Caramels

from Cricket Veenker

2 c brown sugar

1 cup light karo syrup

1/2 c butter

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

Combine brown sugar and karo syrup in a small pot. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the butter cold. Stir for 2 min. Add can of milk and stir. Store in air tight containers. Yum!

Gyoza (Japanese Dumplings)

1/2 pound ground pork

1 t sesame oil

1 t sugar

2 t soy sauce

1/2 t garlic salt

1 t grated fresh ginger

20 gyoza wrappers

1 T vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients other than oil in a bowl. Mix well with hands. Place a teaspoonful of filling in the center of a gyoza wrapper. Using your fingers, wet the edges of the wrapper and then fold the wrapper and seal it together.

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Put gyoza in the pan and fry on high heat until the bottoms become brown. Turn down the heat to low. Add 1/4 c water to the pan. Cover the pan and steam gyoza on low heat until the water is gone. Serve with dipping sauce.

Earthquake Cake

from Bonnie Gunderson (KV mom)

1. Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

2. Layer 1 c. chopped pecans and 1 c. coconut in pan.

3. Make a German chocolate cake mix according to package directions. Pour over layers in pan.

4. Melt 1/2 c butter and 8 oz. cream cheese. Mix with 3 c. powdered sugar and a tiny bit of water.

5. Drizzle on top of cake and bake about 55 min at 350 degrees.

Brownies

1/2 c butter, melted

1 c sugar

1 t vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 c flour

1/3 c cocoa

1/4 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

Heat oven to 350. Grease 9x9 pan. Bake 20-25 min or until brownies begin to pull away from side of pan. Good with or without frosting.

Frosting

3 T butter, softened

3 T cocoa

1 T karo syrup

1/2 t vanilla

1 c powdered sugar

1 to 2 T milk

Beat butter, cocoa, and vanilla in a small bowl. Add powdered sugar and milk, beat to spreading consistency.

Bay Area Burgers

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 t salt

1 t pepper

1/2 t basil

1 lb ground beef

Mix all ingredients together and then grill for a yummy burger.

Christmas Punch

from Janine Michie

8 c water

2 c sugar

1 T whole cloves

3 cinnamon sticks

Boil above ingredients together to make a simple syrup. Let sit for a few hours so that the flavors have time to mix together. Then drain to remove cloves/cinnamon.

Add

1 can frozen lemonade concentrate

1 can (46 oz) pineapple juice

Let it get warm, either on the stove or in a crock pot.

Tillapia

1 egg

splash of milk (about 1/8 cup)

flour

1 cup panko crumbs

1/3 c oil

tartar sauce

In a pie plate, beat egg and add milk. Put a handful of flour on a dinner plate. Pour the panko crumbs onto another dinner plate. Put oil in frying pan and let it get hot.

Dust fish fillet in flour, then dip in egg/milk mixture. Then coat the fish in the panko crumbs. Fry fish until golden brown on each side (about 3-5 min per side). Use tartar sauce for dipping if desired.

Serve with vegetables.