Grandma Malaska Caramel Corn

At our house we always ate soft gooey caramel corn. Sure, the crispy kind is good, but this is better. Also. it makes a TON, so halving the recipe is no problem.

1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups brown sugar
1 square margarine
1 cup corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together in a medium saucepan and bring to boil. Cook till soft ball stage.

Pour over 12 quarts of freshly popped corn.

Tah dah, it's done! And stays soft and good for a couple days.

Our Life

Home On Friday from Jason Malaska on Vimeo.

This is really what it is like.
Meal: Tikka Masala

Salmon Patties

This is another recipe from Grandma Malaska.

Somehow our family always had cans of salmon in our pantry, and I don't know why because I'd only ever seen it in our pantry. But this patty was a staple because of its high nutrients and quick preparation. I always got to help smash up the saltine crackers. But, with my sensitive kid tongue/nose I could only eat them cut up into macaroni, and to this day I enjoy a good bowl of macaroni and salmon.

1 can salmon deboned (when you buy the can, it is just like the whole fish, so take out the gross parts)

1/2 cup saltine crackers

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 egg

1 diced green onion

salt and pepper to taste

Debone! Mix all ingredients together. Form into 3" patties and pan fry in hot owl till brown on each side.

Serve with mac and cheese and an iceberg salad, if we are keeping it traditional.

Grandma Malaska's Brownies

Every summer we made the trip to utah to visit our grandparents. When we drove in to Rose Park Salt Lake city late at night Grandma would always have either spaghetti, or a hot bowl of canned chili and tamales and a pan of her brownies. They were divine. Always dense but still with a hint of cakeyness, and the frosting was the best accent. I always had to try not to eat alot of them because I would get sick and not want to eat the rest of her great foods, but that was childhood.

4 squares baking chocolate

1 cup butter

4 eggs

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 package mini marshmallows

chocolate icing

1/2 cup cocoa powder

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup softened butter

Melt butter and baking chocolate together. In a separate bowl beat eggs and sugar, then add butter/chocolate mixture. in another bowl mix dry ingredients, then add them to the batter.

Fold in nuts.

Pour into a greased 9X13 baking dish and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees. When done, top with marshmellows and return to oven for a couple minutes till the marshmallows puff. Cool before frosting with chocolate icing.

Thats it!

Chicken Noodle Soup and Mashed Potatoes

This one is a classic, passed down from Grandma Brimhall (my mothers mom). She is on the right. Grandma Malaska is on the left. They are eating pancakes, but this isn't a pancake recipe. I don't know how it started, but I always remember having homemade chicken noodle soup on mashed potatoes. Maybe it was a creative use of left overs? Maybe it was created for the sensitive toothed? I'm not sure, but it is always hot and hometown good. What you do is put mashed potatoes at the bottom of your bowl then pour steaming hot chicken noodle soup on top. That's all! We also always use homemade noodles that are easily cut up and boiled faster then all get up.

Chicken Noodle Soup

4 to 6 chicken thighs

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced celery

1 diced carrot

2 cloves minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

8 cups water

2 chicken bullion cubes

Noodles

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

Simmer chicken in water and 1 tsp salt for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, beat egg and add enough flour to make a stiff dough. Roll out like a pie crust to 1/8" and cut long wide noodle strips. Use plenty of flour to dust noodles. Lay on floured surface till ready for use.

When chicken is done remove from broth to let cool, then remove bone and skin and chop into bite size pieces. Strain the broth and remove excess oil. But it back in the pot and add diced veggies and simmer till tender. Taste broth and add bullion if needed. Bring broth to a boil and add noodles, cook till al dente and add chicken meat. Serve warm over mashed potatoes. Men love this meal! (at least that is what my mom says)

Scones

No, these aren't the fried ones, but the baked ones. Although, we had those fried ones a lot too.

The memories are different though. later on in our family my dad started making scones. I don't know why, but he did. They started out simple, but soon he was adding craisins, nuts, whole wheat, graham you name it. Till finally you had a staple. Even to this day going home to visit I can count on waking up one morning to hot scones and a bowl of homemade yogurt. Eating them with tart yogurt is the only way to go.

2 cups flour (1/2 whole wheat if you want to try that)

2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup butter

1 cup chopped raisins, or nuts, or craisins...

3/4 cup buttermilk

Mix dry ingredients together.

Cut in butter till it is crumbly, with some pea sized pieces.

Add the buttermilk, mix until just incorporated.

Put on to the counter and knead 3 times.

Roll out about 1/2 inch and cut into triangles. Usually makes about 12 scones

Place on a baking sheet. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar

bake at 425 for 15 mins.

also try adding other spices-cinnamon, ginger, orange zest, poppy seeds, the combinations are endless.

The best chocolate chip cookies

Okay, so my dad loves cookies. Maybe even more then most dads. In fact, I'm willing to bet. So consequently I grew up loving to bake cookies. After a long search, this is my favorite chocolate cookie recipe, I adapted it from this recipe my sister sent me "award winning soft chocolate chip cookies". But I've made them so much that now to us they are just "the chocolate chip cookies"

I remember in high school nearly every thursday night was cookie night. Maybe it was just because we needed a break before the weekend, or maybe it was because our favorite tv shows would be on tv. At any rate either mom or I would make some cookies and we would all sit down at the coffee table and eat them. Now I make them for my roommates all the time (i'm not exaggerating) I especially love using pistachio pudding. It just tastes better that way.

are you ready?

1 cup room temp margarine (yes I prefer margarine, although half butter is great too)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 3.4 oz pckg vanilla instant pudding

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups flour

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in between. Add the pudding mixture and vanilla, beating till well mixed.

Add flour, soda, and salt. Mix a little then add the chocolate chips.

If the dough still sticks to your hands alot, add some more flour till it doesn't really stick.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden on the edges.

Eat with cold milk.