Mami's Million Dollar Fudge

From: 

I decided this past Christmas to attempt fudge. Or tackle it. Or consume it in large quantities. Whatever.

In any case, I asked my good friend, Beth, for a kosher fudge recipe, so she found her grandmother's recipe book and snapped this picture for me. 

How to: 

It is to die for. It's also responsible for about 20 stubborn pounds that won't get lost. You've been forewarned. 

Side notes: 

That penciled in note is correct. It's 4.5 cups of sugar. Ooooh yeah. Also I had to chill it in the freezer a few hours to get it solid enough to slice with no mess, and then I had to keep dipping the butter knife in hot water to clean it so it would slide easily. 

A delicious variation is to replace the German sweet chocolate with 10 oz of Andes mints pieces and a 2 oz chunk of dark chocolate. That is what is photographed and what we've been munching on this week. 

Enjoy! Once you make this, you'll be hooked!

Crock pot beef and broccoli

From: 

This facebook post: https://m.facebook.com/?_rdr#!/photo.php?fbid=1430850017135418&id=1429031610650592&set=a.1429035907316829.1073741828.1429031610650592&source=46&__user=643316460

Ingredients: 
1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips
1 cup beef consumme
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar 

1 tablespoon sesame oil 

3 garlic cloves, minced 

2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sauce from the crock pot after being cooked
Fresh broccoli florets (as many as desired)
Hot cooked rice

Directions: 
1. Place beef in a crock pot.
2. In a small bowl, combine consomme, soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, and garlic. Pour over beef. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
3. In a cup, stir cornstarch and sauce from the crock pot until smooth. Add to crock pot. Stir well to combine.
4. Add broccoli to the crock pot. Stir to combine.
5. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high (the sauce has to boil for it to thicken).
6. Serve over hot cooked rice. 

Migas

From: This is Pioneer Woman's breakfast recipe for Migas, though we have only ever had it for dinner.

Ingredients:

4 whole Corn Tortillas
1 whole Jalapeno, Seeds And Membranes Removed, Finely Diced
4 whole Plum Tomatoes, Roughly Chopped
1 whole Green Pepper, Roughly Chopped
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Roughly Chopped
1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
12 whole Large Eggs
1 cups Cotija Cheese, Grated (may Use Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Etc.)
1/3 cup Cilantro, Chopped
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/4 cup half-and-half

How to:  

Just click here. 

Snacks!

What is it?

Triscuit crackers, cheddar cheese slices, homemade cheese chucks and grapes.

Arroz Con Leche

From: This recipe came straight from the mouth of my Costa Rican mother-in-law. I jotted it down on paper, sitting in her kitchen, while she threw in this ingredient and that. I've included my notes in parentheses in Spanish as I wrote them in 2002. It brings such sweet memories! 

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked white rice or 1 cup of raw rice  (2 tazas de arroz)
1 15 oz can of condensed milk (1 lata grande de leche condensada.)
1 15 oz can of evaporated milk (1 lata grande de leche evaporada)
2 cups of whole milk (2 tazas de leche)
1 cup of sugar (1 taza de azúcar)
1 cinnamon stick (1 sobre pequeño de canela en astilla)
1 Tbsp of cloves (1 sobre pequeño de clavos de olor)
1 box of raisins (optional) (1 cajita de pasas (opcional))
1/2 stick of butter (1/2 barra de margarina)
1 tsp of lemon peel (1 cucharadita de ralladura de limon)
 
How to: 

Cook the rice over a low flame in 2 cups water with cinnamon and cloves. Cook it SLOWLY - up to an hour. Then add whole milk and continue to cook, stirring frequently to prevent burning or drying out, over a low flame. If it gets too dry, add more milk. Then remove it from the flame for 2-3 minutes to keep it from sticking. Add sugar and cook for 10 more minutes. Add lemon, condensed milk and evaporated milk and mix it well. Taste it and decide if it needs more milk or sugar. Keep cooking for 15 more minutes, stirring continuously. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve hot or refrigerate and serve cold. 

(Ponga el arroz a reposar por 1 hora en agua con la canela y los clavos de olor.
Luego agregue las tazas de leche y ponga a cocinar por 1/2 hora a fuego no muy alto, no deje que el arroz se seque (si esto sucede agrega más leche o agua). Remueva cada dos o tres minutos para que no se pegue.
Agregue el azúcar y revuelva nuevamente. Cocine por unos 10 minutos más.
Agregue la ralladura de limon, la leche condensada y la evaporada. Revuelva muy bien. Pruebe como esta de azúcar, si tiene mucha azúcar agregue leche.
Continúe cocinando por unos 15 minutos sin descuidarlo y siempre revolviendo cada 2 a 3 minutos.
Después de 15 minutos déjelo reposar por unos 5-10 minutos. )

Challa Bread Braids

From: My friend, Sarah Valente.

Ingredients:

3.5 cups warm water
4 tsp yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup melted butter
6 eggs
6+ cups flour

How to:  

Combine yeast and warm water. Add the sugar.  It should bubble right away. Add the rest of the ingredients in order, mixing each ingredient in thoroughly as you go. When the dough is formed but not too sticky (add more flour if necessary), allow it to rise for 30 min. Then form into 4 equal parts for the loaves.  Break each 1/4th into 3 equal parts to braid into a loaf.  Then bake for 20-25 minutes at 360°F.

Homemade Bread by Hand

From: My friend, Sarah Valente.

Ingredients:

3.5 cups warm water
4 tsp yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
6 c flour

optional:
cheese
garlic

How to:  

Combine yeast and warm water. Add the rest of the ingredients in order, mixing each ingredient in thoroughly as you go. When the dough is formed but not too sticky, allow it to rise for 30 min. Then form into 4 equal parts for the loaves.  Form into a loaf, place in the baking pan and allow to rise another 20-30 minutes.  Then bake for 20-25 minutes at 360°F.