Mormon Life - Food tag

{Food Dish} Best Dessert Bar Contest: 2nd Runner-up + Recipe

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:05:00 -0600

by LDS Living
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: We're getting close to revealing the winner of our contest, but let's not forget about the delicious dessert that came in as the third favorite: Butterscotch Nutella Bars.

Two finalists down (see our other favorite dessert bar recipes so far); three more finger-licking recipes to go.

This week, meet our voters' third most favorite recipe from the 30+ that we received: Butterscotch Nutella Bars, by Sharon Leigh Painter of Aloha, Oregon.

Nutella. Need we say more? Combined with the slightly nutty flavor of butterscotch and fluff of marshmallow, these were irresistably sweet. The texture was also perfectly flakey. It's no wonder they were so close to receiving the top honor.

Butterscotch Nutella Bars

Crust Ingredients
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs

Filling Ingredients
½ cup Nutella
1 cup mini marshmallow over Nutella
1/3 cup butterscotch chips

Crust:
Using a spoon, mix sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder. Using a pastry blender add butter. When well mixed add eggs. Stir with spoon and then mix with hands until well incorporated. Reserve 2 cups (loosely packed) of this mixture for topping. Press the remainder in a sprayed 9 X 13 glass dish. Bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes until lightly golden on edges (do not over bake).

Filling:
While the crust is still hot, spoon on Nutella. Sprinkle marshmallows over that, and then sprinkle butterscotch chips. Finish by sprinkling reserved 2 cups of dough. Bake for 10-13 minutes until marshmallow and crust are lightly browned.

Enjoy warm or cooled.

Other winning recipes from this contest:

Fourth Runner-up: Strawberry Limeade Bars

Third Runner-up: Chocolate Orange Bars

{Food Dish} Best Dessert Bar Contest: 3rd Runner-up + Recipe

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:05:00 -0600

by LDS Living
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: We continue to unveil the most delicious dessert bars of all today with another winning recipe: Chocolate Orange Bars, which received the fourth most votes.

Do you think you can handle the deliciousness?

Last week we started to announce the best recipes we came across during our recent Best Dessert Bar Contest with our fourth runner-up: Strawberry Limeade Bars (click here for the recipe).

Now it's time to get the delicious details on the third runner-up: Chocolate Orange Bars, by Barbara Lee Parsons of Huntsville, Alabama.

We loved the perfectly chewy texture of these bars (just what a bar should be) paired with the perfect balance of sweet chocolate to citrusy orange. The flavors were just a great combination; we couldn't get enough!

Chocolate Orange Bars
(Welcome to the Neighborhood Treats)

Layer #1
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

Layer #2
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1 (6-ounce) package of chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut, flaked style
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Orange Frosting:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp butter
1 tsp grated orange rind
2 T orange juice

Layer #1: Cream the butter and the sifted flour and salt and mix thoroughly. Line an 8-inch square pan with wax paper and spread the mixture into pan and press down with a spoon. Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Layer #2: Blend together the sugar and eggs and stir in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips. Add coconut and vanilla. Mix in the flour and salt Mix well and spread over first layer that previously you baked. Bake again for 15 minutes in a 375 degree F oven. Remove from oven, cool and then remove from pan.

Frosting: Cream butter and gradually add the sugar. Blend thoroughly. Add orange rind and orange juice. Frost the bars with orange frosting. Melt the remaining chocolate chips and drizzle on top of orange frosting.

Other winning recipes from this contest:

Fourth Runner-up: Strawberry Limeade Bars

{Food Dish} Best Dessert Bar Contest: 4th Runner-up + Recipe

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:05:00 -0600

by LDS Living
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Choosing our favorite dessert bars was hard – there were so many delicious options! But we did what had to be done, and now it's time to start meeting the winners. Today: Strawberry Limeade Bars, which received the fifth most votes.

A couple weeks ago, we held our dessert bar competition here at corporate headquarters. We had quite the task in front of us, since we received so many recipes (and all of these sounded delicious). We enlisted the help of co-workers, family members, and friends, and finally came up with a list of our favorites.

Because your submissions were just so tasty, we're publishing more than the usual three recipes online. So, today, meet our 5th favorite recipe: Strawberry Limeade Bars, by Julie Egan of Flower Mound, Texas.

