Creme Brulee French Toast

This recipe is amazingly unhealthy, but DELICIOUS just the same!

1/2 Cup unsalted butter
1 Cup packed brown sugar
2 Tblsp. corn syrup
Bread, sliced, to cover butter mixture (I use a thick sliced bread)
5 large eggs
1 1/2 Cups half-and-half
1 tsp. vanilla
a few shakes salt

In a saucepan, melt butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish. Arrange bread pieces on top. Beat together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, and salt. Pour egg mixture over the top of the bread. Cover and chill overnight in the refrigerator. The next morning, bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

Bread Pudding

8-10 slices white bread, cut into cubes
1/4 cup margarine, melted
2 Tblsp. ground cinnamon
6 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups hot milk (may substitute part heavy cream if you like it creamy...I do)
2-3 pinches ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt margarine in the microwave and mix the cinnamon with it.

In a large bowl, combine bread cubes, and the melted margarine and cinnamon mixture; mix well and transfer to 2 quart glass baking dish.

Use same bowl to beat the eggs. Stir in sugar, vanilla, and salt until sugar is dissolved. Slowly whisk in the hot milk. Pour egg mixture over bread cubes, sprinkle with nutmeg and set aside to soak for 5 minutes.

Set the baking dish inside of another baking dish (9 x 13 inch) with water in the 9 x 13 inch dish, to make a water bath. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Fauxtisserie Chicken

1 whole chicken, small enough to fit in your slow cooker
Seasoning salt or other salt-based seasoning (make sure salt is one of the first ingredients on the label)
Fresh herbs (optional)(I use thyme and rosemary)
garlic cloves, peeled (optional)

Make 3 balls of aluminum foil and place them in the bottom of your slow cooker. These hold the chicken off the bottom so the hot air can circulate all around the chicken and so it's not stewing in its own juices.

Rinse chicken, including the cavity, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken on its back so the breast is facing up and the legs are on the plate. Pull up the skin all around the chicken. Slice a few garlic cloves in half lengthwise and stick them under the skin. Arrange a couple of sprigs of fresh herbs under the skin. This adds a lot of flavor.

Rub salt-based seasoning VERY liberally onto the skin of the chicken. Place chicken breast-up on the foil in the slow cooker, cover, turn heat to low, and leave it alone for 7-8 hours.

Shred the chicken and serve, or use it in salads/enchiladas, etc.

Crockpot Picnic Ribs

3 lbs. boneless pork country style ribs
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup (be generous) brown sugar
4 cloves garlic
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1 1/2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce

Lightly spray a 5-6 quart crockpot. Put sliced onions in the bottom, then place cleaned and patted dry ribs on top. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, brown sugar and minced garlic. Turn ribs to coat. Pour cranberry juice over all, cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Drain liquid from crockpot; pour BBQ sauce over pork and onions; stir, cover and cook on low for 1 more hour.

Florrie's Salad

Romaine Lettuce
Fresh Spinach
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Chicken, cooked and shredded
1/2 cup Almonds
3 Tblsp. sugar

Candy the almonds by placing them in a small frying pan with the 3 Tblsp. sugar over medium heat. Stir almost constantly until sugar begins to melt and coats the almonds. Remove from the pan and place on cookie sheet to cool.

Place all other ingredients in a large bowl, and coat with dressing just before serving.

Dressing:

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tblsp. poppyseeds
2 tsp. (be generous) raspberry jam

Mix all ingredients and place in refrigerator until ready to pour over salad. The flavors mix better together if you make this a little ahead of time and let chill in refrigerator.

Corned Beef and Cabbage in the Crock-Pot

2 pounds small red potatoes
2 cups baby carrots
1 onion, cut in large wedges
1 (3 lb.) corned beef brisket with seasoning packet
water
1/2 head of cabbage, cut in wedges
1/4 cup butter, melted
salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes, carrots, and onions in a 5 to 6.5 quart Crock-Pot. Top with corned beef brisket; sprinkle with seasoning packet. Add enough water just to cover brisket. Cover with lid. Cook on high setting for about 8 hours or until meat is tender. Add cabbage wedges to Crock-Pot and continue cooking for about 15 minutes or until cabbage is tender.

To serve, remove corned beef from Crock-Pot; place on a platter and cut beef across grain into thin slices. Remove vegetables from Crock-Pot with a slotted spoon; place around the beef. Pour butter over vegetables, and salt and pepper to taste.

Jell-O Whip

1 12 oz. can evaporated milk, chilled
2 Tblsp. sugar
2 small pkgs. Jell-O (flavor of your choice)
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water

Using electric beater, whip evaporated milk; add sugar. In separate bowl, mix Jell-O mixes with 1 cup boiling water until fully dissolved. Stir in the cold water. Slowly add the Jell-O to the whipped evaporated milk, 1 spoonful at a time. Refrigerate until set.

Homemade Maple Syrup

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. Mapleine flavoring (Imitation Maple Flavoring)
1 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and stir together over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Makes 2 1/4 cups of syrup.

German Pancakes

1 cup flour
1 cup milk
6 eggs
salt (opt.)
1/2 cube butter
Maple syrup
Powdered sugar or whipping cream
Fresh fruit, such as strawberries or blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in bottom of 9 x 13 inch glass casserole dish.

In medium sized mixing bowl, mix all other ingredients. Pour into casserole dish and cook until edges have risen and browned. Cooks for approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

Serve with maple syrup, and powdered sugar or whipping cream. Also delicious with fresh fruit like strawberries and blueberries.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1/4 cup onion, diced
3 cans chicken broth
3 cans cream of chicken soup
3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or canned chicken)
1/2 cup salsa (be generous)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn

Saute onion in small amount of chicken broth until tender. Add broth, cream of chicken, and shredded chicken. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat and add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve over tortilla chips using any of the following as garnishes:

avocado, diced
tomato, diced
cheese, shredded
sour cream
green onion, diced