Zucchini Tots

This is a recipe that I saw on a website (and I apologize, but I didn't copy the address).  It was suggested that this is a great substitute for tater tots.  While, yes, they are crispy and shredded like tater tots, they do not taste like tater tots.  However, they are quite tasty.

Ingredients:
1 cup zucchini-grated
1 egg
1/4 cup yellow onion
1/4 cup cheese (cheddar or Parmesan work best)
1/4 cup bread crumbs (I used Italian style)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.  Grate zucchini and then place in a dish towel to squeeze out the excess liquid.  In a bowl, combine the egg, onion, cheese, bread crumbs, zucchini, and salt and pepper to taste.  Using a spoon or scoop, fill the muffin cups to the top.  Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Stupidly Simply Roast

This roast is so easy to make and is absolutely delicious.  We have had this beef by itself or served as sandwiches on hamburger buns.

Ingredients:
1 large Beef Roast of your choice.
1 stick of butter (or margarine)
1 packet of onion soup mix
1 packet of brown gravy mix
1 packet of ranch dressing or dip mix

To Make:
Place the roast in a crock pot/slow cooker.  Sprinkle the 3 mix packets over the top of the roast.  Top with 1 stick of butter.  DO NOT ADD WATER OR LIQUID.  Set the crock pot on low and cook for 3-4 hours.  This roast will fall apart and be incredibly tender and juicy.

Butterscotch Rice Crispy Treats

You get two recipes for the price of one this time.  My friend, Amber L. Johnson recently published her debut novella, Where We Fell.  (see my review of Where We Fell HERE) At one point in the story, the main girl, Hannah, brings a plate of Butterscotch Treats to Oliver.  I wanted to celebrate Amber's success by posting a recipe for these treats here.  I found one recipe on the Kellogg's site http://www.ricekrispies.com/recipes/butterscotch-treats

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
• — OR —
• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 3 tablespoons butterscotch flavor instant pudding & pie filling
• 6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal

• 

  Ignore the Chocolate Chips

  
  

DIRECTIONS

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in pudding mix.

2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.


MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:

In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Add pudding mix, stirring until smooth. Follow steps 2 and 3 above. Microwave cooking times may vary.

This version, while tasty, did not stand a chance against the recipe my mother used to make.  Hold on to your taste buds.

INGREDIENTS

6 cups Crisp Rice Cereal

2 cups butterscotch chips

1 cup peanut butter

Chocolate Topping (original recipe, I suggest doubling this to create an complete layer of chocolate over the treats.)

1 cup chocolate chips

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp water

1/2 cup powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium pot, melt the butterscotch chips and peanut butter over medium heat on the stove.

2. Once the butterscotch chips are completely melted, mix in the cereal.

3. Spread in a greased 9X13 pan

4. Allow to cool in the refrigerator for approx 30 minutes

Topping

1. Heat all ingredients over medium-high heat

2. Carefully spread the chocolate over the top of the treats

3. Allow to cool in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes, then enjoy.

My kids call this stuff "crack".  It's every bit as addictive.

Finger Lakes Grape Pie

This recipe is in response to the book The Perfect Match by Kristan Higgins.  You can see the review of THE PERFECT MATCH HERE.  This recipe comes from Kristan herself.  Check out what she had to say.

(From Kristan's Newsletter)
As part of my research for books, I like to try the local dishes when I'm visiting the area I set my stories.  For the Finger Lakes, there were two dishes that stood out for me - salt potatoes which are potatoes cooked in very salty brine (fantastic) and grape pie.  Oh man, I love grape pie!  I never had it before I went to the Finger Lakes, and now I'll never visit the area without making sure I have some.  Here's my version of the lovely Yankee dessert, which Honor makes for Tom's unofficial stepson in THE PERFECT MATCH.

Finger Lakes Grape Pie

For Filling:

5 1/2 cups Concord grapes
3/4 cups sugar, maybe a little more depending on how sweet the grapes are
1 tablespoon tapioca or 3 tablespoons cornstarch
butter


For Crust:
1 cup cold lard (I know, I know, but it makes the flakiest crust there is)
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup ice water
a pinch of breadcrumbs for sprinkling on the bottom of the pie plate before you put the crust in.


Assemble crust by cutting lard into small chunks. Mix in dry ingredients with pastry fork. Add ice water (use a tablespoon or two more if dough seems dry). Refrigerate. The colder the crust, the flakier it will be.

Preheat oven to 425.

Wash the grapes and pop the skins off by pinching them at the non-stem end. Save the skins in separate bowl. Put the peeled grapes into a saucepan, squish them lightly and bring it to a boil. Let boil for 5 minutes; put it through a colander to remove the seeds. Pour the hot pulp over the skins. (The longer you let this mixture sit, the deeper the color.) Add the sugar and tapioca, then pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust and dot with butter. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can do a lattice work top crust or cut out a pattern in the crust so the gorgeous color will show.

Bake at 425° for 20 minutes.Lower the temperature to 320 degrees and cook 40 minutes more until the crust is browned and the juice begins to bubble up. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream (you know I was going to say that, didn’t you?). Enjoy!

Apple Pie Cocktail

This recipe is in response to the book Antigoddess by Kendare Blake.  Check out Nikki's review of Antigoddess HERE.

Antigoddess takes place mostly in upstate New York in the fall.  The leaves have already fallen from the trees and its starting to flurry snow just a bit some evenings.  What's more comforting on a cold evening than a warm Apple Pie?  Save yourself all the mess of baking and make an Apple Pie Cocktail instead.  With a nod to what started the whole Trojan War (the Apple of Discord) thrown in gor good humor.  I suggest making this redipe and keeping it warm in your crockpot.  Serve them in mason jars and toast "kallisti" or "To the fairest!"  Invite the girls over and tak books, men and life.  The entire house will smell amazing too.  Cheers!

This recipe is originally posted on Allrecipes

Ingredients:

1 gallon apple juice

1 gallon apple cider

3 cups white sugar

8 cinnamon sticks

1 (750 milliliter) bottle 190 proof grain alcohol

Directions:

1. In a large pot, combine apple joice, apple cider, sugar and cinnamon sticks.  Bring to a boil, the remove from heat and let cool completely. 

2.When juice mixture is cool, stir in the grain alcohol.

 About Nikki:

Nikki spends half her time at the gym and the other half of her time wondering why she is single, which gets old really fast so she reads instead.  She loves cats, shopping, cartoons, good music and great friends.  She loves to read dystopian, paranormal, steampunk, horror, erotica and even a bit of sci-fi.  She is an avad Manchester United fan and a total dork.

Eggs in a Frame

This post is a direct result of Stephanie's review of the book,

The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.

Eggs in a Frame

Ingredients:

1 egg
1 slice of bread
butter
salt and pepper

Directions:

Take a  glass or cookie cutter and cut a hole in the middle of the bread.  Butter both sides of the bread.  Put the bread into a skillet then crack the egg into the hole.  Fry the egg to your personal level of done-ness turning over to cook on both sides.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies

The boys were asking to make cookies this week.  We have a couple of cake mixes in the cabinet so I decided to just use one of those to make the cookies.

Ingredients:

(original recipe)

1 (18.25 ounce) package cake mix (we used Golden Vanilla)

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 Eggs

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (we just added them until we thought it looked like enough)

(We followed some online comments and added)
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 

2.  In a medium bowl, stir together all of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips.  Stir until smooth and well blended.  Add in the chocolate chips

3.  Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.

4.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

These cookies were gone within 24 hours.