Flourless Fudge Cookies

{Photo & Recipe credit: chocolateandcarrots.com}
I'll be honest, I didn't think these would taste as good as they did when I read the recipe.  I was pleasantly surprised. This is something I'll definitely be making again.

Preheat oven to 350.

• 3 C powdered sugar
• 2/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 to 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 C 60% cacao chocolate chips

Combine dry ingredients. Mix in the vanilla and 2 egg whites.  You're looking for brownie batter consistency. If more liquid is needed, add a 3rd egg white and mix well, add the 4th if necessary.  {I only ended up needing 3 egg whites.}

Fold in the chocolate chips.
Drop spoonfulls of batter onto a very well greased cookie sheet.
Bake 12 minutes. Remove carefully after letting them cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet.

Mine didn't turn out nearly as pretty as the photo above, but they were chewy and fudgy and somehow at the same time light and crispy. A very satisfying chocolate dessert!

Homemade Dryer Sheets

I only use my dryer when its raining or too cold to hang laundry outside, so these DIY dryer sheets will probably last me for a LONG time!

What you need:

1/4 C fabric softener

3/4 C hot tap water

an old receiving blanket or other flannel fabric cut into squares

an old baby wipes or other air tight container

Cut blanket into dryer sheet sized squares, mine made 12 pieces. Mix fabric softener and hot water. Pour mixture over fabric in the container, make sure they all get good and wet. And done!

When you need one, just squeeze it out a little bit and toss in with the wet clothes.  Then put it back in the container to get wet again and reuse as needed.  I'm finding that the mixture is lasting much longer than I thought.

They really do work as well as regular dryer sheets.  Really!

The Cost:
37 cents per "batch" of 48 sheets
Bounce dryer sheets = $6.84/ 160 count

What I purchased:

56 oz bottle Suavatel fabric softener = $2.97

DIY Window Cleaner {as good as Windex}

Seriously, I'm starting to find it amazing how I've been paying such a huge mark-up on products that I can very easily make myself!  Windex is another example.  I made my own in under 3 minutes and saved a bundle.  Here's how...

What you need:
1/8 C White Ammonia
1/4 C Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol
1 drop of dish detergent

Mix ingredients, pour into empty spray bottle, fill the rest of the way up with water. And done!

The Cost:
20 cents per bottle
Windex = $2.87 per bottle

What I purchased:
ammonia $1
rubbing alcohol $1
dish detergent; on hand

Homemade Hand Soap

Making your own hand soap is super cheap and easy! You should definately try it!

I had to look a bit for the glycerine and ended up finding it at CVS, but I think you can buy it online too.

What you need:
1 bar of soap
1 T of glycerine
10 cups of water
5-10 drops of teatree oil for antibacterial purposes (optional)

Heat water and grated soap in a large pot on low, just until it combines. Turn off the heat, add the glycerine and essential oil and mix really well, but don't make a lather.  Let it cool completely, then pour into bottles.

The Cost:
1 batch yielded 14 bottles = $1.41
or 8 cents per bottle
Softsoap brand hand soap = $1.00 per bottle

What I Purchased:
1 bar of Yardley soap at the dollar store = $1
a 6 oz bottle of glycerine = $4.99 (will make 12 batches of handsoap)

If you're good at couponing you can get bar soap for much less. Ivory is about 45 cents per bar at Wal-Mart.
*Note: do not use Dove or Caress types of soap as they do not lather at all in handsoap form.

Citrus Vinegar Enzyme Cleaner

I have two small children and pets. They all like to eat things off the floors and lick inappropriate surfaces.  So when I came across this recipe for homemade kid-friendly citrus cleaner I gave it a try.  Now I love it and use it to clean practically everything in my home!  The vinegar disinfects and the citrus cuts through grease and dirt and it smells great.  And I don't have to worry about using chemicals near my little ones.
Here's how to make it...

What you need:
1 gallon jar or container with a tight lid (I used an old glass pickle jar.)
1/2 gallon of white vinegar
various citrus peels - be very careful to use only the rind, not the white pith

Put vinegar & peels in the jar and shake up once a day for 3 weeks.  I added more peels as we ate more oranges during that 3 week time.  You can use any citrus fruit you have on hand. I happened to use oranges, grapefruit, and lemon.

After 3 weeks, strain out all the peels and gunk. Return to the jar and dilute to half potency with water.

It can be used as an all purpose cleaning spray for just about anything.  Dilute it by half again with hot water and use to mop hardwood, vinyl, or tile floors to get them shining like new again.

The Cost:
57 cents per bottle
Mr. Clean citrus cleaner = $2.27 per bottle

What I Purchased:
1/2 gallon white vinegar = $1.15
citrus peels; on hand

Frugal Febreze

As with any home remedy, at first I had my doubts as to the effectiveness of this homemade Febr3ze.  But making it was so inexpensive, I decided I didn't have anything to lose by trying.  I'm so glad I did!  Because it works just as well {if not better} than the store bought type, and is about $3.00 less per bottle.

What you need: 

1/8 C (1 ounce) liquid fabric softener {any brand}

1 T baking soda

hot tap water

an empty spray bottle

Pour fabric softener and baking soda into the bottle, fill it (almost) the rest of the way up with hot tap water.  Give it a good shake and spritz away.

The first time I made this I sprayed every fabric surface of my home! That may have been overkill.

The cost:

about 19 cents per bottle to make

Febreze = $3.32 per bottle to buy

What I purchased:

56 oz bottle Suavatel fabric softener = $2.97

4 lb. box Arm&Hammer baking soda = $2.12 (I buy big boxes because I use it like crazy!)

Keri's taco topping

One pound ground beef - browned, drained
One pack taco seasoning
Half cup shredded cheddar
Half cup heavy cream
One cup salsa

Cook meat. Drain. Return to pan.
add all other ingredients. Heat until melted together. Keep warm until served.

Use either as taco meat on tortillas or layer with chips, lettuce, avocado, sour cream, tomato and cheese for nachos.

Very easy and delish!!

Comeback Sauce

by Jackie Garvin at SyrupandBiscuits.com

This is similar to the sauce that’s served by the steak house chain made famous by the onions that bloom.

Here’s Jackie's version that makes a pint jar full.

1 cup real mayonnaise
1/4 cup Heinz ketchup
1/4 cup chili sauce ( I prefer Heinz. DO NOT substitute Thai Chili Sauce)
1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup light olive oil
juice of one lemon

Mix all ingredients well and store in refrigerator overnight. It needs to sit to let the flavors become “acquainted”. They shouldn’t rush into marriage.

Chances are you’ve had it on a burger or sandwich at a new age sandwich shop. It’s a versatile sauce that also makes a great salad dressing. The origins are debated, but most attribute the sauce to a Greek immigrant who settled in Mississippi after WWII. Most recipes agree on the proportions of mayonnaise to ketchup to chili sauce and heavy on the black pepper. After that, the amounts of all the other ingredients are up for grabs.

Homemade Samoas

Homemade Samoas

Cookies
1 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
up to 2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and milk, adding in the milk as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky (it’s possible you might not need to add milk at all). The dough should come together into a soft, not-too-sticky ball. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough is very sticky.

Roll the dough (working in two or three batches) out between pieces of wax paper to about 1/4-inch thickness (or slightly less) and use a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter to make rounds. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and use a knife, or the end of a wide straw, to cut a smaller center hole. Repeat with remaining dough. Alternatively, use scant tablespoons of dough and press into an even layer in a mini donut pan to form the rounds.

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are set. If using a mini donut pan, bake for only about 10 minutes, until edges are light gold.
Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Topping
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 tsp per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few seconds in the microwave if it gets too firm to work with.

While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate.
Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes about 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies.

Note: These cookies are fairly time consuming to make, but if you take your time and have fun with them, the results will be worth it. That said, if you want something a little bit quicker, try baking a batch of Samoas Bars instead, which require no rolling and cutting of the dough!

"Bush-Wacker" Steak

Prep time: at least 1 hour
Servings: 4

• 1 - 2 lb. round steak, cut into cubes
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into cubes
• 1 small onion, cut into cubes
  
• 2 (16 oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can water
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 pkg. french onion soup mix powder
  
• 3 Tbsp A1 steak sauce
  
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bag egg noodles or cooked rice
  

Cut meat into cubes, brown in veg. oil in large skillet. Add chopped veggies. Cook until soft. Add tomatoes (with juice) to deglaize pan. Then add water, vinegar, A1, garlic, soup mix, salt and pepper. Simmer on medium-low heat at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover if it starts to get too thick. The longer it cooks the better! Serve over noodles or rice. If you want the sauce a little thicker, add a slurry of 1 T. cornstarch with 1/4 C. water, and cook until just thickened.

