Bread Pudding and Cheese Blintzes

For Tonya :)

Bread Pudding
6 cups bread pieces
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs (or more - I use more because I like it more custard-y)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
about 2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup raisins or apples (optional)

Beat eggs, add sugar, vanilla and milk. Pour over bread and raisins, mix together. Bake in lightly greased 9x13 at 350*F for about 30 minutes. The middle should not jiggle when it is done.


Cheese Blintzes
2 loaves thin-sliced sandwich bread
16 oz cream cheese
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
cinnamon sugar mixture
sour cream

Cut crusts off bread, roll each slice flat. Beat cream cheese, egg yolks, and sugar with mixer until smooth. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling on each slice of bread. Roll up, cut each roll in half. Dip blintzes in butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350*F for 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, with sour cream if you like. Makes about 100 blintzes.

Cafe Rio

Cafe Rio Pork
5-6 lb pork roast
21 oz Dr Pepper
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
7 oz can chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
6ish oz jar red taco sauce (mild, medium or hot - whatever you want)
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Place roast in crock pot, cover half-way with water and cook on low overnight or for 12 hours. Then drain pork. Mix remaining ingredients until sugar dissolves. (I use the Dr Pepper to rinse the chipotle chilis to get the sauce off, then throw away the actual chilis. It has plenty of spice just from the sauce.) Add the Dr Pepper mixture to the roast and cook on low an additional 4 hours. Then shred the roast and cook another 2 hours.

Tomatillo Dressing
1 package ranch dressing mix
3 tomatillos
1 cup mayo
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup cilantro (or more - I just use half a bunch)
3 cloves garlic
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp green tabasco sauce
juice from 1 lime

Dump everything in the blender and blend until smooth.

Cafe Rio Rice
4 cups water
2 cups rice
4 tsp chicken bouillon
4 tsp garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green chilis
3/4 tsp salt
1 T butter
1/2 an onion

Blend cilantro, green chilis and onion together in food processor. Bring water to boil and add all ingredients. Simmer 30 minutes.

Serve with:
tortillas
black beans
lettuce
pico de gallo (or salsa)
guacamole
cheese
sour cream

Black-Eyed Peas for New Years?

So I never was a huge fan of Mom's "black-eyed peas on New Years for good luck!" But here's a recipe that after only a sample tasting became a hit with me! You've got to give it a try!

Bean Salsa

2 cans black beans (drained & washed)
2 cans shoe peg canned corn (drained)
1 can black-eyed peas (drained & washed)
2-3 avacados, chopped or diced
6-7 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 pkgs (dry) Zesty Italian dressing (Good Seasoning brand) - Mix it as directed, but use only half the amount of oil.

Toss together and enjoy with tortilla chips - it's a light meal all by itself!

Pumpkin Swirl Bread

Mom asked me for this recipe yesterday, so I thought I'd share! I like it because it's very much like pumpkin cake roll, but much faster and simpler. It's also not as sweet - a good recipe for kids, especially if you use whole wheat flour. Cutting the sugar in the pumpkin part makes even makes it breakfast worthy!

1 8oz pgk cream cheese, softened
1/4 c sugar
1 egg, beaten

Combine the above, beating until smooth, then set aside.

1 3/4 c flour
1 1/2 c sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 c pumpkin
1/2 c butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c water

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare 1 5x9-in loaf pan - grease & flour, or spray.

Combine the dry ingredients and spices. Combine the wet ingredients, then mix together with the dry until moistened. Reserve 2 cups - pour the rest into prepared pan. Pour cream cheese mixture over pumpkin batter, then top with reserved batter. Cut several times with a knife to swirl.

Bake 1 hour. Allow to cool to facilitate cutting. Enjoy!

Note: If you're like me and just eyeball it, be generous with the amount you hold back for putting on top of the cheese mixture - I always find I should have saved a little more. Maybe I should actually measure next time!

General Conference Quiz

(Note to Tonya and kids - this is kind of a family tradition that we've previously done by email - we thought we'd just use the blog this time. Sorry to confuse you - we'll get back to recipes soon! :-))

Mom's questions:
1. Which apostle mentioned one of Mom's favorite movies?
2. What repentant early apostate's great-great-grandson is now president of the Recife Brazil temple?
3. What beautiful imagery did Elder Jay E Jensen use to describe how the "seeds of testimony" have grown in his life?

I'll have to get back to you with my answers to your questions :-)

Conference Questions

1. What was the opening hymn for the first session?
2. What was the theme (in your opinion) for this conference?
3. Who spoke to teachers in the church?

Have fun!!!

Testing, Testing... Conference Quiz!

So how did you like conference? I know, that's a silly question. :) Here are my questions - I can't wait to see yours!

1. Who talked about walking across a newly varnished floor?
2. Which virtue did President Monson suggest was the parent of all other virtues?
3. How many times was President Benson's 14 Points of Following the Prophet quoted? (It seemed to us that lots of people quoted President Benson on various topics this conference!)

Talk to you all soon - And I have recipes to post - check back soon!