Andrea's Secret Recipes

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

2012-01-05T07:33:00.000-08:00

Lemon Crinkle Cookie by Lauren Brennan from Hood River, Oregon.
Makes 2-3 dozen

Ingredients:
½ cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1/8⅛ teaspoon baking soda
1-½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

*If using a non-stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

Peppermint Cereal Squares

2011-12-23T11:45:00.000-08:00

3Tbsp Butter or Margarine
10 ounces marshmallows (5 ½ -6 cups mini marshmallows, or 40 largemarshmallows)
6 cups crispy rice cereal
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Peppermint Extract

1/2cup Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips

3coarsely chopped candy canes

Grease9x13 inch baking dish with butter. Also, butter all sides of a rubber scraper. Set in baking dish and setaside.

Melt butter in large, nonstick pan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stiruntil almost completely melted. Remove from heat, add peppermint extract, andcontinue stirring until completely melted. Add cereal immediately, mix well,then quickly stir in the Andes baking chips (they will begin to melt.) Pressinto pan using the prepared rubber spatula. Sprinkle with candy cane pieces to taste. Let cool and cut into squares.

Royal Icing

2011-12-13T18:25:00.000-08:00

Royal Icing

4 Tablespoons Meringue Powder

4 cups (about 1 pound) powdered sugar

6 Tablespoons warm water

Beat all ingredients until stiff peaks form.

(Make sure all bowls and utensils are clean- grease will mess with the consistency of your icing.)

Divide into individual bowls to add colors.

Holiday Snickerdoodles

2011-12-10T21:29:00.001-08:00

4 1/2 cups four
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup shortening
4 Tbsp. soft butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2/3 C sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla
Colored sugar
Mix butter and shortening. Add sugar until blended. Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. Combine dry ingredients and slowly add to the rest of the dough. Cover and refrigerate 30-60 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 and make dough into 1 ½ inch balls. Roll in colored sugar and cook about 15 minutes on a lightly greased pan. Cool 2 minutes on pan and move to rack to finish cooling.

Apple Pudding

2011-11-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

Cream Together:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 egg

Mix dry ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Combine creamed mix, alternate adding dry ingredients and 2 cups shredded apple. Add
chopped walnuts.

Bake 350 for 45 minutes at 9 or 8 in sq pan

Serve warm with Best Ever Pudding Sauce and a dollop of whipped cream

Best Ever Pudding Sauce
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light cream/evaporated milk

Heat through and then add
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Lemon Ginger Glaze

2011-11-21T15:49:00.001-08:00

Mix together in saucepan:
1 can ginger ale (1 1/2 cups)
2 Tbs lemon juice
4 tsp cornstarch
1 cup powdered sugar
Heat through till boiling, stir constantly. Keep stirring over heat until thickened. Add 2 Tbs Butter for richness. Stir until melted and combined.

Zucchini Gingerbread

2011-11-20T14:40:00.001-08:00

Zucchini Gingerbread

2 cups finely grated zucchini
1 tsp salt
1 cup oatmeal
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup dark molasses
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup applesauce
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon zest (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, salt and oats and let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes. In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and ginger. Add molasses, eggs, oil, vanilla, and lemon zest to the zucchini mixture and stir to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir to combine. Divide evenly between 2 greased 9 inch round pans. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans, then remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Serve with best ever pudding sauce or Lemon Ginger Glaze

Alternate Recipe:

Original version found at AllRecipes

cooking spray

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup applesauce or canned pumpkin

3/4 cup vanilla yogurt

3 eggs

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini

3 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray 29x5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, molasses,applesauce, vanilla yogurt, and eggs until thoroughly combined. Stir in thecinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gentlymix in the shredded zucchini, and stir in the flour. Pour the batter into theprepared loaf pans

Bake in the preheated oven until the loaves are browned andspringy to the touch, 50 to 60 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center ofa loaf should come out clean. Allow to cool in pans for about 10 minutes beforeremoving to finish cooling on racks.

Candy Corn Rice Crispy Treats

2011-10-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the blog My Creative Stirrings for this fun idea! Check out her blog for great pictures and assembly instructions.

6 tablespoons margarine, divided

6 full cups mini marshmallows, divided

7 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal, divided

food coloring

butter or margarine

Measure 2 1/2 cups crispy cereal and place in a large bowl; set aside. Grease one large and one small piece of waxed paper. Line a large bread pan with the large piece, greased side up; set aside.

In a small sauce pan combine 2 tablespoons margarine and 2 full cups of mini marshmallows just until melted. Stir in cereal from the large bowl until combined. Press into the bottom of the bread pan; set aside. Wash the small sauce pan.

Measure 2 1/2 cups cereal and place in a large bowl; set aside. In the small saucepan combine 2 tablespoons margarine, 2 drops red food coloring and 3 drops yellow, and 2 full cups of mini marshmallows just until melted. Stir in cereal from the large bowl until combined. Press into the bread pan on top of the white layer; set aside. Wash the small sauce pan.

In the small saucepan combine 2 tablespoons margarine, 5 drops yellow food coloring and 2 full cups of mini marshmallows just until melted. Stir in the remaining cereal until combined. Press into the bread pan on top of the orange layer. The mixture will not all fit in the bread pan.

Place the small piece of wax paper on top of the krispie treat, greased side down. Flip the entire treat upside down to help form the top layer and place back into the pan to allow it to set for 1-2 hours or overnight. Un-wrap the krispie treat. On a cutting board slice the treat into three long sections. Take each of the three segments and slice into triangles.

Nancy's Hot Wassail Mix

2011-10-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

1 cup Tang
1 1/2 cups lemonade mix
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves

Mix 1 tsp to 1 cup hot cider
Or 1 Tbsp to 1 cup hot water

Deluxe Pumpkin Drop Cookies

2011-10-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

This is an updated version (and our new favorite) of the basic Pumpkin Drop Cookie Recipe.
This makes a double batch. If you don't need that many cookies,

Bake them anyway and take some to your neighbors, or
Scoop out the remaining dough onto a cool cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Pop them in the freezer and when they are set transfer them to a freezer bag to bake later. Same temp and time, plus a minute or two.

Add the following ingredients to a large bowl or stand mixer, mix after each additional ingredient is added.
1 large can pumpkin
2/3 cup milk (may substitute water)
2 packages spice cake mix
1 cup quick oats
1 package semisweet chocolate chips (reserve 1/4 cup or so for the end. Once I scoop out all the cookies I can scrape out 4-5 more cookies from the edges, and I sprinkle more chips in the bowl so they get some too.)

Drop by spoonfuls on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 15-17 minutes at 350 degrees.

Zucchini Bread & Muffins

2011-08-27T06:10:00.001-07:00

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 Tbs ground cinnamon

Set aside. Cream together:
3 eggs
3/4 cup applesauce
2 cups white sugar
1 Tbs vanilla extract

Add creamed mix to dry mix, then stir in 3 cups grated zucchini.
Pour batter into prepared pans. Sprinkle tops with sugar if desired.
Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Chicken Biscuit Stew

2011-06-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 tsp chicken bouillon

Add veggies into large pot of water, bring to a boil and cook until veggies are tender. Drain liquid, reserving 1 1/3 cups. Add chicken bouillon to liquid and stir to dissolve. Set aside. Make white sauce:

White sauce:
1/4 cup margarine
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
Melt 1/4 cup margarine on low heat. Blend in 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and a dash of pepper.
Then add 1 1/3 cup reserved broth and 3/4 cup milk. Cook and stir until thick.

Combine chicken, veggies, and white sauce. Heat through while baking biscuits separately, or add to casserole dish and arrange biscuit dough on top. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown.

Biscuits
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Mix together dry ingredients, cut in 5 Tbs shortening. Add 1/2 cup milk. Stir until just mixed. Knead lightly on floured board. Roll out to 1/2 inch, cut into biscuits.

Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

2011-05-13T21:46:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 pounds strawberries (fresh, sliced)

1/2 cup sugar

1 lb low fat cream cheese (softened)

3 tbsp orange juice

1- 8 oz tub cool whip (extra for garnish, as desired)

1 large pound cake

In a bowl, toss strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar; set aside.

In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and orange juice until smooth.

Fold in Cool Whip. Set aside.

Cut pound cake into cubes.

Drain strawberries, reserving juice.

Drizzle cake cubes with reserved juice.

Place half of the cake cubes in a 4 quart trifle dish.

Top with half of the cream cheese mixture and half of the strawberries.

Repeat layers.

If desired, garnish with cool whip and strawberries, cut into fans.

Cover and refrigerate 4 hours.

inspiration from from yummly.com

Blonde Brownies

2011-03-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup butter (or 1/3 cup butter and 1/3 cup applesauce)

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup butterscotch chips (or Reeces pieces, chocolate chips, walnuts, whatever sounds yummy)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Mix dry ingredients together.

Cream sugar and butter together. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing well.

Stir in butterscotch chips.

Spread into greased 9X13 pan and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Hard Boiled Eggs

2011-01-11T08:51:00.000-08:00

Can it really be that hard? I forget how every time I go to do it. Which turns out to be less than 3 times a year. But with Easter around the corner, I am going to get in some practice.

Cooking:

Place your eggs in a single layer at the bottom of a saucepan.
Add enough cold water to just cover the eggs.
Add 1 tsp salt
Bring to a full boil over high heat.
Then remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes.
Cool eggs by running under cold water or putting them in ice water.
(one tip I have yet to try is to add 1 tsp baking soda to the cool water)
When cool enough to handle, drain and store, or peel and use.

Peeling:

Tap an egg on the countertop to crack the shell, then roll the egg with gentle pressure to loosen shell from egg.
Start on the large end and peel off the shell, it should come off pretty well
Or just be as awesome as this guy. I guarantee the man of the house will want to give this one a try.

(Tips for this one: Blow from the wide end. We'll see!)

Other tips:
http://www.goodlifeeats.com/2011/01/kitchen-tip-easy-peel-hard-boiled-eggs.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Peel-an-Egg

Chili

2010-12-23T08:20:00.000-08:00

1 lb ground beef, browned
1 onion, chopped
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 can tomato paste
1/2 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp cumin
2 Tbs Chili powder
2 large cans kidney beans
3/4 tsp salt
1 can diced tomatoes

Simmer at least 1 1/2 hours, best if simmered all day.

Doughnut Snowmen

2010-12-23T08:16:00.000-08:00

I love this idea found at the idearoom

Pumpkin Cream Pie

2010-11-28T14:08:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 9-inch (6 oz.) prepared cookie crust (gingersnap, Nilla wafer or graham cracker)
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
1 pkg. (5.1 oz.) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
1 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
Whole pecans for garnish
Whipped topping for garnish

Directions

Add pudding mix, evaporated milk and pumpkin pie spice in large mixer bowl; beat till combined and add pumpkin. Blend until well mixed. Fold in whipped topping. Pour into crust. Freeze for at least 4 hours or until firm. Let stand in refrigerator for 1 hour before serving. Garnish with whipped topping and pecans, if desired. Serve immediately.

Adapted from this recipe at verybestbaking.com

Pumpkin Muffins

2010-11-19T20:42:00.000-08:00

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffins Recipe via Little Birdie Secrets

Muffins
2 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coriander
2 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. pumpkin
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and coriander in a blow. Set aside. In another bowl, mix eggs, sugar, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla. Mix well. Mix in dry ingredients, stirring until moist.

Filling
6 oz. cream cheese
1 egg
1 Tbsp. sugar

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add egg and sugar. Beat until well mixed.

Topping
3/4 c. coconut
1/2 c. finely chopped pecans
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine all topping ingredients together. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups (about half full). Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling on top. Fill muffin cups with remaining batter (it will come up to the top). Spread batter to edges of cups. Sprinkle generously with topping.

Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Yields 12 muffins.

Spooky Meatloaf

2010-10-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

Make recipe for Meatloaf,

Press into shaped pan or mold using your art skills.

(I used the Wilton skeleton ice mold. If using an intricate and hand wash only pan, start by lining it with plastic wrap, then press the meat in firmly. Once molded, remove meat, place on baking sheet, and of course, remove the plastic wrap. )

Make the sauce and set aside for garnish.

Bake meatloaf according to directions. Remove from oven and layer with slices of your favorite white cheese to resemble bandages. Place in the oven to soften the cheeses. I left this one in too long, and the bandages turned to an oozey goo. Still spooky!

Remove once cheese is melted and garnish with olives or cherry tomatoes for eyes. Serve with Meatloaf Sauce on the side.

Here is a link to Family fun and their version, which has properly melted cheese!

Meatloaf

2010-10-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

Beat together in a large bowl:
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1 dash pepper
2/3 cup finely crushed saltines (I use 16 crackers)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp rubbed sage

Add 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef, mix in well. Shape into loaf and put in an ungreased shallow pan. (A large bread pan or 8 inch round pan works well)

Combine: 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp worchestershire sauce. Pour on top of loaf. Bake at 350 for 60-65 minutes, or until internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Slimey Bog Punch

2010-10-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

I concocted this recipe using things I had in my pantry.

Dissolve 6 oz lime gelatin in 1 quart boiling water

Mix 5 cups cold water and 3 scoops (or 3/4 cup) orange drink mix (Tang)

Combine and add 4-6 liters of citrus or lemon lime soda. (Chill soda or serve over ice)

Black Lagoon Punch

2010-10-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

This one came from AllRecipes it comes out brownish, but will look darker in a colored serving bowl. This one is particularly effective for showing off ice molds.

1 (.13 ounce) envelope unsweetened grape soft drink mix
1 (.13 ounce) envelope unsweetened orange soft drink mix
2 cups white sugar
3 quarts cold water
1 liter ginger ale

Beef Stroganoff

2010-08-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

Brown 1 lb ground beef and saute 1/2 cup onion. Sprinkle with 2 Tbs flour, heat for 3-5 minutes.

Mix together and simmer:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can beef broth

Add 1/2 cup sour cream, mix with beef & onion, and serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Ice Cream Cooke Pie

2010-07-23T11:53:00.000-07:00

Oh Betty, you know how to make life sweet. Check out this recipe:

2        pints mint chocolate chip ice cream, slightly softened
1        package (6 ounces) ready-to-use chocolate-flavored pie crust
1 1/4 cups crushed chocolate-covered mint cookies
1        cup chocolate fudge topping

Spread 1 pint of the ice cream in pie crust. Sprinkle 1 cup of the crushed cookies over ice cream. Cover and freeze 1 hour.

Spread remaining pint of ice cream over cookies. Cover and freeze about 3 hours or until firm.
Let stand at room temperature about 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with fudge topping; sprinkle with remaining cookies. Cover and freeze any remaining pie.

Variation: S’mores Ice-Cream Pie!
Put a spin on this ice-cream pie by using a graham cracker crust, chocolate ice cream and chocolate-coated marshmallow cookies.

*Is your ice cream too hard to scoop? Soften it in a flash by heating it in the microwave on Low for about 20 seconds.

Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 345 (Calories from Fat 180 ); Total Fat 20 g (Saturated Fat 8 g); Cholesterol 30 mg; Sodium 200 mg; Total Carbohydrate 38 g (Dietary Fiber 1 g); Protein 4 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 4 %; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 10 %; Iron 6 % Exchanges:
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Tropical Fluff Salad

2010-07-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

1 (8 oz) tub of whipped topping, thawed

1 ½ - 16 oz containers of cottage cheese

1 can crushed pineapple, drained

1 small (3 oz) package Tropical Fusion Jell-o *

Fold together in a bowl, refrigerate a few hours or overnight - this allows the Jello to dissolve and flavors to blend.

