My version of Tater Tot Hotdish

So, whenever I want to make Tater Tot Casserole, I can never find a recipe that meets my husbands specs. So, I made it up as I went along.

1 package of imitation Tater Tots (32 oz)
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained (with a chopped onion if you like)
1 can sliced mushrooms (drained through the top of the can - leave a little wet)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 quart (or two cans) of green beans (mostly drained)

Mix browned ground beef, mushrooms and soup.

Add about 2/3 of the bag of Tater Tots to the bottom of a 9 x 9 x 4 baking dish (I use a high-sided casserole.) Spoon and spread beef mixture over the top. Sprinkle beans over the top of the beef. Top with tater tots.

Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees, for about 35 - 45 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 or so until you're ready to eat. Because baking dishes vary, test to make sure the center is thoroughly heated through.

Grace's Salsa

This is currently my mom's salsa recipe. We got it from Grace, a former co-worker of mine.

22 medium tomatoes (blanched-skinned- cut in small chunks)

2 large green bell peppers (remove seeds-cut in small chunks)

5 large onions-cut in small chunks

1 jalapeno papers with seeds – add more if you want it ‘hot’

Cook for 30-40 minutes…add:

½ cup vinegar

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup canning salt

12 oz tomato paste – (Grace put in 4 - 6 oz cans)

1 tsp. black pepper

Put in hot water bath (canning) for 20 minutes

Jamie's Salsa - corn starch

I received this recipe via my mom from her co-worker Jamie. It's a little different than what I'm used to - peels? Corn starch? Trust me it takes way less time. Makes about 14 pints.

6 quarts chopped tomatoes, with peels (and don't be afraid to use a few greenish ones - chunky!)
2 cups chopped onions
1/4 cup finely chopped jalapenos
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup salt
6 oz tomato paste
1 1/4 tsp cumin
1 tbsp garlic sale
3/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp black pepper

Mix all in a large pot. Cook over low heat for 1 hour. Stir frequently.

Stir together 3/4 cup cornstarch and 1/2 cup water to make a smooth paste. Add a little of the hot liquid, then a little more, and a little more. Don't be afraid to keep adding, the idea (in case you've never worked with cornstarch before) is to slowly bring up the temperature of the cornstarch before adding it to the full heat of the pot.

Finally, add the corn starch mixture to the pot and bring to a boil for one minute, stirring constantly.

Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Jason's Salsa - traditional cooked and canned

Over the years, I've collected a number of salsa recipes - here's the first... From my mom, from her friend Brenda, now used exclusively by my friend Jason.

20 medium tomatoes (no skins)
3 green peppers
1 large onions
1 cup white vinegar
3 tsp sugar
3 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic salt or garlic powder
2 TBSP crushed red pepper

Chop tomatoes, peppers and onions. Mix everything together in a huge pot. Cook slowly until thick (4-5 hours.) Stir often.

Hot pack into hot jars. Adjust hot clean rings and lids.

My mom says to turn upside down to seal - yeah... I don't do that... process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Then, if you want to turn upside down, it's up to you.

Too easy fruit salad

My husband says I should share this - says it's brilliant. I disagree, but in the interest of marital harmony...

1 banana, sliced into bite-size pieces
1 apple, sliced into bite-size pieces
1 handful (or so) green grapes, sliced in half
1 6 -8 oz container of cherry yogurt with fruit.

Just before serving, dump fruit into a bowl. Stir. Add yogurt, stir.

I know... it's that easy... use yogurt as salad dressing. It really doesn't feel original.

Mexican Rice

I didn't realize that there is a difference between Spanish and Mexican rice. My husband found this recipe online, it's a great side dish, and it's really quite tasty when stuffed inside a taco shell with cheese (I ran out of taco meat at the end of the meal...)

• 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice (we used Minute Rice)
  
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional, it was good without)
  
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped(or 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained)
  
• 1 cube chicken bouillon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tbsp dried cilantro
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

In a medium sauce pan, cook rice in oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Stir in onion, green pepper, jalapeno, and tomatoes. Add bouillon cube, salt and pepper, cumin, cilantro, and garlic. Stir until cube melts. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes.

Zucchini Pork Chop Supper

This is why I like real cookbooks. You can page through and find totally awesome stuff. This one comes from The Best of Country Cooking 1998. I adapted it to the ingredients I usually have on hand. The result is shake n bake-esque pork chops, creamy yet crunchy stuffing, and zucchini that's a little sweet. YUM!

3 boxes stuffing mix
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 lbs zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch chunks (no need to peel, do seed)
1/2 cup grated carrots
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp pepper
6 loin pork chops (I used bone-in, they worked...)
Additional milk

Combine 1 box of stuffing mix with half of the melted butter. Place in the bottom of a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

Combine soup, milk, sour cream, parsley and pepper. Add zucchini and carrots. Spoon over stuffing. Combine 1 box of stuffing mix with remaining butter. Sprinkle stuffing over zucchini.

Crush final box of stuffing mix (use a blender, food processor or zip-top bag and rolling pin, aim for coarse crumbs.) Dip pork chops in milk, then in stuffing crumbs. Place chops on top of casserole. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over all.

Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until pork chops are cooked through (use your meat thermometer and check!)

Zucchini Carbonara

I'm cheating, and I don't care.

We had this for dinner on Monday night. Heaven... Heaven I tell you!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jamie-oliver/beautiful-zucchini-carbonara-recipe/index.html

Warning gardeners: If you pick all the baby zucchinis for this recipe, any big ones left will double in size overnight.

Zucchini Boats

My mother-in-law is a great lady. But really, her Zucchini bake was just a little more work than I'm interested in. Here's a slightly easier version. I promise, you won't burn your hand draining the liquid!

1 -2 medium zucchinis
1 can of diced tomatoes. Preferably ones with basil, onions, etc.

Cut zucchinis in half, lengthwise. Peel away the skin. Use a spoon to remove the fluffy middle. If the zucchinis won't fit in your baking dish, it's ok to cut them in half width-wise as well.

Spoon the tomatoes into the boats or half-boats you've created. If you've got extra tomatoes, keep piling upward. Add any extra tomato juice to the bottom of the pan (the boats will soak up the flavor from the top and bottom. )

Bake for 30-45 minutes at 350- 400 degrees. (I usually use a higher temperature, even 425) until the boats are translucent and you can easily pierce through the zucchini with a fork.

