Scones

These are "Utah scones" I guess.

After living here, I've realized New Englanders call it fried dough...and scones are more like biscuits?! 

This is MY idea of a scone.

We ate these with minestrone soup last night, perfect for a cold snowy evening.

(and we had the missionaries over, both from Utah, so they were thrilled to have scones)

AND ALWAYS SERVE WITH HONEY BUTTER!!!
½ cup butter, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup honey

*TRULY*

Mom’s Scones

1 cup warm water

1 cup warm milk

1 Tbsp. dry active yeast

3 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1/4 cup melted butter, cooled

1 Tbsp. salt

5 – 6 cups bread flour

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Combine warm water and warm milk. Stir in the sugar. Add dry active yeast and stir lightly. Allow yeast to activate, about 10 minutes. 

In a stand mixer, fitted with a bread hook, add milk mixture and melted cooled butter. 

Add the salt. 

Start the mixer and add the flour one cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. 

Dough should be slightly sticky but workable. Cover the dough in the bowl with a towel. Set in a warm place and allow raise until double.

Pour your oil in a large pan (with sides deep enough to fully immerse the scones) or a deep fryer and heat slowly over medium to medium high heat. While the oil is heating, roll the dough out onto the counter, without flour, into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. You may choose to butter the counter lightly. (i didn't)

Using a pizza cutter, cut into squares or triangles.

Heat oil to between 350 – 400 degrees and cook scones until golden brown. 

Serve immediately.

(recipe and images from http://www.make-it-do.com/cook-it-bake-it/moms-scones/)

Glazed Pork Chops

This dinner was a hit!

The pork chops, with garlic mashed (recipe below)

Add a side of applesauce...everyone is happy!

*TRULY*

Glazed Pork Chops

STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and spices (1/2 teaspoon each salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika and garlic powder or whatever spice blend you like).

STEP 2: Remove the pork chops from their package and rub the brown sugar/spice mix all over both sides. Use all of the spice mix.

STEP 3: Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium/high heat. When the oil is nice and hot (it will look wavy in the pan), add the pork chops. Cook the chops for about 5 minutes on each side or until they are nicely browned.

STEP 4: If you are using an oven safe skillet, place the skillet in the oven for an additional 5 minutes to make sure they are cooked through. If your skillet is not oven safe (most plastic handled skillets and teflon are not safe in the oven), transfer the chops to a baking sheet lined with foil then place in the oven.

STEP 5: Remove the chops from the oven and drag each side around in the thick glaze that has formed around the chops in the pan prior to serving.

GARLIC MASHED

4 lbs peeled, cubed potatoes

5 Tablespoons real butter

1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

6 cloves roasted garlic (directions are below)

1- 1 1/2 Cups warm skim milk (any milk will do, I used skim)

1 Tablespoon salt, or to taste (i add only 1/2 Tablespoon)

1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste

Place potatoes into a large pot of cold water. Place onto stove top over high heat and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the work bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix on low until potatoes are mashed then add butter, Parmesan, garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Season to taste if needed. For thinner mashed potatoes add more milk, slowly until your desired consistency.

Scoop mashed potatoes onto serving plates and top with pork chops and soup gravy from crock pot. I put a little parsley on top to serve.

Roasted Garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place bulb of garlic with skins on, wrap lightly in tin foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove from foil and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove garlic from skins, place in a bowl and mash with a fork until completely mashed. Set aside. One garlic bulb will have around 12 cloves.

Another good one.

It's different, but we liked it.

Honey Garlic Chicken

(crock pot recipe)

1 package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 c soy sauce

1/2 c ketchup

1/2 c honey

pinch of basil

salt & pepper to taste

Cut your chicken breasts in half, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in bottom of crock pot. Chop up your garlic cloves

Mix garlic, soy sauce, ketchup, honey and basil in a bowl and stir. 

Add mixture to crock pot.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours (mine actually cooked slightly faster than this). 

Remove chicken from crock pot and transfer to covered plate to keep warm. 

Reduce the sauce in a pot until thickened to desired consistency. Serve sauce over chicken. The original recipe also serves it with fresh, shredded basil on top, but I didn't have any on hand.

(i didn't follow this part of the recipe)

I actually just left it in the crock pot and shredded it, then served it over rice with the liquid.

I would make it again.

*Truly*

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

approx 3 1/2 lbs beef chuck roast

16-oz. beef broth (1 1/2 cans)

1 10.5-oz. can condensed French onion soup

6-oz red wine (you can substitute this)

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper, to taste

4-6 French rolls

sliced provolone cheese, optional

Trim excess fat off of beef roast and season meat all over with salt and pepper.

Pour beef broth, condensed French onion soup, red wine and garlic powder into slow cooker and place beef roast into liquid.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Slow cookers have different time intervals that you can select, so work with your cooker. Depending on how the settings on your slow cooker work, the time will vary. Since this is cooking in liquid, you don’t have to worry about the meat drying out in the same way you might if you were roasting the meat in the oven. Mine took 7 1/2 hours and was falling apart tender.

Take beef out and rest it, covered with aluminum foil, for about 15 minutes. Slice beef and return to slow cooker on low or very low for 30 minutes.

Lightly toast the bread and evenly distribute cheese between rolls, if using. Divide beef onto rolls and spoon the beef juice* into ramekins or other small bowls and eat everything while it is hot. Serve each sandwich with its own dip.

Seves 4-6.

*Note: If there is excess fat in your au jus, simply pour it from the slow cooker into a large measuring cup and let it stand for about 5 minutes so the fat separates. Skim it off, then pour the juice into serving cups.

I made these this week, they were a huge hit. Delicious!

*Truly*