* This salad is good with a variety of other flavors, including pineapple or lime.

Teriyaki Chicken

2010-06-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

½ cup soy sauce
1 ½ tsp ginger
4 Tbs brown sugar
3 Tbs honey
2 tsp oil
1 clove garlic
2-3 lbs raw chicken, cut up

Mix ingredients and add chicken. Marinate in refrigerator-the longer the tastier! Cook on grill or in frying pan.

Special Dietary Needs

2010-06-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

I have more and more friends and family members discovering they have Celiac disease, lactose intolerance, egg allergies, etc. I have done lots of searches for specialty recipes I can take to get-togethers that will be safe for everyone to eat. I will use this post as a place to collect links to good recipes & resources. Please, let me know of any good sites I am missing.

http://www.gicare.com/diets/gluten-free.aspx has a great list of things that do, may, and do not contain gluten.

Sloppy Joes

2010-04-08T16:33:00.000-07:00

{This recipe is a work in progress. It is good as is, but I am always tweaking things for more oomph. let me know if you make it, I love suggestions}

1 lb beef
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2-1 tsp minced garlic - to taste
1 can tomato sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp season salt
optional:
1/2 cup water
3 Tbs quick cook oatmeal

Brown beef. Add onions and garlic to pan and saute until translucent
Mix in remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve on buns and enjoy.

Shortcut Bread Bowls

2010-03-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

Frozen loaf bread dough- Place in sprayed cake or bread pan cover with sprayed saran wrap, place in fridge overnight, or thaw according to package directions.

Cut loaf into halves. (Thirds for smaller bowls.) Form into balls by tucking under the cut edges. Place on sprayed baking pan. Baste with 1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp water. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let rise until double. Remove wrap and bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Once cool, slice top and remove the soft center. Great for serving soups & dips.

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-02-25T18:15:00.000-08:00

Cream together:
   1 cup sugar
   3/4 cup margarine
Add
   1 egg and blend well

Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl:
   2 cups flour
   1 tsp salt
   1/2 tsp baking soda
   1/4 tsp nutmeg
   3/4 tsp cinnamon

Mash bananas with a fork to make 1 cup mashed bananas.

Alternately blend dry mix and bananas into cream mixture. When done, fold in
   6 oz chocolate chips (1/2 a regular bag) and
   1 3/4 cups quick-cooking oatmeal

Drop by teaspoonfuls on lightly greased cookie sheet

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Edges should be light brown.

Eat one from each batch as you remove them to cooling rack. Hide a few to eat for breakfast tomorrow.

Peanut Butter Bars

2010-02-06T11:12:00.000-08:00

Cream together
1 cup butter/margerine
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar

mix in 3 eggs

then add 2/3 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
mix then add 2 cups of quick cook oatmeal

Spread in greased pan and bake at 325 for 18-22 minutes, or until the middle is light golden brown (the edges will be darker) cool and then frost with frosting, cut before serving.

Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup softened margarine
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp vanilla

Mix and add
1lb + powdered sugar until desired consistency

Coconut Macaroons

2010-02-05T13:18:00.000-08:00

2 large egg whites

Pinch of salt

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

3 teaspoons imitation vanilla

4-5 drops almond flavoring

2 bags shredded sweetened coconut (14-ounces each)

· In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites and salt until frothy, about 2 minutes. Stir in condensed milk, almond flavoring, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold in coconut until well combined.

· Heat oven to 300 degrees.

· Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. Use a cookie scoop to form macaroons into 1 1/4-inch mounds about 1 inch apart.

Bake until macaroons are golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack; let cool completely. Drizzle with semi-sweet chocolate.

Bon's Dinner Rolls & Cinnamon Rolls

2010-01-29T18:02:00.000-08:00

1 cup warm water
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp Yeast
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 cup warmed milk
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
½ cup butter or margarine
6 ½ cups flour
(optional, ½ cup mashed potatoes)

Combine milk, ½ cup sugar, salt, and butter in mixing bowl.
Dissolve yeast in warm water with 2 Tbsp sugar, let start to rise. Then add yeast mixture eggs, and 2 cups flour to milk mixture. Beat until smooth. Add remaining flour and knead to soft dough, about 5-8 minutes.

Let rise until doubled.

Shape into dinner rolls or for cinnamon rolls, roll dough out into rectangle and brush with softened butter, coat with brown sugar and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Roll up and cut. Dental floss works best.
Place on greased pan. Let rise till double, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

GLAZE:
¼ butter, softened
Approximately 2 Tbsp imitation vanilla
Approximately ¼ tsp almond extract
2-3 Tbsp milk
Powdered sugar
Mix together milk, vanilla, almond extract and butter. Add powdered sugar to thicken to desired consistency.

Creamy Beef Enchiladas

2010-01-07T16:56:00.000-08:00

Begin with your favorite enchilada sauce. (Canned, packet, or homemade)Make as directed
Whisk in 1 can cream of mushroom soup
Brown 1 lb ground beef
Saute 1 small onion, chopped
Grate cheddar cheese to make 2 cups

Spread 1/2 the sauce in a casserole dish
Spoon meat/onion mixture into tortillas, sprinkle with cheese and roll.
Place in dish with seam on the side, then roll till seam is down. Place next enchilada touching the saucy side of the one before, this should prevent the enchiladas from sticking together.
Continue till pan is full.
Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with cheese,

Bake in a 350 deg oven for 15 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Serve with sides of rice, corn, sour cream, etc.

Chocolate Frosting

2010-01-07T15:31:00.000-08:00

1/4 cup butter
3 Tbs milk
2 Tbs cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar - 1/2 lb or till desired thickness

Leftovers? Spread between graham crackers for a guilty pleasure!

Creamy Potato Soup

2009-12-03T16:40:00.000-08:00

Inspired by this recipe from All Recipes

Ingredients:

8 unpeeled potatoes, cubed

1 onion, chopped

3-4 stalks celery, diced

2 Tbs chicken bouillon

2/3 cup sour cream

1/2 cup crumbled bacon bits

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can condensed cream of celery soup (or sub mushroom soup)

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1.	In a large stock pot combine potatoes, onions, celery, bouillon cubes and enough water to cover all ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium heat until potatoes can be pierced with a fork.
2.	Add sour cream, bacon, cream of mushroom soup and stir until creamy. Add cheese and stir until completely melted. Simmer on low until potatoes are done.

Yummy Frosting

2009-11-03T18:31:00.000-08:00

2-3 Tbsp butter or margarine, softened
2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp milk

Mix all ingredients and add powdered sugar until desired thickness.
Great for frosting cookies, cupcakes, & cakes.

Beef Stew

2009-10-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat or cubed roast. Coat in flour and brown in 2-3 Tbs canola oil.

Add: 1 or 2 chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
Saute with meat until onions are translucent (but not burned!)
Add:
6 large potatoes, washed and cubed
5-6 medium carrots, cut into chunks

1 can beef broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3-4 cups water
1 can tomato sauce
1 pkg lipton onion soup mix
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp Thyme
1 Tbs red wine vinegar

Simmer till veggies are tender, or cover tightly with foil and put in a 325 oven for 2 1/2-3 hours.
Cook peas and add before serving, as desired

Spooky Taco Salad

2009-10-10T14:04:00.001-07:00

This gem is from Taste of Home

Bone bites

2009-10-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

I found this fun idea on iVillage:

36 pretzel sticks and rods of various sizes

1 (12-ounce) package white chocolate chips (2 cups)

72 mini-marshmallows (about 1 cup)

Directions:

Makes 36 bones

More fun with pretzels and melted chocolate! Like the pretzel lollipop ghosts, these are a tasty mix of sweet and salty. With the white chocolate coating on them, they are uniformly charming. For the best effect, heap and jumble the little bones in a bowl rather than laying them on a plate. (Although I call for white chips, this is one place where lower grade white "coating" chocolate or bark is so easy to work with that it might be worth the trade-off in taste.)

