Lampwork Etc. - 2010 South/West/Central Michigan Gatherings

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

About 3 to 4 pounds of butternut squash, peeled and cubed in 1 1/2 in pieces
2 large cooking apples, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, cubed
olive oil
seasoned sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
chicken broth (I used about 1 and 1/2 of those 32 oz boxes)
ground thyme, sage, nutmeg
1/2 cup whipping cream or half and half (optional)

Once you have finished peeling and cubing the squash, apple, and onion, spread the mixed pieces in two rimmed cookie trays. Sprinkle evenly with olive oil (at least 2 T per tray) and mix around to coat. Sprinkle with seasoned sea salt and dust with 1/2 tsp black pepper per tray. Bake in oven at 375 for about 30-40 minutes until fork tender and there is a little bit of carmelization on the edges. Cool for 10 min. In two separate batches, dump roasted combo/drippings in blender (for finer texture) or food processor (coarser texture) and puree, adding chicken broth as you go so it blends better. Pour puree into large pot or crockpot, and add more chicken broth until it gets to the thickness you want. Sprinkle in 1/4 tsp each of ground thyme, sage and nutmeg. Add cream if you want a more bisque-like texture. Heat and serve. Makes a lot.

Laramie Loaf from the " Appendix to the I Hate to Cook Book" by Peg Bracken

Before you split a long loaf of French bread, score it a quarter-inch deep both bottom and top where you intend to slice it later. Then Split it horizontally.
On side #1, spread butter.
On side #2, spread a mixture of: 2 1/2 cups grated yellow cheese, 1-3 ounce pkg. of cream cheese, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons prepared mustard, 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce.
You're not done yet. On that sprinkle: 4 chopped green onions, with a lot of the green, 2 thinly sliced tomatoes, 10 slices crisp bacon.

Put the top on , wrap it loosely in aluminum foil, twisting the ends, but leaving the top open so it won't steam. Bake it in a 350 degree oven for fifteen minutes. cut it according to the earlier scoring and serve it.

There really isn't an official recipe for the shredded chicken. For what I made on Saturday I cooked chicken and pulled it off the bones. the crockpot was full of chicken. to that I added 2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup and 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup, 2 cans of mushrooms, onion, Worcestershire sauce. If it's too soupy, just tear up some bread and add. Heat and serve.

Some asked for my recipe for the stuffed squash:

1 med/large acorn or hubbard squash.
1 pkg stove top dressing - turkey or chicken
1 large apple, or two small ones, diced - no need to peel
a handful of raisins
1 small onion, finely diced.
a handful of craisins - if you don't have, I actually put in about 1/2 of a small can of cranberry relish/jell

Mix together everything except the squash, Add HOT water, a little at a time to moisten the dressing.

Wash, then cut the top out of the squash, remove the seeds
Fill with the dressing, mount up high.
Bake at 350 for a minimum of one hour. You may need to cover the dressing at about 45 min with foil to prevent it from burning (browning too much)

You can tell when it is done by inserting a sharp knife through the side of the squash checking for tenderness.

PUMPKIN SAUSAGE SOUP

12 oz. hot sausage (I used sweet Italian sausage)
1/2 c. minced onion
Garlic or garlic powder (I used 1 clove)
1 T. Italian seasoning
1 c. chopped mushrooms
15 oz. can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix, JUST pumpkin)
4 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. cream
1/2 c. water

Brown sausage, add onion, garlic, Italian seasoning. Add mushrooms and sauté.
Add pumpkin and broth, simmer for 20 min.
Add cream/water, salt & pepper to taste.

I like to saute the veggies in a little Olive Oil first, then add the sausage and brown with the Italian seasoning. The crock pot I brought was an almost triple recipe - it didn't all quite fit in.
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Disappearing Chicken Dip

8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1 C. Sour Cream
1 C. Mayo
2 (4 oz.) cans of Chopped Green Chilis
12 oz. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Lg can Shredded Chicken
1/2 tsp Garlic salt
1/2 C. Salsa ( I used Pace-med)

Combine crean cheese, sour cream, and mayo. Mix well until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Spread into greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 45 min, or until edges start to brown and th emiddle is bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.

Laurie's
Pay Day Bars:

Yellow Cake Mix
1 C. Melted Butter
1 Egg
Mix together; bake 15 to 20 minutes at 350 (use 11 x 13 ungreased pan).
3 C. Mini Marshmellows
Remove cake from oven and top with the mini marshmellows
In large sauce pan, melt:
¼ C. Butter
12 oz. package of Peanut Butter Chips
2/3 C. Corn Syrup
Once all is melted, add:
2 C. Rice Krispies
2 C. Peanuts
Spoon out and layer over cake, pressing down lightly (will be lumpy and messy). Let cool.

And now for the best chicken grilled kabobs ever....

Barb made these for us and they were fab!

