Beer Bread

Beer Bread

Ingredients:

• 12oz beer (I like Amber Bock)
• 3 C. self rising flour
• 1/3 C. sugar
• 3 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, optional

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
2. Combine flour, sugar and cheese; stir in beer. Dough will be sticky.
3. Pour into prepared loaf pan and cover with melted butter.
4. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool in pan for 30 minutes, then turn out and serve.

Source: Me, thanks to some Internet reseach

My notes: I started making beer bread after having some at a Tastefully Simple party. This recipe tastes so close to the mix from Tastefully Simple that you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference! In fact, the only difference I can see is TS Beer Bread costs $5.00 for the mix, plus the beer and this recipe does not! I did some research online and took several recipes into account and then created this one. Enjoy!

Taco Soup

Taco Soup

• 2 pounds browned ground beef
  
• 1 onion, chopped and sauteed with the beef
• 1 beer
• 1 15 oz can corn
• 1 15 oz can black beans
• 1 15 oz can dark red kidney beans
• 2 cans Rotel (hot or mild)
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 pack ranch dressing mix
• 1 pack taco seasoning

Directions:
Dump all ingredients in a big ol' crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, fresh chopped onions, broken up tortilla chips and beer bread.

Source: Southern Living, doctored up by me

My notes: This is another recipe I like to make for a family who has just had a baby, or needs a meal, especially in the fall/winter, although I did make this for a friend last month (yes, in June) and it was well received!

Frosted Cranberries

Frosted Cranberries

I have been asked for this recipe so many times that I've lost count. So, without further ado, here it is.



Frosted Cranberries

1 Cup Water
1/2 Cup sugar
1 bag FRESH cranberries
2 cups confectioners sugar (or more)

1) Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and heat until all the sugar has melted. Remove from burner and cool completely. (This can be done by putting your saucepan in the freezer for five minutes or so.)

2. Wash and pat dry fresh cranberries. Pull out any that are soft and squishy and discard those.

3. Now you will need one or two dinner plates (last time I made these I needed a fresh one halfway through) and one or two clean, dry cookie sheets. Assemble your line. Cranberries, sugar water, dinner plate and cookie sheet all in a row.

4. On your dinner plate, sprinkle about 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar. (You will do this repeatedly throughout the process.)

5. Place a handful of cranberries in the sugar water. Scoop out the handful of cranberries with one hand (this is your wet hand) and drop them gently in the confectioners sugar. With your dry hand (which will get really gross!), gently roll the wet cranberries in the confectioners sugar, coating them completely. With your DRY hand, scoop them up and put them on a cookie sheet. Repeat this process until all cranberries are frosted.

6. These are better made the day before you plan to serve them. Also, the longer they sit out on the cookies sheets without being covered, the better they are.

These are super easy to make, and I've never actually sat down and typed out the recipe until just now. One year when Dan and I traveled to Minnesota for the holidays his mother was making these. I followed her lead and helped out that year. We've had them in Minnesota every Thanksgiving since! Dan and I brought the "recipe" home to Orlando and have been making them for holidays, parties and even gifts for years. The "recipe" has been given out at countless events. I hope you find them as easy to make and as good to eat as our family does! :-)

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
• 15-20 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• Dash of Lemon Pepper
  
• Salt & Pepper

Directions: Place chicken thighs and garlic cloves in baking dish and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Pour olive oil, lemon juice and lemon pepper over the chicken. Cover chicken with thin lemon slices. Bake at 325 for 45-55 minutes. Serve with rice.

Source: B. Knowlen

My notes: I've only made this once, but it is so good. I should make this again!

Apple Berry Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Apple Berry Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Salsa Ingredients:

• 2 medium Granny Smith apples
• 1 cup strawberries, sliced
• 1 kiwi, peeled and chopped
• 1 small orange
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple jelly

Directions: Peel, core and finely chop apples. Chop kiwi and strawberries. Place in bowl and zest and orange over mixture. Cut and juice orange and pour liquid over the fruit. Add brown sugar and apple jelly and mix gently. Refrigerate.

