Rice Chex Cookies

1 1/2 cup corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
12 cups Rice Chex Cereal (1 box)
8-10 oz can of cashews

Mix cashews and cereal together in large bowl.

Combine syrup, peanut butter, butter and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil for one minute. Pour over cereal and nuts. Spoon into a large butter cookie sheet. Let cool.

Butterscotch Haystacks

2 Bags Butterscotch chips
2 cups peanuts
1 bag Chow Mein Noodles


In a large bowl, mix the noodles and peanuts.

Melt chips in a double boiler on the stove OR in the microwave - 15 seconds at a time.
Add to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Drop by teaspoon onto wax paper to cool.

Graham Cracker Delights

1 cube butter
1 cube margarine
1/2 cup sugar
3-4 ounces sliced almonds
Graham Crackers

Fill a cookie sheet with a single layer of Graham crackers. Sprinkle almonds over crackers.
Combine butter, margarine and sugar in a saucepan. Cook and stir until it boils. Boil and stir for 2 minutes. Drizzle over crackers evenly.

Bake for 11 minutes at 300.
Remove from oven. Let cool for a minute. Remove (a metal spatula is best) and place on wax paper to cool completely.

Michael Jackson Cookies (aka Oatmeal/Chocolate Chip Cookies)

2 cups Margarine (or 1 1/3 - 1 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil)
4 Eggs
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Vanilla

Mix together, then add:
2 bags Chocolate Chips (1 bag Milk Chocolate and 1 bag White Chocolate Chips)
3 Cups Flour
4 cups Oatmeal

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes

Makes about 8 dozen

Must do the "Thriller" dance while eating said Michael Jackson cookies!

The BEST Peanut Brittle Recipe

1/2 cube margarine (NOT butter)
1 cup raw Spanish peanuts
1/2 cup white Karo syrup
1 cup sugar
Dash of Salt
1/4 cup water

To add later:
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Allow to cook to hard crack stage (300 degrees). Take from heat and add soda and vanilla. Stir well, then pour onto greased cookie sheet and cool. Break into pieces. Run paper towel over pieces to dab off excess grease.

You can double this recipe and be fine - I have even tripled it and been okay - just make sure you grease more cookie sheets. Getting this to 300 degrees takes a LONG time. It took over 45 minutes for a triple batch. Have someone help stir or distract yourself with a movie.

Sweet Potato Muffins

Sweet Potato Muffins
Serves 12

1 C mashed sweet potato
2 large eggs
2/3 C milk
1/4 C honey
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
12 pecan halves (optional)

In a large bowl beat together the sweet potatoes, eggs, milk, honey and butter until its creamy.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
Add dry ingredients to sweet potato mixture. Just mix until combined.
Fill 12 well-greased muffin cups 2/3 full.
Put pecan half on top of each muffin.
Bake at 400 degrees to 20 minutes.

Cinnamon Butter Recipe
1/2 C butter, softened
1 C honey
1 tsp cinnamon

Turkey Rolls

A nice twist to our traditional chicken roll-ups!

Turkey Rolls

1 1/2 C diced turkey
1/4 tsp onion salt
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 C sliced olives
1/4 C dried cranberries
8 oz cream cheese
2 can crescent rolls

In a medium sauce pan melt butter on low heat and add turkey, olives and cranberries and warm. Add cream cheese, stir and cover to soften.

Open and lay crescent rolls out. Flatten so there are no seams. Cut them into 8 squares. Put heaping spoonfuls of mixture into the center and grab each corner and pinch closed.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown at 350 degrees.

Cranberry Bread

1 white cake mix
1 small package of instant vanilla pudding
1/2 can of whole berries, cranberry sauce
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
1 C HOT water
6 pieces cubed pineapple (optional)

Mix, don't beat all ingredients. Oil 2 loaf pans and then sugar them. Pour batter into pans and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on a rack.

Fluffy Potato Casserole

I cannot wait to try this one! How often do we have left over mashed potatoes?!

Fluffy Potato Casserole

4 C mashed potatoes
1 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbps flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2-1 can (6 oz) French fried onions

Preheat oven to 300 and grease 1 1/2 quart casserole dish

Combine all ingredients (except fried onions) in a large bowl and mix with a mixer. Beat 2-3 minutes at medium speed. Pour into pan and spread fried onions evenly over the top.

Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Pumpkin Dump Cake

1 29 oz can of pumpkin
Ingredients for making pumpkin pie filling according to the directions on the can
1 box of spice cake mix
1/2 C coarsely chopped pecans (optional)
1/2 C melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan.

In a large bowl, mix up the pie filling according to the can. Pour into pan.

Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the mix.

Sprinkle the pecans and drizzle melted butter over all.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool. Enjoy with cool whip!

Leftover Turkey Casserole

Leftover Turkey Casserole

1 (6 oz) box of stuffing
1/2 C melted margarine
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
2-3 C cooked, diced turkey
3 cans Cream of Chicken soup
1 1/2 C milk
2 Tbsp. dehydrated onion
2 C frozen peas
4 oz diced pimiento

In medium sized bowl mix together stuffing, butter and poultry seasoning. Put half of this into a greased 9x13 pan (not glass, if possible) set aside the rest.

Put turkey in the pan on top of stuffing.

In a large bowl combine cream of chicken soup, milk, onions, peas and pimiento.

Pour over the turkey.

Cover with remaining stuffing mix. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, until heated through.

Peanut Butter Bars

For the peanut in all of us!

3/4 C Butter
3/4 Sugar
3/4 C Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 TBSP Vanilla
1 1/2 C Flour
3/4 C Crunchy Peanut Butter
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 Quick Rolled Oats

Topping:
1/2 to 3/4 C Creamy Peanut Butter
1 Can Chocolate Frosting

Mix all together and smash into a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.

Cool completely
Then spread 1 can of chocolate frosting, cut into 1 inch squares. ENJOY!

Baked Potato Soup

Soup seems to be the hot item these days. So to mix it up here's a new one for your family to taste and enjoy!

12 slices of bacon
2/3 C butter
2/3 C flour
7 C milk
4 Large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 green onions, chopped (4? Gag...maybe 1)
1 1/4 C shredded cheese (Hello, add more! Never to much cheese!)
1 C sour cream
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

Cook bacon until crisp, crumble and set aside.

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly until thickened.

Stir in potatoes and onions. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix in bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the cheese is melted.

Optional: Don't add all the bacon. In each serving add to the top for garnish and a little more crunch.

Mom's Strawberry Jam

Jam it up with this yummy recipe for all your foods that require....JAM!

3 1/4 C Pureed Strawberries (about 2 lbs)
1/2 C Lemon Juice
1 Box Pectin
1 C Light Karo Syrup
4 1/2 C Sugar

In a large pot add pureed strawberries and lemon juice. Sprinkle in the pectin, stirring it in a little at a time. Let sit for 30 minutes, but stirring it every 5 minutes.

Add some low heat and the Karo syrup. Slowly add the sugar. Test the temperature with your pinkie to ensure that it doesn't get hot, just warm. Once all the sugar is added and the temp. is right remove from heat and add to your jam jars. I found plastic ones, that can even be frozen, where you buy the pectin and other canning jars. I love them!

Good for 1 year in the freezer and 3 weeks in the fridge (if it even lasts that long!)

Enjoy!

Christmas Morning Casserole!

As in fine Mormon casserole tradition....

We use this one while we open presents on Christmas morning. Then we got smart and started making it more often throughout the year. Excellent for Conference Sunday!

1 package roll breakfast sausage, cooked and chopped
OR

1 package 16 oz bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 package frozen shredded potatoes (not hash browns) (Or 4-5 medium potatoes grated raw)
2 cups grated cheese (Or more. I like cheese.)

4-5 eggs
2 1/4 cup milk
3/4 tsp dry mustard (optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste

1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk

Layer potatoes and cheese in 9 x13 pan. (Or just toss it all together - it's more fun.) Top with more cheese. Sprinkle sausage/bacon (or if you've got picky eaters - half and half it) over potatoes.

Mix together eggs, 2 1/4 cup milk and dry mustard. (If you don't have dry mustard, don't sweat it. It's still good.) Pour over potatoes.

Refrigerate overnight.

NOW - if by chance you decide to have this same day, it will still work. I just think it tastes a little bit better soaking overnight.

Next day, mix soup with the 1/2 cup milk and spread over the top. Bake 1 1/2 hours at 300 or if you're anxious, about 1 hour at 350. You can tell that it's done when it's not so liquidy on top. (Such precision)
Remove from oven and let it set up.

Butternut Squash Soup

This is the perfect Fall soup. It's creamy and tastes like nothing you've had before, or what you'd expect. Yummy!

