Saturday, March 12, 2011

Chicken Rice-a-Roni Salad


This recipe was contributed by Tori Cox via Sarah McKenna.  This is Tori's go-to recipe that she always serves at showers and playgroups.  I always take an embarrassing amount of it and leave hardly any for anyone else.  :)

Chicken Rice-a-Roni Salad

1 box chicken rice-a-roni
2 cups cubed chicken (or one 12.5 can of chicken, cubed/crumbled)
1 cup mayo (or to consistency and taste preference)
1 cup fresh diced tomatoes
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced green pepper

Prepare rice-a-roni as per package directions.  Chill in fridge for a couple of hours.  Then add remaining ingredients, chill, and serve!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Magelby's Fresh Copycat Buttermilk Syrup

Have you ever been to Magelby's Fresh for bottomless french toast or pancakes?  You haven't?!?  I feel very sad for you.  Very sad indeed.  Magelby's Fresh breakfasts are the bomb, and the main reason is this:  THE SYRUP!!!  They have frothy, homemade buttermilk syrup.  I could drink it like soda.  Except that it may make me sick.  Oh, what the heck?!  It would be SO. WORTH. IT.

Have I built it up enough yet?  Good.  Because I have the recipe for you!  It is a copycat recipe, and it is AMAZING!!!  Best of all, not only is it amazing, but it is also crazy easy!  My friends always think that if they make yummy pancakes, waffles, or french toast and put normal syrup on it that it will be enough; no extra effort necessary.  They are so wrong!  Take the 5 extra minutes to make this and it will take "breakfast for dinner" from a last-minute family meal to a company-worthy event!  (For real, we make it for company all of the time with the America's Test Kitchen Buttermilk Pancakes.  Oh yum.....)


Here it comes . . . are you ready?!


Magelby's Fresh Copycat Buttermilk Syrup

Throw the following in a medium or large sauce pan (at least 2 quarts or it will foam over the edges and make your kitchen exceedingly sticky):

1 stick of real butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk (fresh is better than powdered so it's not clumpy . . . you can find it by the milk next to the  whipped cream boxes)
1 Tablespoon vanilla

Stir and bring to a boil.  (You MUST watch and stir it or the buttermilk will curdle!  Trust me . . . since it all comes together so quickly, I've curdled many a pan by walking away.)  As soon as it comes to a boil stir in:

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

It will froth up like crazy, so take it off of the heat and stir it so you don't end up with a wild mess on your hands.  YUMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!