We loved the refreshing, slightly tropical twist of these bars. They taste just like the drink!

Strawberry Limeade Bars

Crust:
1 strawberry cake mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
2 tablespoons lime zest

Topping:
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup lime juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix crust ingredients and press into 9x13 pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

Mix together topping ingredients and pour over crust. Bake for an additional 25 minutes, until set.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar while warm. Cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Check out the links below for other finalists from the dessert bar contest:

3rd Runner-up: Chocolate Orange Bars

Mother's Day meals made easy

Wed, 09 May 2012 10:07:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

Men may feel pressure after they realize they are responsible for making all three meals for Mother’s Day. But dads need not fear. Below are some fool-proof slow-cooker recipes from Karen Petersen's “365 Days of Slow-Cooking” (Covenant Communications, $25.99) that will take the stress off of creating great meals for the women they love.

*****

Breakfast: Waffle and Sausage Breakfast

{Lifestyle} Planting an Edible Garden

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:03:00 -0600

by Joy Bossi and Karen Bastow
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Whether you have two acres or two containers, it is possible to harvest crops nearly year round in your own little slice of garden heaven.

“Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where the veggies is?”

Planting an edible landscape gives room for all the veggies and fruits any family would love. In many areas, spring planting may start as early as March—or even February in warmer climates. Here in the Intermountain West, we are pushing the freezing envelope if any warm season crops are planted before the middle of May. Okay, okay . . . it’s even better if we wait until around Memorial Day.

Whether you have two acres or two containers, it is possible to harvest crops nearly year round in your own little slice of garden heaven. The downsizing of home lots can cause some concern about available space.

Instead of just choosing plants that provide ornamental delight, try planting some yummy edible substitutes that are beautiful in their own right. Lawn has its place and important function, but if the only sunny area in your yard is now lawn, maybe that is the space you should be aiming at for food production. Gardens can be planted in rather unconventional ways that add interest and surprises throughout the entire yard.

In our book, The Incredible, Edible Landscape, we help gardeners explore new ways to produce food in the most local place of all—their own yards! There are many reasons we feel this is an important part of provident living, and here are a few:

-Serious counsel has been given to grow our own food.

-Commercial food supplies sometimes become contaminated with E. coli, salmonella, etc.

-Pesticide residue on our fresh foods poses increasing health risks.

-Nutrients begin to be lost the moment crops are harvested.

-Perhaps most importantly: no one should miss out on the taste of a freshly picked ripe peach or a sun-warmed, homegrown tomato.

As President Benson once said, “The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah.”

One of the early titles of our book was “Provident Gardening.” That title ended up on the editing room floor, but the message behind that title is still addressed in every chapter. So, just what is gardening providently? It’s carefully preparing for future needs by focusing on growing edibles—and not only in the future but, deliciously, in the here and now! Knowing how to grow veggies under a variety of conditions can certainly supplement and enhance basic food storage. We strongly believe that NOW is the time to learn and practice gardening skills. There is no better place or time to hone these skills than when choosing your next gardening project. Try some of these edible substitutions for a start:

TREES – FOR -

Almond trees Flowering Cherries

2 varieties of Filbert Clump River Birch

Sour Cherry trees Lilac, Forsythia

Dwarf Peach tree (not in deep shade) Japanese Maple

SHRUBS –

Gooseberry Pyracantha, Barberry

Raspberry Privet, Juniper

Grape vine Virginia Creeper

Dwarf peach, plum, or apple Mugho pine

ANNUALS –

Opal basil Ageratum, Lobelia

Eggplant Tall Zinnia

Bright Lights Chard Medium Marigold

Sun Sugar tomato Black-eyed Susan vine

PERENNIALS –

Asparagus Ornamental Grass

Golden Sage Moonbeam Coreopsis

Chives Blue Fescue Grass

Oregano Ajuga

Here are some more ideas for incorporating edible plants into your garden:

Rhubard chard with edible Pansies.

Can you spot strawberries, nasturtiums, peppers, marigolds, melons, peaches, and ornamental sweet potatoes?

