Favorites: Appetizers

 We don't make appetizers very often, but when we do, here are five of our favorite recipes:

1. Guacamole:  Ken is our guacamole maker.  Actually, he varies the recipe most every time he makes it, but it is always good.  I said we don't eat appetizers often, but we eat this very often.  He makes it as a side at least once a week.  

Hungry Hintons: Guacamole

2.  Cheeseballs

 Michelle's Cheeseball:  Michelle has made this delicious cheeseball for us on several special occasions.  It's a good one!

Hungry Hintons: Michelle's Cheese Ball

 Sherrie's Cheeseball:  My sister-in-law, Sherrie serves another delicious cheeseball:

Hungry Hintons: Sherrie's Cheeseball

3. Jalapeno Popper Spread:  Kristen introduced us to this delicious spread.  Wow!  It is good.

Hungry Hintons: Jalapeno Popper Spread

4. Party Salsa:  We have been making this appetizer for years.  We eat it every New Year's eve and lots of other times besides.  It is really good.  It requires a certain kind of salsa that is not found in every grocery store.  It looks like this:

Hungry Hintons: Party Salsa

5. Chicken Lettuce Wraps:  These are a great appetizer or can be a main course, too.  

Hungry Hintons: Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Brown Pudding

Kristen's husband is from South Africa, of English descent.  This pudding is an old English tradition and is absolutely delicious. He grew up eating it and now makes it for his family. Kristen made it for us when we visited recently.  They say the ice cream on top is absolutely essential.  I can live with that!

Lissi saw mom cooking and pulled up a stool to help.  Two-year-olds are so much help.  Kristen is so patient.

Brown Pudding

Mixture 1

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 tsp. apricot jam

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons baking soda

Dry ingredients:

3 cups flour 

1 T. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

Melt the butter and add the sugar and jam.  Dissolve the baking soda in the milk.  Mix together the dry ingredients.  Add the dry ingredients and milk alternately into the hot butter/sugar mixture.  

Mixture 2

In a large saucepan, boil

1 1/2 cups sugar

5 cups water

2 T. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

When boiling, add Mixture 1 to the boiling syrup.

Put a lid on the pan and cook slowly, simmering, for 1 hour.  

It takes a long time, but it is worth it!  It is delicious.

Favorites: Pies

 Our five favorite pie recipes.  Pie is Ken's favorite dessert.  Here are five our favorites.

Apple Pie:  Ken's all-time favorite.  Always serve it with vanilla ice cream.  You can also add my caramel sauce.

Hungry Hintons: Perfect Apple Pie

2. Pecan Pie:  I actually have two recipes for pecan pie.  We have never been able to decide which is the best.  One Thanksgiving, I made both.  We all tasted both and voted.  It was a tie.  

Hungry Hintons: Southern Pecan Pie

Hungry Hintons: Dear Abby's Pecan Pie

3.  German Chocolate Pie:  I love this recipe that I came up with myself.  It is my favorite kind of pie.  Man, I wish I had a piece right now.  

Hungry Hintons: German Chocolate Pie- Oh my!

4.  Key  Lime Pie:  For many, many years this pie has been part of our Thanksgiving.  From the time they were young, all of the girls could make it.  It is a no-bake pie.

Hungry Hintons: Key Lime Pie

5. Lemon Meringue:  Ken has always loved lemon meringue pie.

Hungry Hintons: Lemon Meringue Pie

Honorable mention:  I'm sneaky like that.  Blueberry Pie:  It is actually one our very favorites, but I haven't got the balance just right yet.  Sometimes it turns out a little too runny.  That's what bumped it out of top five.  But I will keep trying until I get it perfect and adjust the recipe on here.

Hungry Hintons: Blueberry Pie

Favorites: Casseroles

 Casseroles are delicious.  We have a lot of really good recipes on here.  Here are five of my favorites:

1. Chicken Divan.  This was my mom's favorite, and I learned to make it from her.  It is definitely one of my favorites.

Hungry Hintons: Chicken Divan

2. Chicken Enchiladas.  I got this recipe shortly after we were married from a friend who served them when they had us over for dinner.  I have tried several other recipes, but always come back to this one.

Hungry Hintons: Chicken Enchiladas

3. Ham, Swiss, Broccoli Roll-ups  For a time, when someone would ask me my favorite dinner food, I would say this.  I just love the flavor combinations in this recipe.

