Buttermilk Pancakes

Buttermilk Pancakes

For Pancakes:
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups Buttermilk
2 Tablespoons oil
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

For Waffles:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 + cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup oil

Mix together egg, buttermilk and oil. Sift dry ingredients together and add to wet, mix until slightly lumpy. Cook on hot griddle (375*). Yield 8-10 pancakes.
ENJOY! Its my favorite pancake recipe. It only takes a few minutes to make this recipe, and it tastes great! ....Cassie

*If you don't have any buttermilk you can "make" some by mixing regular milk with a tablespoon or so of either lemon juice or vinegar.*

Cake Bites

Ingredients:

Cake mix (I used devils food)

Chocolate frosting

Dipping chocolate

Directions:-Start by baking the cake according to the directions on the box. Once the cake is baked, pull it out of the oven and let it cool for about 20-30 minutes. Dump the cake into a large mixing bowl and add 2 spoon fulls of frosting and begin mashing the frosting into the cake with your hands. Once all of the frosting is mixed into the cake and it is moist you can begin rolling the mixture into balls with the palms of your hands. Place the ball onto a baking sheet or plate lined with wax paper. (You'll be needing to put it into your freezer so whatever will fit is what you should place it on.) I flattend the bottom of the ball and shapeed it into more of a square. (as shown above ).

Once you have filled the baking sheet or plate with the cake bites place it in the freezer and let it sit for 30-40 minutes until the cake bites have hardened. You'll need to create a double broiler by placing a metal mixing bowl on top of a saucepan that has water in it. Set it on low-medium heat.

Then place your chocolate in the bowl and begin melting. Using the toothpicks, poke the toothpick into the bottom of the cake bite and up through it almost to the top. Then stir it around in the melted chocolate until it is completely coated. Remove the excess chocolate off by tapping the toothpick on the side of the bowl- gently. Then carefully scrape the cake bite off of the toothpick and onto a spoon, slide it off the spoon and back onto the wax paper. This will help reduce the amount of chocolate that will puddle around the bottom of the cake bite. Place the tray of coated cake bites in a cool area to harden. Wait about 2-3 hours after coating the cake bites before eating.
Here is the finished product.

Gram Florence Rolls

Grandma Florence Rolls

(All ingredients to be warm)
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 sq butter or 3/4 cup
2-3 TBS sugar
1-2 TBS salt
add 1 TBS yeast
3 eggs

Mix with 7 cups flour
then add 2 more

Let raise on warm stove
Punch
Raise again
Roll out and cut rounds
melt butter on cookie sheet, dip each roll in butter , fold and pinch.
Let raise a little more

Bake @ 375* for 15 minutes. (Rolls do not get brown much at all, because of the milk in them they stay pretty white. )

To do cinnamon rolls add 1/2 c more sugar, roll out and spread butter, sprinkle cinnamon sugar.
To do orange rolls- grate orange peel, sprinkle sugar, OJ, powdered sugar for glaze.

Chocolate Scotcheroos

Ingredients:
1 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
6 cups crispy rice cereal
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bag butterscotch chips

Directions:
1: Cook corn syrup and sugar together in a large pan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter; mix well. Add cereal; stir until evenly coated.
2: Pour into greased 13x9-inch pan and pat into place.
3: Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread over cereal.
4: Cool at least 45 minutes, or until firm. Cut into bars.

Homemade battered French Fries

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon seasoned salt (I used Johnny's)
1 & 1/3 cup water, or as needed (I think next time I will try replacing the water with beer.)
1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Directions
*Peel and cut your potatoes into fries and place into water and refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer (up to 2 days).
*Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. While the oil is heating, sift the flour, garlic salt, onion salt and seasoned salt into a large bowl. Gradually stir in enough water so that the mixture can be drizzled from a spoon.
*Place fries into the oil shortly (until tender...not brown). Take the fries out and drain on paper bag or towel, allow to cool enough to handle.
*Dip potato slices into the batter one at a time, and place in the hot oil so they are not touching at first. The fries must be placed into the skillet one at a time, or they will clump together. Fry until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels. Salt immediately.

