Cheddar Apple Bread

I found this recipe years ago as I was beginning adulthood and looking to improve my stash of recipes. Cheese and apples have always been two of my favorite foods; I thought they sounded tantalizing together, so I made it and was hooked. You may cringe at the thought, but as they say, don't knock it 'til you've tried it.


2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. milk
1/3 c. margarine, melted
2 c. (8 oz) Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 1/2 c. Chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples


Combine dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk and margarine. Mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees in greased and floured bread pan for 65 - 70 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Italian Cream Bundt Cake

When in high school, I worked at a restaurant that served the most delicious Italian Cream Cake. I would pray the frosting would accidentally fall off the serving spatula onto my finger where I would be left with the only solution: to lick it off.

Although this recipe doesn't match up to the same cake I remember, it's still good and far prettier than the cake in my memories.

Italian Cream Bundt Cake

2 c. sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 c. coconut
5 eggs, separated
1 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 T baking powder
3/4 c. chopped walnuts

Cake Icing:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. whipping cream
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. coconut


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter with sugar and add vanilla. Then add the 5 egg yolks.

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients: sifted flour, baking powder and soda.
Add dry ingredients to the mixture a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk (about 1/4 cup at a time)

Mix in walnuts and coconut

Gently fold in the egg whites.

Spoon then batter into a generously greased bundt pan.

Bake for about 60 minutes.

Let it cool for 20 minutes.

Icing:
With a hand blender, cream the cream cheese with the whipping cream. Add powdered sugar. Blend. Spoon the frosting into a quart-sized ziplock back. Snip of a small corner of the closed bag to use as a pastry bag. Drizzle lines of the frosting over the bundt cake. After the first layer, add the coconut and the chopped walnuts. Apply another layer of frosting.

Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. After of course, you look at how pretty it is.

Quick and Easy Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

This gourmet treat can be such a quick treat. No lie. Thanks to chocolates from one of my favorite stores in Salt Lake. You know those stores you go when you feel you need to be rewarded? Orson Gygi is that store for me. I believe I have been there on my way to dine out for my birthday three years running!

One of the last times I was in there I grabbed a big bag of these chocolates. And what do you do with these chocolates come strawberry season? DIP THEM!

 I just placed a few handfuls of these morsels in a microwave-safe dish and cooked them in the microwave for 3 to 4 minutes stirring halfway through. Cook them until the pieces have all melted.

Wash your strawberries and make sure you dry them with a towel to rid them of too much moisture. Then dip away.

Chill for at least 15 minutes or for as long as you have the willpower.

Enjoy.

Raspberry Colada Popcorn

Did you know Pyrex turns100 this year? And I don't think they could be more popular. Have you seen the prices of some of their vintage bowls? I am lucky to have one and decided to fill it with popcorn today to celebrate. Not just any popcorn, but Raspberry Colada Popcorn. The recipe I adapted calls for Pineapple Extract to make it a Piña Colada, however for years I haven't been able to find Pineapple Extract. If any of you know where I can find that, please let me know! So, in the meantime I found raspberry extract in my cupboard and used it.

Raspberry Colada Popcorn

1 batch of popped popcorn (I use air pop)
1 cube butter
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. corn syrup
pinch salt
1 T coconut extract
1 T Raspberry extract
2-3 drops of red food coloring

Melt butter. Add sugar, Karo syrup, and salt; stir until boiling. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add extracts. Pour over popped popcorn and stir until mixed.

The Only Mint Chocolate Brownies Recipe You'll Need

Seriously! Throw away all of your mint brownie recipes. This recipe card will soon be tattered, stained and well-used like mine. I think the frosting alone sets this apart from any other imitators :) 

Mint Chocolate Brownies

1 1/2 c. butter

3/4 c. cocoa

4 T honey

6 eggs

3 1/2 c. sugar

2 2/3 c. flour

3/4 T baking powder

3/4 t. salt

melt butter and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. add nuts. Pour batter into a greased sheet pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes

Mint Icing:

7 1/2 T butter

dash of salt

4 1/2 T milk

1 1/2 T light corn syrup

3 1/2 c. powdered sugar

3/4 tsp. mint extract

3 drops food coloring

Soften butter. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting. Spread over brownies. I like to pop this pan into the freezer while I do the next step so the chocolate frosting will glide over more easily.

Chocolate Frosting

3/4 cube butter, softened

4 1/2 ounces cream cheese

5 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 1/2 t. vanilla

3 heaping T of cocoa

3 3/4 T warm milk

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar. Add vanilla, cocoa and milk. You may want to add more milk to make it creamier. 

Once mixed thoroughly, spread the frosting on top of the mint icing. 

Magnolia Cookies

One of my all-time favorite movies is Steel Magnolias. I vividly remember the part in the salon where Truvy explains how to make the cuppa cuppa cuppa recipe. Well, this recipe reminded me of that scene. Only this recipe is a half-a-cuppa, a half-a-cuppa -- you'll see. So, I named appropriately.

You'll love these light cookies that have some great texture with all of the bonus ingredients.

Magnolia Cookies

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 3/4 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/2 c. rice krispies cereal 
• 1/2 c. coconut
• 1/2 c. regular oats, uncooked
• 1/4 c. pecans or nut of your choice

Combine the sugars, butter, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well.

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the cereal, coconut, oatmeal and nuts. Shape into 1-inch balls and place onto a cookie sheet. Flatten the balls with a fork. Bake at a preheated 350-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

Yields 5 1/2 dozen

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How to Extend the Life of your Water Heaters

I had one of those weeks. Years ago we were roped in to buying a  reverse osmosis unit that requires the filters to be changed ever year. The company we bought it from calls us annually to come out to change them for us for a premium price. However, I find my self playing the succor and letting them come. With that expensive call, they do a complimentary check on our water softener as well. This time, he noticed in our furnace room that our unit that heats the water for our radiant heat had leaked and had some corrosion. It was done and about to explode, he told me.

So, I decided to call my trusted local plumber to fix the job. Not my highly inflated bilker soft water company who took an hour to figure out it wasn't the typical water heater like my other two. I am glad I did. I couldn't have met a more knowledgeable man. While he was here, in passing he told me a crucial tip. He instructed me on how to extend the life of my water heaters by as much as FIVE years. At $1700 a piece for my two water heaters, I was all ears.

He told me to get a small water hose and hook it up to the bottom of my water heater spigot once a year. Then open it up and drain about five gallons out of it or until my water runs clear. He claims the calcium sediment settles in the bottom of the tank and causes problems for the unit making it not so efficient -- adding layers creeping up to where the tank won't hold as much water.

I was all over that. I don't know if this is something to brag about, but it didn't take me long to scour my back yard up next to the canal where they recently excavated, I found a garden hose that the workers carelessly tore up. Yeah, I need to clean up around here. Sure enough, it was the perfect size; In tact. So, I took it downstairs with my bucket and did what he instructed. As expected, my water seemed a bit cloudy. I emptied the water and had a little Tim Allen from Home Improvement moment.

I was so elated that I just wanted to share with you so you can avoid the surprising flooding of the basement carpet like we experienced a few years ago when our water heater decided it was done. 

Hopefully you'll find some enjoyment in this sort of science experiment.