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.

2. Place the chips in a double boiler over just-simmering water and melt, stirring frequently. As soon as the chips are just melted (there may even be a few solid ones left), remove the pan from the heat and remove the top section of the double boiler so the chocolate's temperature doesn't keep rising.

3. Stick marshmallows onto both ends of the pretzels, with the marshmallows' flat sides parallel to the pretzel.

4. Dip each pretzel in the chocolate and lift out with a fork, letting the excess drip back in the bowl. Lay the bones on the baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes to harden the chocolate. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at a cool room temperature.

Recipe courtesy of Ghoulish Goodies by Sharon Bowers Copyright © 2009; photo courtesy of Kevin Kennefick
Used by permission of Storey Publishing LLC
All Rights Reserved

Chicken Enchiladas

2009-10-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 small can diced green chiles

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
an additional 1/2 cup cheese for topping
2-4 chicken breasts, cooked & diced
1 cup sour cream
3 stalks green onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (may include as filling or serve on the side)

Combine soup, chiles and sour cream to make filling. Reserve 1 cup for topping.
Add chicken, rice, and cheese to filling mix.
Spread some of reserved soup mix in bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spoon filling into large tortillas, roll and lay in pan. Top with extra mix and sprinkle with extra cheese. Sprinkle with chopped green onions if desired.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes

Shortcut Enchiladas:
Same ingredients as above, but heat reserved soup mix for topping. Spread filling between two tortillas, lightly butter the outsides, and cook till crisp on a griddle or in a skillet. Garnish with warm soup mix, sprinkled cheese, and chopped onions.

Scary Puddin'

2009-10-07T10:13:00.001-07:00

This is a Kraft original

Easy Cornbread

2009-09-29T14:49:00.001-07:00

Mix together dry ingredients:
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Add:
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup oil
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 8-9" pan. Mix wet and dry ingredients until just moistened. Pour into pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until bread has lightly golden edges and toothpick comes out clean.

Serve with honey butter.

Honey Butter

2009-09-29T14:49:00.000-07:00

Mix together until smooth:

3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup honey

Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

Eyeball soda & Jello Worms

2009-09-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

Check out this post on Dabbled.org for instructions on these creepy bubbles.

For an extra slimy treat, try these Jello Nightcrawlers! I get shivers just looking at them. Here is a second link on making them.

Banana Nut Bread

2009-09-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening or margarine ( I do 1/4 cup each)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2-4 bananas

Cream together sugar & margarine.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs and vanilla, then beat into cream mixture.

Mix separately: Flour, baking soda, and salt.

Mash bananas to make 1 cup

Alternately add flour mixture and bananas to the sugar mix. Pour into greased pans and bake at @350 for 1 hour.

Maple Syrup

2009-09-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

2 parts sugar (3 cups for us)
1 part water (1 1/2 cups)

Mix in saucepan, stirring frequently over medium heat. Bring to a full boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add drops of maple flavoring until desired flavor is reached. For a rich flavor, add 1 tsp.

Homemade Pancake Batter

2009-09-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

2 cups flour
2 Tbs sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

blend dry ingredients together, then add:

2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 Tbs oil (or applesauce)
3 tsp vanilla

Cut back the milk for thicker pancakes or waffles. Top with homemade syrup. Yum!

Cake mix cookies

2009-09-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

1 box cake mix
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup applesauce
2 eggs
2-3 tbs water
chocolate chips or nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets

Use a liquid measuring cup to measure oil & applesauce, add 2 eggs, then fill to the 1 cup line with water (or applesauce?).

Mix liquids together then add to cake mix. Stir well. Fold in desired fillings.

Scoop the dough into walnut sized balls. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Variation ideas:
add 2/3 cup oatmeal to any recipe
Chocolate/devils food cake with peanut butter chips
Chocolate/devils food cake, balled and rolled into powdered sugar to make crinkle cookies
Chocolate/devils food cake with mint chocolate chips
Chocolate/devils food cake balled with a rolo candy in the center of each cookie
Lemon cake mix with 1 tsp lemon extract, balled and rolled into powdered sugar to make crinkle cookies
White cake mix with butterscotch chips and toasted pecans
M&Ms
Caramel bits

Apple spice BBQ Sauce

2009-09-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

For the original post, go here.

1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 cups brown sugar
6 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (I didn't measure this I just did 6 grinds from my pepper grinder)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

To prepare sauce:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix applesauce, ketchup, brown sugar, lemon juice, salt, ground black pepper, paprika, minced garlic and cinnamon. Stirring frequently, bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and use to baste the meat of your choice. (The recipe says the applesauce gives the sauce a nice thick texture, and coats well on the meat and that the sweet spicy flavor is excellent on chicken or pork.)

To serve with shredded pork:

1 pork loin (around 3 pounds)
1/2 cup apple juice

Place pork loin in crock pot with 1/2 cup apple juice and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove from crock pot and shred. Remove any juice or fat let in crock pot. Place meat back in crock pot and add prepared applesauce bbq sauce. Heat until warm. Serve over rice or as sandwiches

Caramel Apple Bites

2009-09-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Family Fun and EHow.com for this great idea!

You will need:

Granny Smith apples -One apple makes around 6 bites
Cookie scoop or large melon baller
Wooden skewers or lollipop sticks
Caramel or melting chocolates
Toppings* such as chopped nuts, nonpareils, sprinkles, coconut, crushed candy bars or cookies, etc
Small paper candy cups

Melt the caramel in a saucepan over medium heat.
Wash off the apples.
Cut into the apples with the cookie scoop or melon baller, making circular scoops to create little balls of apple. The peel should serve as a flat base to rest the ball. (But I like the look of them at the top, so you can tell it is an apple) You can get about four to six balls out of one apple.
Pat the apples to remove any excess juices from the fleshy part of the ball.
Insert the wooden skewers or lollipop sticks into the center of the top of the apple ball. If you're using skewers, don't allow the tips to pierce the skin on the bottom of the apple, or the apple will slide down when it's picked up.
Give the apples another pat to dry off any juices that may have run out while inserting the sticks. Dip in powdered sugar, then tap off the excess.
Dip the apple balls into the caramel, twisting to make sure you cover the whole thing.
Set dipped apple on paper candy cup. Then place on a dish or tray, and place in the refrigerator for about half an hour. This will allow the caramel to set.
Serve immediately. If you are unable to serve the apples right away, make sure to leave them in the refrigerator until you are ready for them. Unlike on a regular caramel apple, the flesh is exposed and so the apple will spoil much faster. Serving them immediately will make sure they are still crisp

*Check out these sites for gourmet topping ideas
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
Amy' s Decadent Chocolates

Miss Debbie's Specialty Apples

Zucchini Soup

2009-07-28T17:43:00.001-07:00

I think this may be the recipe that appeases my love of zucchini and my husband's love of crumbled bacon! I can't wait to try it. I found the original at The Sisters' Cafe, check them out for more yummy recipes.
1 cup chopped onions
1-2 Tbsp. butter
3 cups sliced zucchini
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
½ cup half-and-half or milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, then crumbled

In a large saucepan saute onions & zucchini in melted butter. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender (about 15 min.) Add salt and pepper. Cool slightly. Pour mixture into blender and puree it. Stir in half-and-half (or milk). Return to saucepan and reheat, but do not boil. Garnish with grated cheese, sour cream, and bacon bits. Makes 6 servings.

