Sopapilla Cheese--Breakfast. Dessert. Breakfast. Hmmmm.

Hmmm.  Not sure how to classify this recipe.  I have served it for breakfast, and I have served it for dessert.  But with cream cheese and sugar, how can you go wrong--any time of day?!  This is one of those Internet recipes that actually turned out.    (Terry)






SOPAPILLA CHEESE
Ingredients:
2 cans Pillsbury butter crescent rolls
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup butter (melted)
Cinnamon & sugar: 1/4 cup sugar and 1 TB cinnamon
Instructions:
Unroll and spread 1 can crescent rolls on bottom of un-greased 9 x 13 pan. Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread mixture over crescent rolls. Unroll and spread remaining crescent rolls over mixture. Spread melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Cream Cheese with Jalapeno Jelly--Be Brave

   My husband belongs to a community orchestra.  Clarinet.  Two or three years ago when I was helping with one of their bake sales, someone provided samples of one of the items for sale:  Jalepeno Jelly.  They were serving the jelly with cream cheese and Ritz crackers.  Now that was one strange combination, and I wasn't about to get involved with that.  But after listening to oohs and aahs for several hours, I decided to give it a try.  Now that is one delicious combination of tastes.  So I ended up with several jars of jalapeno jelly.
   One night I took some to a taster's table at Relief Society.  No one would try it.  I assured them it was really good.  Finally, one brave soul loaded up a Ritz, and the rest is history.    Last month I decided to serve my DUP group something other than a dessert.  Yup.  The ole jalapeno thing.  Again, it took a few moments to get the thing off the ground, but by the time they left, I think I had about enough left for two crackers.
   You just gotta be brave.   (Terry)


 CREAM CHEESE WITH JALAPENO JELLY
1 C jalapeno jelly
8 oz. cream cheese
Ritz crackers
Unwrap the cream cheese and set on a serving dish for several hours so it will get to room temperature.  Stir jalapeno jelly a little to loosen up and spread over cream cheese.  Serve with Ritz crackers as dippers.

White Chocolate Puffcorn--One Cool Thing

One cool thing about family reunions is the recipes you pick up from all your relatives.  Last year at our Bateman family reunion, my cousin Kim (hmmm--ahhh--Kim---ahhh--Dang.  What's her married name?  Oh well.) nee Bateman brought a treat that disappeared in about 2 minutes.  And only 2 ingredients.  What's not to like about numbers like that?!  (You're gonna want to triple this recipe.  One recipe for you.  The other two to share with the rest of the family.  Trust me on this.)    (Terry)


WHITE CHOCOLATE PUFFCORN
Melt 3 squares (6 ounces) of white almond bark in the microwave.  Pour over 1 bag (3 1/2 ounces) of Chester's Puffcorn--Butter Flavor.  Mix well.
NOTE:  Make sure you buy Puffcorn and not popcorn.

Cinnamon Chip Zucchini Bread--Now It's Coming Out Of Your Ears...More Zucchini

  Back when cinnamon chips were an exclusive item, I came across this recipe for zucchini bread made with cinnamon chips.  Now, I think, you can buy these chips about anywhere.  There is nothing better than cinnamon chip zucchini bread fresh from the oven.  Mmmm.  Mmmm.  (Terry)


CINNAMON CHIP ZUCCHINI BREAD
Combine in a large bowl:
3 C flour, 1 tp baking soda, 1/4 tp baking powder, 1 tp cinnamon, and 1 tp salt.
In a smaller bowl, whisk together:
3 eggs, 2 C sugar, and 1 tp vanilla.
Stir into wet ingredients:
1/2 C sour cream, 1 C vegetable oil, and 2 C shredded zucchini.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
Add 1 1/2 C cinnamon chips, just barely stirring. (This leaves you just enough chips from the bag to enjoy while the bread is cooking.)
Pour batter into two grease loaf pans:  8 1/2" x 4 1/2".  Bake 55-65 Minutes or until done.  Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans.
NOTE:  If you coat the chips with some of your flour before adding to the batter, it will help prevent all your chips from sinking to the bottom of the pan while your bread cooks.

Chicken Stir Fry--Still Using My Year's Supply...Of Zucchini

    If you still have one of those 6-foot long zucchinis that I shared with you this summer, then this next recipe is for you.  This is one of my favorite stir-fry recipes.  I have made it many times over the years, and even Wayne, who as you know is not a fan of squash, enjoys it.  Increase amounts according to the number of people you are serving.  I usually double the amount of vegetables and still use just the 1 chicken breast.  (Terry)


CHICKEN STIR-FRY
Heat a large frying pan.  Add 2 TB oil and heat to a shimmer.  Add the following prepped vegetables and chicken:
1 diced chicken breast
1 very large onion, sliced
1 green pepper, cut into strips and then halved
1 zucchini, sliced (NOW IF YOU HAVE ONE OF MY 6-FOOTERS, DON'T USE THE WHOLE DANG THING.)
1 stalk of celery cut into small chunks, on the slant
Cook until chicken is done and vegetables are as crisp or tender as your family prefers.

Orange Zucchini Bread--More Of The Same: Zucchini

  Still have zucchini?  Yeah, me, too.  So here is another zucchini recipe that I really, really like.  It has been adapted from Our Best Bites.  (Terry)
   
ORANGE ZUCCHINI BREAD
2 1/4 C flour
2 tp cinnamon
1/8 tp ground cloves
1/2 tp salt
1 1/2 tp baking soda
1/2 C canola oil
3/4 C granulated sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tp vanilla
zest from one large orange
1/2 C sour cream
3 C grated zucchini
optional: 2/3 C chopped pecans, toasted (optional)
Beat eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla for about 30 seconds. Add sour cream and orange zest and beat to combine. Mix in zucchini.
Mix together:  flour, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and baking soda.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.  Mix just until combined.
Spread batter into 2 greased loaf pans.  Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan.

Blueberry Lemon Poppy Zuccini Bread--My MOST Favorite Zucchini Bread! Try It. You'll Like It.

  Remember when a few months ago I told you I have zucchini galore.  (And still do and it is now January of the following year.)  Well today I have a craving for my MOST favorite zucchini bread recipe.  I have several different breads I like, and will periodically pass the recipes on, but this is the one I like the most.  I got it this past fall at our Eastern Idaho State Fair.  I attended a workshop taught by Nancy Weber, and it is her recipe.  (Terry)


BLUEBERRY LEMON POPPY ZUCCHINI BREAD
1 C canola oil
2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tp lemon extract (yes, extract, not juice)
1/2 - 1 tp almond extract
1 TB grated lemon peel
2 1/2 C grated zucchini
1 TB poppy seeds
2 1/2 C flour
1 tp salt
1 tp baking soda
1 tp baking powder
1 1/4 C blueberries
In a large bowl, mix oil and sugar, by hand.  Add eggs and extracts.  Mix well.  Stir in zucchini lemon peel, and poppy seeds. 
In a separate bowl mix together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.  Stir until combined.  Gently fold in blueberries.  Pour into 2 greased loaf pans.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in come out clean.  Let cool 10 minutes, then remove from pans.
Glaze:
Mix together:  2 tp lemon juice, 2 TB butter, 1 tp almond extract, 1 TB milk, and 1+ C powdered sugar to desired consistency.  Spoon over mostly cooled bread.  Let cool completely to allow glaze to set up.