24 Hour Fruit Salad

BOIL UNTIL THICK:
4 egg yolks
1 lemon juice and rind
2/3 cup sugar
Add 1 lb. marshmallows
Cool

ADD:
1 pint cream (2 cartons)
1 can drained fruit cocktail (mom uses peaches)
1 can drained pineapple
green grapes (approx 1 lb.)

Let stand overnight or 24 hours. Add bananas just before serving.

Other fruit an be added. Add canned fruit the night before and add fresh fruit right before serving.

Survey says

I'd like everyone to make these and let me know how you like these. Please let me know in the comments section. Thanks!

Chocolate Chirpie Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cup flour

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 2 eggs

• 1 12-ounce chocolate chips

• 1 cup chopped nuts

• 1/2 cup dry-roasted crickets

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla; beat until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture and insects, mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded measuring teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

--Dustin

What don't you understand?

˙uıɐƃɐ ʇǝs sı pɹɐʇsnɔ lıʇun ǝʇɐɹǝƃıɹɟǝɹ ˙looɔ oʇ ʍollɐ puɐ ʇɐǝɥ ɯoɹɟ ǝʌoɯǝɹ ˙8
˙uɹnq oʇ ʇou sɐ os ʎllnɟǝɹɐɔ ɥɔʇɐʍ ˙sǝʇnuıɯ 2 ʇnoqɐ 'sʇlǝɯ ɹɐƃns lıʇun ɹǝlıoɹq ɹǝpun ɥsıp ǝɔɐld ˙pɹɐʇsnɔ ɹǝʌo ʎluǝʌǝ ǝɹnʇxıɯ sıɥʇ ʇɟıs ˙ɹɐƃns uʍoɹq puɐ ɹɐƃns ǝʇıɥʍ suoodsǝlqɐʇ 2 ƃuıuıɐɯǝɹ ǝuıqɯoɔ lʍoq llɐɯs ɐ uı ˙7
˙lıoɹq oʇ uǝʌo ʇɐǝɥǝɹd ˙6
˙ʇɥƃıuɹǝʌo ɹo 'ɹnoɥ 1 ɹoɟ ǝʇɐɹǝƃıɹɟǝɹ ˙ǝɹnʇɐɹǝdɯǝʇ ɯooɹ oʇ looɔ puɐ uǝʌo ɯoɹɟ ǝʌoɯǝɹ ˙sǝʇnuıɯ 03 ɹoɟ uǝʌo pǝʇɐǝɥǝɹd uı ǝʞɐq ˙5
˙ɥsıp ɟooɹd-ʇɐǝɥ ʍollɐɥs ɐ oʇuı ɹnod puɐ ʎlǝʇɐıpǝɯɯı ʇɐǝɥ ɯoɹɟ ǝɹnʇxıɯ ǝʌoɯǝɹ ˙sǝʇnuıɯ 3 ʎlǝʇɐɯıxoɹddɐ ;uoods ɐ ɟo ʞɔɐq ǝɥʇ sʇɐoɔ ʎlʇɥƃıl ǝɹnʇxıɯ lıʇun ɹǝʇɐʍ ƃuıɹǝɯɯıs ɹǝʌo ɹıʇs ˙ɹǝlıoq ǝlqnop ɐ ɟo doʇ ǝɥʇ oʇuı ǝɹnʇxıɯ ɯɐǝɹɔ ɹnod ˙4
˙pǝuıqɯoɔ lıʇun ʇɐǝq ;ǝɹnʇxıɯ ʞloʎ ƃƃǝ ǝɥʇ oʇuı ɯɐǝɹɔ ɹıʇs ˙ʎlǝʇɐıpǝɯɯı ʇɐǝɥ ɯoɹɟ ɯɐǝɹɔ ǝɥʇ ǝʌoɯǝɹ ˙lıoq oʇ sǝɯoɔ ʇsoɯlɐ ʇı lıʇun ʇɐǝɥ ʍol ɹǝʌo ɹıʇs puɐ uɐdǝɔnɐs ɐ oʇuı ɯɐǝɹɔ ɹnod ˙3
˙ʎɯɐǝɹɔ puɐ ʞɔıɥʇ lıʇun lʍoq ƃuıxıɯ ɐ uı ɐllıuɐʌ puɐ ɹɐƃns suoodsǝlqɐʇ 4 'sʞloʎ ƃƃǝ ʇɐǝq ˙2
˙(ɔ sǝǝɹƃǝp 051) ɟ sǝǝɹƃǝp 003 oʇ uǝʌo ʇɐǝɥǝɹd ˙1

