Caramel Popcorn

Contributed by Kelly Tillberg

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 quarts popped popcorn

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (95 degrees C)
• Place popcorn in a very large bowl
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter
• Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly
• Boil without stirring 4 minutes
• Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla
• Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat
• Place in two large shallow baking dishes and bake in preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour
• Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces

Date-Filled Oatmeal Bars

Contributed by Claranita Ernstrom, Martinez Ward (currently serving a mission in the Oakland-San Francisco Mission, assigned to the Richmond 3rd Branch)

If you love and remember the date bars that were made by General Mills under the Betty Crocker label you will find these very similar. I have not figured out how to make enough to fill a 9 by 13 pan except to double the recipe but these will fill a 9x9 inch pan.

Bake in oven set at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, makes 25 bars.

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter

Directions:

• Combine the first four ingredients in a medium size bowl
• Cut the butter into these ingredients either with a pastry blender or two knives
• When the mixture is like coarse crumbs press half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9 by 9 inch pan
• Reserve the rest for later

Place following in a saucepan:

8 ounces of dates, snipped or use a package of chopped dates, about 1 1/3 cups.
1/2 cup hot water
1/3 cup sugar

• Place into a saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce heat and let it cook for about 2 minutes or until thickens
• Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Cool until able to spread over the oat mixture
• Spread as close to the edge as possible, then cover with the remaining crumbs
• Bake as set above

Other fruit fillings are possible but this is my favorite.

Soft Pretzels

Contributed by Carolyn Fawcett, Pleasant Hill 2nd Ward

Yields 12 pretzels

Ingredients:

1 pkg. yeast (1 Tbsp.)

1 1/3 cup warm water

1/3 cup brown Sugar
1/8 cup hot water
5 cups flour

Coarse salt

Butter

Directions:

• Dissolve yeast in 1 1/3 cup warm water
• Mix in brown sugar, hot water
• Mix in flour a little at a time until dough forms (may not use it all)
• Knead dough until stretchy and smooth.
• Divide dough into 12 parts and roll into long pieces about 20 inches long.
• Form pretzels in traditional shape.
• Fill a frying pan with water.
• Add 1 Tbsp. baking soda for every cup of water in the pan.
• Bring water to boil.
• Sprinkle coarse salt on greased baking sheet.
• Cook pretzels in boiling soda water for 30 seconds each.
• Lift each pretzel from water and place directly onto greased/salted baking sheet.
• After all pretzels have been boiled and place on baking sheet, bake at 475 for 8 minutes.
• Remove from oven.
• Melt butter and brush on newly baked pretzels, then sprinkle with coarse salt right out of the oven for best results.

Helpful Hints:

• Can also butter and salt before pretzels go in oven.

Veggie Dip

Contributed by Janet Sandberg, Pleasant Hill 2nd Ward

Ingredients:

8 oz. Tofu, cubed
8 oz. yogurt, plain or nonfat
1/2 cup spinach, fresh
1 Tbsp fresh basil (or 1 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. Herb seasoning

Directions:

• In bowl, mix and blend all ingredients until smooth.
• Chill in refrigerator and serve.

Fruit Dip

Contributed by Janet Sandberg, Pleasant Hill 2nd Ward

Ingredients:

1 c. Cottage cheese (lowfat)
2 T Maple syrup
2 T Low-fat Mayonnaise

Directions:

• In mixing bowl, blend all until smooth.
• Chill in refrigerator and serve.

Crab & English Muffin Appetizers

Contributed by Jean Phillips, Martinez Ward

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 6 oz. jar of old english cheese spread
1 1/2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 small can of crab meat drained

6 split english muffins

Directions:

• In bowl, mix together butter, cheese spread, mayonnaise, and crab meat.
• Spread mixture onto the english muffins.
• Place on Cookie sheet and freeze for a few hours.
• Cut into fourths.
• Put in a freezer bag until you need them.
• When ready to serve, remove from freezer and cook on a cookie sheet under broiler for about 4 minute (takes longer in a toaster oven).
• Be sure to watch them and remove when bubbly and edges start to brown.

Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickle Chips

Contributed by Cindy Iverson, Martinez Ward

One year we had a generous harvest of cucumbers (one of which was hooked over into a round fat "U" shape). My husband decided to try his hand at making some homemade pickles. He researched various recipes online and then created his own hybrid recipes of all of them. The recipe is as follows:

8 cups thinly sliced fresh cucumbers
1 medium onion
1 red bell pepper
2 cups sugar
2 cups distilled white vinegar
1 tsp Kosher salt (do NOT use iodized salt)
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp ground turmeric (for color)
1 tsp ground cloves
8-10 whole peppercorns

• Slice cucumbers, onion, and bell pepper and set aside in large bowl. 
• Combine remainder of ingredients in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves and mixture is at a slow boil. 
• Shut off heat immediately. 
• Combine heated mixture with vegetables in the large bowl and let cool to room temperature. 
• When cooled, transfer to an airtight container and store in refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving. 
• Will keep in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks (but it won't last that long).
  

My husband is the pickle fan in the household so he's the one that can offer an official opinion on how they turned out. Here's his direct quote:

"The pickles are sweet--but not too sweet. The peppercorns add a nice little bit of heat along with the slight edge of the red bell pepper. These pickles taste much fresher than the pickles you find at the grocery store. Of course, you can't beat the crunch. They're very crunchy. They would be great on hamburgers although they're tasty right out of the container. It was a grand experiment that actually worked this time. That's all I have to say about that..."

Apparently, he's the Forrest Gump of pickle-making.