Yummy Gingerbread Cookies

I love these cookies! They are soft and chewey- unlike most gingerbread. I like to dress them up by pressing different small candies (such as candy corns and the like) into the center just after they come out of the oven. Happy Holidays!Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cup white sugar, divided
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses*
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 TBS cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 3/4 cup flour

Cream together butter and 1 cup of sugar. Beat in egg, molasses, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Stir in flour until well combined. Roll dough into balls. Roll balls in remaining 3/4 cup sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet (I usually line my cookie sheets with parchment paper). Gently press down the middle of the balls to flatten the tops just a bit. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes (for small balls) or 12-15 minutes (for large balls). Cool on wire racks. They should be very soft in the middle when they first come out of the oven but they will set up when they cool.

*To make measuring molasses a little easier (and less messy) try warming your molasses in the microwave for 20-30 seconds; but be careful not to burn it- you just need it to be warm. Then it will pour out really easily into your measuring cup.

Sugar Cookies

Grandma’s Sugar Cookies

1 cup shortening
2 eggs
5 cups flour ***
1 t. salt
2 cups sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 t. soda
1 cup butter milk
1/4 + tsp ground nutmeg



Cream together shortening and sugar.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, mixing well.  Rolls out on floured surface and cut in shapes.  Bake at 350° for 9 to 11 minutes.

*** Add extra flour for right consistency for rolling out cookies.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 3-ounce packages of cream cheese
½ cup softened margarine or butter
2 teaspoons vanilla (or any other extract flavor)
4 ½ to 4 ¾ cups powdered sugar
1/4- 1/2 tsp salt

Beat together cream cheese and margarine or butter, and vanilla till light and fluffy.  Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating well.  Beat in enough remaining powdered sugar to make frosting of spreading consistency.

Play Dough

My kids love play dough, but the store-bought stuff is too dry and crumbly after 5 minutes out of the jar. So I make it myself and it stays soft for months! Baby oil gives it a nice smell and makes it extra soft. 1 cup flour
1 cup water
1 tablespoon baby oil (cooking oil will work, too)
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
food coloring (optional)

Whisk ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture pulls away from the sides and has a "play dough" consistency. Knead until cool. Store in an air-tight container or ziploc bag for up to 3 months (or longer if it stays soft).

***NOTE: Due to the high salt content, the dough WILL SCRATCH a nonstick pan! Use an old pan or get one from a thrift store :)***

Dove Tempting Double Chocolate Cookies

Dove Tempting Double Chocolate Cookies

*prep time 25 minutes

Bakes time- 10-12 minutes

Difficulty- easy

Makes 24 cookies

1 bag DOVE PROMISES milk chocolate

1 cup (you can buy a bar if its 8 oz or a bag and just use 8 oz) DOVE PROMISES Dark Chocolate

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup flour

1 tsp almond extract (we used orange extract and it was EXCELLENT)

1/4 tsp baking powder

1. Coarsly chop the DOVE PROMISES Milk chocolate and melt in either in a bowl on top of a double boiler or in the microwave for 1- 1 1/2 minutes.

2. Stir the chocolate until smooth. Add the sugar, butter, eggs and almond (or orange) extract.

3. Stir in the flour and baking powder

4. Add 1 cup chopped DOVE PROMISES Dark Chocolate (not melted, just coarsely chopped)

5. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter on an ungreased cookie sheet

6. Bake in preheated oven at 350* for 10 to 12 minutes

7. Cool on the cookie sheet

Carrot Chowder

okay, this is one recipe not to judge by the name. it is SOO good. perfect for cold winter days. even better with warm fresh bread:). *** this recipe was from someone in dan's alpine ward and it won a national contest. its that good!***

Carrot Chowder
Brown 1 pound ground beef, drain fat.
add :
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green onion (some red is nice for color)
1/2 cup chopped green or yellow onion
simmer about 10 minutes or until tender

Add:
1 quart tomato juice
1 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups coarsely grated carrots
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3 cloves of garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Bring to a boil, lower heat , cover and simmer until tender. (about 2 hours). Stir in 2 cans Cream of Celery soup, do not let boil.
*add some Swiss cheese on top of each  bowl (more than I showed in this picture, I just didn't want to cover all the soup)
Yield- 10 servings. freezes well
(**note- because I was so busy while making this soup, I didn't add the cream of celery on accident, and it was actually great even without it! we didn't even notice until I found the unopened cans!)

Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
Stir in vanilla (and food coloring if desired); add flour and mix well.
Put through cookie press and form cookies onto baking sheets.
*Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

Donuts:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup buttermilk
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour, divided

Spiced Sugar:
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
dash of salt

Cream butter and sugar, add pumpkin & eggs and beat well. Add baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, & buttermilk (buttermilk substitute: 1/2 cup milk + 2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar- let stand 5 minutes). Mix well. Gradually add 4 cups of flour until you have a soft dough- the consistency of sugar cookie dough. Roll out with remaining flour (only use enough so that they don't stick to the countertop) 1/4 inch thick. Cut into circles and cut smaller circles out of the center (if you have a "donut cutter" you can use that. I used a regular cup and a medicine cup from children's motrin). Keep center circles to make donut holes. Let the donuts rest for 15 minutes before frying. Fry in oil at 375 for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from oil and drain on cooling rack with paper towels underneath. Immediately toss HOT donuts in spiced sugar until coated. Enjoy!!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

One can Cream of Chicken soup

8 oz sour cream

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 tsp minced garlic

1 cup picante sauce, pureed (or one can of enchilada sauce)

1/2 cup chopped red onion

2 tsp chili powder

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

12 flour tortillas

1 large tomato, chopped

4 green onions, sliced

Chopped cilantro

Guacamole- optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9×13 pan with parchment paper. Stir soup, sour cream, cream cheese, garlic, picante sauce, red onion and chili powder in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, stir 1 1/2 cups of the sauce mixture with the chicken & 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. Spread about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam-side-down in prepared dish. Scoop remaining sauce over the filled tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Loosely cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes or until enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top with tomato, cilantro, and green onion. Add a dollop of guacamole, if desired.

Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce

I learned to make this fresh pasta sauce while living in Italy. Jerry is always begging me to make it, it's one of his favorites. It is very light, not thick or heavy like the usual spaghetti sauces you buy at the store. We often serve it with smoked sausage or kielbasa sausage. Don't forget to top it off with some great fresh grated parmesan ( I reccommend "Reggiano" parmesan or asiago cheeses) Mmmmmmmm, goooood!

8 medium vine tomatoes

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1-2 TBS fresh minced garlic

3 TBS minced FRESH basil (or 1 TBS dried)

1 vegetable or chicken bullion cube

1 1/2 TBS sugar (or 1 tsp white stevia powder)

1 1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)

1/2 tsp ground pepper

Boil tomatoes in salt water until the skins break and begin to peel. Remove from water and drain. Cool slightly and peel skins completely off- Be careful, they will be HOT. Discard skins. Chop tomatoes and put in a medium saucepan. They will be VERY juicy- try to keep all the juice! Add spices, bullion cube, sugar, garlic, & oil. Simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes or until it is reduced by half. *I usually get my sauce started first and put my pasta water on to boil when my sauce begins to simmer.* You can leave the sauce chunky or you can puree it. It will be very light and a bit watery. Toss with hot pasta (or whatever else you like) and enjoy immediately. Top with fresh grated parmesan or asiago cheese.

Fresh Salsa/ Pico de Gallo

This is a special treat in our family- we often do "Salsa Sundays"- get a bunch of chips and some great steak and eat your heart out!

6-8 roma or vine tomatoes, chopped (by hand!)
1 red or vidalia onion, chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
2-3 TBS minced garlic (to taste)
1-2 tsp chili powder (to taste)
dash of cayenne pepper (or more if you like it spicy)
salt & pepper to taste
juice from 1 lemon (you can use more if you like it extra juicy)
juice from 1 lime

Gently mix well and enjoy immediately!
Note: This salsa does NOT keep well- use within 2 days.

You can also "personalize" this salsa to what you like- add fresh corn kernels, chopped cucumber, fresh pineapple, Johnny's seasoning salt, etc. Sky's the limit!

Creamy Chocolate Fudge

This recipe is for a most delicious and SUPER CREAMY fudge! This is the first time I've used this recipe- I actually altered my grandma's recipe because I was missing some ingredients. Anyway it turned out SO great that I will definately do it again and again! This also makes the most wonderful hot fudge sauce :)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 lb (1 stick) real butter

In a large pot, combine cream, sugar, sweetened condensed milk, & cocoa; whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture reaches a "meduim ball stage". The fudge will be thick and bubbly. To test it, drizzle fudge from the spoon into a cup of ice water. Using your fingers, gather the drizzled fudge together to form a ball. If it falls apart or is really mushy, it isn't ready yet. It should be slightly firm, but NOT hard. Test it frequently until you get the right texture. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter. ***If you are making hot fudge sauce, STOP here.... simply cool fudge and pour into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator. GENTLY reheat as needed.*** For regular fudge, tansfer to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer, on high speed, until it loses it's gloss- this will take about 10 minutes or so. Fold in nuts if desired. Pour into buttered 6X9 inch pan. Chill 2 hours, cut into squares and enjoy!

Chocolate ice cream

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 egg yolks, beaten

1 2/3 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half
1 tsp vanilla
a dash salt

DIRECTIONSIn large bowl, stir together half and half, sugar, cocoa, cream, vanilla and salt. Add beaten eggs, whisk all together until smooth. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

Oatmeal Cake

For Garry's Birthday I made his favorite cake from his childhood. I got the recipe from his Mom. I gotta admit, it's my new favorite too. "Try it, you'll like it!"

Cake ingredients:

1 1/4th cup boiling water

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup butter, very soft

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Frosting ingredents:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
6 Tbs canned milk or light cream
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

Step 1:
Pour boiling water over oats, mix and cover then set aside.
Step 2:
In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar together with a wooden spoon.
Step 3:
Whip eggs and vanilla together with a fork, then add to the butter and sugar mixture.
Step 4:
Add warm oatmeal to the mixture above, stir until smooth.
Step 5:
Mix the dry ingredients together, then add to the mixture above. Mix it all together, pour into a 9x13 greased pan (a round spring form pan works well to), bake @ 350 for 30 to 35 minutes.
Step 6:
Frosting... Melt everything together in a sauce pan. Stirring constantly until it is all melted and bubbly. Poor over the cooled cake and smooth it all out.

Panko Halibut

This is a favorite at our house. Its super simple (so simple I'm not sure why I'm posting it), but also can be time consuming. If you've got the time and the patience to make it, you will be very pleased with the results!

1 box of Panko, Japanese style breading (you can usually find it in the Oriental section in the grocery store.)

flour

2 eggs

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

oil for frying, I use canola

Halibut, cut into 1 inch cubes

Dip the halibut into flour, coat well, shake off the excess. Dip into egg then toss in panko crumbs. Fry until golden brown. Drain onto newspaper or parer towels.

Cinnamon Rolls

I just LOVE this recipe! The frosting, especially, is soooo delicious! These bake up really big and beautiful- very impressive :) I have also made these into Orange Rolls and it turns out marvelous! The dough is the same- just a different filling & frosting (I have included the Orange filling & frosting at the end of the recipe).

Dough:

1 1/4 cup warm milk

1 TBS active dry yeast

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 large egg, well beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

4 1/2 cups flour

Melt butter and allow to cool until warm, add the milk, yeast and sugar. Allow to rise for 10 minutes. Add the beaten egg, vanilla, salt, & flour to form a soft dough. Knead for about 5 minutes. Rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Filling:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

3 TBS cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Roll the dough into a 18 inch square. Spread the softened butter over the dough with a rubber spatula and then evenly distribute the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Be careful to leave a 1" edge clean (to seal roll). Wet the clean edge with milk to make it sticky. Roll up and use dental floss or thread to cut into 1 1/2 inch slices (makes 12). Line your baking pan with parchment paper. Place rolls into baking pan 1/2 inch apart. Let rise in a warm place about 20 minutes. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes until lightly browned.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Cream together and spread over warm rolls.

