Mountain Fuel Cookies

When Rob's mother, Ivie, worked at Mountain Fuel in Salt Lake City she acquired this recipe. The Phippens grew up enjoying these chocolate sensations and always called them the Mountain Fuel Cookies. They are truly delicious and easy to bake.

MOUNTAIN FUEL COOKIES
1 box of brownie or chocolate cake mix
1/3 C shortening
2 eggs

FROSTING
1 C powdered sugar
1/2 t vanillla
1 T milk

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat until well mixed. Scoop out spoonfuls of dough and roll into balls. Place, about 2 inches apart, on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the bottom of the cookie is lightly browned. Place cookies on a wax paper lined cooling rack. While cookies are cooling prepare frosting. Combine all the frosting ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whip until mixed. You may need to add a bit more milk to get the right consistency. Once the cookies are cool you can make the "sandwiches". Place frosting in between 2 of the cookies making a cookie sandwich. Repeat until finished then serve.

*Note: A simple cream cheese or butter cream frosting is really good with the cookies too.

Thai Inspired Stir Fry

We love stir fry around my house. My children affectionately call it "chickie rice". They request it for dinner at least once a week. This past week I decided to add some flair to our stir fry. I used Jasmine rice and coconut milk to give our dish a Thai flair. It was so fun to taste the sweet and spicy in one simple dish. Give it a try!

THAI INSPIRED STIR FRY
Rice:
Jasmine rice
1 can of coconut milk
water

Stir-fry:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped
1 zucchini, diced
2 red bell peppers, cored & chopped
2 broccoli crowns, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 green onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
Any other veggies you'd like to add for flavor.
1/2 C Yoshida's sauce
1/4 C light soy sauce
2 t red pepper
1/4 t garlic salt

First, prepare the Jasmine rice according to package or rice cooker instructions. Substitute half of the water required with coconut milk. If you like the rice even sweeter only use the coconut milk, no water. While rice is cooking, warm a large, deep skillet. Pour soy sauce in skillet and warm. Add chicken chunks to medium-high heat. Stir. Add half of Yoshida's sauce, fresh garlic and garlic salt. Saute chicken until cooked through. Stir in all other ingredients. Saute, on medium heat, until the vegetables are cooked but still a tad bitey. Do not overcook the vegetables, they'll turn to mush! When the rice is done place a scoop of it into a bowl. Top with the stir-fry mix. Serve.

Scrambled Eggs

I know I'm not the only mom in the whole world that knows how to make scrambled eggs. That being said, scrambled eggs are one of my kids' favorite foods. Here is how I make 'em up!

SCRAMBLED EGGS
6 eggs
1/2 C of grated cheese
1/4 C milk
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
pinch of garlic salt

Crack the eggs open and pour contents into a mixing bowl. Add other ingredients. Mix with a whisk or fork until well blended. Coat a skillet with non-stick spray and set on stove at medium-high heat. Pour egg mix into the warmed skillet. Let sit for a moment then scrape and turn the eggs in the skillet. Keep doing this until the eggs are fully cooked. Serve with toast.

Dad's Mashed Potatoes

Making mashed potatoes is a serious business to my dad. If you add or alter them in anyway he accuses you of destroying them! The funny thing is, my Grandpa takes mashed potato making serious too. Must be a Smith man thing. Here is Dad's simple yet yummy recipe for flawless potatoes.

DAD'S MASHED POTATOES
Potatoes, peeled and cut into equal pieces
water, to boil potatoes in
1/4 C of milk
1/4 C of butter
1/4 C of sour cream
1 t salt

Place the potatoes in a pot of boiling water. Bring back to a boil then turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook for 35-45 minutes or until the potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork. Drain the water off the potatoes. Mash the potatoes. Add milk, butter, sour cream and salt. Mash a bit more then blend with a mixer until smooth. If needed, add more milk, butter, and/or salt to taste.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

A few years ago my mom asked me to find a new side dish for Thanksgiving. That very day I decided to watch an episode of America's Test Kitchen. They demonstrated this recipe for mashed sweet potatoes and I decided it needed to be a dish at Thanksgiving. We've served these sweet, creamy taters ever since.

MASHED SWEET POTATOES
4 T butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 T heavy cream
1/2 t salt
1 t sugar
2 pounds of sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into equal pieces
1/4 t black pepper

Combine butter, cream, salt, sugar and potatoes in a large pot. Stir together then cook, covered, on low heat. Stir occasionally. Cook until potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork, 35-45 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash potatoes then beat until smooth. Stir in pepper and serve.

Fruit Salad

Gramma MAS loved compiling fancy fruit salads. My mom took her fruity fun a step further and added whipped cream and pecans to the top of the salad to make it truly irresistible.

FRUIT SALAD
1 cantaloupe, peeled and cut into pieces
2-4 oranges, peeled and cut into pieces
2-4 apples, cored and sliced into pieces
1 pint of strawberries, stems removed and sliced
1 jar of maraschino cherries, juice included
1-2 cans of pineapple chunks, juice included
1/2 bunch of green grapes, removed from stem

optional:
blueberries
blackberries
pomegranate seeds
mini-watermelon
peaches
Basically any fruit you'd like to add. The more the better!
pecans (to top the salad)

Make sure all fruit is washed, prepared and cut into bite size pieces. Compile the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir. Let sit for 10 minutes to let juices combine. In the meantime...

WHIPPED CREAM
1 carton of heavy whipping cream
1 t vanilla
1/4 C powdered sugar (more if you like it sweeter)

Pour cream into a mixing bowl. Add vanilla. Start beating on high with a mixer. Slowly add powdered sugar. Continue to beat until peaks begin to form in the cream. Beat until you achieve desired texture.

Serve fruit salad in a bowl. Top with whipped cream and pecans, if desired.

Date Pinwheel Cookies

Grandmother Scarlett loved baking these delectable treats for her grandchildren. My dad remembers running into her quaint house, passing her altogether, heading straight to her freezer and grabbing a cookie, then returning to give Grandmother a hug and a kiss, his mouth already full of date pinwheel goodness. Here is her authentic recipe, straight from our Alabama heritage to your kitchen!

DATE PINWHEEL COOKIE DOUGH:
1 C butter, softened
2 C brown sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
4 C flour, sifted
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda

Cream the butter with a mixer. Add the brown sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Mix the flour, salt, and soda in a bowl. Pour the dry mix into the cream mix. Stir until well blended. Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator, about 2 hours.

DATE FILLING:
2 1/4 C chopped dates
1 C water
1 C sugar
1 1/2 C chopped pecans

Cook the dates, sugar, and water in a saucepan over low heat until thickened. It usually takes about 10 minutes. Add the pecans then let cool.

When filling is cool dough is chilled take the dough and divide it in half. Roll each half out, on a lightly floured surface, until about a quarter inch thick. Spread half of the filling on each dough half. Roll up the dough, like a jelly roll or cinnamon roll loaf. Wrap the two rolls in wax paper and chill in the refrigerator. After about an hour or two, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Cut the rolls, with a sharp knife, to be about a quarter inch thick. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray then place cookies on it. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes until the top is golden brown. Remove cookies from sheet and place on a wax paper lined cooling rack. Serve after the cookies are cool to the touch.