Sparkling Grape Juice

1 quart homemade grape juice
1/2 bottle of 7-up or sprite

Eggnog - December at Korrie's house

Homemade Eggnog

Day 1:
6 eggs
1 14-oz. can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 c. milk
1 pinch salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
4-6 whole cloves
2 tsp. vanilla (or to taste)

Day 2:
2 c. milk
1 c. half & half

Beat eggs; mix in condensed milk, 2 c. milk, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Cook this mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from heat. Stir one minute, then cover and refrigerate over night.

The next day, strain the mixture to remove cloves and any curdled egg bits. Put custard mixture in blender with half & half, and as much milk as you can fit in! Blend until completely homogenized. Pour in a pitcher, and stir in any remaining milk. Serve well-chilled.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup - December at Korrie's

YES, you can use gnocchi you buy at the store. Some are lousy; some are not so bad. It won't be quite as good as homemade, but I freely admit the making the gnocchi is the most time consuming part of the process! If you're going to make gnocchi, make a double batch and freeze half. You'll have enough for another BIG batch of soup. (I freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet *after* they have been cooked. They won't survive uncooked.)

Gnocchi

6 oz. flour
2 eggs
2 lbs russet potatoes
Salt
Garlic salt

Wash potatoes and place in heavily salted water. Cook until potatoes are soft. Drain and then peel. Push potatoes through a fine grater or a ricer.

Combine potatoes, flour and eggs in mixing bowl. Mix well with hands until dough does not stick to hands (add small amounts of flour at a time if needed)

Divide dough into 4 sections. Roll out each section into a long rope. Cut each rope into ½” pieces. Push fork tines on each piece for the classic gnocchi appearance.

Bring water to a boil in a sauce pot. Drop in several gnocchi at a time and cook until they float. Pull out with a slotted spoon and place in a shallow dish. I then salted mine with garlic salt because otherwise they are pretty bland. I refrigerated mine overnight and pulled out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes to 1 hour before adding to crock pot.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Cooked chicken; cut up (I at least one whole chicken--Costco rotisserie chicken is great!)

8-10 cups of chicken stock

2-4 cups heavy whipping cream

2 large stalks celery, chopped small

Garlic (I used most of one whole bulb, minced)

2-3 large carrots shredded

1 small onion diced small

1-2 cups fresh spinach, chopped

1-2 T. olive oil

Thyme (I used one whole pkg. of fresh thyme; you could use dry)

Salt and pepper

Garlic salt

Red pepper flakes

1-2 lbs gnocchi (pre-cooked)

Potato pearls to thicken

Sauté the celery, onion, garlic and carrots in the olive oil. Poured the chicken stock into the crock pot and put crock pot on high. Then add the chicken and the sautéed vegetables. Season it with the thyme, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Let this just do its thing for a couple of hours. Now after this has cooked nicely for a couple of hours and before adding the cream and the gnocchi, add the spinach and after it has wilted add the cream and the gnocchi. After adding the cream and gnocchil put the crock pot on low and then leave for a while again. Taste for seasoning and add the red pepper flakes and any other salt, pepper, garlic salt if you like. If not thick enough to your liking, add a few handfuls of potato pearls to thicken.

Sausage Cheese Balls

I didn't care for these but I think I used too much sausage (I used the whole pound).

• 1 pound shredded Cheddar cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 pound butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black or cayenne pepper
• 8 ounces pork sausage, cooked and drained

In large mixer bowl, combine cheese, butter, flour, salt and pepper. Beat with electric mixer on medium-low speed. Stir in cooked sausage. Form dough into 1-in. balls; place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve warm or cold. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

French Bread (November at Maria's House)

This recipe is Marci Petersen's from the latest version of the Major Meadows Ward cookbook.

2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp dry yeast
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp oil
6 cups flour

In a large mixing bowl combine water, sugar, and yeast.  (I use my Kitchen Aid.)  Let stand for 5 minutes.  Stir in salt, oil, and 3 cups of flour.  Stir vigorously.  Add remaining flour slowly as needed and mix well.  (You may or may not need all the flour.)  Let rest in bowl for 5 minutes.  Stir down.  Repeat this process two more times.  Place dough onto a floured board.  Knead only enough to coat dough with flour so it can be handled; divide in half.  Flatten out into rectangles, roll up from the long side.  Pinch seam to seal.   Arrange both loaves lengthwise on a large, well greased cookie sheet.  Place seam side down.  Let rise about 20-25 minutes until doubled in size.  Use a very sharp knife to gently make 3 diagonal slashes in the top of each loaf.  Bake at 375 for 23-25 minutes.  Cool on racks.