This super yummy tummy warmer came originally from Michelle Gearhardt when we lived in Grace House. The meat gets so tender and delish! It's great with a crusty french bread and green salad.

Blackberry Cobbler

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

• 4 C. blackberries, washed (you could use a combination of raspberries or fresh peaches too)

Bring to boil:

• 3/4 - 1 C. sugar (depending on the tartness of the berries)
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 1/2 tesp. salt
• 2. C. water

Turn off heat and add in berries. Pour mixture into baking dish.

For the topping mix together:

• 3 C. dry Bisquick
• 1/2 C. melted butter
• 1/4 C. sugar
• 1 T. cinnamon
• 1/4 C. milk

Spoon onto hot berries to cover the top. Bake 40 minutes at 400 degrees, or until golden. Eat some while it's warm!

My Mom's garden produces loads of blackberries and raspberries in the summertime so we have this at least once a week! We love to enjoy it warm out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream while sitting on the back porch in the evening.

Old Fashioned Banana Pudding

Mix together in microwave safe bowl:

• 1/3 C. sugar
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 1/8 tesp. salt
• 2 C. milk
• 2 egg yolks; slightly beaten

Zap mixture in 2 minute increments, whisking in between, until thickened.

Whisk in 2 T. butter and 2 tesp. vanilla. Let cool.

Line the bottom of a bowl with graham crackers. Layer on sliced bananas and pudding. Crumble graham crackers on top.

(This is SOOOOO delicious! I love it when it's still warm. We always make a double batch because it goes so quick!)

Old Mill's Corn Chowder

• 1 T. butter
• 2 C. water
• 1 C. clam juice
• 2 C. chicken broth or stock
• 2 C. half & half
• 3 C. diced potatoes (peeled)
• 3 C. diced onions
• 2 C. frozen corn
• 1 green and 1 red bell pepper, chopped and sauteed
• 3/4 C. crumbled oyster crackers
• 1/4 C. flour
• 1/2 tesp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tesp. onion powder
• salt & pepper to taste

In a stock pot melt butter, stir in other liquids (except half & half). Add potatoes & onions. Cook until potatoes are done.

Saute bell peppers in a little butter with garlic and onion powder. Add to pot, mix well.

Mix together the cracker crumbs, flour, salt & pepper. Add to pot, mix well. Bring to boil.

Add corn and half & half. Simmer 20 minutes.

Chicken Carbonara

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Servings: 4

1 package (7 ounces) spaghetti
8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cups cut-up cooked chicken
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream

Cook and drain spaghetti as directed on package.
While spaghetti is cooking, cook bacon in 3-quart saucepan over low heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp. Remove bacon, place on paper towel. Drain fat from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon in pan.
Cook onion and garlic in bacon fat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until onion is tender. Stir in spaghetti, chicken, cheese and whipping cream. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Toss with bacon.

Yummy Strawberry Bars

Preheat oven: 350 degrees

• 1 stick softened butter
• 1 & 1/4 C. flour
• 1/4 C. powdered sugar

Combine and press into greased 9 x 13 pan, bake 10-15 minutes.
Cool crust. Top with 1 pint fresh sliced strawberries.

For glaze, mix and boil for 1 minute:

• 1 C. sugar
• 1 C. water
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Cool glaze until just warm and whisk in 1 small package strawberry jello. Pour glaze over strawberries. Cool to room temp before refrigerating.

Brownie Mix Cookies

Preheat oven: 350 degrees
Yield: aprox. 18 cookies

• 1 (15.8 oz.) pkg brownie mix
• 1/3 c. crisco, melted
• 1 large egg
• chopped nuts, optional
• frosting, optional

Mix brownie mix, melted crisco, egg and nuts together. Scoop balls onto cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350. Frost after cooling.

Lemon Squares

Preheat oven: 350 degrees

• 1 C. butter
• 1/2 C. powered sugar
• 2 C. flour
• 1/8 tesp. salt

Combine 1st 4 ingredients, pat into a 9 x 13 pan, bake 10 minutes at 350.

Meanwhile, beat together:

• 4 eggs
• 2 C. sugar
• 6 Tbsp. flour
• 6 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest

Pour mixture over baked crust, bake for 25 minutes uncovered. Test with sharp knife for doneness. Should be slightly sticky, but firm.

Sift powdered sugar on top of cooled bars for garnish.

Chocolate Chip toffee Bars

Preheat oven: 350 degrees
Bake time: 25 minutes

• 2 and 1/3 C. flour
• 2/3 C. brown sugar
• 3/4 C. butter
• 1 egg
• 1 and 1/2 C. chocolate chips
• 1 C. chopped pecans (or walnuts)
• 14 oz. can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
• 1 and 1/2 C. toffee bits

Stir together 1st 3 ingredients. Add in 1 egg; slightly beaten. Mix well.

Combine: chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Stir half into mixture, save half for topping.

Press crumb mixture into greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Pour sweetened condensed milk over crust. Top with reserved chip/nut mixture and toffee bits. Return to oven, bake until golden brown. Cool completely, cut into bars.

Chocolate Pie - a family FAVORITE!

• 1 and 1/2 C. sugar
• 1/2 tesp. salt
• 2 and 1/2 Tbsp. corn starch
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 3 C. milk
• 3 egg yolks, beaten (you can save the whites to make meringue if you want)
• 1/4 C. butter
• 1/2 tesp. vanilla
• baked pie crust or graham cracker crust
• cool whip for topping (optional)

Mix sugar, salt, corn starch, flour and cocoa together in a large sauce pan. Beat together the egg yolks and milk. Place pan over medium-high heat then whisk wet ingredients in with dry ingredients.

Bring to simmer and whisk continually until it thickens. (Don't walk away or it will burn!) It's done when it reaches the consistency of thick pudding. Do not overcook or the cornstarch will turn back to liquid.

Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

Cool completely before pouring into pie crust. Yes, you must wait until its completely cool.

*You can just bake a ready made store bought pie crust. I think they're just as good as homemade.

Peanut butter Pie (Mom's)

• 1 C. powdered sugar
• 1/2 C. peanut butter
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1 (12 oz.) container cool whip
• 1 chocolate graham cracker pie crust
• 2 Reeses peanut butter cups, chopped up for garnish

Use an electric or stand mixer to combine powered sugar, peanut butter, cream cheese and cool whip. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Top with chopped peanut butter cups. Refrigerate several hours before serving.

Cream Puff Cake

Servings: 15
Prep time: 25 min
Bake: 25 min. + chilling

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs

Filling:

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 2-1/2 cups 2% milk
• 3 packages (3.3 ounces each) instant white chocolate or vanilla pudding mix
• 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until smooth and shiny. Transfer to a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

Bake at 400° for 22-26 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For filling: in a large bowl beat the cream cheese, milk and pudding mixes until smooth. Spread over the crust; refrigerate for 20 minutes. Spread with whipped topping. Chill until serving.

IHOP Harvest Grain Pancakes

Another good recipe from Jane Merle at church. We use this for the men's breakfast and it's a big hit!

• 3/4 C. Quaker oats
• 3/4 C. whole wheat flour
• 2 tesp. baking soda
• 1 tesp. baking powder
• 1/2 tesp. salt
• 1 and 1/2 c. buttermilk
• 1/4 C. veg. oil
• 1 egg
• 1/4 C. sugar
• 3 Tbsp. finely chopped blanched almonds
• 3 Tbsp. finely chopped walnuts

Use a blender or food processor to grind the oats until fine like flour. Combine oat flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.

In another bowl combine the wet ingredients with granulated sugar - beat with hand mixer until smooth.

Add dry mixture to wet ingredients, whisking slowly until combined. Add nuts and mix well with mixer.

Use 1/3 C. of batter per pancake and cook 2-4 minutes per side on hot, greased griddle.

Yield: 8 pancakes

*You can mix up a larger batch the dry ingredients ahead of time and store them in a air-tight container.

Sky-High Brunch Bake

This comes from a dear lady at church, Jane Merle. She's an amazing cook!

• 1 pkg (17.3 oz.) frozen puff pastry - 2 sheets - thawed
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup Ricotta cheese
• dash hot pepper sauce
• 2 pkg (10 oz. each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained very well
• 4 slices cooked bacon, chopped
• 1 and 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 C. chopped red bell pepper

Preheat oven: 400 degrees

Unfold pastry sheet & roll out one sheet to about 11 inch square and one to 12 inch square. Line bottom and side of greased 9 inch spring form pan with the 12 inch pastry sheet.