Hungry Hintons: Ham, Swiss and Broccoli Roll ups in Basil Cream Sauce

4. Enchilada Casserole  I got this recipe from a roommate clear back in college and have been making it ever since.  Simple and delicious!

Hungry Hintons: Enchilada Casserole

5. Baked Italian Pasta  I recently created this recipe.  We both really like it.

Hungry Hintons: Baked Italian Pasta

Favorites: Soups

 We make soup about once a week in the cooler months.  We have some delicious recipes.  It was really difficult to come up with a top five.  One problem is that Ken's top five and my top five are completely different.  So, I present a combination of his and mine.

l.  Halloween Soup:  I have been making Halloween soup on Halloween every year for years and years.  It is our tradition.  It is a hamburger/ vegetable soup and is delicious.

Hungry Hintons: Halloween Soup

2. Autumn Chicken Stew:  This is a fairly recent addition to our soup repertoire- maybe four years ago.  We both love this one.  I make a double batch and share half with someone in need.

Hungry Hintons: Autumn Chicken Stew

3. Vegetable Chowder:  This is Ken's all-time favorite soup. This was one of the first recipes I posted on this blog.  It is labor intensive, but now he is retired, he helps make it from start to finish.  

Hungry Hintons: Vegetable Chowder

4, Zupa Toscano:  This is Ken's other favorite soup.  Luckily, it is easier to make than Vegetable Chowder.  He is always so happy when I make this.  Our local Harmon's grocery store makes the best sausage.  It is the key ingredient.

Hungry Hintons: Zuppa Toscana, (Copycat Olive Garden recipe)

5.  Oh, which one do I post for 5?  This is hard.  I think I'll go with Bean with Bacon Soup.  I love this soup, but actually I make bean with ham because I like it better.  

Hungry Hintons: Bean with Bacon Soup

So, there you have it.  Five OF our favorite soups.

Favorites: Sandwiches

I love sandwiches.  I love them.  I try to put them on the menu at least every other week.  Choosing my top five favorite sandwich recipes on this blog was not easy.  Here are five of my favorites:  

1. Rueben Sandwich:  We love Reuben sandwiches, but neither of us are fans of strong-tasting rye bread.  So, honestly, we usually make these on white bread.  

 Hungry Hintons: Reuben Sandwiches

2.  Sloppy Joes:  I have been making sloppy joes for crowds for many years.  This is a good recipe that  I've tweaked and improved over the years.  I almost always have a quart of sloppy joe in my freezer.

Hungry Hintons: Crockpot Sloppy Joes

3.  Banh Mi Sandwich:  Introduced to these years ago by my sister, Joan, they have become one of our favorite sandwiches.  They are a Vietnamese staple, and one at our house now, too.

Hungry Hintons: Banh Mi Sandwiches

4.  Oh, Baby Sandwiches:  Well, that's we call them because in the movie, Spanglish, just before Adam Sandler takes a bite of one, he says, "Oh, baby!"  They are touted as the World's Best Sandwich.  Try them.  You will see why.

Hungry Hintons: Oh, Baby!

5. Chicken Roll-ups:  I love these hot sandwiches. My husband likes them with chicken gravy, but I like them just as they are.  

Hungry Hintons: Chicken Roll ups

Favorites: Cookies

 Again, there are way too many good cookie recipes.  Way too many to choose just five.  So, I created another category- bar cookies.  That helped.  So there will be five of those coming up, too.  But, still too many.  I'll just point and shoot, choosing five of the best.

Chocolate Chip Cookies:  They really are the best kind of cookie.  I have tried many recipes and like this one the best.  They are buttery and delicious.  I like to add some white chocolate chips.  I make a double batch, roll the dough into cookie sized balls and freeze them on a cookie sheet.  Then  I put them in quart sized ziplock bags.  It makes baking them so fast and easy.

Hungry Hintons: The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World

2. Sugar Cookies:  This is a really good recipe for soft, thick sugar cookies.  I think it is the first recipe I published on this blog.

Hungry Hintons: Soft, Thick Sugar Cookies

3. Ginger Snaps:  I got this recipe years ago from my sister-in-law.  These are so delicious.

Hungry Hintons: Ginger Snaps

4. White Chocolate Macademia:  Best food known to man.

Hungry Hintons: White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies aka Best Food Known to Man

5. Peanut Blossom Cookies:  

Hungry Hintons: Peanut Blossom Cookies With Dove Chocolates

Honorable Mentions:

White Chocolate Raspberrry Scones:  These aren't really cookies, but where do  I put them, if not in with the cookies?  These are so delicious and amazing, they had to go somewhere in my favorites.

