Work treats - fudge and cheese dip - separately

The weekly treats are over at work now, thank GOD because seriously, I am bursting out of my clothes over here.

In addition to the churro brownies that I made (and you should too!) I also made fudge and cheese dip, but not served together.

My dad gave me a handful of my mom's recipe a while back; some are familiar and some aren't, and her fudge recipe is definitely one I don't remember.

There's no notes or details on the page so I don't know the origin but I figured it would be a good work treat - easy to prepare and transport, so I went for it.

And here's the only photo I took - cut up and in a storage container.  Nothing but class over here.

5 Minute Fudge

2 TB butter

1 small can evaporated milk (2/3 cup)

1 2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Combine first 4 ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to boil and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.  Stir vigorously for 1 minute, until everything is melted.  Pour into buttered 8" pan.  Cool and cut into squares.

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The next time it was my turn I was ready for a savory treat.  

I found this garlic cheese dip in my binder and it spoke to me.  Loudly.

In my effort to have photos in my posts, here's my kids in some trees.

And here's the link to the dip - roasted garlic whipped feta

I served a dollop with some carrot sticks and crackers.  You could also use it in sandwiches, on toast, with eggs, or eaten directly off a spoon.

A tale of three mousses

Here's the thing.  I finally tried 2 dessert recipes I've been hauling around forever, and there were SO delicious.  My photos though were hideous, even by my low standards.  So, so bad.

I was going to not write about them because I have no accompanying photos and all the blawgs today say you have to have 400 photos of your dish, all from slightly different angles, before you can share anything. 

But here we go.  I'm such a rebel.

Here's a picture I took last Fall downtown at the farmers market.

The first dessert I made was Apple Mousse from a book called The World in my Kitchen.

I wrote this out back in my notebook heyday when we were in Calgary, so this one has been around a long time.

Apple Mousse

adapted from The World in my Kitchen

Peel 4 Granny Smith apples.  Core and cut into 1" pieces.

Melt 3 TB butter in a small pot or pan.  Add apples and a pinch of salt and cook over low heat until soft.  Removed from heat and puree in a food processor with 1/2 cup sugar and 2" piece of ginger.  Let cool.

Beat 1 cup whipping cream until stiff.  Fold in apples.  Chill.

Soooooo delicious!  I subbed out the ginger for some cinnamon but next time I will leave the ginger in.  This dessert is so light and airy and would be perfect for an after dinner treat on a warm day.

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Up next is another moldy oldie that I've had since 2003- 2 0 0 3!  And still hadn't tried.  This one came from Martha Stewart from her Every Day Food magazines.  Loved those.

Here's a photo of my turkeys last month at the Oak Hills Trail.

I'm just going to link to the recipe here  - it is so easy and so decadent.  I didn't make the parfaits, but spooned the 2 mousses side by side in a bowl so everyone could have what they liked.  And boy did we like it.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Parfait

This tasty and long overdue post is making me want to add on to my every growing list of project that will likely never be finished and cook through all the recipes I've been saving in my binder all these years, plus all the ones saved on my computer, and in Pinterest, and.......... 

Oh look!  Something shiny.

Notebook Twelve - The End!

Thanks for sticking with me as a meandered down memory lane with my notebooks. It's been fun for me. And here we are at the last completed book, Book 12. And this will be short and sweet cause it's Saturday morning and there's farmers markets to go to and coffee for Scott to drink.


It's funny that this book is labeled 12, because it's out of order. From the recipes in here, this one was actually made after book 5 I believe. No matter though.


This one's got a lot of sauces, jams and marinades. Lots of appetizers. And lots of desserts I will most likely never make.


These are the BEST bread and butter pickles ever. I used to make a ton of these every summer for everyone I knew. Fast, easy and delicious.


I will probably never make these, but damn these Lemon Thin Tarts look good. I have such a weakness for lemon desserts.


Altons Brown's cardboard smoker diagram.


I chose to try a recipe for Pineapple Chutney to go with our Easter ham. I think this is a Nigella recipe. I really wanted to make the baked pineapple with brown sugar and kahlua recipe I have, but that just seemed too decadent. So chutney it was.

Chutney, meet ham. Next, vanilla ice cream. Ooooooohhhhhhhh.

Notebooks Ten and Eleven

We can see the light at the end of the tunnel now, my tour of notebooks is almost done.

Book 10 is back to the cut and paste. This one has a LOT of vegan recipes, probably more than half the book.


This one has a recipe for Tomato Soup Spice Bread. Have you ever had Tomato Soup Bread? Years ago my Mom asked me to find some recipes for Tomato Soup bread for my Grandmother. I thought it sounded horrible! A couple of years later there was a vendor at one of the farmers markets in Calgary selling it so I bought a loaf. Absolutely delicious.


There's also a couple of Tyler Florence recipes. Peach barbecue sauce sounds so lovely. There's also 10 meatball recipes. It's like I collect them or something. And a Pad Thai recipe from Donna Hay. Don't know if I'll ever try that, I've found the best Pad Thai recipe ever.


Back a million years ago the receptionist at my old office gave me a big bag of cooking magazines. I finally sat down and went through them, tired of lugging that bag from house to house (3 moves!).


The recipe I chose to make was Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches with Roasted Garlic and Basil mayonnaise. I made this for a fast after work supper, and threw in some unroasted chopped garlic in place of the roasted. Sauteed mushrooms and garlic basil mayo go together surprisingly well. This one was a hit.


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Book 11 is another binder, to get rid of all the papers I'd collected after I tidied up all the other papers in books 8 and 9.