Note:  If you want a crisper crust, you can use a spray bottle to spray a fine mist of water onto the loaves.  Also misting the sides of the oven with water will create steam which will help make the crust crustier.  You can also place an empty pan on the bottom shelf of the oven while the oven is preheating.  After adding the bread to the over, pour cold water into the hot pan on the bottom shelf.  Again, this will create steam which will make a crustier crust.

Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb. chicken breast fillets (approximately three fillets)
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, pressed
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup masa harina (corn flour NOT corn meal)
3 cups water
1 cup enchilada sauce
16 ounces Velveeta (shredded cheddar works just as well)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin

Remove any fat from chicken and cut into bite-size pieces.  Heat oil in a large pot and add cut up chicken to hot oil.  Cook until browned and cooked through.  Add onions and garlic and saute over medium heat until onions become translucent.  Add chicken broth.

Combine masa harina with 2 cups of water in a medium bowl and whisk until blended.  Add to soup pot.  Add remaining water, enchilada sauce, cheese and spices to pot and bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until thick.  Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled tortilla chips, and pico de gallo.

Note:  I used three cloves garlic and three cans of chicken broth.  This is a really thick soup and will easily take the extra chicken broth.  For the chicken, you can also use a rotisserie chicken.

Spiced Yogurt Pound Cake

2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup vanilla yogurt
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees or 325 for dark pans. Grease and flour one 9x13 inch baking pan or bundt pan. In a large bowl, cream the butter or margarine with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the flour, yogurt, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ground cloves, salt and baking soda.

Mix until combined then beat at high speed for 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees (325 for dark pans) for 30 to 35 minutes for the 9x13 or 50 – 60 minutes for bundt pan or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, remove from pan and continue to cool. Delicious!

My sister likes to make this for breakfast and eats it hot with a tall glass of milk. :) YUM!

Cookie Salad

2 cups buttermilk
2 small packages instant vanilla pudding
12 oz Cool Whip
1 20oz can chunk pineapple
2-3 cans mandarin oranges
1/2 package fudge striped cookies, crushed

Beat buttermilk and pudding together until creamy. Fold in Cook Whip. Pour over drained fruit. Gently mix in crushed cookies right before serving.

Cordon Bleu Appetizer

1 pkg cream cheese softened
1 tsp dijon mustard
1cup shredded swiss cheese
3/4 cup cubed ham (cooked)
Sourdough baguette bread sliced

Mix together cream cheese and mustard. Add in swiss and ham. Spread about 1Tbsp of the cheese mixture on each slice of bread. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.

Super Nachos

1 can refried beans
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup green onions
1 small can diced green chilies
3 cups Cheddar cheese
1 small can black olives, chopped
3/4 cup Salsa
1 C sour cream
2 large tomatoes, diced
bag of tortilla chips

Spread beans in 9X13 inch baking dish and cover with cooked meat. Next, spread the chilies over the meat, top with grated cheese and drizzle salsa over the top.  At this point, the dish may be covered and chilled until 30 minutes before serving.  Bake  uncovered at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Quickly remove from oven and add chopped olives, spread with sour cream, then top with green onions and tomatoes.

Alfredo Chicken Bake

1 box penne pasta (cooked & drained)
Cubed, cooked chicken breast, grilled or fried
Sliced mushrooms (about 1 carton)

Combine above ingredients in a large baking dish. Pour Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce over pasta mixture. (I used two jars of Great Value Alfredo Sauce).

Seeded, Diced Tomatoes (about 4 romas)
Monterey Jack Cheese
Parmesan Cheese

Top with Monterey Jack cheese, diced tomatoes parmesan cheese. Bake @ 350º for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and cheese starts to brown. (I like to broil it to brown the cheese a little bit.) :)

Greek Salad and Dressing

1/2 c. Oil
1 tsp. Sugar
1/2 c. Vinegar
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Dry Mustard

Mix all together and serve over a variety of greens and goodies.

I used a head of lettuce, some cabbage, a tomato, black olives and cucumber and threw some feta cheese on top. Simple, easy but it's a different dressing.....i seem to get in a rut and don't try new things enough.

LaVon - November 2010 - Maria's house

CHICKEN BROCCOLI VEGGIE SAUTE

3 TB spoons butter
4 skinless,boneless chichken breasts ( cut in ½ length wise )
1 cup chopped broccoli
½ cup very thinnly sliced carrots
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can cream of broccoli soup
1/3 cup milk
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp. cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
Dash of red pepper

Cook chicken in 2 TB spoons of butter until lightly browned
Remove , set a side
Cook broccoli , carrots , & mushrooms in 1 Tb spoon butter approx 5 min.
(I put the carrots in by themselves for about 5-10 before the other veggies so they wouldn’t be too crunchy!)
Mix soup , milk & seasonings, stir into vegetables , add chicken
Heat to boiling and simmer 5 min .

Orange Goo - October at Marlana's house

1 large or 2 small containers of Cottage Cheese
1 large or 2 small boxes of Orange Jell-O powder
1 can crushed pineapple
1 large or 2 small cans of Mandarin Oranges
8-12 oz. Cool Whip

Mix cottage cheese, Jell-o powder, drained pineapple, and drained mandarin oranges together. Fold in Cool Whip. (Note: I usually mix everything except the Cool Whip together early in the day, but I don't fold in the Cool Whip until the last minute.)

Pumpkin Bars

1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup oil
3 eggs
1 cup pumpkin
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix all ingredients and pour into a lightly greased oblong cookie sheet. Bake 350 for 15 min.

Frosting:
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
1 cup powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Whip together well and put on top of the bars.

Marlena's house- Oct 2010

Cream Cheese Braid

I know this is favorite month, but I missed so many dinner groups and I didn't get to try most of the delicious recipes you all brought, so I'm making one of our family's favorite breads.


Dough:
5 1/4 C Bread Flour
1/4 C Sugar
1/2 T Salt
1 1/2 T Instant Yeast rounded
1 1/2 T Liquid Lecithin
2 C Hot Tap Water

Mix dry ingredients. Add lecithin and water. Mix for one minute and check consistency. Dough should be very wet. Add more water if too dry. I usually add about another 1/3 C hot water. Mix for 5 minutes.
Split dough between two baking sheets. Roll out to fill sheet.

Have Filling ready:
4 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 C powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla
May also add fruit or jam of your choice

Spread filling down middle of dough long ways leaving about 1/2 inch at top and bottom and a third on either side. Braid, carefully sealing edges.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
Ice while warm

Icing:
2 C powdered sugar
1/4 C softened butter
1/2 t vanilla
2 T water or milk

Yummy Potatoes

I stole this recipe from Ariane...so yummy!!


9 Potatoes, skinned, boiled, and then whipped with hand mixer or Kitchen Aid
Whip in:
8 oz. Cool Whip
½ tsp. pepper
12 oz. cream cheese
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1 stick of butter

Preheat the oven to 350º. Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. So creamy and delicious!

Blackberry Italian Soda

August brought by Marlana

Blackberry Syrup
* 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
* 1 cup water
* 2 cups frozen or fresh blackberries

1. Combine sugar, water, and blackberries in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
2. When mixture boils, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove the pan from heat and let mixture steep for 15 minutes.
3. Strain blackberry syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container. Refrigerate until cold, and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Italian Soda:
* 8 fluid ounces carbonated water
* 1.5 fluid ounces flavored syrup
* 1 fluid ounce half-and-half cream

1. Fill a tall glass half full with ice. Fill to 2/3 with carbonated water. Pour in flavored syrup, then float the half-and-half cream on top. Stir when ready to drink.

Corn and Black Bean Salad

2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1/4 balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili pepper
3 Tbsp. chopped cilanto or 1 tsp. dried cilantro

Combine all vegetables in a medium sized bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix dressing ingredients.  Pour over vegetables and toss until well coated.

Raspberry Cream Chocolate Tart - August at Tawnya's house

If you haven't seen it before, check out Phemomenon. It's a really fun baking blog! That's where this recipe came from.

Tart Batter

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 t. salt
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 t. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 t. pure almond extract
• 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. ground almonds (from approximately 3/4 cup whole almonds, processed in food processor or nut grinder)

Method:

Butter a 9-inch tart pan well. Set aside on a large baking sheet.

In a large bowl beat together the butter, sugar and salt for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until well combined, stopping and scraping down the sides beating 1 minute after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The mixture will look curdled. Add the vanilla and beat until well combined. Turn the mixer speed to low and add the flour and ground almonds or almonds until combined, then turn speed up and beat 1 minute until light and fluffy. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and make sure the batter is well mixed and fluffy.