Breaded Zucchini Fries

2009-07-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

I have some serious zucchini love. You have to love it to commit the proper spelling to memory...anyway... I first learned how yummy it could be when my mom made fried zucchini.

Now I still love the stuff, but not the frying it in butter part, so I wanted to share this recipe posted by Erica at Favorite Family Recipes that takes some of the guilt out of this tasty indulgence:

1-2 large zucchini, cut into spears or circles (the zucchini we had was HUGE so we just used one)
2 eggs
1-2 Tbsp. milk
1 c. Italian-style bread crumbs or croutons blended up finely in a blender (we ran out of bread crumbs so we did the crouton thing)
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Butter or cooking spray

First, line a baking sheet with foil and spray evenly with cooking spray. Next, combine eggs and milk in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and salt & pepper. Dip each zucchini piece into the egg mixture, then dip into bread crumbs until evenly coated in crumbs. Place zucchini on baking sheet, spray each with cooking/butter spray and then bake in the oven at 425-degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. For an added crisp, turn the oven to broil and cook for about 30-45 seconds longer (don't let em' burn though, watch them closely). Remove from oven and serve hot with ranch dressing or marinara/pizza sauce.

Zucchini Boat Casserole

2009-07-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite zucchini dinner. I used to bake it in the zucchini shells, but now for the sake of time I just cook it all in my biggest frying pan. You could bake as a casserole as well.

Ingredients:
1 large zucchini, chopped: 10-12" long and 2-3" around
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
1 egg (if you will be baking it, not for the fry pan method)
1 cup cooked rice (substitute a seasoned rice for more flavor)
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Brown beef, add veggies and saute till tender. mix in rice & mozzarella, sprinkle top with Parmesan. Place lid on pan and heat on med/low until heated through and cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy

Zucchini Boat Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cut zucchini lengthwise, scoop out insides & chop them, leaving the shell whole.

Brown beef, remove from pan and then use pan to saute onion, pepper, and chopped zucchini. Cool slightly

Mix meat and veggies with 1 beaten egg, rice, and mozzarella. Spoon into shells, sprinkle with Parmesan.
Bake for 30 minutes or until shells are soft. Slice into 3" sections to serve.

Lemon Spritz Punch

2009-07-01T07:27:00.000-07:00

This can be made in large quantities, just double away!

2 cans of lemonade concentrate
2 liters of ginger ale.

Premix the concentrate with half as much water as you would normally, add it to the punchbowl with LOTS of ice, pour in the ginger ale and garnish with lemon slices and strawberries

Thanks 7 Layer Studio for sharing this one. Check her out, she did some fabulous reception food & decor with this one.

Chopped Spaghetti

2009-06-18T22:18:00.000-07:00

Tired of chopping spaghetti to serve to the under 2 crowd? Check this out!

Strawberry Jell Topping

2009-05-19T19:54:00.000-07:00

This is a perfect topping for strawberry shortcake, angel food cake, cheesecake, anything that tastes good with sweet, juicy, strawberries.

Mix together in medium saucepan:
1 pk strawberry kool-aid
3/4 cup sugar
4 Tbs (1/4 cup) cornstarch

Add 2 cups cold water, mix well. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cool. Add sliced strawberries.

Orange Julius

2009-05-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

3/4 cup cold water
1- 6 oz can orange juice concentrate (3/4 cup)
10 ice cubes
3 Tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Add all ingredients to blender and grind or pulse till no large chunks remain.

Lime Slush

2009-05-03T21:13:00.000-07:00

Mix together in large bowl:
6 oz limeade concentrate (3/4 cup)
8 cups water
2 cups sugar

Pop it in the freezer, and don't forget to thaw it for 2-4 hours before serving.
To serve: (Thaw as stated above)
Break up with large fork
add 2 to 3 liters of Squirt brand soda pop or Pomegranite 7-up for the holidays
Ladle into cups and enjoy!

Easter Egg cookies

2009-04-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

Prepare cookie dough, dividing into equal parts. Tint each part with food coloring. Roll into long ropes, 1 inch in diameter. Lay them side by side, with a quarter inch space in between. Roll out to 1/4 inch, and cut with egg shaped cutters. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake as directed, thanks for the idea, Betty.

Sweet Roll Glaze

2009-03-19T13:52:00.000-07:00

1-2 Tbs melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1-2 Tbs milk
a few drops of almond extract, if you have some
Powdered sugar

Mix together milk, vanilla, and melted butter. Add powdered sugar to thicken to desired consistency.

Drizzle over sweet rolls, toasted cinnamon swirl bread, etc.

Cinnamon Shamrock Rolls

2009-03-19T13:38:00.001-07:00

Put a loaf of frozen bread* dough in a sprayed pan, cover with sprayed plastic wrap and leave in fridge the night before. You want the dough to be thawed but still cold.

Flour your clean surface, grab a pizza cutter or knife.

Slice loaf into strips. Pat and stretch them into a flat breadstick shape, then let them rest while you gather your ingredients. 1-2 Tablespoons of melted butter and basting brush
1/4 cup brown sugar
cinnamon sugar

Work the bread into long flat strips, laying them side by side.
Brush the dough with melted butter
Sprinkle heavily with brown sugar and cinnamon sugar
Roll up each breadstick starting on each end and meeting in the middle, making somewhat of a heart shape. Place three heart rolls on sprayed pan. Fold one of your shorter breadsticks in half, keeping the sugars on the inside. Place this at the base of the three hearts to form the stem.

Make the rest of the shamrock rolls following these steps.
Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and allow to double in size. Remove wrap and bake at 350°F 12-15 minutes.

When cooled drizzle with green tinted glaze.

Chinese Chicken Salad

2009-03-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

Heat oven to 350. spread the following ingredients on jelly roll pan and toast in oven, stirring occasionally until lightly toasted:
1/2 cup sesame seeds
2 packages chicken ramen, broken to bite size
1/2-1 cup slivered almonds

Mix in bowl:
1 head chopped cabbage
2 cups diced cooked chicken
3 stalks green onion, chopped
toasted ingredients

Make dressing by blending together:
1/2 cup vinegar
1 Tbs soy sauce
2 pkts chicken seasoning from ramen
3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil

Add dressing to salad, let sit in fridge for 3 hours if possible.

Shamrock Rolls

2009-03-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

Put a loaf of frozen bread* dough in a sprayed pan, cover with sprayed plastic wrap and leave in fridge the night before. You want the dough to be thawed but still cold.

Flour your clean surface, grab a pizza cutter or knife.

Slice loaf into portions, I did mine pretty big so they could serve as sandwich buns. You could do thinner slices for more rolls.

Tip slices to flat side, then pat into a smooth circle.

Use knife to cut two parrallel lines in the bottom 1/2 to form the stem.
Then make two more slices on the top to create the 3 leaves of the Shamrock
From here I put short slices in each leaf and tucked the points under to create rounded leaves.

You may dust each piece with flour, then place on a sprayed baking sheet. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and allow to double in size. Remove wrap and bake at 350°F 12-15 minutes.

*this would work just as well with frozen roll dough if you don't need large shamrocks. Just skip the slicing step.

Lime Pie

2009-03-15T21:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Studio 5 for this yummy recipe.

Ingredients:

1 package (3 oz) lime flavored Jello
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (2-3 fresh limes)
1 tablespoon fresh lime zest
1 can (14 oz) fat-free sweetened cond. milk (not evaporated)
1 package (8 oz) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 cup whipping cream
1 9-inch graham cracker crust*

Method:

Dissolve Jello in 1/2 cup boiling water; stir until sugar is completely dissolved in Jello. Add 1/2 cup cold water to Jello, then remove 3/4 cup and set aside. Stir lime juice and zest into remaining Jello and set aside to cool and thicken, but do not allow it to set.

