Young Women Cookie Trains

Post By: Michelle Wendelschafer
Last night I went over to the Laura Robinson's home (YW president) and helped the Laurels with our family tradition... Cookie Trains!!! We couldn't find the exact cookies our family normally uses for the trains so we improvised with Graham Crackers... they worked just as well.. They turned out cute.. the girls had fun.. I'm sure if they had more time they would've decorated much more!! It was fun!! Thanks girls for letting me play!!!

This is my family's train from 2000.

Cranberry Bread

Kirsa Van Dusen's
Cranberry Bread

Ingredients
2 cups fresh cranberries or frozen cranberries, chopped
1 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons grated lemons or grated orange rind
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or coarsely chopped pecans
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
Heat oven to 350º.
Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2 × 4 1/2 × 2 1/2 inches or 9 × 5 × 3 inches.
Mix cranberries, sugar, oil, milk, lemon peel, vanilla and eggs in large bowl.
Stir in remaining ingredients.
5Pour into pans.
Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes.
Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans.
Cool completely on wire rack before slicing.
Store tightly wrapped in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Spinach Cranberry Salad

Elaine Jones'

From the Relief Society Progressive Dinner

Spinach Cranberry Salad

1 bag of spinach ready to serve (I added some Spring Mix too)
toasted almonds
dried cranberries
crumbled bacon

Dressing:
1/2 C. oil
4 T. apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 small red onion chopped
1/2 C. sugar

Directions
Toss first four ingredients together in a salad bowl. Blend the next 5 ingredients in a blender until dressing in formed. Toss the salad with the dressing right before serving.

(I was thinking that adding some Mandarine oranges to this would be really good too.)

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

From the Progressive Dinner

Dana Fuller's

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

2 15 oz cans garbanzo beans, drained

1/3 C. olive oil

3 T. lemon juice

1 t. tahini (Ilenia says you can omit that, I haven't tried that)

1/2 t. salt

1 t. cumin (you can omit and just sprinkle some on top if you like)

2 cloves garlic

1/2 t. salt

6 oz. roasted red peppers (about half of a jar, reserve some of its juices)

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Mix everything in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add the juice from the roasted red peppers to get it to the right consistency. (About 1/3 c. of juice)? Continue to blend until smooth.

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Serve with veggies or pita bread.

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Melissa Biggs (from Super Saturday)
Cheesy Broccoli Soup

INGREDIENTS
½ cup butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 ½ cups chicken stock/broth
4 ½ cups milk
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoons white pepper
2 bunches fresh broccoli florets
2 or 3 russet potatoes
¾ cup Cheese Whiz (I used the Walmart Brand)
1 ½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, and mix in the flour. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Mix in the chicken stock and milk, and season with salt and white pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 10 minutes.
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place the broccoli in the boiling water, and cook 2 minutes, or until just tender. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside. Peel and cut the potatoes into large chunks. Boil the potatoes until tender. You could also bake them and just scoop out the pulp. Put all the veggies into the soup. Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor. Pour back into the pot.
Gradually mix the processed cheese and Cheddar cheese into the large pot until melted. Continue cooking about 5 minutes.

monster cookie recipe

Recipe courtesy Donna Haney as adapted by Paula Deen

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup raisins, optional
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.

Grandma’s Buns & Honey Butter

Cindy Usevitch's
Grandma’s Buns

1 ½ tsp salt
3 cups hot water
½ cup oil
¾ cup sugar
3 cups bread flour

Mix until smooth. Add 3 eggs and beat the heck out of them! Sprinkle 2 Tbsp yeast on top. Mix well. Keep adding bread flour a bit at a time until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. (about 5-6 cups?) Cover and let stand for 15 minutes, then stir it down. Do this again every 15 minutes until it’s been an hour. Shape into rolls, let rise 30 to 60 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Cool on a rack. These freeze well.

Honey Butter

1 cup butter (the real stuff) softened, but not too soft
½ cup honey
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix all together with a hand mixer until fluffed a bit. Mmmm.