Scrape the batter into the prepared tart pan and use an offset spatula or the back of a metal spoon to spread the batter evenly across the bottom of the pan and up the sides of the pan, just to the top edge to create a rim for the filling.

Filling: Chocolate Layer

Ingredients:

• 1 c. mini chocolate chips
• 1 T. flour

Method:

Place the chocolate chips in a small heatproof bowl, add the flour and toss together to coast. Set aside while preparing the cream filling.

Filling: Fruit Layer

Ingredients:

• 1 container (6 oz) fresh red raspberries, rinsed and cleaned
• 2 T. all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cc. sugar
• 1 t. finely grated orange zest (optional)
• 1/4 t. salt
• 3/4 c. sour cream
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 t. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 t. pure almond extract
• 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
• Confectioners' Sugar, for dusting
• One bar of good chocolate for decorating, if desired

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

If you are using the orange zest, combine the sugar and orange zest in a small bowl and rub together well using your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, sour cream, egg yolk, vanilla and cinnamon.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips into the tart shell, covering the entire bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the fresh raspberries evenly over the chocolate chips and then pour the sour cream mixture over and around the berries in the tart pan. The chocolate and berries will not be completely covered by the sour cream mixture, but will bake into a cream layer in the oven - don't try to spread it, just try to pour bits of it all around the pan so it can spread while baking.

Place the tart on the baking sheet into the oven. Bake for 35 to 38 minutes until the tart is puffy and golden. Let the tart sit for 10 minutes on a rack to cool a bit before cutting. Dust the tart with confectioners' sugar before serving.

To make an even fancier presentation when serving at room temperature or cold, use a vegetable peeler to shave curls of chocolate from the edge of the chocolate bar over the tart to decorate.

The tart can be served warm, at room temperature or even cold.

Strawberry Jell-O Salad

1 sm. box strawberry jell-o
1 sm. box cook n serve vanilla pudding
1 sm. box cook n serve tapioca pudding

Mix with 2 2/3 cups water, bring to boil, stirring, boil for 1 minute.
Pour into container, let cool room temp 1-2 hours, then refridgerate overnight. (I have done it in the morning, and just let it cool in the fridge all day).

Before serving, stir in

1 8 oz. cool whip
1 pint strawberries

You can mix it up too: orange jello with mandarin oranges, raspberry jello with frozen raspberries, and even double the recipe and mix jellos.

Lemon Bars

Crust:
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 cup confectioners sugar, plus more for dusting
pinch of salt
2 sticks of butter, at room temperature

Filling:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 X 13 inch pan

Make the crust by combining flour, confectioners sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter to make a crumbly mixture. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. You may need to dip your fingers into a little flour or confectioners' sugar to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the filling, mix the eggs, sugar, flour and lemon juice. Pour this over baked crust and bake for 25-30 minutes longer. Sprinkle confectioners sugar, if desired, when bars are done.

Lemon Icebox Cheesecake

Crust:
10 lemon sandwich cookies, broken into pieces
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. grated lemon rind

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Process cookies in food processor until finely ground.  Add melted butter and lemon zest and pulse until combined.  Press into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.  Bake until lightly browned and set, about 10 minutes.  Cool completely.

Lemon Curd:
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp heavy cream

While crust is cooling whisk together egg, egg yolk, salt, and sugar in small saucepan.  Add lemon juice and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick and pudding-like, approximately 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in butter and cream.  Press through fine mesh strainer into a small bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Filling:
1/4 cup lemon juice from two lemons
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, room temperature

In a microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle gelatin over lemon juice and let soften for 5 minutes.  Microwave until bubbly around the edges, about 30 seconds.  Set aside and let cool.  In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, sugar, and salt, scraping down sides, until well-blended, about 2 minutes.  Slowly add cream and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add gelatin and 1/4 cup of lemon curd, increase mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until light and airy, about 3 minutes.  Pour filling onto cooled crust and smooth.  Use remaining lemon curd to decorate top of cake.  I poured thin, straight lines then pulled a knife through at 1-inch intervals.  Refrigerate until set, about 6 hours.

Crock-pot peach cobbler

2 cans peach pie filling
1 cake mix (white or yellow works best)
1 cube of butter

In crock pot pour in the 2 cans of pie filling. Next cover with the dry cake mix. Melt butter completely in microwave and drizzle over top of the cake mix. Cook 4 hours on high. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Hot Bean Dip

Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 cans refried beans
1/2 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning
5 drops hot pepper sauce (optional)
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 (8 ounce) package shredded cheddar cheese
1 (8 ounce) package shredded monterey jack cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a medium bowl, blend the cream cheese and sour cream. Mix in the refried beans, taco seasoning, hot pepper sauce, parsley, green onions, 1/2 the cheddar cheese and 1/2 the monterey jack cheese. Transfer the mixture to an 8x12 inch baking dish. Top with remaining cheddar and monterey jack cheeses.
3. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until cheese is slightly browned.

CHEEZY Bread Dip

Ingredients:
• 16 slices bacon (about 12 ounces), diced, fried and well drained
• 16 ounces cream cheese, cubed, room temperature
• 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• dash hot sauce
Preparation:
Put all ingredients in the slow cooker; cover and cook on low, stirring occasionally, for about 1 to 2 hours, until cheese is melted and mixture is hot. Taste and adjust seasonings, add bacon, and keep on low to serve. Serve with cubed or sliced French bread or other dippers.
Cook Time: 2 hours

July at Angie's

Cucumber Punch

3-4 quarts of water
3 quarts ice
1 package of crystal light lemonade
1 12 ounce can frozen grape juice concentrate
1 lemon sliced
1/2-3/4 cucumber thinly sliced

In a punch bowl stir together water, ice, lemonade powder, and grape juice concentrate.
Float lemons and cucumbers on top of drink and allow drink to sit for about 20 minutes for flavors to blend.
For a fun twist you can replace limeade or raspberry lemonade for the grape juice.

Caramel Apple Salad

4-5 Granny Smith Apples (cored and cubed)
1 pint heavy wipping cream (with 1/2 to 3/4 cup powdered sugar & 1 tsp vanilla if you like that)
1 package bite size snickers

Whip the cream until it is thick. Fold in sugar and vanilla to desired taste. Add cubed apples and bite size snickers.

cream cheese and chili sauce appetizer

1 pkg cream cheese
1 jar "homemade chili sauce" (on the ketchup isle)
shrimp or crab meat

Pour jar of chili sauce over cream cheese and top with shrimp or crab. Serve with crackers

Broccoli casserole

2 16 oz pkg chopped broccoli
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup mayo
2 tsp lemon juice
1 can waterchesnuts
2 cups shredded cheese

Mix all ingredients (except cheese) and then cover with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Oriental Chicken Salad

1 cabbage (or 2 if they are small)
4 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
4-5 green onions (when i can i just use the chives out of my garden)
2 pkgs top ramen, crushed (or 3, my family likes a lot of crunch)
4 TBS sunflower seeds (or more)
4 TBS slivered or sliced almonds (or more)
3 TBS sesame seeds
4 TBS brown sugar
4 TBS soy sauce
1/2 tsp pepper
3 TBS white vinegar
1/2 C vegetable oil

Cook Chicken chunks in butter, garlic salt and basil (to taste). Put in strainer and let cool. Combine; top ramen noodles, sunflower seeds, almonds and sesame seeds on cookie sheet. Bake at 350* for 5-7 minutes; stir after 3-4 minutes, when browned, set aside to cool. Chop up cabbage and green onions and put in large bowl. Mix well the brown sugar, soy sauce, pepper, white vinegar and oil for the dressing. I put the cooled chick in with the cabbage but keep the rest separate so that each person can add the amount they want plus it keeps the noodle stuff from getting soggy! YUM!

LaVon - June 2010 - Jessica's house

Carmel Apples

10 - 12 Granny Smith apples

Wash and dry apples, put stick into apples and set on cookie sheet with parchment paper or wax paper over cookie sheet. Set aside.

1 can condensed milk
2/3 C heavy whipping cream
1/2 C butter
1 C Karo syrup
1 C brown sugar
1 C sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix syrup and sugars together in pan. Put on high heat until mixture boils. Add butter; after butter is melted and is boiling hard, turn heat down to medium-high. Gradually add milk and cream, keeping the mixture boiling at all times. Stir constantly. Carmel should reach 244* F on thermometer. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Dip apples (twice) then set back on cookie sheet and put in fridge to set. You can also pour the Carmel into a pan but butter it first so it is easier to get out, or you can just put the rest in a bowl and spoon it out like my family does!

