Mousse Parfait

A favorite at our house, and we often will make this with sugar free jello pudding, and light cream cheese and whipped topping to make it a bit lower fat/sugar for us, and set some aside without the graham crackers for the diabetic. Mmm!

4 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 C milk
1 pkg instant chocolate pudding
4 oz whipped topping (1/2 8 oz tub)
1 pkg graham crackers (16 crackers)

Gradually whip softened cream cheese with milk until smooth. Add pudding powder until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Roughly break crackers into 1" size pieces. To assemble, place 1/8 cup crackers in parfait dishes, top with 1/2 cup mousse then repeat. Use remaining cracker crumbs to garnish tops as well as chocolate shavings from a candy bar if you wish. The entire dessert can also be made in a 9" square baking dish, making 2-3 layers. Chill until ready to serve. Serves 6.

May use homemade whipped cream...

Whipped cream

1 C COLD heavy cream
Small pinch salt

Mix in a COLD bowl, and halfway through the mixing, add:
1-2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla


Alternative recipe

Dissolve 1/2 C nonfat dry milk, in 1/3 C COLD water, chill well.

Whip to soft peaks. Add 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Whip to peaks again. Beat 2-4 Tbsp sugar in lightly.

Chicken and Dumpling Soup

1 chicken, 3 lbs, cut up (or several whicken breasts)
6 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
6 peppercorns
3 whole cloves
1 can chicken broth
1 can each cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups chopped carrots
1 onion chopped
2 cups chopped potatoes
1 bayleaf
1 cup frozen peas
1 tsp seasoned salt

Place chicken, water, bouillon, peppercorns and cloves in large kettle, cook until tender. Cool, skim off fat. Cut meat into chunks. Strain broth and add soups, broth, chicken and remaining ingredients. Cover & simmer on low heat until tender. About 30 minutes before serving add the dumplings*.

Dumplings:
2 C flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg, well beaten
2/3 C milk

Sift dry ingredients together. Add egg melted butter & enough milk to moisten stiff batter. Drop by teaspoons into boiling liquid. Cook covered without "peeking" for 18-20 minutes or until done.

Makes 10-12 servings.

*I have a note on my recipe to try Mom Howlett's Homemade Egg Noodles instead of the dumplings. I think the dumplings just seemed a bit too much.

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

A DELICIOUS recipe from the kitchen of LaNae Callahan* 

2 medium heads of cauliflower cut up small (or broccoli)

1/2 cup butter

1 to 1 1/3 cup chopped onion chopped fine

4 tablespoons flour

4 cups chicken broth

1 quart half & half

1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce (I usually put in a couple of tablespoons because I think

it really gives it great flavor)

1 teaspoon salt

1 lb. Velveeta cheese (grated or cut up)

Cook cauliflower or broccoli in boiling salted water. Do not overcook. Drain, reserve the liquid. Melt butter in sauce pan. Add onion and cook till soft. Blend in flour and cook for about 1 minute or so to get rid of the raw flour taste. Add chicken broth slowly and then bring to a boil stirring constantly. Add liquid from cauliflower (2 cups) If it doesn't measure out to be two cups then add extra water. Add half & half, worchestershire sauce and salt. Bring to a boil. Add cheese a little at a time so it melts smoothly. Blend in cauliflower or broccoli carefully so not to make it mushy.

(*My cousin Warren Whitford's MIL - served at one of their baby's blessing celebrations)

Semi-Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

jillee’s family’s favorite semi-homemade hot chocolate mix

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 4 cups powdered milk
• 21.8 oz box Nestle Nesquik (you could substitute the homemade Nesquik, I just haven’t tried it yet.)
• 16 oz instant coffee creamer
• 1 cup powdered sugar (you can adjust this to taste. I like it a little less sweet and this amount is perfect).

Mix all of this together in a big bowl. (Trust me on this one!) Pour into a storage jar or canister. To make a mug of cocoa, fill it with water or milk and heat in the microwave. Add 3-5 heaping tablespoons of mix to the cup and stir well.

Got this recipe from here.

NO PECTIN STRAWBERRY JAM

Combine in a saucepan, bring to a boil and boil TWO minutes.
4 c. crushed fruit
2 T. apple cider vinegar
Then add:
4 c. sugar
Stir and bring to a boil. Boil TEN minutes
Put into hot jars that have been prepared for canning. Fill to within ½ inch of the top. Put hot lids on clean jar surface. Screw on rings. Turn jars upside down for 15 minutes and then turn them right side up again. If a jar does not seal by morning, use it first.

I found this recipe on facebook, and I wanted to document it so I can try it someday when we have lots of strawberries again, like this last spring! Mmm! (Melissa Howlett's fb page.)

Davidson's Sticky Popcorn

Put 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a glass dish and microwave for two minutes.  Stir in 1 cup mini marshmallows. Microwave for one minute. Stir again. Pour mixture over 2 quarts (or 2 bags) popcorn in a large bowl and mix in 2 more cups mini marshmallows.

Yum!!

(Brianna Davidson submitted this as her favorite FHE treat at least ten years ago! It was a quick favorite, even for this person who doesn't like caramel corn!)