You can add cheese before serving if you like, though, if you're dieting, it tastes pretty good without it.

Zucchini bake

This recipe came from my mother-in-law. This is the way she makes it. Zucchini boats are my modified version thereof.

1 or 2 Zucchini - medium sized
1 can of diced tomatoes, preferably the kind with basil, onions or other additions
An orange variety of cheese

Peel and remove the fluffy middle from the zucchini. Cut the remainder into 3/4 to one inch chucks. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Add the zucchini to the dish. Dump tomatoes, liquid and all, over the zucchini. Cover, preferably with a glass cover.

Cook for 30 - 45 minutes at 350 - 400 degrees (I mention multiple cooking options to encourage cooking along side the main dish.)

After the zucchini is cooked (it becomes translucent) use the glass cover to drain away most of the liquid. Remove the cover, add shredded cheese and return to the oven just long enough to melt. Or, if you're a cheap freak like me, put the cover back on, and set it on the table. By the time you've wrangeled the kids, it'll be melted.

Dorothy's Potato Bake

Dorothy is lovely 80+ woman I work with. This is truly an old-fashioned recipe. Calories and fat be darned!

8 large potatoes
4 Tbsp butter
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (ok, more)

Peel Potatoes and cut into french fry stips (you can use a contraption or a plain old knife.) Rinse and drain potatoes. Place into a 9 x 13 baking pan. Dot with butter. Salt and pepper to taste. (I tend to skip and add it at the table.) Pour cream over all. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake at 350 degrees (no higher!) for 1.5 hours. Add the cheese during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

The first time I made this recipe, I thought I had screwed it up. The result is part cooked in cream, part steamed potatoes in a very rich sauce. No, the cream doesn't set, and it doesn't all cook into the potatoes.

Bean soup with mustard greens (or not...)

At the conclusion of a big project this spring, Mary from the United Way gave all involved packets of seeds. I chose mustard greens. I'd never grown, nor eaten them before... but, tonight I noticed that the greens had gotten to big for salad. So... found out this was good. It's similar to the winter bean soup recipe, but way faster.

2 tsps olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb ham, diced
1 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
2 19-ounce cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
29 ounces of chicken broth (2 cans)
2 cups chopped fresh mustard greens (optional)
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and garlic. Saute 3 minutes until soft. Add ham and cook for two minutes. Stir in thyme and bay leaves, then add beans and broth. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer 20 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves.

Add mustard greens and simmer 1 mintue, until greens wilt. Remove from heat, and sesason with salt and pepper.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

If your mom and my mom shared recipes - this is the one they used to make strawberry jam. I seriously don't understand why people think this is so complicated. It's easy. It will bring back memories of mom and grandma - or, it will create memories in the minds of your kids.

BTW - if you can't find the recipe - it's in the yellow sure-jell box. Seriously. Who knew?

2 cups crushed strawberries
4 cups sugar
one YELLOW box Sure Jell Pectin (no, you can't replicate this recipe with anything else)

Wash and rinse the containers you'll be using to store the jam. I prefer glass jam jars designed for freezing, capped with rings and lids. Some people go for plastic - your call.

Crush berries one cup at a time, using a potato masher. Or, if you don't have one, pulse in a blender. Do NOT make the strawberries into a liquid. Jam is supposed to have bits of fruit (hence, the potato masher)

Measure exactly two cups of the crushed berries (seriously, no more, no less, or you'll have issues.)

Measure exact amount of sugar and mix very well into the fruit. Let stand for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Stir pectin and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Boil one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Stir pectin mixture into fruit. Stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved and not at all grainy - about three minutes.

Pour into the containers you prepared earlier, leaving 1/2-inch space at top for expansion during freezing. Cover. NOTE: if you're using lids and rings, your not trying to seal them, just close them.

Let stand at room temperature 24 hours until set. Refrigerate up to three weeks. Otherwise, store in freezer for up to a year.

The recipe says to thaw in the freezer, but my family prefers to spread on warm toast direcly from the freezer.

Cheesy Broccoli Rice and Chicken

This is based on a recipe from the famous soup maker. I adapted the recipe this weekend to feed about 6 people.

1 tbsp oil
4 -6 chicken breasts (no more than fit in a single layer on the bottom of your largest skillet)
1 can condensed cream of broccoli soup
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
4 cups rice
1 cup of cheddar cheese (or a little more)

Heat oil over medium heat. Cook chicken breats, turning occasionally until cooked through. Drain any excess liquid.

Mix soups, milk, water, paprika and pepper. Whisk thoroughly.

Pour soup over chicken. Heat until boiling. Remove chicken and keep warm. Add rice. Simmer for five minutes. Taste the rice. If it's done, yea! If not, simmer for two more minutes, and taste again. Repeat until done.

Arrange chicken on a platter, put rice over the top and cover with cheddar cheese.

Steamed broccoli is an excellent accompaniment.

Big Boy Strawberry Pie

Never made a pie? Start with this one... it's really hard to screw up.

1 prepared pie crust (bake according to package directions)
1 cup sugar
2 TBSP corn starch
1 3 oz package strawberry jello
1 quart fresh strawberries
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP butter

In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Mash 1 cup of whole berries. Add water to crushed berries to make 2 cups. Stir into sugar and cornstarch.

Cook, stirring over medium heat until boiling. Boil for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat, add butter, jello and lemon juice. Stir until jello dissolves. Chill until partially set.

Spoon 1/3 of mixture into pie shell. Add rest of berries to pie shell. Pour rest of mixture over the top. Chill at least one hour (overnight is better.)

Sherve with whipped cream.

Onion-Roasted Potatoes

Sometimes, the best recipes are found on the side of the box :)

1 envelope name-brand onion soup mix (or beefy onion, or mushroom and onion, whatever sounds good)
2 lbs potatoes, cut into large chunks
1/3 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly - use your hands! Pour into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.

Broccoli and Potato Fritatta

This is a conglomeration of multiple recipes I found on the internet. My family likes it - and it's fabulous with Tomato and Basil Cheddar Cheese.

