Caramel Apple Muffins

2 C. flour
3/4 C. sugar
1/4 C butter, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 C. milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. apples, peeled and finely diced
3/4 C. (about 15) caramels, diced

Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin tins. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl, combine egg and milk. Stir in butter and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir just enough to blend. Stir in apples and caramels. Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake about 25 mins. or until tops spring back. Serve warm. Makes 12 muffins.

Lori

Chocolate Zucchini Bread (Regular and Legal versions))

Chocolate Zucchini Bread {makes 2 loaves}
Recipe by OurBestBites.com (Awesome website, please check it out!!)

2 C flour (I used 2 1/4 c. wheat flour)
2 t cinnamon (also good without cinn. tastes like cupcakes!)
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C canola oil
1 C sugar (I used 1 1/4c. honey and omitted the brown sugar)
1/4 C brown sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/2 C sour cream
3 C grated zucchini
3/4 C mini chocolate chips (Wal mart sells sugar free choc. chips, yum!)

Topping:
2 T brown sugar (For legal version, just omit topping, sad but still delish!!)
2 T white sugar
1/2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 loaf pans and set aside. I actually used one 8" disposable pan to give away and a larger 9" one for me and the batter divided perfectly. So you should get 2 very full 8" pans or slightly less full 9". Do one of each like I did! (I made cupcakes and cooked them for around 12-15min.)

Mix topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Place flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

With a stand or hand mixer beat oil, white sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until combined and slightly fluffy, 1-2 minutes.

Add vanilla and sour cream and mix until combined.

butternut squash soup

1 T butter

1 butternut squash

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic

3 c. chicken or vegetable broth (More if you have a large squash)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 T honey or maple syrup

salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a pot. Dice onion and add to butter in pan. Saute for 5 minutes. Dice garlic and add to onion. Cook until garlic becomes fragrant. Peal squash with a vegetable peeler, then cut in half and scoop out seeds. Cube remaining squash. Add to onion and garlic and cover with chicken broth. Heat to boil then lower heat to a simmer. Cook for 25 minutes. Squash should be soft. With a slotted spoon add half of squash and onions in a blender. Add some broth and blend. Pour into a bowl and repeat with remaining squash and onions. Add remaining broth as needed until desired consistency is achieved. Stir in cinnamon and honey (or maple syrup). Add salt and pepper as desired.

Backpack Ice Cream

1 C heavy cream
1 C whole milk
1/3 C sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Mini candy-bar any flavor (crushed)

Combine ingredients in a quart size ziploc baggie. Double bag. Place in gallon size ziploc with 1/3 C rock salt and ice until full. Wrap heavily in newspaper and tape until secure. Shake/Toss for a few minutes then place in backpack- hike and enjoy when ready!

Mexican Unfried Ice Cream

Combine:
4 1/2 C Rice Krispies
1 1 /2 C Flaked coconut
1 C light brown sugar
3/4 C butter, melted
3/4 finely chopped pecans

Line a 9X13 pan with 1/2 of mixture. Then slice and layer 1/2 gallon of semi-softened vanilla ice cream. Top with the rest of the mixture and freeze.

Make-It-Yourself Yogurt

Regular Yogurt:

1 1/2 c. non-fat dry milk

7 1/2 c. whole milk

2 Tbsp. starter (use Dannon plain or any commercial yogurt that contains living bacteria)

Low-Fat Yogurt:

2 c. non-fat dry milk in water to make 3 cups

5 cups whole milk

2 Tbsp. starter

Begin by placing two quart-size canning jars in the refrigerator.  Now combine all ingredients, except the starter, in a large saucepan and heat the milk at a fairly high temperature. The milk should be stirred constantly with a steel spatula.  Keep running the flat edge over the bottom of the pan to prevent milk from scalding and sticking.

Heat the milk to 180 degrees (use floating candy thermometer), turn off burner and cover. Wait 10 minutes and repeat. Then allow milk to cool to 140 degrees. You can speed up the process by placing the pan in a sinkful of cool water. Afterward, pour the milk into the chilled glass jars (this also will help reduce the temperature quickly). 

When the milk reaches 104 degrees, thoroughly stir a tablespoon of starter into each jar. (If you want very tart yogurt, add the starter at 120 degrees.) Cover each jar with a saucer to retain the heat. Turn oven heat on  low for 3-4 minutes ( just enough to warm the oven and keep the jars at a constant temperature) then turn oven off and leave jars in for four hours. 

After four hours in the oven, carefully remove the saucers from the jars (yogurt is delicate when warm- so don't jostle). Gently tip the jar to see if milk has barely solidified. If so, immediately refrigerate the uncovered jars for at least eight hours - the cold helps it set up even more. (If the milk is still liquid cover the jars and place back in oven for 1-2 more hours, turning the heat briefly on and off as before). After eight hours, yogurt should be cold. Place lids on the canning jars. You're done!!!! This yogurt is plain yogurt--- you'll need to add berries or some type of sweetener. Enjoy!

Crunchy Appetizers

2 flat cans of whole water chestnuts

1 lb. turkey bacon

Cut bacon in half lengthwise and wrap strips around singe large or 2 small water chestnuts. Secure with toothpicks. Stand upright in dripper pan (9X13).

Sauce: 

1 1/2 c. catsup

1/4 c. pineapple juice

1/2 tsp. yellow mustard

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Dip each appetizer in sauce and stand in pan. Pour remaining sauce in pan, trying to avoid getting sauce on the toothpicks (it kind of burns as they cook). Bake at 350 degrees 30-40 minutes. Serve hot.