Hawaiian Pretzel Salad

This recipe is exactly like the strawberry pretzel salad but made with orange and pineapple.  My husbands aunt has a grandson that is allergic to red dye 3, (I believe) so I think this will be a great alternative for her instead.  Hope she enjoys it!!


Crust:
2 cups crushed Pretzels
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted (12 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons sugar

Filling:
1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
1 tub (16 ounce) Cool Whip, thawed
2 cups confectioner's sugar

Topping:
1 package (6 ounce) orange flavored gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 can (20 ounce) crushed pineapple, drained
1 can (15 ounce) mandarin oranges, drained

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix together pretzels, melted butter and sugar. Press the mixture into a 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes; let cool.

2. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread evenly over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

3. Add boiling water into dry gelatin and mix in large bowl for at least 2 min. until completely dissolved, add crushed pineapple and mandarin oranges and let cool. Pour the gelatin mixture on the filling mixture; refrigerate at least 3 hours or until firm

Meatloaf

I have been trying meatloaf recipes since we got married.  And that my friend is a LOT of meatloaves.  If I find one I like my husband doesn't like it, but if he likes it than I don't like it.  Isn't that how life works?  Well, the search is over, after 27 years of marriage I think we found a winner.  One that we both agreed was pretty good.  This recipe didn't call for Italian sausage but I had it in refrigerator so what the heck.  I think this is what makes the nice flavor we were always missing.  Hope you enjoy as much as we did!!!

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup ketchup
1 lb ground beef
1 lb Italian sausage
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup oatmeal
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic


Pour oatmeal and milk in separate bowl to soften.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 5 x 9 inch loaf pan. Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar.

In a mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients along with the soften oatmeal, mix thoroughly and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the ketchup. Bake in preheated oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until juices are clear.

A New Name

I changed the name today of my website from Midwest Stamper to Mama Eichs Goodies.  I did it for a couple of reasons.  A lot of the kids around here call me Mama Eich. Even Siri calls me MamaEich, not for sure who programed that into my phone!!  I  am not even for sure where it started but it always makes me smile when I hear it. I LOVE to cook for all the kids.  (The kids are grown up and range between 20-30 years old).  If I could stay at home and cook all the time for the kids I would love it.  I love it when kids that have moved away come back to eat at the house.  It really warms my heart. 
So enjoy and if you have any questions just let me know!!

Strawberry Trifle

Don't let the name Trifle scare you away.  This really is an easy recipe and tastes OH SO GOOD.  The best part it is pretty easy and you can really impress your friends with the beauty of it.

Ingredients:

1 (10 inch) angel food cake

Before cool-whip on top.

1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed and separated
1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced
1 3 oz strawberry Jello
1 cup sugar
2 cups boiling water
4-5 Tbsp cornstarch
water to make paste*

To make glaze:
Boil 2 cups water.  Once water is hot add sugar and jello and stir until dissolved.  Once sugar and jello is dissolved add cornstarch paste.  Stir until light in color and thickened.  Cool completely. 

Pudding mixture:
Beat the cream cheese and 1 cup sugar in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add vanilla.  Fold in 1 container of the whipped topping. 

Cut angel food cake into cubes.

Layer angel food cake on bottom of trifle bowl.  Next layer with pudding mixture.  Add sliced strawberries and pour glaze on top.  Repeat layers.  On top add other container of cool whip.  Put into refrigerate to cool. 

You can add the strawberries into the glaze for more strawberry flavor. 

*To cornstarch just add enough water to make white milky paste.

Dinner Rolls

I have always used Pillsbury processed dinner rolls - the ones you roll up and they are to look like croissants.  They are good - don't get me wrong but WOW.  Let me share a recipe with you that I made for Sunday dinner.  Now I will have to say that the dough was a little big stickier and softer than regular bread dough.  But when they were all said and done - they looked like little pillows.  Pillows of goodness that is.  This makes a lot so they are so good for a big crowd.  The original recipe comes from http://nomemade-recipes.blogspot.com/2013/01/best-rolls-ever.html.  I pretty much used the same recipe but she has great pictures to go along with the directions.