Cinnamon Chip Ingredients:

• 4 (7-inch) flour tortillas
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions: Preheat oven to 400. Lightly brush tortillas with water. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over tortillas. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Let cinnamon chips cool and then serve with salsa.

Source: K. Dodzweit

My notes: The only change I would make to this is to buy Cinnamon Chips instead of making them. This is a nice, light salsa, perfect for a luncheon appetizer.

Ham Puffs

Ham Puffs

Ingredients:

• 2.5 oz ham, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
  
• 1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 package crescent rolls

Directions:
Combine first six ingredients and mix well. Roll out crescent dough and cut into 24 squares. Press one square into each cup of a mini muffin tin. Put one tablespoon of ham mixture in each cup. Bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes.

Source: K. Farmer

My notes: I substitute onion power for the small onion. To make up for the lack of bulk from the onion, I use closer to 3.5 ounces of ham and a little more than half a cup of cheese. If you can't find swiss cheese, you can substitute any other cheese. I generally use cheddar. These are a great appetizer to serve before a dinner party. It lends itself well to using another kind of meat protein in the place of ham. I've made them with bacon as well as turkey and they are delicous.

Lemon Squares

Lemon Squares

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Filling:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:
1. Mix flour, butter and powdered sugar. Press evenly in bottom of ungreased square (8x8) pan. Bake 20 minutes at 350.

2. Beat remaining ingredients about three minutes, or until light and fluffy. Pour over hot crust. Bake about 25 minutes, or until no imprint remains when touched lightly in center. Cool and cut.

This can be doubled and baked in a 9x13 pan.

Source: My mom

My notes: Of all the lemon squares I have tried, these are, hands down, the best I've ever had. I love lemon desserts, and am always willing to try them, but have yet to find one better than this!

My Recipes

I have kept a recipe blog for years with another blog site, and decided it was time for a new start and a new look. I've been spending some time going through the old site and bringing over some of my favorite recipes to share here. These recipes are either favorites of mine and my family, or are recipes often requested by friends. I will continue to add to this site regularly, as I am spending some time going through and organizing all of my recipes and getting them typed and backed up so I have them for years to come.

Whenever possible, I have cited my original recipe sources. I always like knowing where a recipe originated from, and often knowing how to find the recipe means I will find more to try!

Enjoy!

Black Bean & Corn Wonton Cups

Black Bean & Corn Wonton Cups

Found this recipe from Betty Crocker and made them for a Christmas party. They are very festive looking when put together, and taste delicious! However, there are some negatives. Read my full review at the bottom of the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 36 wonton skins
• 2/3 cup medium salsa
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 can (15.25 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• Cilantro sprigs, if desired

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Gently fit 1 wonton skin into each of 36 small muffin cups, 1 3/4×1 inch, pressing against bottom and side. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.
2. Mix remaining ingredients except sour cream and cilantro sprigs. Just before serving, spoon bean mixture into wonton cups. Top each with 1/2 teaspoon sour cream. Garnish each with cilantro sprig.

My notes:

Wontons can be made up to two days in advance. Salsa mixture can be made two days ahead as well. Do not fill wonton skins with salsa mixture until immediately before serving.

Full Review:

First and foremost, I have to say that the filling for this is absolutely delicious.

The changes I made: I used ground chipotle powder (Penzey’s Spices) because I had no chili powder. I also left out cilantro as it does not sit well with me.

Negatives:
The wonton skins are VERY hard and crunchy. This makes for a difficult time eating this. The size of the wonton cup makes it impossible to easily eat this in one bite.

Suggestions:
Next time I make this, and I most definitely will, I will just use Tostito’s Scoops and the filling.

Spoon a little sour cream (two tablespoons maybe) into a baggie, cut the tip off, and squeeze sour cream out as if decorating a cake. It’s so simple, and makes for a beautiful presentation. Oh, and it’s about a zillion times faster than spooning the sour cream on.

Goat Cheese, Walnut and Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

Goat Cheese, Walnut and Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

Ingredients:

• 4oz. goat cheese at room temperature

• 2/3c. coarsely chopped walnuts

• 4 oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained and coarsely chopped

• 1 large garlic clove, coarsely chopped

• 1tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/4tsp. thyme

• salt and pepper

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a food processor until well blended but still slightly chunky.

Makes about 1 1/2c. Serve with baked pita chips, or crackers.

Source: Gina Gjurich

Warm Mixed Nuts with Rosemary and Shallots

Warm Mixed Nuts with Rosemary and Shallots

Ingredients:

• 5c. mixed nuts (i.e. walnuts, cashews, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios)

• 1tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 small shallots, thinly sliced crosswise into rings (to yield about 1/4c.)

• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced lengthwise

• 2tbsp. unsalted butter

• 1/4c. coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

• 1/4tsp. cayenne pepper

• 1tbsp. firmly packed dark brown sugar

• 1tbsp. kosher salt

Directions: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place nuts in single layer on rimmed baking sheets. Toast until golden and fragrant, 8-12 min. Transfer nuts to large bowl and set aside.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Fry shallots and garlic until golden, 3-5 min. Transfer to paper towel and set aside.

Melt butter and pour over nuts. Add rosemary, cayenne, brown sugar, and salt – stir well to combine. Toss in crispy garlic and shallots. Serve warm (nuts may be reheated in a 300 degree oven for 10 min.)

Makes 5c.

Source: G. Gjurich

My notes: If you use nuts that are previously salted (for example, I just buy mixed nuts from Costco that contain no peanuts) you need to rinse them and pat dry to get the salt off of them. Otherwise they get too salty.

Black Bean & Chicken Enchiladas

Black Bean & Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 6 small corn tortillas
• 6 oz. chicken breast (cooked and shredded)
• 1/2c 2% shredded cheese (I used colby/monterrey jack combo)
• 1/2 can black beans
• 1-2T taco seasoning
• 1 small can enchilada sauce

Directions:
Pour small amount of enchilada sauce into bottom of casserole dish – just enough to cover bottom and prevent sticking.
Put shredded chicken into a bowl and mix in taco seasoning and black beans. Add mixture to the tortillas and roll up. Place in casserole dish.
Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas.
Top with shredded cheese.
Bake COVERED at 350 until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

Source: K. Hays, via Weight Watchers

My notes:

I've doctored the original recipe up quite a bit, but the original is a great jumping off point. I double pretty much all of the ingredients and I mix in a little salsa to give it a little kick. Sometimes I use flour tortillas instead of corn, for a different flavor. I also use ground chicken instead of shredded. I just love the flavor of ground chicken in Mexican and Asian dishes.

This is another dish that I like to take to a family in need of a meal. I pack up a little extra shredded cheese, salsa and sour cream and also bring some tortilla chips.

Curry Craisin Chicken Salad

Curry Craisin Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C Mayonaise (Hellman’s Light)
• 1/2 C Chutney (Honey Baked Ham’s Cranberry Walnut Chutney)
• 1 t curry powder
• 2 t lemon zest
• 1/4 C lemon juice
• 1/2 t salt
• 4 C chicken (I marinated my chicken for an hour before baking it in Zesty Italian dressing)
• 1/4 C walnuts
• 1/4 C Craisins
  
• dash of sugar (if needed to cut the acidity of the lemon juice)

Directions:

Wisk everything in a bowl except chicken and walnuts. When well blended add chicken and walnuts. Cover and chill until time to eat.

Source: Me!

Hollywood Grapefruit Cake

Hollywood Grapefruit Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs (separated)
• 3 tbsp. grapefruit juice
• 1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add water, oil, egg yolks, grapefruit juice and lemon rind. Beat until smooth. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar separately until whites are stiff but not dry. Gradually fold the whites into the cake batter, folding gently with a rubber spatula until just blended. Do not stir the mixture. Pour into an ungreased 10-inch cake pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake springs back in the center when touched lightly. Place the pan on cake rack until cool. Run spatula around edge of cake. Carefully remove from pan. With a serrated knife, gently cut into two layers. After cutting the cake in two, slide a flat cookie sheet between the layers to lift the top one off; after frosting the bottom layer, simply slide the top back on.

GRAPEFRUIT CREAM-CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients:

• 2 6-oz. pkgs. cream cheese
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. grated lemon rind
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
• 6 to 8 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
• 1 1-lb. can grapefruit sections, well-drained, reserving 2 tbsp. of juice; or 3 fresh grapefruits, peeled, sectioned, and drained, reserving 2 tbsp. of fresh juice.

Directions:
Let cream cheese soften at room temperature, then beat until fluffy. Add lemon juice and rind. Gradually blend in sugar and beat until well-blended. Add food coloring, if desired. Add reserved 2 tablespoons of grapefruit juice and blend. Divide the frosting evenly into two bowls. Roughly chop 2/3 of the grapefruit sections and add them to half the frosting. Spread this mixture on the bottom layer of the cake. Top with the second layer of cake, and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Garnish each portion with a grapefruit slice. Serves six.

Source: Brown Derby Restaurant

Crunchy Paprika Chickpeas

Crunchy Paprika Chickpeas

Ingredients and Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 450°. Drain and rinse 2 cans chickpeas (15.5oz each); pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet; toss with 3 Tbs olive oil to coast. Spread in a single layer; roast until deep brown and crispy, tossing occasionally, 35 to 40 minutes.

2) Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt and 1 tsp hot or sweet paprika; roast 2 to 3 minutes more. Cool completely on a paper-towel-lined plate. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.

Source: J. Maron

Ham Cheese Muffins

Ham Cheese Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 Cup butter, melted
• 1 Cup milk
• 3/4 Cup diced ham
• 3/4 Cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sift first five ingredients together. Stir in the egg, butter and milk until just blended. Fold in ham and cheese. Fill paper-lined muffin tins full, and bake approximately 20 minutes. (I generally spray the muffin pan with Pam and put the batter directly in. The bottoms get a little crusty that way, but you don’t lose muffin to the inside of the muffin liner.)

Makes 12 muffins.

Alternative: Makes 36 mini muffins. Bake at 350 for approximately 10 minutes.

Source: Granny’s Muffin Cookbook

Polish Misteaks

Polish Misteaks

Ingredients:

• 1# hamburger
• 1# Hot Sausage
• 1# Velveeta (2% works just fine, but don't buy generic)
  
• 1t oregano
• 1t garlic powder
• Dash Worcestershire sauce
• 1 loaf Party Rye Bread (or Party Pumpernickel)

Directions:

Brown meats and drain. Add velveeta and spices and stir until cheese melts. Spread on bread.

Can be frozen on baking sheets, then stored in freezer bag until ready to use. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Source: G. MacDonald-family recipe, Jimmy Dean

White Chocolate Bread Pudding

White Chocolate Bread Pudding

• 1 loaf stale French bread, cut into 1” cubes
• 1 cup white chocolate morsels
• 4 cups milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Best Ever Caramel Sauce, below
  

- Preheat oven 375°
- Place bread cubes in a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle with morsels.
- Heat milk and butter until hot in a medium saucepan. Add sugar, stirring until melted
- Slowly pour 1 cup hot milk mixture into eggs, stirring constantly
- Pour egg mixture into remaining milk mixture. Stir in salt, vanilla, cinnamon.
- Pour egg mixture over bread and morsels. Bake for 45 minutes. Mixture will be soft, but should hold its shape when served. Serve warm with caramel sauce.

My notes: I used two loaves of cinnamon swirl bread by Pepperidge Farm, and semi-sweet chocolate chips and it was divine. (And I don't even like bread pudding!)

Best Ever Caramel Sauce

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 T. vanilla

- Combine butter and brown sugar in a heavy saucepan. Cooke over medium heat, stirring until sugar melts.
- Stir in whipping cream; bring mixture to full boil. Stir in vanilla.

Source: J. Maron

Almond Poppy Seed Bread

Almond Poppy Seed Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour (all purpose)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/2 tsp butter extract
• 1 1/8 cups vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3 cups sugar

Directions

Mix all ingredients in large bowl with mixer. Spray pans with Pam or Mazola Spray. Bake at 350 for 50 – 55 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 7 – 8 mini loaf pans or 3 regular loaf pans.

Source: P. Moran

Oatmeal Scotchies

Oatmeal Scotchies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange
• 3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
• 1 2/3 cups (11-ounce package) Butterscotch Morsels

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Pan Cookie Variation:
Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until very lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

Source: Nestle

Seven Layer Bars

Seven Layer Bars

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted

1 (14-ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)

1 cup (6 ounces) butterscotch-flavored chips

1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for glass baking pan). In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of 13×9-inch baking pan.

Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.

Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store leftovers covered at room temperature.

Source: Eagle Brand

Steak Sauce

Steak Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Ketchup
• 1/3 Cup Wostershire sauce
• 4 ounces pineapple concentrate
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 cup, to start, tamarind paste (then add more to taste)
• Garlic powder, to taste

Directions:

Stir ingredients until well mixed. Store in refrigerator. Some of our family like this served warm with steak, and the rest of us like it cold. This is also good on burgers.

Source: V. Woska

Monte Cristo Casserole

Monte Cristo Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 cup nonfat milk
• 6 eggs, or 1 1/2 cups egg substitute
• 25 ounces cinnamon swirl bread, or french baguette
  
• 8 ounces deli ham, diced in 1'' cubes
  
• 8 ounces deli turkey, diced in 1'' cubes
  
• 4 ounces swiss cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1 container frozen sliced strawberries, thawed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9×13 pan. Pour milk in microwaveable container and heat until hot. Whisk eggs in small bowl, add enough hot milk to temper the eggs, then wisk remainder of heated milk until well blended. Cut bread into 3/4 inch cubes, place in large bowl. Pour egg mixture over bread cubes and toss gently. combine ham, turkey, cheese and parsley in another bowl. In the pan, layer half of the french toast cubes, then half of the meat/cheese mixture. Repeat. Let stand for 10 minutes (or overnight). Bake 30-35 minutes, until golden brown and set in center. Cool 10 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve casserole with sliced strawberries spooned over top.

My notes: This dish is one that I often make to take to a family who has just had a baby, had surgery, or otherwise needs a meal. It lends itself well to a breakfast dish, but is filling enough to be dinner. When having it for dinner, serve with a nice green salad.

Source: Pampered Chef

Kate's Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Kate's Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts-baked and cut into bite size pieces
• 2 heads fresh broccoli, steamed and cut into bite size chunks
• 3 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup mayonaise
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except cheddar cheese. Spoon mixture into a baking dish. Top mixture with shredded cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

My Notes: Kate is the grown up kid that I was the nanny for for many, many years. This was one of her favorite dishes as a kid, and we often ate this for dinner. You know, when we weren't eating pepperoni omelets.

Source: V. Woska

Crispy Oat Cookies

Crispy Oat Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup regular oats, uncooked
• 1 cup crushed corn flakes
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:

Cream butter; gradually add sugars, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add egg, and beat well; add oil and vanilla, mixing well.

Combine flour, soda and salt; add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Stir in oats and remaining ingreadients.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets, and flatten each ball with tines of a fork. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheets and cool on wire racks. Yield: 10 dozen

Source: Southern Living

Sweet Cornbread

Sweet Cornbread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup oil

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl, creating a well. In another bowl, combine wet ingredients. Mix wet ingredients into dry, and combine. Bake in 8×8 inch pan for 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Source: My babysitter growing up

Old Fashion Cracked Brown Sugar Cookies

Old Fashion Cracked Brown Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar, plus extra for rolling
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions:

Beat shortening at medium speed until fluffy. Add sugars, beating well. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Combine flour, soda, salt and cream of tartar. Gradually add, beating well.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls, roll in additional sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets, remove and finish cooling on wire racks. Yield: 5 dozen

Source: A recipe book at V. Woska's house.

Cheese & Mushroom Stuffed Meatloaf

Cheese & Mushroom Stuffed Meatloaf

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon dried, ground or rubbed sage
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)

Directions:

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute’ until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are golden brown and liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix beef and next 8 ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Turn out onto large square of plastic wrap. Pat into 9x 12 inch rectangle. Spread mushroom filling over rectangle leaving 1/2 inch border on all sides. Cover mushrooms with cheese. Starting at one short side, roll the meat up jelly roll fashion. Arrange seam side down in 9×5 inch loaf pan. Bake until loaf shrinks from sides of pan and browns, about 1 hour. Pour off any drippings. Gently turn out loaf and let stand 10 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.

Source: Bon Appetit

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• *OPTIONAL: About 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I use sliced almonds, but I’m sure other things would be good in this too)

Yes, that’s all there is to them– no eggs or baking soda or anything.
DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Beat cream cheese and butter together until uniform in color.
3. Add sugar about 1/4 cup at a time, beating until fluffy.
4. Add flour, mixing well.
5. Stir in nuts, if desired.
6. Drop tablespoon-sized dough blobs on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. They’re done when they’re JUST BARELY brown around the edges.
7. Cool on rack and store in an airtight container.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

Apple Stuffed Chicken

Apple Stuffed Chicken

INGREDIENTS

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup chopped apple
• 2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon Italian-style dried bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Combine apple, cheese, and bread crumbs. Set aside.
Flatten chicken breasts between sheets of waxed paper to 1/4 inch thickness. Divide apple mixture between chicken breasts, and roll up each breast. Secure with toothpicks.
Melt butter or margarine in a 7 inch skillet over medium heat. Brown stuffed chicken breasts. Add wine and 1/4 cup water. Cover. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.
Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Combine 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch; stir into juices in pan. Cook and stir until thickened. Pour gravy over chicken, and garnish with parsley.

My notes: I liked this dish, but remember it being quite messy to prepare and cook.

Source: Unknown. Sorry. :-(

Worms & Eyeballs

Worms & Eyeballs

Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken breast 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tablespoons chopped ginger root 2 scallions, finely chopped 1 small red pepper, 1/4 finely chopped and the remainder thinly sliced 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, Chinese style barbecue sauce Salt and coarse black pepper 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 3/4 small red bell pepper, sliced 1 cup shredded carrots 1 cup bean spouts 1 cup snow pea pods, julienne cut 1 pound bucatini, cooked to al dente 1/4 to 1/3 cup dark soy (Tamari) sauce, eyeball it Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.Combine chicken, garlic, ginger, scallions, finely chopped red bell pepper, hoisin and salt and pepper. Roll meatballs into the size of chicken eyeballs. Place balls on a nonstick cookie sheet and coat lightly with vegetable oil, about 1 1/2 tablespoons. Roll balls around with your hands to gently coat with the oil. Roast the chicken eyeballs 10 to 12 minutes in a very hot oven.About 5 minutes from the meatballs coming out of the oven, start stir-frying the veggies. Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add the sliced red bell pepper, carrots, spouts and pea pods to hot pan. Stir fry 1 minute, then drain noodles and add them to the vegetables. Add dark soy sauce to the noodles and toss to combine and evenly coat. Transfer noodles to a serving platter and top with chicken eyeballs. Source: Rachael Ray My notes: This recipe was created by Rachael Ray for Halloween, hence the gross name. I have not made this, but a dear friend of mine brought this to me after I had back surgery a couple of years ago. I looked the recipe up and kept it, thinking I might make it for our family one day!

Kalki's Baked Beans

Kalki's Baked Beans

Ingredients:

• 6 cups prepared baked beans, any brand
• 6 slices bacon, chopped, 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, a couple of handfuls
• 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.Pour beans into casserole dish and place in oven.

In a small nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium high heat 2 to 3 minutes. Add onions and cook 3 minutes longer. Slide the beans out of the oven. Scatter the onions and bacon around the beans. Sprinkle the brown sugar and black pepper over the onions.

Bake beans with toppings 10 minutes longer. Garnish the beans with parsley and serve.

Now, my modifications…

I used about 1/3 of a sweet onion, sauteeing that right up with the bacon. I sprinkled the brown sugar on, having no idea how much I used, and I also mixed in a touch of cinnamon. If I were making this for a crowd, I would use a lot more bacon, and more onion. It doesn’t seem like there would be enough of that mixture to cover a larger dish of beans. But, these are wonderful, and are now at the top of my list to make as baked beans!

Source: Rachael Ray, J. Maron

Cranberry Barbecue Ribs

Cranberry Barbecue Ribs

3	pounds fresh pork riblets or 1 rack (3 pounds) pork back ribs, cut lengthwise across bones in half
1	cup whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2	cup hoisin sauce
1/2	teaspoon onion powder
1/4	teaspoon salt
1/8	teaspoon pepper

1.	Heat oven to 375ºF. Grease broiler pan rack. Trim fat and remove membranes from pork riblets. (For ribs, cut between bones into serving pieces.)
2.	Place pork, meaty sides up, in single layer on rack in broiler pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 50 minutes.
3.	Mix remaining ingredients. Brush pork with half of the cranberry mixture. Bake uncovered 10 to 20 minutes longer or until pork is tender. (If using Do-Ahead Tip, stop here.)
4.	Heat remaining cranberry mixture to boiling in 1-quart saucepan. Serve with pork. Eh. These are “okay”. I had high hopes for these being great ribs with a great sauce, but they really weren’t. On a scale of 1-10, they were about a 5. Something about them seemed a little off. I suspect it was the amount of hoisin sauce. This recipe may fare better in a slow cooker.

Source: Bettycrocker.com

Sweet Carrots

Sweet Carrots

November 30, 2006 at 7:52 pm | In carrots, side dishes, vegetables | Leave a Comment | Edit this post

The perfect vegetable—baby carrots lightly sweetened and tossed with Mural of Flavor. We had these for dinner this evening and they were wonderful. These carrots, and Mural of Flavor, will become a regular rotation in our home!

2 lbs. baby carrots, rinsed

2 quarts water

1/2 tsp. salt

2 TB. butter

1 tsp. MURAL of FLAVOR

1 TB brown sugar

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil over high heat, add salt and carrots. Let water return to a boil, then cook carrots 5 minutes. While carrots are cooking, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet. Add the brown sugar. Drain and rinse carrots, add to skillet, top with MURAL of FLAVOR and cook over low heat 2 minutes, stirring to blend. Remove from heat and serve. If the vegetables are done a bit before the rest of dinner, cover the pan and leave on the lowest heat setting for up to 10 minutes, stirring after 5.

Serves: 6-8
Prep. time: 1 minute
Cooking time: 8 minutes

Source: Penzey’s Spices

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
  
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cookies:

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze:

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container.

Source and Photo Credit: Giada de Laurentiis, Food Network

My notes: These are so stinking good! I used Skim Milk Ricotta with not ill effects.

Chess Cake

Chess Cake

Crust:

• 1 package yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325. Grease 9x13 pan. Mix together cake mix, 2 eggs and 1/2 cup melted butter. Pat the crust down into pan. (This will not be runny like cake batter, and even stiffer than brownie batter.) In another bowl beat cream cheese until smooth. Add butter, eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Blend in powdered sugar. Pour over crust mixture. Bake 30-35 minutes. Refrigerate.

Photo Credit

Christine's Artichoke Dip

1 package (8-oz.) cream cheese, softened (I use Neufenchal)
1 cup mayonnaise (I used Kraft “Light”)
1 cup sour cream (I used Light)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cans (14-oz.) artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon fresh dill, optional

Directions:

Preheat over to 350°F. Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Pour into oven-proof container. I like to use my Pampered Chef Mini Baker.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Serve with: Crunchy pita chips, Triscuits, or any other cracker you like!

Recipe Credit: Christine's Artichoke Dip, K. Farmer

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

2# Ground Chuck
2 Eggs
1 Cup Breadcrumbs
1/3 Cup parsley
1/2 teaspoon onion powder (or you can chop fresh onion and add to taste)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce

Combine all ingredients from above. Roll into meatballs and place in corning ware dish. Set aside. Turn oven to 350 degrees.

1 12oz bottle Chili Sauce
1 15oz can Whole berry cranberry sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
(I add a couple more dashes of soy sauce)

Combine in saucepan on stove. Bring to a boil and continue boiling until sauce gets thickened. Take sauce off stove, pour over already prepared meatballs.

Place meatballs and sauce in oven and bake for at least one hour. (the longer they bake, the yummier they are…just watch that you don’t overheat and burn the sugars)

My notes: I made this party not long ago. I cooked the meatballs for about 1 hour 15 minutes in the oven, then transferred to a crockpot. They continued to simmer on the “warm” setting for the remainder of the evening. When I pulled the last three out, they were still delicious (and there was still sauce left) after an additional 3 hours of cooking.

Recipe Credit: K. Farmer

Muddy Buddies, Shannon's Way

By popular demand, my take on Muddy Buddies. (Also called Puppy Chow or Reindeer Droppings, depending on what part of the country you’re from.)

Muddy Buddies, Shannon's Way

Ingredients:

6 cups Crispix
3 cups Cheerios
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl, measure your cereal; set aside.

In a 2 cup measuring cup, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High for one minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer, or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla.

Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour half of the mixture into a 1 gallon ziploc. Add 3/4 cup powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on wax paper to cool. Repeat with the remaining half of the cereal and powdered sugar.

Store in an airtight container, should any remain at the end of the night.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 8oz block of cream cheese
1 pound ground chicken, browned
1/2 cup wing sauce
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Dump all the ingredients above into a small crockpot, and cook for two hours, taking a moment every thirty minutes to stir.

Serve with Multigrain Tortilla chips or another, far more inferior tortilla chip if you can’t find those.

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Oh my goodness, this is an amazing dip. I made it for the party on Saturday night, and after less than an hour, I was making it again because the first batch was gone! No, I can’t take any real credit for the recipe, because I took the ingredients from two different recipes in the same style and made up one that sounded the best. Plus, I really wanted to use my little crock pot!

It is my intention to bring this to the next several parties that I have to attend, so if you plan to be at the same party as me, don’t steal my recipe and bring it yourself. Or maybe you should, because it’s so good, it will be gone in a flash!

My only regret? People ate it so quickly,\ that I didn’t get to take a picture.

Other Notes: I made this again, and this time I used what little Ranch dressing I had left, and supplemented with Bleu Cheese dressing. Uhm, if you like Bleu Cheese, it’ll be good. However, if your guests are not fans of it, they will probably not like this dip. The Bleu Cheese was very strong and quite tangy. Go for Ranch if you want something smooth and subtle.