Condominium containers = edible landscape

Here’s a personal survey to help you determine your progress towards provident gardening:

1. Do you know how to grow plants from seeds?

2. Can you gather seeds from the produce you grew?

3. Have you stored those seeds?

4. Are there spare tools, parts, fertilizer, etc. in your storage?

5. Can you protect your little plants from cold, heat, insects, wind, and animals?

6. Do you know how to properly plant a leggy tomato start?

7. Can you freeze, dry, bottle, preserve and store your produce?

8. Would you like to know how to grow a Chocolate Cookie Bush?

Our book addresses these and other important gardening questions, but for all of the ideas in our book, the most important message we share is this: spiritual and emotional comfort and healing can come from being in a garden—especially when that garden is an incredible, edible landscape!

To learn more or order The Incredible, Edible Landscape, please visit joyinthegarden.com.

{Food Dish} Muffin Tin Meals

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:25:00 -0600

by Ashley Evanson
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Try one of these yummy meals made in muffin tins. They're easy to make and easy to clean up!

Photo from Can You Stay for Dinner?

Petiti Lasagnas

Photo from The Comfort of Cooking

Vegetable and Bacon Frittatas

Photo from Hispanic Kitchen

Muffin Tin Tacos

Photo from The Comfort of Cooking

Bacon, Eggs, and Toast Cups

Photo from Make and Takes

Mini Pumpkin Pies

Photo from Johnny and Ashley in Real Life

Mini German Pancakes

Photo from Pillsbury

Chicken Alfredo Pasta Pies

Photo from Muffin Tin Mom

Toddler Snacks

Photo from Real Mom Kitchen

Yorkshire Pudding

Photo from There's Always Thyme to Cook

Muffin Tin Potato Gratins

Photo from Week of Menus

Mini Calzones

Vietnamese chef finds the LDS Church, his foundation and a desire to help others

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:18:00 -0600

source: MormonTimes.com

Hai Fitzgerald places a steaming dish of pasta in sauce in front of a customer at Thyme & Seasons Market Place. He turns away to check on another dish as the man takes his first bite. As the diner tastes the food, he exclaims, "Holy cow!"

Fitzgerald whips back around. "No!" he says, with mock sternness. "That is holy chicken, not holy cow!"

When it comes time for dessert, the diner says he is full and can't eat another bite. Fitzgerald offers him a flourless Belgian chocolate cupcake, which he accepts and eats.

"Whenever people are full, they always somehow have room for dessert," Fitzgerald observes.

{Food Dish} Food Tricks in the Kitchen

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:47:00 -0600

by Ashley Evanson
source: MormonLife.com

Check out these creative tips that make cooking a little bit easier, prettier, and tastier.

Photo from The Culinary Tribune

Fruit Ice Cubes

Photo from I Love Pinterest

Mason Jar Salads

Photo from Real Simple

Pancake batter in an old sqeeze bottle

Photo from Lunch in a Box

Frozen Green Onions

Photo from 2 Stews

Microwave Chocolate Cake

Photo from Macheesmo

Muffin Tin Eggs

Photo from Mangio da Sola

Crockpot Dulce de Leche

Photo from Lacey in Love

Make-ahead Smoothies Kits

Photo from Lunch in a Box

Freezing individual portions

Photo from Bent on Better Lunches

Rainbow Pasta

Photo from Busy Mommy

Apple Cider Cups

Photo from Wit and Delight

Mason Jar Meals

Photo from See My Footprints

(Real) Fruit Cake

Photo from Rediscovering Fit

Veggie Cooking Cheat Sheet

Photo by Kate Ensign-Lewis

Add slight garlic flavor to salad by rubbing the bowl with a garlic clove.

30 Girl Scout Cookie recipes

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:24:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: These could be fun to make over the general conference weekend. Anyone who has made a trip to the grocery store recently has probably left with more than the usual number of unplanned purchases. If you're a fan of baked goods, or simply human, you're bound to have a box or two (or 10) of Girl Scout Cookies somewhere in your shopping cart. Perhaps buried under the Reese's Puffs or hiding behind the Cadbury Mini Eggs? While there's no denying the inherent deliciousness of the cookies, creative food bloggers have found many ways to incorporate them into even more mouth-watering concoctions. We've gathered 30 Girl Scout Cookie-based recipes worth whipping up — or at least dreaming about. And you'll want to click all the way through because the final recipe elevates these cookies to wedding-worthy status with edible gold. Ready, set, salivate. Related: For lessons in business, look to the cookie

BYU alumna Kelsey Nixon a 'rising star' on Cooking Channel

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:21:00 -0600

source: pittsburghlive.com

Move over, Paula Deen, Martha Stewart and Lidia Bastianich. Kelsey Nixon is in the kitchen.

Nixon is a rising star at the Cooking Channel, a sister network of the Food Network, whose programming goals include attracting a younger viewer demographic. The dishes she prepares on her cooking show, "Kelsey's Essentials," appeal to everyone, she says, but are especially geared toward busy young people who want to eat well but have little time for complex recipes.

{Food Dish} Contest: Best Dessert Bar Recipe

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:04:00 -0700

by LDS Living
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Send us your best dessert bar recipes for the chance to win LDS Living's Best Dessert Bar Contest, a $100 gift certificate, and be published in an upcoming issue of LDS Living!

Remember our cookie contest? The winner (Lemon Crinkle Cookies) continues to be one of LDS Living's most popular online posts every week. Since it seems people enjoy desserts the most, our new "best" will appeal to your sweet tooth, taking its inspiration from equal parts cookie and cake: dessert bars.

Here are the rules (you must abide by each for your recipe to be considered):

1) Recipes must be original. As delicious as you find Paula Deen's Five-Layer Bars recipe, we can't consider it. And don’t simply change the name—just as you wouldn’t want someone else to claim work that is yours, please do not claim someone else’s as your own. (If you found a recipe and tweaked it beyond recognition, you can submit that as your own. Family recipes are also acceptable.)

2) Submit the recipe with your full name, e-mail address, home city and state, and a valid daytime phone number by Friday, April 20, 2012. (LDS Living will use this information only to get a hold of you in the event that you win; we will not use it for marketing or other purposes.)

If you have a photo of the dessert bar, please submit it, but photos are not required.

E-mail recipes to editor[at]ldsliving[dot]com. (E-mail the editor.)

We will be testing the recipes after we receive them. The winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to Deseret Book and will be announced along with two runners-up throughout May, starting on May 10, and the winning recipes will also be given at that time. In addition, our winner and runners-up will be featured in the recipe section of an upcoming issue of LDS Living magazine!

You responded to our challenge the first time with gusto. Have you got what it takes to be crowned victor and join the august ranks of LDS Living best chefs? We're excited find out.

Bonne chance!

{Food Dish} Fab Five: FHE Lessons and Matching Desserts

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:10:00 -0700

by Kate Ensign-Lewis
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: These are a five of our most popular FHE lessons and coordinating desserts to match the topic.

Good for the sweet tooth and for the soul. Yum.

Photo from Pinch of Yum.

1. FHE: Time Management

Make the most of your time with this quick and delicious Lazy Chocolate Cherry Fudge Cake.

Photo from Pham Fatale.

2. FHE: Light

Mango Cream Cheese Mousse: a beautiful, light dessert (both in color and texture). Like a little bowl of sunshine.

Photo from SemiSweetie.

3. FHE: Agency

These Unique Cakes in Mason Jars let your family or friends make their own choice.

Photo from Food Network.

4. FHE: Character

You'd be hard pressed to find a dessert that's both as effortless and cool as this Peanut Butter and Banana Semifreddo. (Note: recipe calls for liqueur; you can omit it.)

Photo from Create with Mom.

5. FHE: Humility

Yes, another banana dessert, but there's a purpose behind it: it may just be simple Chocolate Banana Popsicles, but it shows that Humility can be just as wonderful as Character. (Ba-dum-ching!)

{Food Dish} LDS Living Casserole Competition: WINNER + Recipe

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:05:00 -0700

by LDS Living
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: And finally, we'd like to announce the winner of our Best Casserole Contest: Verde Chicken Mexican Lasagna. Prepare to have your casserole socks knocked off.

We hope you've enjoyed creating, cooking, and sharing your recipes, and we especially hope you enjoy our three winners! Note: now that our "casseroles" chapter has closed, get geared up for our Best Dessert Bar Contest, starting March 1.

Without further ado, our winner is . . . Verde Chicken Mexican Lasagna by Celeste Pearson of Lakewood, Washington. We loved the combination of textures and Southwest spices in this cassrole.

Congratulations! (You can also view her cooking blog at girlsinaprons.blogspot.com.)

Pin It

Verde Chicken Mexican Lasagna

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups green salsa
1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed and drained
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (plus additional for garnishing)
12 soft taco size flour tortillas
1 (8-ounce) package shredded Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Mix chicken, sour cream, black beans, salsa, corn, cilantro and spices in a large bowl. Taste and adjust

seasonings to your preference. Cut tortillas in half with kitchen shears.   In a 9x13 dish, scoop 1/3 of the chicken mixture into bottom of pan. Spread evenly. Place one layer of cut tortillas (about 4 tortillas) on chicken mixture to cover. Top with 1/3 of the amount of shredded cheese. Repeat with chicken mixture, tortillas, shredded cheese two more times. There should be three layers total.   Bake in oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and casserole is warmed through. Serve with sour cream and additional chopped cilantro.

Click on the links below to see the Runners-up in our casserole contest:

1st runner-up: Panini Caprese Strata with Roasted Bell Pepper Cream

2nd runner-up: Chicken Cordon Bleu Florentine Casserole

{Food Dish} LDS Living Casserole Competition: 1st Runner-up + Recipe

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:05:00 -0700

by LDS Living
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: We received lots of great recipes from our readers, but a few stood out above the rest when we held our casserole competition last week. Here’s the recipe for Panini Caprese Strata with Roasted Red Pepper Cream, which got the second most votes.

A couple weeks ago, we held our Corporate Casserole Day to assemble a delicious collection of food and a large body of people to vote on the best flavors. And last week, we announced our second-runner up, Chicken Cordon Bleu Florentine Casserole (click here to see the recipe). Next week, we will announce the grand prize winner, who will receive a $100 gift certificate to Deseret Book, so stay tuned! (To see pictures from the cook-off, click here.)

Our first runner up was . . . Panini Caprese Strata with Roasted Red Pepper Cream from Beth Jane Taylor of Quincy, California. We enjoyed all the fresh ingredients and the tangy cream sauce on top. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!

Pin It

Panini Caprese Strata with Roasted Red Pepper Cream

Red pepper cream:
½ cup jarred roasted red peppers
1 pint sour cream

Strata:
6 large eggs
3 cups milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 large loaf French bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup prepared basil pesto
8 ounces prosciutto, sliced into thin strips
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into ½ inch cubes
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Roasted red pepper cream:
In a blender or food processor, blend peppers and sour cream together for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Set aside in refrigerator.

Strata:
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper until it is creamy and smooth. Set aside. In a greased 9x13 pan, place half the bread cubes on bottom and spread evenly. Dollop pesto in small chunks on top of bread cubes over entire surface. Sprinkle prosciutto over entire surface. Evenly distribute mozzarella over bread cubes. Now evenly distribute tomatoes over entire surface. Cover dish with remaining bread cubes. Pour egg mixture evenly over entire surface. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and parsley on top, cover with tin foil and let it chill for 1 hour or up to one day.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes, take foil off and let bake until center of strata is set and top is slightly browned, about 20-30 more minutes. Let it stand for 10 minutes, cut into squares and pour desired amount of Roasted red pepper cream over squares.

Click on the links below to see the other finalists in our casserole contest:

Winner: Verde Chicken Mexican Lasagna

2nd runner-up: Chicken Cordon Bleu Florentine Casserole

{Food Dish} LDS Living Casserole Competition: 2nd Runner-up + Recipe

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:12:00 -0700

by LDS Living
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: We received lots of great recipes from our readers, but a few stood out above the rest when we held our casserole competition last week. Here’s the recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu Florentine, which got the third most votes.

Last Friday we held our Corporate Casserole Day to assemble a delicious collection of food and a large body of people to vote on the best flavors. To increase the suspense, we’ll be announcing one of the winning recipes each week. The grand prize winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to Deseret Book, so stay tuned! (To see pictures from the cook-off, click here.)

Our second runner up was . . . Chicken Cordon Bleu Florentine Casserole from Carissa Poyfair of Lakewood, Washington. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!

Pin It

Chicken Cordon Bleu Florentine Casserole

1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Italian blend cheese
6 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 pound Campanelle pasta
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
9 ounces deli ham, thinly sliced
1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add salt to taste and cook the pasta to al dente. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan on medium heat and add the flour. Stir until combined and bubbly, at least one minute. Slowly add in the milk, whisking the entire time. Stir constantly, until mixture is bubbly and thick. Add ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; combine. Add Italian and Gorgonzola cheeses and stir until cheese is melted and well-combined.

Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan and add the garlic. Stir for one minute until fragrant. Add the cooked, shredded chicken and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté for a few minutes.

Add pasta, chicken, sliced ham, and drained spinach to the cheese mixture. Stir until well-combined and place in a sprayed 2-quart casserole dish. Stir together the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the pasta dish and bake uncovered for 15–20 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Also, get ready for the next LDS Living Recipe contest, which begins March 1. We're out to find the best Dessert Bar!

Click on the links below to see the other finalists in our casserole contest:

Winner: Verde Chicken Mexican Lasagna

1st runner-up: Panini Caprese Strata with Roasted Bell Pepper Cream

{LDSL Blog} Casserole Contest Pictures

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:04:00 -0700

by Ashley Evanson
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: We had quite the weekend judging all of your casserole recipes. Check out the photos!

I think I can I can speak for the whole corporate office of Deseret Book when I say the LDS Living recipe contest days are the best work days of the year. Seriously.

We received a few dozen amazing casserole recipes from our readers and enlisted a number of chefs to make them, and then tested them with our food-loving co-workers here at Deseret Book. We served over 1,000 samples, filled our stomachs until we could only waddle, and voted for the tastiest casserole in the LDS world. And can I just say, your recipes did not disappoint!

For our third place winner, click here, and stayed tuned in the following weeks for the second and first place recipes.

Also, start pulling out your cookbooks again because our next recipe contest is just around the corner. Starting March 1, we'll be looking for the best Dessert Bars!

Thanks again for all the tasty recipes! They made for a most delicious day.

A new generation redefines Mormon cuisine

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:45:00 -0700

source: nytimes.com

Mormon Life says: There's definitely more to Mormons than Jell-O and casseroles (coming from LDS Living, who just held a casserole recipe contest-haha!). JUSTIN SOELBERG, the chef at Communal restaurant in Provo, Utah, has heard all the jokes about Mormon food. “People think it’s just casseroles and Jell-O all the time,” said Mr. Soelberg, 30, who grew up Mormon in Idaho and graduated from the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan.

“The basic dinner was meat in cream-of-something soup on mashed something,” said Kate Jones, 31, a food blogger who grew up in Utah and now lives in Louisiana.

Even in Park City, where the Sundance Film Festival began last week, Mr. Soelberg acknowledged, “No one comes to Utah for the food.”

{Food Dish} "Healthy" Dishes I Can Handle

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:03:00 -0700

by Kate Ensign-Lewis
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: I want to eat healthier. Really, I do. But so often "healthy" translates to "blah." But these dishes make eating healthy look like a piece of zucchini cake.

I'm not known for a light palate. (Remember this?) So, resolution #4 this year should make total sense: eat better. This means fewer calories (no more late night cookie runs), less fat, and more fruits and vegetables.

I've really been meaning to eat better for a long time, but my love of food always causes me to stop short. "Healthy" often means sacrificing flavor. With these dishes, though, I think I can make that crucial first step. Are you with me?

(Note: I deemed these healthy only with my untrained eye on the ingredients. Many of them do not have calorie counts, but my hunch is that they're low.)

Sweet Potato Skins (Photo from Pinch of Yum)

Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli with Pine Nuts (Photo from Ezra Pound Cake)

Fresh Corn and Tomato Saute (Photo from The Parsley Thief)

Healthy Muffins (Photo from Sweet Make Me Smile)

Prawn Salad Sandwich (Photo from An American in Ireland)

Spring Vegetable Saute (Photo from Sauce and Sensibility)

Fish Tacos with Mandarin Orange Salsa (Photo from Give Me Some Oven)

Quick and Healthy Turkey Chili (Photo from The Yummy Life)

And, speaking of that zucchini cake . . .

Healthy Chocolate Cake with Zucchini (Photo from Baltic Maid)

{Food Dish} Ultimate Guide: Ridiculously Cute Christmas Foods

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:57:00 -0700

by Kaela Worthen
source: MormonLife.com

I'm really good at making food taste good. What I'm not so good at is making it look pretty. I also happen to be a Pinterest addict, which means I get almost all of my food inspiration from my visual pinboard cookbook. The results usually go something like this:

(Thank you, Pinterest, for illustrating my life so well for me.)

However, that doesn't mean I can't still enjoy looking at pretty food and wishing I had such skills. And since I know some of you do actually have such skills, I'm going to share with you some of my favorite finds, in the hopes that someone will get to make and eat them.

Melted snowman cookies. Seriously. How ridiculously cute are these?

Christmas cheese party tray.
It's easy to make desserts decorative, but not so with many other party foods. This is great.

Brownie Christmas trees from Betty Crocker.
Not only are these possibly the most delish of the bunch, but I think I could possibly make them without messing them up too horribly.

Santa feet cupcake.
And several other cute cupcakes I could never be capable of making.

Christmas reindeer mini donuts.
I could SO make these.

Reindeer peanut butter cookies.
I might even be able to make these ones.

Santa hat pretzels.
Cute neighbor Christmas gift, anyone?

And for those of you with super food skills, you can check this link out for even more Christmas cupcake inspiration. (If you're like me, though, don't look. Please. It'll keep you from getting depressed.)

Did You Get BLASTed?

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:05:00 -0700

by Dr. Robert Jones
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: The traditional Christmas junk food, combined with the stress of the season, can wreak havoc on a person's goals to stay healthy. The key to changing this isn't hormones - it's habit.

The holiday “eating frenzy” is here. I hope you don’t get “BLASTed.” That’s an acronym we use in our weight loss classes to help our patients get their eating under control. Bored. Lonely. Angry. Stressed. Tired. When you are in one of those situations you are more likely to eat “stuff” you shouldn’t be eating. Junk food. It’s all over Christmas. It’s traditional. And it’s a nightmare if you are trying to stay strong.

The most important question we teach our patients is, when they are confronted with food, they must immediately ask this question: “Why?” That one word can often be enough to stop the behavior, if accompanied by a moment of self-honesty. “Am I angry? Am I stressed or bored?” Then answer the question.

Here’s the key: you see a gooey food. That is the trigger. Next you have a thought. Thoughts are electrical only. If the thought is “played with” long enough, it can become chemical or emotional. The key is to stop it at the electrical stage and don’t let it become chemical. Once it becomes chemical or emotional, it can flood the mind and body with all sorts of hormonal changes. Then you enter “the funnel” and it’s too hard to get out: you succumb. Then you are angry with your self and the cycle repeats itself day after day.

In our classes we teach our patients how to stop at the electrical stage. For you see, so much of weight loss is in the mind. Yes, of course, inability to lose weight can be due to being hormonally out of balance. Hormones are what we deal with all day long at Utah Wellness Institute. But if the brain can be taught habits, it can overcome those bad eating behaviors permanently.

For instance, we teach overweight people to do mindful eating. One example is that between every bite of food they must put their fork or spoon down on the table and chew the bite 25 times. What does an obese person do? The average number of chews per bite is 4! Just enough to get a big hunk of food small enough to swallow. And the next bite is already at their mouth waiting.

Naturally thin people usually chew their food longer. They put the fork down.

But that would require effort. It would require change. I read just last week that only 17% of people follow the recommendations of their doctor when the doctor tells them to change something in their lives. That means 87% would rather just have the doctor just give them a magic pill that will mask the problem. That way they don’t have to change a habit or stop doing something.

A physician friend of mine treats nothing but diabetics. . . and she hates it. Why? Because the patients won’t change their eating habits. “Just give me more insulin so I can eat all the junk I want,” is their attitude.

With the new year just ahead, let’s think about what bad health habits we have formed and make a personal commitment to change even just one of them. I had a lady in my clinic two days ago that drinks two Bid Gulps of diet soda every day. I told her that if she was going to work with me and wanted to get healthy and get her hormones balanced, she would have to stop drinking the soda completely. She looked at me like I was nuts. I told her, “I’m not kidding. It’s not what you’re eating every once in a while that is killing you. It’s the bad daily habits.”

Pardon the pun, but she wants her cake and wants to eat it too. I sent her off for a blood test and told her she has a week to think about whether she really wants to be healthy. As you go into the New Year, make a change with your health. Get motivated to get healthy. No better time to start than right now. And have a Merry Christmas!

(If you want more information on the classes we teach, go to lightpointlife.com for more information.)

Dr. Robert Jones is the Clinic Director at the Utah Wellness Institute in Draper, Utah. 801 576 1155)