Makes 5 servings
3/4 cup plain, whole fat yogurt
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil divided
6 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 boneless, skinless 1" cubes of chicken breast
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)
4 red bell peppers steamed, seeded, cut into 1" pieces
2 large red onions cut into 1" chunks don't separate all pieces

Wisk yogurt, 6 tablespoons oil, 4 cloves garlic, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne in large bowl.

Stir in chicken and cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate 3-6 hours.

Whisk remaining oil, garlic, basil and lemon juice in small bowl, cover, refridgerate while chicken is marinating.

Soak skewers if using wood ones.

Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Thread each skewer with 2 pieces of pepper, 1 piece of onion, 2 pieces of chicken and 1 piece of onion, repeat till skewer is full ending with 2 pieces of pepper.

Turn all burners to high and heat grill with lid down until very hot about 15 minutes. Scrape grate clean with grill brush. turn down burners to med-high. Grill half of kebabs uncovered, turning each kabob one quarter turn ever 2 minuets, until chicken, peppers and onions are lightly browned and meat is fully cooked, about 8 minutes. check for dunness buy cutting into one piece when it looks opaque on all sides.

Remove kabobs from grill when there is no pink at the center. Transfer to serving platter and brush kebabs all over with lemon dressing. Repeat with remaining skewers. serve

Make sure not to cut chicken pieces to big or the vegies will be overdone and not as good.

Easy Crock Pot Pulled Pork by Robbin aka RedRabit

Rub mix (see below)
4-5 lbs boneless pork country ribs (or sliced boneless butt roast), bigger fatty bits removed
1/2 - 3/4 c KC Masterpiece bbq sauce
BBQ grill
Large crock pot

Generously rub the pork with the rub mix on all sides. I used about 2/3rds of the recipe below for coverage. Let sit refrigerated for about an hour. Grill pork over low heat until browned on the outside. Be careful so it doesn't burn, as this is a fattier cut of pork and the sugar in the rub can burn fast. When browned (note - the inside will not be done, but this doesn't matter) layer in a large crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours, or overnight. When done, drain the excess fat/juice with a baster and simply take a fork to shred up the pork. It should break apart effortlessly. When shredded, stir in BBQ sauce and it's ready to serve. Should make enough for 8-10 people, served on buns.

Rub mix: this will make more rub than you will use for this recipe (I had left overs) but the spice amounts are approximate to what I mixed together. This is not a very salty rub by most standards, but if you are watching sodium, feel free to cut down the salt amount. The true flavor is in the other spices anyway.

4 tbs brown sugar (break up any lumps)
1 tbs garlic powder
1 tbs chili powder
1 tbs paprika
2 tsp dry mustard powder
1 tsp thyme powder
1 1/2 tsp sage powder
1/4 tsp cayenne powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbs cumin powder

Sopapilla Cheesecake bars: http://www.recipelink.com/mf/3/11315 by Christa

2 can crescent rolls
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Unroll 1 can crescent rolls and pat in bottom of 9x13 baking dish -I sprayed with Pam first. Mix Cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Mix until smooth and spread on top of crescent rolls in baking dish. Unroll second can of crescent rolls and place on top.

Mix 1/2 c softened butter (I used 1/4 c butter), 1/2 c sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon until crumbly. Sprinkle on top. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 30 minutes.

Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps by Robin

Meat:
1/2 pound ground chicken
1/2 pound lean ground pork
1 T oil (optional)
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 T fish sauce (nam pla)
2T soy sauce (I use Yamasa)
1/4 c Shaoxing cooking wine
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1 to 2 tsp red pepper flakes (the kind used to make kimchee)
1T honey
3 T sugar (or more if you like sweeter)
juice of half a lime

Cook chicken and pork together with minced garlic until browned. Chop up if needed (you don't want big chunks). In measuring cup, combine fish sauce, soy sauce, cooking wine, balsamic vinegar, ginger paste, pepper flakes, honey, and sugar. Mix well, then pour on cooked meat. Blend and cook on med heat until any sauce has absorbed (you want it moist, but not saucy). If meat is very lean and looks too dry, drizzle 1 T of oil on it. Adjust sugar and pepper flakes to taste. I like my meat on the sweet side and with quite a bit of kick. Remove from heat and drizzle lime juice over the top and mix in. Serve warm.

Peanut sauce (basically a satay sauce)
1/2 c crunchy peanut butter
1/2 to 1 tsp red curry paste (Thai Kitchen works fine - warning: potent stuff)
1/2 c coconut milk
juice 1/2 lime

Warm peanut butter in microwave until soft and stir able, but not hot. Add red curry paste and coconut milk and stir with a whisk. Taste. Add more curry paste if you like it hotter. Add more coconut milk if too thick. Blend in lime juice. This sauce will break if the peanut butter is too hot. Let it cool and whip more coconut milk into it to set it.

