Amish Broccoli Salad

Amish Broccoli Salad
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 c [light] mayonnaise
1 c [light] sour cream
1/2 c sugar
1/2 t salt
1 c shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

1. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, and salt; toss in broccoli and cauliflower and coat evenly.
2. Gently stir in cheese and bacon, reserving a small amount to sprinkle on top just before serving.

Slow Cooker Cinnamon Almonds

Slow Cooker Cinnamon Almonds
1 egg white
2 t vanilla
4 c raw almonds
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
3 T cinnamon
1/8 t salt
2 T water

1. In a medium bowl, whisk egg white and vanilla until frothy; stir in almonds to coat.
2. In a gallon-sized ziplock bag, toss together sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Using a slotted spoon, spoon almonds in to bag and shake to coat.
4. Spray slow cooker with nonstick spray and dump in all contents of the gallon bag.
5. Cook on high for two hours, stirring every 20 minutes. After the two hours, stir in water, turn heat down to low, and cook for another hour, stirring every 20 minutes.
6. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread almonds evenly to cool.

Roasted Tomato Grilled Cheese

Roasted Tomato Grilled Cheese (Cooking Light)
1 t olive oil
3-4 roma tomatoes, halved and seeded
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
6-8 fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
4 t mayonnaise
2 oz [light] cream cheese
1 c Cheddar cheese
8 slices [whole grain] bread


1. Preheat oven to 400* and line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Combine oil, tomatoes, and garlic on baking sheet; bake for 20 minutes.
3. Remove and discard tomato skins; peel garlic and discard skins. Combine tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper in a food processor.
4. Combine mayonnaise and cheeses in a medium bowl; spread evenly on half of the bread slices.
5. Spread tomato mixture over cheese and top with a dry slice of bread. Lightly spray outsides of sandwiches with cooking spray.
6. Heat a large pan over medium heat and grill sandwiches until golden brown on each side and cheese is melted.

Sopa de Albondigas

Sopa de Albondigas
3/4 + 1/2 t salt, separated
1 c white rice
8 oz lean ground beef
8 oz ground pork
5 T cilantro, minced, separated
1 egg
3 cloves garlic, minced, separated
1 t oregano
1 t pepper
1/4 t cumin
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1/2 jalapeno, roughly chopped
1 T vegetable oil
8 c chicken broth
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 zucchini, chopped

1. In a large pot, bring 4 cups water and salt to a boil; add rice, return to boil, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain rice, rinse with cold water, and drain again.
2. In a large bowl, mix half of the rice with the beef, pork, 3 T cilantro, egg, 1 clove garlic, oregano, 1 t pepper, remaining 1/2 t salt, and cumin until thoroughly combined. Roll into 1" meatballs and place on rimmed baking sheet.
3. In a food processor, process tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and remaining 2 cloves garlic until smooth.
4. In the original pot, heat oil over medium-high heat; carefully add tomato mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
5. Stir in broth and carrots, bring to simmer, and cook until carrots are almost soft, about 10 minutes.
6. Stir in zucchini and remaining rice, then gently add meatballs and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 T cilantro and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate
1/2 c sugar
1 T cocoa powder
2 1/3 c milk*, separated

1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and cocoa powder; whisk in 1/3 cup milk (sometimes I use half & half or heavy whipping cream if I have it in stock).
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; boil for about a minute or two.
3. Take off the burner and stir in remaining 2 cups milk [this is when I pour it for my toddler]; then place back on burner and warm it up to the temperature you'd like.

*The percentage of milk you use will affect the creaminess of the hot chocolate. I mainly use 1% because that's what we buy and it works great for us.