Elise's Homemade Vanilla Granola

I am  heading to Rockville this week with my girls and the only request I had was to take granola.   love  granola and  found this recipe on my Kathy G's blog and it is our favorite.

8 c. oats
2 c. sliced almonds
1 c. wheat germ
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
craisins or raisins, to taste (optional)
3/4 c. canola oil
1 c. honey
3 Tbsp. vanilla (use the real stuff if you have it-- it tastes much better)

Preheat oven to 300-degrees. Combine first 8 ingredients (dry ingredients) in a large bowl. In a saucepan combine oil, honey, and vanilla and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute then pour over oat mixture. Mix until all ingredients are moistened. Divide and spread mixture over 2 large cookie sheets and bake at 300-degrees for 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and leave on pans until the granola hardens (it may be a little chewy and that's ok.. if you prefer it not to be chewy at all, allow to dry completely). Break up granola and store in large Ziploc bags or containers. Serve plain, with yogurt, or with milk.

Rhodes Lemon or Orange Pull-aparts

Being Relief Society president, I am always looking for ways to make quick and easy yet not too sweet things to take people.  These are great...I  have tried both flavors, both my favorite!


20 Rhodes dinner rolls, thawed

2 lemons or 1 orange peel, grated

¼ c. butter, melted

½ c. sugar

Citrus Glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon or orange juice

Thaw rolls until soft (about 2 hours at room temperature). Grate lemon or orange peel and
mix with sugar. Cut thawed rolls in half and place in 9 X 13 inch pan that has been sprayed
with nonstick cooking spray. Melt ¼ cup butter and pour over rolls. Sprinkle with rind/sugar
mixture, reserving ½ of the mixture to sprinkle just before baking. Cover with plastic wrap that
has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Let rise until double in size. Remove wrap and
sprinkle on remaining rind/sugar mixture. Bake at 350 F. for 20 to 25 minutes.
I used two round pans and they cooked more even....then you can give away one and keep one!

To make citrus glaze, combine powdered sugar, citrus juice, and melted butter and mix until
thin. Glaze rolls while still warm.

Tortilla Soup

This was on my friend, Halli's blog...now it is our favorite too!!
I made home made broth and boiled a 1/2 cup of brown rice in 4-5 cups till cooked then added 1 can diced tomatos and 4oz fresh green chilis, beans and chicken it was great!

Jackie James's Tortilla Soup

1 family-sized (or 3 small) can of chicken and rice soup
1 can diced tomatoes and green chile's (11.5 ounce)
1 can Ranch Style beans (15 ounce) - black label
1-2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
3 cups chicken broth

Cook over medium heat. Spoon into bowls and add tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream (we use plain Greek yogurt instead), avocados, and cilantro. Serves 4-6.

No Knead Bread

Lisa Billings in our ward taught us how to make this bread, it is super easy and always turns out great. You have to have a dutch oven or a pan or pot with a lid that can go in the oven.

in a large bowl add:
1 1/2 c water, warm
sprinkle with 1/4 t yeast
Dump on top:
3 cups flour, any kind, can use 1/2 ww
1 1/2 t salt
Then mix together with a wooden spoon just till a dough is formed, should be sticky
Leave in bowl and cover with saran wrap and let sit on counter for 12-24 hours
(dough will triple in size)

When ready to bake, preheat oven with dutch oven in it to 425( light color) 450 (darker)
remove dough from the bowl onto well floured surface and fold over a few times and form into ball. Remove pot from oven, plop dough in hot pot cover with lid.
Bake for 30 minutes, remove lid and continue to Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from pan and cool on counter.

Baked Ziti

super easy-my kids loved it....

1 jar (26 oz) pasta sauce
2 cups water
1 cup ricotta cheese or cottage cheese( reg or low fat) I liked cottage cheese better
2T Parmesan cheese
1/2 c grated mozzarella cheese
12 ounce uncooked ziti

Preheat oven to 400. Combine pasta sauce and water in a large bowl. Stir in Ricotta and Parmesan cheese , then the uncooked ziti.
Evenly spoon in to a 13x9 pan cover tightly iwth foil and bake 50-55 minutes
Remove foil and sprinkle with mozzerella cheese
Bake uncovered an additional 5 minutes

Cafe Rio Recipes

Sweet barbacoa pork
We smoke  a pork butt, at end if needs to cook more, wrap in foil and add 1/2 can coke and bake at 300 till reaches 180 degrees and shred then we add sauce and heat through before serving.
actual recipe is:
Marinade Pork butt in 1 can coke, not diet and 1/2 c brown sugar in ziploc overnight then
Cook in crock pot, drain marinade add 1/2 can coke and 1/2 t garlic salt and cook on high for 34 hours and shred then add sauce and return to crock pot and heat through on low .
Add sauce:
14 oz enchilada sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 can green chilis
1/2 t garlic salt
1/2 can coke, optional

Lime Cilantro Rice
2 cup rice, long grain
4 cup water
2T butter or oil
2t minced garlic
4 t chicken bullion or cubes
1T lime juice

Add to rice cooker and cook
Mix together and fluff into cooked rice while hot
1/2 c cilantro chopped finely
1 T lime juice
1T sugar

Creamy tomatillo Dressing
1 pck hidden valley ranch dressing mix
1 cup mayonaise
1 cup  milk, i use butter milk
2-3 tomatillos, remove husks  cut in 1/2
1 bunch cliantro, cut off stems
1 generous tsp garlic, minced
juice of 1 lime, can use 2
1 jalapeno, seeded
throw it all into blender and blend, refridgerate.

Chuy's jalepeno dip
1 1/3 c mayonnaise
1/3 c buttermilk
1/3 c jalapeno
1/3 c chilis, green diced
1/3 c cilantro leaves
1 1 oz ranch dressing mix
 mix in blender or processor till smooth and serve.




Cafe Rio Flour tortillas

• 3 c. flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 c. shortening
• 3/4 c. very hot water

• 1
  In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together. Cut in the shortening with your fingers or pastry cutter until the flour is crumbly. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together. Place on a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in bowl, cover with a slightly damp dishtowel and let sit for an hour. Divide the dough into 5-6 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball (if you are making soft taco sized tortillas, divide it into 10-12 pieces).
• 2
  Preheat a large skillet or pan to medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla (if you want it perfectly round, get a large round plate or serving platter, flip it upside down over the dough and cut out the circle). Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly, golden, and no appearance of doughy-ness, about 1 minute (DON’T OVERCOOK.. remember these are supposed to be soft flour tortillas, you don’t want them to be crispy); flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer or on a large plate, covering with a slightly damp towel. Repeat with remaining dough.

Sweet Texan Cornbread

Making this today for A Pep Band Chili Dinner....I finally found the recipe from Lyndsee Bates, Cedar Park Ward

½ c. butter, melted
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
1 can cream style corn
1 egg
1 heaping Tblspn. sugar

Melt butter in 8 X 8 pan (or I’ve used a pie dish, or round cake pan).
Mix together egg, creamed corn, and cornbread mix.
Mix well and add sugar.
Pour into pan and stir into butter, until just blended.
Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown.