Pat Nelson's Christmas Essence

1 stick cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp oil of cinnamon
5 whole cloves
1/2 tsp oil of cloves

1. Mix spices together and put in a small bag made from Christmas patterned fabric. Add a card with the directions for use: Mix with 4 cups water and simmer ov stove for fragrant aroma.

Pat Nelson's Lemon Cheesecake

Crust:
3 tbl powdered sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
12-15 graham crackers

Filling:
3 oz lemon Jell-O
1 can evaporated milk, chilled
1 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
8 oz softened cream cheese

1. Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water and cool. Cream sugar and cream cheese together and add the milk slowly. Combine the two mixtures and pour over the graham cracker crust. Chill until set.

Pat Nelson's Pumpkin Cake Roll

2/3 cup canned or cooked pumpkin
3 eggs
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp giner
1/2 tsp salt
powdered sugar
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmet
1/2 cup chopped nuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs until lemon colored. Gradually add sugar. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt; add to egg-pumpkin mixture. Line a 10x15 jelly roll pan with wax paper, then grease the paper. Pour batter into pan and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle powdered sugar on kitchen towel. Turn cake onto towl and remove wax paper. Roll up cake and towel lengthwise and cool. Refrigerate or freeze.

Filling:
6 oz cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup soft margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Whip cream cheese and margarine. Beat in 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla. Unroll cake and spread with filling. Roll up again. Cut in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze.

Gloria Nelson's Pumpkin Pie Filling

2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup pumpkin
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp ginger
salt
1 tsp vanilla

1. Scald milk with pumpkin and sugar in it. Beat eggs and add other ingredients. Add egg mixture to the pumpkin and stir well. Cool before adding filling to cooked pie shells. Makes 2 small pies. A double recipe will make 3 large pies. Refrigerate.

Pat Nelson's Delicious Pumpkin Cake

1 package yellow cake mix
1/2 tsp ginger
1 small can pumpkin
1/2 tsp soda
1 cup water
1 package vanilla pudding
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 tsp cloves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together. Bake in an ungreased cake pan for 35 minutes.

Frosting:
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup brown sugar

1. Whip together, then fold in 8 oz Cool Whip. Store in the refrigerator.

Nicole Nelson's Blonde Brownies

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup nuts
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 package chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Pat Nelson's Marshmallow Brownies

Cream:
1 cup soft butter
1/3 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar

Add:
4 eggs, one at a time
dash of salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup chopped nute (optional)

1. Bake in large, greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with minature marshmallows. Return to oven for 3-5 minutes. Cool completely and frost with chocolate frosting.

Frosting:
1/2 cup melted butter
1 2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk (or regular)
1/3 cup cocoa

Pat Nelson's Oatmeal Fudge Bars

Cookie:
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 - 4 cups quick oats
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp soda
1 cup nuts

Fudge Filling:
2 tbl butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 large package chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together shortening and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix. Add flour, soda, and salt;mix. Press half of the mix into 9x13 pan.

2. Melt chocolate chips, butter, and milk in a double boiler. Add rest of the ingredients and then pour onto mixture in pan. Dot with remaining dough. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

Cookies:
2 boxes devil's food cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup shortening

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together (batter will be stiff). Drop cookies on an ungreased cookie shhet and bake for 8 minutes. Let set on cookie cheet to cool before moving to rack.

Icing:
2 2/3 cup powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese

1. Ice cookies and put two together like a sandwich.

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
11 oz package chocolate chips
1/2 cup shortening or 1 square margarine
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3 1/2 cups flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar, shortening, and eggs.

2. Add sour cream and vanilla. Add all dry ingredients and mix. Add chocolate chips. Bake for 10 minutes.

Pat Nelson's Hash Brown Quiche

Pat serves this every Christmas morning.

1 (24 oz) package shredded hash browns, thawed
1/2 cup melted butter
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
2 cups diced ham or browned sausage
1 cup half and half or milk
6 eggs
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
pepper

1. Grease 9x13 pan. Press thawed hash browns between paper towels to remove excess moisture. Press into pan and brush with melted butter. Bake 25 minutes at 425 degrees. Remove from oven.

2. Layer hassbrowns with cheeses and ham, 2 layers of each. Beat milk, eggs, salt and pepper; pour over top. Return to oven and bake 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until inserted knife comes out clean. If made ahead, chill to store. Cover and heat at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until hot.

Gloria Nelson's Yellow Squash Casserole

6 cups yellow or zucchini squash (can use both)
1/4 cup onion
Stove Top stuffing, prepared
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cheese soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated carrot

1. Parboil squash and onions for about 5 minutes; drain. Mix soups, sour cream, carrots, and squash together. Put a small layer of stuffing mis on the bottom of casserole dish. Then pour the squash mixture over the top and cover with the remaining stuffing. Can be topped with grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until bubbly hot.

Lion House Savory Baked Chicken Breasts

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tbl lemon juice
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
3 cus fine bread crumbs

1. Combine sour cream and lemon juice. Dip breasts in this mixture and place in covered bowl in refrigerator overnight or at least 4 hours. Prehat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all seasonings, then mix with bread crumbs.

2. Grease 9x13 baking pan. Dip chicken breasts in crumb mixture to coat all sides. Arrange in baking pan. Drizzle melted butter over top. Cover with foil and bake for 2 hours. Remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes to brown.

Pat Nelson's Stuffed Chicken Breasts

8 boneless chicken breasts
stove top stuffing, prepared
1 cup water
2 cans cream of chicken soup
bacon
2 tsp chicken base

1. Pound chicken breast to flatten. Add 1 tbl stuffing to chicken breast; roll up and secure with a toothpick. Wrap with a piece of bacon. Mix chicken soup, water, and base together. Pour over bacon and chicken. Bake at 375 degrees for 4 hours.

Chile Lime Chicken Marinade

Mix in large Ziploc bag:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbl sugar
1 tbl rosemary
1/2 tsp chili powder
6 tbl soy sauce
2 tbl oregano
1 tbl minced garlic
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Marinate chicken breasts overnight or for several hours. Cook on the grill.

Pat Nelson's Mexi-Chip Meal

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
16 oz can kidney breans
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp cumin
1/2 cup uncooked minute rice

1. Brown beef, onion and green pepper. Add salt and pepper. Put in Crock Pot then add water, rice, tomato sauce and seasonings. Cook until slightly thick. Put on top of tortilla chips. Top with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, olives, sour cream and guacamole.

Pat Nelson's Calico Baked Beans

1/2-1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
16 oz can kidney beans, drained
16 oz can buttered lima beans, drained
1 cup ketchup
3 tbl white vinegar
black pepper to taste
3/4 pould bacon, cut into pieces
2 (20 oz) cans pork and beans
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbl liquid smoke (optional)

1. Brown ground beef, back and onion; drain. Pour into baking disk or Crock Pot. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, or in Crock Pot set on low for 4-6 hours. Makes 8 servings.

Carrots Lyonnaise

6 medium carrots
1/2 cup boiling water
2 tbl butter
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of sugar
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 medium onions, sliced
1 tbl flour
dash of pepper
3/4 cup water

1. Pare carrots and cut in julienne strips. Dissolve bouillon cube in boiling water. Add carrots and cook for 7-10 minutes until tender crisp.

2. While carrots are cooking, melt butter in small fry pan and add sliced onions. Cook and stir until clear. Add flour, salt, pepper,sugar, and 3/4 cup water. Stir until thickened. Stir in carrots and chicken stock. Makes 6 servings.

Pat Nelson's Chicken Corn Chowder

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 small chopped onion
2 cans corn, undrained
dash pepper
1 tbl butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 tsp salt
1 can evaporated milk
3 cups milk
1 tsp chicken base

1. Cook onions in bacon grease until transparent. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until heated through. Put 1 tablespoon flour or cornstarch in a small amount of warm water and mix together; add to soup and cook util thickened.

Flat Bread

Mix together and let sit for 10 minutes:
2 cups water
1 tbl yeast
1 tbl sugar

Add:
4 cups flour
2 tsp salt

1. Spread on a greased cookie sheet and drizzle with 1/2 cup melted butter, rosemary, and thyme. Let sit for 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Easy Cornbread

1 package cornbread
1 yellow cake mix

1. Make cornbread as directed on back of cornbread package and set aside. Mix yellow cake mix as directed and combine with cornbread mixture. Spread mixture in a greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Magelby's Rolls

1 square melted butter
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup parsley flakes
24 Rhodes rolls (frozen)
1 tsp garlic salt

1. Mix cheese, garlic salt, and parsley together. Roll rolls in butter and then in mixture. Place on cookie sheet for 4-6 hours. Cook at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Lion House Wassail

2 1/4 cups sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
10 cloves
4 cups orange juice
2 quarts apple cider or juice
4 cups water
8 allspice berries
1 piece ginger
2 cups lemon juice

1. Combine sugar and water. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, cloves, and ginger. Cover and let stand in warm place for 1 hour. Strain.

2. Just before serving, add juices and cider and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and serve. Makes 36, 1/2 cup servings.

Delicious Slush

1 large frozen lemonade concentrate
1 large frozen orange juice concentrate
1 quart cranberry juice
2 cups sugar
1 quart pineapple juice
1 cup water

1. Combine sugar and warter and boil until clear. Add all ingredients and stir. Pour into plastic containers and freeze.

2. Remove from freezer approximately 1 1/2 hours before serving. Pour into punch bowl with 2 liters of 7-Up or Sprite.

Gloria Nelson's Salsa

1/2 bushel tomatoes
5 yellow or red peppers
8 Anaheim pepers
6 larges garlic cloves
2 tsp paprika
1 cup vinegar
1/4 cup salt
6 green bell peppers
6-8 jalapeno peppers
1 quart chooped celery
5 cayenne peppers
2/4 cup sugar (or less)
2 tbl black pepper
4 tsp cumin

1. Scald tomatoes and peel skins off. Cut tomatoes in half or quarters. Cook in large pot adding all the ingredients. Boil about 3 hours or as thick as you want. Stir often so it won't stick. Put salsa in pint jars.l Seal and cold pack for 25 minutes. Cool before storing on shelf.

Crock Pot Bean Dip

1 large can chili
8 ounces cream cheese
1 can green chilies (optional)
1 package taco seasoning
1 large can refried beans
1 small package Velveeta cheese
1 can enchilada sauce

1. Put all ingredients in Crock Pot and warm through. Serve with tortilla chips.

Chocolate and Caramel Dipped Pretzels

We love these pretzels- When I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs with such great detail on the techniques for great looking pretzels I wanted to post it and share it with others. "We all know it's all about the presentation" and my pretzels before were lacking. So here's to better looking pretzel rods and many thanks to My Kitchen Cafe for the tutorial!

Chocolate and Caramel Dipped Pretzel Rods
adapted from A. Marilyn

Makes about 40 dipped pretzel rods

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
14 0z. can sweetened condensed milk
dash of salt

pretzel rods

chocolate for dipping and drizzling (I used about 10 ounces of semi-sweet to cover the pretzels and for additional drizzling and 6 ounces of white chocolate for drizzling)

Mix ingredients in order over medium heat. Come to a rolling boil to soft ball stage (use a candy thermometer or test in a bowl of cold water - a drop of caramel in the cold water should roll into a soft ball in your fingers). Take caramel off heat and use a spatula to smooth caramel over pretzels. I laid the pretzels on parchment paper after coating them in caramel and after they had set for about 10 minutes, I rolled each one along the parchment paper to eliminate the pool of caramel on the side they were laying on.

After caramel has set on pretzels (about 20 minutes), melt desired chocolate in microwave or in a bowl over simmering water. I poured my melted chocolate into a tall glass and dipped each caramel pretzel into the glass to coat the caramel pretzel in chocolate. Again, lay the pretzel to dry on a tray covered in parchment paper. I put them in the refrigerator to set fully before drizzling with white chocolate and more semi-sweet chocolate. For drizzling, use remaining melted chocolate and pour into a ziploc bag. Cut a tiny tip off one corner and drizzle across pretzels. The lady who gave my aunt this recipe had a great idea for Christmas and drizzled the chocolate and caramel covered pretzels in red and green colored chocolate (I believe she used the Wilton candy pieces for the red and green). They were adorable (if you can call pretzels adorable).

Don't worry (like I did) that there is a flat side to the pretzel or that the chocolate may pool underneath the pretzel. Once the chocolate has set, you can easily shave off any unwanted pooling or excess chocolate for a prettier pretzel using a sharp knife.

White Chocolate Popcorn

2 bags microwave popcorn (butter kind)
12 - 16 oz. white chocolate chips, melted
3/4 C M & M’s
3/4 C peanuts (or more M & M’s)
1 1/2 C stick pretzels
1 C mini marshmallows (I wish I had used more)
6 oz. dark or milk chocolate

1. Pop popcorn, remove unpopped kernels. Put popcorn in a big bowl. In separate bowl, mix together melted white chocolate, M & M’s, peanuts and pretzels until coated with white chocolate. Pour over popcorn and mix to coat popcorn with white chocolate. Spread onto two jelly roll pans or cookie sheets.

2. Drizzle with melted dark or milk chocolate. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or longer until chocolate has hardened and popcorn breaks apart in bit pieces. Munch away!

Thanks to My homebased Mom for this recipe!

Cinnamon toast white chocolate pretzels

Cinnamon Toast White Chocolate Pretzels

1 bag (18 oz.) small pretzels

2/3 C oil

1/3 C granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Extra cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

White chocolate for drizzling

In microwave safe bowl pour in pretzels. Mix together oil, sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Pour over pretzels and mix well, making sure to coat pretzels. Place in microwave for 2 minutes on high. Check after first minute as they might burn. Stir the mixture and continue cooking. Microwave for 1 minute more.

When out of the microwave, stir again to make sure they are all coated. Spread the pretzels onto two cookie sheets. You want a single layer of pretzels. While they are still hot sprinkle additional cinnamon sugar over the top. Melt white chocolate and drizzle over the top of pretzels. Once white chocolate hardens put into air tight containers.

Toffee

Ingredients:
2 cubes of butter
½-cup brown sugar
½ cup of white sugar

Prep: On the bottom of a 9x13-glass pan, spread a light coat of butter and ¼ cup
your favorite nuts. Also, have a small bowl of ice water ready to test your toffee.

The toffee recipe needs constant attention and stirring for about 10 minutes. In a
heavy saucepan, add butter and sugars and melt on high heat. Once the butter and
sugars have melted and started to boil, the toffee will go through 4 stages.

Stage 1: butter and sugars are melted, but not mixed. Keep stirring.
Stage 2: Butter and sugars are mixed and start to cook. Keep stirring.
Stage 3: Butter and sugars are bubbling. Keep stirring.
Stage 4: Butter and sugars change color, slightly (from light tan to dark tan) toffee
looks almost like taffy, it becomes smooth not bubbly. Keep stirring and start to
test for hard crack.

Hard Crack: Hard crack is when you take a small piece of toffee and when it hits
ice-cold water, it sizzles. This is when the toffee is done!

Pour toffee evenly into buttered 9x13 pan, do not spread or stir, just pour
directly from saucepan. Sprinkle with your favorite chocolate chips on top,
the hot toffee will melt the chips in a few minutes. With a spatula, spread the
melted chips over the toffee and sprinkle with your favorite nuts.

Allow toffee to completely cool, break apart with a knife and enjoy!
Posted by Pamela Cardwell at 10:12 AM

Pumkin Muffins

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 4 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups pumpkin
• 2 cups milk
• 2 - 12 oz pkg. milk chocolate chips
• 8 t. baking powder
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. baking soda
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 2 t. nutmeg
• 6 c. unbleached flour

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cream sugar, shortening, and eggs together.
3. Add milk and pumpkin - mix
4. In separate bowl mix all of the dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Add chocolate chips
5. Fill large muffin paper cups 2/3 full. Bake for 17-19 minutes. Test with toothpick

Makes about 24 large muffins

Thanksgiving Turkey

Ingredients

* 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the brine:

* 1 cup kosher salt
* 1/2 cup light brown sugar
* 1 gallon vegetable stock
* 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
* 1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
* 1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
* 1 gallon iced water

For the aromatics:

* 1 red apple, sliced
* 1/2 onion, sliced
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1 cup water
* 4 sprigs rosemary
* 6 leaves sage
* Canola oil

Directions

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.

Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.

Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

**http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html

Bonnie's "Long Life" Salad Dressing

• 1 part Braggs Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother)
• 1 part Olive Oil (first cold press)
• 1 part filtered water

• 1 heaping Tbs. Italian Seasoning
• 1 heaping Tbs. Garlic
• 1 heaping tsp sea salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Stir up in a large mason jar and leave out on counter until it gets used up.

Green Enchiladas with Shredded Beef

• 1-2 lbs shredded beef (I used leftovers from French Dip Sandwiches and it was so good)
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 2 cans green enchilada sauce
• Shredded cheese, about 2-4, cups or as much as you want (I used 3 types: Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, and Medium Cheddar)
• Tortillas
• 1-2 cans Refried Beans, warmed
  

If your beef isn't already cooked, I suggest cooking it in a crock pot with some beef broth. When it is done, drain the liquid.

Once you beef is cooked, shred it and warm it up with a little water (maybe 1/2 cup, just to keep it moist) and a packet of taco seasoning. My meat was cold (leftovers from the fridge), so I tossed it back into the crockpot on low for an hour or two.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom and sides of 9x13 pan. Empty one can of green enchilada sauce into a shallow dish. Spread a spoonful or two of enchilada sauce on bottom of the pan. This will help keep the bottom of the enchiladas soft. Take one tortilla and dip it into the enchilada sauce. Top with refried beans, shredded beef and cheese. Roll it up and place in pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Top the pan with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until they're bubbling. I covered mine with tin foil so keep them from browning.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, lettuce, tomatoes and anything else that sounds yummy.

Mexican Lasagna

• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 package (10oz) fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 8 corn tortillas (6 inch)
• 1 (15.5oz) can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 cup prepared salsa
• 8 oz Pepper Jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups)

Combine cilantro, spinach, onion, salt & pepper in food processor until coarsely chopped. If you don’t have a food processor, just give it a few extra chops with a knife.

Coat an 8x8 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Lay 4 tortillas on the bottom of pan. They will overlap. Layer with ½ the beans, salsa, some spinach mixture, and cheese. Repeat the layers, starting with tortillas and ending with cheese. Press the layers together.

Cover dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet to avoid spills in your oven. Bake until bubbling, approximately 25 to 30 minutes; remove foil and continue baking until golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Delicious with sour cream or quacamole.

Sweetened Condensed Milk Substitute

1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk Substitute:
(1 C. dry powdered milk, 1 C. sugar, 1/2 C. hot water, 1 T. Butter-blend in blender very well)

Apple Walnut Spice Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups peeled and chopped Granny Smith apples (about 2 apples)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For the caramel sauce:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1. Set oven to 350°F.

2. Beat butter and brown sugar for 5 minutes in a mixing bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla just until blended. Set aside.

3. Mix flour, pumpkin pie spice, allspice and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture; beating until well blended. Stir in apples, nuts, and raisins, if desired.

4. Pour into one greased 9-inch cake pan; bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Serve warm with caramel sauce.

For the caramel sauce:

1. Combine butter and whipping cream with brown sugar. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Serve warm.

Notes: No pumpkin pie spice?
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves

This recipe calls for a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice. So in a small bowl, triple this little recipe. THEN measure out a tablespoon. You will be sure that the portions are even and then the spice will better incorporate into the batter.

Recipe courtesy of http://www.rookie-cookie.com/

Ultimate Double Chocolate Cookies

* 12 ounce(s) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
* 11 1/2 ounce(s) 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
* 6 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
* 3 eggs
* 1 cup(s) sugar
* 1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
* 1 cup(s) chopped walnuts

1. In double boiler over hot water, melt bittersweet chocolate chips and butter. In large bowl with electric mixer or whisk, beat eggs and sugar until thick; stir into chocolate mixture. In small bowl, stir together flour and baking powder; stir into chocolate mixture. Gently mix in semi-sweet chocolate chips and walnuts.

2. Using a sheet of plastic wrap, form dough into two logs, each 2 inches in diameter and about 12 inches long. As dough will be quite soft, use plastic wrap to hold dough in log shape. Wrap tightly; refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm. (Dough may be frozen; thaw in refrigerator before proceeding with recipe.) Heat oven to 375°F. Unwrap dough; with sharp knife, cut into 3/4-inch slices. Place slices 1 1/2 inches apart on greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet.

3. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until shiny crust forms on top but interior is still soft. Cool on baking sheet; store in airtight tin up to 1 week.

Crockpot Oatmeal Cereal

2 c. milk
1 c. old fashioned regular cooking oats (uncooked)
1 c. apples cored, peeled and diced
1/2 c. seedless raisins
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1 T. butter melted
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in a slow cooker sprayed with pam. Cover and cook on low setting for 8-9 hrs. serves 4 to 6

Mummy Calzone

2 loaves (1 pound each) frozen bread dough, thawed
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup pizza sauce
50 slices pepperoni
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 pitted ripe olive, sliced and cut in half

1. Roll out each piece of dough into a rounded triangle shape, about 14-in. high x 11-in. wide at the base of the triangle. Place each on a parchment-lined baking sheet with the tip of the triangle toward you. Lightly score 4-in.-wide rectangle in the center of the triangle 2 in. from the top and bottom. On each long side, cut 1-in.-wide strips at an angle up to the score line, leaving a triangle in the top center of the wide end for the head.

2. Inside the scored rectangle in the center, layer cheese, pizza sauce, pepperoni and green pepper. Shape the top center triangle into a head. Starting at the head, fold alternating strips of dough at an angle across filling stopping at the last strip on each side. Fold the bottom dough tip up over the filling, then fold the remaining two strips over the top; press down firmly.

3. Brush dough with egg. Cover and let rise for 15 minutes. For eyes, press 1 olive slice into each head. Discard or save the remaining slices for another use. Bake at 350 ° for 25-28 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

These are so awesome!! Michael loves them.

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1-1/3 cups (8 oz. pkg.) HEATH BITS 'O BRICKLE Toffee Bits
1 cup MOUNDS Sweetened Coconut Flakes(optional)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Beat butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla until well blended. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; beat until blended.

2. Stir in oats, toffee bits and coconut, if desired, with spoon. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto prepared sheet.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove to wire rack. About 4 dozen cookies

Sweet Pork Burritos

**The measurements aren't exact and you can make it bigger or smaller.

In a crock pot:

Sirloin Boneless Pork Roast (about a 3 lb roast)
Coke to cover {I used DR Pepper. It was much sweeter and I liked the taste better. I used about 1/2 can}
1/2 cup honey
1/4 brown sugar
1 bottle of Honey BBQ {I didn't use a whole bottle it does add a nice sweet taste but about 1/2 - 1 cup is about right. PS...I really like Sweet Baby Rays brand}

1. Cook on low for about 5-6 hours or till tender and falling apart. Take out of juices and shred. Keep 2 -3 cups of the liquid coke/honey/sugar mixture put your shredded pork back into the roaster/Crockpot in the 2-3 cups and let it be in the Crockpot until your ready to eat.. This freezes beautifully.


Sweet Rice:

This is a made up recipe because I'm trying to get a recipe similar to Bajio but just make this to taste. When I do it I saute regular rice, some onion, and garlic in some oil. Then add some chicken stock and/or water, salt and some sugar. Cook the rice as directed. Then I squeeze lime juice all over.

To make the burritos use the rice, some beans (I like black) and the pork. I like to buy an avocado and mix it with some ranch and sour cream for a yummy sauce!
The thing that definitely "makes" the recipe is the uncooked flour tortillas. Best Bites also had a great homemade tortilla recipe. {I was surprised at how easy it was to make my own tortillas and they were way good}!

Recipe courtesy of http://tastethejoy.blogspot.com/

Pumpkin Cobbler

3 eggs, beaten
15-oz. can pumpkin
12-oz can evaporated milk
1 C sugar
1/8 t. salt
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
2 t vanilla
18-1/4 oz pkg. yellow cake
1-1/4 c butter or margarine, melted (I'm a butter girl so I used butter. I cut the butter down to 1 C and it was still very rich. I think next time I would cut it to about 3/4 C)
1 c. chopped pecans

1. Mix the first 8 ingredients together; pour into an un-greased 13"x9" baking
pan. Sprinkle cake mix over the top; drizzle with margarine.

2. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes; top with nuts. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. Makes 15 to 18 servings.

Recipe courtesy of http://tastethejoy.blogspot.com/

Corn Cake Toppers

Recipe courtesy of http://tastethejoy.blogspot.com/

Almond Chicken

1/2 C flour
1/3 C butter, melted
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 ½ C whipping cream

1/3 C dry bread crumbs
1 TBS butter
3/4 C sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat oven to 350. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Combine 1/3 C butter and seasonings in another bowl. Coat chicken with flour, then dip in butter mixture. Arrange chicken in a shallow 3-qt baking dish. Pour cream around chicken. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Combine bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle over chicken. Top with almonds. Bake another 5-8 min till golden. Serve over hot cooked pasta.

Recipe courtesy of http://tastethejoy.blogspot.com/

Honey Lime Enchiladas

6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large or 2 small limes)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (3 small chicken breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream

1.Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour. Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.

2.Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

**My notes- I accidentally only bought the 10 oz size of sauce so I only used 2 chicken breasts and only 1/2 C cream. I also bought the Colby Jack combo of cheese and broiled it for a few minutes at the end.

Recipe courtesy of http://tastethejoy.blogspot.com/

Rocky Road Fudge {or The Ultimate} Brownie

½ C butter
1 sq unsweetened chocolate
1 C sugar
2 eggs
1 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
½ C chopped nuts (opt. I leave these out)
Melt butter and chocolate together. Add sugar, eggs, and dry ingredients. Pour in 9x13 pan.

Mix:

1 (8 oz) cream cheese (set 2 oz aside)
½ C sugar
1 egg
¼ C butter
2 TBS flour
½ tsp vanilla

Beat ingredients till fluffy. Then spread over chocolate layer. Sprinkle ¼ C chopped nuts (I do put these in) and 6 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips over top. Bake 350 for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and spread 2 C mini marshmallows on top. Bake 2 minutes longer.

Frosting:

¼ C butter
1 sq unsweetened chocolate
Melt together. Add:
2 oz of reserved cream cheese
¼ C milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 C powdered sugar
Mix together and pour/spread over warm (not too hot) marshmallows. Keep refrigerated.

Recipe courtesy of http://tastethejoy.blogspot.com/

Sesame Flank Steak Marinade

Recipe from the Sisters' cafe

¼ c. chopped green onions
3 Tb soy sauce
2 Tb sesame oil
1 Tb vinegar
1 Tb brown sugar
1 Tb chopped fresh ginger
1 Tb chopped garlic
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ c. toasted, crushed sesame seeds

Combine above ingredients. Marinate steak 4 hours and barbecue.

Substitutes for bakings

Allspice
Amount: 1 teaspoon
Substitute: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Apple Pie Spice
Amount: 1 teaspoon
Substitute: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg plus 1/8 teaspoon cardamom

Baking Powder, Double-Acting
Amount: 1 teaspoon
Substitute: 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Baking Soda
There is NO substitute for baking soda

Butter
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute:
- 1 cup regular margarine
- 1 cup vegetable shortening (for baking)
- An equal amount of oil can be substituted for a similar portion of MELTED butter if the recipe specifies using MELTED butter.

TIP 1: According to the National Association of Margarine Manufacturers, you can tell "if the product is regular margarine by checking the Nutrition Facts: a one tablespoon serving will have 100 calories." Products that contain less than 80 percent fat often give the fat percentage on the front of the package.

If the margarine is labeled "light," "lower fat," "reduced fat," "reduced calorie/diet" or "fat-free" or is called a "vegetable oil spread," you may be less successful substituting it for butter OR for regular margarine in baking and in some cooking procedures. These products are higher in water and lower in fat content and won't perform in the same way as regular butter or margarine.

For additional information about using the various forms of margarine in recipes, check the Web site of the National Association of Margarine Manufacturers: www.margarine.org/howtousemargarine.html

TIP 2: There is no standard procedure to substitute liquid oil for solid shortening in cooking. Oil is 100 percent fat, while butter, margarine and other solid shortenings are lower in fat on a volume-for-volume basis.

Also, for some recipes, solid shortening helps incorporate air into the batter when it is whipped with other ingredients such as sugar and eggs. If you try to whip these ingredients with oil, your baked product is likely to be more compact and oily in texture. Your most successful substitution occurs if your recipe calls for MELTED butter, in which case you can usually substitute an equal amount of oil.

Buttermilk
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough regular milk to make 1 cup (allow to stand 5 minutes)

Chili Sauce
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, dash of ground cloves and dash of allspice

Chocolate, Unsweetened
Amount: 1 ounce
Substitute: 3 tablespoons cocoa plus 1 tablespoon butter or regular margarine or vegetable oil

Cornstarch (for thickening)
Amount: 1 tablespoon
Substitute: 2 tablespoons flour
TIP: Liquids thickened with cornstarch will be somewhat translucent while flour gives a more opaque appearance. Cornstarch will thicken a liquid almost immediately. A flour-based sauce or gravy must be cooked longer to thicken and will have a floury taste if undercooked. Joy of Cooking cookbook (Scribner, 1997) advises when using flour as a substitution for cornstarch in sauces and gravies, that you simmer it for about 3 minutes AFTER it has thickened to help avoid a raw taste of flour.

Cornstarch-thickened liquids are more likely to thin if overheated or cooked too long. Regardless of whether you use cornstarch or flour, mix it with a little cold water or other cold liquid, about two parts liquid to one part thickener, before adding it to the rest of the liquid . (Note: when you mix flour with fat to make a roux for use as a thickener, you would not dissolve it in liquid first.)


Cream, Whipping
Amount: 1 cup unwhipped
Substitute: If you wish to use a commercial pre-whipped whipped cream or whipped cream substitute rather than whip your own cream, use the guideline that 1 cup UNWHIPPED whipping cream expands to 2 cups when WHIPPED. For example, if your recipe called for 1 cup of cream to make whipped cream, you could substitute 2 cups of an already whipped product.

Egg
Amount: 1 whole egg
Substitute:
- 1/4 cup egg substitute (examples include: Egg Beaters, Second Nature, Scramblers); check label for specific directions
- Reconstituted powdered eggs; follow package directions
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (suitable for use in cake batter). NOTE: If you type "mayonnaise cake recipe" into your favorite Internet search engine, you'll find several recipes for cakes made with mayonnaise and NO eggs. This may help you decide if this substitution will work for your cake. - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder plus 1 tablespoon vinegar plus 1 tablespoon liquid (for baking use only)

TIP: If you don't use eggs very often, you may find it helpful to keep some powdered eggs on hand.

Flour, All-Purpose White Flour
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1/2 cup whole wheat flour plus 1/2 cup all-purpose flour.
TIP: It's generally recommended that you replace no more than half the all-purpose white flour with whole wheat flour. Too much whole wheat flour in a recipe calling for all-purpose flour might result in a reduced volume and a heavier product.


Flour, Cake
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Flour, Self-Rising
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cup minus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt

Garlic
Amount: 1 small clove
Substitute: 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder


Herbs, Fresh
Amount: 1 tablespoon, finely cut
Substitute:
- 1 teaspoon dried leaf herbs
- 1/2 teaspoon ground dried herbs

Lemon Zest (fresh grated lemon peel)
Amount: 1 teaspoon
Substitute: 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Marshmallows, Miniature
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 10 large marshmallows

Mayonnaise (for use in salads and salad dressings)
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute:
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 cup cottage cheese pureed in a blender
- Or use any of the above for part of the mayonnaise

Mustard, Dry (in cooked mixtures)
Amount: 1 teaspoon
Substitute: 1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Onion
Amount: 1 small or 1/4 cup chopped, fresh onion
Substitute: 1 tablespoon instant minced onion
TIP: Dried onion may be added directly to moist foods such as soups, gravies, sauces and salad dressings. You may need to rehydrate it with a little water before adding it to drier foods. Check package directions -- one brand advises adding an equal amount of water and letting the dried onion stand 5 to 10 minutes.


Pasta (substituting one for another)
Amount: 4 cups COOKED
Substitute: The National Pasta Association suggests these substitution ratios.
Check www.ilovepasta.org/faqs.html#Q10 for more information.


- 8 ounces of UNCOOKED elbow macaroni, medium shells, rotini, twists, spirals, wagon wheels, bow ties, mostaccioli, penne, radiatore, rigatoni, spaghetti, angel hair, linguine, vermicelli and fettuccine all produce about 4 cups COOKED pasta

- Use about twice as much UNCOOKED egg noodles to provide 4 cups COOKED pasta. Approximately 8 ounces UNCOOKED egg noodles equal 2 1/2 cups COOKED noodles.


Pumpkin Pie Spice
Amount: 1 teaspoon
Substitute: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/4 ground teaspoon ginger plus 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice plus 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Rice
Amount: Any amount
Substitute: Most rice products will substitute for each other on a fairly equal basis in recipes; however, their cooking times and the amount of liquid needed may vary. If possible, choose a rice with a comparable grain length for the closest match. Visit the USA Rice Federation's Website to learn more about cooking with the different forms of rice at http://www.usarice.com/consumer/index.html

Rum
Amount: any amount
Substitute: 1 part rum extract plus 3 parts water. For example: for 1/4 cup rum, substitute 1 tablespoon rum extract plus 3 tablespoons water.

Sugar, Confectioners' or Powdered
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch; process in a food processor using the metal blade attachment until it's well blended and powdery.

Tomato Juice
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1/2 cup tomato sauce plus 1/2 cup water

Tomato Soup
Amount: 10 3/4 ounce can
Substitute: 1 cup tomato sauce plus 1/4 cup water

Wine, Red
Amount: Any
Substitute: The same amount of grape juice or cranberry juice

Wine, White
Amount: Any
Substitute: The same amount of apple juice or white grape juice

Yeast, Compressed
Amount: 1 cake (3/5 ounce)
Substitute:
- 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
- Scant 2 1/2 teaspoons loose active dry yeast

Cocoa and Chocolate Substitutions

Source: Betty Crocker

Semisweet baking chocolate:
1 oz = 1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate plus 1 Tbsp sugar

Semisweet chocolate chips:
1 cup = 6 oz semisweet baking chocolate, chopped

Unsweetened baking chocolate:
1 oz = 3 Tbsp baking cocoa plus 1 Tbsp vegetable oil or melted shortening or margarine

Lion House Chocolate Zucchini Bread

If you love chocolate you will love this!! It is amazing!!

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (2 blocks), melted
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips, semi-sweet

Prepare two 8x4 inch loaf pans by greasing and flouring or by lining with parchment paper. Melt unsweetened chocolate and set aside. Wash and grate zucchini; set aside. Measure flour, salt, soda, baking powder, and cinnamon into a bowl, stir, and set aside. Place eggs in mixing bowl and beat. Add the sugars, oil, melted chocolate, and vanilla; beat until creamy. Add the zucchini and stir together. Mix in dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and mix in. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes. Makes 2 loaves.

Zucchini Mozzarella Medley

Grandma Wilson used to make this for us with the fresh vegetables from her garden.

3 cups sliced zucchini or other summer squash
1 cup sliced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 t. dried basil
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tomato, cut into 12 wedges
4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese (or Parmesan)

In a large skillet, saute the zucchini, onion, garlic and seasonings in olive oil until crisp-tender (about five minutes). Gently stir in the tomato; sprinkle with cheese. Remove from the heat and let stand until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Chicken Noodle soup

6 cups chicken broth ( OR 6 c. water + 6 chicken bouillon cubes
1 lb. cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 c. sliced carrots
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 onion, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 bay leaf
1 handful of chopped fresh parsley (or 1 Tbsp. dried parsley)
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 t. poultry seasoning or to taste(this is the secret ingredient to great chicken noodle soup)
1 14-oz. can evaporated milk (fat free is fine) or (1 can cream of chicken soup with 1/2 c. milk.)
1 small package of dry noodles (Kluski noodles) or 1 pkg. of frozen grandma noodles
In a large pot, heat some olive oil over medium heat and add onions and garlic. Saute for a few minutes and then add chicken broth, chicken, bay leaf, and basil. Bring to a boil. Add carrots and celery and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until carrots and celery are tender. When carrots and celery are almost done, add chopped parsley. Add evaporated milk. Increase heat to boiling and add noodles. Cook until noodles are tender. or until dumplings are cooked through (they should appear moist but feel firm; this is after about 4-5 minutes).

** you can also make this chicken and dumplings by using bisquik dumplings in place of the noodles, recipe is on side of bisquik box. Add prepared Bisquik by small spoonfuls. You can also use refrigerator biscuits cut into 1/4 pieces. Put the bisquik or biscuits on the soup and continue cooking for 10- 20 minutes longer until they are no longer doughy.

Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes with Honey Syrup

4 servings, about 16 pancakes

2 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups pancake and waffle mix (recommended: Krusteaz)
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
2/3 cup frozen blueberries
Melted butter
1. Stir 1/3 cup of water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stir in the honey. Set aside and keep the honey syrup warm.

2. Using a rubber spatula, stir the remaining 1 2/3 cups of water and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the pancake mix and stir just until moistened but still lumpy. Stir in the ricotta into the pancake mixture, then stir gently to incorporate the ricotta but maintain a lumpy batter. Fold in the blueberries.

3. Heat a griddle over medium heat. Brush with the melted butter. Working in batches, spoon 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with the honey syrup

Tuscan Bean Soup

Makes 6 servings(about 2 cups each)


1 cup chopped onions
½ cup celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 to 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1 whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cans(14 ½ ounces each) low-salt chicken broth
1 can(17 ounces) green baby lima beans, drained and rinsed
1 can(15 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can(15 ounces) red beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoon low-sodium tomato paste
1 ½ cups cooked regular or quick-cooking barley
1 large Idaho potato, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup packed sliced spinach leaves

Sauté onions, celery and garlic in oil in large saucepan 2 to 3 minutes; stir in flour, herbs and pepper and sauté until onions are tender, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add chicken broth, beans and tomato paste to saucepan; heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes, adding barley, potato, carrots and spinach during last 10 minutes of cooking time. Discard bay leaves.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 335, Carbohydrate 60 g, Protein 15 g, Fat 5 g, % of Calories from Fat 13, Sodium 583 mg, Cholesterol 0 mg.

Recipe Courtesy of American Dry Bean Board

Buttermilk Refigerator Rolls

3 cups Buttermilk (room temperature)
3 cups flour
1 T. yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water (first let rise a few minutes)
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten with a fork
2 tsp salt
5 cups flour (sometimes you need a cup more--it should not be too sticky)
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp baking soda

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 c. warm water and let proof a few minutes. Mix the buttermilk, flour and yeast together thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Let this stand at room temperature until double in size, about 2 hours.
Add sugar, eggs, salt, flour, oil, and baking soda. Mix well and kneed for 7-10 minutes. Roll out what you want and place the rest in the refrigerator, covered. The next time you want some fresh baked rolls, take from the bowl what you want and again put the rest back in the refrigerator. It will keep for 7 days. (This is perfect for Sunday meals because you don’t have a lot of mess to clean up and it’s quick.)
Let rolls rise on baking sheets until double in size. Time depends on the room temperature, usually 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Dough from the refrigerator will take longer because the dough is cold.
Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes. Brush with melted butter if you like.

*Roll up like crescent rolls

How to sour milk (buttermilk)

sour milk Substitutes: buttermilk OR Mix one tablespoon lemon juice or distilled white vinegar with one cup of milk, let stand for 5 minutes

Pork Roast- Crockpot

Pork Sirloin Tip Roast (they come in a 3 pack at Costco-and (BONUS)are 98% Fat Free)
Ranch dressing mix (the dry packet)



You simply put the roast in the crockpot(they are about 2-3 lbs), sprinkle on about 1/2 of the ranch dressing packet. Fill the crockpot about 1/3-1/2 with water and cook on low for about 5-8 hours. The roast is done when you can easily shred it up with your fork.

Spinach and Mushroom Sautéed Salad

1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, slivered
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 fresh tomatoes, cubed
1/3 cup feta cheese (or more, to taste)
Three large handfuls of spinach


Sauté mushrooms in olive oil. Stir until you have some mushroom juices in the pan, and add onion and garlic. Cook the onions until they are done enough for your taste. Add tomatoes. Add feta cheese and spinach. Cook until the spinach is just wilted.

Green Beans with Honey Cashew Sauce

1 lb fresh green beans
1 1/2 to 2 T. butter
1/2 c. coarsely chopped cashews
2 T. honey

Steam green beans until just tender. Drain and set aside in saucepan. In a small skillet, sauté cashews in butter over low heat for 5 minutes. Add honey and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. (I sauted on med heat until the cashews were golden and the sauce was frothy.) Pour sauce over beans and toss until coated.

Summer Squash Casserole

This is the best casserole, you will want to lick your plate clean!!

2 lbs. Zucchini squash, sliced (you can use combination of Zucchini & yellow squash)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 cup shredded carrots
1 8 oz. package seasoned chicken stuffing mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
Kosher salt, to taste

Bring water to a boil. Add a bit of salt. Place squash slices and chopped onion in the boiling salted water. Cook for about 3 minutes or until squash is crisp tender and brightly colored. Drain. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken soup and sour cream. Add the shredded carrots, squash and onions. Add salt to taste. In another bowl, combine the stuffing mix with the melted butter. Spread half of the stuffing/butter mixture in the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish. Spoon the vegetable mixture on top of the stuffing, then sprinkle the top of the vegetables with the rest of the stuffing mixture. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes until hot and bubbly and the top is brown and crisp.

Tortilla Bowls

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

8 inch flour tortilla
2 T. oil
Foil (enough to make a 4" ball) make as many as you would like

Make a ball from the foil 4" diameter, set aside

In a frying pan heat oil and place tortilla in the hot oil for 5 seconds on each side, then drape the tortilla over the 4" ball of foil and bake for 5 minutes until golden brown. Cool

Preschool Fingerpaints

1/4 C. flour
1/2 C. water
3/4 C. liquid laundry soap

Mix flour and water and stir over low heat till thick and shiny. Remove from heat and add detergent. Cool to room temperature, separate into four containers. Add food coloring or tempra powder to make four different colors. Seal to store

Chinese Cabbage Chicken Salad

1 head cabbage
4 C. cooked chicken
2-4 green onions
1 package ramen noodles(uncooked)
1/2 C. slivered almonds
1/2 C. vegetable oil
3 T. vinegar
2 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. accent
1/8 t. pepper

Chop cabbage and green onions and toss with cut-up chicken. Add noodles and almonds. Mix remaining ingredients in blender and pour over tossed portion.

Aunt Mary's Croutons

Bread
butter
garlic powder

Cut bread into small squares leaving crusts on using uneven crusts and pieces. Leave to dry out. Using a heavy large fry pan, heat butter until it bubbles. (approximately 1/2 cube butter to 4-5 cups bread squares.) Stir in bread and continue frying until it browns, approximately 15 minutes on medium heat. Add garlic powder as bread frying.

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

This is so good, my family loves it. Truly "comfort food"
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 stalks celery chopped
1 1/2 C. sliced carrots
2-4 C. chicken broth
1 onion finely diced
1 bay leaf
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2(10 oz.) packages refrigerator biscuits(Grands) torn into 4 pieces.
1 t. poultry seasoning
1 C. frozen peas and carrots
dash of sage & thyme

mix all ingredients together in a crockpot except the biscuits. cover and cook for 5 to 6 hours on high, remove chicken and shred. Return to the crockpot, now add the biscuits and cook for 30 more minutes until the dough is no longer raw in the center. A few minutes before serving add the frozen peas and carrots.

Short Cut Donuts

This is a fun activity for the kids and so good too.

1 package large refrigerator biscuit (10 in pkg.)

Preheat oil in deep fryer. Cut centers out of biscuits with a 1 inch cutter or (the cap from a 2 liter pop bottle). Fry donuts for 1 1/2 minutes, turn and fry 1 1/2 minutes more. Fry donuts holes for about 2 minutes, turning once. Drain on absorbent paper.

Place the hot donuts in cinnamon sugar, powder sugar or top with a glaze.

Chocolate Glaze:

1/2 C. chocolate chips
1 T. light corn syrup 2 T. milk

Combine chocolate chips, syrup and milk in a 2 C. glass cup; microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes; stir until melted. Dip donuts and holes in glaze.

Aunt Jo's Sweet & Sour Dressing

1/4 C. oil
2 T. wine vinegar
2-3 T. honey
Lemon pepper or poppy seeds (optional)

Mix and use over Spinach orange & purple onion salad

Japanese Curry

1 potato
1 onion
3-4 carrots
1/4 to 1/2 pound of meat (beef, pork, chicken)
pineapple chunks (optional)

Peel potato. Cut into 1/2 inch dices. Peels and cut carrot. Cut onion into half and then into 1/4. Slice 1/8 inch thick.

Cut meat 1/2 inch cube. Saute in skillet. Add onion and continue to stir until slightly brown. Stir in potato and carrot for 1 minute. Pour 2 C. water and put lid on. Cook about 10 minutes or until tender. Break curry sauce mix ( I use S&B Golden Curry, found in the asian section of the grocery store) into thin slices. Stir in until melted. Add pineapple if desired and then Simmer the curry for 5 minutes on low heat. Serve over cooked rice

Grandma Wilson Frozen Fruit Cocktail

This is so good. She usually serves this every Christmas morning along with the sausage casserole and the Butterscotch Bundt rolls. "yummy"

4 C. sugar
2 C. water

Cook and cool

1 46 oz. orange pineapple juice
1 quart pineapple chucks with juice
1 pint Cherries
1 bowl peaches(peeled- abt.4 cups)
1 bowl pears(peeled- abt. 4 cups)
2 c. seedless grapes
2 T. fruit fresh

Mix together and freeze in quart jars or freezer bags.

Poppy Seed Dressing

This recipe is from Aunt Jo
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 C. vinegar
1/2 C. mustard
1/2 C. salad oil
1 T. grated onion
1 T. poppy seeds

Blend sugar, vinegar and mustard. Add salad oil, grated onion and poppy seeds. Mix well and pour over shredded cabbage.

Grandma Wilson Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is Grandma Cornelia's recipe and they are so good.
2 C. sugars
1 C. brown sugar
1 1/2 C. shortening
4 eggs
4 C. flour 2 t. vanilla
2 t. salt
2 t. baking soda
1 C. chocolate chips

Mix sugars and shortening. Add eggs and remaining ingredients. Mix well and cook for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees

Pat Nelson's Sweet Carmels

4 C. sugar
4 c. syrup
1 1/2 heavy whipping cream
1 can eagle brand milk
dash of salt

Pour cream and milk in a double boiler. Scald and keep warm. In a heavy roast pan, bring sugar, syrup and salt to a rolling boil. Pour cream mixture into syrup mixture, 1/3 C. at a time. Takes about 45 minutes(don't add cream too fast it will cool down the mixture). After all cream is in, put in candy thermometer and cook to 232 degrees. Remove from stove and put in 1 teaspoon of vanilla and nuts if desired. Pour into a buttered jelly roll pan; let set overnight. ( use 2 jelly roll pans)

30 minute Caramels

These are so easy and they don't require cream. I love the texture and the taste
1 ( 14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 C. light corn syrup
1 C. granulated sugar
1 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. butter
1/4 t. salt

Butter a cookie sheet, set aside. In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, combine milk, corn syrup, sugars, butter and salt. Place over medium heat and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture comes to a boil.

Clip on candy thermometer. Stirring constantly to prevent scorching, cook to 240 degrees or soft-ball stage. Pour into prepared pan. Cool at room temperature until firm. Cut into squares, roll and wrap in waxed paper.

**Note, boil a pan of water put a thermometer and check the temperature, see what it reads at boiling. Water boils at 212F degrees at sea level, here in Utah we are at abt. 4400 feet, so our water boils at about 204 F degrees or so and the recipe calls for 240 F degrees subtract 8 from the 240 - 8 = 232 degrees is the temperature you should cook your caramels to. If you don't have access to a thermometer, rely on the cold-water test. Place a small amount of syrup to be tested in a cup of very cold water. If the syrup forms a soft ball in the water but flattens when removed, it is at the soft ball stage(234-240) and your caramels are done.

Can add 1 cup nuts- (walnuts, cashews, pecans

Mediterranean Chicken and Bow Ties

4 quarts water

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil leaves

1 tsp. chicken flavor instant bouillion

8 oz. uncooked bow tie pasta

Bring first three ingredients to a boil. Add pasta, cooked to desired doneness. Drain, keep warm.

Chicken:

2 Tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil

1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cut into 2 x 1/2 inch strips

1 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup water

1 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 cup diagonally cut green onions (1/2 inch pieces)

1 small can sliced black olives

1 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil leaves

1/2 tsp. chicken flavor instant bouillon

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved.

While pasta cooks, heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and garlic; cook and stir 6-9 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup water and cornstarch; blend well. Stir into chicken. Add onions, olives, 1/4 cup basil and 1/2 tsp. bouillon; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened and glazed. Pour over cooked bow tie pasta; add tomatoes and toss to coat. Serves 4 (I usually double

Pumpkin Dessert Bar

This is so delicious!
2 (15 oz.) cans pumpkin
4 eggs
1 1/2 C. sugar
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. ginger
1 yellow cake mix
2 sticks butter, melted
1 C. chopped pecans(optional)

Mix the first seven ingredients as you would for pumpkin pie, pouring batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch glass dish. Sprinkle cake mix over the top and then drizzle with butter. Sprinkle with pecans if using. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes.

Artisan No-Knead Bread

adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery

3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour, more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 tesapoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

1. In a large bowl combine the flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. (Don't be fooled, your hands will be COVERED in sticky dough right about now...that is ok!) Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (NOT terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cottong towel and let rise for about 2 hours (I usually go for about 3 hours). When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes (I only ever do an additional 5-10 minutes max because I don't like a really hard, dark crust), until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread

1 tbsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (approx 110F)
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature or a bit warmer
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 - 2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
2/3 cups raisins


In a large bowl, combine yeast and warm water. Let stand for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
Mix in buttermilk, honey, salt, cinnamon and whole wheat flour. Stir well. Gradually mix in white whole wheat flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, adding a bit more flour as you go to keep it from sticking, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes (it won't get quite as smooth as breads made with other flours, but it will still be a bit stretchy). Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Turn bread out onto a lightly floured surface and gently deflate. Shape into a rectangle, then form into a log by folding the short ends into the center, then pulling the long ends up and pinching them together. Place dough seam-side down into a greased 8x4 inch loaf pan. Let rise for 45-60 minutes.
Bake at 375F for 35-40 minutes (until an internal-read thermometer inserted into the bottom of the loaf reads approx 200F). Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and toasting.
Makes 1 loaf.

Sweet Potato Frys

1 large sweet potato
Olive Oil cooking spray
Salt
Pepper
Fresh Rosemary

1. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into strips...to look like fries! Try to make them all the same size so they cook evenly.
2. Spray a baking sheet and put the potato fries on the sheet, spaced out.
3. Spray the fries lightly with the cooking spray.
4. Sprinkle with seasonings...salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary. Or use whatever spices you like. 5. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Make sure you turn the fries every ten minutes or so.
6. Let them cool briefly and dig in!

Crockpot Chicken Teriyaki

2 chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoon ginger
2 cloves garlic
Mixed veggies of your choice (I like broccoli, carrots, zucchini, and green peppers)

Combine all the ingredients, except the veggies, in a crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours. During the last 30 minutes, add the veggies. Serve over rice.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

2 Cans Black Beans
1 Can Corn
2 Chicken breasts shredded
1 C. Salsa



Place all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 3 hours
Then serve with Tortillas, and your favorite Taco toppings (i.e. sour cream, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa) .

Chicken Stuffed Crescent Rolls

Filling:
4 Oz. Cream Cheese
2 C. Chicken - cooked and shredded or cubed (or 12 oz can from Costco)
1/4 tsp. Salt (or to your liking)
1/8 tsp. Pepper (or to your liking)
1 Tbsp. Milk
1 Tbsp. Green Onions
1/2 cup of peas
2 (8 oz) Can of Crescent Rolls or Roll Dough

Sauce:
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 C. Sour Cream

Combine filling ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Then place a spoonful of mixture inside the uncooked roll dough, and then mold the dough around the mixture and seal the dough making a ball. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Combine Cream of Chicken soup mix and sour cream on stove top until warm while rolls are cooking. Serve over warm chicken pillows.

1 hour Rolls

2 C. Warm Water
2 Tbsp. Yeast
1/2 C. Sugar
Mix and let sit for 5- 10 minutes until yeast starts to foam

then add:
2 1/2 tsp. Salt
3 C. Flour

Mix well then add:
1 Egg
1/4 C. Oil

Mix together then add:
3 C. flour (1 C. at a time)

Mix together until dough is formed. Do not add too much flour or dough will be stiff. It is better for dough to be a little sticky. Let dough raise for 1/2 hour. Make it into desired shape. (The dough is quite stick so make sure you flour your work area good.)Then allow it to rise for 20 minutes more. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Once out of oven brush with butter while warm. (I would say this make 1 1/2 to 2 dozen rolls depending on how big you shape them.)

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Salad

1 pkg Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch dip mix
½ c. oil
½ c. vinegar


1 lb cooked, shredded chicken (about 1 ½ to 2 breasts)
3/4 box garden rotini
1 can black beans
1 can black olives, halved
2 -3 tomatoes, chopped
Frozen corn

Mix dressing mix, oil, and vinegar in small bowl and set aside. Combine chicken, cooked pasta, beans, olives, and tomatoes in large bowl. Add dressing and frozen corn about 20 minutes before serving. Be sure to toss again just before serving, as the dressing will seep to the bottom.

Chili Verde

3 pounds pork roast, fat removed as much as possible
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 10oz can green enchilada sauce
1 4oz can diced green chilis
1 14oz can diced tomatoes with chilis
2 chicken bouillon cubes
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp oregano
¼ tsp pepper

This is how I made it. I'll include the original instructions too, so you can choose your method. In a large heavy pot, over medium heat, brown meat, then add onion and garlic and saute a few minutes. Place in crockpot. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. 1 hour before serving, remove roast and set aside. Strain out the onions and tomatoes as much as possible and put with the roast. Pour remaining liquid into a large saucepan. (I place the roast and strained solids back into the crockpot, TURNED OFF, with the lid on to keep warm.) Bring the liquids to a boil on the stove, and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every now and then, until considerably reduced. The point is to concentrate all the liquids to make a thicker sauce. This is a very important step, because all the flavor is in this liquid, and you want to preserve all that flavor for the meat. Plus, I don't like meat too liquid-y or else it runs out the back of the burritos. (You could also opt to drain the tomatoes at the beginning to make this step go faster.) Mix the thickened sauce into the shredded meat and serve. Serve with warm tortillas, Monterey Jack cheese (monterey pepper jack is good too), cilantro, diced tomatoes, and lettuce. You can also served it with sour cream and chopped red onion.