Beat eggs with whisk. Reserve about 1 Tbsp. of eggs and set aside. Add Ricotta cheese, pepper sauce & spinach to remaining eggs; mix well until combined. Layer half each of the bacon, cheese, spinach mixture & red peppers in pastry line pan. Repeat layers.

Place remaining pastry sheet over mixture; fold and tuck pastry edges in pan. Pinch edges to seal. Brush top with reserved egg. Cut 5-6 slits in top crust with tip of sharp knife to allow steam to escape.

Bake 45-50 minutes at 400, or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around edges of pan before removing rim.

To make ahead: Assemble and bake ass directed. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. When ready to serve, uncover and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until heated through.

World's Best Butter Cookies

Oven temp: 325 degrees
Prep time: 15 minutes
Yields: 48 cookies

• 8 ounces unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Beat the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla together until smooth and creamy.
Mix in the egg yolk until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once.
Add the flour and mix just until incorporated.

Scrape onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times, just until the dough smooths out.
Turn onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log, wrap up and refrigerate for several hours or freeze.

Before baking, preheat the oven to 325°F.
Line your baking sheets with parchment.
Slice the dough into slices about 1/8" thick and place them on the sheets about an inch apart(they won't be spreading very much, but they need air room around each cookie).

Bake until JUST beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 16-18 minutes. You can top with icing or jam, dip in chocolate or drizzle with a lemon glaze. Or just enjoy them as is.

The Bomb Burgers

Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 30 mins

For burgers:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (fine)
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 3 teaspoons chopped cilantro
• 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced gingerroot
• 1 egg

For glaze:

• 2 teaspoons water
• 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:
In a bowl combine beef, bread crumbs, green onions, cilantro, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger and egg. Mix well.

Make 5 burgers patties. Poke a hole thru the middle of each.

For the glaze whisk together: water, hoisin, and sesame oil.

Place burgers on a hot grill and brush the top with the glaze mixture.
Flip after 7 min or so and baste the other side. Continue cooking until desired doneness.

Peanut Chicken Stir-Fry (TOH)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, divided
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Hot cooked rice or noodles

Directions:
In a small bowl combine until smooth and set aside:

• 1/2 cup water
• peanut butter
• soy sauce
• brown sugar

In a skillet or wok, stir-fry garlic in oil for 30 seconds. Add the chicken; stir-fry for 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Add the broccoli; stir-fry for 5 minutes.
Stir in the peanut butter mixture; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until sauce is smooth and broccoli is crisp-tender.

Combine cornstarch and remaining water until smooth; gradually add to skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Serve with rice or noodles.

Lisa's Thumbelina Cookies

Preheat oven: 350 degrees

• 1 stick room temp butter
• 1/4 C. sugar
• 1 egg - separated
• 1 tesp. vanilla
• 1 C. flour
• 1/2 tesp. salt
• very finely chopped walnuts
• 1 tub cream cheese frosting
• food coloring to dye frosting if desired

Cream together: butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla.
Slowly add in flour and salt.

Shape dough into walnut size balls. Dip into egg whites, roll in finely chopped walnuts.

Place on cookie sheets and dent the center of each cookie in with your thumb.

Bake 5 minutes @ 350. Take out of oven and very carefully dent each cookie with your thumb again. Return to oven and bake 10-15 minutes longer.

Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.

These came from my friend Lisa Bachynsky who has been making them since she was a little girl. They are SOOO good!

Mom's Pizza Pie

Preheat oven: 350 degrees

• 1 lb. ground beef; browned and drained
• 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1/4 tesp. dry oregano
• 1/4 tesp. dry parsley
• 1/4 tesp. dry basil
• 1/8 tesp. pepper
• 1/2 tesp. salt
• 1 can crescent rolls
• 2 eggs
• 6 slices of mozzarella cheese

Brown and drain the ground beef, add in tomato sauce and seasonings. Bring to simmer and reduce a little.

Beat 1 egg + 1 egg white together. Save the other yolk in another bowl.

Line a 9 inch round pie pan with 1/2 the can of crescent rolls, pressing seams together.
Cover dough with 1/2 of egg mixture.
Layer the beef mixture on top, then cover with 6 slices of cheese.
Pour other 1/2 of egg mixture over top.
Top with other 1/2 can of crescent rolls. Brush beaten egg yolk on top.

Bake 1 hour at 350. If crust becomes too brown, cover with foil (shiny side out).

Mom's Chicken Curry

Mix together:

• 8 and 1/2 tesp. curry powder
• 1 tesp. salt

Cut up 2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts into bite size pieces and toss in the above.

Heat a few Tbsp. peanut or veg. oil in large non-stick skillet, cook chicken in it until brown. Remove, set aside. Turn heat to low.

Add to pan and cook on low for 8-10 min. until softened and brown:

• 2 Tbsp. minced ginger
• 1 large minced garlic clove
• 3 mediums onion halved and thinly sliced
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cardamon pods

Add to pan:

• 4 C. whole tomatoes; peeled and seeded with juice
• 1 and 1/2 C. chicken broth
• cooked chicken

Raise heat to medium and cook until liquid is reduced (about 15 min). Reduce heat to low.

Stir in:

• 1/4 C. plain yogurt
• 3/4 c. golden raisins

Serve over jasmine or brown rice.

Happy Holly Ham Glaze

Bake 1 half ham as package directs.

• 1 16 oz. can cranberry sauce
• 1 C. brown sugar
• 1/4 C. orange juice
• 1/2 tesp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tesp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tesp. allspice

Combine and heat slowly in sauce pan until smooth, whisking often. Glaze ham 15 minutes before done. Serve extra glaze with ham.

Mom's Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Preheat oven: 350 degrees

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 C. chicken broth
• 1 C. chopped green chilies
• 2 C. chopped cooked chicken
• corn tortillas
• shredded cheddar or jack cheese

Cook chopped onion in the butter until translucent. Add in cream of chicken soup, green chilies, cooked chicken - stir until combined well and heated.

In a large baking dish, place a layer of corn tortillas, layer of soup mixture, then layer of cheese. Repeat until dish is filled making sure cheese is on top.

Bake 25-30 minutes uncovered

Lauralee's Rotel King Ranch Chicken

1 stick butter
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can Rotel tomatoes (undrained)
2 C. chopped cooked chicken breast
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas; torn into bite size
2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper and onion, cook and stir about 5 minutes, until tender. Stir in soup, tomatoes, and chicken - blend well.

Spray 9 x 13 pan, layer 1/3 of the tortillas, chicken mixture, top with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat 2 more times.

Bake 40 minutes, uncovered.

Asian Peanut Chicken and Noodles

Place into a large bowl:

• 1 lb. cooked linguine noodles; drain and rinse
• 2 bunches sliced green onion
• 1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro (or more if you like)
• 1 jalapeno; seeded/deveined, finely chopped
• 1 lb. sugar snap peas
• 3 grilled chicken breasts, cut into bite size

In a blender, mix together: (don't substitute any ingredients!)

• 1/2 C. soy sauce
• 1/4 C. peanut butter
• 1/4 C. rice vinegar
• 1/4 C. sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. sugar

Toss dressing over salad. Serve warm or chilled.

Stephanie Frey's Chicken Pot Pie

Preheat oven: 425 degrees
Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 bone-in chicken breasts
• 1/3 C. butter
• 1/3 C. chopped onion
• 1/2 tesp. salt
• 1/2 tesp. pepper
• 1/3 C. flour
• 2/3 C. milk
• 10 oz. package mixed veggies or California blend
• 9 inch ready pie crust (the rolled up kind)
  

Boil chicken breasts in enough water to cover until cooked through. Save broth. Remove meat from bone, dice into small bite size pieces. (5 cups worth)

For the gravy:
In a large sauce pan, melt butter. Add chopped onion, salt and pepper, and cook until translucent. Add in flour and whisk until smooth. Slowly whisk in the reserved chicken broth and milk. Let it all cook together until it thickens like gravy.

Place diced chicken in bottom of 9 x 13 pan or similar casserole dish. Add package of frozen mixed veggies on top of chicken. Pour on gravy. Roll out pie crust, cut a few slits on top, place on top of casserole.

Bake 35-40 minutes @ 425 until golden.

