how to get ready for work by chelsea

This just lit up my day.  Chelsea works for us at our store on Red Cliffs Drive.  I do love my employees.

Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread Sheet Cake Recipe

Prep time: 15 min | Cook time: 30 min | Total time: 45 min
Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/4 cups mashed bananas, about 3 large ripe bananas
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose Gold Medal Flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Brown Butter Icing

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 4 ounces softened cream cheese
• 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons almond milk or regular milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a half sheet baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Place butter, sugar, sour cream and bananas into stand mixer, mixing until well combined. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, mixing until well combined. Transfer to prepared baking pan, spreading evenly.
3. Place melted butter into a medium mixing bowl, add brown sugar and cinnamon mixing well. Drizzle over cake batter then take a knife to swirl throughout. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until baked through.
4. When cake is done baking, prepare brown butter icing. Brown butter in a small saucepan until bubbly and browned. Place softened cream cheese into a large mixing bowl. Pour browned butter over cream cheese whisking until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar and almond milk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake and spread evenly. Let cool completely then cut into squares and serve room temperature or chilled.

Makes 24 Servings

Memorial Day Recipe

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

100% homemade Strawberry Shortcakes in cupcake form.

prep time: 40 MINUTES

 

total time: 1 HOUR, PLUS COOLING

Ingredients:

CUPCAKES

• 1 and 2/3 cups (210g) all-purpose flour, careful not to overmeasure
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 egg whites*
• 1/4 cup (62g) yogurt (Greek or regular yogurt; vanilla or plain)
• 3/4 cup (180ml) milk*
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• seeds scraped from 1/2 split vanilla bean (optional)

STRAWBERRY FILLING

• 2 cups diced strawberries (about 10 medium strawberries finely diced)
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons (16g) cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons warm water to rid clumps

STRAWBERRY WHIPPED CREAM

• 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) heavy whipping cream
• 3 Tablespoons (43g) granulated sugar
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• reserved 1/2 cup of strawberry filling

Directions:

Make the strawberry filling first. Place the strawberries in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly for about 4 full minutes until the strawberry juices have been released. Add the sugar and cornstarch/water liquid and continue to stir for another 2 minutes. The mixture will be much thicker. Remove from heat and allow to cool as you prepare the cupcakes.

Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Stir in sugar - mixture will be gritty. Stir in egg whites, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Split 1 vanilla bean down the middle lengthwise. Scrape seeds from half of the vanilla bean into batter.

Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no lumps remain. Batter will be thick.

Divide batter among 12 cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before filling and frosting.

Fill the cupcakes: Using a sharp knife, cut a circle/hole into the center of the cupcake to create a little pocket about 1/2 inch deep. Place 1 teaspoon of strawberry filling inside and top with the piece of cupcake you removed to seal. See photos above. Repeat with all 12 cupcakes. You will have leftover filling to use in the whipped cream.

Make the strawberry whipped cream: In a large bowl, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla extract together on high speed until stiff peaks begin to form, about 4-5 full minutes. Add the remaining strawberry filling and continue to beat for another 30 seconds. Frost the cupcakes with the strawberry whipped cream. You may have some whipped cream leftover.

Cover and store cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Whipped cream and filling may be made 1 day in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Serve cupcakes chilled.

Additional Notes:

*Recipe tested with unsweetened almond milk and skim milk. Use any milk, dairy or non, that you prefer. 

You snooze, you lose!

Sisters, I realize that May is an extremely busy month, but if you missed our Wednesday Night RS Meeting, you missed out!  We were enlightened on taking care of our hearts and how simple it can be.  We are so blessed to have Sara in our ward, and her willingness to share her knowledge in a very informal setting.  I'm glad to have her tell me what I needed to do before, I have to visit her professionally!  We also now have our cars equipped with emergency kits, by Samantha taking all of the work out of it for us.  We also learned to make yogurt from our tons of powdered milk we have in food storage.  I am a yogurt sceptic, and was pleasantly surprised on how delicious and easy this was.  If you don't now, you need to make an effort to attend our RS Wednesday Meetings.  I promise we have learned, served and made lasting friendships, by just showing up!  A special thanks to our Self Reliance Committee, Samantha Doebler and Sylvia Olsen, and Sara Beck for a job well done.  Bravo!!!!

Mother's Are Special

As Mother's Day approaches, I especially miss my Mom.  I didn't take advantage of having her here, and truly appreciated her as she deserved.  I was my Mom's last chance for a girl, after 4 boys.  She was heard wailing up and down the halls of the hospital, when she learned I was her girl.  I never wore a pair of pants until I was 5 years old.  Dresses were so fun for her to buy and make.  I was glued to her side my entire early childhood.  We went bowling, shopping, getting her hair done, and about any activity imagined.  I was present at her Den Meetings and know that is why I loved the Cub Scout Program.  I learned discipline from her, chasing my brothers around the house with a yard stick.  It's quite comical to remember those days.  She always had a household of neighbor boys, teaching them and feeding them.  I am so grateful to have been raised by such a strong woman.  She was very creative and was a expert at knitting.  I miss her so much, she has been gone 11 years now.  In that void, I thought that I would like to honor those women who have reached the age of 70 and up.  I want to make this a tradition.  I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to know such amazing women.  I have always loved to hear the different stories I hear of these experienced women. I look forward to seeing these special Sister's tomorrow and visit with them.  I love ALL the women of our ward, and certainly don't want anyone to feel left out.  It will be like turning 12 and getting to go to the Young Women's Program.  It gives us something to look forward to!!!!  I'm glad to be back. Love you All.  Connee

Hawaiian Favorite

Easy Slow Cooker Kalua Pork

Ingredients

• 1 3-5 lb Pork Butt or Pork Shoulder
• 1 tbs liquid smoke
• 2-3 tbs red Hawaiian Sea Salt (use your discretion, using more if your roast is bigger)

Instructions

1. Prepare your pork by taking a fork and puncturing it all over. Make sure you puncture it on all sides several times. This will help the flavor soak into the pork.
2. Place your punctured pork butt into the pot of your slow cooker. Add your liquid smoke to coat your pork.
3. Salt your pork well on both sides using the Hawaiian sea salt.
4. Set your slow cooker to low and allow it to cook undisturbed for 7-12 hours. The cooking time is going to very based on the size of your pork butt and the heat of the low setting on your crock pot. My roast was 3.5 lbs and cooked in about 7 hours. Start checking for doneness around the seven hour mark.
5. Once your pork is cooked through it should be incredibly tender. You will be able to shred it with a couple of forks easily.
6. Serve over rice (cauli-rice works well too!), or cook it up with cabbage in a pan. If I am cooking it up with cabbage I will add a little bit of tamari for flavor and to help wilt the cabbage.
7. Enjoy!
8. *Note: reserve some of the juices in your crock pot in order to put on any pork that you might be storing. It will help your pork to not dry out!