Samantha's Perfect Fudgy Brownies

Ingredients:

 4 oz Unsweetened Chocolate

1 c unsalted butter

4 large eggs, beaten

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla

1 c cake flour

2 c sugar

2 c coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350

2) Melt chocolate and butter together in a large sauce pan over low heat. When completely melted, remove from heat, add the rest of the ingredients except the pecans and stir until well-blended. Then mix in pecans (if using).

3)Bake in a buttered 9x13 for 20 minutes. Cool completely, dust with powdered sugar, and cut into squares. 

**There are two important tricks to this recipe: Use cake flour! If you don't have cake flour on hand, take 1 c all purpose flour and remove 2 tbsp of the flour and add in 2 tbsp corn starch. Sift together twice and use in brownies. Secondly, it is very important you don't over bake! Enjoy :-)

Lillie Cinnamon Rolls

For the Rolls

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 2 eggs
• 6 cups flour

For the Filling

• 1/2 cup +2 tbs softened butter
• 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/4 tablespoon ground cinnamon

For the Glaze

• 2 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tbs melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2-3 tbs fat free milk
• 2 oz cream cheese or greek yogurt cream cheese works great!

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• Microwave milk for 2-3 minutes until it’s bubbling.  Pour the milk into the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
• Add the butter, sugar and salt. Mix on low speed until the butter is melted. Let the mixture cool until warm but not hot. Add the yeast and eggs and mix until combined.
• Gradually add about half of the flour. Switch to dough hook attachment and add the rest until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Knead for 2-3 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a large bowl sprayed with nonstick spray. I like to spray a fine mist on the top of the dough too so I can cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled, about one hour.
• Roll the dough into a large rectangle, (horizontal in relation to your body) about 18×12 inches. Spread softened butter over the dough.
• Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the dough. Pat it in slightly with the palms of your hands.
• Starting with a long end, roll up the dough as tightly as possible, pinching the seam lightly to seal.
• Using a serrated knife, cut a shallow slit in the roll at the half point, then cut a slit in the center of each half so you’ve got 4 equal portions, and cut slits for 3 cinnamon rolls in each of those portions … until you’ve got 12 cinnamon rolls.  I like to do shallow slits to make sure they’re even before I cut all the way through.  Cut with a gentle sawing motion.
• Place the rolls evenly spaced on a large, parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Cover and let rise until double.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 24-26 minutes until light golden brown.
• For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, milk, and cream cheese until smooth.  Drizzle over warm rolls.  It almost seems like it won’t be enough but it’s perfect!

Grandma Ducks' Strawberry Jello

1 six oz Jello 2 cups boiling water 

2 10 oz packs of frozen strawberries 

1 13 oz can crushed pinapples, drained well 

1 cup of sour cream 

Dissolve jello, add strawberrberries. Stir until thawed. Add pinapple. Pour half of jello mixture into an 8x8 inch dish. Refridgerate for 2 hours. Spread half the sour cream on refridgerated jello. Pour the rest of the jello on top. Set up in fridge for 2 hours. Add the rest of the sour cream on top and serve.

Easy Quiche a la Ambyr

Preheat oven to 350 degees 

 

1 premade pie crust 

4 eggs 

3/4 cup half and half 

3 cups shredded cheese-whatever combo you like or have on hand

Any meat or veggie you like. My family loves just bacon or sausage. I personally love onion and/or spinach and cut cherry tomatoes. When I do this I add feta. I also like brocolli! 

Salt Pepper 

Roll out crust into a pie dish. Spread 1 cup of cheese on the bottom. Add meat and/or veggies. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the meat and/or veggies. Whisk eggs and half and half with salt and pepper and pour over the filling. Bake for 60-75 minutes or to your desired doneness. Cool for 20 minutes and enjoy!

