Egg Sandwich

My sister Lindsey told me how to make this, and it was delicious!

Egg Sandwich

1 egg
dash salt
dash pepper
splash milk
1 slice cheese
1 english muffin
1 slice bacon - optional

Toast english muffin, scramble egg with milk, salt, and pepper in a 2 cup round pyrex bowl - the perfect size for egg sandwiches!  Microwave egg mixture for 1:40 at 60% power.  Loosen egg from bowl with a spoon and place on english muffin.  Top with cheese and bacon or whatever your heart desires.

Chunky Applesauce

I learned to make this chunky applesauce from my mother.  She makes a lot of applesauce, many different ways, this is one of them.  She loves Paula Reds, as do I, so that is what I used today.  I also like it with McIntosh.  If you are following mom's recipe, add more sugar than you think it needs, then add a bit more. :)

Chunky Applesauce

apples
sugar

Peel, core, and slice apples, place in a large microwave safe bowl.  Fill to about 2/3 full, then microwave for 8-10 minutes.  Mash it with a large spoon or potato masher until it is mostly mashed, but still has a few chunks in it.  Now you can either sweeten to taste with sugar, or freeze what you don't need right away, and sweeten after you thaw it back out.

Frostbite

This is my great aunt Duie's signature dessert.  She made it pretty much every time we got together when we were kids.  Between Duie, Lee, and our family of five, we usually finished the pan.  It is so good.  I called Duie while I was making it to get advice on how thick the first part needed to be, because I had screwed it up and overcooked it.  I thought it should get quite thick, but that never happened.  It only slightly thickens.  I now cook it for 15 minutes over medium heat start to finish (no preheating the water in the double boiler).  I tried multiple methods to grate the chocolate - fine grater, medium grater, and potato peeler.  I definitely recommend freezing the chocolate and using the potato peeler.  The chocolate gets static electricity so it is a pain and makes a mess - fair warning.

Frostbite

6 squares baker's german sweet chocolate (green foil)
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup milk - 2%
1 envelope unflavored knox gelatin
1/4 cup water - cold
dash salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream

Beat yolks and 1/2 cup sugar, add milk. Cook in a double boiler until it lightly coats the spoon. Soften gelatin in water, add to mixture. Cool 1 hour. Add salt, vanilla. Beat egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar, add to mixture. Whip the cream, and beat all together. Spoon into 9x13" pan, sprinkle grated chocolate and refrigerate.

If you are wondering what you should do with the remaining cup of heavy whipping cream, use this recipe to make whipped cream, or you could make a double batch, you can't go wrong either way!

Double Batch Frostbite

12 squares baker's german sweet chocolate (green foil)
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
3 cup milk - 2%
2 envelope unflavored knox gelatin
1/2 cup water - cold
dash salt
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1 pint heavy whipping cream

Home Fried Potatoes

My friend Misti made these potatoes when we were camping.  Camping!  I never make anything this homemade while camping, but they were so delicious I needed to have the recipe.  It is so simple that she could even just text it to me.

Home Fried Potatoes

5-8 potatoes - peeled and sliced thinly
1/2 stick butter (earth balance buttery stick - milk free)
dash seasoning salt (allergy free)

Melt butter in a skillet, add potatoes.  Stir to coat with butter, cover and cook on medium for about 20 minutes.  Stir occasionally and add seasoning salt to taste.  When potatoes have softened, remove lid and increase the heat to crisp the edges.

Favorite White Frosting

It is time to pass on the family tradition of a 4-layer birthday cake with crazy colored layers and delicious homemade frosting.  My gramma always made this for her kids, my parents made it for us, and I am making it for my kids.  This is favorite white frosting, but we used pink food coloring to make it pink this time - the food coloring takes a bit of work to mix in due to the shortening, so use caution.

Favorite White Frosting (standard cake recipe)

3 T flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup shortening
1 stick butter - softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Heat milk and flour in a saucepan until thick - it should resemble runny pudding, cool.  Add remaining ingredients and beat together until the texture is like whipped cream.

Favorite White Frosting (doubled recipe for 4-layer cake)

6 T flour
2 cup milk
1 cup shortening
2 stick butter - softened
2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Candied Popcorn

My sister Lindsey made this popcorn for Norah's school birthday treat.  I am copying her and making it for Leila's school birthday treat.  Lindsey found the recipe and made grape and blue raspberry flavors.  I went with strawberry and grape.

Candied Popcorn

12 cups popped popcorn (I used air popped)
1 stick butter (earth balance buttery stick - milk free)
3 oz package jello - any flavor
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 tsp baking soda

Pop popcorn (1/2 cup kernels = 12 cups popped) and place in a large bowl (try to remove all unpopped kernels).  Melt butter, stir in jello mix and corn syrup.  Microwave in 30 second intervals until boiling.  Add baking soda and stir well, it should be frothy and slightly lighter in color.  Pour mixture over popcorn and stir until well coated, microwave 30 seconds, stir, repeat twice, just be careful not to burn the popcorn (the longer you microwave, the crunchier it will be).  Pour over wax paper to cool.  Separate and store in airtight container.

Oven Baked Bacon

Jeremy and I met working at Russ' Restaurant.  At the restaurant, they cooked bacon in the oven.  It turns out tender crisp which is exactly how I like it.  I looked online and found Martha's recipe for the time and temperature (picture is from Martha Stewart's website).

Oven Baked Bacon

1 package bacon

Grab a large baking sheet with edges (you do not want bacon grease falling into the bottom of your oven).  Place tin foil over the pan for easy clean up and put a few ripples in it so that the bacon grease has some places to drain.  Or you can use parchment paper like Martha.  Lay bacon strips on the pan, try not to overlap.  Bake at 400° for 15-18 minutes, or desired doneness, rotating the sheets once. Transfer strips to a paper towel to drain.