Pour the 3/4 cup reserved Jello into a flat, non-stick 9-inch cake pan, cover and refrigerate. This Jello may be used as a garnish later.

Beat softened cream cheese until smooth; add sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk) and stir to blend.

Whip cream until stiff peaks form.

Beat together cream cheese mixture and Jello-lime-juice-zest mixture (product should be thick and light - but not setup). Fold in whipped cream; spoon filling into prepared graham cracker crust. Refrigerate until set (2-3 hours).

Cut pie into 10 pieces. To garnish, use a small cookie cutter to cut shamrock or other fun shapes from set Jello and carefully place shapes on each slice of pie. If desired, add curls of lime zest or thin slices of lime.

Optional garnish: whip additional cream and pipe swirls of cream on each slice, add thin slices of lime.

Optional crust variation: (not included in nutrition analysis)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread approximately 2 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut out in a shallow baking pan. Toast coconut in oven, stirring every 30 seconds, until lightly browned (about 2-4 minutes). Cool coconut and mix with 1/3 cup softened butter. Press coconut into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate until crust is firm.

Today's Version Sweet Pork Burritos

2009-03-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

Sweet Pork:
Put pork roast into crockpot with 1-2 cups of Dr Pepper. (Not diet) Sprinkle with 1/4 cup brown sugar. Cook on low until pork separates easily with fork. (Plan on 5-6 hours) Remove roast from pot, then drain and discard juice. Shred the pork and return to pot. Put in 2 cups of green enchilada sauce (Medium), 1 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 cup Dr Pepper. Cook on low for 1-2 hours. Serve with lime rice & black beans.

Chili-Lime Rice
2 cups rice
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 teaspoon lime zest

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

combine rice, garlic salt, lime zest, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice.

Whipped Cream

2009-03-05T11:29:00.000-08:00

2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup sugar

Chill metal bowl, beaters, and heavy cream.

In chilled bowl, whip cream 2-3 minutes on high, or until soft peaks form. Beat in vanilla and sugar 2 minutes more, until fluffy. Take care not to overbeat.

Mom's Sugar Cookies- Even Better than Before!

2009-02-28T08:19:00.000-08:00

2 Cups Margarine or Butter
3 Cups Sugar
4 Eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
8 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add in the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition. Cream well. Stir in vanilla. Mix salt, baking soda, baking powder into flour. Add flour into batter. Divide dough and form into flat disks. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour. I usually chill overnight. This dough freezes beautifully. Roll dough out ¼ inch thick and cut into shapes. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes. I bake until edges are slightly golden.

Sweet Pork Salads

2009-02-26T12:22:00.000-08:00

Yeah for Janet Eyering and her Living for Less recipes!

Sweet Pork

Ingredients:

1 (3-5 lb.) sirloin or boneless pork loin roast
1 cup salsa (**sale** Don Julio 16 oz. $1.79)
1 cup packed brown sugar

Method:

Place ingredients in a greased 3 ½ - 5 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat 8-10 hours. Shred pork with a fork or potato masher before serving. Use meat in salads, burritos, or tacos.

Cilantro-Lime Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked converted white rice
1 teaspoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated lime peel (zest)
1 can (15 ounces) chicken broth
¼ cup water
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
3 Tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro

Method:

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, lime zest, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, combine lime juice, sugar, and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice. Serve warm.

Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream
1 envelope Ranch Salad Dressing
½ envelope Fiesta Ranch Salad Dressing
6 tomatillos, husked and cut in half
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice from 2 freshly squeezed limes
¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a blender. And blend until smooth. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Ice Cream balls

2009-02-23T07:26:00.001-08:00

I found these instructions on a fun site called Grandmas modern day trunk of treasures. Yummy.
This is a really easy recipe that is delicious and fun to make. I created the recipe myself and it has become a family favorite. It is a good dessert to follow mexican food.

Recipe: Ice Cream Balls yields 3 dozen

8 Cups Frosted Flakes, 4 Cups Honey Bunches of Oats with almonds, 1/2 C. brown sugar, 3 tsp. cinnamon, 14 oz. sweeted coconut, 1 & 1/2 gallons vanilla ice cream.

In a large mixing bowl place cereals, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Crush mixture with hands to a rough crumble and mix ingredients well. Add coconut and toss to blend.

Line 2 cookie sheets with wax paper and make room in the freezer for them to sit flat.

Allow Ice Cream to slightly soften. Make scoops (rough scoops okay) of ice cream and set 3 or 4 in the bowl of cereal mixture. Use your hands to pat coating onto the scoops and round the scoops with your hands. Place on cookies sheets. Repeat working quickly until first pan is filled. Place in freezer to freeze. Fill the second sheet the same way.

Allow to freeze at least 3 hours before serving.

To serve: Place the ice cream ball in a bowl. Top with a nice drizzle of honey, top with whipped cream and sliced almonds. You can garnish with a triangle of deep fried flour tortilla coated in cinnamon sugar.

Once the balls are frozen hard you can store them in plastic ice cream buckets or any other freezer safe container. They keep for about 6 weeks in the freezer.

It is hard to mess this recipe up. You can easily make any size batch you would like.

Lemon Cake

2009-02-22T15:54:00.000-08:00

Quick link to a recipe that looked yummy.

Tres Leches Cake, Potluck Style

2009-02-22T13:21:00.000-08:00

This is a variation of Betty's Recipe. It is best to make it a day in advance so the milks can soak in .

1 box white or yellow cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 can evaporated milk, coconut milk, or 1 cup whole milk

For topping
2 cups heavy whipping cream
¼ cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease and flour or spray bottom and sides of a 13 x 18 jelly roll pan. (Also known in my house as a cookie sheet)
In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.
Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes. Poke top of hot cake every 1/2 inch with a serving fork, wiping fork occasionally to reduce sticking.
In large bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. Carefully pour evenly over top of cake. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight when possible to allow mixture to be absorbed into cake.
Frost with whipped cream or Cool whip frosting
Top with toasted coconut, fresh fruit, or cinnamon.

Used the vanilla pudding, milk and whipped topping frosting and served with fresh strawberries

Basic Omelet Recipe

2009-02-18T11:11:00.001-08:00

Incredible Egg.org is the organization that taught me eggs get fluffy by adding water, and rubbery by adding milk! Here is their recipe for a basic omelet
(Multiply the recipe by as many servings as you need and use 1/2 cup of the egg mixture for each omelet.)

things you'll need

2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
1/8 teaspoon salt, optional
Dash pepper, optional
1 teaspoon butter or cooking oil OR cooking spray

getting started

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and water with the salt and pepper, if desired, until blended.
In a 7- to 10-inch omelet pan or skillet over medium-high heat, heat the butter until it’s just hot enough to sizzle a drop of water.
Pour in the egg mixture. (The mixture should set immediately at the edges).
With an inverted pancake turner, carefully push the cooked portions at the edges of the pan toward the center so the uncooked portions can reach the hot pan surface, tilting the pan and moving the cooked portions as necessary.
When the top of the omelet is thickened and no visible liquid egg remains, fill the omelet, if desired.
With a pancake turner, fold the omelet in half or roll it.
Invert the omelet onto a plate with a quick flip of the wrist or slide the omelet from the pan onto a serving plate.

Orange Bundt Cake

2009-02-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

Preheat oven to 325° F. Carefully grease and flour Bundt pan. Or save some effort and use pan spray with flour, like Baker's Joy. Turn pan over to drain any puddled spray

Combine ingredients in a good size bowl:
1 box white or yellow cake mix
1 cup milk
3 oz cream cheese, softened (the foil has measurements on the side, like butter)
2 teaspoons grated orange peel (avoid grating down to the white pith, it'll taste bitter)
3 eggs

Mix on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes.
Pour carefully into pan, tapping edges when finished to remove air pockets.