suoıʇɔǝɹıp

ɹɐƃns uʍoɹq suoodsǝlqɐʇ 2 *
ɯɐǝɹɔ ʎʌɐǝɥ sdnɔ 2/1 2 *
ʇɔɐɹʇxǝ ɐllıuɐʌ uoodsɐǝʇ 2/1 *
pǝpıʌıp 'ɹɐƃns ǝʇıɥʍ suoodsǝlqɐʇ 6 *
sʞloʎ ƃƃǝ 6 *

sʇuǝıpǝɹƃuı

ǝǝlnɹq ǝɯǝɹɔ

--Dustin

Banana you glad that I didn't say orange?

This past month we've been enjoying one of our favorite snacks.  I thought I'd share. 

Orange
Ingredients:
-1 orange

Steps:
Peel and enjoy!

A few comments, however.  First, if you were raised in the mullen household, you probably are aware that you can peel your orange so that it looks like an elephant.  It's quite fun, and is much easier than peeling an elephant to look like an orange.  Second, if you buy them for less than $.78 a pound, make sure and tell Mom, as if she finds out you paid less than this you are in for it!  Third, you can tell when oranges are on sale at superstore for less than $.78 a pound, as there will be about a hundred oranges or so in the Mullen house.  Fourth, this comment isn't about the recipe, but I think it's important.  Make sure and wash behind your ears, or it will get dirty there.  Fifth, oranges are very healthy.  

Orange, raw, Florida

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	192 kJ (46 kcal)
Carbohydrates	11.54 g
Sugars	9.14 g
Dietary fiber	2.4 g
Fat	0.21 g
Protein	0.70 g
Thiamine (Vit. B1)	0.100 mg (8%)
Riboflavin (Vit. B2)	0.040 mg (3%)
Niacin (Vit. B3)	0.400 mg (3%)
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.250 mg (5%)
Vitamin B6	0.051 mg (4%)
Folate (Vit. B9)	17 μg (4%)
Vitamin C	45 mg (75%)
Calcium	43 mg (4%)
Iron	0.09 mg (1%)
Magnesium	10 mg (3%)
Phosphorus	12 mg (2%)
Potassium	169 mg (4%)
Zinc	0.08 mg (1%

 I think on the weight watchers scale they are zero points.  Despite this, I still recommend them.  Most zero point items are blah (like ricecakes or lettuce), but these are okay.  Sixth, you can make juice out them.  Seventh, you can make your house or apartment smell nice by playing the "orange game".  Note, this is adapted from the grapefruit game I played at college, but in theory it should work the same way.  Here's how to play.  Gather a group of friends, and sit in the room you desire to make smell better.  Play catch with orange.  Make sure and do quick throws, as the point is to get the orange bruised up a bit by hitting the walls.  After playing a while, it really does make the place smell better!  Eighth, the latin name for oranges is Citrus sinensis.  Ninth, the juice from the orange is acidic, with a pH of around 2.7.  That's about the same as vinegar.  Tenth, Riboflavin in french is still riboflavin.  So in Canada, when you're looking in french at the health information, you have no worries about riboflavin.  Eleventh, Brazil is the world's largest supplier of oranges by far.  They produce about 17.8 million tons a year.  That's almost a third of the total world production.  Twelfth, this is the last note.


--Dustin

A Real Recipe!

Here's a shocker--I'm including a recipe that takes a tad more skill than my previous recipes. I made pizza ymesterday, and I used this for the dough. It was quick, easy, and tasted great. I've found a new favorite.

Super Quick Pizza Dough

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package or    2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Don't worry-next week I'll return to recipes that the Mullen girls can handle making!