Orange Rolls- use the same dough, but use this filling instead:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1-2 TBS orange juice concentrate (to taste)

2 TBS grated orange peel (optional)

1 tsp vanilla

Mix butter, sugar, orange juice concentrate, orange peel, and vanilla. Evenly spread over dough. Roll up and slice. Bake as usual.

Orange Frosting:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 TBS orange juice concentrate (you can add more to taste if you wish)

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Cream together and spread over warm rolls.

Mardi Gras Jambalaya

2 pounds smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped red onion
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 bay leaves
2 cups long-grain white rice (Uncle Ben's works best)
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
6 cups chicken Stock
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Heat the sausage, 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, and the oil in a large stock pot and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, cayenne, and black pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes give off some of their juices, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the thyme & chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender, about 30 minutes. Season the shrimp with the remaining 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning. Add the shrimp to the pot and cook until they turn pink, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let sit, covered, for 15 minutes. Add the green onions and parsley to the jambalaya and stir gently. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Adjust the salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Serve directly from the pot.

Wheaty dinner rolls

1 TBS active dry yeast

4 TBS sugar

1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1 TBS olive oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine water, milk, sugar, & yeast. Let stand 5 minutes. Add salt, egg, oil, and wheat flour; beat well. Gradually add white flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place dough into a greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down, form small balls. Place on a baking sheet and allow to rise for about 20 minutes. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Brush with butter.

Chicken Club Stuffed Onion Bread

BREAD:

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 TBS olive oil
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
3 1/2 - 4 cups flour

In a skillet, saute onion until it starts to carmelize, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine water, milk, sugar & yeast. Let rest for 5-10 minutes until it puffs up. Add 1 egg, salt, butter, oil, & 1 cup flour. Beat until smooth. Gradually add remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down dough, roll out into a rectangle. Put filling in the center and slice the dough on either side into strips- leaving the slices attatched to the center. Pull dough slices over the top, alternating sides to create a braided look. Beat remaining egg and brush over the top. Sprinkle with slivered almonds, poppyseeds, sesame seeds, or leave plain. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

CHICKEN CLUB FILLING:
3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
5 slices chopped, cooked crispy bacon
1/2 cup cubed ham
1 1/2 cups shredded swiss cheese
1/2 cup mayo
1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp chopped garlic
2 plum tomatoes, chopped

Gently mix until combined.

Swiss Chicken

This is a very easy dinner and can feed a crowd. The swiss cheese is delightful!

In a 9X13 inch pan, lay 8 chicken breasts. Place a slice of Swiss Cheese on each breast. Mix 2 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup with 2/3 cup water; pour over meat. Top with 2 cups (or more) dry seasoned stuffing. Drizzle 1/3 cup melted butter on top. Bake at 350 for 1 hour uncovered.

White Bean & Chicken Chili (soup)

White Bean & Chicken Chili
This was called a "chili" in the recipe that I found, but it was really more of a soup. It sounded really plain, (and therefore boring) but I tried it anyway. It got great reviews form Garry and Parker, the girls wouldn't try it. All in all, it was much better than I thought it would be, I will make it again and again. I altered the recipe a bit, and will post it as such.

1 lb chicken, cut into small cubes
1 can diced Green chilies
olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
2 cans white kidney or navy beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups chicken broth

Toppings: Shredded cheese, sour cream and minced fresh cilantro

Saute chicken and green chillies over medium heat, until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper, (I actually used "Weber's Kick'n Chicken" seasoning). Pour the chicken and chillies into a 3 quart slow cooker. In the same pan used to cook the chicken, saute the onions, garlic and Jalapeno. Sprinkle in the oregano and cumin. Cook for 1 or 2 min, until the onions are tender. place into the slow cooker. In a small bowl, mash 1 cup of the beans, then stir in 1/2 cup broth, stir until blended. Add to the slow cooker with the remaining beans and broth.
Cover and cook on low for 3 1/2 hours. Stir before serving. (I'm sure that this could also be done in a pot on the stove, everything is already cooked when it goes in.)
Sprinkle on your choice of toppings, enjoy.

Oreo Cookies

These are a new favorite!!!!!

