Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), cut bite size*
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp water

Combine first five ingredients in 3 1/2 quart slower cooker. Stir.

Add chicken. Stir. Cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Combine cornstarch and second amount of water in small bowl. Stir into slow cooker. Cook on high, stirring often for 15 to 20 minutes until thickened. For faster cooking, pour into saucepan. Heat on stove, stirring often, until thickened. Serves 6.

*I put the chicken breasts in whole, saves a step. This has lots of extra sauce to go over rice or noodles. We enjoy it with dirty rice (recipe available under sides).

Best Cocoa Brownies

I'm cheating here by not posting the actual recipe or a pic, but if you love chocolate (aka cocoa), this is a great brownie recipe from a respected website...

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Best-Cocoa-Brownies-108346

I didn't have walnuts/pecans at home - next time. I'm sure you could throw in a few choc chips if you so desired.

I checked out the "Dutch process" of cocoa, be interesting to try :) ...but I did use regular cocoa in mine.

My husband likes brownies and he gave these the green light. What a treat!

Pumpkin Chip Muffins

I've often enjoyed these muffins, courtesy of my sister-in-law Jessica. She is an excellent baker. They are good plain or with cream cheese icing. The recipe is from the MacGregor Bergthaler Mennonite Church cookbook, submitted by Brenda B. My muffins always seem to flop, so I was thrilled that these turned out well for me too. :)

Pumpkin Chip Muffins

• 4 eggs


• 2 cups sugar


• 16 oz can pumpkin


• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil


• 3 cups flour


• 2 tsp baking soda


• 2 tsp baking powder


• 1 tsp cinnamon


• 1 tsp salt


• 2 cups chocolate chips

Beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffins cups 3/4 full. Bake at 375 for 16 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to wire rack.

*This recipe makes 4 dozen medium sized muffins.

Rollkuchen & Watermelon

3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 + cup whipping cream

Mix dry ingredients together add eggs, cream. Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/8"+ thick, cut into rectangles, cut a slit in centre and pull one end through. Fry in hot fat 375 degrees, till golden, turn and fry other side. Drain on paper towel. Serve with watermelon.

This is what's for supper tonight as its so toasty warm out, perfect meal for it. My hubby likes his thin and crispy so i use the same dough, just cut off a chunk and roll very, very thin and cut a slat in the centre and fry same temp. I like mine nice and soft & fluffy, he likes them cripsy

Bean Burgers

Don't knock 'em till you've tied em!

My handsome husband made up this recipe a while ago when we are craving the BBQ, but wanted a healthier (and even cheaper!) alternative to beef. He's made them a number of times since and has asked me to add the recipe to the blog!

Ingredients:
1 can corn
1 can chick peas
1 can black beans
A few pressed/minced cloves of garlic
1 egg
Breadcrumbs

Directions:
Drain and rinse canned ingredients (no need for the excess salt!); blend in food processor, along with garlic, in batches (as much as your food processor can handle at a time). Once combined and all mashed up, place in large bowl, add egg, and combine with well washed hands. Add breadcrumbs until 'batter' is able to stick together on it's own just like if you were making beef burgers.
Form into patties (about 10), BBQ, and enjoy!

Notes:
1) I like mine dressed with light mayo, Thai peanut sauce, a leaf of lettuce, and thin slices of bell pepper.
2) He usually only makes about 8 patties and forms the rest into meatballs - fantastic for a ground beef substitute in spaghetti!!
3) They freeze really well, so instead of BBQ all of them, just throw some ready-made patties in the freezer and treat just as you would frozen beef patties.




Sorry there's no pic... but I will add one next time we have 'em.

Yeast Water Doughnuts

I often enjoyed fresh, homemade donuts growing up. Never having made them myself, my Mom came over last week and we made a bunch. Delicious!!!

Doughnuts

• 4 tbsp yeast
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 cups warm water
• 1 3/4 cup oil
• 8 eggs (beaten)
• salt to taste
• flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water with 2 tsp sugar and let stand 10 minutes. Add 4 cups warm water, oil, sugar, beaten eggs, salt. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead well and let rise. Roll out about a half inch thick and cut out using a doughnut cutter. Let rise 1/2 hr and fry in hot fat.

*Best eaten the day they're made, but also quite good if frozen as soon as they're cool. We usually make a butter icing with a bit of cinnamon in it, to ice the doughnuts. One recipe makes about 6 dozen.

Rhubarb Crunch

A delicious recipe from my sister in law Christina. Yum, yum, yum.

Rhubarb Crunch

Crumbs:

• 1 cup flour


• 3/4 cup oatmeal


• 1 cup brown sugar


• 1 tsp cinnamon


• 1/2 cup melted margarine

Put half of crumbs on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan. Save remaining crumbs for topping.

Add 4 cups of chopped rhubarb on crust.

Filling:

• 1 cup sugar


• 2 tbsp cornstarch


• 1 cup water


• 1 tsp vanilla

Bring to a boil and let simmer until thick and clear. Pour over rhubarb and top with remaining crumbs. Bake at 350 for one hour.*

*I usually only bake it for 45 minutes.

Delicious with ice cream!