Combine all ingredients and mix for 2 minutes. Carefully pour or spoon batter into pan. (Fill no more than ¾ full) Tap on countertop to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for precisely 10 minutes. Lift pan and shake from side to side. You should hear the loose cake shifting from back and forth. Then put on serving plate on top of pan and flip over to easily place it. Make sure it is where you want it, after it cools it may be stuck on the plate pretty well. Remove pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Thanks Betty Crocker!

Yummy Cream Cheese Glaze

4-5 ounces cream cheese, softened (The rest of the 8 oz brick from the cake recipe)
1 Tablespoon butter, softened
2 ½ cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 Tablespoons milk

Blend well, color as desired, and pour over cooled cake.

Cheesy bread

2009-01-24T22:45:00.000-08:00

Set oven to broil.
Arrange on cookie sheet:
Sliced french bread, buns, or even regular old slice bread, spread with butter or margarine
Sprinkle with garlic salt, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses
Put under broiler until cheese is bubbly and edges are golden brown.
(Don't forget they are in there, or you will surely be putting your smoke detector to the test!)

Sweet and Sour Sauce

2009-01-24T22:44:00.000-08:00

Mix together in sauce pan:
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
½ cup sugar
¼ cup vinegar

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Make thickener by mixing together:

2 Tbs cornstarch
¼ cup cold water

Add to hot mixture while stirring. Once cornstarch is mixed in, raise heat and stir till thick.

Cinnamon Bundt Cake

2009-01-23T11:35:00.000-08:00

18 ounce vanilla, yellow, or white cake mix
4 serving size instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
3/4 cup applesauce
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350° F. Carefully grease and flour Bundt pan. Or save some effort and use pan spray with flour, like Baker's Joy. Turn pan over to drain any puddled spray.

Combine all ingredients and mix for 2 minutes. Sprinkle bottom of pan with toasted walnuts (optional) Carefully pour or spoon batter into pan. (Fill no more than ¾ full) Tap on countertop to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for precisely 10 minutes. Lift pan and shake from side to side. You should hear the loose cake shifting from back and forth. Then put on serving plate on top of pan and flip over to easily place it. Make sure it is where you want it, after it cools it may be stuck on the plate pretty well.

Caramel Sauce
In a saucepan combine:
½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup milk

Melt together over medium heat, bring to boil, stir constantly while boiling for 2 minutes.

Stir in 1 tsp vanilla. Let frosting cool to room temperature. Beat in ¼ cup powdered sugar for sauce type consistency. Increase powdered sugar to 1 ½ -2 cups to create frosting.

Carefully remove cake from pan directly onto serving plate. Evenly pour glaze over top, using a spoon or pastry brush to reach undersides and crannies until cake is completely covered. Garnish with toasted walnuts, if desired.

Cool completely before covering.

Veggie Dip

2008-11-22T19:25:00.000-08:00

Mix together and enjoy:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp dill
2 tsp bon appetite or beau monde

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Drop Cookies

2008-11-21T22:44:00.000-08:00

An easy, lower fat recipe, and yummy to boot!

Mix together:
1 package spice cake mix
1 small can pumpkin (or ½ of a large can which is 1 ¾ cups)

Add ½ package semisweet chocolate chips.

Drop by spoonfuls on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Jello Spritz Cookies

2008-11-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

Cream together:
1½ cups butter
1 cup sugar
1- 3 oz pkg raspberry (or any flavor) jello.

Beat together:
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
Add to cream mixture

Mix separately:
3 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder

Gradually blend flour mix into cream mix. Blend till smooth. Press cookies (with a cookie press) onto chilled cookie sheets. Bake at 400° for 7-10 minutes, till edges are barely golden brown.

Warning! This recipe makes a TON of little cookies. Try the half batch first:

½ Batch Recipe for Jello Spritz Cookies:

Cream together:
¾ cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
½ - pkg jello ( ¼ cup)

Beat together:
½ egg (yes, I am serious. Scramble an egg in a cup and use 2 Tbs of it.)
1 tsp vanilla
Add to cream mixture

Mix separately:
1 ¾ cups flour
½ tsp baking powder

Gradually blend flour mix into cream mix. Blend till smooth. Press cookies (with a cookie press) onto chilled cookie sheets. Bake at 400° for 7-10 minutes, till edges are barely golden brown.

How to toast coconut

2008-11-09T09:51:00.000-08:00

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread unsweetened coconut shavings, or sweetened shredded or flaked coconut on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring every 30 seconds. Continue until edges are golden, about 5 to 10 minutes. If toasting sweetened coconut, check and stir more frequently because the added sugar causes irregular browning, or in my case, burning! (I may have burned the first batch while typing this, it doesn't smell pretty.)

Goblin Toes

2008-10-30T07:51:00.000-07:00

These creepy digits entertain my scouts every year!

You will need:
A jar of baby dill pickles
Sliced almonds
a paring knife

Lay out pickles on a plate or cutting board. Determine which side lays most stable, and pick an end for the nail. (I like the thicker end) Use your paring knife to slice the tip off the pickle to create a nail bed. I make an L shape cut, so there is a straight end where the bed meets the rest of the "toe."

Select an almond that fits the nailbed you have created, and simply place it on. The nails do slip loose, so if you are travelling with these, either pack them tight in a container or put the nails on right before serving.

Yummy Mummies

2008-10-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

So these yummy things pop up every year at Halloween parties and family events. Here is our version.

Take your favorite type of hotdog -Turkey dogs are yummy, what can I say?
Pop out a can of Pillsbury dough. This time we tried the recipe creations, the dough is one big piece. Lay it out (on sprayed cookie sheet) use pizza cutter to cut into long strips. I found the ones about 1 inch thick were easiest to work with.

I warmed one package of hotdogs in the microwave. I like to think that gives them a headstart to heat all the way through. Move cut strips to the side. One by one, wrap each hotdog with one long strip of dough, leaving a space for the Mummy's face to show. Bake as directed, about 13 minutes at 375. Remove from oven when golden brown. Use mustard and a toothpick to dab eyes on each mummy. Don't worry if you don't like mustard, the portion is so small, you won't taste it. We tried making eyes with ketchup and BBQ sauce, they match the hotdog too much. Once they cool a bit, munch away and enjoy your yummy mummies!

Spooky kooky cakes

2008-10-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

Mark and I teamed up our creativity to make these. Make a regular batch of cupcakes, and a batch of green frosting. (Recipe to come at a later date.) Prepare frosting and monster parts. We used:
Gummy eyeball candy
airheads- cut and molded to desired shapes
white chocolate chips
black gel icing
marshmallows (large ones cut in half)

Ice cupcakes with a star or grass tip. Use candies to add eyes, tongues, eyebrows, and whatnot. Have fun!

Ghost puddle potatoes

2008-10-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

For the basic recipe you will need 1 batch warm mashed potatoes and one can of black beans, rinsed.

Make sure your potatoes are creamy. Fill a gallon or quart size freezer bag with potatoes. Use scissors to snip of one corner of the bag. Use this like an icing bag, squeezing from the zip end towards the open corner, rolling up the slack in the bag as you go. It works well to hold the bag vertical to the plate, squeezing consistently, and bobbing the bag up and down to make the puddled effect. Once you have a plateful of ghastly puddles, insert two black beans in for eyes, and one for a mouth if so desired. Viola!

Stuffed Puddle Ghosts:
Same as above, but mix in sour cream, garlic salt, mozarella, and precooked bacon bits. We used bacon bits for eyes. Tasty fine!