Oreo Cookies:
2 pkg's cake mix (any chocolate, I liked using Devils Food Cake)
1 cup oil
4 eggs
Mix and roll into balls, place on baking sheet. Bake at 375 * for 10 minutes.

Filling:
1 pkg 8 oz cream cheese
4 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
(to add some color try dying the filling!) Here I have it dyed light green for Easter.

Once cookies have cooled, add filling! This simple recipe is delicious!!!

Loaded Pasta al Forno

Okay, today I tried something new and it turned out absolutely delightful! My family LOVED it! I'm not sure what to call it, though, besides "Pasta al Forno", which just means "baked pasta". So here's how you make it:

Ingredients:

6TBS butter

3TBS flour

1 cup cream

1 1/2 cups milk

2 lightly beaten egg yolks

1 1/2 cups shredded Asiago cheese

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

13 oz frozen broccoli florets

2 chopped green onions (about 1/4 cup)

2 chopped fresh tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup chopped onion

1-2 TBS chopped garlic

1 1/2 cups cubed ham

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 lb rigatoni pasta

In a large pot, boil water and cook pasta "al dente", about 9 minutes. In a medium pot, melt butter and whisk in flour to make a roux. Whisk in cream, milk, egg yolks, asiago cheese, nutmeg, salt, & pepper. Cook over medium heat until mixture gets creamy and cheese is completely melted and mixed in- DO NOT BOIL. In the large pot, combine the cooked pasta, sauce, frozen broccoli, green onions, tomatoes, parsley, onion, garlic, and ham. Pour into a 9X13 baking dish and evenly sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the top. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

Olive Gardens Zuppa Toscana Soup

This soup blends the flavors of potatoes, Kale (its a green leafy veggie found by the lettuce), and Italian sausage in a slightly spicy chicken & cream broth.

5 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth

1/2 cup heavy cream (evaporated milk can be used in place of cream)

4 cups chopped kale

2 medium Russet potatoes

1 lb spicy Italian sausage

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I leave these out, too spicy for the kids)

*Saute sausage. In a sauce pan combine cream and broth over med heat. Slice potato into 1/4 inch slices, the quarter the slices and add to the soup along with the sausage and kale. Add spices, and let simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. (Do not let it boil, the cream will curdle.)

Top with shredded Parmesan cheese. Makes about 4 servings as a main dish.

Quick Cinnamon Rolls!

These are a quick version of my 4 hour recipe, yet just as yummy! They only take about an hour, instead of four.

1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbs yeast
1/2 cup oil
1 1/4 cup warm water
2 beaten eggs
5 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt

Filling
1/4 cup melted (preferably unsalted) butter
cinnamon
Dark brown sugar

*In a large bowl, mix 1/3 cup sugar, yeast, oil and warm water until dissolved. Cover and let stand in a warm place for 15 minutes. (Yeast will grow rapidly.) Blend eggs into yeast mixture. Add salt to the flour, then gradually add to yeast mixture to make a soft dough. Knead dough about 5 minutes on a floured surface. Roll dough into a rectangle brush dough with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. Roll up the dough and cut 1 inch slices with dental floss. Place in an ungreased pan. Let rolls rest about 15 minutes. Bake @ 350 degrees until golden brown. Glaze while warm, or frost when cool.

Glaze

powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon butter
milk
vanilla
mix together and pour on top of warm (not hot) rolls.

Zucchini Bread

3 Eggs Beaten
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup oil
3 tsp vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup choc chips (i've never added them, they are optional)
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
2 tsp cinnamon

Add sugar to eggs. Stir in oil and add zucchini. Add dry ingredients (if you can sift them that would be best, but its not required), and add any other ingredients. Bake at 350* F for 50-60 minutes.
Tip- for a sweet crust add cinnamon sugar to the bottom of the pan, or sprinkle it on top of the loaf.

Ultimate Cheesecake

This is my version of a turtle cheesecake. I made the original recipe and added some pecans, Carmel and mini chocolate chips.

Ingredients for the crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 TBS sugar
1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
*Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add melted butter and stir. Press into a 9 inch spring form pan. Chill 30 minutes.