Butternut Squash Soup

1 3-pound butternut squash

3 T. olive oil

3 tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 T. butter

1 large yellow onion

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 T. chopped fresh sage leaves

32 oz. chicken broth

Heat oven to 400°. Peel and seed the squash. Cut into 1 inch cubes and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 T. of the olive oil, 2 tsp. of the salt and the pepper. Toss to coat. Spread in a single layer and roast for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn and roast until soft, about 15 minutes more.

Meanwhile, heat the butter and remaining oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and sage and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the broth, 2 cups of water, remaining salt, and the squash and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool for 10 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup or work in batches in your stand blender.

TO FREEZE:

Let cool and ladle into resealable freezer bags. Place bags in plastic container and freeze. Store for up to 3 months.

TO REHEAT:

Thaw overnight in the fridge or partially in the microwave. Warm in covered saucepan over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

Yummy Warmness for a Cold Day

(Stole the pic from another blog)

Lion House Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

2 tsp. chicken soup base, or 2 bouillon cubes
3 cups canned chicken stock (broth)
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 cans (10 1/2 oz. each) cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup evaporated milk or 1/2 cup whole milk
Roux (equal amounts of flour and butter used to thicken). I rarely need this.
2 cups cooked diced chicken (sometimes I use a can of chicken)
2 1/2 oz. (about 4 cups) cooked noodles

Heat chicken soup base (or bouillon cubes) and stock together. Add carrots, celery, and onion, and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add cream of chicken soup and milk. Thicken with roux as desired, then add cooked chicken and noodles. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 10 one cup servings.

Easy & Tasty Chocolate Truffles

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• Coatings: 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, powdered sugar, coconut flakes, or finely chopped walnuts, peanuts or pecans.

DIRECTIONS:

1. In work bowl of food processor or, medium, heatproof bowl, place chocolate.

2. In small saucepan over medium heat, combine cream and vanilla. Heat stirring, until it just starts to boil.

3. Remove saucepan from heat and immediately pour over chocolate in work bowl. Process for 15 to 20 seconds or stir together until chocolate has completely melted and is smooth.

4. Pour into 13×9 inch baking dish and refrigerate until mixture is set, about 18 minutes. ( I left it in longer because I got busy working on other things. I pulled it out and let it sit for a bit and then continued.)

5. Put desired coatings into individual bowls. ( I put them in bags so I could shake them and have less dishes to do. ) Using melon baller (this makes it easier to have them come out as the same size) or two teaspoons, scoop chocolate mixture into approximately 1-inch balls and toss in cocoa powder or other coating. (It was a little difficult to get it out of the scoop so I had to roll them back into shape in my palms.) Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

NOTES:

*Triple the batch so you can try more coatings and who’s going to use whipping cream again before it goes bad? With a larger batch you may have to put the chocolate back in the frig before you get them all made because it gets too soft after a while.

Eclair Cake

Eclair Cake

1 box graham crackers (3 little packages)
2 boxes instant French vanilla pudding (1 large box, 1 small box)
4 3/4 C. milk
8 oz. Cool Whip

Beat pudding with milk for 3 minutes. Add Cool Whip. Blend well. Line 9x13 inch cake pan with 1 layer of graham crackers. (You can leave most whole, but can break some to fit.) Cover with half of the pudding mixture. Place another layer of graham crackers on top of pudding. Cover with remaining pudding mixture. Place 1 more layer of graham crackers.

Top with the following - Topping:
1 sq. unsweetened chocolate
2 Tbsp. melted butter1
1/2 C. sifted powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. milk
2 Tbsp. light Karo syrup
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt chocolate with butter. Add remaining ingredients. Beat until smooth. Spread on top of last layer of graham crackers. Best if left in refrigerator overnight.

First Recipe!

Mom's Famous Chuck Roast:

1 rump roast
dashes of onion salt
dashes of salt
dashes of pepper

Place frozen roast in slow cooker overnight.
When you arrive home from Church, remove roast from slow cooker and chuck the roast across the counter. Make sure it doesn't hit the ground.

Place back into slow cooker until ready to serve.

Delish!

The Skousen Cookbook

Welcome to our family's cookbook blog. Here you can submit your favorite recipes that you want to share with the rest of us. We'd like to thank, Annie, our mother, for inspiring the name for the blog. It gives us great laughs, especially when you picture her saying it with the carpool bandanna, moon boots and mu-mu on. We love her despite her gay ways. Happy cooking in your kitchens with the best recipes on earth! Love- It's a chuck roast you stupid ox!