Lettuce - best with Butter/Boston lettuce leaves
Also serve with: chopped green onion, chopped fresh basil, chopped peanuts, chopped cilantro. Other good options: sliced cucumber, shredded carrots. I used green mango slaw and made a pickled daikon. I'll give you the recipes for those too if you want. Enjoy!

FRUIT AND NUT TOSSED SALAD[/color] By Shirley

Dressing:
¼ c. olive oil
2 Tbs. + 2 tsp. Sugar
2 Tbs. White Vinegar
½ tsp. Hot sauce
¼ tsp. Salt
1 Tbs. Minced Parsley

Mix all above together with wire whisk, cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Caramelized Pecans:
1/3 c. sugar
2 Tbs. Butter or Margarine
1 C. Pecan halves

Melt sugar in heavy pan over medium-low heat without stirring until sugar turns brown. Add butter and pecans and stir until pecans are thoroughly coated. Pour onto foil-lined baking sheet and allow to cool completely. Break apart.

Salad:
4 c. fresh spinach leaves
4 c. torn romaine lettuce
2 ribs sliced celery
4 thinly sliced scallions
1 c. fresh strawberries, sliced
1 can (15 oz.) mandarin oranges

Combine all above ingredients together except strawberries. Just before serving, add strawberries, caramelized pecans and dressing and toss.

Paula Dean’s Easy Taco Soup with my extra twist on it.
I never make soup I make stoup as Dave calls it so the extras I add or take away from this recipe makes it a bit thicker.

Makes 10-12 servings unless it’s my family

1 pound of ground chuck I use 2 pounds cook this with the onions and drain fat.
1 large onion I use frozen chopped or dried cuz I am lazy
4 cups water I like mine thicker so never add this much maybe 2 or 3 cups.

All the following beans are drained 16 oz cans
1 red kidney beans
1 pinto beans
1 black beans

1 niblet corn drained, I don’t drain this cuz it adds flavor and I use 2 cans
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 10.75 oz can tomato soup
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies I like the petite diced
1 10 oz can enchilada sauce
1 small can green chilies this is my addition since my store doesn’t always have the diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 pack taco seasoning mix
1 t salt this isn’t needed.

Garnish with sour cream and extra sharp shredded cheddar cheese, Dave likes the chips crunched up in his. I like the kind called dips and eat the stoup out of them.

Here is the easy part in a huge pan throw everything in bring to a boil and then simmer for an hour or put it in a crock pot for the day.

This one gets better with time so if you want you can put the whole mess together the night before in your crock pot and put it in the fridge and then the next morning get it out and put the crock on low.

CARAMEL PECAN SQUARES

Crust
1 Cup Flour
½ Cup packed Brown Sugar Combine and stir together
½ Cup (1 stick) Butter or Margarine Cut in with Pastry Blender until coarse crumbs

Press crumb mixture into bottom of ungreased 13”x9”x2” pan. Bake at 350 deg. For 15 minutes.

Filling
2 Cups coarsely chopped Pecans
1 Cup flaked Coconut Sprinkle both over hot crust
1 14-0z. can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 tsp. Vanilla Mix Cond. Milk and Vanilla together and pour over
Pecans and Coconut

Bake 25 or 30 minutes more until filling is set. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Topping
30 Caramels (unwrapped)
3 Tbs. Milk Place both in small saucepan over medium low heat
just until caramels are melted. Drizzle caramel over
filling.
1 Pkg. Semi-sweet or Milk Choc. Morsels Sprinkle over top.

Allow to cool in pan and cut into squares.

Meatballs one-earedpig's way AKA Melissa

Armour meatballs (NOT Italian)
Bennet's Chili Sauce
Grape Jelly

I don't have specific amounts, I learned the recipe by the eyeball method well over 15 years ago. The last time I made a 6 qt crockpot I used 5 bottle of chili sauce & an 8oz jar of grape jelly.

Brown meatballs according to package.

While meatballs brown, heat chili sauce & grape jelly til they are (nearly) blended. The main objective is to not have huge chunks of jelly when it goes into the crockpot.

Combine all ingredients in crockpot, cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally. I like to do 4 hours the day before I need them, and then 2-4 more hours they day of the event, often cooking up another bottle or two (with a couple of tablespoons of jelly) because well, you just can't have enough sauce! Also, if you reheat the next day, pour in some water (cup or two) on the bottom to avoid scorching.

Lindsey's 5 Minuet Mint Fudge mmmmmm creamy.

1 bag milk chocolate chips
1/2 bag of Andes mint chips
1 can low fat sweetened condensed milk.

Prep put foil in pan your using to put fudge in for easy clean up

put condensed milk in pan warm it add all chips till melted. Once melted pour into pan with foil and refrigerate and voila! Delicious Mint Fudge!!!
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