find the recipe and recreate them. So I did.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
7 cups Rice Krispies or Special K cereal
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup butter

DIRECTIONS:
Melt together corn syrup and sugar.

Turn off heat and add P-nut butter. Stir in cereal.

Spread in lightly greased 9x13 pan, pressing lightly with buttered fingers or wax paper.

Melt together chocolate chips, butterscotch chips,and butter in microwave in 30 second increments until completely melted.

Spread over bars and allow to cool.

Zucchini Alfredo

Recipe & Photo Courtesy AllRecipes.com
INGREDIENTS:
1 (12 ounce) package uncooked egg noodles
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup milk
4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic, and cook 2 minutes. Mix in zucchini, and cook 10 minutes, until some of the moisture has evaporated.

Pour the milk into the skillet, and stir in cream cheese until melted. Mix in basil. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve over the cooked pasta.

Bob's Salsa

Recipe Courtesy Bob Kelley, Photo Courtesy Google.com
This is a base recipe to add to. If you like it spicy, add some peppers. If you want more tomatoes, add more. You get the point.

INGREDIENTS:
20-ish tomatoes
5 onions (I like red)
7 jalapenos/other hot pepper (optional, of course)
5 carrots (the better to see you with)
2 stalks celery
1/4 cup salt
1/8 cup sugar (neither Bob nor I use that)
3 cloves garlic (I used about 6)

DIRECTIONS:
A few options here:
1) Bosch it
2) Cuisinart it
3) Chop it (if you don't have the previously mentioned awesome kitchens appliances).
Size does matter. The smaller the better.

Simmer it all for 20 minutes. Pack into hot, sterilized jars.

If you have a pressure canner, process for 15 minutes. If you don't, water bath it for 25 minutes. If you aren't going to can it, refrigerate it and eat it within 2-3 weeks.

Recipe & Photo Courtesy AllRecipes.com
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 (4 ounce) boneless pork loin chops
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). In a small bowl, combine crushed thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Rub evenly over pork chops.

Melt butter and olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Cook pork chops for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, turning once. Remove from skillet and keep warm in preheated oven.

In the skillet, combine raspberry jam, orange juice, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce is reduced to desired consistency (sauce will thicken as it cools). Spoon sauce in a pool onto a serving plate, and top with pork chops. Garnish with sprigs of thyme.

2-Ingredient Pumpkin Cake

Recipe Courtesy BigRedKitchen, Photo Courtesy NoblePig
INGREDIENTS:
One Cake mix- I used yellow
1 -15 ounce can 100% pumpkin- puree, not pumpkin pie filling

1 cup powdered sugar
2 T. apple cider
1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl mix cake mix with pumpkin filling using a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour batter into a greased 7 x 11 inch baking dish. Bake for 28 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

In a small bowl blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour over Pumpkin Cake letting it drizzle down the sides of the cake. Let set before covering.

Peanut Chicken

Recipe & Photo Courtesy AllRecipes.com
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon wok oil or peanut oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped (we don't use cilantro)
2 cups chopped dry roasted peanuts (I didn't have peanuts so I scooped some peanut butter in, but the texture would have been great with peanuts, or even crunchy PB)

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Place chicken in the wok, and cook until juices run clear. Mix in red bell pepper, and continue cooking until tender.

In a bowl, mix the broth, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, cayenne pepper, ginger, and cornstarch. Pour into the wok. Toss green onions and cilantro into wok (reserving some of each for garnish). Continue to cook and stir 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Mix in peanuts, and garnish with reserved green onions and cilantro to serve.