Ingredients for the filling:
5 pkg. cream cheese (8 oz. each)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/3 cups sugar 2 tsp.
finely grated lemon peel (omit if not making a plain new york style)
3 TBS white flour
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
5 large eggs

*Preheat oven to 325. In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add sugar and mix well. Gradually add flour; mix until combined. On low speed, beat in eggs, one at a time, until just blended. Add sour cream, lemon peel, and vanilla; beat until just blended. DO NOT OVER BEAT! Pour into crust. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until there is a 3 inch circle in the middle that is still wobbly. For less cracking, place a pan 1/2 full of water on the bottom rack of the oven while baking. Remove cake from oven and cool completely. Chill, loosely covered, at least 24 hours before serving.
Variations:
Oreo- use Oreo crumbs in place of graham crackers for the crust. Swirl Oreo bits into the batter before baking.
Hot fudge and/or caramel- Swirl hot fudge into batter before baking and drizzle with hot fudge or caramel just before serving.
Fruit- use any flavor pie filling, or jam, swirl into batter before baking. You may also use fruit puree & mix it with batter before baking.
Mint chocolate- use Oreo crumbs in place of graham crackers for the crust. Flavor all or part of the batter with mint extract and green food color. Stir in Oreo bits or chocolate pieces before baking.
Pumpkin- use gingerbread crumbs in place of graham crackers for the crust. Separate 1 1/2 cups of batter into a bowl. Add 2/3 cup pumpkin, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Pour batter into crust and swirl in pumpkin batter.

Killer Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust:
9 oz. chocolate wafers, broken into large pieces
6 TBS unsalted butter, melted
Pulse the wafers in a food processor until finely ground. With the motor running, slowly add the butter, and process until just blended. Press the mixture onto the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes at 350 until it is set. Cool on a wire rack. Tightly wrap the pan with aluminum foil. Put 6 cups of water on to boil.

Filling:
1 lb. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 lg. eggs
1/4 cup unsalted butter
pinch of salt
2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
24 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups sour cream, room temperature

*Melt chocolate with the butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of about 1 1/2 inches of nearly simmering water, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the cocoa powder. Remove the bowl from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Beat the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in the salt. Beat in the chocolate mixture just until smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as necessary. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until smooth. Pour the filling into the spring form pan. Place the pan in a large roasting pan, place it in the oven, and carefully pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the spring form pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until the center is almost set but still wobbly- do not over bake! Remove the roasting pan from the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool in the water bath for 15 minutes. Remove the spring form pan from the water bath and cool completely on a wire rack. Remove the foil and refrigerate, loosely covered, for at least 24 hours.

Creamy Cauliflower Salad

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/4 cup bacon bits
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1/4 sugar

*Mix everything together and serve immediately.

Cream Puffs & Chicken Salad

Cream Puffs
1 cup water
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine
4 eggs
touch of salt

*Boil water and add butter & salt. Bring to boil and add flour, stirring constantly. Cook until batter pulls away from sides of the pan. Put into a mixer and add eggs one at a time, beat well between each egg. Drop onto greased cookie sheet with a melon ball spoon. Bake at 375 for 60 minutes. Cool completely. Slice and fill with chicken salad, cream, etc. May be stored frozen before filling


Chicken Salad
cooked, chopped chicken
salad dressing (I use Mayo)
crushed pineapple,
drained celery
small grapes
green onion
slivered almonds
diced apples
cream cheese

*Amounts are relative, use enough to make as much as you want. Use cream cheese to keep salad together and only enough salad dressing to thin it to your desired consistency. This is great in cream puffs!

Monster cookies & Banana cookies

Monster Cookies
3 eggs 1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter 2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups brown sugar 1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup peanut butter 4 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 cup chocolate chips 1 cup M&M’s
Cream butter, sugars, baking soda, eggs, and vanilla. Add peanut butter, beat until smooth. Add remaining ingredients, mix well. Drop onto greased cookie sheet & bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven while center still appears doughy. Cool completely.