Ingredients:

• 2 c warm water
• 2/3 c nonfat dry milk powder
• 1 package yeast
• 1/4 c sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 c butter
• 1 egg
• 4 1/2- 5 c all purpose flour

Directions:

1. In a Kitchen aid mixing bowl, stir in warm water and nonfat dry milk powder until it dissolves.
2. Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups of flour.
3. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then 2 minutes at medium speed.
4. Add 2 more cups of flour, mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then 2 minutes at medium speed.  (You can switch your attachment to the dough hook at this point for easier mixing.)
5. Add 1/2 cup flour again, mixing on low speed until wet, then 2 minutes at medium speed.  You can add an additional 1/2 c if your dough is still too wet but I usually stop at 4 1/2 cups of flour total.
6. Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff.
7. Scrape the dough off the sides of the bowl and pour about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil around the sides of the bowl so that the bowl is coated.  
8. Spray some plastic wrap with non-stick coating and place the plastic over the bowl. Allow it to rise in a warm place until the dough doubles in size and rises to the top of the bowl.
9. Once the dough has risen, place your dough on a flat floured surface, then divide the dough in half.
10. Roll out half the dough into a circle.
11. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 16 even slices
12. Begin to roll the slice of dough in, starting from the wide end and tuck the small point underneath.  
13. Place rolls on parchment-lined baking sheet or a cooking mat.
14. Repeat steps 10-13 for the 2nd half of the dough and let them rise for 1- 1 1/2 hours, until double in size.      
15. Bake at 350­ F for 20-23 minutes or until golden-brown. 
16. Brush with melted butter while hot.

Peanut Butter Cup Dip

I am not really for sure if I call this a dip or a dessert ball.  I suppose you should really call it a dessert ball but frankly I don't have time to shape it and make it look all fancy.  I mean it will look great for about two minutes before everyone digs in, cause this so GOOD!!! If you like raw cookie dough - you will love this but doesn't have the raw egg in it.  I used miniature graham crackers but you can use pretzels, animal crackers or maybe even fruit!!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
• 8oz pkg Reese's peanut butter cup Minis (or about 1 1/2 cup chopped Reese's cups)

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in the sugar and bring to a boil. Once it boils, remove from heat immediately.  Add peanut butter and vanilla.  Stir until smooth.  Allow cooling to room temperature (very important).
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with powdered sugar until creamy (about 3-4 minutes, don't skimp on the beating time). On low, add in brown sugar mixture (that has cooled to room temperature). Mix until combined. Fold in mini Reese's cups.
3. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy with pretzels, animal cracker, and graham sticks.

Taco Lasagna

When both my daughters are home we have a new tradition that we always try a Pinterest project.  The first time we tried the crayon art.  Let's just say crafts is NOT our strong suite.  So this time I said lets try cooking.  So we picked a recipe off of Pinterest and tried it.  Boy was it good. 

1 lb ground beef

1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 packet taco seasoning
Water as called for on back of seasoning packet
1/2 cup con queso*
3 large flour tortillas (8 inch size)
1 1/2 cups Monterrey Jack Cheese
Lettuce
Tomato
Sour Cream
Salsa

Brown hamburger along with onion.  Add taco seasoning and water.  Cook until thickened. Add Queso. 

Place flour tortilla in a 9 inch cake pan or a spring foam pan, or even a pie plate.

Spread 1/3 meat mixture, top with 1/3 of the cheese.  Repeat layers ending with cheese on top.

Bake in oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes until it is warmed thru.

Cut into pie triangles.  Top with lettuce, tomato, sour cream or salsa.

Enjoy!

* We use Carlos O'Kelly's queso but any store bought would be good too.