APPLE PUFF PANCAKES!!

The ultimate delicious breakfast that tastes like dessert!

• 2 T. Sugar
• 3/4 tsp. Cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 large tart Apple

Batter:

• 1/3 c. flour
• 1/2 c. milk
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• another 2 Tbsp sugar and tsp cinnamon (opt)

Preheat the oven to 450*; place the butter at the bottom of an 9" glass pan and put it in the oven to melt. Then add 2 T sugar and 3/4 tsp cinnamon--mix it around evenly. Slice the apple(s) and place them at the bottom of the pan, stirring them in the sugar mix. Let roast in the oven while preparing the batter (5 minutes).
Throw all other ingredients into a blender and mix it up well. Pour into the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350* for another 6-8 minutes or until the edges are a dark golden brown and puffy.

Blackbottom Cupcakes

These are all about indulgence...

1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. water
5 Tbs. oil (if you want to make a little bit healthier we use 2 T applesauce and 3 T oil)
1 Tbs. vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together and fill cupcake cups 1/2 full with batter.

Topping:
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
6 oz chocolate chips (we use milk chocolate chips and LOTS!)
chopped nuts

Mix together everything except nuts and put a spoonful in each cupcake cup and then sprinkle chopped nuts on top.

Bake @350 for 25 minutes. Enjoy!!

Rasberry S'Mores

A fruity twist on a Camp Nauvoo favorite. I thought this was appropriate as we head into summer and camping and all. I stole it from Real Simple and it gets rave reviews:

• 8 graham crackers
• 32 large marshmallows, cut in half
• 2 1.5-ounce chocolate bars (such as Hershey's)
• 1 cup fresh raspberries

Adjust rack to middle position and heat broiler or toaster oven. Break the crackers in half to form squares and place on a baking sheet. Arrange 4 marshmallow halves on top of each square. Broil for 30 to 60 seconds or until the marshmallows are golden brown. Break each chocolate bar into 12 pieces. Arrange the chocolate and raspberries on top of half the crackers. Invert the remaining marshmallow-topped crackers onto the raspberry-and-chocolate-topped crackers, pressing gently to make sandwiches. Stack them, if desired.

Tip: For more deluxe s'mores, use high-quality chocolate, like Scharffen Berger or Valrhona.

Cornflake Cookies: Missionary Favorites

Megan has been begging for this recipe so I'm going to post it here for all to enjoy. It's a cookie recipe that a missionary couple would make for our branch Family Home Evenings at the church building. This was definitely a favorite whenever it showed up as the treat.

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg

1 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. coconut
1 c. cornflakes

Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in egg. Combine dry ingredients with mixture. Stire in coconut and cornflakes. Bake @ 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

*Note: I've added white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts before and they were a great addition. Don't be afraid make up your own variations.

Sourdough Pancakes

Courtesy of my father (aka, Uncle Glen) and thanks to Grandpa Sellers, we now have the recipe you've all been waiting for (now we need to get the one for plum syrup): Ingredients: - sourdough start (for instructions on how to get a start going, click here, or steal some from Uncle Glen) - milk - flour (white, wheat, or both) - eggs (3-5) - 1 tsp. salt - 1 tsp. baking powder - 1 tsp. baking soda - 3-6 Tbs. sugar (more sugar=less sour) - about 6 Tbs. cooking oil Instructions (straight from the horse's mouth):

First of all, you have to have a sourdough start which you keep in the fridge in a glass jar…pull out the start and put it in a big glass bowl (not metal), add flour (all white, whole wheat, or half and half) and then gradually mix in milk (with an electric beater) to a texture where you can see some bubbles on the top…then put some wax paper over it, and stick it in your oven. Turn on the oven light, and let it sit over night. The next day the dough should have risen substantially…the wax paper helps keep the dough from developing a tough outer skin. Take out the portion of the dough necessary to replace your sour dough start (you'll need about 4 cups start for this large recipe). Put it in the glass jar again and it goes back to the fridge. Now, add eggs (3-5, depending on batch size), add 1 tsp of salt, baking powder, baking soda, and from 3-6 Tsp of sugar (more sugar = less sour). Also add about 6 Tsp of cooking oil. Mix it up well…you could cook it on a hot griddle now, but I suggest you put it back in the fridge (with a tight lid on it for a couple of days. If you do, the yeast in the start will continue to work its magic and get more tangy. The day you cook it, simply stir it up good, heat the griddle good and hot (do the water test on it…if the water drops sizzle, it’s ready), and ladle it on. More milk for thinner cakes, less for thicker. Good luck.

If you have any questions, you can send my Dad an e-mail at: sellersdad@sbcglobal.net or give him a ring.

A great steak

This is my favorite staple:

Buy any steak that sells for under $3/lb. Buy some McCormick Grill Mates "Montreal Steak" seasoning. Sprinkle some on both sides of the steak. Fry it in a cast iron skillet for about 5 minutes per side. Toss in some onions while you're at it. Get some water boiling after you flip the steak and by the time the steak is finished, it will be ready to add some instant mashed potatoes. These are easy: You just pour in the flakes and mix it up until you like the consistency. Finally, put it all on a plate and you're good to go.

Hope you like it!

-Brad

Grandpa Sellers' Classic Potato Salad

Now here's a family classic for spring and summer -- who can resist Grandpa Sellers' potato salad?

Looking at what I have written down I realize I never did get Grandpa to give me any exact measurements -- because he never measures! But I have made the salad successfully (the man himself can verify this) so I'm sure you can piece it together as well. The big hint: go easy on the mayo/mustard/salt at first, adding more as you find you need it And don't add it in till you get near the end (pretty much follow the order below when adding ingredients).

• potatoes, diced (about 3/4 inch thick)
• dill pickles, chopped
• celery, chopped
• pimientos
• green onions, chopped
• mayonnaise, mustard and salt to taste
• boiled eggs, diced and sliced
• olives (optional -- your call, green or black)

Boil potatoes till soft (peel before or after boiling) and slice. Add the rest of the ingredients. Chill. Enjoy.