Recipe from The Sisters' Cafe

Crockpot Southwestern Chicken

1 small bag frozen corn
1 can black beans
2 large frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 16-oz jar medium salsa, such as Pace medium picante sauce
shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips
sour cream
chopped cilantro
diced avocado

Pour bag of frozen corn in bottom of crockpot. Place frozen chicken breasts on top of corn and cover with rinsed and drained black beans and jar of medium salsa. Cook on high for 1 hour, and then on low for 4 hours. Shred chicken with forks. Serve with tortilla chips and add toppings to individual servings.
**It is very important that you use MEDIUM salsa in this. Mild simply isn't flavorful enough. Be sure to serve with tortilla chips, and not tortillas. The salty crunchy chips make this so good!

Recipe from The Sister's Cafe

Solid Peanut Butter Cups

12 ounces melted chocolate (I used 9 ounces semi-sweet squares and 3 ounces white chocolate squares)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Melt chocolate according to package directions, taking care not to overheat. I melted the semisweet and white chocolate separately and then mixed together. To melted chocolate add peanut butter, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Spoon or pipe (I used a decorating bag with a large round tip) chocolate mixture into small baking cups. Refrigerate until set.

Great recipe from My Kitchen Cafe.

Orange rolls

1 recipe Judith's refrigerator rolls
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 T. freshly squeezed orange juice
Grated orange rind from two large oranges
orange food coloring (if desired)

Follow directions for Judith's refrigerator rolls.

Combine butter, sugar, orange juice and orange rind in a small bowl and mix well. When dough is ready to shape into rolls, punch down and divide in thirds. Roll each portion into large rectangle about 9 X 13 inches, 1/4 inch thick. Spread each rectangle with one-third of the butter/orange/sugar mixture. Starting with the long side, roll up jelly roll style. Seal edges well, then cut with a sharp knife or dental floss into 1 inch slices

Easy Chicken Parmesan

Sauce Ingredients:
2 Tb olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (approx 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cans Italian diced tomatoes
1 Tb sugar
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper


Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are tender and transparent. Add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Chicken ingredients:
1-2 pounds chicken breasts
2 eggs
Italian breadcrumbs
1/4-1/2 c olive oil
8 oz very thinly sliced mozzarella
1/4 c Parmesan cheese


Dip the chicken in egg and then in bread crumbs. Heat oil and cook chicken 2-3 minutes on each side. Put chicken on the bottom of a large baking dish (9x13). Put one thin slice of mozzarella and sprinkle parmesan on each breast and half of sauce on top. Repeat. Cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with grated parmesan cheese.


Lowfat version: skip breading and frying of the chicken. Place the chicken raw in the dish and do one layer of the cheeses. I don't even measure, I just sprinkle on grated mozzarella and parmesan then top with sauce. Bake a little longer - more like 40 minutes. It is fabulous!

Perfect ly Wonderful Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls
From The Sister's Cafe

2 c. milk
2 cubes butter (1 cup)
2 pkg yeast (4 ½ tsp)
1/3 c. warm water
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp salt
4 beaten eggs
8 c. flour
Filling: 1 cube softened butter & cinnamon(lots) & sugar

Heat milk and 2 squares of butter together until butter is melted. Cool and set aside. Mix yeast and warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Add cooled milk, 1 1/3 c. sugar, 1 tsp salt, 4 beaten eggs. Add 4 c. flour and mix and gradually add 4 additional cups flour. Dough should be firm but sticky. Cover with cloth and put in a warm place, and raise 1 ½ to 2 hours. Dough should nearly be doubled in size. Divide dough in half and empty onto floured surface and knead a little. Roll dough into rectangle, about ½ inch thick. To this half of dough, spread on ½ square of softened butter, completely covering dough. Then sprinkle a coating of sugar over entire piece of dough. Then a layer of cinnamon. Be generous with the cinnamon; this is what makes it tasty. Roll into long roll, pinch edges together and slice with dental floss. Place on a cookie sheet covered with a silpt or parchment paper. Do same thing to second half of dough. Cover with a clean dishtowel (or saran wrap sprayed with cooking spray) and put in warm place, free of drafts, for 2 to 5 hours to raise--just depends-but they should be double in size. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until barely browned. Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes. Drizzle with glaze while still warm. Makes 3-4 dozen.

Butter Cream Glaze:
1 cube softened butter (1/2 cup)
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt
dash of cream of tarter
1 1/2 lbs powdered sugar
scalded milk or cream


Add all together, adding milk a little at a time, alternately with the powdered suagr until desired consistency is reached. For cinnamon rolls, it needs to be a little thinner than regualr icing.

Fusilli alla Caprese

Fusilli alla Caprese
from Giada De Laurentiis

1 pound fusilli pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 pints)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about 4 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta. Toss to combine. Add the basil leaves and mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist. Serve.

Fusilli alla Caprese

Fusilli alla Caprese
from Giada De Laurentiis

1 pound fusilli pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 pints)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about 4 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta. Toss to combine. Add the basil leaves and mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist. Serve.

Hamhock and Beans

My mother (Lillian Seedall) use to make this for us growing up. I don't have her recipe but I believe this to be close.

Ingredients:
2 cups dried Great Northern Beans
2 ham hocks
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
4 cups Water

1. Rinse beans. Place beans in crock pot, add water. Be sure water more than covers beans, add more water if needed. Add onions and ham hocks. Cover, cook on low for 6 -8 hours. When beans are tender, remove ham and remove bones, skin and fat. Shred remaining ham and add back to beans, stir and serve.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 egg whites (or 2 T. dryPowdered Egg + 1/4 C. Water)
1/2 cup fat-free milk (1-1/2 T. Dry Powdered Milk + 1/2 C. Water)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups whole wheat flour
2-1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
Semi-chocolate chips to taste(optional)

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Grease a nonstick 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside. Mix pumpkin, 1 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 3 of the egg whites, milk and oil in large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, pie spice and salt; stir just until moistened.

SPOON the pumpkin batter into prepared pan.

BAKE 1 hour to 1 hour 5 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife or thin spatula around edges of pan to loosen bread; cool in pan on wire rack 10 min. Remove bread from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

Thank you www.everydayfoodstorage.com for this great recipe.

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb. hamburger, browned
1 can green beans, drained
1 can tomato soup
Mashed potatoes
Cheese
Paprika

Mix hamburger and beans together in casserole dish. Spread soup over top, do not stir in. Top with a layer of mashed potatoes, then cheese and/or paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Hamburger Stroganoff

1 pound ground beef, lean
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup, condensed
4 ounces mushroom stems and pieces, drained
3/4 cup sour cream, or yogurt

In medium skillet, brown ground beef and onion; drain excess fat. Stir in garlic salt, pepper, soup and mushrooms. Simmer covered, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in sour cream; heat through, but do not boil. Serve over rice, noodles or chow mein noodles.

Pot Roast - Crock Pot

1 roast, 2 to 4 pounds - lean chuck, bottom round, rump, etc.
salt and pepper, to taste
6 C. beef broth, or more (enough to cover roast). Can use boullion cubes
1 clove garlic, minced
2 medium onions, cut in wedges
4 to 6 medium potatoes, cut in large chunks
2 to 4 carrots, sliced

1. Place roast in the slow cooker/Crock Pot; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add broth, garlic, onion, potatoes, and carrots. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4 to 6, depending on the size of the roast.

Meat balls & Mushroom Gravy over Rice

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup bread crumbs,or oatmeal cracker crumbs, or minute rice ( or a mixture)
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients together and form into small balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Bake at 400° for 10 -13 minutes. This makes about 40 meatballs.

2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can full of milk

Whisk soup and milk together and pour over the cooked meatballs. Bake for about an hour at 300° or on the stove top for 30 -40 minutes. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.