1 1/2 cups potatoes - washed, peeled, and cubed into bite size pieces
2 cups chopped br0ccoli florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup sliced green onions (or chopped regular onions)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
9-12 eggs (depends on how "eggy" you like it - don't be shy!)
1/4 cup milk + 2 tablespoons milk (for 9ish eggs) - 1/2 cup milk (for 12ish eggs)
1 cup cheddar cheese

Boil water in a medium saucepan (enough to cover both potatoes and broccoli). Add potatoes. Cook 7 minutes or until just tender. Add broccoli, cook one minute longer. Drain well. (The multi-cooker I got for Christmas works fab for this - thanks mom!)

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and broccoli and mix well. Remove from heat.

Coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray or butter. Add the potato mixture, spreading evenly over the bottom.

In a large bowl, mix oregano, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Add eggs and milk. Whisk until well-blended. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture.

Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes (until eggs are mostly set) sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake 5 more minutes. - Cook longer for more eggs

Note: the original recipe called for thinly sliced tomatoes on top of the egg mixture. I didn't have any, but it sounds good. Seriously though, Tomato and Basil Cheddar Cheese. It's amazing.

A brat (or hamburger or hot dog) Hot Tub

So, last night, my family and I went to a barbecue. Near the grill was the man of the house - and his father-in-law. I love both men dearly, but by the end of the evening, they hated each other. Turn the heat up, down, move the burgers over, back ARGH!

The solution: Cook the meat before your guests arrive and hold them in a brat hot tub! That way, you get to socialize with your guests, and they don't end up smelling like smoke in the process.

12 freshly grilled brats (or burgers, or hot dogs or a combination thereof)
1 stick butter
1 onion, sliced
2.5 cans of beer (I prefer High Life)

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they caramelize - turning lightly brown.

Add the onions to the bottom of a slow cooker. Switch the slow cooker on to low. Add brats to the slow cooker, then add enough beer to just cover.

If you're planning to serve buffet style, put the slow cooker where you are planning to serve your meat. Your guests can serve themselves from the hot tub.

Obviously, this recipe can be easily scaled. I've fed 100 people using this method.

And yes, Minnesotans, this is SO a Wisconsin thing.

Pork Chops with apple pie filling and stuffing

Just for Brad :) I promise to share my homemade apple pie filling recipe this fall.

4 Pork Chops
1 can apple pie filling (or one quart home made apple pie filling)
1 package stuffing (I prefer chicken Stove-top)

Brown pork chops for five minutes per side in a hot fry pan. Make stuffing according to package directions.

In a 9 x 13 pan, place the chops. Dump apple pie filling over the top, Place stuffing on top of the chops.

Cover the pan with foil and place in 375 degree oven until the chops are done. Since the thickness of chops varies widely, I prefer to use a thermometer to make sure they're done, though it usually takes about 30-45 minutes.

Triple Decker Strawberry Cake

The book I got this out of says it's a great cake for a baby shower or birthday - I agree!

Cake:
1 package plain white cake mix
1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk (preferably whole)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries and juice

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees.

Either lightly grease three pans with shortening and dust them with flour - or, use the really nice baking formula non-stick spray. Works great.

Place cake mix, gelatin, flour, oil, sugar, milk, eggs and strawberries in a large mixing bowl and blend on low speed for one minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the speed to medium and beat for two minutes more. The strawberries should be well blended into the batter. Divide the batter as evenly as you can among the pans and place them in the oven.

If your oven isn't large enough, place two pans on the center rack and put the third one in the center of the highest rack.

Bake the cakes until they spring back lightly when you press them and they just start to pull away from the sides of the pan - about 33-35 minutes. If you placed a pan on the highest rack, be careful that it doesn't overcook.

Take the pans out of the oven. and place them on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each layer and flip each onto a rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. The recipe calls for only frosting the tops of the cakes. I don't like that... so... I double the frosting recipe listed below and frost the sides as well.

Frosting:
1 stick of butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted (more if needed)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries and juice (more if needed)

Place the softened butter in a large mixing bowl (I mention softened again because it's important.) Blend butter with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, about 20 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioners sugar and strawberries. Blend on low speed until the frosting is creamy and spreadable. If it's too thin, add more sugar. If it's too thick, add more strawberries.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with frosting. Add another layer, right side up, on top of the first and frost the top. Repeat this process with thte third layer and frost the top; frost the sides, and refrigerate to set the frosting.

Dill Dip

During summer potluck season, I make this ALL THE TIME. Growing up, I thought everyone ate dill dip. The only time I heard about ranch dip was in Hidden Vally commercials.

You can use the fat-free or light versions of all the ingredients. But, it makes a big difference - whether that's good or bad is up to you.

1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayo
2 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp dill weed (fresh is really good!)
2 tbsp minced onion (the dried, bottled kind)
2 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt,

Mix all together, then chill overnight. The flavors really do need time to meld...

Pork (sausage or ham) Hash

My husband and I "created" this as a way to use up some extra ground pork we had. It works will all kinds of meat.

I would like to point out that I've never eaten corned beef hash. So, if you're complaining... I seriously don't know what you're talking about.

1 lb bulk pork sausage or 1 lb ham, cubed
1 bag frozen cubed potatoes (the ones with peppers work well too)
6 eggs

Cook pork sausage over high heat (you're trying to get it to brown quickly. Brown = yum.)
Cook the frozen potatoes according to package directions.
Add cooked meat to potatoes.
Crack the eggs over the mixture, add a dash or two of salt and pepper. Cook thoroughly.
Add other seasonings as you like.

Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

Mom made these for the kids this weekend...

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/3 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl, combine bananas, oil and egg; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.

Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done.

Makes about 1 dozen

Slow-Cooker Enchilladas

Tonight was the annual pre-school picnic. Matt and the other kids sang adorable songs (which I'll hopefully manage to get on Facebook soon) and we all ate our fill.

My contribution was a Slow-Cooker Enchilada recipe I modified. Well, at least that was the original title. I'm thinking this is just a Tex-Mex casserole.

1 lb ground beef
1 cup onions, chopped
16 oz can pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
10 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups water
16 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
Enough of your favorite taco seasoning for 2 lbs of beef
2 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar, the original recipe called for half cheddar, half Monterrey Jack)
6 flour tortillas

In a non-stick skillet, brown beef and onions. Drain well.

