Autumn Fruit Salad

2 Granny Smith apples
Zest of 1 lime
1 can (11 ounces) mandarin orange segments, drained
1 cup halved seedless red grapes
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 carton (8 ounces) vanilla low-fat yogurt
2 T. chopped nuts (optional)

Peel and cut up apples. Combine yogurt with lime zest in a large bowl and mix in apples, mandarin oranges and grapes. Add marshmallows and mix gently. Sprinkle nuts over top. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Yield: 12 servings

Kalua Pig in the Slow Cooker

1 (6 pound) Pork Butt Roast

1 1/2 Tbs. Fine Ground Sea Salt (Hawaiian Sea Salt if you have it)

1 Tbs. Liquid Smoke Flavoring

Pierce meat all over with a carving fork. Rub salt, then liquid smoke over meat. Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place roast in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 20 hours or high for 10 hours. Remove meat from slow cooker and shred, adding drippings as needed to moisten.

Serve over rice, or as a sandwich filling.

(luv5kdz originally shared this recipe on the MB)

The original recipe calls for Hawaiian Sea Salt, which is a little difficult to find.

You can see if there is a retailer in your area at:

Hawaii Kai

Creamy Italian Chicken (crock pot)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1/4 cup water
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 4 oz. can mushroom stems & pieces
Hot cooked pasta, rice or potatoes

Place the chicken in a slow cooker. Combine salad dressing mix and water and pour over chicken. Cover on cook on low for 3 hours. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and soup until well blended. Sitr in mushrooms. Pour over chicken. Cook one hour longer or until chicken juices run clear. Serve over pasta, rice or potatoes.

4 servings

*My chicken is always done after 3 hours. I shred it into bite-size pieces before adding the sauce & then stir well before serving.

All fruit strawberry jam

2 C Sliced fresh strawberries
1/3 C Apple-grape concentrate (see below)
2 T Water
2 T Orange juice

1. In a medium pan combine the strawberries, apple-grape sweetener, water and orange juice. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat slightly and cook at a low boil 10 to 15 minutes, until very thick. Stir often. (To test for gelling, put about 1/2 teaspoon jam on a chilled saucer and place in freezer for 1 minute. If, when cooled, jam wrinkles when touched, it is done.) Skim the foam from the top of the jam.
2. Transfer to a bowl, cool, cover, and refrigerate.

Apple-grape sweetener:

1 12 oz. can apple juice -concentrate, thawed
1 12 oz. can grape juice -concentrate,

In a large saucepan, combine the apple and grape juice concentrates. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat slightly and cook at a low boil 15 to 20 minutes. Measure; you should have about 2 cups. Transfer to a jar and cool. Cover and refrigerate.

Blender Wheat Pancakes

Pour into blender:

1 C Skim Milk

3/4 C whole kernel wheat (I prefer white) (uncooked)

Liquify for FOUR minutes. While still running, add:

3 egg whites

1 T sugar

1/4 t salt

2 T melted butter or olive oil

1 t soda

2 t baking powder

Stop blender as soon as thoroughly mixed. I usually combine all of the last ingredients and dump in together.

We LOVE these.

You can stir banana pieces, blueberries cinnamon, peaches or anything else into the batter.

Also, you can reduce the wheat to 1/2 C and add 1/2 C of quick oats for an oatmeal pancake (if you do this replace the white sugar with 2 T brown sugar).

Caramel Cookies

14 T unsalted butter
1/4 C granulated sugar
2 C packed DARK brown sugar
2 C + 2T unbleached all-purpose flour (10.5 ounces)
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 T vanilla extract

1. Brown 10 T butter. Remove to large heatproof bowl and stir in remaining 4 T cold butter to melt. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350,* Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. In pie plate (or other shallow dish) mix granulated sugar and 1/4 C packed brown sugar, rubbing between fingers until well combined. Set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda and baking powder together in medium bowl and set aside.
3. Add 1 3/4 C brown sugar to cooled butter. Mix until no sugar lumps remain. Scrape down sides of bowl and add egg, yolk, and vanilla until fully incorporated (don't need electric mixer for this - just rubber spatula). Scrape down bowl. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined - about 1 minute. Make sure no flour pockets remain (I usually mix a little bit with my hands - don't over do this!).
4. Divide dough into 24 portions, rolling into balls. Toss balls in sugar mixture to coat and set on baking sheets - 12 cookie balls per sheet.
5. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned and still puffy and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will have cracks and look raw between cracks). 12-14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Do not overbake.
6. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature.
   

Uncle Danny's Pork Chops (BBQ)

Funnily, Uncle Danny has no memory of this recipe. Weird.

8 pork chops (for this recipe I like the bones)

2 T of oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 T brown sugar

2 T vinegar

1/4 C lemon juice

1 C ketchup

3 T worchestershire sauce

1/2 t mustard

1 C water

salt & pepper to taste

Brown chops in oil. Combine remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 min. Pour sauce over the chops and bake in 325* oven for one hour.