--Dustin

Roast Vegetables

So I got adventurous at Superstore last week and bought myself a butternut squash and a sweet potato. I also bought red pepper because they happened to be a much better deal than green peppers that day and I remembered to grab a bag of potatoes too. I know what you're thinking. This story has such a fabulous beginning that you can't imagine how amazing the rest of the story will be.
Well, the next day I found myself searching the internet for butternut squash recipes. One of the first ones I came across was a roasted vegetables recipe on allrecipes.com, which had rave reviews. It looked so delicious! I read the ingredients:
-1 small butternut squash (WOW... mine was even small)
-2 red peppers (what are the chances that red is cheaper than green?)
-1 sweet potato (okay...really? This recipe is my destiny)
-3 Yukon Gold Potatoes (well, they aren't Yukon, but the recipe even specifically states that other potatoes can be substituted)
-1 red onion quartered (are you serious?? I don't have onions... something that I ALWAYS have)
-1 Tbsp fresh chopped thyme (1 tsp dried)
-1 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary(1 tsp dried)
-1/4 cup olive oil
-2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
-salt and freshly ground black pepper

Well, since I had previously decided this was my destiny, I sent Jarom to Liz's house to borrow an onion as I followed the directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the squash, red bell peppers, sweet potato, and Yukon Gold potatoes. Separate the red onion quarters into pieces, and add them to the mixture.
3. In a small bowl, stir together thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan.
4. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.

It was sooo yummy and highly nutritious too:

Amount Per Serving Calories: 123 | Total Fat: 4.7g | Cholesterol: 0mg
(and these are REAL numbers... this is not my husband posting)

Suggestions:
-I took one comments suggestion and put in the peppers 15minutes before done time... this keeps them bright and pretty and a little crisper.
-I think next time I'll use carrots instead of squash as another comment suggested just because my kids weren't big fans of that particular vegetable.
-I threw some cooked seasoned chicken in at the end so I could make it the main course and I think it worked. Of course, it's probably more proper to make some fancy main dish and make this a fancy side dish... but to each his own!

Orange you glad I didn't say banana?

Well, last week I was lucky enough to have Jarrett post a comment!  I don't think I've ever seen that happen.  He promised to post a recipe soon, so keep your eyes out.  I can't wait to try it out.  I won't spoil what it is (even though you can find out by reading the comments from the lasagna recipe), but I thought I'd do a recipe in the same category--bevarages.

As you can tell, the title of this post is fruity.  So, without further ado, I give you this week's recipe:

-1 gallon milk

Steps:  Either purchase from store, or milk a cow.  If you milk a cow make sure you pasteurize it somehow.  Either way, it's best to keep milk in the fridge.  I've heard milk doesn't do a body good if you don't.  The next step is to remove it from the fridge.  This can be tricky.  Some refrigerators have the handles on the left, and some have them on the right.  And on some models, you can even switch it up.  Consult your owner's manual, and if all else fails try google.  After removing the milk, you then need to unscrew the cap.  On store-bought gallons, you probably have to also break off the little plastic ring they have on at the top.  Then pour into a bowl of cereal, a glass, or whatever suits your fancy.  Maybe you have a cat and you are pouring it into a saucer.  Afterwards, put the cap back on and return the milk to the refrigerator.  Make sure and finish the gallon off by the expiration date or you risk being fined by the Dairy Association.  Last I checked it was a $217 fine so watch out.  

I won't even begin a discussion on 2%, 1%, skim milk, or homo.  Too many people have too many opinions about this. With all the real problems in the world, I'd like to focus on solving them before having to worry about which type of milk is best.

--Dustin

Home cookin

Since it was Valentines Day and we were feeling a bit lazy, and since Mom and Dad were out of town, we decided to have an easy dinner.  I'm including the recipe of the main dish.

Lasagna

-1 pan frozen lasagna (made by somebody else)

Directions:
Cook at 350 degrees for 2 hours.

That's it!  Very yummy-even if there is some spinach in there.  And just for today, its like Who's Line Is It Anyway, so points don't matter.  Maybe next week I'll return to my more ambitious recipes.

--Dustin

Chocolate chip cookies

Enough with all the healthy food.  I don't eat much of it-so I'm moving on to the good stuff.  Here it is-the classic Mullen Cowboy Cookies recipe.  Told from memory by me:

1 1/2 eggs
1 cup margarine.  Note-don't use butter, nor Becel.  Only margarine.
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup black sugar (we don't want anybody to accuse me of being racist)
1 cup white sugar
1 gallon vanilla  (every recipe always asks for a tsp.  I think this will really give it flavor)

2 cups white flour (because any other kind is healthy)
1 tsp baking soda (or baking powder or any other white powdery stuff in your spice cabinet)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper (whenever there is salt, there has to be pepper)
2 cups oatmeal (or you can leave this out if you want)
6 cups chocolate chip (this way every cookie has at least 16 chocolate chips in it)

Mix them all in a bosch.  If you don't have a bosch, lament around Gran and Auntie Beryl and you'll soon receive one as a gift.  Then put them on a cookie sheet in little balls and bake at 449.8 degrees Kelvin.  Note not Farenheit but Kelvin.  If you don't know what that is you can google it, or ask Alanna.  Bake for 1.90132588 × 10^-5 years.  Enjoy!