Return beef to pan and add remaining ingredients, except cheese and tortillas. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

In a slow cooker, layer about 3/4 cup beef mixture, one tortilla and about 1/4- 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used.

Cover. Cook on low 5-7 hours.

Green Beans with Tomato Sauce

I have seen Jamie Oliver do green beans with a tomato sauce, and thought it was plain icky until I tried it. Wow. Yet another way to make my kids' favorite veggie. No, this isn't Jamie's recipe...

2 cans Green Beans (or one quart home canned)
8 oz pizza sauce (use the rest to dip bread sticks in)
Sprinkle of crushed red pepper (optional)

Add red pepper to sauce. Taste! There's no other way to make sure it's not too hot.

Put Green Beans in a microwave safe bowl. Add sauce over the top. Stir. Microwave until heated through.

Pumpkin Dessert

Thanks Judy, for this yummy way to use up the extra pumpkin I seem to buy every Thanksgiving.

Filling:
1 - 29oz can pumpkin
4 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Topping:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup melted butter or margarine

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Mix filling ingredients (I use a whisk) and pour into un-greased 9x13 cake pan.

Sprinkle cake mix over top of pumpkin filling. Pour 1 cup melted margarine or butter over top
Sprinkle 1 cup chopped nuts over top of all.

Bake at 350 for one hour.

Chicken Delicious

Matthew is in t-ball right now, and it's really hard to get dinner on the table, eat and get to t-ball. So, I use our slow-cooker. This recipe comes from Fix it and Forget it Lightly cookbook.

12 bones, skinless chicken breast halves (or, if you're not worried about being light, any chicken pieces you like - enough to feed your family.)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp salt (I usually omit this...)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1 can cream of mushroom soup (low sodium, low fat, works too)
1 can cream of celery soup (low sodium, low fat is fine too, cream of chicken is fine instead also)
1/3 cup dry sherry or white wine
Parmesan cheese.

The technique listed in the cookbook is to mix together the soups and seasonings, then dip the chicken mix, put the chicken in the cooker, and add the rest of the soup mixture.

Yeah... I have time to do that... really. NOT. Mix the seasonings and soups together. Put the chicken in the slow-cooker, dump the seasoned soups over the top. Sprinkle with cheese

Cover. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Serve with rice.

Lou Rocco's Cold Chicken Pasta Salad

Yes, my husband's best buddy really is named Lou Rocco. This is a recipe his brother Mickey came up with. First Lou, then I modified it to suit our tastes. Like any salad, there is no precision in this recipe. Add more of what you like, less of what you don't.

12 oz pasta noodles (I like spiral)
8 oz refrigerated spinach and ricotta tortellini (cheese tortellini is good too)
2 medium chicken breasts
6 roma tomatoes
1 large bell pepper (or, if you're me, not)
8 oz feta cheese (I like a one container tomato and basil, one container of plain)
25 green olives (or black...)
Extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp lemon juice

Spices for chicken:
2 bay leaves
dash of thyme
dash of rosemary
dash of pepper

Pre-chop chicken into bite sized pieces. Cook chicken in a frying pan, adding spices to both sides, until chicken turns golden brown. Put chicken in fridge to cool.

Cook pastas according to package directions. Rinse, put it in fridge to cool.

Thinly chop olives, tomatoes and peppers. Toss with noodles in a large bowl.

Spices for salad:
3 tbsp crushed parsley
3 tbsp dried basil (fresh works too)
1 tbsp pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp Italian seasoning

Add all spices to salad, along with cheese. Thinly coat salad with olive oil to taste. Add lemon juice. Stir - and stir again.

Chill until ready to serve. Stir before serving. You may need to add more olive oil, since the pasta soaks it up.

Note: This makes a HUGE batch, but keeps for about a week.

Alan's Pasta Salad

So, one evening my in-laws are entertaining in their backyard and I bring this pasta salad. My brother-in-law loves the stuff! I think he was on his third helping when he looked down at his plate, spit out his mouthful of salad and announced "There's peas in this stuff!" A bright one he is, one who hates peas.

1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar (no, you may not use splenda)
2 cups mayo (light is fine, fat-free even)

Bring the sugar and water to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute. Allow syrup to cool.

Once cool, stir the syrup into the mayo. Use it as a dressing over whatever ingredients you like. Mine usually includes:

1 lb of spiral pasta (or elbow macaroni)
A diced celery stalk or two, for crunch
A diced carrot or two, for color
Frozen peas (unless I'm making it for Alan)
Shredded or diced cheddar cheese
Crab Meat (when I have some)

I think the original recipe suggested tuna or onion as well. Really, it's hard to screw up the proportions. Feel free to make the dressing in advance for a picnic so it's easier to keep in your cooler.

Green Beans and Mushrooms

I suppose this isn't much of a recipe. But, for someone who's looking for a way to change up canned veggies, here's an option.

2 cans green beans (or a home canned quart)
1 small can sliced mushrooms

Drain one can of green beans and one can of mushrooms, dump all into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until heated through (edges of liquid boil.)

Serve with slotted spoon.

"Good Bars"

When I went looking for a recipe for these bars I found plenty of them - in nearly every church cookbook I looked in. Hence, some options and variations.

1/2 butter
1 1/2 - 2 cups graham crackers, crushed (about one sleeve)
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup (6 0z) butterscotch chips (if you don't have them - use chocolate)
1 cup (6 oz) chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Turn on oven to 300 degrees. Put butter in 13 x 9 inch pan and melt in oven. Add graham crackers and spread in pan.

Option: bake crust in oven for 8 minutes - it makes the crust crispier.

Otherwise, sprinkle coconut and both chips over crust. Add milk over the top. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool.

Try to make them last more than 24 hours...

Cherry Cream Scones.

I used to work at a gourmet food store/Farmer's Market in Door County Wisconsin. Carrie supplied these and other amazing treats for the bakery area. I haven't made these in years, but am craving them after hearing about an upcoming tea party.

