Christina's Cottage Cheese Pancakes

from Jen Walker

1 cup cottage cheese

4 eggs, 2 divided

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp sugar

Blend it all except 2 egg whites. Beat them and then mix in whipped whites. Cook. 

Christina's German Butterkuchen

from my mom

Cake

1 C milk
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 C butter
1 TBSP + 1 1/2 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/4 C lukewarm water
2 eggs
3 1/4 C flour
1/3 C slivered almonds

Topping

3/4 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 TBSP cold butter

Scald milk. Add 1/2 C sugar, salt and butter and cool to lukewarm.

Stir together yeast and 1 tsp sugar. Add water and dissolve. Stir into COOLED milk mixture.

Beat eggs with 1 C flour. Add rest of flour alternately with milk/yeast mixture, mixing well after each addition.

Grease 9x13 pan. Spread batter evenly in it. Set it warm place to rise 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together sugar and cinnamon for topping. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

When cake has risen, sprinkle butter topping evenly over it. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and serve.

Christina's Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream

adapted from Our Best Bites

2 C cherries, pitted and coarsely chopped (about 40-50 cherries)
1 4.5 oz dark chocolate bar (about 1 C shavings, but can't go wrong with more)
1 1/2 c. 2% or whole milk
1 c. sugar
2 egg yolks
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract

Combine milk and sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium until bubbles form around the edges. Remove from heat.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk eggs thoroughly. Very slowly, add 1/2 of the hot milk mixture, whisking the yolks constantly. Return pan with remaining milk mixture to stove top and then whisk the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking constantly.

Add whipping cream. Over medium-low heat and stirring constantly, continue heating the custard mixture to 160 degrees. It will start to thicken quickly.

Once ready, remove from heat and add chopped cherries immediately. Add vanilla and almond as well. Let the custard cool (you can use an ice bath if you want to speed that process up) and then place in the fridge to chill for several hours. Once the custard is cooled and chilled, pop it in your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directions.

While ice cream is churning, grate the chocolate. My favorite tool for grating chocolate is this microplane grater. But a regular cheese grater will suffice just fine

Add the chocolate shavings into the ice cream when there's just a few minutes left. If you wait too long and it's already to thick to really mix it well, just stir them in by hand as you transfer your ice cream into another container. Chill in the freezer for a few hours and then enjoy.

Christina's Watermelon Salad with Feta

• 6 cups cubed, chillded watermelon
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion (or other if you don't have red)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 
  
• Combine watermelon, feta cheese, red onion, and mint in a large bowl. Pour the lime juice and olive oil over the watermelon mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Brandon's Favorite Macaroni Salad

from my mom

2 C elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 can tuna, drained
1/4 C onion, thinly chopped
2 medium-large tomatoes
1 C frozen peas, thawed
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, cut into fat slivers (small chunks)

Sauce

1 C mayonnaise
1 tsp mustard
pepper (a few shakes)
paprika (several generous shakes)
garlic powder (some generous shakes)

Cook macaroni and set aside (chill if the rest of the salad is not prepared yet). Mix sauce together in bottom of large bowl. Add everything else and mix well. Chill until serving. Better next day.

Christina's Chocolate Nut Spread

adapted from Blendtec

1/4 C coconut oil, melted
1/3 C honey
2 C almonds
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 C cocoa powder
dash kosher salt

Add coconut oil and almonds to blender jar and secure lid. Run at speed 1 for 15 seconds, then increase to speed 9 for remainder of cycle. Stir toward center of jar, secure lid and speed up to speed 5 for a full cycle. Stir, secure lid and repeat cycle two times. Add everything else and speed up to 5 and run a complete cycle.

Christina's Whole Wheat Donut Holes

from my dad (who got it from his mom)

1 egg
1/3 C sugar
1/4 C coconut oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg

2 C whole wheat flour (some white whole wheat is best)
3 tsp. baking powder
2/3 C milk

Mix together all ingredients through nutmeg and set aside. Sift together flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture, alternating with milk. Mix well. Drop by 1/2 tsp. into hot (about 350 degrees Farenheit) coconut oil. Fry until light brown. Roll (or shake in brown bag) in 1/3 C sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Christina's Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie

adapted from bhg.com

2 pie crusts, prepared and rolled but not baked
1 cup chopped leek (3 medium) or onion (1 large)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup sliced celery (1-1/2 stalks)
1/2 cup chopped red sweet pepper (1 small)
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half, cream, or milk
2 1/2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 cup frozen peas, carrots or mixed vegetables
1 egg, beaten

1. Roll out one pie crust and place in 2 quart baking dish. Set aside.
2.In a large saucepan cook leek, mushrooms, celery, and sweet pepper in hot butter over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the flour, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add broth and half-and-half all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in chicken and peas. Pour into dish.
3.Place second pie crust over chicken mixture in dish. Turn edges of pastry under; flute to edges of dish. Brush pastry with some of the egg. If desired, place cut-out pastry shapes on top of pastry. Brush again with egg.
4.Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Christina's Pork Chops with Craisins, Sweet Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts

adapted from Cheeky Kitchen

2 sweet potatoes
2 cups Brussel sprouts, halved
2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter
5-6 thick-cut pork chops
1/4 large onion, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup white wine (optional; can use chicken broth)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 C Craisins
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce sweet potatoes and zap in microwave to soften, about 7 minutes. Remove, cool, peel, and cut into bite-sized cubes. Toss into a large baking dish with brussell sprouts.

In a large skillet, melt coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add salted-and-peppered pork chops until browned, then transfer to baking dish on top of brussells and sweet potatoes. Add shallots to the skillet, then white wine. Drizzle over pork chops. Drizzle with maple syrup. Toss dried cherries into the baking dish, then salt and pepper everything generously.

Place in oven and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the center of the pork chops are cooked through, and the brussels are tender. Serve with juices slathered all over the veggies and meat. 

Christina's Hollandaise Sauce

adapted from Blendtec

3 eggs yolks

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional)

1/8 tsp dry mustard (optional)

1/8 tsp dry tarragon (optional)

9 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

 

Add first 4 ingredients to jar and secure lid. select "sauces". Remove vented gripper lid insert, press "speed up" to Speed 1 and slowly drizzle melted butter through vent over duration of cycle.  Keep sauce warm until serving.

Christina's Pistachio and Pepita Granola

source unknown

4 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1 cup chopped pistachios
1 cup shelled pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas)

Preheat oven to 275.

Mix all dry ingredients together. Whisk liquids together and add to dry ingredients. Mix until dry ingredients are coated, but not lumped together. Spread onto one cookie sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, then stir thoroughly. Bake for another 15 minutes and stir again. Bake another 15 minutes then allow to cool completely before storing.

Christina's Buckeyes

from my mom, who got it from a candy maker in Ohio

Centers

1 2 1/2 pound jar unsweetened peanut butter (no sugar, but you want it to have salt! Make sure it's not unsalted!)
1 pound butter
5 pounds powdered sugar (or until the right consistency, which might vary some depending on how think your peanut butter is)

Chocolate Coating

2 1/2 oz bags semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 stick paraffin (1/5 pound)

Mix peanut butter and butter together. Add 4 pounds powdered sugar. Try to form into 1/2" ball. If the ball won't hold together or hold shape, keep adding sugar until it does. Place balls on cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate.

Melt chocolate chips and paraffin together in double boiler or crockpot. Keep warm.

Dip centers into chocolate using a toothpick. Do not cover completely; leave an "eye" of PB showing on top.

Replace on cookie sheet and refrigerate until serving.