****NOTE: These temperatures are based on water boiling at 212* F. So for the first time you will want to boil a pan of water and see where your water boils at. If your thermometer shows water boiling 10* less than that, you should adjust the Carmel temperature by that much. For example mine does boil 10* less so I boil my Carmel to 234*.

And once again, this is one of Korrie's family's yummy recipes!

LaVon - May 2010 - Ariane's house

Apple Dumplings- June Jessica's house

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter (I KNOW - 2!!!)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew (about 8 ounces)

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream (or whipped cream), and spoon some of the sweet sauce from the pan over the top. You can use sprite or squirt instead of Mountain Dew. I did and it turned out great. Enjoy!

Pizza Crust & Sauce

Dough--
1 1/4 cup warm water (not very warm at all)
1/2 T yeast
1 1/4 tsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp olive oil
2 3/4 to 3 1/4 c high-gluten flour (I get my flour from the Honeville company up in Brigham City).

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water. Dont go very warm at all because you don't want to activate the yeast too quickly. Add the salt and olive oil. Begin mixing and slowly adding flour. I use the flat beater attachment on the mixer until the dough starts to form a ball (after about 2 cups of flour) and then I switch to the dough hook and add the rest of the flour. Add flour until the dough is your desired consistency. If you take the ball out and rest it on the counter, it should slightly relax but not fall. Then I sprinkle with flour and place in a gallon zip lock bag and place in the fridge (overnight). If you add a little less yeast then keep it in for two nights (the dough ages a little longer and has more flavor).

When making the pizza, the less you use a rolling pin and more you use your hands to stretch the dough and even throw it, the more body the crust will have.


Sauce --

1 14.5 oz can of diced, peeled tomatoes (blend them up--juice and all)
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1-5 tsp brown sugar (I used 5 because Jess likes it sweet, but sweeten to your liking)
1/8 to 1/4 tsp fennel (depends on your taste/preference whether you add or how much)

Mix it all together and simmer for at least half an hour so the flavor blends well.

Spicy Garlic Green Beans - June at Jessica's

Ingredients

* 3/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
* 1 teaspoon honey
* 2 teaspoons canola oil

Directions

1. Arrange a steamer basket in a pot over boiling water, and steam the green beans 3 to 4 minutes.
2. In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, garlic, garlic chili sauce, and honey.
3. Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the green beans, and fry for 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in the soy sauce mixture. Continue cooking and stirring 2 minutes, or until the liquid is nearly evaporated. Serve immediately.

NOTE: I was out of chili sauce, so I used tomato paste and red pepper flakes!

June 16, 2010 - Jessica's House

Texas Sheet Cake

2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup water
1 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1 tsp vanilla

Grease a 15x10x1-inch cookie sheet; set aside.  In a medium bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine butter cocoa powder, and 1 cup water.  Bring mixture just to boiling, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add the flour mixture to the cocoa mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.  Mix together eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla and add to mixture, stirring until combined.  Pour batter into the prepared pan.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter
6 Tbsp cocoa powder
6 Tbsp buttermilk or cream
2 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar **
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan combine butter, cocoa, and buttermilk.  Bring to boil, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.  Spread warm frosting over warm cake.

**You may need more or less powdered sugar, depending on the consistency you want.  This frosting sets up pretty quickly so I usually like the frosting a little on the thinner side but not as thin as a glaze.  I don't usually measure the powdered sugar but add and mix until the frosting is the consistency I want.

Banana Cake

1½ c. sugar
¾ c. buttermilk*
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. mashed bananas (3 med. bananas)
½ c. butter, softened
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 c. sifted flour (put this in last, beat well)

Preheat the oven to 350º.
Mix all ingredients, beat well, pour into a greased 9x13” pan. Bake @ 350º for 30-35 minutes.

ICING:
¼ c. butter, softened ½ tsp. vanilla
½ lb. powdered sugar 2-3 T. milk

Cream together and spread on cooled cake.

**To make buttermilk substitute:
Put 2½ tsp. vinegar or lemon juice in the bottom of the measuring cup, fill up to ¾ cup with regular milk. Let it stand 5 minutes.*

Southwest Chicken Burritos- Eilyn hosted 2010

4-6 frozen chicken breasts
2 c. salsa
1-2 cans black beans, rinsed/drained
1 can olives, drained (whole, diced, or sliced)
1 c. frozen corn OR 1 can of corn, drained
package of cream cheese


Place frozen chicken on bottom of crock-pot. Then add remaining ingredients, except the cream cheese , and cook on low for 6-8 hours (or on high for 4 hrs). 20 minutes before serving stir in the cream cheese and shred the chicken. Fill tortillas and top with cheddar cheese and any other favorite burrito toppings.