Cherry Cream Scones

3/4 cup dried cherries
1 cup boiling water
3 cups flour
3 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 egg, separated
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup Half-and-Half
1-1/2 tsp. almond extract
additional sugar



Soak cherries in water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt ant cream of tartar. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter. Set aside. In another bowl, combine the egg yolk, sour cream, Half-and-Half and almond extract. Add the flour mixture; stir unti a soft dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently six to eight times. Knead in cherries. Divide dough in half and shape into two balls. Roll each ball into a 6-inch circle. Cut into six wedges. Repeat with remaining ball. Place on lightly greased (or parchment paper lined) baking sheet. Beat egg white until foamy; brush tops of scones and sprinkle with additional sugar.

Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm.

YIELD: 12 scones.


Recipe source: "Taste of Home's Best Holiday Recipes, 2005", submitted by Carrie Sherrill, Forestville, WI

Lemon Cake

I love this cake - sweet, tart, oh yum.

1 yellow cake mix
1 3 oz package lemon jello (sugar free works too)
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup hot water
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.

Place the cake mix, jello, oil, water and eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for two minutes more. The batter should look thick and well-blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is light brown and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan - about 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the over and place it on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze:

2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
2 tbsps lemon juice
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest (I've made it without...)

Combine all glaze ingredients in a small bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.

Run a long, sharp knife aroudn the edge of the cake and invert onto a serving platter. Spoon glaze evenly over warm cake so it drizzles down the side and into the center.

Pizza Grilled Cheese

My dad and husband like cheesy pizzas. I buy mozzarella cheese in bricks and shred them myself (something I learned to do buying cheese directly from the factory as a kid.)

The bricks make a great platform for these sandwiches my kids love.They're a fantastic option on a night when they kids are begging for pizza but you want to eat a little more quickly.

Mozzarella cheese - preferably a slice, but shredded works too
White or wheat bread
Butter
Pizza sauce

Method one:
Make a grilled cheese sandwich as you would any other, and served it with pizza sauce for dipping

Method two:
Spread pizza sauce on the "inside" of the bread, butter the outside. Put mozzarella in the middle, and some pepperoni if you like. Grill as you normally would.

Pirate's Delight

4 tsps dry white wine or chicken broth
12 ounces fresh or frozen cod (I've also used pollack and salmon) thawed and cut into one-inch pieces
1/3 cup crushed saltines (about 8 crackers)
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp paprika
2 tsp olive or canola oil
2 tsps grated Parmesan cheese

Pour wine or broth into a 13 x 9 baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Place fish on top. Combine cracker crumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and paprika; sprinkle over fish. Drizzle with oil. Top with cheese.

Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 12 -15 minutes or until lightly browned and fish flakes easily with a fork.

Sour Cream Rhubarb Coffee Cake

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease and flour a 13 x 9 baking pan. In a bowl, beat brown sugar and shortening until fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, mix flour, soda and salt. Add flour mixture to first bowl, alternately with sour cream. Sir in rhubarb. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Mix granulated sugar, walnuts, cinnamon and butter in a bowl until crumbly; sprinkle over mixture in pan. Bake 45-50 minutes. Cut into squares.

Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

I have so much Rhubarb in the summer, I need to use it in every way I can. I bought a book called The Joy of Rhubarb by Theresa Millang. This is one of her recipes.

4 cups fresh rhubarb, diced
4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup fresh strawberries, cut into small pieces
1 3-ounce package strawberry flavored gelatin

Mix rhubarb, sugar and strawberries in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in gelatin. Pour jam into sterilized jars or freezer containers. Store in refrigerator 2 week or freeze.

Rhubarb Strawberry Jello

This is originally from Country Cooking. I noticed my Rhubarb starting to peek up today. I'll need to be using these recipes soon!

4 cups rhubarb (fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 6 oz package strawberry Jello (sugar free works too)
1 cup orange juice (or some lemon juice, cut with water)
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries*

Bring rhubarb, water and sugar to a boil over medium heat. Cook until rhubarb is tender, 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in gelatin until dissolved. Add orange juice, mix well.

Chill until mixture begins to thicken. Fold in strawberries. Chill until set. Arrange a few more strawberries on top for looks.

*NOTE: I usually use 2 cups or 1 pound of strawberries.

Egg Rolls

I thought I would have to search for years for a fabulous Egg Roll recipe - I didn't. This is Mr. Pederson's recipe. It tastes just like the egg rolls you'll find at a Chinese restaurant: crispy, yet succulent. They look so good on the plate that you have to remind yourself not to bite in until they cool. I've burned my mouth more than once on their hot, fresh goodness. Oh, baby, yummy, yummy, YUMMY!

BTW - I usually double this recipe. HOWEVER, do not fry then freeze - doesn't work.

5 TBSP Oil (Wok or stir-fry oil works great)
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped (peel, slice wafer thin, then chop)
1 green onion, chopped fine.
1/2 pound pork shoulder roast or fillet, shredded or minced (ground pork works too)
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp + 1 TBSP corn starch
1TBSP Sherry
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup bamboo shoots (canned "planks" cut thin lengthwise)
1/4 cup celery. julienne
1/2 lb fresh bean sprouts
20 egg roll wrappers
2 cups canola oil for deep frying

1) Shred (raw) pork, mix with 1 tsp oil, and 1 tsp corn starch

2) Heat 2 TBSP oil in wok (or frying pan) to 275 degrees. Stir fry ginger and green onion one minute, or until aromatic. (Note: stir fry means to cook while moving.) Add pork mixture from step 1, stir fry at 350 degrees one minute, or until color changes. Add 1 TBSP soy sauce, sherry, sugar and cook one more minute. REMOVE FROM WOK.

3) Heat 2 TBSP oil in wok at 375 degrees (nearly smoking.) Stir-fry cabbage, bamboo, and celery for one minute. REMOVE FROM WOK.

4) Heat 1 TBSP oil to 375 degrees. Stir fry bean sprouts for one minute. REMOVE FROM WOK.

5) Combine the results from steps 1-4 into wok. Add 1 tsp salt and 1 TBSP soy sauce. Stir fry at 375 degrees or until thoroughly heated. Remove to a colander. Drain all liquid and allow mixture to cool.