Best of all, as we're not worrying about being healthy we don't even need to figure out how many points this is! 


P.S.  Why are these called Cowboy Cookies?

--Dustin

A healthy snack option

Here's this week's selection:

Carrot sticks

Ingredients:
-Carrots

Directions:
1.  Peel the outer skin off the carrots.  This makes it so you don't even need to wash them!
2.  Cut

That's it!  There isn't anything more to it.  If this is too much for you, you can also buy "baby carrots" at the store where they have already done steps 1 and 2 above.  And for those of you counting calories, this is healthier than the cheese and crackers snack idea of last week.  If you want to make it really healthy, you can dip the carrots in a mixture of melted butter and brown sugar.  Then it is only 4 calories per carrot.  Eating them the natural way they are 72 calories per carrot.  Bon Apetit!

--Dustin

Granola

The price of cereal got you down?
My friend Brooke recommended this recipe to me from the church home storage recipes pamphlet, when I was picking up my kids and they all kept going to her stove top and snarfing her yummy freshly cooked cereal! I'm amazed at how easy the recipe is for your own Harvest Crunch.

Here's the recipe:
2-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups water
6 Tbsp oil
1-1/2 tsp salt
10 cups rolled oats (uncooked)

In a pan combine sugar, water, oil and salt. Heat until sugar is dissolved, but do not boil. Pour syrup over the oats and stir until well coated. Add a little more rolled oats if the texture seems too moist. Place in pans or sheets about 1/2-inch deep. Bake a 425 F 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Bake 15 minutes longer if you want it crunchier. Makes 11 cups. Store in an airtight container.

Brooke says she just adds whatever else she wants to make it yummier--raisins, craisins, almonds, cinnamon (maybe to the syrup) just whatever.

Next Day Note: I made this yesterday and just added a hand full of craisins & a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar afterward. This morning, it was what EVERYONE wanted for breakfast, despite the apple cinnamon cheerios, corn bran squares, cinnamon life and mini wheats in the pantry. It was soooo yummy! You really MUST try this.

EZ snack

I haven't posted here in over 6 months, and Mary Cahoon requested that I start up again, so...

For this week's snack I'm going with a suggestion from Mary. She didn't tell me the recipe, so I had to do some research and experimentation. I'll save you all a lot of time by sharing what I found out.

Crackers and Cheese

1/7 Box crackers (any style)
1/11 block of cheese, sliced into slices 1/11 inch thick

1. Put a single cracker on a plate
2. Put a single slice of cheese on top of the cracker
3. Finally, top with another cracker

For those wanting more cheese, there are two options. Either put two slices of cheese in the middle or only slice it 1/7 inch thick. By the way, don't try more than two slices in the middle or cheese thicker than 1/7 inch. I found out the hard way this is too much cheese. Just trust me on this--you don't want to make the same mistake I did.

For those of you with New Years resolutions to eat healthier, I've included the following:

Health information (per sandwich)

Calories: 14 Pi (recall Pi=3.14159265359878....)
Fat: Yes, but only a tiny bit
Trans-fat: No, but only a tiny bit
Protein: Maybe
Carbohydrates: I think so
Vitamins: 114%
Riboflavin: 2 tablespoons
Sodium: Who cares?
Yumminess: 6 (I forget what this is on a scale of)
Weight watcher points: minus 2

--Dustin

Easy Smeasy Pork Chops

When I ate this at Mom's house, she wouldn't even admit there was a recipe, it's so easy.  But I was begging for it cuz it's so yummy.

All you need is pork chops, potatoes, cream of mushroom soup and onion soup mix.  That's IT!

So, if you have pork chops, put them in a 9x13 pan or whatever size works.
Then peel your potatoes and slice them pretty thin...scalloped potato style.
Put a good thick layer of potatoes on top on your pork chops.
Then, stir onion soup mix into your cream of mushroom soup.  (I do one envelope into 2 cans)
And smear that all over the potatoes.

Cook it for 1-2 hours...til it's not pink inside @ 350 or 325 if you want to cook it longer.
Viola!  Yummy yummy meal and only a vegetable to do to make it complete!