Beef stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2008

544 Reviews

Total Time: 0 hours 45 minutes

Prep:

Cook:

0 hours 5 minutes

0 hours 40 minutes

Yield:

4 servings

Level:

Easy

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds cubed round steak, cut into thin strips
• House Seasoning, recipe follows
• All-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can beef broth
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 cup sour cream
• Cooked egg noodles

• House Seasoning:
• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Directions

Sprinkle the steak strips with House Seasoning to light cover them, and then dust with flour. In a large skillet, quickly brown them on both sides in the olive oil and butter. Remove the steak from the pan. Add the onion slices and mushrooms to the pan drippings. Saute for a few minutes, until the onion is tender. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flour. Put the steak back into the pan with the onion and mushrooms. Add the mushroom soup and beef broth. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, covered. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in the sour cream the last few minutes, right before you serve. Serve over cooked noodles.

The NEW Chicken Broccoli Casserole. (our 100th post!)

I have been craving chicken broccoli casserole for months, but I just can't bring myself to make dinner with a can of soup mixed with mayonnaise :-/

Desperate times called for desperate measures and I created my own sauce in place of the Campbell's classic and made my own no-bake chicken casserole (as we call it, Ambyr Casserole).

4 Chicken breasts (cooked on the stove top, I usually cook in coconut oil.  It adds a nice flavor, too)
1-2 Heads of broccoli (depending on how much you like) steamed.
2 c. Rice (cooked)
1 c. Extra sharp white cheddar (sub with whatever, this is just my fave)

Hannah's Secret Sauce:

3 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
2 c. chicken broth
1 container greek-style yogurt

Melt butter in sauce pan on medium/high. Add flour and mix with a whisk for 2 minutes. Slowly add chicken broth (I pour it so that is slides down the side of the sauce pan and heats a little before hitting the flour/butter mixture).  While combining chicken broth, stir quickly.  Keep stirring until sauce thickens (it is like magic. I love this part). Once sauce is to desired consistency, take off heat, let sit for a minute, and then whisk in greek yogurt.  Voila!

Layer: Rice, cheese, sauce (while still hot, it will melt the cheese), chicken, and broccoli on top. Season with salt and pepper.  Pictures to come :-)

My go-to banana bread

After playing with many banana bread recipes, I found one that I kind of liked and changed it up a bit...

Mini Chip Banana Bread Recipe

• 1¾ c. + 2 Tbsp. unsifted flour
• 1½ c. granulated sugar
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 1 – 1 ½ c. mini chocolate chips
• 1 c. mashed overripe bananas
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 c. greek yogurt-- less 1 tsp
• 1 tsp. water (to mix with greek yogurt)
• ½ c. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. pure almond extract

Preheat over to 350.

Grease and flour three mini loaf pans (or I do 1 mini and 1 large)

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into large bowl. Stir in mini chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl, combine mashed bananas, eggs, yogurt/water mixture, coconut oil vanilla, and almond extract. Pour liquid ingredients into flour ingredients and stir until combined.

Divide batter among loaf pans and bake for 33-35 minutes for small, or appx 55 for large, or until deeply golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

(Aunt Gwen)

Soak and Cool: 2 c. Bran flakes and 2 cups boiling water

Cream in separate bowl: 1 c. shortening and 3 cups sugar

Add: ​4 eggs

​1 quart buttermilk

​soaked bran flakes

Sift and add to above mixture:​5 cups flour

​5 teaspoons soda

​1 teaspoon Salt

​4 cups All Bran

Mix until moist.  Bake at 400° for 20 min.  Keeps for 6-7 weeks in fridge.

Peach cobbler dump cake
Sooo easy and so good. A fun summer treat with some ice cream!

• 2 (16 ounce) cans peaches in heavy syrup
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. Empty peaches into the bottom of one 9x13 inch pan. Cover with the dry cake mix and press down firmly. Cut butter into small pieces and place on top of cake mix. Sprinkle top with cinnamon.
  3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 45 minutes.
  Use cold butter and a grater to distribute butter evenly.