Hungry Hintons: Unbelievably Delicious Buttermilk Scones with Raspberries and White Chocolate

Lemon Drop Cookies:  These are crazy good.

Hungry Hintons: Lemon Drop Cookies

Favorites: Main Dishes

 I can't, I can't, I can't.  There are 207 recipes on this blog labeled Main Dishes.  There is no way  I can choose only five that I love.  So, I created two other categories: Comfort foods and Casseroles.  But even with that, the task is impossible.  So, I will choose five OF my favorites.  I did whittle it down to 15.  Even that was painful.

Pork Roast in Apple Butter Sauce:  This is so delicious.  I got the recipe from the Andelin's Gable House cookbook.  It is said to have been Thomas S. Monson's favorite.

Hungry Hintons: Pork Roast in the Crockpot with Apple Almond Butter Sauce

Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon:  Oh my, this is delicious.

Hungry Hintons: Brown Sugar-Glazed Salmon

Fish Tacos:  This is probably the dish we eat the most.  We love these.  I have used salmon and tilapia.  Both are delicious.  

Hungry Hintons: Pantry Pick of the Month: Ro Tel Diced Tomatoes with Lime Juice and Cilantro/ Fish Tacos

4. Chicken Stir Fry:  This should probably be in Comfort Foods.  I have been making this dish since these beautiful daughters were little girls.  I have made it with shrimp, pork, and beef, too, but chicken is my favorite.

Hungry Hintons: Chicken Stir Fry

5. Thai Coconut Curry:  This recipe is easy and oh, so yummy.  Shown here with shrimp, but you can use any protein of your choice.  

Hungry Hintons: Thai Coconut Curry Over Rice

Honorable Mentions:

1. Michelle's Sweet and Sour Chicken:  This dish is so delicious and easy.  We seriously need to take a picture of it.  

Hungry Hintons: Sweet and Sour Chicken

2. Hungarian Beef over Baked Noodles:  I love this recipe.  So yummy!  It is one I often turn to to serve to company.

Hungry Hintons: Hungarian Beef over Baked Noodles

I cheated a bit, but there you have some of our favorite main dishes.

Favorites: Candy

 Here are our top five favorite candy recipes on this blog. 

Cream Caramels

My all-time best candy recipe is this one for caramels.  I make them every year for Christmas.  They are soft and delicious!!

Hungry Hintons: Cream Caramels

Scotcharoos

For some reason, Scotcharoos are our Easter tradition.  I used to make them every year when family would come to visit.

Hungry Hintons: Scotcharoos

Sugar Pops

These are so delicious- sugary and buttery.  Put them in plastic bags, tie them with a pretty ribbon and give them away for Christmas.

Hungry Hintons: Sugar Pops

Fantasy Fudge

I have been making this fudge for so long that I don't remember where I got the recipe.  It is soft, creamy, and doesn't fail.

Hungry Hintons: Fantasy Fudge

Pecan Rolo Pretzel Bites

A friend gave us some of these for Christmas and my husband loved them.  We googled the recipe and he has made them a couple of times since.

Hungry Hintons: Pecan Rolo Pretzel Bites

So, there you have some candy recipes to try out this Christmas!

Favorites: Cakes

I guess I will start the favorites posts with our five favorite cakes.  What was I thinking that I could narrow it down to five in any of these categories?  This is really difficult.  But these are five our favorite cakes:  

Patty's Applesauce Cake:  So delicious.   The panache frosting makes it !

 Hungry Hintons: Patty's Applesauce Cake

Pumpkin Pie Cake:  I will never forget the first time I tasted this.  I thought it was amazing.  I have tried many recipes for it since.  This is my favorite.

Hungry Hintons: Pumpkin Pie Cake

Patty's Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake:  Yes, it's the same Patty- my sister.  The picture shows it with frosting, but I never frost it now.  This is the one I make the most because it is so easy and fast and good.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Hungry Hintons: Patty's Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake

The Ultimate Carrot Cake:  When it says ultimate, it is well named.  Man, this is good.

Hungry Hintons: The Ultimate Carrot Cake

Lemon Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting:  I make this one to take to parties and gatherings often.  It always gets rave reviews.  The secret is in the frosting.  

Hungry Hintons: Lemon Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting