Mouse's Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

1 Cup Crisco

1 Cup real Butter (not cold but also not at room temperature)

2 tsp. Vanilla

2 lbs. Powdered Sugar

1/2 - 3/4 cup COLD heavy whipping cream

Method:

In large mixing bowl beat butter and crisco until creamy and smooth (about 10 minutes).  Add 1 lb. powdered sugar on low speed and blend, increase speed to medium and beat until light.  Add vanilla.  Add 1/2 cup cold cream and beat to blend.  Add remaining powdered sugar and beat until smooth.  Add remaining cream.  Beat 5 minutes and switch to whisk attachment and beat until light (10-15 minutes)

Mouse is an amazing baker and actually owned her own bakery.  I am grateful she was willing to share some of her secrets with me.

Guacamole Vidinhar Style

Ingredients:

3 Avocados
1 Lime, juiced
1 tsp. Garlic salt
2 Tomatoes, diced
1/2 Can Black Beans, drained
Pinch of Cumin
1/2 cup diced Onion

Mix together and enjoy!

Salsa Vidinhar Style

Ingredients:

2 Large cans, petite diced tomatoes
2 jalepenos (1 with seeds)
1 yellow chili
Cilantro
1 Lime
1/2 Tbs. Cumin
3 tsp. Garlic Salt

Method:

• Drain juice from tomatoes
• put 1 can tomatoes in food processor with 1/2 of all veggies (not lime)
• process until smooth, empty in bowl
• take 1/2 can of tomatoes and mix other half of vegetables, process coarsely, add to bowl
• pour last 1/2 of can of tomatoes into bowl and mix
• squeeze lime, with as much pulp as you can
• add cumin and garlic salt

Fair Scones

Ingredients:

2 cups (9 oz.) All Purpose Flour
1 Tbs. Baking Powder
4 Tbs. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
4 Tbs. Cold Butter (I use sweet cream butter)
3/4 cup Heavy Cream
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 Tbs. Sugar (to sprinkle on top of scones)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400*.  Place flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and butter in a food processor.  Pulsate everything in 3 second intervals until everything resembles course meal.  If doing it by hand, use 2 knives, a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles course meal.

Transfer everything to a large bowl.  Stir in heavy cream, egg and vanilla mixing dough by hand until it forms into a uniform and slightly moistened dough.  You can also you use a Kitchen Aid mixer on the lowest speed for a few minutes.

On a floured surface, grab enough dough to fit into your hand, about the size of a baseball, and gently roll it into a ball.  Flatten the your ball slightly, leaving the middle of the mound a little taller than the outsides.  Evenly sprinkle sugar on top of each mound.  Cut each circle in quarters.  You should have enough dough to make 4 circles and 16 scones.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 400* degrees for about 15 minutes.  Watch the scones and when they begin to crack a little and the bottom is just starting to turn golden.

Serve with butter and jam.

Stan's Famous Finger Steaks

My dad first had these as a teenager in Boise, Idaho at Mylo's Torch cafe.  It became favorite spot for special occasions.  Now we have a Super Bowl Sunday Tradition where these finger steaks are a must!

3 lb Top Round Roast (cut in 3" long strips 1/2"X 1/2" by 3)

For Breading: Combine
1.5 cups flour
3 TBS (heaping) Johnny's Seasoning Salt
3 TBS (heaping) Pappy's Seasoning
1 TBS Black Pepper
1/2 tsp. White pepper
1 tsp. Cumin
2 tsp onion flakes or powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp (optional) cayenne pepper

Wet ingredients: Beat together
4 eggs
1/8 cup milk

Method:
Dry the meat strips with paper towels.  Dip meat strips in egg mixture. Roll strips in flour.  Set strips aside doe 10 minutes.  To obtain extra crispy steaks roll strips in flour again.  Preheat olive oil in frying pan  , about a quarter inch deep, on medium temp (until it just begins to smoke).

Cook for about one minute and flip to other side and cook for an additional minute.

Hawaiian French Toast

Hawaiian French Toast

Favorite sliced bread
Toasted coconut
Crushed Frosted Flakes
6 Eggs
1 Tbs. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Vanilla
3 Tbs. Milk or Heavy Cream
Butter

Mix together eggs, vanilla, cinnamon & milk for dipping.  In a separate bowl mix equal parts, frosted flakes and toasted coconut.  Spread coconut mixture onto a plate.

Dip your bread into the egg mixture and then press into the coconut/frosted flake spread.  Butter hot pan and fry bread on both sides and top with a little butter and maple or buttermilk syrup.  Enjoy!

Buttermilk Syrup

1 cup of butter
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of buttermilk
2 Tbs. corn syrup
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp vanilla

In a large pot combine butter, sugar, buttermilk and corn syrup and bring to a boil.  Boil for 3 minutes and remove from heat.  Add vanilla.  Let cool.  Mixture will thicken as it cools.

Penne Lucana

This is a copy cat recipe from one of our favorite Italian restaurant, Il Lucana.

1 package of Penne Pasta (I prefer rigatoni)
2 Italian Sausages
Pepperoni
Favorite jar of Pasta sauce ( I use Bertolli organic with olive oil, basil & garlic)
Fresh mozzarella cheese

Boil/drain your pasta.  Dump into a 9X13 pan.  Cook sausages in skillet with a little water until water evaporates.  Continue adding water and turning sausages until cooked all the way through.  Remove from pan and slice into medallions.  Return medallions back to pan to caramelize for 1 minute.  Remove from pan and mix in with the pasta in the 9X13 pan.  Dollop pasta sauce over pasta and sausage.  Layer pepperoni over the top (generously) sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and bake at 350 until cheese is melted.