Declo Stake Maple Bars

1 quart of warm water
3 T yeast
3 T sugar
2 T salt (scant)
2/3 c cooking oil
3/4 c dry milk
2/3 c sugar
5 eggs
12 c flour (varies with humidity) enough to make a soft dough

Place water, yeast, sugar, salt, oil, and dry milk in mixer (Bosch works best). Let sit about 5 minutes until yeast floats to top. Add sugar, eggs, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead in bread machine or by hand until smooth and elastic. Oil large bowl, place dough in and let rise until double in bulk. Roll our 1 inch thick and cut into bars 2 inches by 4 inches. Prick each bar 3 times with fork. Let raise 13 to 20 minutes. Fry in hot oil, pricked side down first. Frost with powdered sugar icing flavored with maple flavoring.

Egg Substitute/Egg Equivalents

Cooking with Egg Substitutes

Usually the measurements are on the carton that the egg substitute comes in (just like artificial sweeteners do.)

Egg to Liquid Egg Substitute Conversion:

• 1 egg = 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 2 eggs = 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 4 eggs = 1 cup egg substitute
• 8 eggs = 1 pint carton egg substitute

just reverse it if you need to use eggs instead of the egg beaters or egg substitue

Creamy Chicken Soup with Homemade Noodles

This is our family's favorite soup.  It's Mmm, Mmm, good!

Soup:
1 lb. chicken breasts (about 2)
8 bouillon cubes
4 carrots
4 potatoes
4 celery stalks
1-2 onions
2 cans cream of chicken soup

Noodles:
4 eggs, whipped
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 cup flour

Boil chicken.  Remove chicken from water.  12 cups of liquid will be needed so add more water if needed to equal at least 12 cups.  Dissolve bouillon cubes in water.

Cut up chicken and add to soup.  Cup up carrots, potatoes, celery and onion and add to soup.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes over medium heat.

While soup is cooking, make the noodles.  Whip eggs.  Add salt, baking powder and flour.  Additional flour may be added so that the noodles aren't sticky.  Roll out on counter to about 1/4 inch thick.  Cut with a noodle cutter or a knife so that the noodles are 1/4-1/2 inch wide.  Once soup has cooked for 30 minutes, place each noodle into soup separately.  Add cream of chicken soup and stir well until heated through.

Jenn Weber's Pie Crust

2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup veg. oil
1/4 cup cold water

Mix flour and salt.  Add vegetable oil and cold water and mix until combined.  Divide dough in half.  Roll out each half in between two pieces of waxed paper.  Bake at 375F or according to directions for your pie.

Apple Crisp Cookies

Back about 22 years ago, I started a subscription to Better Homes and Gardens magazine and I LOVED it.  I was always so excited to see the latest issue in the mailbox.  I enjoyed looking at all the decorating ideas and the lovely gardens they featured.  I would rip out pages of the things I loved most and dream about my future home and family.  I wanted my home to be as cozy and welcoming as the images between each cover.  And I couldn't wait to bask in the color and bounty of the gardens around that home.  I planned to invite friends and family over often and dreamed of the bonding that would occur as we gathered together all smiling faces and love in our eyes.  Since then, real life has proven to be much less easily controlled and structured as those vignettes in the magazine.  Life is messy, people do not always behave the way you think they should and a picture perfect life is not worth the stress most of the time.  But, I have had golden glimpses of that perfect life, and I try to treasure and live in them as they happen.  I even cancelled my beloved subscription in 2000 or 2001 because of the clutter keeping all those magazines created!  The thoughts and dreams they inspired remain and they usually push me on to the next project or event.  Hopefully as my family and friends look back through rose-colored glasses, some of the times we spent together will seem to be as candid and lovely as the pictures that inspired them.  

This cookie recipe was discovered among the pages of the September 1997 BHG issue.  It calls for apple cider mix and dehydrated apples.  I love recipes that have unexpected ingredients.  When these cookies are finished baking they are a little flat and look like they will be crunchy.  But the apples keep them moist.  They are unexpectedly addicting.

Apple Crisp Cookies

1 cup shortening

1/2 cup margarine

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1- 0.7 oz. pkg. apple cider mix (about 1 1/2-2 T if in bulk)

1 T cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 baking soda

1/2 salt

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1 1/2 cups raisins (optional)

1 1/2 cups chopped dried apple pieces

In an extra large mixing bowl beat shortening and margarine for 30 seconds.  Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, apple cider mix, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer.  With a wooden spoon, stir in remaining flour, oats, raisins and apples.  Drop by rounded teaspoons onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 350F for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Makes 7 dozen cookies.

Our Family's Favorite Jam: Raspberry Peach Freezer Jam

I got this recipe from Tera Sweat who served as our Relief Society Home, Family and Personal Enrichment Leader   for some of the time that we lived in the Logan River 1st Ward.  One time we had a canning activity and this is one of the things we learned to do.  

8 c peaches peeled and smashed (about 14 peaches)
2 c raspberries smashed (2-2 ½ baskets)
8 c sugar
2 6 oz pkgs raspberry Jell-o
8-10 freezer containers

Mix peaches, raspberries, and sugar in a large saucepan. Cook until sugar dissolves about 10-15 min. Add jell-O and bring to a boil. Boil for 2-3 min. Pour into containers and put into freezer.

Adam's Salmon

My uncle Adam, who still lives in the Great Northwest, makes this salmon and grilled potatoes for us whenever we come to visit.  For years he kept his recipe a secret, but we finally broke him down and he gave it to us.

1 cube butter
1 T lemon juice
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. basil

Grill salmon on low, adding butter mixture occasionally, until flaky.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Macaroni & Cheese

Misti made this for our family after Camille was born. Everyone thought it was delish!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Macaroni & Cheese
From Cooking Light March 2010 Issue

Ingredients
 16 ounces  uncooked elbow macaroni
3-4  slices pre-cooked bacon, chopped
2  skinless, boneless chicken breasts cooked, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2  tablespoon  butter
2  tablespoon  all-purpose flour
3  cups  milk
2/3  cup  condensed 45% reduced-sodium 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 ½ c shredded six-cheese Italian blend (such as Sargento)
1  teaspoon  onion powder
1  teaspoon  garlic powder
1  teaspoon  dill
1  teaspoon  salt
Cooking spray
1/2  cup  shredded colby-Jack cheese
1-2 slices precooked bacon (for top)

Preparation
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.
2. Cook chicken either on the grill seasoned with salt and pepper or on the stove top with a bit of olive oil.
3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle flour evenly into pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Combine milk and soup, stirring with a whisk; gradually add milk mixture to saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155°. Add Italian cheese blend, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, and salt, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in pasta, chopped bacon and chicken.
4. Preheat broiler.
5. Pour into a 9x13 pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved bacon and ½ cup cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts.