Copycat Restaurant Recipes

Red Lobster's Tartar Sauce Secret Recipe

2011-12-23T14:29:00.000-08:00

When most people think of restaurant recipe clones, the big showy dishes spring to mind. We love to be able to make our favorite dishes such as Alice Springs Chicken from Outback or Macaroni Grill's Pasta Milano at home.

But quite often it's the small extras that we remember from our favorite restaurants and find ourselves craving at the oddest times. Those condiments and side dishes such as the tartar sauce and cheddar biscuits at Red Lobster, the cole slaw from KFC or the desserts at Applebees.

One of the best things about being able to make your favorite restaurant recipes at home is that you can make make only the parts of the meal that you crave. So being able to use a restaurant's side dishes or condiments with any home-cooked meal is a cinch. You can pair the restaurant goodies up with your homemade specialties whenever you want. Last year the huge bowl of Red Lobster Tarter Sauce I made for our family reunion fish fry (Walleye from Lake Erie -- Yum!) and it was a big hit. And I have made the Cheddar Biscuits several times for breakfast.

A quick google search reveals that I'm not alone in loving to do this.

And since I can make up a heaping batch anytime, why limit myself to just fish? I can whip up some Tartar Sauce to slather on a hamburger the way they do at the restaurant. Or use it any other way I please. The recipe easily makes 3 cups.

Thanks to Copycat Restaurant Recipes I am able to feed my crave almost anytime at home without having to go to Red Lobster and buy a complete dinner.

Red Lobster's Tartar Sauce

Ingredients:
½ cup mayonnaise
1½ tablespoons finely minced onions
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1½ teaspoons shredded & chopped carrot (bits the size of rice)
1½ teaspoons sugar

Directions:
Mix thoroughly by hand or with an electric mixer until the sauce is smooth and consistent, and completely blended.

(For long-time readers - Yes, this is a repeat. Due to some goofy name choices, combining recipes and other "beginner-blogger" mistakes, some of the early recipes on this blog get almost no views. I know that people will love them if they only try them. But they can only try them if they see them. So I am repeating them so they can. Thanks for understanding.)

Macaroni Grill's Pasta Milano Secret Recipe with Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce

2011-12-16T14:17:00.000-08:00

This was the very first recipe I included in this blog. This choice was simple -- This is one of my all-time favorites dishes from any restaurant.

What I didn't do, however, was to include the recipe for the Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce that is so integral part of the flavor. Luckily a couple of readers wrote in and pointed out my mistake and I was able to correct it on a later post.

But, you shouldn't have to jump through hoops to read a recipe. So here is the complete Macaroni Grill's Pasta Milano Recipe with Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce.

Macaroni Grill's Pasta Milano

Ingredients:

6 ounces Butter
18 ounces grilled Chicken, sliced
12 ounces Sun-dried Tomatoes
12 ounces Mushrooms, sliced
6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan Cheese
36 ounces Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce - Recipe Below
36 ounces Bow Tie Pasta

Directions:

Cook the pasta as directed on package.
Sauté butter and mushrooms about 30 seconds.
Add the roasted garlic cream sauce and Parmesan; heat thoroughly.
Drain pasta.
Add pasta to the sauté pan and mix well.
Garnish with Parmesan cheese
Serve and Enjoy.
Sing Italian Love Songs (Optional)

Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream

2 tbsp. chopped garlic

Dash salt & pepper

1 tsp. beef base or 1 beef bouillon cube

1 tbsp. butter

Directions:

In a small saucepan, saute garlic in a small amount of butter until soft but not brown, about a minute.

Add the heavy cream, bring to a simmer.

Add the salt and pepper to taste

Let the sauce simmer, reduce and become thicker, about 10 minutes.

Waffle House Hash Browns Secret Recipe

2011-11-18T15:16:00.001-08:00

I've got a pretty simple recipe for you today.

But sometimes the simplest things are the best.

Waffle House Hash Browns

Ingredients:

4 cups shredded potatoes, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
water
1 cup ice
vegetable oil, for frying

Directions:

Place potatoes in a 2-quart bowl and add salt. Pour ice and add water to cover potatoes, and stir to mix salt and ice in the potatoes. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Then, place shredded potatoes in a colander and rinse with cool tap water; drain completely.
To prepare, heat a large skillet (cast iron prefered) on medium heat; add enough vegetable oil to lightly cover bottom.
When skillet is hot place drained shredded potatoes in skillet. Fry until crisp, about 12-15 minutes without turning.
When golden, flip carefully and fry 2-3 additional minutes. Do not cover or stir hash browns while frying.

Cajun Cafe's Bourbon Chicken Recipe

2011-11-15T15:36:00.001-08:00

Cajun Cafe's Bourbon Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

1 12 pounds thigh meat or dark meat -- cut bite size chunks
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
12 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
12 teaspoons garlic salt
12 teaspoons ginger powder
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup white grape juice
12 cup bourbon
14 cup water

Directions

Mix teriyaki sauce, worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, ginger, brown sugar, 12 cup white grape juice and bourbon.
Stir until thoroughly blended.
Pour 13 sauce on chicken pieces and mix.
Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
Refrigerate leftover sauce.
Braise chicken with marinade on medium-low heat until cooked.
Remove from frying pan.
In a 2-quart sauce pan heat remainder of bourbon sauce and add 12 cup of white grape juice and 1 tablespoon of sugar with 14 cup water.
Bring to a simmer and stir until sugar is disolved.
Add chicken to sauce and stir until chicken is coated and ready to serve.

If you like this recipe -

I think you should try out the Bourbon Soaked Smoked Chuck Roast Recipe on The Weekend Grillers

Click Here for our Bourbon Soaked Smoked Chuck Roast Recipe

It's not a "restaurant recipe" -- but I don't think you will mind.

McDonald's McRib

2011-04-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

Barbecue Pork Belly Sandwich with Quick Dill Pickles and Red Onions
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 six-inch white sandwich rolls, split in half
1/2 small red onion, cut into batons
For the pork belly:
3 lbs. pork belly, trimmed into a 5" x 2.5" rectangle
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped1 bay leaf
3–4 sprigs of fresh thyme
6 cups chicken stock or fresh water
For the pickles:
4 medium cucumbers, sliced
1 cup kosher salt
2 big pinches pickling spices (coriander seeds, bay leaf, peppercorns, dry mustard seeds, fennel and cumin seeds, cloves)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
5– 6 sprigs of fresh dill
2 cups water
2 cups white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
For the BBQ sauce:
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. yellow mustard
1 1/2 tbsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. mesquite liquid smoke
1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. Heat a heavy-bottomed, medium-size pot over medium-high heat. Season the pork belly with salt and pepper. Add oil to the pot and sear the pork on each side to a deep golden brown. Transfer pork to a plate and set aside.
3. Remove all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pot. Add the chopped carrots, onions, and celery to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the bay leaf, thyme, and 2 cups of chicken stock or water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and reduce liquid by about half.
4. Place the pork back in the pot. Add the rest of the chicken stock or water. Bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid, place in the oven on the center rack, and let cook undisturbed for about 3 hours.
5. While the pork belly cooks, make the quick pickles: Cover cucumber slices with the kosher salt, making sure the slices are covered on both sides. Let sit for 30 minutes, then wash the salt off and place cucumber slices in a glass or stainless-steel bowl along with the pickling spices, smashed garlic, and fresh dill sprigs. Combine the water, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and allow to steep for 30 minutes. Remove the pickles from the bowl and lightly rinse them in water to remove the brine. Put the pickles in the refrigerator.
6. Now it's time for the BBQ sauce: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
7. In a nonstick pan, melt a little butter, then add the sandwich rolls. Toast both rolls to a golden brown crust. Set aside.
8. When the pork belly is fork tender, remove it from the oven. With a slotted spatula, carefully remove the pork belly from the pot. In a bowl, combine the pork belly with the BBQ sauce, making sure to cover every inch of the meat. Slather a small amount of sauce on both the tops and bottoms of the sandwich rolls, then place the sauced pork belly on the bottom halves. Add pickles and red onions to each sandwich and cover with the top half of the bun.

Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce for Pasta Milano

2010-03-21T09:14:00.000-07:00

You're Right.

Thank you to Nancy and the Groff Family for their comments on the recipe for Macaroni Grill's Pasta Milano (the VERY FIRST recipe on this blog way back when.) They said I should have included a recipe for the roasted garlic cream sauce called for.

And they are right. I should have.

Here is a good one that I use.

Thanks for keeping me straight.

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream

2 tbsp. chopped garlic

Dash salt & pepper

1 tsp. beef base or 1 beef bouillon cube

1 tbsp. butter

Directions

In a small saucepan, saute garlic in a small amount of butter until soft but not brown, about a minute.

Add the heavy cream, bring to a simmer.

Add the salt and pepper to taste

Let the sauce simmer, reduce and become thicker, about 10 minutes.

Golden Corral’s Bourbon Street Chicken

2010-03-09T19:10:00.000-08:00

Golden Corral’s Bourbon Street Chicken

Ingredients

1 Pound Chicken Leg or Thigh Meat, pulled apart or cut in bite size chunks
4 ounces Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon powdered Ginger
2 tablesoons dried minced Onion
1/2 cup Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey (that's KENTUCKY Bourbon!)
2 tablespoons White Wine

Directions

Mix all the marinade ingredients and pour over chicken pieces in a bowl.
Cover and refrigerate (stirring often) for several hours (best overnight).
Bake chicken at 350 for one hour in a single layer, basting every 10 minutes.
Remove chicken.
Scrape pan juices with all the brown bits into a frying pan.
Heat, and add 2 Tbs. white wine.
Stir and add chicken.
Cook for 1 minute and serve.

Golden Corral’s Brass Bakery Yeast Rolls

2010-02-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 envelope Active Dry Yeast
1/4 cup very warm Water
1/3 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Butter
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup scalding hot Milk
1 Egg - lightly beaten
4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose Flour
2 tablespoons melted Butter - for brushing the rolls.

Directions

1. Sprinkle the yeast over very warm water in a large bowl (Very warm water should feel comfortably warm when dropped on wrist.)
2. Stir until yeast dissolves.
3. Add sugar, the 1/4 cup butter or margarine and salt to hot milk and stir until the sugar dissolves and butter or margarine is melted.
4. Cool mixture to 105 to 115 degrees.
5. Add milk mixture to the yeast, then beat in egg.
6. Beat in 4 cups of the flour, 1 cup at a time, to form a soft dough.
7. Use some of the remaining 1/2 cup of the flour to dust a pastry cloth.
8. Knead the dough lightly for 5 minutes, working in the remaining flour (use it for flouring the pastry cloth and your hands).
9. Place dough in a warm buttered bowl; turn greased side up.
10. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch dough down and knead 4 to 5 minutes on a lightly floured pastry cloth.
11. Dough will be sticky, but use as little flour as possible for flouring your hands and the pastry cloth, otherwise the rolls will not be as feathery light as they should be.
12. Pinch off small chunks of dough and shape into round rolls about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches in diameter.
13. Place in neat rows, not quite touching, in a well-buttered 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan.
14. Cover rolls and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes.
15. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter or margarine, then bake in a 375 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until nicely browned.

Serve warm with plenty of butter.
This recipe yields about 2 dozen rolls.

Golden Corral’s Seafood Salad

2010-01-05T04:31:00.000-08:00

Not too shabby.

Golden Corral’s Seafood Salad

Ingredients

1 Pound Imitation Crab Meat, shredded
1 cup diced Celery
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup sliced Green Onions (including the green part)
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
3 hard boiled Eggs, chopped roughly

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Refrigerate for about an hour to allow flavors to blend.

Serve as either a salad on lettuce or on split croissants.

A&W Chili Dogs

2009-08-13T05:42:00.000-07:00

I have been going to A&W since my Dad and Mom took me and my brother at nights in our PJ's. They still had Carhops then and we'd enjoy a cold frosty mug of Root Beer on summer nights about once a week.

I never stopped. Though now I have to go through a drive-up window.

Apparently they have food too. Who knew?

A&W Chili Dogs

1 Sabrett brand 2 ounce beef frankfurter (7½" long)
1 regular hot dog roll
3 Tablespoons A&W Coney Island Sauce (see recipe below)
1 Tablespoon chopped white onion
1/2 Tablespoon Kraft shredded mild cheddar cheese (optional)

A&W Coney Island Chili Dog Sauce

1 pound ground chuck
1 six ounce can Hunts tomato paste
1 Cup water
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 Tablespoon dried, minced onion
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (heaping)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Making the Chili Dog Sauce:

1. In a 2 qt. saucepan, brown the ground chuck, breaking into very small
pieces. Salt and pepper lightly while cooking. Do not drain the fat.
2. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, 30−45 minutes until it
thickens. Stir occasionally.
3. Allow to cool, cover, and refrigerate until "Dog−Time". You'll be
microwaving what you need later.

Cooking your A&W Chili Dog

1. Bring a 2 qt. saucepan of water to a rolling boil.
2. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add the desired number of
frankfurters to the water. Cover and let sit about 10 minutes.
3. After the franks are done, microwave the chili dog sauce until steaming.
(Only microwave what you need, save the rest) Then microwave each hot dog
roll 10 seconds....just enough to warm.

Black Eyed Pea's Broccoli-Cheese Soup

2009-06-27T06:42:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Here's another recipe from the "Black Eyed Pea's Collection."

I visited the Black Eyed Pea's website again and looked over the menues they have online (strangely, they have one menu for all of Texas & Colorado and another for Tennessee.) It made me REALLY HUNGRY. I'm definitely gonna give them a shot next time I am in Nashville.

Black Eyed Pea's Broccoli-Cheese Soup

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Broccoli, fresh
2 cups Water
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Cornstarch, mixed with 1 cup cold Water
1 pint Half and Half
1 pound Velveeta
1/2 teaspoon Pepper

Directions

1. Steam or boil broccoli until tender.
2. Place half-and-half and 2 cups water in top of double boiler.
3. Add cheese, salt and pepper. Heat until cheese is melted.
4. Add broccoli. Mix cornstarch and water in small bowl.
5. Stir into cheese mixture in double boiler and heat over simmering water until soup thickens.

Black-Eyed Pea's Baked Squash

2009-06-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

Recently a reader sent me 3 recipes she said came from Black Eyed Pea's.

Now i'll be honest -- I was a bit confused. The only Black-Eyed Peas I know is the one with Fergie.

So I looked it up. Appearantly it's a chain based in Texas. It has about 20 locations in Eastern Texas and only two outside of Texas. One in Colorado and, weirdly, one in Henderson, Tennessee. Now I am not likely to get to Eastern Texas or Colorado very often -- but I'm down around Henderson quite a bit (I have friends and many, many relatives who live in Southern Kentucky and the Nashville area.) So I think I may try Black Eyed Pea's out next time I am down.

In the meantime here is the first of the recipes. The others will follow.

Black-Eyed Pea's Baked Squash

Ingredients

5 pounds medium-size yellow squash
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup bread crumbs plus additional bread crumbs for topping
1 stick butter or margarine
1/4 cup sugar
Salt, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped onion
Dash of pepper

Directions

1. Cut tips off squash and cut each squash into 3 or 4 pieces.
2. Drop squash into a large saucepan with enough boiling water to cover.
3. Return to boil, reduce heat and cook until tender.
4. Drain in colander and mash.
5. Combine with beaten eggs, 1 cup bread crumbs, butter, sugar, salt, onion and pepper.
6. Turn into 3-quart casserole that has been lightly greased or sprayed with nonstick spray.
7. Cover with light layer of bread crumbs.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Arthur Treacher's Fish Batter

2009-06-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

I have a recipe for you today that was sent in by a reader. I have never even heard of Arthur Treacher's (is it a restaurant?) so I cannot vouch for the closeness to the original, but the reader seemed to like it.

You can judge for yourself. If you have any comments -- one way or the other -- Please let me know at myeverydaylife.net@gmail.com

Also feel free to share any recipes you have -- Copycat or otherwise.

Arthur Treacher's Fish Batter

Ingredients

3 Pounds Fish Fillets
2 Cups All-purpose flour
3 Cups Pancake mix
3 Cups Club soda
1 Tablespoon Onion powder
1 Tablespoon Seasoned salt

Directions

1. Dip moistened fish pieces evenly but lightly in the flour.
2. Dust off any excess flour and allow pieces to air dry on waxed paper, about 5 minutes.
3. Whip the pancake mix with the club soda to the consistency of buttermilk- pourable, but not too thin and not too thick.
4. Beat in the onion powder and seasoned salt.
5. Dip floured fillets into batter and drop into 425 oil in heavy saucepan using meat thermometer.
5. Brown about 4 minutes per side.
6. Arrange on cookie sheet in 325 oven until all pieces have been fried.

A1 Steak Sauce

2009-06-19T06:35:00.000-07:00

I've got to be honest -- I am NOT a big fan of steak sauces.

If a steak is good it doesn't need any sauce -- just some garlic butter and a dusting of salt is best. Anything else -- even my favorite BBQ sauce -- just covers up the real taste.

If the steak isn't good -- you shouldn't be eating it in the first place. Life is too short.

And, finally, I really have never found anything else that steak sauce tastes good on. Or at least tastes better than anything else. Not wings or ribs or fish or -- anything.

So to my all steak sauces are just about useless.

However, I know some people love them. I have a friend, Valerie, who will not eat steak without it. We go into a nice restaurant, get a thick, juicy steak and everytime she asks for A1. I want to scream.

But what can you do?

If you are like Val -- here is a Copycat Recipe you can make at home.

A1 Steak Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Orange Juice
1/2 Cup Raisins
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup White Vinegar
2 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Bottled Grated Orange Peel
2 Tablespoon Heinz Ketchup
2 Tablespoon Heinz Chili Sauce

Directions

1. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes stirring.
2. Remove from heat. Allow to cool to lukewarm.
3. Put mixture in a blender till it is pureed. Pour in bottle.
4. Cap tightly and refrigerate to use within 90 days.

Bob Evan's Colonial Dressing

2009-06-15T06:32:00.000-07:00

I don't get to Bob Evan's very often myself -- there are too many places to try and I prefer Mom and Pop's-type Places to chains -- but my Dad & Mom are huge fans of Bob. They go at least every couple weeks and more often when they travel. I guess it's no mystery why you'll find most Bob Evan's near interstate exit ramps.

Bob Evan's Colonial Dressing

Ingredients

1 Cup Water
1/8 Cup Cornstarch
1/2 Cup Vinegar, light or dark
1 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Onion powder
1 Tablespoon Salt
1/4 Cup Butter or margarine
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
1 Teaspoon Celery salt
1 Tablespoon Celery seed

Directions

1. Put water and cornstarch into blender on high speed for 1 minute or until smooth.
2. Transfer to a 2 1/2 qt. saucepan.
3. Cook mixture over Medium High heat, stirring constantly as you begin to add each of the remaining ingredients, stirring well after each addition.
4. Cook and continue stirring until it begins to thicken and become quite smooth.
5. Let it cool completely before pouring into a refrigerator container.
6. Cap tightly and it should keep for a week or so.

Olive Garden Fettucine Alfredo

2009-06-11T06:29:00.000-07:00

Good Morning. I have a funny little story for you. Okay, it's really not "laugh-out-loud" funny -- sorry -- but kinda "interesting" funny.

Last Thursday I went over to my Parent's house for dinner and she served a side of Fettucine Alfredo. It was interesting. Not what I normally think of as Fettucine Alfredo -- but good. It was thicker and a bit "sharper" tasting than I am used to.

After I had tried it, Mom got a big kick out of telling me it was Olive Garden's Fettucine Alfredo recipe and that I had given it to her. (I printed out all of the recipes that I had on my computer a few months ago, put them in a notebook and gave them to her. I really wouldn't recommend this. It took a 3 inch binder, stuffed to the gills to hold them all. But luckily I worked at Kinko's at the time and got a nice discount.)

Back to the Fettucine Alfredo. Although I already have several Olive Garden Recipes on the Copycat Restaurant Recipes Blog, I hadn't put this recipe up yet -- or even tried it, for that matter -- because, to be honest, I didn't think it would be any good. It includes "cream cheese" and I just couldn't wrap my mind around that. I love cream cheese but I just couldn't imagine it in Fettucine Alfredo.

Well, I ate 2 helpings of the Fettucine Alfredo and I ate my words (or thoughts, since I had never really wrote anything about it. ;) It isn't bad. It's not my favorite Fettucine Alfredo -- but I can see how many people would be fond of it.

So -- here is the recipe for you.

Olive Garden Fettucine Alfredo

Ingredients

8 ounces Cream cheese −− cut in bits
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese −− grated
1/2 cup Butter or margarine
1/2 cup Milk
8 ounces Fettuccine; cook −− drain

Directions

1. In large saucepan combine cream cheese, Parmesan, butter and milk, stirring constantly until smooth.
2. Toss pasta lightly with sauce, coating well.

Leftovers freeze well. -- At least that's what the recipe says. We didn't have any. ;)

Bailey's Original Irish Cream

2009-04-29T09:29:00.000-07:00

Bailey's Original Irish Cream

Ingredients
1 cup light cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
1 2/3 cups Irish whiskey
1 teaspoon instant coffee
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed for about 20 seconds.
Transfer to a clean bottle with a tightly fitting cap.
Store, refrigerated, and shake well before using.

Twix Bars

2009-04-15T05:58:00.000-07:00

Well, a long time ago we had Snikers, 3 Musketeers, Baby Ruth and Almond Joy (all are still available back down the line of posts. Click on "Candy" under the Labels on the left.)

Ch. Grevais

Art Print

Buy at AllPosters.com

There are not too many copycat recipes for candy bars floating around. My guess is that it is really just too easy to pick one up a the supermarket. Why spend all day making a batch?

But...if you are the kind who likes to "do it yourself", here is a recipes I recently ran across for the wonderful Twix Bar.

Note -- If you are a big candy nut (like me) you should check out "

The Candy Blog." It's a lot of fun and a place I visit often.

Twix Bars

Ingredients

35 individual Kraft Caramels
1/4 cup Water
1 box Nabisco Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies (about 40)
2 − 12 ounce bags Milk Chocolate Chips

Directions

1. Combine the caramels with the water in a small pan and melt over low heat.
2. Place the shortbread cookies side by side on an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Spoon a small amount of caramel onto each cookie.
4. Refrigerate cookies until the caramel is firm.
5. In the meantime, in a double boiler over low heat, melt the chocolate chips. You may also use the microwave for melting the chocolate. Just heat the chips for 1 minute on high, stir, then heat for another minute.
6. Remove the cookies from the refrigerator. Rest each one on a fork and dip it into the chocolate. Tap the fork on the side of the pan or bowl to knock off any excess chocoloate. Then place each one on a sheet of waxed paper and let them cool at room temperature (65−70F).

Note -- Cooling could take several hours, but the bars will set best this way. If you want to speed up the process, put the candy in the frigerator for 30 minutes.

Pace Picante Sauce

2009-04-07T05:50:00.000-07:00

Pace Picante Sauce

Ingredients

10 3/4 ounce can Tomato Puree
2 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
1/3 cups Onion, chopped fine
3 Jalapeno Peppers, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/2 teaspoon dried minced Garlic
1 1/4 cup Water

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together and place in a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and then simmer until the desired thickness is achieved.

Note - The amount of jalapenos can be altered to your taste.

Outback Steakhouse Queenland Chicken & Shrimp

2009-03-31T05:40:00.000-07:00

Outback Steakhouse Queenland Chicken and Shrimp

Ingredients

1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup cream
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. cayenne (adjust to taste)
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/2 cup white wine
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 lb. linguine
4 chicken breasts
8 oz. shrimp
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions

1. Mix spices together thoroughly.
2. Place cream and milk in pan with butter and 1/2 spice mixture. Cook to thicken and set aside.
3. Cook linguine to the al dente stage.
4. Saute chicken breasts with wine and remaining spices until done. Remove and set aside.
5. Saute shrimp in pan, adding more wine if necessary.
6. Serve each breast on a bed of linguine with shrimp.
7. Cover with sauce.

Alton Brown's "Instant" Pancakes

2008-09-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

Alton Brown is the host of the best show on The Food Network, Good Eats.

He doesn't own a Restaurant (as far as I know of) but you'll forgive me as soon as you taste these wonderful, light and fluffy pancakes.

Dry Mix

Ingredients
6 C. all-purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda (check expiration date first)
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
2 Tablespoon Sugar

Directions
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a lidded container.
2. Shake to mix.

Use the mix within 3 months.

Alton Brown's"Instant" Pancakes

Ingredients
2 Eggs, separated
2 cups Buttermilk
4 Tablespoons melted Butter
2 cups "Instant" Pancake Mix, recipe above
Butter for greasing the pan
2 cups Fresh Fruit such as blueberries, if desired

Directions
1. Heat an electric griddle or frying pan to 350 degrees F. Heat oven to 200 degrees F.
2. Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter.
4. Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined.
5. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the pancake mix.
6. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together. Don't try to work all the lumps out.
7. Check to see that the griddle is hot by placing a few drops of water onto to the griddle. The griddle is ready if the water dances across the surface.
8. Lightly butter the griddle. Wipe off thoroughly with a paper towel. (No butter should be visible.)
9. Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and sprinkle on fruit if desired. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.

Serve immediately or remove to a towel-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel.
Hold in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes.

Yield: 12 pancakes. .

Applebee's Blonde Brownies

2008-08-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 cups Flour
1 teaspoons Baking Powder
3 /4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 1/4 sticks unsalted Butter (10 Tablespoons)
2 cups packed golden Brown Sugar
2 large Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla
3/4 cup Chocolate Chips
3/4 cup chopped Pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly flour and butter a 9 x 13 x 2 pan.
3. Sift flour into a bowl.
4. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
5. Melt butter.
6. In mixing bowl, place melted butter and add sugar, mixing well.
7. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well.
8. Add flour slowly, blending. Batter will be slightly thick.
9. Spread in pan.
10. Sprinkle chocolate chips and pecans over all.
11. Bake for 25 − 30 minutes. .

Bennigan's Hot Bacon Dressing

2008-08-18T06:43:00.000-07:00

I've never been to Bennigan's. Not even sure if we have any in Louisville. But when someone sent me this dressing, I had to try it. I can't tell you if it tastes like the original -- but I can tell you it's reeeeeal good!

Bennigan's Hot Bacon Dressing

Ingredients

2 ounces Bacon Grease
1/4 pound Red Onion, diced very fine
2 cups Water
1/2 cup Honey
1/2 cup Red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons Cornstarch
1 tablespoon Tabasco (optional)

Directions

1. Place the bacon grease in a saucepan over medium−high heat.
2. Add the onions and saute until the onions start to blacken.
3. While the onions are carmelizing, in a mixing bowl place the water, honey, pepper sauce, and red wine vinegar.
4. Using a wire whisk, mix the ingredients well.
5. Add the cornstarch and whisk well.
6. After the onions have carmelized, add the Dijon mustard to the onions and stir together with a rubber spatula.
7. Add the water, vinegar, pepper sauce, honey and cornstarch to the mustard and onions and mix.
8. Continue stirring until mix thickens and comes to a boil.
9. Remove from heat and store in refigerator until needed.

To reheat use a double boiler or microwave on low.

Fast Food: Ads vs. Reality

2008-08-09T05:51:00.001-07:00

The link below takes you to a fun little page I ran across the other day that I thought you guys might enjoy.

It is picture of fast food items taken from advertisements side-by-side with photos taken of the same product bought at the local fast food joint.

It's pretty funny.

You might also imagine this as "real item" (the ones bought from the local place) and top secret restaurant item (the picture taken from the ad) because with a top secret recipe you're free to make the food look as good as you want.

Enjoy

Fast Food: Ads vs. Reality

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Famous Dave's BBQ Sauce

2008-08-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

First off let me say that I have NOT tried this recipe. Look at it, for pete's sake!

It looks good and comes from a reliable source, so I am confident it will work. But I personally like to do restaurant recipes at home for 3 reasons:

To Save Money
To "Improve" on the Original (use better ingredients, make it healthier, use my favorite tastes)
Because it's Way Cool!

This has too many ingredients to save money, the bottled version is already pretty good and I have enough cool sauce recipes.

So... I buy a bottle or three of Famous Dave's if the mood hits me.

If you still want to try and make your own -- here is the recipe and good luck.

Famous Dave's BBQ Sauce

2 thick cut strips Hickory Smoked Bacon
1/3 cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet Onion (Click Here for a delicious Recipe to use the Vidalia Onion you'll have left over -- Vidalia Onion Dip)
1/4 cup Water
3/4 cup Peach Schnapps (Click Here for a delicious Recipe to use the Peach Schnapps you'll have left over -- Ago's Peach Martini Recipe)
1/2 cup Baking Raisins
1 large Jalapeno Pepper, finely diced (Okay, you CAN buy only one Jalapeno -- But buy and handful and make Atomic Buffalo Turds -- They're great to enjoy while cooking your sauce!)
2 large cloves Garlic, minced
1/3 cup aged Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup chopped sweet Apple
1/4 cup frozen Tangerine Juice concentrate (What??)
1/4 cup frozen Pineapple Juice concentrate
3 tablespoons Molasses
2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice
2 tablespoons fresh Lime Juice
2 1/4 cups dark Corn Syrup
1 (12 ounce) can Tomato Paste
1/2 cup packed Light Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons prepared Mustard
2 teaspoons Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Maggi Seasoning
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Cayenne
1/4 cup Kahlua
1 teaspoon Liquid Hickory Smoke
(whew!)

Directions

1. Fry bacon in a large saucepan until crisp.
2. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Use the bacon for another purpose. (Might I suggest Bacon Dip on The Weekend Grillers Dips & Salsa Section?)
3. Fry the onions in the reserve drippings, on medium high heat until caramelized or dark golden brown. Don't burn.
4. Reduce heat to medium low.
5. Deglaze the saucepan with water.
6. Stir in the Peach Schnapps, raisins, jalapeno and garlic. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the mixture is of a syrupy consistency, stirring occasionally.
7. Remove from heat and place the mixture in a blender with Balsamic vinegar, apple, tangerine juice concentrate, pineapple juice concentrate, molasses, apple cider vinegar, lemon and lime juice. Process until puried and return to the saucepan.
8. Add corn syrup, tomato paste, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, chili powder, Maggi seasoning, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper and cayenne. Mix well.
9. Bring to a low boil, under medium heat, stirring frequently.
10. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
11. Remove from heat. Stir in Kahlua and liquid smoke.
12. Store, covered, in refrigerator.

Famous Dave`s Legendary Pit Barbecue Ribs

2008-08-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Rib Rub
2 cups packed light Brown Sugar
1 cup Kosher Salt
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Garlic Seasoning
1/4 cup Chili Powder
1/4 cup Lemon Pepper
1/4 cup Onion Salt
1/4 cup Celery Salt
2 tablespoons coarse ground Black Pepper
2 tablespoons whole Celery Seeds
1 teaspoon crushed Cloves
1 tablespoon Cayenne
1/2 cup Mrs. Dash Original Blend
1/4 cup Salt

Ribs
2 (4- to 5-pound) racks Spareribs
1/2 cup Italian Salad Dressing
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground Black Pepper
1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar
1 cup minced dried Onion
1 cup Rib Rub (that's the recipe above)

A bottle of Famous Dave's BBQ sauce -- I have the recipe and I will post it in the next post.  But it is so complicated, for the first -- and perhaps last -- time, I recommend that you get the restaurant version.  Yes, sorry.  I will give you the recipe -- but I have warned you.

Directions

1. First prepare rib rub by thoroughly mixing all rub ingredients and store in airtight container.
2. The night before smoking, trim your ribs of all excess fat from the ribs.
3. Place ribs in a large plastic bag and pour in Italian dressing to coat. Seal bag well.
4. Refrigerate for 4 hours, turning occasionally.
5. Remove and wipe dressing off.
6. Sprinkle each rib with pepper then 1/4 cup of the brown sugar and 1/2 cup of the
onion flakes.
7. Wrap each rib in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
8. The next morning remove from wrap and wipe sludge off ribs.
9. Generously coat front and back of ribs with Rib Rub and using your hands, rub seasoning into meat and set aside.
10. Using a chimney charcoal starter get 15 briquettes red hot.
11. Place coals on one end of grill and place 1 pound of green hickory around coals. Use water-soaked hickory chunks if you can't get fresh-cut hickory. Keep internal temperature of the grill at 200 to 225 degrees. Add more charcoal and hickory chunks every hour as
needed. The smoking process will take 6 hours.
12. Place ribs bone side down but not directly over hot coals.
13. After 3 hours, remove ribs from grill and wrap in aluminum foil.
14. Hold in covered grill at 180 to 200 degrees for 11/2 to 2 hours or until fork tender.
15. Next build a real hot bed of coals over the entire bottom of grill. Be careful because this next step goes quickly.
16. Place ribs back on grill to add char flavor.
17. When meat becomes bubbly, it is done. Make sure to char off bone side membrane until it becomes papery and disintegrates.

Applebee's Hot Artichoke & Spinach Dip Recipe

2008-08-06T16:30:00.001-07:00

This is so easy to make and very good.

Ingredients

1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped Spinach, thawed
1 (14 ounce) can Artichoke Hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1 cup shredded Parmesan-Romano Cheese mix
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
10 ounces prepared alfredo sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 ounces softened cream cheese
Pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine ingredients thoroughly in a bowl and spread mixture into a small baking dish (I used an 8" X 8" dish).
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheeses are bubbling and melted.
4. Serve with chips or bread and enjoy.

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Todd Wilbur of Top Secret Recipes shows you how to make a Big Mac

2008-08-05T15:33:00.001-07:00

Todd Wilbur is the Author of the Top Secret Recipes line of cookbooks and the godfather of our little site here.

There a lot of good information in this enjoyable little video:

He has the "Secret Ingredient" in the secret sauce right. See if you catch it? Most "clone" recipes on the web miss it. Check out mine -- Big Mac Sauce -- I got it right.
He shows you how -- and how big -- to make your patties.
He shows you how to make a double decker bun like Mickey D's has. I wonder why no one sells these. Wouldn't there be a market?
He give you the order of ingredient -- with a little stopping and starting -- something *ahem* I did five months ago.

One thing you do not want to do is follow his advice at the end. Avoid those awful McNuggets at ALL COSTS. You have been warned.

Embedded Video

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What is the Meaning of Life?

2008-07-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

Real Life that is.

Thank you to those of you who emailed me and left comments of concern. I appreciate it. But I was perhaps just a bit overly dramatic in my last post. By evil I meant having to actually work and make a living (EVIL) instead of being able to have fun on this site all day. Nothing really bad happened. Just evil. Thank you, though.

Before today's recipe I would like to tell you about one of the sites I have been working on.

That is our old friend The Weekend Grillers. During June and July, due to hosting issues too boring to go into here, I had to MOVE the ENTIRE site to a new location. I used the opportunity to upgrade several aspects of the site and it has many new Web 2.0 features now as well as a very modern look and feel. I am still sorting things out (and the front page looks way too cluttered) but check it out if you get a chance at The Weekend Grillers

I also took the opportunity to add THREE New Sections to the site that deal more with Barbeque parties (as opposed to just barbeque as a cooking technique.) These sections (with more to come) should interest anyone who enjoys Good Friends, Good Food and Good Times.

The first 3 new party sections are:

Weekend Party Drinks - This section is devoted to The Art of the Traditional Cocktail. The Best Ingredients make the Best Cocktails. The Best Ingredients are fresh and real. You won't find "Pucker" in any of our recipes. What you will find are all the classic "Night Club" cocktails such as The Martini, The Bourbon Manhattan and The Cosmopolitan and classic "Party Drinks" such as The Margarita, The Zombie and The Singapore Sling. You will also discover some of the very best "New Classics" such as The Madagascar Mood Shifter and the deadly Bite of the Iguana.

Party Dips & Salsas - Still adding to this one, but we already have the winning Creamy Salsa Dip, addicting Tequila Lime Salsa and The Best Honey Mustard You Have EVER Tasted. (It's True!) Oh -- and one you have to try. If you make nothing else I tell you about --- MAKE THIS! It's actually a sorta Copycat Recipe, so it fits in here -- Vidalia Onion Dip. It is absolutely heavenly!

Weekend Movies -- This one is a bit different and takes a bit of explaining. Have you ever hosted a movie night where you invited some friends over to watch a favorite or new flick? Most people have -- and it is a fun way to spend a winter's evening. This section makes it even more fun. Rather than try to explain it -- CLICK HERE and read the opening page. You'll see. This will eventually be the most popular section on The Weekend Grillers.

These are just the first 3 sections we have created. We have many more in the works such as Desserts, Appetizers and Party Games. Let us know what you think and what you would like to see.

Look to the left an you will notice I have included a couple of RSS Feeds from The Weekend Grillers as well those of Weekend Party Drinks and Dips and Salsa. Be sure to watch these as you visit this blog and click on the ones that interest you.

-------------------------------------------------

I have several other sites in the works including a very cool venture with Legendary Podcaster and Amazon Best-selling Author, Scott Sigler, but they are in the very early stages and I don't have a lot to show. I WILL keep you informed though.

-------------------------------------------------

We'll celebrate my getting The Weekend Grillers moved by enjoying a childhood favorite today -

Cracker Jacks

Ingredients
4 Quarts Popped popcorn
1 Cup Spanish peanuts
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 Cup Brown sugar
1/2 Cup light Corn syrup
2 Tablespoons Molasses
1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Combine popcorn and peanuts in a metal bowl or on a cookie sheet and place in preheated oven.
3. Combine all remaining ingredients in a saucepan.
4. Stirring over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil.
5. Using a cooking thermometer, bring the mixture to the hard−ball stage (260−275 degrees). This will take about 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Remove the popcorn and peanuts from the oven and, working very quickly, pour the caramel mixture in a fine stream over them.
7. Then place them back in the oven for 15 minutes.
8. Mix well every five minutes, so that all of the popcorn is coated.

Cool and store in a covered container to preserve freshness.

The Evil that is REAL LIFE has Intruded Upon Our Fun

2008-05-12T04:40:00.000-07:00

Good Morning.

Thank you for coming to Copycat Recipes this morning. Unfortunately, as you see I do not have a recipe for you. Real life has taken its toll recently and I need sometime to sort things out.

So I am taking at least this week off from the blog. Sorry.

I hope that you will check back next week and I will email all of you who are signed up as soon as I have something new.

Thank you again and keep cooking.

Mark

Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia

2008-05-09T04:45:00.000-07:00

Along with Chubby Hubby, this is my Favorite Ben and Jerry's flavor

Ingredients

1/4 cup shaved semi−sweet chocolate bars
1/4 cup fresh Bing cherries, halved and pitted (you may use canned cherries, but be sure to drain the syrup)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy or whipping cream
1 cup milk

Directions

1. Place the shaved chocolate flakes and the cherries in separate bowls. Cover and refrigerate.
2. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend.
3. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer’s instructions.
4. After the ice cream stiffens (about 2 minutes before it is done), add the chocolate and the cherries, then continue freezing until the ice cream is ready.

Four Seasons Crab Cakes

2008-05-07T06:05:00.000-07:00

Phare Dans la Tempete, la Jument II

Art Print

Buy at AllPosters.com

Four Seasons Crab Cakes

Ingredients

2 pounds jumbo lump crabmeat
1/2 pound fresh codfish fillet
1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons basil, julienned
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Olive oil for sauteing

Directions

1. Pick through crabmeat, removing all shells but being careful not to break up the large lumps too much.
2. In a food processor, grind codfish until pureed.
3. Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and puree until incorporated. Then add more cream if needed. The mixture should be smooth and shiny, yet firm enough to hold its shape.
4. Place this mousse in a metal bowl and add the other ingredients, except for the olive oil.
5. Take a small portion of the crab−cake mixture and saute in hot olive oil until golden brown.
6. Taste to adjust seasoning.
7. Form the rest of the crab cakes and saute in hot olive oil until golden on both sides.
8. Finish by baking in a 450−degree oven for 4 to 5 minutes.

Recovering From the Derby and California Pizza Kitchen Chicken Tequila Fettucine

2008-05-05T05:43:00.000-07:00

Churchill Downs

Art Print

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If you read the posts last week you know that I spent Friday and Saturday at Churchill downs enjoying the Kentucky Oakes and Kentucky Derby. I spent all day yesterday recovering.

I had a great time. I spent both days in the crazy infield and actually saw more naked women than horses. But I had a good time with friends and we could see several of the large screens so we knew immediately when we lost our bets. Which happen more often than not.

Friday was a wee bit wet. That's understatement for any of you who didn't watch the coverage. It rained 10 different times according to my friend, Ed. Most of the showers were Noah-sized, rat killers. The entire infield was flooded about ankle deep pretty much deserted by the time the last race was run. But I am proud to say that I stuck it out. I got there at 6am and got home about 9pm. I was wet, cold and tired but still had a great time.

Saturday was a MUCH better weather day. It started cold and drizzly but around 10am the sun came out to a thunderous cheer and the day was wonderful. I am in awe of the performance of Big Brown and his jockey, Kent Desormeaux. Both horse and rider ran an almost perfect race (I'm no expert but I have seen several thousand races live.) Did you see how Kent tucked him in 4 back just before the first turn? When he did that I turned to my buddy, Ray, and said that he was in the perfect position. It was now up to the horse -- either he was fast enough or he wasn't -- the jockey had done his job. Turns out he was fast enough, huh?

We were all devastated by the fall and euthanasia of Eight Belles. Even with all the partying and cheering of the winner there were people all around me with tears in their eyes. In Kentucky we live everyday with these horses and no one wants to experience this sad reality of horse racing.

Did you catch me on TV? I was interviewed on Saturday by the NBC Sports crew while I took a turn on the Barbeque Grill for Saint Bernard School (Linda asked me to help out since I was gonna be there anyway -- I agreed.) I had just stepped in and slapped a couple dozen burgers on when a camera and microphone were shoved into my face. The dude asked about the burgers and said something about how people should eat along with all the drinking. I remember agreeing. Then he asked it there was anything better than a burger and young girls pulling there shirts off (yes, he really did -- it's an infield tradition.) I remember laughing at that and saying something like, a burger, girls pulling there shirts off and a beer! He laughed and was gone. Just like that. You never know.

For today's recipe we have California Pizza Kitchen Chicken Tequila Fettucine

Ingredients

1 pound dry spinach fettucine
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons gold tequila
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/4 pounds chicken breast, diced 3/4 inch
1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions

1. Prepare rapidly boiling, salted water to cook pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Toss with a little oil and set aside.
3. Cook 1/3 cup cilantro, garlic and jalapeno in 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Add stock, tequila, and lime juice.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until reduced to a paste like consistency; set aside.
5. Pour soy sauce over diced chicken; set aside for 5 minutes.

6. Meanwhile cook onion and peppers,stirring occasionally, with remaining butter over medium heat for 3−4 minutes.
7. Add chicken and soy sauce; toss and add reserved tequila/lime paste and cream.
8. Bring the sauce to a boil; boil gently until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thick (about 3 minutes).
9. When sauce is done, toss with well−drained spinach fettucine and remaining cilantro.

Derby Week Celebration - The Hot Brown

2008-04-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

A Hot Brown is a hot sandwich originally created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, by Fred K. Schmidt in 1926. It was one of two signature sandwiches created by chefs at the Brown Hotel shortly after its founding in 1923. Fred K. Schmidt created it as an alternative to ham and egg late-night suppers. In the 1920's, The Brown Hotel drew over 1,200 guests each evening for its dinner dance.

When Fred K. Schmidt created the Hot Brown, its sliced roast turkey was a rarity, as turkey was usually reserved for holiday feasts. The original Hot Brown included the sliced turkey on an open-faced white toast sandwich, with Mornay sauce covering it, with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, completed by being oven-broiled until bubbly. Pimento and bacon strips were then added to it. After its debut, it quickly became the choice of ninety-five percent of the customers to the Brown Hotel's restaurant.

On menus within the Louisville area, the Hot Brown often appears as titled "Louisville Hot Brown", elsewhere in Kentucky outside Louisville as the "Kentucky Hot Brown" and outside the commonwealth simply as "Hot Brown."

The Hot Brown has been seen in an episode of Throwdown! with Bobby Flay on the Food Network. Joe and John Castro, Hot Brown chefs of the Brown Hotel in Kentucky, competed with Flay in a cook-off of Hot Browns. The natives of Kentucky came through and won the challenge of this indigenous dish. The Hot Brown was also featured on the Travel Channel network show Taste of America with Mark DeCarlo.

It has also been featured in Southern Living Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, NBC's Today Show and Roadfood.com as well as being included as a regular entry in many of the finest cookbooks. Now, as the pinnacle of its success, it is on The Best Copycat Restaurant Recipes Blog. ;)

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Not the Brown Hotel -- but so cool...

Halles, 1957

Art Print

Buy at AllPosters.com

The Legendary Hot Brown Recipe

This recipe come straight from the Brown Hotel's Website -- so you know it authentic.

The photos came from Roadfood

Ingredients
4 ounces Butter
Flour to make a Roux (about 6 tablespoons)
3 to 3 1/2 cups Milk
1 Beaten Egg
6 tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 ounce Whipped Cream (optional)
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Slices of Roast Turkey
8 to 12 Slices of Toast (may be trimmed)
Extra Parmesan for Topping
8 to 12 Strips of Fried Bacon

Directions

1. Melt butter and add enough flour to make a reasonably thick roux (enough to absorb all of the butter).
2. Add milk and Parmesan cheese.
3. Add egg to thicken sauce, but do not allow sauce to boil.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Fold in whipped cream.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

7. For each Hot Brown, place two slices of toast on a metal (or flameproof) dish.
8. Cover the toast with a liberal amount of turkey.
9. Pour a generous amount of sauce over the turkey and toast.
10. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.
11. Place entire dish under a broiler until the sauce is speckled brown and bubbly.
12. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of bacon on top, and serve immediately.
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The last Triple Crown Winner to date was Affirmed in 1978. But a year before Seattle Slew came into the Kentucky Derby with a 5 race winning streak and won all three races making the only time in history that Triple Crowns have been won in back to back years.

Notice that he wins so easily, that he pulls up at the end.

Derby Week -- KFC Honey BBQ Wings & Papa John's Dipping Sauce plus an Special Annoucement

2008-04-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

I noticed something the other day when I checked my stats. For the first time the majority of traffic to The Best Copycat Restaurant Recipes Blog is coming from Google Searches instead of referrals. That's really cool.

Not that I don't love all of you who have mentioned Copycat on you sites and blogs. Thank you so much.

But this means that it's possible that everyday there are new people discovering our little site.

With that in mind and because it is the first of the month (okay, soon) I would like to take a moment to catch everyone up to speed. If you have been around awhile, you can skip this first part but you may want to read the "Email" section below.

The Best Copycat Restaurant Recipes Blog presents three (or more) recipes a week of your favorites for restaurants, stores and more (okay, that sounded stupid. Just look in the margin on the left, below the Adsense and you will get an idea. Or scroll down some and look at a few posts.)

Every Monday we have a new Favorite Dish from the likes of Applebees, KFC, TGI Fridays, Chilis, Cheesecake Factory, Olive Garden, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Macaroni Grill...the list goes on and on. These recipes are made for the home cook so that you can make your Restaurant Favorites at home.

We use Wednesday to Uncover a Gem of a recipe that you may not have tried but should. Last Wednesday, for instance, was The Original Brown Derby's Cobb Salad and included a music video and a clip of Lucy (scroll down to see this crazy entry.)

Sweet Fridays are just that -- SWEET! We usually have a cake, pie or candy recipe to start your weekend right.

We've include recipes for everything from main dishes to desserts, from drinks to candy bars and everything inbetween.

Want 31 Cookbooks from FREE?

During the month of March The Best Copycat Restaurant Recipes Blog gave away a free cookbook download each day. The bad news is the promotion is over.

The good news is you can still get ALL 31 cookbooks. For FREE!

Here's how to get any or all of them --

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

Do not worry. We will NEVER spam you or sell your address. We hate spam as much (or more!) than you do.

If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

Which brings up...

Email

I like Email.

I like getting Email from the people I know and sites that I read -- and, based on your responses, so do you.

With that in mind, I have decided, starting in May, to increase my emails to you.

I will still be sending out the newletter every Monday (I hope), but now I will be contacting you by email thoughout the week, possibly everyday of some weeks.

Why?

Because I want to. And, again based on your responses, I think the majority of you will like it.

That brings up another thing I like about email. I can easily ignore or delete the ones I don't like or want.

But, I hope you won't do that because here's what I have in store for you:

March pretty much ran me dry of cookbooks -- but I haven't stopped collecting. I
have several new good ones to share with you. Many of them will still be FREE.

I also have many more ebooks that, while I couldn't include them in March -- because they are not cookbooks -- that I think some of you will really enjoy reading.

I have a WEALTH of non-copycat recipes that I would like to share. Thay don't fit Copycat and I don't have the time for a new website (there are plenty of Recipe sites, anyway) but would love to give them to you in an email.

I also have a couple of very special projects I am working on that I don't want to mention yet. (I know, "everyone says that", but it's true!)

...and (say it with me) much, much more.

Here's the deal -- since you must sign up for my email anyway to get to the Member's Area, I'm ONLY gonna include these new goodies in the email and Member's Area. I'm not gonna mention them on the site (Oh, maybe from time-to-time for the new people) but basically, the email will be the only way to get them or even know about them.

So if you want them, sign up now or, if you are signed up, check your inbox.

Oh, one more thing -- I'm going to include ads and offers in the email (and continue to in the Member's Area.) Some emails may be only an offer.

I work very hard to find offers and ads for all my sites for products I think my readers would enjoy (it's really in my best interest to find popular offers) and, again based upon your responses, I think the majority of you either A. Like the offers or B. Don't mind the offers.

If I choose correctly and you do see something that appeals to you -- check it out. Don't cost nuttin' to look. If not, ignore it. Still don't cost nuttin'.

Stick around. I think you'll enjoy it.

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Horse and Colt with Fence

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NOW ON TO THE RECIPES!!

It's Kentucky Derby Week here in Louisville and to help celebrate, in our own small way, the Greatest Two Minutes in Sports, I am including all HOME GROWN Recipes this week. We have a couple of "local boys make good" stories and recipes today for you. Sit back and enjoy.

Oh one more thing -- I am going to the Kentucky Oaks on Friday and Kentucky Derby on Saturday. This won't actually affect the blog -- I just wanted to brag. ;)

In 1930, in the midst of the depression, Harland Sanders opened his first restaurant in the small front room of a gas station in Corbin, Kentucky (I've been there! - Mark.) Sanders served as station operator, chief cook and cashier and names the dining area "Sanders Court & Café."

In 1936 Kentucky Governor, Ruby Laffoon, makes Harland Sanders an honorary Kentucky Colonel (My Dad is a Kentucky Colonel -- but he doesn't run around in a white suit all the time - Mark) in recognition of his contributions to the state's cuisine.
By 1937 The Sanders Court & Café had added a motel and expanded to 142 seats. Fire destroyed it in 1939 but it is soon rebuilt and reopened.

Also in 1939, the pressure cooker is introduced. Soon thereafter Colonel Sanders begins using it to fry his chicken to give customers fresh chicken, faster and in 1940 he invents the famous "Original Recipe Chicken."

In the early 1950's The Colonel began to actively franchise his chicken business by traveling from town to town and cooking batches of chicken for restaurant owners and employees.
The first franchise restaurant opens in Salt Lake City. A handshake agreement stipulates a payment of a nickel to Sanders for each chicken sold.

In 1955 something happened that would change the eating habits of the world. An interstate highway is built to bypass Corbin, Kentucky thus taking away, all at once, the majority of the Colonel restaurant and motel business. Sanders sells the service station on the same day that he receives his first social security check for $105. After paying debts owed, he is virtually broke. He decides to go on the road to sell his Secret Recipe to restaurants.

In 1957 Kentucky Fried Chicken is first sold in buckets.

By 1960 the Colonel's hard work on the road begins to pay off and there are 190 KFC franchisees and 400 franchise units in the U.S. and Canada. By 1964 that number had increased to 600 franchised outlets in the United States, Canada and the first overseas outlet, in England.

Also in 1964, Sanders sells his interest in the U.S. company for $2 million to a group of investors headed by John Y. Brown Jr., future governor of Kentucky. They keep the Colonel on as a public spokesman for the company.

By 1971 there were more than 3,500 franchised and company-owned restaurants in worldwide operation when Heublein Inc. acquired KFC Corporation.

In 1976 an independent survey ranks the Colonel as the world's second most recognizable celebrity. Not bad for a little farm boy from rural Kentucky and inspiration to us all that we can do anything at any age. Remember, at 65 year old he was flat broke and owned nothing but a recipe.

Colonel Harland Sanders, who came to symbolize quality in the food industry, passed away in December of 1980 after being stricken with leukemia. Flags on all Kentucky state buildings flew at half-staff for four days.

Kentucky Fried Chicken passed through the hands of R.J. Reynolds Industries, Inc. (now RJR Nabisco, Inc.) when Heublein, Inc. is acquired by Reynolds, then on to PepsiCo, Inc., then to Tricom when PepsiCo. spun-off of its quick service restaurants - KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. Tricom becam YUM! Brands when they added A&W and Long John Silvers (an Tricom no long made sense) and there we are today.

More than a billion of the Colonel's "finger lickin' good" chicken dinners are served annually in more than 80 countries and territories around the world and now, thanks to The Best Copycat Restaurant Recipes Blog, in you home.

KFC Honey Barbecued Wings

Ingredients

20 Chicken Wings, tips removed
2 cups Flour
2 Eggs
2/3 cup Milk
1 Bottle KC Masterpiece Original BBQ Sauce
1/4 cup Honey
Oil for deep frying

Directions

1. Wash the chicken wings, then remove the wing tips. Cut the other two pieces in half. Shake off the excess water.
2. Place the eggs and milk in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.
3. Mix together the BBQ sauce and honey. Set aside.
4. Put the flour into a bag, then shake the wings in it, to lightly coat.

5. Roll the wings in the egg wash, then toss them back into the bag. You want a fairly heavy coating of flour so the BBQ sauce has something to hang onto.
6. Repeat 2−3 times.
7. Heat a large skillet or use your deep fryer. Heat oil until it's very hot (around 350 degrees).
8. Fry the wings until they're golden brown.

9. Remove and drain on paper towels.

10. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
11. Dip each wing in the BBQ sauce and place on a greased cookie sheet. Make sure the pieces don't touch each other. Hint - place the larger pieces on the outer edges because its hotter there. This will help all the piece cook more evenly.

12. Bake for 15−20 minutes, until they no longer look shiny.

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As a high school student working at a local pizza pub in Jeffersonville, Indiana, Papa John's founder John Schnatter realized that there was something missing from national pizza chains: a superior-quality traditional pizza delivered to the customer's door.

His dream was to one day open a pizza restaurant that would fill that void.

In 1984, "Papa" John Schnatter knocked out a broom closet located in the back of his father's tavern (Mick's Lounge), sold his prized 1972 Z28 Camaro, purchased $1,600 worth of used restaurant equipment, and began selling his pizzas to the tavern's customers (My brother, Todd, ate in the Broom Closet Restaurant many times. I never knew about it back then, unfortunately -- Mark.) The customers loved the pizza so much that John was able to expand by moving into adjoining space, eventually leading to the opening of the first Papa John's restaurant in 1985.

Today, there are more than 3,000 Papa John's restaurants worldwide.

Papa John and Colonel Sanders are the only two Kentuckians to by inducted into Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame.

The University of Louisville Football Cardinals play in Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Go Cards!

Papa John's Garlic Sauce

So simple and easy, you can make it in the time it takes the pizza to cook or for Papa to deliver.

Ingredients

1/4 − 1/2 stick Margarine
1/2 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Directions

1. Melt butter in the microwave (about 30 seconds).
2. Put in salt and garlic powder (to taste).
3. Microwave for 5 seconds longer as the pizza get done or arrives from delivery.

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THE KENTUCKY DERBY

To celebrate Derby Week I will be showing Three of the Greatest Modern Derbys.

Today we have what has been called the "Greatest Rivalry in ALL of Sport" -- Affirmed vs. Alydar.

The two superhorses raced each other 10 times, from June 15, 1977, in the Youthful at Belmont, to August 19, 1978, in the Travers at Saratoga. Affirmed won seven of these matches including thrilling duels in all three Triple Crown races. But Alydar came in second -- in all three. It's something of a shame the two horses were born in the same year but it gave us some of the best races ever.

They hooked up in what may be the Greatest Triple Crown Race of all time -- the 1978 Belmont. We'll have that for you in 5 weeks but here is there 7th meeting - the 1978 Kentucky Derby.

The Cheesecake Factory's White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake

2008-04-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

Before we get into today's heavenly recipe I want to tell you about some HUGE news from the Weekend Grillers.

The Weekend Grillers now features the Recipes of Stephen Raichlen!

If you are a BBQ and Grill fan you have probably already clicked over to Grillers. But for rest of you, please let me introduce Mr. Reichlen and tell you how big this is.

Stephen Raichlen is the New York Times Best Selling Author of The Barbecue Bible, Grilling USA, How to Grill and many more best selling cookbooks, the creator of Barbecue University and the host of The Primal Grill and Barbecue University TV shows on PBS.

He is the biggest name and most respected teacher in all the BBQ world. He is to BBQ what Spielberg is to movies, King is to books and Jordan is to basketball.

And now he is on The Weekend Grillers.

View his first Grillers recipe for yourself and see why we are excited -- Stephen Reichlen's 1st Timer's Ribs.

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The Cheesecake Factory operates 139 full-service, casual dining restaurants in the United States. Cheesecake Factory restaurants are characterized by extensive menus, custom lavish décor, and large portions.

According to the company's website, the Cheesecake Factory had its beginnings when Oscar and Evelyn Overton first decided to open a business after making a cheesecake for Oscar's employer in 1949. They opened a small cheesecake shop in Detroit, Michigan in the late 1940's, but later gave it up in order to raise her two children, David and Renee.

Evelyn continued to supply cakes to several of the best local restaurants, however, through a kitchen in her basement. By 1971, their children were now grown, and Oscar and Evelyn moved the business to Los Angeles, using the last of their savings to open a 700 square foot store that bore the name "The Cheesecake Factory". Evelyn would bake and manage the office while Oscar worked and sales and building new accounts.

The early years of their new company were sometimes difficult, but as the company's reputation and sales grew, the Overtons realized they needed a larger bakery, which they opened in 1975, at which point their business expanded dramatically, with Evelyn creating over 20 varieties of cheesecake and other desserts for hundreds of accounts from Santa Barbara to San Diego, and even out of state.

David and Evelyn opened the first Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Beverly Hills, California, in 1978. The restaurant established the future chain's pattern of offering an eclectic menu, big portions, and signature cheesecakes, and the chain became a multi-million-dollar sales performer. The company went public in 1992, and was the first restaurant chain to reach a billion dollars in revenues with fewer than 100 restaurants in operation.

Chocolate Makes It Worthwhile

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The Cheesecake Factory White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs or 20 crumbled Oreo cookies (filling removed)
1/3 cup margarine, melted

Filling

1/2 cup raspberry preserves
1/4 cup water
4 8-ounce pkgs. cream cheese
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 eggs
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped into chunks

Optional Garnish

2 ounces shaved white chocolate
whipped cream

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place a large pan or oven-safe skillet filled with about 1/2-inch of water into the oven while it preheats. This will be your water bath.

2. Combine the raspberry preserves with 1/4 cup water in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 1/2 minutes on high in your microwave. Stir until smooth. Strain to remove the raspberry seeds (toss 'em out), then let the strained preserves sit to cool, then put the bowl in the refrigerator until later.

3. Measure 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (or crush 20 Oreo cookie wafers -- with the filling scraped out -- in a resealable plastic bag) into a medium bowl. Mix in 1/3 cup melted margarine. Press the crumb into a 9-inch spring form pan that has been lined on the bottom and side with parchment paper. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press the crumb mixture flat into the bottom of the pan and about 2/3 the way up the side. Wrap a large piece of foil around the bottom of the pan to keep the cheesecake in the water bath. Put the crust in your freezer until the filling is done.

4. Use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese with the sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix for a couple minutes or until the ingredients are smooth and creamy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl and then add them to the cream cheese mixture. Blend the mixture just enough to integrate the eggs.

5. Remove the crust from the freezer and sprinkle 4 ounces of white chocolate chunks onto the bottom of the crust. Pour half of the cream cheese filling into the crust. Drizzle the raspberry preserves over the entire surface of the filling. Use a butter knife to swirl the raspberry into the cream cheese. Just a couple passes is fine, you don't want to blend the raspberry and cream cheese together too much. Pour the other half of the filling into the crust.

6. Carefully place the cheesecake into the water bath in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes at 475 degrees, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake turns a light brown or tan color. Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool. When the cheesecake is cool, use the foil from the bottom to cover the cheesecake and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

7. Before serving, sprinkle the entire top surface of cheesecake with 2 ounces of shaved white chocolate. To serve, slice the cheesecake into 12 equal portions. Apply a pile of canned whipped cream to the top of each slice and serve.

Makes 12 servings.

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The Original Brown Derby's Cobb Salad

2008-04-20T14:28:00.001-07:00

The Brown Derby was a landmark restaurant in Los Angeles frequented by celebrities during the Golden Age of Hollywood. It was an example of novelty architecture, known for being physically shaped like a brown derby hat.

It was the first restaurant to serve chiffon cake, a soon-to-be famous recipe invented by insurance salesman Harry Baker and later picked up by Betty Crocker.

The single greatest legacy recipe of the Brown Derby is the Cobb Salad. It was invented by and named after Bob Cobb, one of the owners of the Brown Derby. According to Bob's wife Sally, Bob basically raided the fridge late one night at the restaurant and chopped up some left-overs for his dinner. Some of his Hollywood friends, including Jack Warner, Sid Grauman, Wilson Mizner, and Gene Fowler stopped by the restaurant that night and, curious about Bob's creation, joined him. They then began to ask for it on later visits, and the rest was history.

The first Brown Derby, also known as the Little Hat, was opened in February 1926 across the street from the Ambassador Hotel. The Derby was often the site of afterparties following bashes at the Ambassador Hotel's Cocoanut Grove nightclub. This was the only Derby that was actually built in the shape of a hat. In 1937, it was moved one block up the street.

A second Brown Derby opened at 1628 Vine Street, near Hollywood and Vine on Valentine's Day, 1929. In 1942 MGM film star Ruth Hussey first met her talent agent husband Bob Longenecker at lunch there. Other Derbies were later built in Beverly Hills (across from the Beverly-Wilshire Hotel on Wilshire and Rodeo) and in East Hollywood (also known as Los Feliz) at Los Feliz Boulevard and Hillhurst. The Los Feliz Derby had a "car café" which emulated the then-new "drive-in" trend.

The Wilshire Boulevard Brown Derby today

The Hollywood Derby closed in 1985, shortly followed by the original location's closure. The shell of the Brown Derby was restored and placed on top of the strip mall that took its spot at 3377 Wilshire Boulevard. It is now painted orange and home to Buzz.

There is a re-created Hollywood Brown Derby at the Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Another recreation of the Hollywood Brown Derby is currently being constructed in Albany, New York. (www.thehollywoodbrownderby.com)

In "L. A. At Last", the first of the Hollywood episodes of "I Love Lucy", Lucy (Lucille Ball), Ethel (Vivian Vance), and Fred (William Frawley) have lunch at the Brown Derby. During the misadventure, the trio dines in a booth neighbored by Eve Arden on one side and William Holden on the other. This leads to the famous disaster scene in which Lucy inadvertently causes a waiter to dump a plate of food on Holden.

Neo-swing band Cherry Poppin' Daddies have a song titled "Brown Derby Jump" on their album Zoot Suit Riot. Hey, look! Here it is!

(If YouTube is messing with me again and the video isn't showing up -- you can watch it here -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQOhj7k9xNk -- if you want...actually you can watch it there even if you don't want. What you want really has nothing to do with whether it's there or not.) ;)

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The Original Brown Derby's Cobb Salad

Ingredients

1/2 head of lettuce
1/2 bunch watercress
1 small bunch chicory
1/2 head romaine
2 medium tomatoes, peeled
2 breasts of boiled roasting chicken
6 strips crisp bacon
1 avocado
3 hard−cooked eggs
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1/2 cup crumbled imported Roquefort cheese
1 cup Brown Derby Old−Fashioned French Dressing (See recipe, below)

Directions

1. Cut finely lettuce, watercress, chicory and romaine and arrange in salad bowl.
2. Cut tomatoes in half, remove seeds, dice finely, and arrange over top of chopped greens.
3. Dice breasts of chicken and arrange over top of chopped greens.
4. Chop bacon finely and sprinkle over the salad.
5. Cut avocado in small pieces and arrange around the edge of the salad.
6. Decorate the salad by sprinkling over the top the chopped eggs, chopped chives, and grated cheese.
7. Just before serving mix the salad thoroughly with French Dressing.

Brown Derby's Old−Fashioned French Dressing

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon English mustard
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup olive oil
3 cups salad (vegetable) oil

Directions

1. Blend together all ingredients except oils.
2. Then add olive and salad oils and mix well again.
3. Chill.
4. Shake before serving.

This dressing keeps well in the refrigerator. Can be made and stored in a mason jar.

How lucky are you? You scrolled to the end and here's a surprise for you. Here is that Lucy clip that was mentioned in the opening. Besides being very funny, you get a great look at the inside of the Brown Derby along with a wall of the famous caricatures. Enjoy and scroll all the way more often.

Information for the entry gathered at Wikipedia -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Derby

Planet Hollywood's Cap'n Crunch Chicken

2008-04-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

Planet Hollywood is the theme restaurant chain inspired by the popular portrayal of Hollywood, launched in New York on October 22, 1991, with the backing of Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore and in the past, Arnold Schwarzenegger who has since sold his part.

It was a brainchild of Robert Earl, former president of Hard Rock Cafe. Planet Hollywoods were modeled after the Hard Rock formula, so closely in fact that a lawsuit ensued and awarded the Hard Rock millions in damages. Earl recruited many former Hard Rock veterans to open new PH stores. Movie star "owners" received stock options at rock bottom price in exchange for their endorsement, thus they could be billed as legal owners.

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Planet Hollywood Cap'n Crunch Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken Crunch:
2 cups Cap'n Crunch cereal
6 eggs
2 cups corn flakes
1 cups milk
2 1/2 cups all−purpose flour
25 to 30 chicken tenders
3 tablespoons granulated onion
Vegetable oil for deep frying
3 tablespoons granulated garlic
Creole mustard sauce, recipe follows
1 tablespoon pepper

Directions

1. In food processor, grind cereals until crumbly but some 1/8−inch chunks are still visible.
2. Spread in a shallow pan.
3. In a bowl, combine flour, onion, garlic and pepper.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and milk.
5. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour. Dip in egg mixture, coating evenly. Dredge in cereal mixture, coating well.
6. Arrange on wax paper.
7. Preheat oil in deep fryer to 325 degrees.
8. Deep fry chicken in batches for 3 1/2 minutes or until golden brown. Drain.
Makes 4 servings.

At Planet Hollywood the Cap'n Crunch Chicken is served with a spicy Creole Mustard Sauce.

Creole Mustard Sauce for Planet Hollywood's Cap'n Crunch Chicken

Ingredients

1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 tablespoons horseradish
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons chopped celery
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup hot mustard
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
2 tablespoons yellow mustard

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Serve on the side with chicken. Makes about 2 cups.

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Information for this entry gathered from Wikipedia -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Hollywood

Ben & Jerry's NY Super Fudge Chunk

2008-04-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

Have you visited Everyday Lists Lately?

If not you've missed out on some very popular lists and forms:

March 24th - Restaurant Record Book and Weekly Menu Planner
March 31st - Spring Cleaning Checklist
April 7th - Moving Box Labling Kit and Record Box
April 14th - Passwords Record Keeping Book

Like the March Cookbooks on this site, all the List are FREE to download and ready to print.

Head on over to Everyday Lists now and get yours.

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Ben & Jerry's NY Super Fudge Chunk

Ingredients

1/4 cup White chocolate; chop coarse
1/4 cup Semisweet chocoate; chopped
1/4 cup Pecan halves; chopped
1/4 cup Walnuts; chop coarse
1/4 cup Chocolate covered almonds; cut in half
4 oz Unsweetened chocolate
1 cup Milk
2 Large Eggs
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Heavy or whipping cream
1 teas Vanilla extract
1/2 teas Salt

Directions

1. Combine the coarsely chopped chocolate, pecans, walnuts and chocolate covered almonds in a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
2. Melt the unsweetened chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, not boiling water.
3. Whisk in the milk, a little at a time, and heat, stirring constantly, until smooth.
4. Remove from the heat and let cool.
5. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1−2 minutes.
6. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more.
7. Add the cream, vanilla and salt and whisk to blend.
8. Pour the chocolate mixture into the cream mixture and blend. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 1−3 hours, depending on your refrigerator.
9. Transfer the cream mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer's instructions.
10. After the ice cream stiffens (about 2 minutes before it is done), add the chocolate and nuts, then continue freezing until the ice cream is ready.

Makes one Quart.

Maple-Bacon and Corn

2008-04-16T04:20:00.000-07:00

Maple-Bacon Corn is an almost perfect sidedish for your next BBQ or Picnic. Smokey sweet and salty with just enough greasy goodness to please any barbeque fan.

It tastes almost as good once it cools off as it does hot making it ideal for picnics and parties.

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The recipe is so easy even a Dad can do it. It keeps well and even improves with age -- so feel free to make it a day or two before and store it in the refridgerator. Reheat it on the grill before serving.

The amounts of the ingredients were written as vague as possible on purpose. You really cannot mess up this wonderful dish. So just make as much or as little as you like.

Maple-Bacon and Corn

Ingredients:

Some - Maple-Cured Bacon - about a 1/2 pound to a pound
Some - Sweet Corn Kernals, Fresh is possible - about 2 to 4 cups
1 Bottle REAL Maple Syrup
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the bacon in a large enough pan until it is done. You know how to cook bacon. Then let it cool and break it into small pieces. Drain pan if there is an excessive amount of grease but leave enough to cook the corn.

2. Cook the corn in the bacon grease until tender. Add bacon and stir in a tablespoon or so of the maple syrup. Add a dash of salt and pepper then taste. Adjust the syrup, salt and pepper until it is just right.

Serve warm if you can or cool if you must. It's good either way.

Always use REAL maple syrup. Life is too short to eat junk.

This recipe was developed by Mark after seeing a similar, less sweet concoction on the Bravo TV show, Top Chef. This version is better. ;)

Benihana's Ginger Salad Dressing

2008-04-14T05:29:00.000-07:00

Would you believe Candy made out of Bacon?

Not bacon-flavored. The candy is actually made from pieces of bacon.

Would you believe that you can make it at home and that it is EASY?

Well it is.

Would you believe that it is Soooooo Good that you won't be able to stop eating it?

Okay that one is easy to believe.

Pig Candy on the Weekend Grillers and it is Sinfully Delicious.

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When the first Benihana opened in 1964, Japanese cuisine was unknown to the United States and the idea of having a chef prepare a meal at your table was completely unheard of. Blending exotic Japanese dishes with a dazzling chef performance may have been a radical idea, but it was the recipe for success at Benihana. More than 100,000,000 meals have been served since 1964.

By bringing Japanese food into the mainstream and pioneering its "eatertainment" style of presentation, Benihana has also paved the way in America for the popularity of other Japanese cooking styles and food products. Sushi is now a favorite all over the U.S. and soy sauce has become a staple in numerous American kitchens, all thanks to Benihana.

Benihana's Ginger Salad Dressing

Ingredients

1/2 cup minced Onion
1/2 cup Peanut Oil
1/3 cup Rice Vinegar
2 tablespoons Water
2 tablespoons minced Fresh Ginger
2 tablespoons minced Celery
2 tablespoons Ketchup
4 teaspoons Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Sugar
2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
1/2 teaspoon minced Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender.

2. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds or until all of the ginger is well−pureed.

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IMPORTANT NOTE

I sent out a newsletter today (4-14-08) It just a short note reminding you to visit Copycat Recipes and letting you know what we have planned for the week.

If you have downloaded a cookbook or given your email then you should be getting one every Monday. If you didn't see it please check your Spam Folder. Depending on how you have your email setup it may go there. There is nothing I can do about it but you can flag it as "Not Spam" and it should come to your Inbox from then on.

Thank You.

Baby Ruth Candy Bar

2008-04-09T06:58:00.000-07:00

Think Mac and Cheese is just for kids?

Think again.

Renowned Grilling Master, Alien BBQ, has taken this venerable classic to "a-whole-nother level". With adult ingredients like Extra Sharp Cheddar and Pepper Jack Cheeses, Sour Cream, Green Onions and Sirloin Steak this is on Mac-and-Cheese you'll be proud to serve at any Party or Cookout.

And he show us how to do it all with step-by-step instructions and PICTURES. You can't go wrong.

Yes, it's on The Weekend Grillers. So much more than BBQ. But we do that pretty we'll, too. ;)

Cranked Up Mac-and-Cheese by Alien BBQ.

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For SWEET FRIDAY we have one of my favorite candy bars -- The Baby Ruth

In keeping with both themes today this is a "kid's" product that seems to be more popular with adults than children. One of my good friends is a fund raiser for schools. He used to work for Nestle' and would go around to schools getting them to sell candy bars to raise money. He would take boxes of samples to give out to the kids -- Butterfinger, Crunch, $100 Grand Bar and Baby Ruth. He would give me boxes of Baby Ruth so they wouldn't go stale because he told me he would go through 4 to 5 boxes of all the others to 1 box of Baby Ruths.

Youth is wasted on the young. -- George Bernard Shaw

The Curious Name

Most people just assume that the bar is named after Babe Ruth.

But the Curtiss Candy Company has traditionally claimed that it was named after President Grover Cleveland's daughter, Ruth Cleveland.

The candy bar was first introduced in 1921. The idea that it would be named after the daughter of a former President who died 17 years earlier in 1904 is absurd. Add to this the fact that the most famous person in America at the time was Babe Ruth and it seems even more ridiculous.

What seems more likely is that the Curtiss Candy Company either tried to get permission from Ruth or didn't want to pay for the rights and changed the name and the "official story".

Other Trivia

Company founder Otto Schnering chartered a plane in 1923 to drop thousands of Baby Ruth bars over the city of Pittsburgh -- each with its own mini parachute.

The Baby Ruth is the candy bar used in one of the funniest scene in one of the funniest movies of all time, Caddyshack. I won't ruin it, if you haven't seen it. If you haven't seen it --- DO SO!

------------------------------------------------

Baby Ruth Candy Bars

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups Margarine
2 cups Brown Sugar
1/3 cup White Corn Syrup
8 cups Oatmeal
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1/2 cup Peanut Butter

Topping:

6 oz. package Chocolate Chips

1/2 6 oz. package Butterscotch Chips

2/3 cup Peanut Butter

1 cup chopped nuts/peanuts

Directions

1. Melt margarine.

2. Add brown sugar, syrup, peanut butter, oatmeal and vanilla.

3. Put in 9x13 cake pan.
4. Bake 350 for about 15 minutes.
5. Melt topping ingredients together and spread on top.

6. Cut into bars when cool.

Kroger's Thai Chicken Salad

2008-04-09T06:03:00.000-07:00

Know what this is?

It's a bowl made entirely of Bacon!

Yes, Bacon.

It was created by Megan and featured on The Weekend Grillers.

Yes, The Weekend Grillers.

If you haven't visited yet because you thought we were "just" a Barbeque site, now may be the time. We have many more clever and delicious party recipes from some of the web's most talented chefs along with drinks, stories, restaurant reviews and much, much more.

Check out The Weekend Grillers Today -- We are so much more than just BBQ!

The Bacon Bowl Recipe can be found HERE

-------------------------------------------------

Today's Recipe is an UNCOVERED GEM from Kroger.

Thai Chicken Salad.

Ingredients

1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon Dried Tarragon
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1 pound boneless, skinless Chicken Breast
2 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped
4 Green Onions, sliced thinly on the bias
3 ribs Celery, strings removed and sliced thinly on the bias
1 Red Bell Pepper, julienned
1 cup Sugar Snap Peas, strings removed
1 cup Carrots,scraped and cut thinly on the bias
1/2 cup Cashews
2 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon fresh Ginger, minced
3/4 teaspoon Garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Sesame Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Whisk together the lemon juice, tarragon and oil.
2. Put chicken in a large plastic bag and pour on the mixture.
3. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.
4. Remove from bag (discard liquid) and pat dry.
5. Grill or bake chicken until fork tender and juices run clear (about 12 to 15 minutes)
6. When cool, cut into cubes.
7. In a large bowl combine chicken, cilantro, green onions, celery, peppers, snap peas, carrots and cashews.
8. In another bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger and garlic.
9. Slowly whisk in the sesame oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Pour dressing over salad and toss.

Burger King's Breakfast Sandwiches

2008-04-07T06:11:00.001-07:00

There was a time when fast food restaurant didn't serve breakfast.

Hard to believe, I know.

What would we do if we couldn't stop into Mickey D's or the King's and get something hot and greasy along with a weak coffee? Eat at home I guess.

Now you can do both. And make you a better coffee to go with it. You did get the Starbuck's Recipes Book didn't you? If not, get it. It's Still Free. Just go get it.

Burger King's Breakfast Sandwiches

First, for the eggs, you will need to create a ring to make them perfectly round (same as with an Egg McMuffin). Just cut both ends off tuna cans, clean thoroughly, and you will have a mold to use. Be sure to use non−stick spray around the sides that touch the egg. When they're time to flip over, left the can up and loosen the egg from the can with a knife.

For The Biscuit Sandwich:

Use Pillsbury "Grands" Buttermilk Biscuits (Five biscuits per can)
1 Egg per biscuit
2 ounce Ground Breakfast Sausage per biscuit, or two slices Bacon
1 slice American Cheese per biscuit

1. Prepare biscuits according to package instructions.
2. Cook bacon and/or sausage. Flatten the sausage out to be about the same diameter as your tuna cans, and cook.
3. Beat each egg individually and fry using the molds. Salt and pepper to your taste.

4. To assemble, slice biscuit in half.
5. On the bottom half of the biscuit, place the egg, then sausage/bacon, topped with a cheese slice, and then top half of biscuit.
6. Microwave for about 30 seconds to melt the cheese.

For the Croissanwich:

To prepare the large croissants, use 1 − 8 ounce can of Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls (normally, 8 rolls).

1. Open the can and separate the dough into four squares (two rolls per square).
2. Take one square, separate the pieces and turn one 180 degrees around to form a large triangle. Pinch the dough in the middle to seal, and roll up starting with the wide end. Then, take both ends and bring together to form a tight circle. Repeat with others.
3. Cook according to instructions.
4. Top in the same manner as biscuits.

Almond Joy Candy Bar...Because Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut

2008-04-02T16:58:00.001-07:00

It's just about that time of year again.

Time to start working on the yard.

Have you checked out Everyday Landscaping lately. Red and I have updated the site to make it more user friendly. Red was never comfortable with the 'blog" format. He didn't like that how it was all on one page and how every entry was dated. He's not ever going to write everyday and it shows on a blog.

The new 'website' format is much better. He likes it and I think his target audience will be more comfortable with it. It's right purty, too if I may say so myself

I have even (finally) convinced him that he doesn't have to write every page. So we have already included a couple of pages about herb gardens (something Red's wife, Dorothy, know about but he could not care less.)

Check out Everyday Landscaping today and keep checking back frequently. I have several more pages to put up and I think the Springtime will get Red's creative juice flowing, too.

-------------------------------------------------

Do you have junk you want to get rid of? Of course you do. We all do. I have discovered one of the best places on the internet to get rid of junk...ahem...I mean, sell your treasures.

US Free Ads is an online classified ad service that allows you to reach millions of potential buyers for free. We like free, don't we. Just check it out. You have nothing to lose but junk.

-------------------------------------------------

For Sweet Friday (on the right day this week) let's do another Candy Bar. A few weeks ago I did Snicker and a couple of others and they have proven to be popular so let's do another. How about:

Almond Joy Candy Bar

Ingredients

4 cups (8 1/2−oz) shredded Coconut
1/4 cup Light Corn Syrup
1 11 1/2 ounce package of Milk Chocolate Pieces
1/4 c Vegetable Shortening
26 whole natural Almonds - 1 ounce

Directions

1. Line two large cookie sheets with waxed paper. Set large wire cooling rack on paper; set aside.

2. Place coconut in large bowl; set aside.

3. Place corn syrup in a 1−cup glass measure. Microwave on high (100%) 1 minute or until syrup boils. Immediately pour over coconut.
3. Work warm syrup into coconut using the back of a wooden spoon until coconut is thoroughly coated. This takes a little time, and yes, there is enough syrup.
4. Using 1 level measuring tablespoon of coconut, shape into a ball by squeezing coconut firmly in palm of one hand, then rolling between both palms. (HINT: Measure out all of the coconut then roll into balls.)
5. Place 2 inches apart on wire racks. Let dry 10 minutes. Reroll coconut balls so there are no loose ends of coconut sticking up.

6. Place milk chocolate and shortening in a 4−cup glass measure or 1 1/2 quart microwave−safe bowl. Microwave on high 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture can be stirred smooth and is glossy; stirring once or twice.

7. Working quickly, spoon 1 level measuring tablespoon of the chocolate over each coconut ball, making sure chocolate coats and letting excess chocolate drip down onto waxed paper.
8. While chocolate coating is still soft, lightly press whole almond on top of each. 9. Let stand to set or place in refrigerator. Store in a single layer in airtight container.

Keeps best if refrigerated. Makes 26.

Lotsa Pasta's Farfalle Salad

2008-04-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

Running REALLY late today...sorry. Couldn't be helped.

Nonetheless here we are and I have the first of the Wednesday's Uncovered Gems

By the way I got the name "Uncovered Gem" (not that is so unusual or anything, but...) from the Coverville Podcast. If you love cover songs or even if you just love music you should check out this gem of a Podcast. Three times every week Brian plays some of the most unusual cover versions of some of your favorite all time songs. How weird are they? How about the Brady Bunch doing "The Day the Music Died?" Weird enough for you. He plays good stuff too. Some of the cover versions are better than the originals. Sorta like some of these recipes, hmmmm?

Check out Coverville

-------------------------------------------------

Don't forget that ALL of the free cookbooks are still available in the Member's Area -- including #31 which due to my problems on March 26th, came out on April 1st. We saw a big drop in traffic that day and I think people forgot that there was one more book coming.

If you are new to Best Copycat Restaurant Recipes Blog -- Welcome -- Scroll down to one of the March entries for all the details on how to get your free cookbooks. All 31 of them.

-------------------------------------------------

Lotsa Pasta'a Farfalle Salad

Lotsa Pasta is a local specialty shop and caterer here in Louisville that has some of the best pasta salads on the planet. This one is the best of the bunch. The recipe appeared in the Courier Journal Newspaper and I have been eternally grateful every since. This is NOT a cheap salad to make so you may want to make it for special occasions or just for yourself. But by all means, do make it.

Ingredients

Salad

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup Mayonnaise (I only use Duke's. I suggest you do the same)
2 teaspoons Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Parsley, dried
1 1/4 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons Wine Vinegar (red or white)
1 teaspoons Black Pepper
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, grated

Dressing

1 head Cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces and left raw
12 ounces frozen Peas, rinced and drained
2 cans of Artichoke Hearts, drained and choped
1/2 cup Pine Nuts, lightly toasted
1 pound Farfalle (bow-Tie) Pasta

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients for dressing in large bowl.
2. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
3. Drain pasta and add to bowl with dressing.
4. Add everything else and toss.

That's it. Enjoy.

Mark

Olive Garden's Pasta Frittata and Blue Ribbon Recipes Cookbook

2008-04-01T03:08:00.000-07:00

Well here it is -- the last of the Daily Recipes and Cookbooks.

But we hope you'll stick around because, although we are slowing down a bit, we ain't stoppin'!

All the cookbooks will remain available in the Member's Area for the forseeable future so continue to tell your friends about us. Thank you.

Starting tomorrow we will begin our new schedule I talked about yesterday with Wednesday's Uncovered Gem (I think that's what I called it, wasn't it?)

And Friday we have somemore candy bar recipes or Sweet Friday.

I am on the lookout for more cookbooks. When I find some I will be offering them to you. I will try my best to get them free but I won't pass up any good ones that I can get a good deal for you on.

Thanks to everyone who voted in our poll. You can see the results at the top left. I will leave them up for a few days and probably have a new poll next Monday.

Stick with The Best Copycat Recipes Blog -- We're just getting started!

-----------------------------------------------

Olive Garden's Pasta Frittata

Ingredients

12 ounces Spaghetti, cooked, cut into 2" pieces
3 ounces Green Onions, sliced
3 ounces thick Bacon, cooked & chopped
Vegetable Spray or Butter
3 tablespoon Fontina, shredded, heaping
3 3/4 cup Parmesan, grated

FRITTATA BATTER:

6 medium Eggs
2 1/2 cups Half and Half
5 teaspoons Cornstarch
1 dash Nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

FRITTATA BATTER:
2. Beat eggs, half and half, cornstarch, salt and nutmeg thoroughly until all ingredients are completely blended.

3. Blend the 2" spaghetti pieces, green onion rings and bacon pieces in a bowl until evenly mixed.
4. Coat a 1−1/2 quart round baking dish, including walls, with spray or butter.
5. Empty the spaghetti mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly.
6. Add the frittata batter to cover the filling mix.

7. Bake in a 350F oven for about 25 minutes until center is set.
8. When center is set, cover the frittata evenly with the Fontina and bake until cheese is golden. 9. Turn off the heat and open oven door. Let the frittata set in the pen oven for 15 minutes for the batter to set more firmly and make removing from the dish easy.

Before serving, sprinkle with Parmesan and cut into 4 wedges.

------------------------------------------------

Today's Cookbook is one I have been saving for last. It is a HUGE book filled with some of the best recipes you have ever tried. It is called Blue Ribbon Recipes and it is a collection of Prize Winners from fair, food shows and contests for the past 20 years.

I'm not even gonna list the favorites here (or say "...and many more!") because all the recipes here are favorites. Just get the book. It's STILL Free. See for yourself.

-------------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and your cookbook is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

Do not worry. We will NEVER spam you or sell your address. We hate spam as much (or more!) than you do.

If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad and 300 Chicken Recipes Cookbook

2008-03-31T05:26:00.000-07:00

What Now?

(This block is EXACTLY the same as the "What Now?" in the Newsletter. If you've read that then you can just scroll down to the recipe if you like.)

With the March Promotion over we will not be giving away a cookbook each day (mainly because I've pretty much run out of cookbooks) but that doesn't mean there won't be things happening at The Best Copycat Restaurant Recipes Blog.

We are going to back off of the everyday schedule and go to three days a week. Here is what I have planned to try --

Monday's we will feature the Restaurant Favorites -- A copycat recipe of one of the Favorites from one of the Restaurants you love (Thanks for voting).

Wednesday will be Uncovered Gems -- A copycat recipe from a restaurant or even store that you probably haven't tried but is well worth having. I've thrown a couple or three of these out there so far (like Saturday's Houston's Spinach and Artichoke Dip and the Death By Chocolate from Kroger's.

And Friday's will by Sweet Fridays -- We have already started with this -- twice! thanks to my not being about to read a calendar.

Every Monday I will send out an update newsletter letting you know what is coming up in the week ahead so that you can plan accordingly.

Even though I am low on cookbooks now, I am always on the look out for good ones so don't be surprised to see a free download popup from time to time.

I think this new schedule will work out great but I am always open to suggestions. Please let me know what you think. In fact, I will put up a poll in the place of the Restaurant Poll up now. Look for it soon in the same place.

-------------------------------------------

Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad

Ingredients

Salad:
1 Egg
1/2 cup Milk
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 cup Corn Flake Crumbs
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1 boneless, skinless Chicken Breast halves
Oil for frying
3 cups chopped Romaine Lettuce
1 cup Red Cabbage
1 cup Napa Cabbage
1/2 Carrot, julienned or shredded
1 Green Onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sliced Almonds
1/3 cup Chow Mein Noodles

Dressing:
3 tablespoons Honey
1 1/2 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup Mayonnaise (Duke's -- It's all we use)
1 teaspoon Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
1/8 teaspoon Sesame Oil

Directions

1. Prepare dressing ingredients by mixing in a small bowl. Refrigerate while preparing salad.
2. Cut each chicken breast into 5 strips.
3. In one bowl, beat egg with milk. In another bowl, combine flour with corn flake crumbs, salt and pepper.
4. Preheat oil over medium heat.
5. Dip individual chicken pieces in egg mixture and then roll in the flour mixture.
6. Fry chicken until browned, drain and set aside.
7. Prepare salad by tossing the chopped romaine with the chopped red cabbage, Napa cabbage, and carrots. Sprinkle sliced green onion on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle almonds over the salad, then the chow mein noodles.
8. Cut the chicken into small chunks.
9. Place the chicken onto the salad forming a pile in the middle.

Serve with salad dressing on the side.

------------------------------------------

Today's cookbook is a huge volume (not as big as the one I have saved for tomorrow -- but big nonetheless) -- 300 Chicken Recipes!

Now, I know you like chicken. Everybody likes chicken. All your favorites are here like:

Oriental Chicken Wings
Chicken with Rice
Chicken Almond Casserole
Chicken Curry
Cajun Chicken Burgers
...and many more...

...so get the book.

------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and your cookbook is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

Do not worry. We will NEVER spam you or sell your address. We hate spam as much (or more!) than you do.

If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

Ben & Jerry's Heath Bar Ice Cream and 101 Camping & Outdoor Recipes

2008-03-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

Those of you who follow basketball will know that my beloved Cardinals lost both games yesterday to UNC. You would think that I would be in mourning this morning...

...and you would be right.

But, on the other hand both the men and women's teams had great years and the teams from UNC are really good. We played well, went really far into the tournament and, in the end, lost to superior teams. It was a GREAT YEAR!

So allow me one last GO CARDS!

-------------------------------------------

Today we have that one food that is perfect whether your team won (celebrate!) or lost (drown your sorrows) -- Ben & Jerry's Heath Bar Ice Cream

Ingredients

4 Heath Bars
2 cup Heavy or Whipping Cream
2 large Eggs
1 cup Whole milk
3/4 cup Sugar
2 teaspoon Vanilla

Directions

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the candy bars into 1/2 to 1 inch chunks. You should have about 1 cup.
2. Place the chucks in a bowl, cover and freeze.
3. Whisk the egg in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1−2 minutes.
4. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue to whisk until completely
blended, about 1 minute more.
5. Pour in the cream, milk, vanilla, and whisk to blend.
6. Transfer the mixture to ice cream maker and freeze following manufacturer's instructions.
7. After the ice cream stiffens (about 2 minutes before it is done) add the candy, then continue freezing until the ice cream is ready.

The Automatic Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker.

This ice cream maker produces 1 1/2 qts. of soft serve ice cream, yogurt, sorbet, or sherbet in 35 minutes without the need for chemicals, salt, or ice, and allows you to mix your own toppings from three separate hoppers that automatically dispense nuts, cookie crumbles, and sprinkles through a funnel directly into a tube of frozen confection as it falls into a waiting bowl at the push of a button. The unit operates from a single switch, and its double-insulated freezer bowl holds its temperature (requires 12 hours of freezing prior) while mixing all the ingredients needed to make any of the products; a single lever dispenses soft-serve (harder ice cream must be removed from the freezer bowl). All parts remove easily for cleaning, and the device holds a stack of flat or sugar cones. Plugs into AC. Includes instruction booklet and recipe book. 18 1/4" H x 9 3/4" W x 9" D. (14 1/2 lbs.)

------------------------------------------

With basketball being essentially over, with today's cookbook we start to look forward to Spring and Summer -- 101 Camping and Outdoor Recipes!

Camping has always been one of my favorite Summer activities. Cooking and eating outdoors is always a big part of that. We have recently added a "Camping Guru" to our Weekend Grillers team to supply us with recipes that you can fix over a campfire or on a picnic table.

Julie Miklaszewicz runs the site RVing Outpost so she knows a thing or two about camping. Check out her first Weekend Grillers article all about those wonderful little campfire pie makers, Pie Irons at the Grillers now.

Pie Irons by Julie Miklaszewicz

------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and your cookbook is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

Do not worry. We will NEVER spam you or sell your address. We hate spam as much (or more!) than you do.

If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

GO CARDS!

Houston's Spinach and Artichoke Dip and Appetizer Cookbook

2008-03-29T05:27:00.000-07:00

In honor of my University of Louisville Cardinals Men playing in the Elite Eight Today against North Carolina and my University of Louisville Cardinals Women playing in the Sweet 16 today, also against North Carolina I have some party recipes for you.

GO CARDS!

------------------------------------------

Houston's is a regional chain out of...surprise...Texas. I've never eaten at Houston's so I can't vouch for whether this dip recipe is a close clone or not. But I can tell you that it is good! Houston's Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

2 bags (1 lb. each) fresh Spinach
1/8 pound Butter − not margarine
1 teaspoons minced fresh Garlic
2 tablesoons minced Onions
1/4 cup flour
1 pint heavy Cream (whipping cream)
2 teaspoons fresh squeezed Lemon Juice
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan Cheese
1/3 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack Cheese
1 can Artichoke Hearts, coarsely diced

Directions

1. Steam spinach − strain and squeeze through cheesecloth. Must be very dry. Chop finely and set aside.
2. In heavy saucepan, melt butter.
3. Add garlic and onions and saute about 3−5 minutes.
4. Add flour to make a roux. Stir and cook about 1 minute.
5. Slowly add heavy cream, stirring with a whisk to prevent lumping. Mixture will thicken at the boiling point.
6. When it thickens, add lemon juice, Tabasco, salt and Parmesan cheese.
7. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
8. Stir in sour cream.
9. Fold in dry, chopped spinach, coarse diced artichoke hearts and Jack cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.

Serve immediately, or portion and microwave to order.

Serve with salsa, sour cream and tortilla chips for dipping.

GO CARDS!

------------------------------------------

For todays cookbook we keep with the party theme -- GO CARDS! -- and have The Appetizer Collection -- 155 pages of some of the most delicious and easy to prepare party food you'll find for the next time your basketball team is in the Elite Eight or Sweet Sixteen.

GO CARDS!

------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and your cookbook is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

Do not worry. We will NEVER spam you or sell your address. We hate spam as much (or more!) than you do.

If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

GO CARDS!

Keebler Soft Batch Cookies and Gift Jar Recipes

2008-03-28T05:45:00.000-07:00

I thought yesterday was Friday. I swear I did. Imagine my surprise when I found out.

Perhaps I was juuuust a bit distracted by that game last night. Did you catch The Cardinals whooping up on Tennessee? If you didn't you missed a great game.

Now The Cards are set for a date in the Elite Eight with mighty UNC for a ticket to the Final Four. Oh, Nelly! It ought to be a good'un.

GO CARDS!

-------------------------------------------------

Since we had SWEET FRIDAY on Thursday you might think we wouldn't have it again today.

You'd be wrong.

SWEET FRIDAY -- Keebler Soft Batch Cookies

Are you old enough to remember when these first appeared on store shelves? Remember how COMPLETELY different they were? Soft cookies from a bag! Wow! I remember buying bag after bag of these.

Now I can make them at home and so can you.

Ingredients

1 pound Butter, softened
2 Eggs
2 tablespoon Molasses
2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/3 cup Water
1 1/2 cup granulated Sugar
1 1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
5 cup All−purpose Flour
6 ounces Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Ingredients
1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Cream the butter, eggs, molasses, vanilla and water in a medium bowl.
3. In a large bowl sift together the sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour.
4. Combine the moist mixture with the dry mixture add the chocolate chips.
5. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and place them 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 8 minutes or until light brown around edges.

GO CARDS!

-------------------------------------------------

Secret Restaurant Recipes are a Good Thing.
Smoking Cigarettes is not.
If you or someone you love is trying to kick the habit, get help now at
My Everyday Life's new Stop Smoking Website Quit Smoking NOW!
It's your life -- Be There for It.

-------------------------------------------

After last night's Game I am in a giving mood so I picked -- Gift Jar Recipes for today's free book. I really like this book, but then again I have always liked the gift jars themselves. It's such a cool concept. Just pour the contents out, follow the instructions and, BOOM, homemade goodness. Here are 226 pages of every kind of food you can think of:

Cookies,
Soup,
Brownies,
Salsas,
Vinegars,
Teas,
Coffees,
Pies,
Cakes,
Cocoas,
...and so much more.

GO CARDS!

------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and your cookbook is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

Do not worry. We will NEVER spam you or sell your address. We hate spam as much (or more!) than you do.

If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

GO CARDS!

Cheesecake Factory's Key Lime Cheesecake and Pudding Recipes

2008-03-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, we have a new website in the Everyday Life family. Even if you don't need it (and we hope you don't) please do us a favor and check it out. Look around at the articles and sponsors and let us know what you think.

-------------------------------------------------

For Today's Recipe we have the Cheesecake Factory's Key Lime Cheesecake.

This is a good start for our Sweet Fridays. I have the new schedule planned for when the March Promotion ends on Tuesday of next week. I will no longer be having new recipes everyday but I think you will like the new format. I will let the cat out of the bag on Monday.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups Graham Cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons Butter, melted
1 cup + 1 tablespoon Sugar
3 8oz. packages Cream Cheese, softened
1 teaspoons Vanilla
1/2 cup fresh Lime Juice (about 5 limes) or 1/4 cup key lime juice (about 3 key limes)
3 Eggs
Whipped Cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Combine crumbs, butter and 1 tablespoon sugar in a bowl. Stir well to to coat all crumbs. Keep it crumbly.
3. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and 1/2 way up the sides of an 8" springform pan.
4. Bake crust for 5 minutes and set aside.

5. In large bowl combine cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla. Mix with electric mixer till smooth.
6. Add the lime juice and eggs and continue to beat till smooth and creamy.
7. Pour filling into crust.
8. Bake for 60 to 70 mins. If top is turning light brown it's done.
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool till room temperature. Put into fridge.
10. When chilled, remove the pan sides and cut.

Serve with whipped cream.

GO CARDS!

------------------------------------------

If you love to eat...and you wouldn't be here if you didn't...then you should signup for The Weekend Grillers Newsletter. Every week we bring you the very best we can find of BBQ and Grilling, Party Foods and Fun Times. Don't take my word for it...you hardly know me. Check out The Weekend Grillers and Signup for the Newsletter at the bottom of the front page.

-------------------------------------------

For today's recipe book I picked another "sweet" -- Pudding. I know, I know, puddings aren't exactly high on most people's list of desserts but most people love them and we have some really good ones here including --

BREAD PUDDING
APPLE AND LADY-FINGER PUDDING
BIRD-NEST PUDDING
RAILWAY PUDDING
SPANISH PUDDING
BAKED LEMON PUDDING
RICE PUDDING
MACARONI PUDDING
...and many many more.

GO CARDS!

------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and your cookbook is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

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GO CARDS!

Back Up and Running + Cinnabon Recipe and Coffee Cookbook --- YUMMMM

2008-03-25T14:29:00.000-07:00

...

Sorry about that.

Simple Explanation for those who couldn't care less what happened:

It was my fault --- it's fixed.

Longer Explanation for those with nothing better to do:

I am very new at this whole internet thing. But I plan on growing. So when I got my hosting package, I got one far bigger than I would need for the foreseeable future.

So imagine my surprise when I got up yesterday and found that I had exceeded all of my bandwidth.

Turns out I was suppose to allocate a certain amount to each site. I had only exceeded the very small default amount.

My host, Hostgator, and their wonderful customer rep., Jose, were very helpful and we got it straightened out.

We are back up and running. I have plenty of bandwidth left (24 times more than I have used so far!) And all the cookbooks are still available for download.

Since we missed yesterday, we will just tack on a free cookbook at the end of the month.

-------------------------------------------------

I have been saving this recipe for a special occasion. After yesterday's panic, I believe today counts as special.

At least to me it does. I really did panic.

Today's Featured Recipe is Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

Rolls:

1/2 cup warm Water
2 packages dry Yeast
2 Tablespoons Sugar
3 1/2 ounce package Vanilla Pudding mix
1/2 cup Butter, melted
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Salt
6 cups Flour
1 cup Butter, softened
2 cups Brown Sugar
4 teaspoons Cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces Cream Cheese
1/2 cup Margarine
1 teaspoon Vanilla
3 cups Confectioner's Sugar
1 Tablespoon Milk

Make Frosting:

1. Mix all ingredients until smooth.

Make Rolls:

1. In a bowl combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside.
2. In large bowl, prepare pudding mix according to package directions.
3. Add margarine, eggs and salt. Mix well.
4. Add yeast mixture. Blend.
5. Gradually add flour; knead until smooth. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled.
6. Punch down dough and let rise again.

7. Then roll out on floured board to 34 x 21" size.
8. Spread softened butter over surface.
9. In bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon.
10. Sprinkle over top. Roll up very tightly.
11. With knife every 2 inches.
12. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet 2" apart.
13. Take hand and lightly press down on each roll.
14. Cover and let rise until double again.
15. Bake at 350 15−20 minutes. Remove when they start to turn golden. DON'T OVER BAKE.

16. Frost warm rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

------------------------------------------

To compliment the Rolls today we have are second Coffee Cookbook.

Chocolate Mint Coffee Float
Amaretto Coffee
Kahlua Coffee
Black Forest Coffee
Viennese Coffee
Buttered Rum Coffee
Cafe Au Lait Luzianne
Cajun Coffee
...and the dreaded, many many more. ;)

-------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and your cookbook is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

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If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

GO CARDS!

Oooooops

2008-03-25T06:05:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your continued interest in my Best Copycat Restaurant Recipes Blog and the March Promotion. We have done really well this month. In fact, we have done much better than I thought we would.

Unfortunately we have done perhaps, too good.

We have gone over our bandwidth limit and the Members Area is temporarily down (the Blog is unaffected as you can see.) So for the time being we will not be able to offer any downloads.

I am working to resolve this problem but ask your patience while I work on it.

Thank you again for your support and check back soon for the site to be up and running.

For those of you who have signed up, I will send you an email as soon as the site is up and running again.

Mark

Olive Garden's Capellini Pomodoro and Recipes from South of the Border Cookbook

2008-03-24T05:53:00.000-07:00

Good Morning and Welcome to The Best Copycat Restaurant Recipes Blog.

If you are new here, feel free to look around. We share our home-ready recipes for all of our restaurant favorites. On the left you can find a directory of all the keywords that will take you directly to all of the recipes from your favorite. Or just scroll backward through the pages and discover all the delights we have featured --

Outback's Blooming Onion and more
Girl Scout Cookies
Big Mac "Secret Sauce"
Snickers and 3 Musketeers
Applebee's Baby Back Ribs and more
The Soup Guy's Mulligatawny Soup
TGI Friday's Jack Daniel's Dipping Sauce
Olive Garden's Spaghetti Carbonara and more
Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
... and many MANY more.

We are running a promotion this month and have been have a lot of fun. Not only do we have a new recipe everyday (sometimes more than one) but we are also giving away a cookbook each day. To everyone. Not only that but all the previous books are still available. Just follow the directions at the bottom and get any or all of the 24 e-Cookbooks so far featured --

Starbucks Recipes
Italian Recipes
Salads & Salads 2
100 Great Sandwiches
Smoothies
Ice Cream
Classic Desserts
...and 17 MORE.

Plus there are still 7 more to go. Start today and get in on all the fun.

GO CARDS!

-------------------------------------------

Today's Featured Recipe is Olive Garden's Capellini Pomodoro

Ingredients

3 cloves Garlic, mince
2 pounds Plum tomatoes; seeded, diced
1 ounce Fresh basil leaves, minced
1/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil
3 ounces Parmesan cheese
12 ounces dry Angel Hair Pasta, cooked
1/4 teaspoon Pepper

Directions

1. Heat olive oil and add garlic; cook until it turns white.
2. Add tomatoes and pepper and heat through, stirring constantly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Tomatoes should not lose their shape. Remove from heat.
3. Transfer hot, cooked pasta to large bowl.
4. Toss pasta gently with tomato mixture, basil and half of Parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately and pass remaining Parmesan.

Come back tomorrow -- we will have some more candybars for you to make at home.

GO CARDS!

-------------------------------------------------

For today's cookbook we have the very large (247 pages) Recipes from South of the Border

These are not just your "Taco Bell" Mexican food (not that there is anything wrong with those). Oh, all your favorite are here but there are also real Mexican and Central American recipes such as --

Bell Pepper Rajas
Burritos Con Huevos
Frijoles Negros a la Oaxaca
Calabacitas
California Chilled Salsa
Carne Gisada Con Papas (Meat & Potatoes)
Pollo En Escabeche (Shredded Chicken Yucatan)
Sopaipillas
...and many more.

GO CARDS!

-------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and your cookbook is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

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If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

GO CARDS!

Bread Bowls and Muffin, Bread and Biscuits Recipes

2008-03-23T05:38:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite items to look for on a menu is soup. Especially when it is cold outside and I walk into a Mom and Pop-type place. Good homemade soup is such a rare find that it is worth seeking out.

A wonderful new (ish) tradition that I have started to see is serving soup in Bread Bowls. This is particularly good when the soup is a heavy-cream soup prehaps with a cheese base like Cream of Broccoli.

Before it gets too warm we may have a couple more "soup days" so here is a recipe and technique for making Bread Bowls

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups warm water (105−115 degrees Fahrenheit)
2 packages active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. oil
6 1/2 − 7 1/2 cups bread flour
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. milk

Directions

1. Measure warm water into large bowl.
2. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved.
3. Add salt, sugar, oil and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough additional flour to make a stiff dough.
4. Turn out onto lightly floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Place dough in bowl that has been lightly coated with nonstick spray, turning to grease top.
6. Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

7. Grease outside of 12, 10−ounce custard cups or oven−proof bowls of similar size.
8. Punch dough down.
9. Divide into 12 pieces. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
10. Spread each piece into a circle about 6 inches in diameter. Place over outside of bowl, working dough with hands until it fits.
11. Set bowls, dough side up, on baking sheet that has been coated with nonstick spray.
12. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.

13. Combine egg and milk; gently brush mixture on dough.
14. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes until golden brown.
15. Using potholders, carefully remove the bowls.
16. Set bread bowls open side up on baking pan
17. Bake 5 minutes.

Makes 12 servings.

For larger bowls, use oven−proof bowls that are approximately 6 inches in diameter. Divide dough into 6 portions. Frozen bread dough also can be used. A 1−pound loaf will make 2 large or 4 small bowls.

GO CARDS!

------------------------------------------

If you are a fan of Mom and Pop-type Restaurants like I am, be sure to visit my Roadfood Blog and read about some of the best places to eat in America. Better yet send me your choices and stories of eating on the road. I'm always looking for good restaurants.

Don't be put off by the fact that it hasn't been updated very fequently lately. None of my other blog have gotten the attention they deserve during this promotion on Copycat. When April coming soon and with it warm weather and travel, look for Roadfood Blog to start having regular entries soon.

GO CARDS!

------------------------------------------

I looked for another good soup ebook (I gave away one on March 9th) and couldn't find one. As I said, good homemade soup is a rare thing.

I have instead a Bread Cookbook -- sorta.

It's called Muffin, Bread and Biscuits in a Jar

It includes recipes of those gift jars you get sometimes with all the ingredients in them that you can make at home. They are good for gifts but also I have found they are excellent for travel. Especially if you are going somewhere with a kitchen such as a chalet in the Smokies. Or a houseboat on Lake Meade. Make up a few of these and pack them with your other provisions. Your friends will be so impressed. At the end, give away any you haven't used. Or make extra to begin with.

GO CARDS!

-------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and your cookbook is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

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2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

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If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

GO CARDS!

Boston Market's Meatloaf and Traditional Amish Recipes

2008-03-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

Boston Market failed around here. They came in a few years ago like gangbusters with 7 or 8 new stores all of the sudden. Then less than a year later, wham, they all close.

I feel like it had to be bad management or a case of too much, too soon. Because I know they have been successful in a lot of other cities and the food is really good. I hope that one day they may try here again but until then I can make their heavenly meatloaf at home.

Boston Market's Meatloaf

Ingredients

1 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
6 tablespoons all−purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
dash garlic powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix together the tomato sauce, barbecue sauce and sugar in a small saucepan
over medium heat. Heat the mixture until it begins to bubble, stirring often, then remove it from the heat.
3. In a large bowl, add all but 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce to the meat.
4. Mix the sauce into the meat, then add the remaining ingredients. Mix again.
5. Pack a loaf pan with the meat mixture, cover with foil, and bake for about 30 minutes.
6. Remove foil and drain fat.
7. Cut the meatloaf, while in the pan, into eight separate slices. Pour remaining sauce over the meatloaf.
8. Return to oven and cook for another 30 minutes, uncovered.
9. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

GO CARDS!

-------------------------------------------

When I think of meatloaf I think of traditional, comfort food.

You can't get much more traditional than Amish Recipes --

Corn Fritters
Shoo Fly Pie
Chicken Casserole
Amish Friendship Bread
Broccoli Salad
Yeast Rolls
Funnel Cakes
...and many more.

GO CARDS!

-------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and your cookbook is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

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1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

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If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

GO CARDS!

More Party Recipes for March Madness

2008-03-21T01:28:00.000-07:00

I realized while watching Kansas State beat USC last night and munching on some Jalapeno Poppers that I had given you a Hot Wings recipe yesterday with no Blue Cheese Dressing to dip them in (I dip my poppers in blue cheese dressing -- that's the connection)

So to start out today here is Outback Steakhouse's Blue Cheese Dressing

Ingredients

1 cup Mayonnaise (we use Duke's)
2 tablespoons Buttermilk
1 tablespoon Crumbled Blue Cheese
1/8 teaspoon coarse ground Black Pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions
1. Mix well
2. Chill
3. Serve
4. Repeat

GO CARDS!

Here's another brilliant chicken wing recipe to enjoy tonight during the games -- KFC's Cajun Honey Wings Sauce

Ingredients

1/4 cup Ketchup
1 cup Water
3/4 cup White Vinegar
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1/3 cup Honey
4 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning (in the spice aisle on your supermarket)
1 tablespoon canned Green Chilies, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Hickory Flavored Liquid Smoke
1/8 teaspoon dried Thyme

20 Wings (fried to your preference)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except the wings in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
3. Simmer until thick.
4. Brush over or toss with cooked wings.
5. Eat during games.

GO CARDS!

-------------------------------------------

I don't have another "party recipes" book for you today but the one I have is really cool. Today's Free recipe book is Pizzaria Recipes. Heck, I guess you could make pizza for a party. If your the host it would probably be a great idea. If your a guest, not so much.

So, okay --- Great for any party you host. Includes --

Selections of Pizza Doughs like Thin Crust, NY Style and Sicilian Think Crust
Focaccia and Garlic Rolls
Pizza Sauces like Cooked, Uncooked and Oil
Pizza Styles and toppings such as:
Chicago (the best pizza in the world),
BBQ Chicken,
Thai,
Philly Cheese Steak,
Tex Mex,
Pesto Pizza,
Grilled Pizza,
Seafood Pizza
...and many more!

GO CARDS!

-------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and your cookbook is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

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If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

GO CARDS!

Party Recipes for March Madness

2008-03-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

Early birds will notice that this post is up VERY early today. There is a reason for this that all basketball fans will already realize.

Today is the start of March Madness. Locally we have several teams in the hunt. My favorite has both men & women's teams in and both are high-seeded and we're looking for big runs.

So I got up early to get your new recipe and cookbook to you because after 12 noon you ain't gotta see me. Unless you stop by. Then we can both watch B-ball!

GO CARDS!

Here are a couple of good Party recipes for you to take to any March Madness party you may be attending on this opening weekend.

Chi Chi's Chili Con Queso

Ingredients

1 pound Velveeta
1 pint Half and Half
1 4 ounce can of Chilis
1 4 ounce can of Pinientos
Tabasco

Directions

1. Melt Velveeta until it becomes stirable. Use a microwave for this.
2. Combine an equal amount of half and half and mix thoroughly.
3. Add chilis and an equal amount of pimientos.
4. Microwave again until the mixture is hot.
5. For a little more spice, add a dash or three of Tabasco at this point.
6. Pour into small bowls and cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnite. Don't leave this step out.
7. Take the bowl out and place into microwave, heat and stir.

GO CARDS!

Hooter's Buffalo Chicken Wings

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Crystal Louisiana Hot Sauce
dash ground pepper
dash garlic powder
1/2 cup all−purpose flour
1/4 teas. paprika
1/4 teas. cayenne pepper
1/4 teas. salt
10 chicken wing pieces
vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375. You want just enough oil to cover the wings entirely; an inch or so deep at least.
2. Combine the butter, hot sauce, ground pepper, and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Heat until the butter is melted and the ingredients are well−blended.
3. Combine the flour, paprika, cayenne powder, and salt in a small bowl.
4. If the wings are frozen, be sure to defrost and dry them. Put the wings in a large bowl and sprinkle the flour mixture over them, coating each wing evenly. Put the wings in the refrigerator 60−90 minutes. This will help the breading to stick to the wings when fried.
5. Put all the wings in the hot oil and fry 10 to 15 minutes or until some parts of the wings begin to turn dark brown.
6. Remove from the oil to a paper towel to drain. Don't let them sit too long, because you want to serve them hot.
7. Quickly put the wings in a large bowl. Add the hot sauce and stir, coating all of the wings evenly.

Serve with bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks on the side.

GO CARDS!

-------------------------------------------

Today's Free recipe book is Salsa Recipes. Great for any party. Includes these favorites --

Tomato Mango Salsa

Tropical Fruit and Black Bean Salsa
Spicy Jalapeno Salsa
Roasted Chicken Legs with Plum Chili Salsa
Ultimate Nightmare Salsa
Southern Cactus Salad
... and many, many more.

There 170 pages in all. You'll never run out of something to take to any party.

GO CARDS!

-------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and your cookbook is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

Do not worry. We will NEVER spam you or sell your address. We hate spam as much (or more!) than you do.

If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

Did I mention...

GO CARDS!

Three from Emeril and Mexican Recipes

2008-03-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

As you might expect, I love the Food Network. I have been a fan for a very long time. So long that I remember Bobby Flay's first show (he and some redneck who has disappeared would debate the advantages of gas grills vs. charcoal grills while cooking on each every week) and his second show (he and some non-funny comedian who has disappeared would cook for a bunch of "friends" each week.)

My favorite shows, however, are not the chef's shows but the travel/learning/science type shows. Good Eats with Alton Brown is my absolute favorite. I also like Unwrapped and Anthony Bourdain's Shows. Bizarre Eats is pretty cool as is Iron Chef. (Maybe some of these are on the Travel Channel -- Some thing. Don't sweat it.) I like those food competitions, too. As soon as this March promotion is over and I can catch my breath I plan on "blogging" about some of them. Hey, blogging on a blog -- what a concept!

Even though I am not a fan of the "chef-stands-in-studio-kitchen-and-cooks" shows, I do enjoy some of the personalities. I like the aforementioned Bobby Flay and Jamie Oliver is okay. Tyler whatshisname is cool, too. I don't like Rachel Ray. Sorry. I think her short cooks set cooking back about 20 years. Wait, actually I do like her travel shows just not her cooking show.

One I really do like is Emeril. I love the passion he puts into the cooking and how he has turned the cooking show into entertainment. This is good for good cooking. So many of the old time chefs (Julia excluded) always made it seem so dry and boring. Cooking should be anything but dry and boring.

I was recently sent the following three recipes be a reader. They turn out pretty close to the originals so I thought I would share them with you. Not sure if the email came from New Orleans or not but you never know....

Emeril's Creole Seasoning

Ingredients

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Directions

Mix

Emeril's Southwest Seasoning

Ingredients

2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano

Directions

Mix

Emeril's Mole Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup shelled pistachio nuts
1/4 cup roasted pine nuts
2 poblano peppers
1 medium onion, quartered
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 tablespoon dark cane or corn syrup
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Place the nuts, peppers, and onions on a baking sheet.

3. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

4. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven and peel, seed and chop the peppers.

6. In a food processor, combine the nuts, peppers, onions, chili powder, cumin, salt, tamarind paste, 1 tablespoon dark cane syrup, vinegar and olive oil. Puree
until creamy, stopping once to scrape the sides of the bowl.

7. Turn the sauce into a saucepan.

8. Whisk in the chicken stock and cream.

9. Bring the sauce up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes.

10. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
-------------------------------------------

Today's Free recipe book is A Taste of Mexico. Sorry I don't have any free New Orleans Recipes.

But you do get:

Baked Tamales

Carne Asada

Chiles Rellenos

Guacamole

Sopaipillas

Taco Salad

Verde Azzor

... and mucho más.

-------------------------------------------

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Outback Steakhouse's Blooming Onion and Fondue Recipes Book

2008-03-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

Outback Steakhouse's Blooming Onion

Ingredients

4 Vidalia or Texas Sweet Onions

Batter:
1/3 Cup Cornstarch
1 1/2 Cup Flour
2 tsp. Garlic −− minced
2 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
24 oz. Beer

Seasoned Flour:
2 Cup Flour
4 tsp. Paprika
2 tsp. Garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Mix cornstarch, flour, and seasonings until well blended.

2. Add beer, mix well.

3. Cut about 3/4" off top of onion and peel. Cut into onion 12 to 16 vertical wedges, but do not cut through bottom root end. Remove about 1" of petals from center of onion.

4. Dip onion in seasoned flour and remove excess by shaking.

5. Separate petals and dip in batter to coat thoroughly.

6. Gently place in fryer basket and deep−fry at 375 to 400 1 1/2 minutes. Turn over, and fry an additional 1 1/2 minutes.
7. Drain on paper towels.
8. Place onion upright in shallow bowl and remove center core with circular cutter or apple corer.

Serve hot with Creamy Chili Sauce.

Creamy Chili Sauce

Ingredients

1 pint Mayonnaise (we always use Duke's)
1 pint Sour cream
1/2 Cup Chili sauce
1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Mix

-------------------------------------------

Today's recipe book is something a bit different: Fondue Recipes. Listing the recipes would probably mean nothing to most of us but let me just tell you a bit about them. When I think of fondue, I think of cheese. This book has cheese recipes. Loads of cheese recipes. Every kind of cheese you can think of and probably some you can't. But it goes futher -- there are wine fondues, fruit fondues, seafood fondues and even dessert fondues. It also gives you good recipes and instructions on how to make and prepare the "dippers" -- Those pieces of whatever that you will be dipping into the pot.

This is actually a really cool book about an eating method that many of us know little about but is pretty fun when you try it (boy that was a contrived sentence.)

Get it the usual way ---
-------------------------------------------

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O'Charlie's Baked Potato Soup and Salad Recipes Book

2008-03-17T05:29:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day to ya!

Well, this presents something of an opportunity for me. You see the poll to the left. If you check the results by clicking on the link a the bottom you will see that Olibe Garden is getting by far the most votes. Followed closely by Applebee's and Red Lobster. I'm a little surprised because I really thought Applebee's would run away with it, but not shocked. And this is a good reason to do polls, right? Things are not always what we think they will be.

No, the top vote-getters didn't surprise me. What did surprise me was that O'Charley's was getting so few. It is a very popular casual dining restaurant around here and... ahhh, maybe that's it. I checked the O'Charlie's website and found out that they are VERY regional. They're mainly in the midwest.

So the main reason that people haven't voted for this great little place may be that they've never tried it. Well, here's your chance. Baked Potato Soup is one of the favorite items on the menu and it deserves to be. Try it tonight.

O'Charlie's Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients

3 lbs. Red Potatoes
1/4 cup Butter, melted
1/4 cup Flour
2 quarts Half−and−Half
1 pound block Velveeta Cheese, melted
White Pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
1 teaspoon Hot Pepper Sauce
1/2 pounds Bacon, fried crisply
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/2 cup fresh Chives, chopped
1/2 cup fresh Parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Dice unpeeled red potatoes into 1/2−inch cubes.
2. Place in a large Dutch oven, cover with water and bring to a boil.
3. Let boil for 10 minutes or until almost cooked.
4. In a separate large Dutch oven, combine melted margarine and flour, mixing until smooth.
5. Place over low heat and gradually add half−and−half, stirring constantly. Continue to stir until smooth and liquid begins to thicken.
6. Add melted Velveeta. Stir well.
7. Drain potatoes and add to cream mixture.
8. Stir in pepper, garlic powder and hot pepper sauce.
9. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
10. Place soup into individual serving bowls and top with crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, chives and parsley.

-------------------------------------------

Let's keep our green theme going here with Salad Recipes. This is a short little recipe book but it is packed with really good meal openers and main dishes:

Greek Salad
Antipasto Pasta Salad
Chicken Pasta Salad
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Spicy Pecan Salad
Taco Salad
Mandarin Orange Salad
Fruit Salad with Champagne Sauce
...and many more.

-------------------------------------------

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Cracker Barrel's Hashbrown Casserole & Egg Recipes Cookbook

2008-03-16T06:14:00.000-07:00

How about some breakfast?

My favorite meal to eat out is breakfast. Maybe because we don't do it that often. Mostly when we're traveling. If the only time you do something is on vacation, it can very easily be one of your favorite things.

Cracker Barrel's Hashbrown Casserole

Ingredients

2 pounds frozen Hashbrowns
1/2 cup melted Butter
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 pint Sour Cream
1/2 cup chopped Onion
2 cups grated Cheddar Cheese
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
2 cups crushed Cornflakes
1/4 cup melted Butter

Directions
1. Defrost hashbrowns.
2. Combine next 7 ingredients and mix with hashbrowns.
3. Put all in a 3 quart casserole dish.
4. Saute cornflakes in butter and sprinkle on top.
5. Cover and Bake at 350 for about 40 min.

------------------------------------------

Egg Recipes

When I think of eggs, I think of breakfast. Sunnyside up, over easy, scambled. And there are plenty of breakfast recipes here. But there are also recipes for other meals and a few very unexpected ones. Recipes include:

Eggs Baked in Tomato Sauce
Eggs a la Trinidad
Eggs Benedict
Curried Eggs
Eggs a la Windsor
Eggs Suzette
Norwegian Eggs
Eggs Zanzibar
...and many, many more.

If you're not intriqued by those titles, you're not paying attention (or just don't like eggs.)

-----------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and Classic Desserts is waiting for you.

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Snickers, 3 Musketeers and Ice Cream!

2008-03-15T07:13:00.000-07:00

I'm in a sweets mood today. Maybe you are, too. Not a sweet mood mind you. I went to a political rally/party last night for one of my friends who is running for office in his hometown and had a few of yesterday's topic. So I am not in a sweet mood.

But I am in a sweets mood.

So let's use a couple of recipes I have been sitting on for just such an occasion.

Before we do though, while we're on the subject of sweets, I would like to direct your attention to one of my favorite blogs. For a change, it's not one of mine. ;) In fact I don't know the owner at all but I love reading it and if you like candy you will too.

It's called simply Candy Blog http://www.typetive.com/candyblog/ and each day Cybele tells all about a different candy she has found or been sent. Sometimes they are familiar but often they are exotic or limited editions. She does a great job of describing the tastes and never pulls punches.

There are many, many candy blogs out there (Google "candy blog" and see for yourself) but the original is still the best. If you like candy, check it out -- http://www.typetive.com/candyblog/

-------------------------------------------

Snicker's Bar

Ingredients

1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups powdered sugar
35 individual Kraft caramels
1 cup dry−roasted unsalted peanuts
1 − 12 oz. bag milk−chocolate chips

Directions

1. With the mixer on high speed, combine the corn syrup, butter, vanilla, peanut butter, and salt until creamy.
2. Slowly add the powdered sugar.
3. When the mixture has the consistency of dough, remove it from the bowl with your hands and press it into a lightly greased 9x9−inch pan.
4. Put in the refrigerator.
5. Melt the caramels in a small pan over low heat.
6. When the caramel is soft, mix in the peanuts.
7. Pour the mixture over the refrigerated nougat in the pan. Let this cool in the refrigerator.
8. When the refrigerated mixture is firm, melt the chocolate over low heat in a double boiler or in a microwave oven set on high for 2 minutes. Stir halfway through cooking time.
9. When the mixture in the pan has hardened, cut it into 2x1−inch sections.
10. Set each chunk onto a fork and dip into the melted chocolate. Tap the fork against the side of the bowl or pan to knock off any excess chocolate. Then place the chunks on waxed paper to cool at room temperature, or refrigerate for quicker cooling.

------------------------------------------

3 Musketeers Bar

Ingredients

3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup water
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 egg whites
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 bags milk chocolate chips (12−ounce bags)

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar,
corn syrup, water, and salt.
2. Heat, stirring, to boiling, then continue to cook using a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature.
3. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and form peaks. Don't use a plastic bowl for this.
4. When the sugar solution comes to 270 degrees F, or the soft−crack stage, remove from the heat and pour the mixture in thin streams into the egg whites, blending completely with a mixer set on low speed. Continue to mix until the candy begins to harden to the consistency of dough. This may take as long as 20 minutes.
5. At this point add the semisweet chocolate chips. Remember that the candy must already be at the consistency of dough when you add the chocolate; the nougat will thicken no more after the chocolate is added.
6. When the chocolate is thoroughly blended and the nougat has thickened, Press it into a greased 9x9−inch pan.
7. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
8. With a sharp knife, cut the candy in half down the middle of the pan. Then cut across into 7 segments to create a total of 14 bars.
9. Melt the milk chocolate chips in the microwave for 2 minutes on half
power, stirring halfway through the heating time. Melt completely, but be careful not to overheat.
10. Resting a bar on a fork dip each bar into the chocolate to coat completely and place on wax paper.
11. Cool until firm at room temperature, 1 to 2 hours.

Makes 14 candy bars.

------------------------------------------

Frozen Dessert Recipes

I'll keep with the theme of sweets for today's recipe book although the thought of making homemade ice cream today makes my head hurt. ;)

All the favorite ice cream flavors are here like chocolate, strawberry and banana but there's many more in this 170 page book:

Blueberry
Lemon Sorbet
Tomato & Basil Sorbet (Huh?)
Peach Frozen Yogurt
Tropical Orange

There's even a recipe for Waffle Cones
...and (say it with me) many, many more.

-----------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and Classic Desserts is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

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If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

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Signature Drinks and Smoothies Recipes

2008-03-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

I have been designing and researching drinks for my upcoming site Everyday Parties for the past week. I have been able to find the recipes for many of the most popular drinks and create a few new ones. One interesting thing that I have found is that the ORIGINAL recipes for some of our most popular drinks are vastly different than what we drink today and most are absolutely mindblowingly delicious. Trust me, this is REALLY fun research. ;)

So I thought it would be fun to concentrate on some liquid copycats today. Other than Starbucks Frappuccino, it's something we haven't spent a lot of time on.

First thought speaking of Everyday Parties -- the site is really coming around....on my computer. The only thing up is still the page I had when I mentioned it here on March 4th. But I have Recipes for appetizers, drinks, desserts and other party foods, ideas for themed parties, descriptions and stories for fun things to do and more already in the bag ready to post. I am shooting to "open" the site on April 1st, just in time to start outdoor parties here in the south.

For those of you not familiar with the concept here is part of what I wrote on the 4th. --

Recently I searched the internet for adult party ideas. Not adult party as in sex party (not that there's anything wrong with that) but adult as in "mature". Adult as in Baby Boomers and, increasingly, Gen X. Adult as in, "It's been a while since I slept on a bathroom floor (not that there's anything wrong with that) but I still love to party!"