Yummy egg rolls

Egg rolls

Afton Twitchell

½ lb shrimp, chicken or crab or sausage (I use sausage meat)

½ head cabbage

1 green onions ( I use any onion equivalent)

½ lb bean sprouts (if canned drain them)

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 tsp salt (be careful soy and MSG are also salty if you use it)

½ teas sugar

½ teas soy sauce ( I use more and less salt)

½ tsp pepper

1pkg egg roll skins or wontong skins

Saute in small amount of oil, chopped Meat(no oil needed for sausage).  Remove from pan.  Leave a little grease in bottom of pan and sauté veggies and seasonings only til slightly wilted.  Rol about ¼ to 1/3 cup in egg roll skins .  Dip finger in water and run along edge of rolls to seal the skins.  When you roll you fold in the ends and roll.    Deep fry at 275 till broWn Makes 15 -20.

AMAZING Baked French Toast

Ingredients

1 cup of brown sugar

¾ cup butter or margarine

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

10-12 slices French bread

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 ½ cups half and half

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ cup butter or margarine melted

You can add chopped walnuts on the bottom of the pan.  It would also be good with like dried cranberries or fresh blueberries on the bottom of the pan.

Directions

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat stirring constantly for 5 minutes or until mixture is bubbly.  Pour syrup mixture evenly into a lightly greased 13x9x2 in baking dish.  Arrange bread slices over syrup.  Combine eggs and next 3 ingredients; stir well.  Gradually pour mixture over bread slices.  Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon; stir well.  Sprinkle evenly over soaked bread.  Drizzle ¼ cup melted butter over bread.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 45 to 50 (mine took almost 1 ½ hours, otherwise the bread was kinda soggy) minutes or until golden and bubbly

Chicken Tikka Masala (ala Pioneer Woman)

: Pastor Ryan’s Chicken Tikka Masala

Prep Time: 30 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 1 Hour  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 6

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Ingredients

• 3 whole (to 4) Chicken Breasts
• Kosher Salt
• Ground Coriander
• Cumin, To Taste
• 1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Large Onion
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1 piece (approximately 2 Inches) Chunk Fresh Ginger
• Garam Masala
• 1 can (28 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes
• Sugar
• 1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 cups Basmati Rice
• _____
• OPTIONAL:
• Fresh Cilantro
• Chili Peppers
• Turmeric
• Frozen Peas

Preparation Instructions

Start by seasoning the chicken breasts with some kosher salt. Next sprinkle them on both sides with some coriander and cumin. Then coat the chicken breasts completely with the plain yogurt. Set the chicken on a metal cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet and place it about 10-12 inches below a broiler for 5-7 minutes per side. Watch carefully so as not to totally char the chicken. It should have slightly blackened edges. Remove from oven.

Next dice one large onion. In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions and sauté until they are slightly browned. As the onions cook, mince your garlic. Next, cut off the outer skin and mince or grate a 1 by 2 inch chunk of fresh ginger. Add the garlic and ginger to the onions. Also throw in about 1 tablespoon of salt.

Next you are going to add about 3 tablespoons Garam Masala spice. And if you like it hot, this is also when you will add your hot chili peppers. Serranos work well. Now you are going to add your can of diced tomatoes. Continue cooking and stirring, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Add about 1 tablespoon sugar. Let this mixture simmer on medium for about 5 minutes.

To a rice cooker add 2 cups Basmati rice, 4 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon Ground Turmeric and 4 cups water. Cover, turn on your rice cooker and walk away. If you do not have a rice cooker, cook your rice as usual but make sure that you use Basmati rice.

After the Tikka Masala sauce has had a chance to simmer for a little bit, add in the 1 ½ cups of heavy cream. Now, chop up your chicken breasts into chunks and stir them into the Tikka Masala sauce. A handful of chopped fresh cilantro is a nice addition if you like cilantro. You can also throw some frozen peas into the cooked rice, give them a stir, and allow the heat of the rice to cook the peas. It tastes great and gives another nice dash of color. Serve the rice with the Chicken Tikka Masala over top. Make sure to have some Nann bread handy, too.