Beef Dip Sandwiches

4 pounds beef chuck roast

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

3 bay leaves

1 cup soy sauce

6 cups water

Place roast in slow cooker. Season with garlic, rosemary, and bay leaves. Pour in soy sauce and water. Cook on low setting for 6 to 10 hours. Unlike most roasts, the longer the better. 

To serve, place in hamburger buns or split french bread and top with your preferred cheese if desired. Feel free to dip your sandwich in the au jus left in the slow cooker too! 

Dulce De Leche (Brazillian Canned Caramel)

• Sweetened Condensed Milk, canned (use however many you like according to how much you need)


• Crock pot/slow cooker

Take labels off the cans. DO NOT OPEN CANS.

Put cans in slow cooker.

Fill the crock pot with water til a few inches higher than top of cans.

Cover and set on low heat; Cook for 8-10 hours.

When time is up, carefully take out cans from crock pot.

Let cool for about 40 minutes.

Open and enjoy!

I used cut green apples and banana chunks to serve with this caramel dip. You can also use some pretzels, graham crackers, or really anything you can dunk in to make a yummy treat. You can also put on top of ice cream sundaes or cakes. By the way, this was THE easiest thing I have ever made...so simple! :-)

Truffles

OREO TRUFFLES
Ingredients:
1pkg of oreos
1can of frosting (I use cream cheese frosting)
1 bag of chocolate chips
crisco

Directions
Smash oreos into crumbs. Add frosting to oreo crumbs and mix. Roll into balls and place on cookie sheet. Place in the freezer until well formed. Melt chocolate chips and crisco (1 T of crisco for every 1 cup of chocolate chips. Dip oreo balls in melted chocolate and then cool in the fridge, keep refrigerated.
**TIP - An easy way to dip the balls in the chocolate is to use a plastic fork with the middle two prongs broken off!!

CAKE TRUFFLES
Same basic idea as the oreo truffles. Bake a cake of any flavor, I did strawberry, red velvet is also a common one used. Crumble the cake once it cools. Stir frosting into cake crumbs and roll into balls. Freeze until set. The cake ones take a bit longer to set, I would recommend only taking a few out at a time to dip in the chocolate, that way they don't get too soft. Dip in chocolate as described above and cool.

-Karalee

John Whoozzier Chocolate Sheet Cake

Sift together:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Melt in microwave or saucepan:
1 cup (two sticks) margarine
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 cup water

Bring to a boil (turn off). Pour cocoa mix over flour mixture, beating as you pour. Mix together in large bowl, then add to batter:
2 eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk (or regular milk with 1 TBS lemon juice)
1 tsp vanilla

Mix well. Pour onto a greased large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Can use Pam spray. Pan must have at least 1" sides. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.
Don't over bake.

About 10 minutes before the cake is done, prepare icing:
ICING
Melt in microwave or saucepan:
1 stick margarine or butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1/3 cup buttermilk (or reg, milk with lemon juice)
If in saucepan, bring to boil.
Add immediately:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts...you can mix them in here or sprinkle them on top after frosting (optional).

Mix together and spread on hot cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Let cool. Enjoy!

From the kitchen of Beverly Jean Timmons

Ploughman's Plate

This is usually what a ploughman, or a farmer, would take out to the field with him for lunch while working.

• Fruit, such as apples, grapes, strawberries, etc.
• Sharp white cheddar cheese (I used the less expensive medium yellow cheddar)
• Stilton cheese (optional)
• bread (I used french bread) cut into pieces
• Branston Pickled Relish (pickled & spiced fruits and veggies in a jar. May find at commissary, or specialty food stores)
• McVitie's Digestives (graham cracker type crackers)
• Pickled onion (optional)

Basically just slice up the cheese, apples and bread. Serve on a plate or platter along with other fruits, Digestives, pickled relish, and pickled onion.

Usually, people eat the cheese and pickled relish ontop of cracker or bread, along with fruit. Tastes nice all together.

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

• English (Seedless) Cucumbers, sliced thinly
• sandwich bread
• cream cheese
• sea salt
• white or black pepper

Take sliced cucumbers and put on top of paper towel, then put a paper towel on top of cucumbers to soak up the excess water.

Spread cream cheese onto both sides of bread. Place 4 or 5 slices of cucumber on one cream cheese bread piece.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on top of cucumbers. Place other bread slice on top, covering cucumbers.

Cut crusts off all sides of sandwich. Then cut crust-less sandwich in half.

May be placed in a container and refrigerated for one day.

Baked Pita Chips

2 or more packages of Pita Bread (try to get the ones without the pocket)

EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Sea Salt

Dried herbs like Basil, parsley, garlic (optional)


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut pita/flat bread into chip size triangle pieces, like a pizza.
Pour some EVOO onto a foil lined baking sheet.
Put cut pita pieces onto baking sheet; spread and stir around in EVOO until both sides are evenly coated.
Place each pita triangle flat onto baking sheet, trying not to stack pieces.
Sprinkle desired amount of Sea Salt, herbs & garlic (dried) on top of pita.
Bake @ 400 deg F for about 10 min, or until golden brown. If you like a crispier chip, go a bit longer. If you desire a softer chip, bake for a bit less time.

Goes great with hummus of every flavor, homemade dips, and/or Tayana's Gorgonzola (or blue cheese) Dip recipe. We also like to serve these pitas (& dip) with fresh veggies & greek pitted green olives w/ garlic (I got mine at olive cart near deli at Safeway). I found the Kontos Nan flat bread and other types of Pita Bread in bakery area near hamburger buns in Safeway.