I didn't have much luck.

Most websites seem to have the idea that all we want to do is dress up in funny costumes (not that there's anything wrong with that) or play silly games (not that there's anything...okay there IS something wrong with most of them.) I don't know about you but that's NOT how my friends and I party.

Does This Sound Like You?

In our teens and early twenties we partied hard. Most parties consisted of loud 80's rock music, a refrigerator full of cheap beer, chips and dip and drinking until you passed out on the bathroom floor.

We've gotten older but we still party just as hard. The refrigerator is still full of beer -- only it's the spare fridge in the basement and it's good beer. We still bring chips and dip but now they sit beside the likes of smoked salmon, curried chicken roll-ups, barbequed shrimp Orleans and fried green chili wontons. We very seldom have anyone pass out on the bathroom floor -- but when they do, we take care of them (we're moms and dads after all) and the floor is clean. Oh, we do still have the loud 80's rock music -- what can we say?

We Don't Need to Dress Up in Silly Costumes or Play Silly Games to Have Fun

Most of our parties just involve good friends, good food, good drink and good conversation. Good times. There are usually at least three generations running around, sometimes four. Oh, we sometimes have a "reason" to get together -- Superbowl, Final Four, Birthday, whatever, but mostly we just enjoy each other's company. We don't need to dress up like Gilligan or Mary Ann to have fun (though Mary Ann sounds like a lot more fun now than I thought she was on March 4th -- Mark.)

Now I'm not saying a Scooby Doo or 20's Theme Night wouldn't be fun but that just not the norm. Neither is playing silly games. We always have a running pool game going or in the summer we may play horseshoes or cornhole and occasionally Texas Hold'em will kick up late, but never do we make the games the reason for the party.

Are You One of Us?

If this sounds like you, then you are exactly the kind of partier that I have in mind for Everyday Parties.
Here's a hint -- if you like the following drinks, then, yes! you are one of us!

If you would like to be notified of the opening and keep up with all that will be new on the site, I will be having a newsletter. I plan to add the signup form to the site today. Head over to Everyday Parties and sign up so you don't miss this exciting new Everyday Life site.

As always -- I will not spam you, sell your information or even write you that often. I think about once a week or so will probably be good.

-------------------------------------------

Olive Garden's Limoncello Lemonade

Ingredients

3/4 ounce lemon syrup (see below)
1 ounce Smirnoff Citrus Vodka
1 ounce Limoncello Liqueur
4 ounces Fresh Made Lemonade
Ice

Directions

1. Fill a blender with all the ingredients and 1 cup ice.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Add more ice as needed to make it slushy.
4. Serve in a tall glass with a lemon wedge garnish. For a special treat, sugar the rim (like you would salt for a margarita) with lemon sugar.

Lemon Syrup

Ingredients

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar (superfine works best)
4 teaspoons fresh squeezed Lemon Juice

Directions

1. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan.
2. Add the sugar and lemon juice and stir until sugar is dissolved.
3. Let cool and store in a clean jar in the refrigerator.

------------------------------------------

Chili's Calypso Cooler

Ingredients

2 ounces Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
1 ounce Peach Schnapps
1 ounce Grenadine
1 cup Orange Juice
Ice

Directions

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and all the ingredients.
2. Shake vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds.
3. Pour the mixture, with ice, into a Collins glass.
4. Add an orange slice and maraschino cherry to garnish if desired.

-------------------------------------------------

Olive Garden's Frozen Tiramisu

Ingredients

1/2 ounce espresso syrup (see below)
3/4 ounce Tuaca Liqueur
3/4 ounce Kahlua Liqueur
1 scoop Vanilla Ice Cream
Ice

Directions

1. Fill a blender with all the ingredients and 1 cup ice.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Add more ice as needed to make it slushy.
4. Serve in a tall glass with whipped cream on top. For a special treat, sugar the rim (like you would salt for a margarita) with chocolate sugar or cocoa powder.

Lemon Syrup

Ingredients

1/4 cup espresso
1/4 cup sugar (superfine works best)

Directions

1. Bring the espresso to a just under a boil in a small saucepan.
2. Add the sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved.
3. Let cool and store in a clean jar in the refrigerator.

------------------------------------------

SMOOTHIES RECIPE BOOK

The title of this book is "Smoothies for Athletes" but with recipes like:

Apple & Cream
Berry Banana
Banana Orange
Cherry Vanilla
Grape Cherry Guzzler
Hawaiian Silk
Mango Papaya
Raspberry Peach
Wacky Watermelon
...and (you know the routine by now) many, many more, I believe these would be good for ANYONE, ANYTIME. And, dare I say, might benefit from a shot or three of your favorite alcoholic beverage. ;)

-----------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and Classic Desserts is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

Do not worry. We will NEVER spam you or sell your address. We hate spam as much (or more!) than you do.

If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

Replace the (at) with @ and the (dot) with . (That's to foil the spam-bots)

Corky's Cole Slaw and the Ultimate Chicken Wing Cookbook

2008-03-13T07:09:00.000-07:00

Jamie Clark, the Barbeque Master from The Weekend Grillers, has given us today's recipes and cookbook. There all BBQ related but each with a twist. The first is from a famous Barbecue Joint -- but it's a side dish. The second is a BBQ Sauce -- but it's white and is made with mayonaise. And the recipe book has plenty smoky barbeque flavor -- but it's all about chicken wings.

Corky's, of Memphis, is world famous for their BBQ, but many patrons also swear by the sidedishes. Here is a home version of one of their best.

CORKY'S COLESLAW

Ingredients

1 medium head of green cabbage -- shredded
2 medium carrots -- grated
1 green pepper -- finely diced
2 Tbsp. onion -- grated
2 C mayonnaise
3/4 C sugar
1/4 C dijon mustard
1/4 C cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. celery seeds
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper

Directions

1. Mix vegetables in a bowl.
2. Mix remaining ingredients in another.
3. Mix together and toss well.
4. Cover and refigerate 3-4 hours.

Use a mandolin slicer to get the cabbage VERY thin or just chop it and it goes much quicker. Either way, this is a great slaw recipe.

-------------------------------------------

Here is another Southern Tradition we featured on The Weekend Grillers that's almost unknown throughout the rest of the world, White BBQ Sauce was invented by Big Bob Gibson at his restaurant in Decatur, AL.

It's a totally different taste for barbeque than you are use to. Don't let that stop you -- This is REALLY good! Surprise your guests at your next barbecue party with a few pieces alongside the normal stuff and see if they don't fly off the plate.

The sauce tastes best on Chicken and Pork but can be eaten on almost anything. Try it on Potato Chips.

Cook the meat with a spicy rub but do not put the White Sauce on until the meat is done. Heating the sauce will cause it to separate. Take the pieces of chicken or pork off of the grill and dip (yes, Dip!) them in the bowl of sauce and serve immediately.

Delicious!

BIG BOB GIBSON'S WHITE BBQ SAUCE

Ingredients

½ cup Mayonnaise
¼ cup Vinegar
½ teaspoon Horseradish, grated
½ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Black Pepper
¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 tablespoon Sugar
½ teaspoon Lemon Juice
2 tablespoons Apple Cider

Directions

Throw all the ingredients in bowl and mix well.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE ULTIMATE CHICKEN WING COOKBOOK

Anchor Bar Hot Wing (the birthplace of the Original Buffalo Wings)
Honey Curry Chicken Wings
Hawaiian Chicken Wings
Thai BBQ Chicken Wings
Napa Valley Chicken Wings with Wine Dressing
Barbeque Wing Dings
Olive Garden Chicken Spiedies (Hey, how did that get in there?)
Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings
...and (you know it) many more.

-----------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and Classic Desserts is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

Do not worry. We will NEVER spam you or sell your address. We hate spam as much (or more!) than you do.

If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

Replace the (at) with @ and the (dot) with . (That's to foil the spam-bots)

More Burgers and More Sandwiches

2008-03-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

Got a couple more burgers for you today. Not everyone is a fan of the Big Mac or the little "beef cookies" the White Castle sells so there are still other burger places offering other choices.

Let's start off with Mickey D's biggest competition-- The Whopper.

For the Whopper it's the flame broiling that sets it apart. The trouble with making a Whopper at home will be in trying to cook a pattie that large and thin on a barbeque grill. It may help to freeze the meat or buy already frozen patties (like they do.)

BURGER KING'S WHOPPER

Ingredients

1 Sesame−seed hamburger bun
1/4 Pound Ground beef
1 d Salt
3 Dill pickle slices
1 Teaspoon Catsup
4 Onion rings
2 Tomato slices
1/4 Cup Chopped lettuce
1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise

Directions

1. Preheat a barbecue grill on high.
2. Toast both halves of the bun, face down, in a hot skillet. Set aside.
3. Form the beef into a thin patty slightly larger than the bun.
4. Lightly salt the hamburger patty and cook on the barbecue grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
5. Build the burger in the following stacking order from the bottom up: bottom bun, hamburger patty, pickles,catsup, onion rings, tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, top bun.

------------------------------------------------

Those are the big three we need to cover. The other popular chains do not really have any "special" recipes to set them apart:

Wendy's claims to use "never frozen" beef -- you probably do this at home anyway -- then they dress it anyway you like.

Big Boy uses tartar sauce on their burger and I've already told you how to make that in this post --

Here are the recipes of a couple of smaller chains for you. Disclaimer here -- these were sent to me by readers and I haven't yet tried them. In the case of Lum's, I've never even tried the original. But use your own judgement, try them if you like and have fun.

KRYSTAL'S HAMBURGERS

Ingredients

2 lb. Lean Ground Beef
1/4 cup Dry Minced Onion
1/4 cup Hot Water
3 oz. Jar Strained Beef Baby Food
2/3 cup Clear Beef Broth
1 pk. Hot Dog Buns

Directions

1. Soak 1/4 cup dry minced onions in 1/4 cup hot water until soft.
2. Mix 2 pounds ground beef with 3 ounce jar of strained beef baby food and 2/3 cup clear beef broth.
3. Keep patties uniform using 1/4 cup meat mixture for each patty, flattened to 1/4" 4. Fry quickly in 1 tablespoon oil per patty on a hot griddle.
5. Make 3 or 4 holes in patties while frying.
6. Fry 1 teaspoon onions under each patty as you turn to fry 2nd side.
7. Slip each patty into bun with 2 dill pickle chips, mustard and catsup.

LUM'S OLLIE BURGERS

Ingredients

3 tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Seasoned Salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon A−1 Steak Sauce
1 tablespoon Corn Oil
1/2 Cup Beef Broth
1 teaspoon Heinz 57 Sauce
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt
1 teaspoon Vinegar

Directions

1. Mix the above ingredients.
2. Take 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of ground round and shape meat into round patties, 3/4" thick and 3 1/2"round.
3. Place in a covered container and pour the marinade mixture over them.
4. Cover tightly and refrigerate 12 hours or overnight. Turn the patties frequently.
5. Remove from marinade.
6. Sear over high heat to seal in the juices, then turn down heat and cook to your desired doneness.

-------------------------------------------------

Today we have another really good sandwich cookbook -- 100 Great Sandwiches

Again not a lot of hamburgers in here but these are 100 of the most delicious sandwiches you've ever eaten:

Chef Salad Sandwich
Tex-Mex Burger
Monte Carlo Sandwiches
Hawaiian Crescent Sandwiches
New York Submarines
Stromboli Hot Italian
Crispy Fried Fish
Dagwood Bumstead Sandwich
...and many, MANY more.

-------------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and Classic Desserts is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

Do not worry. We will NEVER spam you or sell your address. We hate spam as much (or more!) than you do.

If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

Replace the (at) with @ and the (dot) with . (That's to foil the spam-bots)

Hamburgers & Sandwich Recipes Cookbook

2008-03-11T06:06:00.000-07:00

I want to thank everyone who has made this month and this site a success. I hope that you have enjoyed the first 1/3 of the month and are looking forward to the next 20 days. We have some really fun recipes and cookbooks for you so don't forget to check each day.

Sorry I am so late today. I started researching today's subject this last night and found it so interesting. There is so much on the web about this, I'm actually lucky to have pulled myself away this early.

Two things before we get to the recipes ----

First off, I have gotten several emails from webmasters asking if the recipes on Best Copycat Restaurant Recipes can be used on their site or if they can link into us. The answer is a big ---

YES!

Of course. Everything here is for you to use and enjoy. Please feel free to use the recipes on your site. I just ask that you include a link to Best Copycat Restaurant Recipes Blog so that your readers can come here and get more good eats.

The second thing is that I forgot to mention yesterday that over at Everyday Lists this week we have a Novel and Author Record Keeping "System" Book for you (how's that for a stupid title?) Actually the title may be long and stupid but the book is really cool. If you are a reader or know someone who is, you should check this out. It will save you time and money but, even better, you will enjoy your hobby more.

http://myeverydaylife.net/lists

-------------------------------------------------

Let's have a little fun today. This is the first of a two, possibly three -- possibly more part series, of sandwiches. In particular, hamburgers. Almost every restaurant serves a signature burger and the "trick" that makes them unique is different with each. With some it's the cooking method, some its the sauce and with some it's the topping.

Let's start off with the most famous of all -- McDonald's Big Mac.

With the Big Mac it's the special sauce that sets it apart. Without the sauce it's just a double decker burger. Get the sauce right and any burger will taste like a Big Mac.

There has been much discussion on the web and many, many recipes attempts for the secret sauce. Many people claim it is just Thousand Island. While in the broad sense of the term this is true (The definition of 1000 Island is - in a few words - tartar sauce with tomato sauce) there is no store bought 1000 Island that tastes quite right. There is something else there.

That something else is what has been debated so heatedly on the web. And to tell the truth I hope that this post generates some discussion. Below is the recipe that I feel comes closest to the taste of McDonald's Secret Sauce.

BIG MAC SECRET SAUCE

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons French dressing (this is the key -- tomato based but not ketchup)
4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon finely minced white onion
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

McDONALD'S BIG MAC

Ingredients

1 regular sized sesame seed bun
1 regular sized plain bun
2 previously frozen regular beef patties
2 tablespoons Big Mac sauce
2−teaspoons reconstituted onions
1 slice real American cheese
2 hamburger pickle slices
1/4 Cup −shredded iceberg lettuce

Directions

1. Discard the crown half of the regular bun, retaining the heel.
2. Toast all the buns
3. Cook the two−all−beef−patties just like the regular burgers.
4. After the bun parts are toasted, put 1 tablespoon of "Mac sauce" on each of the
heels (toasted side.)
5. Add 1/8 cup shredded lettuce to each.
6. On the true bottom bun, place one thin slice of American cheese on top of the lettuce.
7. On the extra "heel", the middle bun, place two pickle slices on top of the
lettuce.
8. Place the patties one at a time on both prepared buns. Stack the middle bun on top of the bottom bun, and put the crown on top.

------------------------------------------------

Unlike the Big Mac where the sauce is the key with WHITE CASTLE SLIDERS the key is the cooking method.

The company itself describes the cooking as "steaming" rather than frying. The patties have 5 holes in each of them (have you ever noticed?) to allow the steam to rise through to the buns and allow the patties to cook without flipping. They also coat the grill with water (along with the onions) before putting the meat on to create more steam.

All this makes it very easy for them to produce the 100's and 100's of burgers a day that they sell but very difficult for us to reproduce at home.

But let's try anyway, shall we?

WHITE CASTLE HAMBURGERS

Ingredients

1 pound of 85% lean ground Beef
16 small Buns (Dinner Rolls work quite nicely or you can cut hot dog buns in half)
1 cup dehydrated Onion - rehydrated
Sliced Dill Pickles

Directions

1. Divide the beef into 16 equal sized pieces.
2. Form each into a 2−1/2 inch square, very thin patties. Do this on waxed paper.
3. Then "cookie−cut" five holes in each pattie. The pattern should resemble 5 on a dice. A CLEAN pen cap or small bottle cap works nicely.
4. Freeze these 16 patties.
5. On a pre−heated 375 degree electric griddle, lay about 1−1/2 Tablespoons
of onion for each patty you want to cook along with a little of the water from the onion. The onions should be spread into a single layer.
6. Immediately place frozen patty directly on top of onions and press down.
7. Cook for about 4 minutes right on top of the onions. The holes in the beef will allow the steam to cook the top side. (You don't flip)
8. Place the buns on the patties at about the halfway mark. If you want to do it like they do at White Castle:

Place the top bun face-down on the pattie
Place the bottom bun face-down on the top bun
When the meat is done, using a spatula, remove the three layers and grab the
bottom bun.
Flip it over and place it under the spatula.
Slide the burger off of the spatula.
If you have done it correctly, it should be perfectly completed.

9. Add a dill pickle slice and you are done.

I will have a couple more favorites tomorrow.

-------------------------------------------------

Today's cookbook is Delicious Sandwich Recipes

Not a lot of hamburgers in here but there are 400+ pages of decadant choices such as:

Cherry Chicken Salad
Jalapeno Grilled Chicken
Muffuletta Sandwiches
Chutney-Turkey Salad on Focaccia
Baked Pizza Sandwich
BBQ Slaw Burgers (Hey, a burger!)
California Club
Chicago Hot Dog
...and many, MANY more.

-------------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and Classic Desserts is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

Do not worry. We will NEVER spam you or sell your address. We hate spam as much (or more!) than you do.

If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

Replace the (at) with @ and the (dot) with . (That's to foil the spam-bots)

Olive Garden's Spaghetti Carbonara & Classic Dessert Cookbook

2008-03-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

I would like to welcome all of our first time visitors who found their way here thanks to Rachel Paxton's Creative Homemaking Newsletter. Rachel is quickly becoming a good friend of mine and her site is a valuable resource for the homemakers, cooks and anyone else who has friends, family or responsibilities (you know -- most all of us!).

If you haven't heard of Creative Homemaking, I would like to welcome you also and encourage you to give her site a look at http://www.creativehomemaking.com/ . Thanks again, Rachael.

New or old, Welcome to The Best Copycat Restaurant Recipes on the Web.

Look around and you will probably find a recipe or two from one of your favorite places. To the left you see a listing of some of the restaurants and catagories we have covered so far. We're still fairly new so stick with us and get many more over the coming months.

Speaking of which -- on the very top of the left bar you see a poll. It's a simple little thing but you can help us out by voting what you would like to see. I also encourage all of you to leave a comment or two. Tell us what you like, recommend a restaurant, recipe or even website. I hope to make this a real community and I need all of your help to do that.

You have the good luck to arrive during our first big promotion -- a full month of new recipes and free cookbook downloads everyday. So far we have featured recipes for:

Starbucks Frappuccino
Outback Steakhouse Marinade
Red Lobster's Crab Alfredo
Suddenly Salad Ranch
Thin Mints and Samoa Girl Scout Cookies
Olive Garden's Chicken Scampi
...and more.

As well as these delicious cookbooks:

Summer Party Cooking
The Big Book of Cookies
Fun Kids Recipes
Soup Recipes
Starbucks Favorites

...and more.

All are still available here and in the Member's Area. Read below to see how to get any or all of them.

We do have a certain way of doing things but don't worry we'll explain below.

-------------------------------------------------

Today's Featured Recipe is Olive Garden's Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients

1/4 C. flour
1/4 C. butter
1 qt. milk
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
24 slices bacon, extra thick
1/4 C. olive oil
3 C. mushrooms, sliced
6 Tbsp. scallions, finely minced
1 lb. spaghetti, uncooked
2 tsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 C. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Directions

1. Melt butter in 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat.
2. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add milk, salt and pepper and stir vigorously with wire whip until mixture barely comes to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, whipping frequently while sauce thickens. Keep warm.
5. Cook bacon until fully cooked. Drain on paper towels. Cut into 1/4-inch pieces and stir into sauce.
6. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.
7. Add sliced mushrooms and minced onions and sauté until golden. Add to sauce.
8. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain well and add to the sauce along with the parsley. Blend well.
9. Transfer to warm serving dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

-------------------------------------------------

Today's Free Cookbook is a real treat -- Classic Dessert Collection

400 + recipes for some of the most decadent meal-endings you'll ever eat, including:

Mocha Velvet Pie
Tollhouse Pie
Magic Black Bottom Pie
Reeses Peanut Butter Pie
Derby Pie
Double Chocolate Chess Pie

Okay to tell the truth it is mostly pies. It's worth having just for the delicious pies but also get recipes for:

Cream Puffs
Queen Mary's Tarts
Flans
Frozen Double Chocolate Mousse
...and more.

-------------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and Classic Desserts is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

Do not worry. We will NEVER spam you or sell your address. We hate spam as much (or more!) than you do.

If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

Replace the (at) with @ and the (dot) with . (That's to foil the spam-bots)

The Soup Guy's Mulligatawny Soup

2008-03-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry to be so late this morning. I went to a concert by the group Aiden last night and then the time changed and...here we are.

Today's recipe is for the famous soup from Seinfeld. The creator of the soup prefer's "Soup Guy" over what he was called on the show, so that is what we will call him.

THE SOUP GUY'S MULLIGATAWNY SOUP

Ingredients

8 cups water
6 cups chicken brothor vegetable broth
2 potatoes, peeled &, sliced
2 carrots, peeled & sliced
2 stalks celery, with tops
1/2 eggplant or zucchini, peeled & diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
2/3 cup roasted red peppers, diced
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup shelledpistachios
1/2 cup roasted cashews
1/2 cup choppedItalian parsley
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1 dash marjoram
1 dash nutmeg

Directions

1. Put all ingredients into a large pot.

2. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and let simmer. Stir often and let reduce to about the consistancy of chili.