There are a ton of Thai and Vietnamese recipes in this one. They are 2 of my favorite cuisines and unfortunately they are not well represented restaurant wise where I live. So far I have just denied myself, but that can't keep happening for long. I'll have to jump in and try making some of these dishes.


Only in the last couple of years have I learned to like corned beef. I'm not sure I'm ready to make one at home, but it's nice to have a recipe on hand in case the mood strikes me.


I picked 2 recipes to make from the book Dim Sum by Ellen Leong Blonder. The first was Pork and Shrimp Siu Mai, a little dumpling left open at the top, and cooked by steaming.


Here's my Mom forming the Siu Mai. The finished picture was too hideous to share with you, even by my standards, but they were delicious.


We also made Stuffed Mushrooms, the mushrooms being stuffed with a water chestnut, pork and shrimp mixture.


They were wonderful, and also more photogenic.

Notebooks eight and nine.

Book 8 is where I gave up. I had so many full sized sheets of paper with recipes on them, and I was so tired of sitting on the floor surrounded by papers, trying to trim down the pages to be glued into various books. I gave in, bought a binder and in less than 30 minutes had a tidy book instead of a messy pile of papers.

Thai cashew chicken. Baguette. Hushpuppies. Jerk rub. Bbq sauce, chutney, dumplings. More cornbread.

This sorbet shooter recipe is from the American food network host everyone loves to hate - Sandra Lee. I think they sound yummy.

I don't remember who linked to this recipe for me to find, just that someone made it and loved it and recommended it. Portobella Mushrooms stuffed with Chipolte Mashed Potatos from What Do I Know?

This was a super tasty dinner and ridiculously easy. It's got lots of my favorites - roasted portobella mushrooms, mashed potatos, chipoltes. Yum!


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Since I got rid of so many papers with Book 8 I did the same for Book 9. The floor by my cookbook bookcase hadn't been that clean in a long time.


I can't wait to try that teriyaki meatloaf. Teriyaki anything is a favorite of mine. Years ago if I was alone and needed a fast meal I used to microwave a potato until soft, then spread it with butter and teriyaki sauce. My metabolism doesn't allow meals like that anymore.


Sandra Lee haters, avert your eyes! I have a couple of her recipes in here, including her Crispy Orange Beef, which beat out Rachel Ray in one of my smackdowns.


Now that we no longer live near an Ikea (sob!) I must make my own Swedish Meatballs. But I haven't yet.


This one is from Lisa.


I don't know what book I copied this Provencal Gratin in. Brown rice, onion and zucchini, baked with cheese. Provencal, indeed.

Notebook Seven - Juicy

I titled this one Juicy because - wait for it - this book is FULL of juice and smoothie recipes.


What it doesn't have is a table of contents! I'll have to remedy that next weekend.

Mmmmmm, I'd forgotten all about this pineapple recipe. Must make soon.

I really like cornbread and this book has a Cooking Light recipe for it. And a vegan recipe for it. And 2 other vegetarian ones. I like cornbread. Sweet and sour meatballs. Soba noodle salad. Enchilada casserole.

I had to pick a juice recipe to try. In my kitchen were some apples, grapes and a juicer. Perfect for the Apple and Green Grape Juice from Canadian Living.

Juice 3 granny smith apples, 1 cup of green grapes, and 1 thin wedge of lemon, no rind.

This is supposed to make 4 servings but Scott and I greedily drank it down in minutes. If you did split this into 4 servings, you'd get 64 calories, no fiber, no cholesterol, and 10% of your vitamin C. I love nutritional info with recipes.

And then I found a second recipe in the book that continued on the Juicy theme - Welsh Rarebit. But different from others that I've eaten and made before. This one has no cheese sauce, only melted cheese and also has a luscious layer of mango chutney. Yum!

I made this for weekend breakfast. I upped the mango chutney - 1 teaspoon per bread slice is simply not enough! - and didn't measure the cheese.

This what good, but if you're like me, a dish like this has to be eaten quickly. I hate melted cheddar after it cools, all flabby and greasy. Like some people I know. Hee!

Next week, book 7. A recipe from a blogger, and one from Jamie Oliver.

Notebook Six - Full of Vitamin C

Book Six is heavy on vegetarian/vegan recipes, originals, and more from my Mom. Lots of fruit and veggie recipes. I'll be pulling this book out when the farmers markets start up. Another tofu mousse recipe.


Ever since our September 2004 trip to Canmore I've had this orange post-it to remind myself to make a chicken wrap with spinach, feta and hot pepper jelly. Haven't done it yet. My Mom's cheesecake on page 1 is the BEST cheesecake ever. Ever!


I love saganaki and I must have at least 10 different recipes for it. Another dish I've never made at home.

I chose this recipe for Orange Slice Jello Shots from the Surreal Gourmet because it just looked so fun. Jello! And booze! Shaped like oranges! Someone remove my finger from the exclamation point key!

I started by cutting 2 oranges in half and trimming a little sliver of peel off the bottoms so they would sit nicely.

The I scooped out the orange flesh. Set aside for a snack later.

Next I dissolved one pack of orange jello in 1/2 cup of boiling water. Then I added 1/2 cup of vodka.

I put the orange halves in a muffin cup to keep them steady.

And then poured in the jello.

Toss in the fridge until set, at least 4 hours. I covered them with plastic wrap and chilled them overnight.

When they are set I cut each half into four pieces with a sharp knife.

And then, we ate 'em.

Like I said, so fun. Fun, easy, and yummy. One warning from the Surreal Gourmet, and myself - this is full of booze! Use caution, and common sense when consuming.