Salsa

This recipe is a combination of different recipes and is really up to taste and what they have at the grocery store. I love all salsa, but the best salsa always comes from Donna(Mother in-law). I have tried making hers a thousand times and I can't get it to ever taste like hers. But I do have to say that I love to make it and the smell is heavenly.

Salsa Ingredients:

6-10 Fresh Tomato's

1 Large can or jar of Stewed Tomato's

1 of Bushel Green Onions

1-2 Bushel of Cilantro

1 Large chopped(small) White Onion

1 Lime

3-4 Garlic Cloves

1/2-1 Jalapeno

2 Yellow Hot or Anaheim Peppers

Chop onion, green onion, and cilantro small. Put jar of stewed tomatoes in blender with half of cilantro and garlic cloves.( sometimes you have to put half of the jar of tomatoes in blender). Blend 2-4 times for just just a second for each pulse. Pour tomato's into bowl. Roast hot peppers in oven on low broil, flipping until blackened all around. Pull them out and immediately put into zip lock bag to steam. Then while waiting for peppers, chop fresh tomato's small and add to bowl. Chop jalapeno small and add to your desired hotness. Squeeze 1/2- 1 lime into mixture. Pull peppers from bag and peel the skin off, chop the top of pepper with the steam off, and chop pepper small(pull the seeds out first if you don't like heat, or half of seeds for medium heat. Taste the pepper if you want to see how hot it is, some are way hotter than others.) Add the rest of ingredients.

Then salt, garlic salt, and pepper to taste.

Soft Caramels

2 cups sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup butter (not margarine)
1 cup milk
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

Butter a 13x9-inch pan; set aside. Combine all ingredients except vanilla in heavy 4-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and mixture comes to a boil (14 to 20 minutes). Continue cooking until candy thermometer reaches 244*F or small amount of mixture dropped into ice water forms a firm ball (about 25 to 30 minutes).

Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour into prepared pan. Cool completely. Cut into 1 ½ x 1 inch pieces; wrap candies in waxed paper. Store refrigerated.

Shredded Beef Sandwiches

You can make shredded beef by cooking a beef roast overnight in a slow cooker or Crockpot.

Ingredients
No-Stick Cooking Spray
2 pounds chuck roast, cut into large chunks
1 can (15.5 oz each) Manwich Original Sloppy Joe Sauce
6 dinner rolls, cut in half

Directions
Spray insert of 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
Combine beef and sauce in slow cooker. Cook on HIGH 4 hours.
Shred beef with back of spoon, if needed. Turn heat down to WARM to serve.
Serve on dinner rolls.

Linda’s Homemade Bread

6 c. hot water
6 c. better for bread flour
2/3 C. Sugar
2 T. yeast
Mix together and let rest until bubbly (8 minutes or so).....

Add:
2 T. Dough Enhancer (You may have to look at a Health Food Store for this I haven’t seen it at Wal-Mart)
2 T. Wheat Gluten (Wal-Mart carries this)
5-6 cups flour
2/3 C. Oil
1 T. Salt

Knead 8 min, (I use a bread mixer). Let raise 20 minutes. Shape into loaves.
Let rise in pan 20 min or so.
Bake 350*F for 30 minutes
Makes 4 2-lb. loaves

Low-Fat Pumpkin Muffins with Crunchy Topping

¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup rolled oats
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ cup canned pumpkin
1 large egg, slightly beaten
½ cup skim milk
2 tablespoons reduced-fat margarine, melted

Crunchy Topping
2 tablespoons rolled oats
½ tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons grated orange zest
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400*F. Line 6 regular muffin tins with paper baking cups or lightly coat the bottoms only with vegetable cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, egg, milk and margarine. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the pumpkin mixture; mix just enough until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling almost full.
Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly over the top of each with only a few moist crumbs attached. Cool the muffins in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing. Serve warm.

Baking Powder Biscuits

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoon baking power
½ cup shortening or butter
¾ cup milk

Preheat oven to 435 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add softened shortening or butter and use a fork or pastry blender to cut in to resemble course meal. Add milk; stir until blended. Transfer dough to lightly floured surface. Knead gently about 8 to 10 times. Roll dough ½ inch thick. Cut into biscuits with a biscuit cutter or use a drinking glass that is floured so the dough comes away from the glass easier. Bake on ungreased baking sheet for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 12 to 16 biscuits.

Tortillas

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon lard or shortening
About 1 cup water, more or less

Add water as needed to make thick dough, not sticky. Mix and roll out into circle. Fry in small amount of oil.

Granola Cereal

1 cup honey
½ cup oil
¼ cup butter
½ cup water
2 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt

Mix well and stir over low heat until honey is melted

Add ½ of mixture to 10 cups of oats.

Stir until all of the oats are moistened. Put on 3 cookie sheets and place in 200* oven for 1 ½ hours. Stir every 20 minutes. Remove from oven and add remaining liquid. Mix thoroughly. Return to 225* oven for 1 hour or until dry and slightly toasted. Put in large bowl and add 1 cup wheat germ.

You can add any or all of the following:
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup coconut
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup dried and crushed bananas
1 cup dried and crushed apples
1 cup raisins

Corn Meal Waffles

1 ¾ cup flour
1 ½ cup corn meal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 cup milk
2 eggs
3 tablespoon oil

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour onto waffle iron and cook until done.

Great served with chili.