Breadstick bones

2008-10-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

Begin with bread dough, homemade, frozen dough, from a can, whatever. I used a frozen loaf, thawed, of course. Flour your surface, and lightly flour both sides of the dough. Roll it out into a long rectangle. Use a pizza cutter to cut into strips the short way, so you have around 20 short sticks from the dough. Stretch each breadstick to about 10 inches, dip in melted butter, and tie each end in a knot. Arrange on lightly sprayed pan, taking care not to twist the center of the bone. Allow dough to rise, then sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at 350 until lightly golden brown.

Bonnie's Minestrone Soup

2008-10-03T15:31:00.000-07:00

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 can Italian green beens
1 cup zucchini, diced
6 cups water

1- 15 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1- 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
1- 15 oz can kidney beans
3 tsp chicken bouillon

¾ tsp oregano flakes
¼ tsp oregano powder
1 tsp basil leaves

½ tsp thyme

1 tsp season salt

1 tsp dried parsley

pinch of black pepper

½ tsp garlic pd

1 tsp soy sauce

Beef, cubed and seared -optoinal and delicious

Don’t add until the last 20 minutes:

¾ cup dried small shell pasta
½ cup chopped spinach leaves

In large stock pot, heat oil and sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and zucchini until soft. Add remaining ingredients, simmer for at least 15 minutes. Then add dry pasta and spinach for the last 20 minutes. Serve with grated cheese (parmesan) and crusty bread.

Hawaiian Haystacks (or Chicken Sundaes)

2008-09-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

Cook and chop chicken breasts, reserve broth if you boil them.
Cook 4 servings white rice.
Heat 1 can cream of chicken soup with 1/2 can chicken broth, milk, or water; add chicken.
Prepare toppings to taste or just use what you have on hand:

drained chunk or tidbit pineapple (This is not optional!)*
grated cheese*
chopped celery*
diced tomatoes*
water chestnuts
diced bell pepper
chopped onion
sunflower seeds
slivered almonds*
Chinese noodles
coconut
green onion
whatever else sounds good

* my favorite toppings so far

Andrea's No Boil Lasagna

2008-09-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

Brown:
1 lb ground beef
½ cup chopped onion
Optional: 1 cup shredded veggies (carrot, zucchini)

Add:
1- 32 oz jar spaghetti sauce (Garlic & herb flavor is great)
¾ cup water

Combine and set aside:
2 cups cottage cheese (1-16 oz tub)
½ package thawed spinach

Additional ingredients:
1 package lasagna noodles
3 cups mozzarella cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese (large grated, or ¼ cup finely grated)

Spread 1 cup sauce mixture onto bottom of a 9x13 pan; top with layers of 3 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture, ¾ cup of mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining 3 noodles, sauce, and mozarella cheese. Sprinkle with parmesan. Cover with greased foil, nonstick foil, or parchment then foil.

Quick look at layers:
1. Meat sauce
2. Noodles
3. Cottage cheese
4. Mozarella

Bake 45 minutes at 350. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting to serve.

Shawna's Carrot Cake

2008-09-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

Mix
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup oil
¾ cup applesauce

Add
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon

4 eggs
2 cups grated carrot (2 large)
1 20-oz can crushed pineapple, drained

Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
8 oz cream cheese
½ stick margarine
½ bag powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Raisins
Nuts

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

2008-09-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

1 ½ Tablespoons margarine, melted
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds

Collect seeds and rinse well. Dry with a paper towel. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Combine all ingredients, mix thoroughly, and place in shallow baking dish. Bake for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Mark's Green Bean Casserole

2008-09-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

1 can (10 ¾ oz.) Cream of Mushroom Soup
½ cup milk
1 tsp. soy sauce
Dash black pepper
1 quart (4 cups) cooked cut green beans
1 onion, sliced and sautéed
1 cup Fried Onions

MIX soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans, and sautéed onions in 1 ½-qt. casserole.

BAKE at 350°F. for 25 min. or until hot.

STIR . Sprinkle with fried onions. Bake 5 min.

TIP: Use 1 bag (16 to 20 oz.) frozen green beans, 2 pkg. (9 oz. each) frozen green beans, 2 cans (about 16 oz. each) green beans or about 1 1/2 lb. fresh green beans for this recipe.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

2008-09-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 recipe Zucchini Gingerbread or other Gingerbread Recipe
1 package cook and serve vanilla pudding mix
2 cups milk
1 can (29 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin (Try with half first, add more to taste)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 container whipped topping, divided

Directions: Prepare and bake gingerbread according to package directions, using two greased 9-in. round baking pans. Cool completely on wire racks. Cut into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes. Set aside 1/4 c of cubes.

To prepare pudding: in a large saucepan, combine pudding mix and milk, heat until thick, then cool; In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin and brown sugar; stir into pudding.

In a 4-qt. glass serving bowl, layer with one-third of the cubed gingerbread; Top with 1/3 of pudding mixture and 1/3 whipped topping. Repeat layers. Crumble reserved gingerbread, sprinkle over top. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour, or overnight. Yield: 25 servings (1 cup each).

Ginger-Streusel Pumpkin Pie

2008-09-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

Taste of Home

Ingredients:

1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry
3 eggs
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
STREUSEL:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cold butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup finely chopped candied or crystallized ginger

Directions:

On a lightly floured surface, unroll pastry. Transfer pastry to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute edges.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, cream, sugars, cinnamon, salt, allspice, nutmeg and cloves. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in walnuts and ginger. Gently sprinkle over filling.
Bake 15-25 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 8 servings.

Rice Krispy Treats

2008-09-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

3 Tbs Butter or Margarine
5 ½ -6 cups mini marshmallows a (or 40 large marshmallows)
6 cups rice krispy cereal

Melt butter in large, nonstick pan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until almost completely melted. Remove from heat, and continue stirring until completely melted. Add cereal immediately, mix well, and pressed into greased or buttered 9x13 pan. Let cool and cut into squares.

Pot Roast

2008-09-17T00:38:00.001-07:00

Begin with a cross-rib roast.
Heat a small amount of oil in a large pot.
Add meat, and brown all sides.

Mix in :
2/3 cup water
1 envelope onion soup mix
½ packet au jus seasoning

To cook in crock pot, add desired veggies (carrots, potatoes, onions, all cut into wedges) to bottom of pot. Place roast on veggies, and pour liquid over top. Heat on low until meat reaches 165° and veggies are cooked through.

Gravy:
Strain juices, pour clear juices into saucepan and heat to boiling. Mix flour and water to form thickening. Add slowly to juices and boil until thick.

Poppyseed Chicken

2008-09-09T12:46:00.001-07:00

Layer in pan:
8 chicken breasts, thawed or fresh

Mix and pour over chicken:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
12 oz sour cream
½ cup butter, melted (omit?)

Mix and sprinkle on top:
2 rolls crushed Ritz crackers
¼ cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp poppyseed

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes
Serve over rice

Dump Salad

2008-09-06T11:23:00.000-07:00

1 (8 oz) tub of whipped topping
1 - 1 ½ lbs cottage cheese
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 small (3 oz) package lime Jell-o

Dump all ingredients into bowl and mix well. Enjoy.

Zucchini Brownie Cake

2008-08-21T17:18:00.000-07:00

1 ½ cup sugar
½ cup applesauce
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups flour ( I substitute 1/2 cup flour with wheat flour)
1 ½ tsp soda
¼ cup cocoa
1 tsp salt
½ cup nuts (optional)

Cream sugar and applesauce. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Then add zucchini and dry ingredients.
Grease and flour cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Chocolate Frosting

1/4 cup butter
3 Tbs milk
2 Tbs cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
½ lb powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients, adding powdered sugar till soft peaks form.

Double Batch (For sheet cake)

1/2 cup butter
6 Tbs milk
4 Tbs cocoa
2 tsp vanilla
1 lb powdered sugar