Potato Crescent Rolls

Ever since we got back from Amish Country, I have been craving homemade bread. So, I decided to give these a try. I am so glad I did! These are easy to make, and Alex would agree that these rolls are the best bread item I have ever made. I can't say enough about them, you'll just have to give it a try. I adapted this recipe from this one on allrecipes.com.

Photo Credit: http://allrecipes.com/Cook/Photo.aspx?photoID=226480

Potato Crescent Rolls

1 cup mashed potatoes (made either from scratch or from instant potato flakes)
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2/3 cup white sugar
2/3 cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, melted

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, and mash. (I used instant mashed potato flakes, and just omitted the butter/margarine that they generally call for).
2. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
3. When yeast is ready, mix in 1 cup mashed potatoes, sugar, butter, eggs, salt, and 3 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough has become stiff but still pliable. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, and up to 5 days.
4. Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into four equal pieces, and form into rounds. Roll out each round to a 12 inch circle. Brush generously with melted butter, and cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges up tightly, starting with the large end. Place on lightly greased baking sheets with the points underneath, and the ends bent to form a crescent shape. Cover, and let rise for 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.


Amy's Rating: 10/10
Alex's Rating: 9/10

BYU Mint Brownies

I had a late night Art History class my junior year of college, and every day, I would stop by the CougarEat and get not one, but two of these brownies (don't judge). That semester, I definitely gained a few pounds!

During my senior year, I was on Weight Watchers to lose some of those extra pounds for my upcoming wedding. I followed the plan exactly, and all my hard work paid off because I lost about 25 pounds. The one thing I craved the entire diet, was these BYU Mint Brownies. I made a deal with myself that if I followed my diet to a T, I would reward myself with one of these bad boys on graduation day.

So after graduation, Alex and I raced over to the Wilkinson Center (in high heals, no less) only to see that they were SOLD OUT! So I left BYU never getting my one last BYU Mint Brownie. I was bitter for a very long time . . .

Fast forward five months, and I am married, working in Chicago, and still craving them. Alex was in England, and I was lonely and could not think of any better way to cheer myself up than having one (I'm an emotional eater, if you couldn't already tell). So I began an internet search in hopes of finding a copy-cat recipe. Lo and behold, the Lord (or maybe it was Google) answered my prayers when the first hit I received was the published recipe on the BYU Alumni website!

So my friends, I am sharing it with you! They aren't exactly the same, but pretty darn close (I think my mint extract is a different flavoring than what they use) I would absolutely recommend doubling the frosting recipe for these!

Photo Credit: http://magazine.byu.edu/?a=1373&act=view&p=1702

BYU Mint Brownies

1 c. margarine
1/2 c. cocoa
2 Tbsp. honey
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts
12 oz. chocolate icing (Use your own icing recipe or purchase some chocolate frosting. You can also search the Internet for chocolate icing recipes.)

Mint Icing
5 Tbsp. margarine
dash of salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

1. Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.

2. Prepare mint icing: Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

3. Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing.

Amy's Rating: 9/10
Alex's Rating:

John's Chocolate Cake

Lately, I've been massively craving Gandolfo's chocolate cake. But alas, no Gandolfo's exsist near us. So upon describing this decadent (yet light and airy) dessert to Alex, he suggested making a cake based on a recipe he recieved from one of his college buddies (John Aedo) back in the day. Let me just say that I was extremely reluctant to try this recipe, because there are three things in life I loathe: pickles, tuna fish, and mayonaise (there must be a traumatic story involving a tuna fish sandwich buried in my psyche).

Alex had to reassure me about 20 times that I would not be able to taste the mayo in the cake. Fortunately, he was right! This cake is so yummy and moist! It totally satisfied my craving! I hope you all enjoy!

John's Chocolate Cake

1 devil's food chocolate cake mix
1 cup water
1 cup mayonnaise
3 eggs

Mix all ingredients together with an electric mixer for 2 minutes on medium setting. Bake according to directions on the cake box, being sure not to over-bake!