Mary's Overnight Crunch Coffee Cake

Preheat oven: 350 degrees
Servings: 16

Sift together:

• 2 C. flour
• 1 tesp. baking powder
• 1 tesp. baking soda
• 1 tesp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tesp. salt

Cream together until light and fluffy:

• 2/3 C. butter
• 1 C. sugar
• 1/2 C. brown sugar

Add:

• 2 eggs (1 at a time, beat well after each)
• alternate dry ingredients with 1 C. buttermilk into cream mixture

Spread batter into floured 9 x 13 pan.

For Crunch topping, combine:

• 1/2 C. brown sugar
• 1/2 tesp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tesp. nutmeg
• 1/2 C. chopped nuts

Sprinkle over batter.
Refrigerate over night, or 8 hours.
Bake at 350 degrees, 35 - 40 minutes.
Serve warm.

BLT Pasta Salad

• 1 pkg. rotini pasta; cooked and drained
• 8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 C. green onion; sliced
• 4 C. lettuce, chopped
• 1 C. mayo
• 1/4 C. lemon juice
• 2 tesp. sugar
• 2 tesp. chicken bullion granules

Combine mayo, lemon juice, sugar, and bullion for the dressing.

Combine all remaining ingredients, pour dressing over top and toss just before serving.

Broccoli Grape Salad

• 1 bunch broccoli, cut bite size
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 C. grapes, halved (or raisins)
• 1/3 C. sunflower kernels or chopped pecans

Dressing:

• 1 C. mayo
• 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 1/3 C. sugar
• 1/2 tesp. salt

Toss, sprinkle 3 oz. bacon bits on top, refrigerate until serving.

Waldorf Salad (from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel)

• 3 medium apples; cut into bite size (unpeeled)
• 1/2 C. chopped celery
• 1/2 C. grapes; halved
• 1 C. pineapple chunks; drained
• 1/2 C. pecans
• 1/2 C. mini marshmallows

Dressing:

• 1 C. mayo
• 1/4 C. sugar
• 1/2 tesp. salt

Combine all ingredients in large bowl, mix well, cover and refrigerate.

Fumi Salad (Ramen Slaw)

• 1 pkg. slaw mix
• 1/2 C. slivered almonds
• 8 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 C. sesame seeds
• 1 pkg. ramen noodles; uncooked and broken into small pieces

Dressing - whisk together:

• 4 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 C. oil
• season pkg. from ramen noodles
• 6 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

Brown almonds and sesame seeds in a small amount of butter. Combine slaw mix, onions, and dressing. Just before serving, stir in noodles, almonds, and sesame seeds.

Holiday Cranberry Orange Relish

In a food processor - until finely chopped:

• 2 pkg. fresh cranberries
• 3 oranges; cut into wedges, half the peel removed

Then add 1 C. sugar and 1/2 tesp. salt and pulse until mixed well. Adjust to taste. Refrigerate at least overnight. (The longer, the better it tastes.)

Add chopped pecans before serving if desired.

Spring Spinach Strawberry Salad

• 1 package spinach
• 1 pint strawberries quartered
• 2 oz. sugar toasted almond slivers (toast almonds with 4 tesp. sugar in a dry pan until golden)

Dressing - blend together:

• 1/2 C. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
• 1 1/2 tesp. grated onion
• 1/4 tesp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tesp. paprika
• 1/2 C. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2. C. oil

Mexican Layer Casserole

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 pkg. taco seasoning
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic; minced
• 1 pkg. cream cheese
• chopped tomato
• chopped lettuce
• chopped black olives
• shredded cheddar cheese
• salsa

Brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Drain meat, then stir in taco seasoning. Place meat in bottom of square baking dish. Let cool for at least 8 minutes.

Spread softened cream cheese over the top of the meat. Make sure to spread it out evenly. Add shredded cheese on top next. Then layer tomatoes, lettuce, and olives. Top with salsa when serving.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

• 3 cooked chicken breasts; shredded
• 12 oz. Franks's buffalo red hot sauce
• 1 C. ranch dressing
• 2 C. shredded cheese
• 16 oz. cream cheese; softened
• celery sticks and chips for dipping

Combine all ingredients and bake in 9 x 13 dish at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with celery sticks and chips.

Perfect for game day!

Seven Layer Dip

• 1.5 lbs. ground beef; browned and cooled to room temp.
• 1 can (16 oz.) refried beans
• 3 C. shredded cheddar-Monterrey Jack cheese
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 1 C. guacamole
• 1 C. salsa
• 1 can (6 oz.) black olives; chopped
• 1/2 C. chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 C. chopped green onions

Layer all ingredients on a serving tray: Beans, half of cheese, beef, sour cream, guacamole, other half of cheese, black olives, tomatoes, then green onion.

Mini Sausage Appetizers

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. Jimmy Dean sausage
• 1 lb. Velveeta
• 1 1/2 tesp. oregano
• 1/2 tesp. garlic powder
• 2 loaves baby rye cocktail bread

Brown beef and sausage, drain. Return to pan, add cheese and spices, stir until melted through.

Spread onto slices of bread on baking sheet. Broil 5-7 minutes until bubbly.

Creamy Bacon Dip

• 16 oz. sour cream
• 3 oz. bacon bits (the real kind)
• 2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 oz. cream cheese - softened
• 1 C. chopped green onions

Combine all ingredients. Place in 1 qt. baking dish, cover, bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Serve with chips or veggie dippers.

Apple Streusel Muffins

Preheat oven: 375 degrees

Combine:

• 2 C. flour
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 tesp. baking powder
• 1/2 tesp. baking soda
• 1/2 tesp. salt
• 1/2 tesp. cinnamon

In another bowl, whisk together:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C. melted butter
• 1 1/4 tesp. vanilla

Stir wet ingredients into dry. Batter will be stiff

Fold in 1 1/2 C. tart peeled and chopped apples.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

For Streusel topping, cut together:

• 1/3 C. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1/8 tesp. cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. cold butter

Sprinkle with streusel topping. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, for glaze topping mix together:

• 1 1/2 C. powdered sugar
• 1-2 tesp. milk

Let muffins cool, drizzle glaze over top.

Cherry Coffee Cake

Preheat oven: 350 degrees

For batter:

• 1 1/2 C. dry yellow cake mix
• 1 C. flour
• 1 pkg. (1/4 oz.) yeast
• 2/3 C. warm water
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten - STIR IN

For crumb topping:

• 1/3 C. cold butter
• remaining dry cake mix

For icing:

• 1 C. powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp. kayro syrup
• 1-2 Tbsp. water

Mix batter until smooth. Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan.

Spoon on top of batter: 1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling.

Cut cold butter in with remaining dry cake mix to make crumble topping. Sprinkle on top of cherry layer.

Bake 35-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together ingredients for icing. When cake has cooled slightly, drizzle icing on top.

White Chili

Bring to a boil in a large pot:

• 1 pound white beans (great northern, pre-soaked overnight)
• 6 C. chicken broth
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 medium onion, chopped

Reduce heat and simmer until beans soften, about 2 hours. Add more broth as needed.

In a skillet, sautee 1 medium chopped onion in a little oil.

Add to the pot:

• two 4 oz. cans mild chopped green chilies
• 2 tesp. ground cumin
• 1.5 tesp. oregano
• 1/4 tesp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tesp. cayenne pepper

Mix thoroughly. Add 4 cups diced cooked chicken, simmer 1 hour.

Serve topped with shredded Monterrey-jack cheese, salsa, and sour cream.

Spanish "Sopa" rice

• 1.5 cup white rice
• 2 and 3/4 cup water or broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes; undrained
• 1 large carrot, finely diced
• 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp. granulated chicken bullion
• diced cooked chicken (optional)

Preheat 2 Tbsp. oil in a dutch oven over medium-high, saute diced carrots and onions for 2 minutes. Add rice and cook until it browns and onions become translucent; stirring continuously.
Stir in water, tomatoes with juice, garlic, and bullion. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.

To make sure you don't overcook, check it about half-way through and stir. Add chicken at the end if you'd like. Fluff with a fork and serve with your favorite Mexican dish.

Manny's sister taught me how to make this once when she visited from CA. I think it's almost as good as Los Bravos.