Eilyn did this when she hosted at Julie's house in April.

Peach Crunch Cake (Bakerella)- May 2010

24.5 oz jar of sliced peaches in light syrup
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), cut into 16 pieces
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Layer ingredients in a 13 X 9 dish, in order starting with the peaches.

Bake for about 40 minutes.

Serve warm or cold… with or without ice cream.

Ariane's house- May

Green Bean Cassaroles

For the topping:
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Nonstick cooking spray

For beans and sauce:
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and halved (i just used the frozen organic beans from costco that I always have in my freezer)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 12 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (i didn't have freshly ground nutmeg, so I just used the ground nutmeg)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup half-and-half

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
Combine the onions, flour, panko and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss the onions 2 to 3 times during cooking. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees F.
While the onions are cooking, prepare the beans. Bring some water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an pot. Add the beans and blanch. Drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet (i just used a regular saute pan) set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

Sherbet Punch

1 bottle of Simply Lemonade (any flavor-not concentrate)
1 2-liter of Diet Sprite
1 half gallon of sherbet (any flavor)

Mix lemonade & sprite in punch bowl, scoop sherbet in small scoops onto the top. Serve with a ladel.

May 2010 (Arian's house)

Baked Cheddar Bacon Spread

8oz cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 medium onion, chopped fine
1/2 pound bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
garlic powder to taste

Beat cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise until smooth.  Saute onion in butter until onion is translucent.  Stir onion, bacon, garlic powder, and half of shredded cheese into cream cheese mixture.  Spread into a small baking dish.  Top with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Serve with your favorite cracker, bread, or chips.

Flourless Chocolate Cake - April 2010

This is a Paula Deen recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 sticks of butter
1 1/4 cups of sugar
6 eggs, separated

DIRECTIONS:
Place some parchment paper on the bottom of a 9" springform pan so it hangs over. Close the latch to hold the paper in place and secure the sides. You'll also want to spray the paper with some non-stick cooking spray just to be safe. After your pan is ready, preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Separate 6 large eggs. Yolks in one bowl and egg whites in another. Set aside.Combine chocolate chips and 2 sticks of butter. Melt in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth. Whisk in 1 1/4 cups sugar until combined. Then add the six egg yolks to the chocolate and sugar mixture, one at a time, whisking after each addition. Now, in a medium bowl, beat the six egg whites on high with an electric mixer. Beat it for several minutes until stiff peaks form. Then, gently fold your egg white mixture into the melted chocolate mixture until combined. Pour it in your pan and bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees. It will rise pretty high in the oven, but when you take it out to cool, it will fall. And fall hard. Yay! Let it cool one hour on the counter and then for at least four hours in the refrigerator before you release it from the springform pan.

My dad's favorite "salad" - May at Ariane's house

1 can crushed pineapple, drain and reserve juice
Enough water added to the pineapple juice to equal 2 cups
1/2 c. lemon juice
1 c. sugar
2 3-oz. packages of lemon jello

Bring water/pineapple juice, pineapple, sugar, and lemon juice just to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in jello mix until it dissolves. Pour into a 9x13 pan and let set.

After it has set, cut it into small squares (these do not have to be perfect), then fold in 1 c. shredded cheese and 1 c. whipping cream, whipped (unsweetened; NOT Cool Whip). I just mix it in the 9x13 pan and then transfer it to a pretty bowl.

Spinach Cheese Dip

(April at Julie's house)

Spinach Cheese Dip
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 jar (16 oz) salsa
1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided.
Tortilla chips

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, spinach and 1 cup cheese blend. Spread into an ungreased 9-in. pie plate. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Serve with tortilla chips.

Cinnamon Rolls

(May at Ariane's house)

Cinnamon Rolls:
1/2 Cup warm water
2 pkgs dry yeast
2 Tbls. Sugar
3 1/2 oz. package vanilla instant pudding
1/2 Cup margarine; melted
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
6 Cups Flour

In a bowl combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved, set aside.
In a large bowl, make pudding mix according to package directions. Add margarine, eggs, and salt. Mix well. Then add yeast mixture and blend.

Gradually add flour, knead until smooth. Place in greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled. Punch down and let dough rise again.

