I know it's been a while since my last post but don't worry I'm still here.  And you'll be glad that I am after I share this next recipe.  It's French Crepes adapted from the Jassigneux family recipe.  Not my family but two young ladies who came all the way from France to go to school and I was lucky enough to have them in one of my classes.


French Crepes

Ingredients
1 lb        All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp.  Salt
5           Medium Eggs 
1/2 cup  Vegetable Oil
1 qt        2% Milk   (you may not use all of it)
Vegetable Oil to oil pan.


Directions

1. Pour the flour and salt in a large bowl and make a hole in the middle.
2. Put the eggs and oil into the hole and start stirring the flour with a wooden spatula.  When the batter gets thick and hard pour some milk while stirring, a little at a time, until the batter is liquid and uniform.
3. Let sit for 30 minutes.
4. Heat a pan with a small amount of oil in it.  When hot, pour a ladle of batter (about 1/3 cup) in the pan, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan evenly. 
5. Cook the crepe until set and light brown, about 30 seconds. Flip it over and cook a few seconds longer.
6. Remove from the pan. 

Fill or spread the crepes with any topping you like, my personal favorite is Nutella with strawberries.


Enjoy

Need a simple treat than this is the recipe for you.  These cookies are a sweet treat that everyone is going to love.  Plus it has oatmeal in it so you can pretend they are good for you.

Chocolate Florentine Cookies

Ingredients:
2/3 cup Butter
2 cups Quick Oats
1 cup Sugar
2/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Light or Dark Corn Syrup (I myself prefer using light)
1/4 cup Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 3/4 cups Chocolate Chips ( I am a fan of milk chocolate so I use those but these are also great with dark chocolate chips too, whichever you prefer)


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Line baking sheet with foil.
3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt.
4. Mix well. Measure out by level teaspoon and drop mixture onto baking sheet about 3 inches apart.
5. Spread thinly with a rubber spatula.
6. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely and peel cookies from foil.
7. Melt the chocolate chips, spread thin layer of melted chocolate onto flat side of half the cookies and top with remaining cookies.


Enjoy

Here it is one of my favorite recipes and one of the most delicious by far.  It pains me to part with this recipe because it is on of the best brownie recipes I have ever had but here it is and I hope it brings you as much joy as it has brought me.

Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup  Butter

1 1/4 cup   Sugar

1 cup   Cocoa Powder

1 tsp.    Vanilla

2   Eggs

1/2 cup flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325

2. In a saucepan, combine butter, sugar and cocoa powder.  Over low heat mix until butter is melted and combined.

3. Remove from heat and add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each egg.

4. Add flour, stir until just combined.

5. Bake in greased 8x8 pan for 25 minutes.

6. Cool completely and serve.

Enjoy

I think it's time for a salad recipe, this recipe is also one I acquired in the food production class I took.  It is a berry spring mix with raspberry balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  Or a red, white, and blue salad,  true it's a little late in the season to be posting a patriotic dish but it's still good no matter what day you are eating it.

Red, White and Blue Salad

Servings: 10

Ingredients:

1 lb       Spring Salad Mix

1/2 cup Slivered Almonds, toasted

2 cups   Strawberries, washed and sliced in half

1 cup     Blueberries

1 cup      Feta Cheese

1/2 cup   Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup   Sugar

1/2 cup   Balsamic Vinegar

2 tablespoons Raspberry Jam

Directions:

1. Rinse and dry salad mix.

2. In a large bowl combine the salad mix, strawberries, blueberries, and almonds.

3. Mix the vinaigrette by whisking the olive oil, vinegar, sugar and jam together.

4. Add the cheese and the vinaigrette to the salad.  Toss well and serve.

Enjoy

Alright so today I've been working outside most of the day and it is HOT.  What better way to cool off than with a refreshing, cold drink. And while I'm on that note why not have today's recipe be a delicious drink, like a Mock-Mint-Julep.  Now I had never tried a Mint-Julep until my Junior year in college when we made them in a cooking class of mine.  Thankfully my professor shared the recipe with us so I can whip it up whenever I feel the need for one, and now so can you.

Mock-Mint-Julep


Ingredients:
2 cups cold water
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup lemon juice
6 mint sprigs
2 1/2 cups ginger ale, chilled
Ice Cubes
*Lemon slices and additional Mint, optional

Directions:
 In a bowl, combine the water, sugar, lemon juice and mint; stir well.  Let stand for at least 45 minutes.
 Strain and discard mint.
 Put lemon mixture and ginger ale into 1 gallon container and add ice cubes.
 Garnish with lemon slices and mint if desired


Enjoy

Today's recipe is an oldie but a goodie.  This is probably one of my favorite recipes and I have been making it since I was a young girl.  It also has been a favorite among many of my roommates that I have lived with over the years.  It's nice for the busy days when you need a quick and easy treat.  Some may think I'm cheating because the recipe isn't completely homemade I do use a cake mix but it's still amazing and let's face it, it's nice not to have to make things from scratch all of the time.

Cake Oreos

Preheat Oven to 350.  This recipe makes about a dozen oreos depending on how big you make the cookies.

1 chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened

Mix cake mix, eggs, and butter together until well blended.  Roll dough into small quarter size balls place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes let cool before putting icing on.


For the Icing you will need:

1/2 package powder sugar
1 8oz package cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Blend the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together, once they are well blended slowly start adding the powdered sugar until mixture is smooth and creamy. Put as much icing as you want on your cookies I always like a little extra.  I recommend you refrigerate them for at least an hour before serving just to keep them firm plus I think they are more delicious a little chilled.  Any leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen and served again later they are a cookie that keeps for a long time in the freezer and tastes just as good as they did on day one.

Enjoy

Here goes another recipe.   I was inspired by the peach tree in my neighbors back yard today to make a peach pie.  But instead of a standard peach pie I like to make mine with a little crunch on the top.  And thanks to Chex's new cereal flavor my recipe finally has that perfect crunch to top it.  It won't take all day to make it and it is a great way to make your house smell amazing.

Peachy Pie


Crust:

1  1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter
2-3 tablespoons cold water 

1 egg beat and set to the side

Mix the flour salt and baking powder.  Break up the cold butter and add to the flour mixture.  Pinch and squeeze the butter into the flour mixture until ingredients are mixed evenly and there are no large pieces of butter visible.  Add 2 tablespoons of water to mixture and stir with a fork.  The dough should begin holding together, if not add a teaspoon of water at a time until dough holds.

Put the dough onto a lightly floured surface and flatten out into a round disc.  Place the dough into  pie dish pressing it out if need to make it fit.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 450

Filling:

Around 5 cups of sliced peaches
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt

Put peaches in a bowl and sprinkle the lemon juice over them.  In a separate bowl mix the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Pour flour mixture into the bowl with the peaches stir together gently.
Now your ready to put your filling into the pie shell but before you do that remember that egg that was set to the side take it and coat your pie shell before putting the peach mixture in this will keep the crust from getting soggy and it will give the crust a nice brown color.  After your done coating you can put in the peach mixture now for the fun part the topping of the pie.

Topping
1 1/2 cups crushed apple cinnamon chex cereal.
2 tablespoons butter melted

Mix the chex and butter until the cereal is well coated sprinkle over the top of the pie.

Bake the pie for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature of  the oven to 350 and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes.  Let the pie cool and serve with whipped topping or ice cream or if your like me all by itself.

Enjoy