Kitchen Essentials

I'm full of opinions. I enjoy cooking. And I love shopping for kitchen stuff... gadgets, dishes, the newest and best of whatever. So I'm taking my 11 years of [married life] cooking experience and condensing it into a list of what I think I couldn't live without in the kitchen. These are things anyone new to cooking should make sure their kitchen is equipped with.

important gadgets:
chef's knife
paring knife
serrated knife
cutting board
potato peeler
can opener
heat proof spatula
wooden spoon
flipper (flat spatula)
tongs
wire whisk
slotted spoon
serving spoon
potato masher
measuring cups and spoons
mixing bowls (I like them with a spout.)
colander
9x13 baking dish
sheet pan
non-stick skillet
sauce pan
dutch oven
stock pot

small appliances:
crock pot
hand mixer
stand mixer (love my Kitchen Aid)
blender
french press coffee pot
coffee grinder

pantry staples:
extra virgin olive oil
garlic powder
onion powder
basil
oregano
cinnamon
kosher salt
black pepper
apple cider vinegar
vanilla (or extract)

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I've started making my own laundry detergent since I've been using cloth diapers for Ezekiel. I had read that its better for the wear and tear on the diapers. Plus its much cheaper! And as it turns out, its really easy to make. You can buy everything you need at Rural King. And if they don't have a Rural King where you live, try Wal-Mart. Only I'm not sure if Wal-Mart has Fels-Naptha soap.

1 bar of Fels-Naptha laundry soap 1 Cup Borax laundry powder
1 Cup Arm & Hammer powder laundry soda
1 Cup OxyClean powder
1/4 ounce scented oil (optional)
Clean 5 gallon bucket with lid
Several empty bottles for storage (plastic milk cartons or old laundry soap bottles work great)
A funnel

Heat a soup pot full of water to almost boiling. Meanwhile grate the bar of soap. Remove pot from heat, add grated soap, whisk until completely dissolved. Whisk in 1 cup each of dry ingredients. (The OxyClean may be omitted, but detergent will have better results if you use it.)

Pour mixture into clean 5 gallon bucket. Fill bucket the rest of the way up (stop about 2 inches from the top) with hot water; stirring well. Whisk in scented oil if desired.
(FYI, tea tree oil and grapefruit oil have disinfectant qualities and smell great. However, this step is not necessary becuase the bar-soap already has a fresh scent.)

Let the bucket sit overnight (or until you get back to it). The next day the mixture will have turned into goo. Give it a really vigorious stir. Then funnel into storage containers.

Use 1 cup per load
*Shake very well before each use.

----------------------------------------------
Aproximate Cost:
76 oz. Borax (12 batches) = $5
55 oz. Arm & Hammer (9 batches) = $3
56 oz. OxyClean (9 batches) = $9
9 bars Fels-Naptha (9 batches) = $1.29 each; $11.61 for all

total spent: $28.61 (or $3.18 per batch)
for 45 gallons of detergent (80 loads per 5 gallon batch)
----------------------------------------------
Compare to Tide 100 oz. (60 loads)= $11.99

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

I normally don't like anything cooked in the microwave, but this saves quite a bit of prep. time and this is the way the recipe was given to me so I go with it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Zap on high for 2-3 minutes until tender:

• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1/2 tesp. garlic powder
• 1 T. olive oil

Stir in:

• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 small can chopped green chilies
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 tesp. chili powder
• 1 tesp. cumin (if you like it)

Zap on high 4 minutes or until heated thru.

Add in: 4 ounces cream cheese. Stir well until melted.

Spoon: 1/3 cup mixture onto each of 6 flour tortillas. Roll up and place seam side down into baking dish.

Sauce:
Zap on high for 2-3 minutes or until melted:

• 1/4 pound Velveeta
  
• 2 T. milk
• 1/2 cup tomatoes (Rotel) -- reserve 1/4 cup tomatoes for topping
  

Pour sauce over the enchiladas. Add reserved tomatoes to top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Preheat oven to: 350 degrees
Bake time: 1 hour

Melt: 1 stick of butter in a 9 x 9 cake pan
Smooth in: 1 cup brown sugar into melted butter in bottom of pan.
Cover with: 1 large can of drained crushed pineapple

Mix until creamy:

• 1/4 cup Crisco
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 tesp of the pineapple juice (or vinegar)

Add to above mixture:

• 1.2 tesp. salt
• 1.5 cup flour
• 2 tesp. baking powder

Spread batter over pineapple.
Bake 1 hour. Remove from pan while still warm. Invert onto platter.

Double the recipe for a 9x13 pan.

Mom's Oatmeal Cookies

Preheat oven to: 350 degrees
Bake time: 12-15 minutes

Cream together:

• 3/4 cup Crisco
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tesp. vanilla
• 1 tesp. cinnamon

Add: (mix well)

• 3 cups oats
• 1 cup flour
  
• 1 tesp. salt
• 1/2 tesp. baking soda

optional: add 1 cup of raisins or dried cranberries at the end.

Make sure batter is slightly tacky. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes. Do not overbake.

Makes aprox. 5 dozen.

Mom's Peanutbutter Cookies

Preheat oven to: 375 degrees
Bake time: 12-14 minutes

Cream together:

• 1 cup Crisco
• 1 cup real butter (2 sticks); softened to room temp.
  
• 2 cups peanut butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 4 eggs

Add in:

• 2.5 cups flour (slowly)
• 1.5 tesp. baking soda
• 1 tesp. baking powder
• 1.2 tesp. salt

Use an ice cream scoop to scoop onto greased cookie sheet. Press down with sugared fork before baking. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Do not overbake!

Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies (the BEST)

Toll House (Adapted)
Preheat oven: 350 degrees
Bake time: 10-14 minutes

To make a double batch (and why would you make a single, when you can make a double?)
Cream together:

• 1 cup Crisco
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks); softened to room temp.
• 4 eggs
• 1.5 cup sugar
• 1.5 cup brown sugar
• 4 tesp. vanilla

Add:

• 1 tesp. baking soda
• 1.5 tesp. salt
• 4 cups flour (slowly)
  

Once mixed together, dough should be tacky, not stiff.
Stir in chocolate chips (aprox. 1 bag), nuts, toffee bits, etc at the end.

Use a small ice cream scoop to scoop dough balls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-14 minutes.
If you have extra dough, you can scoop it into balls, and place in the freezer in a zip-top bag. Then bake a few whenever you need a sweet fix. :)

Sweet & Sticky Orange Chicken (adapted)

Prep time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4-5 hungry adults

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 small can mandarin oranges; drained
1 tsp. minced ginger root (or 1/2 tsp. dry ginger)
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 tsp. garlic powder) or more if you like
1 large red pepper; julienned (or green pepper)
1 cup sugar snap peas
2 medium carrots; julienned
1 small onion; cut into strips

sauce:
Zest of 1 large navel orange
1/2 cup KRAFT Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
2 Tbsp. lite soy sauce
2 Tbsp. teriyaki sauce (you can substitute all soy sauce or all teriyaki sauce if you don't have both)
4 Tbsp. sugar
about 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Cook chicken in a few Tbsp. olive oil in nonstick skillet over high heat until done, stirring frequently. Add ginger and garlic; cook over medium-high heat about 2 min. Add veggies, cook about 5 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Transfer to bowl; cover to keep warm.

While chicken cooks, grate the zest from the orange and whisk together ingredients for sauce. Using a small sharp knife, cut remaining peel and white pith from orange. Remove membranes and cut orange into bite-size pieces and set aside.

After chicken and veggies are cooked and transferred to a bowl, add sauce mixture to skillet; cook for 3-4 min. until thickened, stirring constantly. Add chicken mixture back into skillet; cook and stir 2 min. or until heated through. Stir in orange pieces before serving.

Serve over brown rice.

(adaptation from Kraft Foods)

Creamy Baked Ziti

Prep time: 30 min. (or less)
Bake time: 20 min.
Servings: 6

4 cups ziti pasta, uncooked - something similar like penne is fine too

1/2 pound ground beef

1 jar (26 oz.) Ragu sauce

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

6 oz. (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, cubed

3/4 cup Sour Cream

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt. Remove from pan; drain. Brown the ground beef, drain. Meanwhile, add marinara sauce, tomatoes and cream cheese to same pan; cook on medium heat 5 min. or until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently. Return pasta and ground beef to pan with sauce; mix well.

LAYER half the pasta/meat/sauce mixture in 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with layers of sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella and remaining pasta/meat/sauce mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. (just like making a lasagna)

BAKE covered for 20 min. or until heated through. Remove lid and bake for 5 more min. until cheese is melty and delicious!

This one was adapted from Kraftrecipes.com. It's yummy with garlic bread and steamed broccoli on the side.