Hint: This is a traditional Indian soup. There is no one correct way to make it so it is very versatile. Add whatever ingredients suit you. Check the internet for ideas.

-------------------------------------------------

Today's cookbook is Soups Recipes. No hard sell today. All the best are there and directions for making them from stock to finished product.

-------------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and the Big Book of Salads is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

Do not worry. We will NEVER spam you or sell your address. We hate spam as much (or more!) than you do.

If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

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Replace the (at) with @ and the (dot) with . (That's to foil the spam-bots)

Outback Steakhouse's Mac-a-Roo n' Cheese & Favorite Kids Recipes Cookbook

2008-03-08T07:05:00.000-08:00

Outback Steakhouse's Mac-A-Roo n' Cheese

Ingredients

12 ounce package of medium sized Rigatoni Pasta
1/2 pound Cheese (cubed)
3 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoon Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Paprika
1 1/2 cups Milk

Directions

1. Prepare Rigatoni using package instructions.
2. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large saucepan on medium heat melt butter and add flour, stirring constantly. Mixture should thicken.
4. When flour thickens add milk, salt, paprika, and cheese cubes. Stirring constantly until the sauce thickens but yet is smooth. The cheese sauce should resemble an extra thick cream. If mixture is to thick a little more milk may be added.
5. Pour the drained pasta in the sauce and gently stir well.

When pasta is completely coated with sauce mixed well the Mac-a-Roo is ready to serve.

-------------------------------------------------

Today's cookbook is Fun Kids Recipes.

Getting kids to eat can be a chore. But if you make the food fun and give it a funny, or better yet, gross name then they will not only eat it, often they'll want to help you make it.

Imagine pulling out this recipe book and asking your kids if they want Nose Blow Burritos or Maggot Stew for dinner.

You can smile knowing that all the bad stuff is in the name and the recipe is really for a quality dinner they'll love to eat.

Some of the fun party foods included are:

All-Star Fudgy Baseballs & Bats
Apple Smiles
Chocolate Spiders
Rock Candy

And those Gross But Fun Recipes that Kid's Love So Much:

Boogers on a Stick
Brain Cell Salad
Butchered Snake Bits with BBQ Sauce
Cat Litter Casserole
Chopped Off Fingers Pizza
Flat Cat Cookies
Sewer Soda
Worm Burgers
...and several more that, quite frankly, are too gross for me to put here. Seriously, I nearly gagged when I read a couple of them.

There are also many Lunch Recipes Like:

Apple Pancakes
Banana Hot Dog Sandwich
English Muffin Pizza
Green Spaghetti
...and more

And Snack Recipes Like:

Popcorn Cake
Kid's Trail Mix
Kid's Krunch Krazy Korn
Ants in the Sand
After School Mix
...and many more

------------------------------------------------

If you have downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and the Big Book of Salads is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

Do not worry. We will NEVER spam you or sell your address. We hate spam as much (or more!) than you do.

If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

Replace the (at) with @ and the (dot) with . (That's to foil the spam-bots)

Olive Garden's Salad & Dressing & Cookbook #7

2008-03-07T07:12:00.000-08:00

To go with yesterday's Olive Garden Chicken Scampi you can offer your guests a big bowl of that wonderful salad they bring to the table. This is very easy to make.

OLIVE GARDEN SALAD

Ingredients

1 bag American Blend Dole Salad
4-5 slices Red Onion
4-6 Black Olives
2-4 Banana Peppers
1/2 C. Croutons
1 small Tomato Quartered
Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

1. Chill one salad bowl in freezer for at least 30 minutes.
2. Place bag of salad in bowl.
3. On top of the lettuce put red onion, black olives, banana peppers, tomatoes, and croutons.
4. Add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you like.
5. Add plenty of Olive Garden Salad Dressing.

DRESSING

Ingredients

1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/3 cup White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil
2 tablespoons Corn Syrup
2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
2 tablespoon Romano Cheese
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt - or one clove garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Parsley Flakes
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a blender until well mixed.

Don't recognize that number? Conduct a reverse cell phone lookup!
-------------------------------------------
For today's free cookbook we have the Big Book of Salads (I've been able the "theme" these better than I thought I would.)

If you are a salad lover (like me) this is the book for you. Over 370 pages long it includes such treats as:

Greek Pasta Salad
Antipasta Salad
Overnight Layered Salad
Jambalaya Salad
Tex-Mex Salad
Apple Cider Salad
Springtime Chicken Salad
Spinach Salad with Pears & Cranberries
...and, of course, many, many more!

------------------------------------------
If you downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and the Big Book of Salads is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Important Note: If you do not see the confirmation Email in your inbox -- Check your spam folder. We cannot control the settings of your email and it may have gone there.

Do not worry. We will NEVER spam you or sell your address. We hate spam as much (or more!) than you do.

If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

Replace the (at) with @ and the (dot) with . (That's to foil the spam-bots)

Olive Garden's Chicken Scampi & Delicious Italian Recipes - Cookbook #6

2008-03-06T08:45:00.000-08:00

Olive Garden Chicken Scampi

First you need to make the WHITE SAUCE BASE:

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
Milk

Directions

1. Melt Butter in nonstick skillet.
2. Add Flour and cook for 2 minutes on medium heat.
3. Slowly pour in milk, stirring contantly to get rid of lumps. When you have added the right amount of milk, you should have like a white gravy consistency.
4. Set aside.

SCAMPI SAUCE:

Ingredients

2 sticks Butter
2 tablspoons crushed Garlic
2 tablespoons Chicken Stock
3/4 cup Chablis or other Dry White Wine
1 cup Water
1/4 cup White Sauce
1 teaspoon crushed Red Pepper
2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Melt butter over a slow heat.
2. Add garlic, italian seasoning and crushed red pepper.
3. Saute for about 2 minutes on low heat.
4. Add wine, water and chicken base. Stir well.
5. Add the white sauce and stir until slightly thickened.

THE FIXIN'S

Ingredients

1/2 package of Angel Hair Pasta, Cooked
3 Bell Peppers, thinly sliced (Make it pretty -- use one each of red, green and yellow)
1 thinly sliced Red Onion
10 whole Garlic Cloves
Enough Chicken to feed you and your guests. The amount, pieces and style here is up to you. Use what ever you like.

Directions

1. Put the garlic cloves in a small nonstick skillet with some oil and saute
them on low for about 20 minutes. Just put the lid on the skillet and let them cook. They should be golden and creamy when they are done.
2. Saute the peppers and onions for about 5 minutes.
3. Cook the chicken to your preference.
4. Add Chicken to skillet with peppers.
5. Add Sauce and mix until the sauce is reheated.
6. Throw in garlic cloves.

PLATE IT:

Directions
1. Place a small mound of angel hair pasta in the center of a warm plate
2. Pour the sauce mixture over the pasta making sure to distribute the chicken as desired.
3. Enjoy

Don't recognize that number? Conduct a reverse cell phone lookup!
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Today's Recipe book is Delicious Italian Recipes.

I must warn you -- it this book is not for the beginner. This is a serious cookbook for the experienced Italian Cook. The recipes are not user friendly spagetti with meatballs and lasagna. These are the true old world delights with ingredients such as calf's tongue, pigeons, hare, snipe and truffles. But there are many very good ones here.

It's best use for the modern cook may be as a reference as you are experimenting with Italian Dishes.

If you're not scared off yet, it starts out with all the best Italian sauces including:

Espagnole or Brown Sauce
Velute Sauce
Bechamel Sauce
Genoese Sauce
Ham Sauce
Tomato Sauce Piquante
Pasta marinate (for masking Italian Frys)
...and many more

Then uses these sauces as the bases for such italian favorites as:

Pesce alla Genovese
Salmone alla Santa Fiorentina
Stufato alla Fiorentina
Coste di Vitello Imboracciate
Perniciotti alla Gastalda
Carote al sughillo
Risotto alla Spagnuola
Uova ai Tartufi

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If you downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and the Big Book of Cookies is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

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After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

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Cookies, Cookies and More Cookies + Cookbook #5 - Cookies

2008-03-05T08:36:00.000-08:00

They're out there again.

You see them in front of groceries. In the entry of your church's fishfry. They even knock on your door.

Small and green and carrying brightly colored boxes.

Yes, it's Girl Scout cookie time!

Before you go any further, I want to say, "Buy some Girl Scout Cookies!"

They're good, cheap and the money goes to a good cause.

But when the last Samoa is gone and and the thin mints are no more until next year...

Here's a few copycat recipes

I found this first one on Recipe Zaar. It claims that this is the "Original" Girl Scout cookie recipe. I have no way to prove or disprove this but I thought it was interesting and it looks pretty good.

Original Girl Scout Cookies

This recipe was used by the Girl Scouts of Philadelphia in the early 1930’s who baked their own cookies to be sold at the first cookie sale. Girl Scouts in Uniform were seen in the window of the Philadelphia Gas Company preparing these cookies for baking.

Recipe by: Babybuttons

Ingredients

1 cup Butter
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Sugar
4 cups Flour
2 Eggs
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 tablespoon Milk
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Directions
1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs, milk, vanilla and flour which have been sifted together with the baking powder and salt.
3. Mix well.
4. Roll out fairly thin and cut with cookie cutters.
5. Bake at 350º for 6-8 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with sugar which is optional.

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Now for the modern varieties.

Samoa are my favorite. There is just something about the chew caramel and chocolate that I can't resist. I know that I am not alone in this. Here is a good and fairly easy to make copycat that uses store bought shortbread cookies.

Girl Scout Samoa Cookies

Ingredients
24-30 shortbread cookies
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups toasted coconut
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions
1. Place each shortbread cookie in cup of a greased muffin tin.
2. In 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, combine butter, sugar and corn syrup.
3. Heat to a full boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
4. Boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Slowly pour in sweetened condensed milk, stirring constantly.
6. Continue cooking over low heat until candy thermometer reaches 220-228 degrees.
7. Remove from heat.
8. Stir in vanilla.
9. Beat until creamy.
10. Immediately stir in toasted coconut and mix well.
11. Spoon mixture by teaspoonfuls over shortbread cookies.
12. Cool completely.
13. Remove cooled cookies from muffin tin onto waxed paper.
14. Melt chocolate chips and drizzle thinly in stripes over cookies and let chocolate harden at room temperature.
15. Store in airtight container.

I hope to continue The Best Copycat Restaurant Recipes Blog for many years. But I doubt I will ever come across a copycat recipe easier than this.

And they're actually really good.

Girl Scout Chocolate Mint Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups Mint Chocolate Chips
70 Ritz or Townhouse Crackers

Directions

1. Melt the mint chocolate chips in the microwave.
2. Dip crackers, one at a time, into the chocolate.
3. Lay on wax paper to set.
4. Store in airtight container (if there's any left, that is).

Don't forget this week's Record Book at Everyday Lists is the Easy Everyday Recipe Finder. CLICK HERE to visit Everyday Lists.

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When you get done with your Girl Scout Cookies and you have made the copycats, you may want to branch out a bit and try other cookie recipes.

Well, you're in luck!

It just so happens that today's recipe book is The Big Book of Cookies.

How big? Would you believe 233 recipes big?

And these are not just your run-of-the-mill recipes. Try the likes of:

Almond Macaroons
Ginger-Pecan Chews
Peanut Butter-Brickly Chip Bars
Sour Cream Cookies
Luscious Lemon-Raspberry Bars
Old-Fashioned Rum-Raisin Cookies
Walnet Biscotti
Tuxedo Cheesecake Bars
Triple Chocolate Cherry Bars
Double Apple Bars
Mint Ravioli Cookies
...and 222 More!

-------------------------------------------------

If you downloaded any of the previous Cookbooks and bookmarked the member's page, just go to that page and the Big Book of Cookies is waiting for you.

If you have not yet downloaded a cookbook---

Just enter your name and email below. Then you will need to confirm your intentions by replying to an email we send you. You will only need to do this one time.

This serves three important purposes --

1. We know that you want to download something from us and someone is not spamming you.

2. We know that you are a person and someone is not spamming us.

3. Most importantly, it allows us to get to know you and keep up with you. The internet is a big place. You might forget us. We don't want that to happen.

After you enter your email follow the directions to your download.

Do not worry. We will NEVER spam you or sell your address. We hate spam as much (or more!) than you do.

If you have ANY problems or questions, leave a comment or contact us at:

Our email address is --

myeverdaylife.net (at) gmail (dot) com.

Replace the (at) with @ and the (dot) with . (That's to foil the spam-bots)

Suddenly Salad Ranch & Bacon Salad

2008-03-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Suddenly Salad Ranch & Bacon Salad

Ingredients
2 cups dry Shell Pasta
1 (8 ounce) can very young Peas, drained (important because they are small and crisp)
2/3 cup Mayonnaise - do not use Miracle Whip (we always use Duke's)
1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Ranch Dressing mix
3-4 peeled Baby Carrots, shredded
Bacon Bits (real or fake, fresh cooked or in a can)
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder

Directions

1. Bring water to a rolling boil in a saucepan.
2. Add shell pasta and carrot shreds, allow them to boil, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
3. Drain into a strainer and rinse under cold water.
4. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the peas, the entire packet of ranch dressing mix, bacon bits, onion powder, and mayonnaise.
5. Add pasta and carrots.
6. Stir together until everything is coated with mayo-seasoning mixture.
7. Chill and serve.

Red Lobster's Alfredo Sauce

2008-03-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

.
First Things First -- Happy 14th Birthday to my son, Blake.

Now for today's recipe we have a version of Red Lobster's Crab Alfredo.

Actually this recipe tastes very similar to the version served at Olive Garden -- except that OG's sauce is a bit lighter. If you prefer the OG version use half and half instead of the heavy cream.

Also always buy a good brand name Parmagganio Romano cheese for these. It will run you about 9 to 12 dollars a pound, but the taste is worth it over those green cans.

By the way, does anyone else ever say "Led Robster" to sound like Scooby Doo when they mention this restaurant or is it just my family?

Red Lobster's Crab Alfredo

Ingredients

1 pint of Half and Half
1 stick of unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp. Cream Cheese

1/2 - 3/4 C. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Garlic powder
4 - 6 Crab legs
Pasta

Directions
1. In a saucepan melt butter.2. When butter is melted add the cream cheese.
3. When the cream cheese is softened add heavy cream and the Parmesan Cheese.
4. Add Garlic Powder and stir well.
5. Simmer this for 15 - 20 minutes on low.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

True Alfredo Sauce does not the cream cheese (as you may have noticed), but it
does help thicken the sauce up. You can leave it out without much difference to
the taste, just be prepared to stay with the sauce a little longer to thicken
it.

7. Boil crab legs as you normally would in boiling water.
8. Crack open legs and lightly paper towel the meats so that you get the excess water off.
9. Place the meats on top of the alfredo sauce and your pasta of choice.

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Here's another great couple of shellfish recipes from the Phillip's Seafood website:

Phillips Crab Fettuccini Alfredo

Ingredients

1 Pound Phillips Crab Meat- Jumbo Lump or Backfin
8 Tablespoon Butter
24 ounces Heavy Cream
1 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes (in oil), chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 cup grated Romano Cheese
8 ounces Snow Peas, trimmed and blanched
1 pound Fettuccini, cooked according to package directions and rinsed with cold water
Fresh Basil to garnish

Directions

1. Heat large saute pan and add butter.
2. Add cream and bring to boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer until cream begins to turn pale yellow and reduces by 25%.
4. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and cheeses. Stir well until sauce is smooth.
5. Add crab meat, stirring gently in order not to break up any large lumps.
6. Add snow peas and fettuccini.
7. Stir gently until well combined and heated throughout.
8. Garnish with fresh basil.

Phillips Crab Imperial

Ingredients

1 pound Phillips Jumbo Lump Crab Meat
1 teaspoon Parsley
1 teaspoon fresh Lemon Juice
1 Egg
1 teaspoon Phillips Seafood Seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
3 ounces Mayonnaise
1 teaspoon melted Butter
4 Ramekins for baking (or empty natural Crab Shells)Pinch of Paprika

Imperial Sauce

3 ounces Mayonnaise
1 ounces Half & Half
1/2 teaspoon Phillips Seafood Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Directions

1. Combine all Crab Imperial Ingredients-except for the crab meat-in a medium mixing bowl and whip until smooth.
2. In a separate mixing bowl, add Phillips crab meat and pour imperial mixture over crab meat.
3. Blend all ingredients together by tossing gently in order to avoid breaking crab lump meat.
4. Place 4 ounces of the mix into each ramekin (or natural crab shell) and bake at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes.
5. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for Imperial Sauce and whip until smooth.
6. Top each ramekin (or natural crab shell) of crab imperial with imperial sauce and a pinch of paprika.
7. Place in broiler until golden brown.

For more Phillips recipes visit their website

Steak Marinades from Outback and Applebee's, Two Updates & One Big Thank You

2008-03-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

First Things First

Back on February 24th, Rachel, posted a comment on the Applebee's Baby Back Ribs saying that she liked the recipe and was including it on her website.

Thank you, Rachel!

Anyone who runs a home (or likes to eat) should check out Rachel's website -- Creative Homemaking. It is a fun and informative site with lots of information for the homemaker and Rachel should be very proud of it.

Let me take this opportunity to tell everyone that you may ALWAYS post ANY and ALL of the recipes from Best Copycat Restaurant Recipes onto your site for FREE if you like. All I ask is that you PLEASE include a LINK BACK to Best Copycat Restaurant Recipes on the page.

(If the following means nothing to you, don't worry, you can safely ignore it.)
Technical info for the webmasters out there -- All my comments are "Follow". Feel free to include a backlink on any comment. I will moderate out any inappropriate sites but all others are good. (That's all -- Back to the regularly scheduled post.)

Let's Do Some Recipes!

UPDATES

I was talking with Jamie, my business partner in The Weekend Grillers, the other day to get today's recipes and his recommendation for the free cookbook offered below and he mentioned that he had a couple of other versions of the TGI Friday's Jack Daniel's Dipping Sauce/Glaze that we feature a couple of posts back.

I asked for them and made all three.

Now it's been a while since I have been to TGI Friday's so I can't say for certain which of the three is the closest. There all very good and very close to each other in taste. Prehaps if you had all four (including TGI Friday's actual sauce) in front of you you could tell which one is closest but trying them one at a time -- fugitaboutit. My advice is to just pick one and make it. Then make another the next time. You won't be disappointed.

TGI Friday's Jack Daniel's Dipping Sauce #2

Ingredients:

1/3 C. Diced Red Onions
1/2 tsp. Finely Diced Garlic
1/2 C. Water
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1/3 C. Teriyaki Sauce
1/4 C. Soy Sauce
1/3 C. White Grape Juice
1/2 C. Jack Daniel's Black Label Bourbon
1/2 tsp. Tabasco SauceMethods/steps

Directions:

1. Place ingredients in sauce pan in order listed.
2. Mix and stir after each ingredient.
3. Place on medium heat and stir until mixture reaches boiling stage.
4. Turn temperature down to low until mixture is on a slow simmer.
5. Cook sauce for 35 - 45 minutes and remove from heat. Mixture will have reduced in volume about a 1/4 to 1/3.

TGI Friday's Jack Daniel's Dipping Sauce #2

Ingredients:

1 tsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. Tabasco sauce
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 C. Jack Daniel's Ole No. & Tennessee Whiskey
2 C. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. water
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients in a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Let cool.
5. Use as a glaze on meat, poultry, and seafood just before removing from grill.

NEW RECIPES

Jamie also gave us these wonderful Marinades from two of our favorite restaurants.

Outback Steak Marinade

Ingredients:

1 C. Scottish Ale
2 tsp. Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp. Seasoned Salt
1/4 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
1/4 tsp. MSG

Directions:

1. Place your favorite cut of steak in a shallow pan and pour ale on steak and marinate for 1 hour in refrigerator.
2. Remove steak from ale and mix dry ingredients together and rub steak on both sides.
3. Let the steak marinate with the dry ingredients for 1/2 hour.

Applebee's Bourbon Street Steak

This one is not "spot on" like some of the recipes we have included (in my opinion) but it is very good. If anyone has a better -- or closer to the original -- version, please let us know.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup bottled steak sauce
1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons prepared mustard

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients except the steaks in a baking dish or resealable plastic storage bag
2. Mix well.
3. Add the steaks
4. Cover (or seal) and refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight.

A big Thank you to Jamie and the Crew at The Weekend Grillers for all these recipes and for the recommendation of today's free cookbook. If you have never been to The Weekend Grillers site -- What are you waiting for. The Weekend Grillers is your source for information on the world of Barbequing and Grilling. It's the place for the weekend griller in all of us to learn from the Masters of the Craft. Jamie and a host of other Guru's lend their years of expertise to making sure your grilling and BBQ experience -- and your dinner -- is a good one. Everytime.

Check out The Weekend Grillers today!

Starbucks Frappuccino

2008-03-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

Starbucks Frappuccino and Mocha Frapuccino

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh Espresso
2 1/2 cups low fat Milk
1/4 cup granulated Sugar
1 tablespoon dry Pectin

Directions (Oh, come on!)

Combine all ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved.

To make the (better tasting) Mocha Frapuccino:
Add a pinch of cocoa powder or a bit more of Nestle Quik

Note: the Pectin gives it that thick "mouth feel." It adds no flavor and you can leave it out but the drink will be thinner.