Chocolate Mousse Frosting

1 small package of Jell-o Chocolate Fudge Instant Pudding
1 cup milk
1 (8 oz.) tub Cool Whip

Mix pudding mix and milk with an electric mixer on medium for two minutes. Carefully fold-in cool whip, until reaching a mousse-like consistency.


Amy's Rating: 8/10
Alex's Rating: 8/10

Bonnie's Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

These have changed our lives forever! My good friend Bonnie Brown gave me one of these sinfully delicious rice krispie treats at church one Sunday (she was feeling bad for me as there is a strict "no-snacks" rule in Primary, and we have late church). I was nice enough to share a bite with Alex, and he begged me to make them as soon as we got home from church. Unfortunately, we didn't have the ingredients on hand, so I had to wait until a few days later.

My advice is to not consider the insane amount of fat/calories these have, and just enjoy them. They are really rich, so a little portion goes a long way. In fact, they lasted close to a week in our house (which is saying a lot considering my mega sweet tooth).

Photo Credit: http://castsugar.blogspot.com/2008/09/peanut-butter-chocolate-rice-krispie.html

Bonnie's Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 (10 ounce) package miniature marshmallows
8 cups crispy rice cereal
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Over medium high heat in a large heavy kettle, combine the syrup and sugar, bring to a boil and continue to boil for one minute. Reduce heat to low and stir in the margarine and peanut butter until melted. Add marshmallows and stir until well blended.
2. Pour the cereal into a large bowl, and stir in the marshmallow mixture so that the cereal is evenly coated. Grease an 13x9 inch pan and press the cereal into the pan. Flatten with the back of a buttered spoon.
3. To make the frosting, melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring frequently until smooth. Spread evenly over the bars in the pan. Let stand until the bars are cool, and topping is set. Cut into squares and serve.

Amy's Rating: 10/10
Alex's Rating: 10/10

Sweet and Spicy Meatbals

I first had these meatballs at my roommate's (Jenny Olsen Phillips) bridal shower, and I couldn't stop eating them.

Jenny and me on her wedding day

I'm not even a big fan of beef in general, but these were so yummy. I asked her mom for the recipe and was surprised how weird, yet simple they are to make. You may be a bit skeptical of the ingredients, but trust me these are delicious! Just ask Alex's old YSA Ward -- he made them for a linger longer and they went so fast, he didn't even get to sample them!

Photo Credit: www.buzzle.com

Sweet and Spicy Meatballs

1 package Frozen Meatballs (the seasoned ones work best)
2 cups Pace Picante Sauce
2 cups Grape Jelly

Mix all ingredients in a crockpot. Cook for 3-4 hours on high, or until meatballs are heated through. Enjoy!

Amy's Rating: 8/10
Alex's Rating: 8/10

Chicken Salad Croissants

My sister stopped over in Chicago on her way out to New Jersey last weekend. We had a wonderful time, and I was so sad to see her go! When they arrived late on Friday night, I asked what she wanted for dinner. I gave both her and husband, Aaron, several gourmet choices. But she decided that she wanted simple Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwiches. Luckily, I have a great recipe for that.

I got this recipe from a co-worker (Emily Berbert), while working at BYU Broadcasting back in the day. She made these for my birthday, and even though I didn't think I liked chicken salad, I decided then that I do! This is one of the only recipes I like. I never use exact measurements, but for the purpose of this blog, I have tried to quantify the recipe.

Emily's Chicken Salad Sandwiches
From the kitchen of Emily Berbert

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups cubed chicken
• 1/2 lemon
• dash of salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup halved grapes
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1/2 cup pineapple tidbits
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/3 cup coleslaw dressing*
• 1/3 cup light mayo 
• 6 croissant rolls

Directions:

Squeeze 1/2 lemon over shredded chicken (this keeps the chicken from becoming dry). Add a dash of salt and pepper. Mix in remaining ingredients, adding more or less to taste (just be sure to keep equal parts of coleslaw dressing and mayo). Serve on croissant rolls.

*Just a side note, the coleslaw dressing is usually found next to the other refrigerated dressings in your grocers produce department.