Menu Ideas

I'm trying to be more organized about meals. So I'm working off of a menu and hoping this helps me stay on track... and on budget. Some of the meals are already posted here (I'm adding links for them) and I'll be adding some more later. For now, here are some of my menu ideas.
--------------------------------------------------------

Crispy Chicken
Mac & Cheese
Steamed Broccoli

Chicken Stuffing Casserole
Green Salad
Fruit

Smoked Sausage
Pan-fried red potatoes & carrots
Homemade Applesauce

Pork roast
Mashed potatoes & gravy
Baked Broccoli & Cheese

Ranchero Salad
Frito's

Salisbury steak
Mashed potatoes & brown gravy
Green beans

Chicken Stir-fry
Brown Rice
Pineapple

Chicken N Noodles Casserole
Green beans
French bread

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
Mandarin orange salad
Fruity Brown Rice

Chicken Enchiladas
corn chips & guacamole
Mexican rice (sopa)

Smothered pork chops & Stuffing
Green beans
Fried apples

Beef roast & brown gravy
Potatoes
Carrots

Ravioli Lasagna
Green Salad
French Bread

Hamburgers
Oven fries
Corn on the cob
Sliced tomatoes

Homemade pizza
Salad

Grilled Beef Fajitas
Rice
Beans

Asian Chicken Ka-bobs
Brown Rice
Easy Asian Slaw

Strombolis
Salad

Bush Whacker beef
Egg noodles
Zucchini
Crescent rolls

Roast Turkey Breast
Mashed potatoes & gravy
Stovetop Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce

Tostadas
Rice
Avocado, Sour Cream, Cheese, Tomato, Olives, Beans

Barbecue Chicken
Pasta salad
Baked beans

Spaghetti & Meatballs
Garlic Bread
Steamed broccoli

Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Twice-Baked potato casserole
Red White & Blue slaw

Stuffed Chicken – baked
Linguine & Alfredo sauce
Steamed broccoli

Satay Chicken Pasta Salad

Kickin’ Crockpot Chicken
Tortillas
Cowboy Caviar
Mexican Rice

Beef Stroganoff
Egg noodles
Green beans
Crescent rolls

All-day Crockpot beef
White Rice
Green beans

Acapulco Chicken
Tortillas
Fiesta Corn
Mexican Rice

Black and White

Prep time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4, maybe more

2 - 3 cups of cooked black beans; drained (you could use canned)
2 - 3 cups of cooked brown rice (or white)
1/2 a package of kielbasa sausage (about 1/2 pound); cubed, browned in a skillet, and drained

Heat the beans and rice in a pot, add the meat once it's browned and drained. You probably won't need to add salt because the sausage is salty.

Serve with cornbread if you're of a southern persuasion like us. :)

I'm a big fan of rice and beans together so I like to make this when I have left-overs. The measurements vary each time. It doesn't need to be exact, just a close 1 to 1 ratio works. Or you could make everything specifically for this dish if you wanted.

Sea Salt Caramel Brownies

Sea Salt Caramel

(adapted from Baked Cookbook)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 cup sour cream

In a small saucepan, combine the cream and the salt. Simmer over very low heat until the salt is dissolved. set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and corn syrup carefully. They will not combine well until the sugar begins to melt. Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes. Without a thermometer, just pull the sugar off the heat when it is a medium goldish brown – it will continue to cook in the heat of the pan. Better to pull it too early than too late. Remove from the heat and let cool for one minute.

Add the cream mixture and the vanilla to the sugar mixture. Whisk in the sour cream. Let the caramel cool to room temp, then follow the brownie instructions.

Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate any leftover caramel. It makes a great ice cream topping or tastes great straight out of the jar.

Brownies

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
pinch salt
1/4 cup Chocolate Syrup
half of the above caramel recipe

Preheat oven to 325F.

Melt Chocolate and butter in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

In a bowl, mix together sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
Add flour, salt, chocolate syrup and chocolate mixture and blend well.

In a greased 8×8 pan, pour a little over half of the brownie batter and bake for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and pour in the caramel. On top of the caramel, add the rest of your brownie batter. If it doesn’t pour smoothly, just plop it in a swirl it around a little bit. Return to oven and bake for another 18-22 minutes. Brownies will still appear a little shaky, due to the caramel, but they will firm up once cooled. Do not overbake.

Serve a warm with a tall glass of milk -- or ice cream. :)

Recipe taken from CuisineNie.

Breakfast Pizza

Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 20 - 25 minutes
Servings: 4

2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 pound Jimmy Dean sausage; browned & drained
1 cup frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
4 tablespoons diced sweet red pepper
4 tablespoons diced green pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs
4 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese
pepper to taste

Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles; arrange into a rectangle on an ungreased baking dish. Build up edges slightly to create a crust; seal perforations.

Cook sausage until no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle over crust. Top with potatoes, peppers and cheddar cheese.

Whisk together the eggs, milk and pepper. Pour over pizza; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until eggs are completely set and top is golden brown.

Real "Pot" Roast

• 1.5 pounds of beef chuck roast or arm roast
• 2 T. oil
• 4 potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
  
• 6 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
  
• 1 celery stalk (optional), cut into large chunks
  
• 1 medium onion, cut into large chunks
  
• salt
• pepper
• garlic
• 2 bay leaves
  
• 1 pkg. onion soup mix
• A pot (I use a 6.5 quart Le Cruset cast iron enamel dutch oven but you can use anything of similar size. I just love the cast iron because it brazes so nicely.)
  

Preheat your pot on the stove over medium-high, add oil, and brown the meat on both sides until you get a nice color. Then turn the heat to medium-low.

Then add the seasonings and onion soup mix. Cover the roast to half-way up the side of the meat with water. Put the lid on and let it simmer. Check the water level every 1/2 hour or so to make sure there's still enough. Add more as needed. Cooking time will depend on the size of the roast. A meat thermometer will read 180 when it's well done. But over-cooking won't hurt it... it will just get more tender the longer it cooks.

When the meat is about 10 - 20 minutes from being done you can add the veggies around the sides and on top of the meat. I like to make sure they are all about the same size so they cook evenly.

After the meat and veggies are done, take them all out of the pot and use the juice to make a YUMMY gravy to top everything off.

This is how my grandma makes it and I always love how hers turn out. So she taught me how and now I may never go back to crockpot roast again. Yummy!

Libby's Creamy Grape Salad

Ingredients
• 4 pounds seedless green & red grapes, halved
• 4 ounces chopped pecans
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar & vanilla. Then stir in the grapes & nuts, coating well. Refrigerate until chilled through before serving.

Libby got it from allrecipes.com but I'm giving her credit anyway because it reminds me of her.

Ravioli Lasagna

Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 35-45 minutes
Serves: 8

• 1 jar of Ragu or other pasta sauce
• 1 16 oz. container of cottage cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 bag of frozen ravioli - cheese stuffed or whatever you like
• 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
• seasonings to taste (I use 1/2 tesp. each of dried basil, oregano, and garlic)

Spread a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce into bottom of lasagna pan. Place layer of frozen ravioli on bottom, pushing them together tightly to form a solid layer. Mix together the cottage cheese, eggs, and seasonings. Then spread half the mixture on top of the pasta. Add a layer of tomato sauce (half the jar). Repeat layers. After second layer of tomato sauce add shredded cheese. This should fill up the pan about how a lasagna would.

Bake covered for 35-40 minutes at 350. Then remove foil and bake 5-10 minutes longer until cheese is melted. Let it set up for 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe was made for a friend at church after she had a baby. She passed it along because she liked it so much. And now I'm passing it along too because we love it! We've had it 3 times in the past 2 weeks! This is a great, easy, family friendly dish that even picky eaters enjoy.

Chicken Ceasar Pasta

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 30 min.

Ingredients

• 3 quarts water
• 2-1/2 C. uncooked tricolor spiral pasta
• 1-1/2 C. cut fresh asparagus (1-inch pieces)
• 1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 2/3 C. Caesar vinaigrette salad dressing
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
In a pot, bring water to a boil. Add pasta. Return to a boil; cook for 4 minutes. Add asparagus; cook 6-8 minutes longer or until pasta and asparagus are tender.

Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, saute chicken in oil until no longer pink. Remove from the heat.

Drain pasta mixture; return to the pan. Add the chicken, tomatoes and vinaigrette. Cook over low heat until heated through. Sprinkle with onions and Parmesan cheese.

Can be served warm or cold. Cold tastes better.

Baked Spaghetti

Servings: 8-10
Prep time: 25 min.
Bake time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 package (16 ounces) spaghetti
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 jar (26 ounces) meatless spaghetti sauce
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 16 oz. container cottage cheese
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown the beef and onion over medium heat; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese and butter. Drain spaghetti; add to egg mixture and toss to coat.
Create layers in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish: half of the spaghetti mixture, then half of the cottage cheese, then meat sauce, then mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, ending with mozzarella cheese on top.

Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Sugar Cookies & Royal Icing

Prep time: 15 min.

Chill time: 24 hours is best

Bake time: 6-8 min.

Cookies:

• 1/2 c. butter


• 1/2 c. shortening


• 1 c. sugar


• 3 eggs


• 3 1/2 c. flour


• 1 tsp. soda


• 2 tsp. cream of tarter


• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter, shortening and sugar in electric mixer. Add eggs. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Cover and chill dough overnight (or for about 24 hours is better). Roll and cut into desired shapes, using plenty of flour on your board.

Bake 6-8 minutes at 400.

Icing:

• 2 egg whites


• 2 teaspoons lemon juice


• 2 1/2 - 3 cups of powdered sugar

Whip egg whites till frothy, add lemon juice and then add powdered sugar one cup at a time. Add food coloring. And ice cookies once they've cooled until your little heart's content.

Cheesy Rotel Dip

• 1 lb. Velveeta (1/2 a box); cubed
• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes
• 1/2 lb. Jimmy Dean Sausage
• 1/4 C. milk

Brown sausage, drain off grease. Meanwhile in a microwave safe dish, melt cheese with milk in microwave, stirring every minute. When completely melted add in the sausage and can of tomatoes with juice. Mix well. Keep warm in crockpot. Serve with tortilla chips.

This is yummy yummy to your tummy, but not a low fat recipe. :)

Twice-Baked Potato Casserole

• 8 large potatoes; peeled, chopped, and boiled
• 1 (16 oz) container sour cream
• 1 stick butter
• 1 pkg. bacon bits
• 3 scallions, sliced thin (use green & white parts)
• 2 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese (or more if you like)
• salt & pepper to taste

Peel, chop, and boil potatoes until fork tender, drain. Mash with sour cream, butter, and salt & pepper. Stir in bacon bits and scallions.

Transfer into greased glass 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with shredded cheese. Bake @ 350 for 20 minutes until warmed through cheese is bubbly.

Monkey Bread

• 1 pkg. frozen yeast dinner rolls
• 1 pkg. cook & serve butterscotch pudding mix (not instant)
• 1 stick of butter; melted
• 1/2 C. sugar
• 2 tesp. cinnamon
• 1 C. chopped pecans

In a bowl combine pudding mix, sugar, and cinnamon. Place half the pecans, then half of frozen rolls in a well greased bunt pan. Sprinkle half the dry mixture over the rolls. Add other half of nuts, then rolls, then dry ingredients. Lastly, pour melted butter over all.

Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray, and let rise over night in the oven or on the counter.

Bake 350°F for 45 min to 1 hour. You will probably need to place a cookie sheet on the rack below to catch drips.

COOL NO LONGER THAN 5 MINUTES. Turn pan over on serving dish and enjoy.

Gooey, warm, sweet, and perfect for Christmas breakfast. (Our family likes a feast... can you tell?)

Christmas Citrus Salad

• 5 lbs. Naval oranges
• 5 lbs. Ruby Red grapefruit
• 3 large cans mandarin oranges
• 1 C. sugar
• Salt to taste

Over a large bowl, peel and segment oranges and grapefruit, removing all pith and membranes. (This process takes a long time!) Prepare fruit over the bowl so you can catch all the juice - that's what makes it good. Add canned oranges and their juice. Add sugar and salt to taste. (You will probably need a lot more salt than you think.) Mix well.

Place in a large plastic container with a lid. Refrigerate at least overnight, longer if possible.

This is such a yummy family tradition. Because it takes so long to make, we only have it on Christmas morning along with our Christmas Breakfast Casserole. But it's well worth the effort!

Christmas Breakfast Casserole

Makes: 9 x 13 pan (which serves 8 or 12 depending on how hungry you are!)

• 10 slices of bread; diced up
• 1 pound package Jimmy Dean sausage; browned & drained
• 2 C. potatoes; peeled, diced and cooked until half-way softened (can be added to sausage to cook)
• 1/2 medium onion; diced
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper; diced
• 2 C. milk
• 8 eggs
• 1 T Worcestershire
• 1 tesp. dry mustard
• 3 C. shredded cheese (colby-jack or cheddar)

Dice up bread and place in bottom of glass 9x13 pan.

Brown the sausage. Peel and cut up potatoes, add to sausage to soften up a bit. Drain off grease.

In a large bowl beat eggs, whisk in milk, Worcestershire, dry mustard. Dice up onion and green pepper. Add veggies, potatoes, and sausage to egg mixture.

Pour over top of bread. Top with shredded cheese.

Better if refrigerated overnight before baking.

Bake covered in foil for 1 hour @ 350 degrees. Uncover for the last 20 minutes.

This is a close variation of the dish we always have for breakfast on Christmas morning. I'm not usually a big fan of egg, but this one is very good with all the other ingredients.

We like to have this with our favorite Christmas Citrus Salad.

Crispy Chicken

Prep time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

• 1-1/2 cups crisp rice cereal, coarsely crushed
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)

In a shallow bowl, combine cereal, flour and seasonings. Place butter in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken in butter, then roll in cereal mixture.

Place in a greased baking pan. Bake uncovered at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170°.

Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe created by Carolyn Gurtz, winner of the 2008 Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest. I got this off Oprah. It's a twist on the classic peanut butter cookie! Crunchy outside, creamy inside, with just a hint of cinnamon.

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts , finely chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 roll (16.5 ounces) refrigerated peanut butter cookies , well chilled
• no-stick cooking spray

Heat oven to 375°. In small bowl, mix chopped peanuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

In another small bowl, stir peanut butter and powdered sugar until completely blended. Shape mixture into 24 balls, about 1 inch each.

Cut roll of cookie dough into 12 slices. Cut each slice in half crosswise to make 24 pieces; flatten slightly. Shape 1 cookie dough piece around 1 peanut butter ball, covering completely. Repeat with remaining dough and balls.

Roll each covered ball in peanut mixture; gently pat mixture completely onto balls. On ungreased large cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Spray bottom of drinking glass with cooking spray; press into remaining peanut mixture. Flatten each ball to 1/2-inch thickness with bottom of glass. Sprinkle any remaining peanut mixture evenly on tops of cookies; gently press into dough.

Bake 7 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Store tightly covered.

Black Bean & Corn Quesadilla

• burrito size flour tortillas
• margarine or butter
• shredded Colby-jack, cheddar-jack, or pepper-jack cheese
• black beans (canned works fine)
• corn (canned or frozen/thawed)
• avocado, smashed up a little with some salt to taste
• sour cream - as topping
• diced tomato - as topping
• chopped fresh cilantro - for garnish
• Optional: left-over meat from the night before, chopped up (grilled chicken, beef roast, and pork works well) I bet shrimp would be yummy, but who ever has left-over shrimp?

Butter 2 tortillas on one side, place butter-side-down in preheated nonstick skillet or griddle.

Add layer of cheese, beans, corn, avocado, then cheese again. Cover with other buttered tortilla (butter side out). Flip when browned. Cool for a minute before cutting into wedges. Serve with sour cream, diced tomato, and fresh cilantro.

Delicious Variation:

• Colby jack cheese
• sauteed onion
• sauteed bell peppers
• left over grilled chicken or shrimp

The idea here is to use whatever you have left over. You can add any veggies or meats that sound good to you. I like to do this with left over pot roast the next day when there isn't enough to make stew and you don't want to let it go to waste.

"Chicken Your Mom Makes"

There is a story behind this one. Recently I prepared a grocery list and asked my husband if he needed anything from the store. He added a few items on the list and at the bottom wrote "Chicken your Mom makes". After scratching my head for a while, I finally figured out what that meant. The following is her "recipe"... if you could call it that... for really yummy, finger-licking chicken. Enjoy.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Bake time: 1 hour
Oven Temp: 300

• 4 chicken breasts - with bone and skin
• 1 pkg. onion soup mix
• 1 tesp. poultry seasoning
• 1 tesp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tesp. thyme
• 1/2 tesp. oregano
• 1/2 tesp. pepper

Place chicken, bone side down, in a baking dish. Add a few Tbsp of water to the dish. Combine spices in a dish, then rub all of it onto chicken. Cover and bake for about 1 hour @ 300, or until meat is tender and pulls easily off the bone.

You can use either a covered baking dish, a glass casserole covered with foil, a crock pot, or a baking bag. If you use the bag you won't need water in the bottom of the dish. The crock pot takes longer, but the meat is much more moist and tender.