Banana Cookies
2 1/2 cups sugar 4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/3 cups shortening 4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 eggs 1 tsp. salt
2 cups mashed bananas 1 pkg. chocolate chips
Mix and drop onto greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Tootsie's Banana Bread

1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine
4 TBS sour milk (add lemon juice to make it sour)
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
3 mashed bananas
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda

Cream butter & sugar. Add eggs, bananas, and then dry ingredients. Mix well. Add milk & nuts. Pour into bread pans and bake at 350 for 60- 75minutes.

Layered Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

1 pkg. (8oz.) cream cheese
¼ cup basil pesto
½ cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
¼ cup (1oz.) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 cup (8oz.) sour cream
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
¼ cup pitted ripe olives, sliced (optional)
1 TBS. Finely chopped fresh basil
Additional chopped sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
Preheat oven to 350. Combine half of the cream cheese and pesto; mix well. Spread in the bottom of a small baking dish. Blot excess oil from tomatoes using a paper towel. Dice tomatoes & grate Parmesan. In a clean bowl, combine remaining cream cheese, tomatoes, Parmesan, sour cream, garlic, and Italian seasoning; mix well. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over pesto mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Meanwhile, slice olives and chop basil. Sprinkle olives and basil over hot dip, garnish with additional tomatoes if you wish. Serve with toasted French bread slices, crackers, or chips.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 pkg. Frozen spinach, chopped & drained
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
1 pkg. (8oz.) cream cheese
1 cup (8oz.) sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 green onions, chopped
1-2 tsp chopped garlic (to taste)
Salt to taste.
Mix everything together very well. Spread into a small baking dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot & bubbly. Serve with toasted French bread slices, crackers, or chips.

Chocolate Caramel Bars

2 1/4 cups flour, divided
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups cold butter
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 jar (12 oz) caramel ice cream topping -or-1 bag kraft caramels (I use these)

* In a bowl combine2 cups flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt.Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or 2 butter knives, until crumbly. set half aside for topping. Press the remaining crumb mixture into a greased 13x9 pan. Bake @ 350 for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, if using kraft caramels, melt with 1/8 cup water in the microwave. stir until smooth, add flour. If using carameltopping, stir in flour. Sprinkle cooked crust with chocolate chips and pecans. Drizzle caramel over top. sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake for 18 to 20minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours before cutting.

Fettuccine Alfredo

I made this for dinner the other night and the kids just couldn't get enough! They are VERY picky eaters, so this must be good! Try it, you'll like it!

Fettuccine Alfredo

* 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
* 6 tablespoons butter
* 2 cups heavy Whipping cream (I used half & half with about 1/4 cup flour)
* 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, (shredded works better than grated, but you can use grated)
* 1/2 cup shredded or grated Romano cheese
* 2 egg yokes, lightly beaten
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, DON'T leave this out! (I think it makes the whole thing work)
Boil fettuccine noodles, set aside. In a saucepan melt butter over med-low heat. Stir in cream, Parmesan and Romano cheeses, egg yokes, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook and stir over med-low heat until it is almost to a boil...DO NOT LET IT BOIL! Drain fettuccine noodles, top with Alfredo sauce and extra cheese.

Bayou Chicken Pasta

1 pound linguine
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons Emeril's Bayou Blast Essence
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped habanero pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water
1/2 cup chopped green onion tops
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Set a large 1-gallon stock pot of water to a boil and add the kosher salt. Place the linguine in the pot and stir until the water returns to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender, but with a bit of resistance (al dente), about 12 minutes.While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Set a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the pan. Once the butter has melted, season the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the Essence and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and add the chicken to the pan. Sear the chicken until well browned on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and habaneros to the pan and saute until the onions are softened and lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cream, remaining 1 tablespoon of Essence, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and the chicken to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook the sauce until the cream is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, linguine and the reserved cooking water to the pan and cook, tossing to incorporate for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and add the green20onions, Parmesan and parsley and toss to blend. Serve immediately.

ok, maybe just a sliver cheesecake

1-1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 cup sugar 2 tbs sugar
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla, divided
1 cup Sour Cream
4 eggs

HEAT oven to 325°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends extending over sides of pan. Mix crumbs, butter and 2 Tbsp. sugar; press onto bottom of pan.
BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
BAKE 50 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate overnight. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan just before serving.