German Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 2 lbs yukon gold potatoes
• 1/2 lb bacon, cut in 1/4 inch strips
• 3/4 cup onion, minced
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces chavrie goat cheese
• 2 tablespoons chives, cut 1/2 inch for garnish

Directions

1. Place the potatoes in a medium-size pot and cover them with enough water to extend 2 inches above the surface of the potatoes. Salt the water and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and dice into 1/2-inch pieces.
2. Set aside in a warm place.
3. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once crisp, place on a paper towel-lined plate
4. Pour off the rendered fat, reserving 1/4 cup in the pan.
5. Turn the heat to medium and add the onion. Cook until translucent about 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Whisk in the vinegar, sugar, mustard, and salt and stir until thick and bubbly. Add the diced, cooked potatoes and toss to coat.
7. Top with crumbled  Goat cheese , bacon and garnish with the chives.
8. Serve warm.

Bird Houses

Ingredients

• glue, gun
• 6 -18 inches ribbon ( raffia)
• 30 wine corks
• dried spanish moss dried herb like lavender or rosemary
• 6 glue sticks ( you may need more or less depends on how long the sticks are)
• ribbon ( Raffia, to make a bird nest)

Directions

1. Tie a bow with the raffia.
2. Assemble corks by size the best you can. So each section is about the same size.
3. When gluing adjust corks while glue is hot to even out.
4. This is glued in 6 sections then put together.
5. The base is 4 corks glued (2 side x side then glued end to end.
6. Attached to the right and left of the base will be 1 row of 4 corks glued together (side x side).
7. The peak is 2 corks glued end to end.
8. The 2 roof tops are 8 corks each. Two rows of four corks glued side X side, then glue the 2 rows together.
9. Assemble start at the base attach the right side and the left side. Eye them to make them come out on an angle.
10. Then go to the top half glue the peak to the roof sides. Take note in the pictures how they meet.
11. You can adjust while glue is warm.

12. Randomly place hot glue on open spaces and top with moss or herbs. Place a nest inside and place birds in the nest. Adhere the bow on top with hot glue.
13. Be careful not to burn yourself. I made 10 and burnt myself 3 times.

Crescent Cheesecake Roll-Ups

Ingredients

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons sugar

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cans (8 oz each) refrigerated Crescent Dough Sheet

Canola oil for frying 

 

Directions

1. Line large plate with paper towels. In small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon. Set aside.
2. In small bowl using handheld blender or mixer, beat 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened, until creamy. Add 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla; blend until well combined. Set aside.
3. Lightly flour flat work surface. Unroll 2 cans (8 oz each)  Crescent refrigerated seamless dough sheet on surface. Slightly roll out each sheet of dough until about 1/2 inch longer. Cut each sheet into 6 squares to make a total of 12 squares.
4. Place about 1 tablespoon cream cheese filling in center of each square; spread crosswise to form long line of filling. For each roll-up, roll side closest to you up over filling then roll to opposite side while slightly pulling edges to make roll longer. Use pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut off ragged edges of roll-ups. Pinch seam into dough to secure filling in roll-up.
5. In skillet, heat canola oil to 325°F. Carefully place roll-ups in hot oil; fry on one side 30 to 60 seconds. Turn roll-ups; fry until golden brown. Remove from oil; place on paper towel-lined plate.
6. Immediately sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place roll-ups on cooling rack or another plate; cool about 10 minutes before serving.

 

Flag Cake

Ingredients

• 18 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

For the icing

• 1 lb unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 lbs cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 lb confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

To assemble

• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 1/2 pints raspberries

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter and flour an 18 by 13 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.
3. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy.
4. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla.
5. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.
6. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.

7. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined.
8. Pour into the prepared pan.
9. Smooth the top with a spatula.
10. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
11. Cool to room temperature.
12. For the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mixing just until smooth.
13. Spread three-fourths of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake.
14. Outline the flag on the top of the cake with a toothpick.
15. Fill the upper left corner with blueberries. Place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe.
16. Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries. Alternate rows of raspberries and icing until the flag is completed.
17. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.
18. Ina serves this cake right in the pan.
19. If you want to turn it out onto a board before frosting, use parchment paper when you grease and flour the pan.

S’mores Pizza Roll-Up

Ingredients

1 can  refrigerated classic pizza crust

1/2 cup finely crushed graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

7 tablespoons marshmallow creme

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet with shortening or spray with cooking spray.
2. Unroll pizza crust onto cookie sheet. Press out into about 14x9-inch rectangle. Bake 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, oats, brown sugar and melted butter; set aside.
3. Remove crust from oven; cool slightly.
4. Spread 4 tablespoons of the marshmallow creme in thin layer over crust. Pile remaining 3 tablespoons in line along 1 short edge of crust (this will become the gooey marshmallow center). Sprinkle graham cracker mixture evenly over marshmallow; sprinkle with chocolate chips.
5. Starting with edge that has thick marshmallow, carefully roll up crust. Do not squeeze or marshmallow will ooze out. Place seam side down in ungreased 9x5-inch loaf pan.
6. Bake 8 minutes longer. Remove from pan to serving plate or cutting board. Cut into 1-inch-thick slices.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 large head of cabbage, cored
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3/4 lb lean beef, ground
• 1/4 lb pork sausage, ground
• 1 cup white rice or 1 cup brown rice, cooked
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 (28 ounce) cans tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• to taste sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large pot, steam the cabbage for 10 minutes or until the leaves are softened enough to peel away.
3. Cool and separate leaves, gently shake off moisture, and set aside. Melt butter in a skillet and saute onions until they are golden.
4. Remove half the onions to a bowl containing the ground beef and pork sausage. Mix in the rice and allspice gently with your hands.
5. To the remaining onions in the skillet, add the tomatoes and juice, tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt and seasonings.
6. Simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Place a small amount of meat mixture on each cabbage leaf.
8. Fold leaf over to enclose meat and starting at the stem end, roll up.
9. Place rolls, seam side down in a buttered baking dish.
10. Cover with tomato mixture and bake, uncovered for 1 hour.
11. Serve with sour cream.

 

 

S'mores Party Ring

Ingredients

1

(8 count) tube Pillsbury™ Grands!™ refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

1

-1/2 cups Golden Grahams™ cereal (coarsely crushed)

1

cup chocolate chips

8

large marshmallows

3/4

cup hot fudge sauce

1/2

cup mini marshmallows (for serving, if desired)

Golden Grahams™ cereal (for serving, if desired)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Open Pillsbury™ crescent rolls, unroll and separate individual triangles.
• Fill the large end of each triangle with 2 tablespoons chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons crushed Golden Grahams™, and 1 large marshmallow. Fold the ends of the triangle in to the center, and roll the crescent around the marshmallow, completely covering the marshmallow and pinching the edges together to seal completely. Place on a lightly greased round baking stone. Repeat with remaining triangles. 
• Bake for 12-17 minutes, or until the crescents turn a medium golden brown. Remove from the oven and drizzle with hot fudge sauce. Sprinkle with mini marshmallows and Golden Grahams™ cereal. Serve with extra hot fudge for dipping, if desired.