6) After cooled, add 2 heaping TBSP to each wrapper. Roll lengthwise into "envelope" roughly 4 inches long and 1 inch wide. Dissolve 1 TBSP corn starch in 2 TBSP water. Seal with mixture. *

7) Heat 2 cups oil to 400 degrees (use the wok) deep fry a few at a time for 4 minutes or until golden brown, flipping every 30 seconds. ALLOW OIL TO HEAT BACK UP BETWEEN BATCHES.

To create egg rolls:

Place Egg Roll Wrapper in front of you in a diamond shape.
Place mix on the bottom half of the wrapper.
Pull bottom corner up over mixture.
Fold in right and left corner, roll the whole thing upwards.
Use cornstarch mixture (or just plain water) to act as glue.

Pink Fluff (yep, that's the technical term)

This is my office mate's recipe. Dump. Pour. Stir. You can use the light or fat-free versions of all the ingredients if you prefer.

1 21 oz can cherry pie filling
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple
1 small container cool whip
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

Drain the pineapple.

Dump everything in a bowl, fold it together.

Kids love it!

Potato Chip Chicken

The original recipe was for the microwave... but, I just couldn't do it that way... revised recipe:

1 cup coarsely crushed potato chips
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp onion powder
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp mayo

Combine first four ingredients in a resealable bag. Shake to mix.

Brush chicken with mayo

Add each chicken piece to bag individually, shake to coat.

Bake for roughly 30 minutes at 350 degrees. You'll need to use a meat thermometer.

An interesting trick: cook the chicken on top of cooling racks inside of jellyroll pans. While the juices still drip, the bottom of the chicken stays somewhat crispier.

Southern Banana Nut (Pecan) Bread

This is my new favorite banana bread recipe.

1/2 cup butter flavored shortening (I used half butter, half shortening)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3 medium)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups self-rising flour (if you don't have, place 3 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt in measuring cup. Add enough all-purpose flour to equal 1 cup. Then, add another cup of AP flour)
1/2 cup buttermilk (if you don't have, use 1/2 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar and enough milk to make 1/2 cup. Let stand five minutes, then add to the recipe)
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Blend in bananas and vanilla. Add flour alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Fold in pecans.

Pour into two greased 8x4x2-inch loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.

Now, this is the point where I stopped, but here's the rest of the recipe.

Topping:
1/4 to 1/3 cup mashed banana
1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Additional chopped pecans

Combine banana, confectioners sugar, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Spread over loaves, sprinkle with pecans.

New York Cheesecake

I freely admit, you can find this recipe on the side of the major brand-name cream cheese box. But you know what? It's really good. It has just the right weight in your mouth, and when properly paired with a fruit topping, the creamy swirl is amazing. At my son's baptism, my husband's grandmother asked if the cheesecake was store-bought. Nope!

1 cup crushed graham crackers

3 Tbsp. sugar

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

5 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened (I've used up to two low-fat)

1 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. flour

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 cup Sour Cream (full-fat)

4 eggs

1 can pie filling

Heat oven to 325°F. Put a pot of water on to boil.

Mix crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press firmly onto bottom of springform pan. Bake 10 min.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.

Add boiling water to a baking dish and place it in the lower section of the oven. Place cheesecake on the center rack.

Bake 1 hour or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. Remove spring form and serve with pie filling.

Individual Cheesecakes

These are a great potluck treat.

3 - 8 oz bricks of cream cheese (one could be low-fat) softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
24 vanilla wafer cookies (Ritz also work in a pinch)
24 cupcake liners
1 can cherry or blueberry pie filling

Beat cream cheese and sugar well, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs and beat until blended.
Place liners in pans, with one cookie, flat side down, in each. Fill with with mixture until 1/4 inch from the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Don't over bake.
Cool on rack. Spoon pie filling over top.

Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

When I started this blog, the idea was that I'd just write about the food I'd prepared that day. Well, today I'm really doing that. Just finished making Banana Cake for a church function. Usually, I cheat and use canned frosting. None in the house... thus.... Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting... I have to admit, after snitching some, I'm wondering why I ever use the canned stuff anyway.

3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup stick butter or margarine, SOFTENED
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 to 2 tbsp milk

In your stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, mix the powdered sugar and butter on low speed. Add vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk. Keep whipping slowly. When all the ingredients seem to be well combined (and, um, won't go poof!) switch to the fastest speed and beat until smooth and spreadable.

If you end up with little crumbles, instead of frosting, add small amounts of milk until the frosting becomes silky.

If you add too much milk, add a little more powdered sugar. The key is small amounts.

Also, if your butter was too cold, the sugar won't properly mix with the butter, and you'll end up with little lumps in the frosting. Just wait until the butter warms up, then beat it again.

Puppy Chow

My mom made so much of this stuff when we were kids. I think she even recently made a batch to give one of our childhood friends at his wedding. Hope she shared the recipe...

9 cups Chex cereal
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Put cereal in a large bowl. Pour powdered sugar into a zip-top bag.

Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, margerine and vanilla over medium heat. Pour over cereal. Stir until evenly coated.

Pour into the zip-top bag and shake until evenly coated. Spread on wax paper to cool. Store in airtight contianer (we always used ice cream pails.)

Slow Cooker Bacon and Bean Soup

1 lb bacon, cooked, diced and drained
10 cups chicken broth
3 cans (15 oz each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups frozen sliced or diced carrots
2 tsps botled minced garlic
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp pepper

Add everything to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or until the beans are tender

Beer Dip

2 - 8oz packages Cream Cheese
1 can beer (For some reason, the cheaper the better)
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
1 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese

Mix together and serve with pretzels.

Cookin a ham

Ham is the traditional Easter meat. I'm not really sure why...

For some reason, I'm not a glaze or sauce kinda gal when it comes to ham. That's probably because my mom makes a really moist ham.

Here's her secret: Follow the directions for cooking on the package in terms of time and temperature. Set the ham on a rack above a roasting pan (or in a roaster.) Pour a bottle of red wine over the ham. Let it cook. The ham will steam-cook. If you like, you can baste the ham with the wine every hour or so.

Sticky Pecan Pie Bars

I love Pecan Pie. But... it's technically a Thanksgiving thing. This recipe is socially acceptable to serve at Easter.

The recipe comes from The Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn. It's my go-to cookbook for easy desserts that are totally impressive.

Crust:
1 yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 large egg

Filling:
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans or pecan halves.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 cake pan.