After its cooked, chicken can be eaten the way it is, or used in soup, dumplings, casseroles, or pasta. The cooking juices can be strained and used for gravy, soup, or stock.

Taco Soup

Prep time: about 1 hour (or longer)
Servings: 8+

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• medium onion, chopped
• 1 can corn (or equivalent frozen corn), drained
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 can pinto beans, drained
• 1 (16 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (16 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 package dry ranch dressing mix
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• sour cream
• shredded cheese
• **1/2 bell pepper, diced (optional)

Brown the ground beef in a stock pot, adding chopped onion and garlic half way through. Drain fat off, and put back in pot. Add corn, beans, tomatoes, and seasoning. Add a little water if needed. Simmer until thickened and heated through at least 30 minutes. The longer it simmers the yummier it is.

**If you want bell pepper in it, add that when you add the onion and garlic.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some shredded cheese on top.

I like to make this in the crock pot if I'm going to be working that day. It's nice to come home to a house smelling like supper. Of course if you make it in the crock pot, you have to cook the meat/onion and drain them before adding to the mixture. This is very hearty and perfect for Fall weather. It's also yummy with a side of cornbread or Fritos.

"Hobos"

Servings: 2
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: about 20 minutes on the grill, 40 on a campfire

This can be made in any quantity you'd like, we just make two at a time because that's all we use.

• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 2 potatoes
• 3-4 carrots
• 1 small onion
• seasoned salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• 2 large pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil (or two disposable pie pans covered in foil)

Divide meat and prepare 2 patties. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic. Place in the center of each piece of foil.

Slice onion into thick rings, and potatoes and carrots into circles about 1/8 inch thick, divide into two servings, place on top of meat, season with salt and pepper.

Fold foil closed, sealing well on the top.

Cook over grill on medium high heat, or over campfire coals that have been raked out away from flames. Cooking time will differ; you know they are done when veggies are tender. Keep the peeking to a minimum as steam escapes when you open the packets.

This is one of my all-time favorite campfire recipes. We made it all the time on my Grandma's fire pit when I was growing up. The high heat of a campfire gives the meat a lovely caramelization on the bottom, and makes the potatoes yummy and soft. You can add other veggies too: like zucchini, squash, celery, or bell peppers. This is just the classic version. We call them "hobos" because supposedly people who jumped trains would make these on their campfires during the depression.

Uncle Larry's Red Beans and Rice

• 1 lb. red beans (soaked according to package directions)
• 1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into small chunks
• 1.5 lb. ham, cubed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pinch cumin
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 T. garlic powder
• 1 C. green onion, sliced
• 1.5 tesp. hot sauce/ Tabasco
  
• 1 T. Worcestershire sauce

Cook sausage with onion and garlic in a stock pot until translucent. Add beans with soaking water, ham, and all other ingredients. Cook 1.5 - 2 hours until beans are tender. Serve over rice.

My Grandma's brother Larry created this dish and it quickly became a family favorite. It is quite a southern recipe, perfect for cold weather, and very hearty.

In my family cookbook, which my mom hand wrote, her footnotes say "Serve with cornbread and Grandma Jost's slaw. A meal fixen's good enough for the Preacher!"

Sweet Tarragon Vinegarette

• 1/2 C. apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 C. olive oil
• 1/2 C. sugar
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp tarragon

Blend in blender. Refrigerate.

This is delicious with my Mom's Mandarin Orange Salad!!

Italian Dressing

• 1.5 C. canola oil
• 1/2 C. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 small onion
• 1 clove garlic or 1 tesp. jarred minced garlic
• 1 tesp salt
• 1 tesp sugar
• 1/4 tesp dried oregano
• 1/4 tesp dried basil

Blend in blender. Refrigerate

French Salad Dressing

• 1/2 C. ketchup
• 1/2 C. canola oil
• 1/2 C. sugar
• 1/2 C. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tesp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tesp. minced or dried onion (optional)
  
• 1/2 tesp. garlic powder (optional)
• 1/2 tesp. dried sweet basil (optional)
• 1/2 tesp. dried parsley (optional)

Blend in blender until smooth. Refrigerate.

Stay-Soft Chocolate Icing

In a medium heavy saucepan mix together:
1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 & 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tesp. salt

gradually add 2 cups milk - whisking well
Cook over medium-high until thick like pudding, stirring consistently. *Be careful NOT to overcook or it will lose thickness!

remove from heat
add 1 Tbsp. butter and 2 tesp. vanilla
whisk together well

cool completely before icing cake

This is a family favorite for baby birthday cakes. It stays ooey-gooey and is perfect for little ones to dig in and make a big mess! Plus its the yummiest homemade icing you'll ever taste. It's very similar to ganache.

Roman Doughnuts

Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 10 minutes

1 can of refrigerated canned biscuits
1/2 stick of butter, melted
1/2 C. Sugar + 2 Tesp. cinnamon, mixed together

Cut each biscuit into 4ths. Dip into melted butter, then dip into cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake according to package directions. (no need to grease the cookie sheet)

You may change the ratio of cinnamon and sugar to suit your taste. You also might need more or less butter depending on how liberally you dunk the dough. :)

This is super quick and easy, and great for the kids to help with. We made this at our church VBS this year and it was a big success!

Key Lime Pie

• 6 eggs
• two 14 oz. cans Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
• 8 oz. key lime juice
• graham cracker crust
• Cool Whip
• lime slices for garnish
  

In a large bowl beat together:

• 6 egg yolks**
• two 14 ounce cans sweetened condensed milk

Stir in 8 ounces of key lime juice. Pour into crust & bake @325 for 35-40 minutes. Cool completely, garnish with Cool Whip and lime slices. Keep refrigerated.

(**If you are very frugal you can keep the unused egg whites and make omelets with them.)

This is so rich it should be wrong! But such a yummy dessert to splurge on for a special dinner.

Crescent Roll-ups

Prep: 5 min
Bake: 10-13 min

1 can of refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 pkg cream cheese
2 Tbsp raspberry preserves

Blend cheese and preserves until mixed well. Lay out rolls on baking sheet, spread about 1 Tbsp of the mixture on each triangle, then roll up as usual. Bake according to package directions, until golden.

Alternative:
1 can of refrigerated crescent rolls
4 Tbsp real bacon bits
4 Tbsp shredded cheese

Lay rolls out on baking sheet, sprinkle with cheese and bacon, roll up as usual. Bake according to package directions, until golden.

This is not grandiose, but it's good. I made it up today.

Baked Bananas

• 2 bananas, sliced lengthwise
• mini marshmallows
• handfull of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• drizzle of chocolate sauce
• scoop of vanilla ice cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. On a cookie sheet arrange bananas, topped with chocolate chips, then marshmallows. Just put as many as you want. Bake until chocolate looks gooey and marshmallows get golden-brown. You have to watch it becuse they can burn quickly.

Remove and plate, add scoop of ice cream on the side, and drizzle all with a little chocolate sauce.

I made this one up last night when I had a craving for something sweet using what was on hand. It turned out delish!

Acapulco Chicken

• 2 thawed boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks
• 1/2 medium onion, cut into wedges
• 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced into wedges
• 1 can Campbell's Creamy Chicken Verde soup
• 1 tesp garlic salt

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium in non-stick skillet. Saute chicken with garlic salt until a little more than half way done, add onion and peppers. Continue to saute until chicken is cooked through and veggies are soft (but do not overcook veggies).

Turn heat to low, add soup and combine well. It should thicken almost immediately. You want it to be fairly thick, but if you like, you can add a few Tbsp of water to thin it out a little.

Serve with warmed tortillas, Mexican rice, and black beans (if you want to).

This is a tribute to one of my favorite Mexican places in Indianapolis, El Rodeo. I would often have lunch there with my friends from work. Tuesday is Acapulco day, which we ordered without fail.

Caramel Cream Brownie Trifle

• 1 box brownies, made according to package directions
• 1 box (4-serving size) chocolate fudge instant pudding, made according to package directions
• 1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
• 1 container (8 oz) Cool Whip
• 1 C chopped walnuts
• 1 C toffee pieces

Make brownies ahead, cool completely and cut into 1 inch pieces. Make pudding mix as directed on box; refrigerate. Thoroughly stir caramel topping into Cool Whip.

In 3-quart glass bowl, layer half each of the brownies, pudding, walnuts, toffee pieces, and Cool Whip mixture; repeat. Sprinkle a few toffee and nuts on top.

Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving but no longer than 24 hours. Store covered in refrigerator.

We had this for my brother's birthday a few weeks ago and about DIED! It's over the top delicious!