Blend crust ingredients together with stand or hand mixer on low speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. The batter should come together in a thick dough.

Use your fingertips to press crust evenly into bottom of pan and 1/2 inch up the sides. Smooth out. Bake for 20 minutes. Take pan out of the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, place corn syrup, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla in the same mixing bowl. Using the same beaters, blend on medium speed until well combined, about a minute. Scrap the sides of the bowl, and fold in pecans until well-distributed.

Pour the filling over baked crust, spread so it covers the entire surface.

Bake again until the crust is golden brown and the filling just starts to set - 22 to 25 minutes.

Cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Store at room temperature

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

I like this recipe because you can prepare it in advance and put in the fridge until you're ready to cook. If I remember correctly, I used the "light" version of the dairy ingredients, and everything turned out fine.

5 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheddar cheese blend
1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled (I like to slice, then cook... easier)
3 green onions, sliced

Place potatoes in a dutch oven and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until tender. In other words, until a fork poked into one of the potatoes doesn't meet much resistance.

Drain potatoes and place in a mixing bowl. Add sour cream, milk, butter, salt and pepper. Beat with a hand mixer on medium-low speed until light and fluffy. Stir in two cups cheese, bacon and onions.

Transfer to a greased 3-quart baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Note: If you refrigerated first, double check the middle!

Sticky Buns

The first Easter after my Grandma Dorner died, my Aunt Jan told me that what she missed that year was getting up early and doing "Raised Baking" with Grandma. Seems that's a cultural tradition, the "raised" baking reminds us of Jesus' raising from the dead.

No, this isn't Grandma's recipe, it's "mine" - gotten from Taste of Home.

Baking with yeast isn't for the faint of heart - or the sloppy, but if I can do it, you can. The one thing that I find critical is a digital thermometer. You have to have the water the right temperature and you have to proof the yeast. If you don't, well, good luck.

2 tsps active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups water water (110 to 115 degrees)
3 tbsp butter, softened
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp nonfat dry milk powder
1 tsp salt
3 to 3 1/4 cups bread flour

Filling:
1/3 cup butter
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon.

Put a pot of water on to boil.

In the largest mixing bowl for your stand mixer, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Wait a few minutes, until the yeast has formed bubbles on the top of the water. (If it doesn't, the yeast didn't work. Start over.)

Add the butter, milk powder, salt and two cups flour. Beat on low speed for 3 minutes. Stir in just enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Using the dough hooks on your stand mixer, "knead" the bread for 6 minutes.

Take the boiling water, and pour it into a cake pan. Place it in the bottom of your oven.

Grease the bottom of a large bowl, turn the dough over to grease the top. Put the dough in the oven, and allow to rise until doubled, about an hour.

Take the dough out of the oven. Punch the dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 16 x 10 rectangle. Spread with butter; sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Roll up the dough jelly-roll style, starting from the long side. Pinch the seam to seal. Cut into 12 slices. Set aside.

Sauce:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar.
1/4 cup butter
1/4 corn syrup
1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup; cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in pecans. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Place rolls cut side down over sauce. Cover and put back into the oven to rise until doubled, about an hour.

About half way through rising, take out of the oven and cover with a towel. Pre-heat oven to 375. Once raised fully, bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool for 3 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter.

Green Beans and Bacon

The recipe is exactly what it says. My mom has been making it for years. This recipe isn't precise, you really can't screw up the proportions - I mean, too much bacon? You could make this in the microwave, but I would recommend doing it on the stove top.

2 cans or 1 quart of green beans
1/2 lb of bacon, sliced into bite sized pieces

Fry bacon in a sauce pan. (I prefer slicing the bacon into bite-size pieces before I cook it) Drain away almost all of the fat.
If using two cans of green beans, drain one but not the other.

Add green beans to sauce pan, stir, heat through.

This recipe is best cooked and then served immediately. It's easily doubled for a larger group.

Raspberry Gelatin Salad with Pretzel Topping

Easter is coming... if you need to make something to impress the in-laws, I'm going to add some recipes to the blog that might qualify, including this one.

Church cookbooks are the best places to find recipes. This one appears in the St. Isidore the Farmer Catholic Church Cookbook - aka the cookbook from the parishes I attended as a child.

2 - 3 oz. boxes Raspberry Jello (sugar-free works too)
2 cups boiling water
2 - 10 oz. containers of frozen raspberries with juice
1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels (crushed with your hands not pulverized by a machine)
3/4 cup melted butter
2 Tbsp sugar (yes, sugar... no substitutes!)
8 oz Cool Whip
8 oz Cream Cheese
1 cup sugar

Dissolve Jello in water. Add berries with juice. Pour into a glass bowl. Refrigerate until set.

Meanwhile, mix pretzels, melted butter and 2 Tablespoons sugar. Spread into a 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Stir loose from the pan and let cool.

After Jello is set, blend together cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and Cool Whip. Spread cream cheese mixture over Jello. Sprinkle pretzels over top.

Refrigerate until servied.

Nestle Toll House Pan Cookies

I don't have the patience to make cookies. I keep threatening to experiment and write a cookbook all about pan cookies. Oh, but what it would do to my waistline....

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cups chopped nuts (or, more chocolate chips)

Combine flour, soda and salt. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips and nuts.

Spread into greased 15 x 10 jelly-roll pan.

Bake in 375 degree for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Banana Cake

I believe this recipe came from the original Bank of Luxemburg cookbook - Marlene Treml's recipe. It's another one that's very easy. But really good.

1/4 cup oil
2 bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1 yellow cake mix
1 cup water
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 cup sugar (Splenda works too)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Pour oil into 9 x 13 cake pan. Spread evenly so whole bottom is covered. Beat bananas and eggs in a bowl. Pour all ingredients into pan. Mix with fork until cake mix is dissolved.

Bake 35 - 45 minutes.

Corned Beef

This almost feels like cheating... it's so easy.

Many people have told me they have never eaten corned beef... take advantage of the post-St. Pat's Day sales and try it!

I've tried several methods of preparation, but this one seems best:

You'll need one corned beef brisket (point cut or flat cut) and a slow cooker.

If your corned beef comes with a seasoning packet, rinse the beef under cold running water, then set it in the slow cooker, along with the contents of the seasoning packet.

If your corned beef comes with seasoning in the liquid, dump the whole thing into the slow cooker.

In either case, add enough water to just cover the corned beef. Then switch your slow cooker to low and let it cook away. Personally, I switch it on before I leave for work, and it's done when I get home.

Potatoes on the Grill

Grilling season has arrived! Yea!

This is the simplest recipe... you just have to multiply.

Per person:
1 - 2 potatoes
1/4 of an onion
1/2 of a carrot
1 tbsp butter

Slice the vegetables by hand or with a food processor.
Spray a large piece of tin foil with non-stick cooking spray. (My husband prefers to use two sheets - more sturdy.)
Place vegetables on top of foil. Dot with butter.
Create a foil packet around the vegetables, sealing the top and sides.
Cook over indirect heat or low direct heat for about 45 minutes.

Apple Crisp Pie

Happy Pi day!

I'm not very good at putting that top crust on a pie (though I am getting better - see the upper left of the photo. This is my solution - take my crisp recipe, and use it as a topping. Whoa yum. It's that warm, crispiness that I love in crisp, but with many more sweet apples.
1 pie crust
Can or jar of pie filling (I like my apple pie filling in a jar)
2/3 to 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (to taste)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup stick butter
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg

Arrange pie crust on the bottom of a pie plate. Add the pie filling.

Mix remaining ingredients - personally, I like to use my hands - to create a crumbly, well, mess. Sprinkle crumbles over pie.

Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour (or, whatever the pie filling said.)

Awesome Pancakes

This isn't a recipe, so much as a way to change a recipe or mix you already have.

My Grandpa taught my brothers and I that if you substitute Non-Diet white soda (Sprite, 7up) for half of the liquid in a pancake recipe, the pancakes will fluff up higher when you cook then. In our family, that means putting 7up in the Bisquick mix.

The other thing Grandpa taught us was to drop a small amount of solid shortening (Crisco) onto your griddle and let it melt. Then pour your pancake batter into the middle of the now liquid shortening. It acts as your non-sticking agent, and it makes the edges of the pancakes nice and crispy.

Banana Bread

It's mom's recipe. That simple.

Mix the following (in order) and pour into greased bread pans.

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup nuts (optional) or chocolate chips

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

I tend to double the recipe and use one stick of butter and a 1/2 cup shortening. If I'm feeling particularly healthful, I might even use a cup of wheat flour.
This recipe also freezes well. Allow the bread to cool, wrap in aluminum foil and slide it into a freezer bag. To use, thaw completely and unwrap.

Cream Cheese Wontons

I LOVE cream cheese wontons. I think I like the homemade version even better than the ones I've eaten at Chinese buffets. There's more cream cheese, less wonton.
I got the original recipe from http://www.Cooks.com - I've modified it a little.

8 oz cream cheese
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 tsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Wontons wrappers (or egg roll wrappers cut in fourths)

Blend first four ingredients together. I like using the whisk attachment on my stand mixer.
Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls onto wonton wrappers. It seems easier to work when the cream cheese is cold.

Now, to seal the wonton wrappers...
Moisten two adjacent edges of the wonton wrappers.
Fold the wonton wrapper in half, bringing the two moist edges to the two dry edges, creating a triangle. Now, twist/fold two of the corners. The point of this is to bring the thinest part of the wrapper in, so when you fry then, they fry more evenly.

That's my method of wrapping... but, as I once read, if your wontons look like a drunk money made them, no one will complain... they'll still taste good.

Fry the wontons in hot oil until they're crispy and golden brown - about 60 to 90 seconds.

Then, wait a little bit before devouring, they are hot ya know!

And, if you run out of wonton wrappers, the cream cheese filling makes a mighty nice bagel smear.

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

This recipe is the inspiration for several other meatloaf recipes I've created. I found this one in Quick Cooking magazine. You can add in or take out anything you like or don't like on a burger.

1/2 cup ketchup, divided
1 egg
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tsp onion powder
1 lb lean ground beef
2 tsps prepared mustard (optional)
2 tsps dill pickle relish (optional)
6 slices American cheese

In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup ketchup, egg, bread crumbs and onion powder.
Crumble beef over mixture, mix well. Pat mixture into a 10 x 6 inch rectangle on waxed paper.
Spread 1/4 cup ketchup over meat to within 1/2 inch of long sides and 1 1/2 inches of short sides.
Top with mustard and relish (and anything else you like.) Place 4 cheese slices on top.
Roll up loaf, jelly-roll style starting with short side. Seal seams and ends well.
Place loaf, seam-side down into pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a meat therometer reads 160 degrees.
Place 2 slices of cheese on top, then back into the over for 5 minutes to melt.

Microwave Carmel Popcorn

This is usually a Christmas-time treat... but it's so good, it's great all year long.

3 quarts popped popcorn
1/2 cup butter (minus 2 tbsp)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Combine all but popcorn and baking soda in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 90 seconds on high.
Stir well with a wooden spoon. (You can leave the spoon in the bowl.)
Microwave for another 90 seconds on high. Stir again.
Microwave on medium for 3 minutes.
Add baking soda and stir.

Have popcorn waiting in a brown paper bag.
Pour caramel mixture over popcorn. Stir, close bag, and shake vigorously.
Put bag in microwave for 1 minute on high.
Remove and shake.
Put bag in microwave for 1 minute on high.
Remove and shake.
Put bag in microwave for 1 minute on high.
Remove and shake.

Open bag (watch for the steam) and spread caramel popcorn on wax paper.

Wait for it.... eat!

Store what you don't eat in a resealable container or zip top bag.

Pizza Nachos

My kids love pizza - this recipe was a compromise - mom and dad wanted nachos, the kids wanted pizza.

1 cup pepperoni - cut into matchsticks
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 lb ground beef
Sliced black olives
1 bag tortilla chips
1 jar pizza sauce

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown ground beef in a skillet.
Spread tortilla chips in bottom of jellyroll pan (or any pan with sides)
Sprinkle ground beef and pepperoni, over chips.
Sprinkle with mozzarella, then black olives.
Repeat layers if you wish.
Bake in the oven until cheese melts - about 10 minutes.
Serve with pizza sauce.