Roll out on floured cupboard to 34 X 21 rectangle. Take 1 cup soft butter and spread over surface of dough. In bowl mix 2 cups brown sugar and 4 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top. Roll up very tight. With a knife notch every 2 inches. Cut with thread or a knife (I used dental floss).

Place on lightly greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Lightly press down each roll with your hand. Cover and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove when they turn golden brown. Don't over bake.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 Cup margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Cups powdered sugar
1 Tbls. milk

Mix all ingredients together until smooth

Symphony Brownies

(March at Jenna's house made by Marlana)
One box of brownie mix
2 large chocolate bars (I used Symphony with almonds and toffee!)

Mix brownie mix according to package directions. Pour half of the batter in an 8x8 pan. Place chocolate bars side by side in pan on top of batter. (I used Symphony bars this time but I have used other kinds of chocolate bars in the past.) Pour rest of batter on top of chocolate bars. Cook brownies according to package directions.

April 2010

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1 16oz pkg macaroni
2 cans cheddar cheese soup
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1 pound sharp cheddar, grated
Garlic powder and salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Cook macaroni to a little under al dente. Combine cheese soup, milk, sour cream, and half of the grated cheese. Stir into cooked noodles. Spread into a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Bake 30 minutes or cheese is brown and bubbly.

Corn Bake

2 eggs 16 oz. whole corn
½ c. margarine 1 c. cheese, shredded
1 c. sour cream 1 pkg. Marie Callendar's corn muffin mix
16 oz. cream corn

Beat eggs. Mix in corn, sour cream and butter. Fold in muffin mix. Pour in 9x13 greased pan. Bake @ 350º for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese on top and bake until cheese is melted.

Cherry Coffee Cake

Mix together:
1 cup butter
1 3/4 cup sugar

Add 4 eggs: then add
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt

Mix well then add 3 cups flour, mix well. Grease cookie sheet pan that has an inch edge on it. Spread the thick batter on the cookie sheet (all but 2 cups), next put spoonfuls of your favorite pie filling (cherry for this recipe) all over the batter. There should be little dabs of filling all over. Then add dabs of batter (what's left over) all over, next to the dabs of pie filling dabs.

Bake at 350* for 30-40 minutes.

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 T milk
1/2 tsp almond extract

Mix together and then drizzle over cooled coffee cake. Add sliced almonds on top if desired!

LaVon - April 2010 - Eilyn's house

Old-Fashioned Lemonade

Sugar Syrup:
grated zest of 2 lemons
2 cups sugar
2 cups water

Combine ingredients for sugar syrup in medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Pour into 2 qt. pitcher and let cool.

Lemonade:
2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
5-6 rinds, coursely chopped
3 cups cold water
Lemon slices for garnish, optional

Add lemon juice, chopped rinds and cold water to sugar syrup. Stir and chill. Serve over ice. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired.


(Julies house- April- Eilyn hosting)

Southwestern Egg Rolls

(March at Jenna's house)

1 1/2 cans black beans
1/2 C corn (frozen, but thawed)
1/4 C red onion, chopped very fine
2 avocados, cubed in small pieces
1/2 C red bell pepper, chopped very fine
1/2 C Jalepino, chopped very fine (less if you don't want to big of a bite)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 chicken breasts, grilled then cubed into small pieces
6 oz. colby jack cheese

mix all ingredients together into mixing bowl. Add chicken and cheese and mix together. Put mixture into egg rolls and deep fry for 2-3 minutes or until they are brown. Slice in half and serve with Avocado- Ranch Dipping Sauce. This recipe yields 30 egg rolls.

Avocado- Ranch Dipping Sauce

1/4 C smashed, fresh avocado
1/4 C mayonnaise
1/4 C sour cream
1 Tbls buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. dried parsley
1/8 tsp. onion powder
dash of dried dill weed
dash of garlic powder
dash of pepper

Mix all together and chill.

Broccoli Slaw (March at Jenna's house)

1 pkg broccoli slaw, rinsed and drained
1 pkg ramen noodles (any flavor but I used Oriental flavor)
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup sunflower seeds
3 T. chopped green onions

Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar (red or white wine vinegar is also good)
1/4 cup sugar
Ramen seasoning packet

Remove seasoning packet and break up ramen noodles into small pieces. Toast noodles and nuts (if raw) until golden brown and fragrant. Chop onions and mix in with broccoli slaw. Mix dressing ingredients and pour over broccoli mixture. Add nuts and ramen noodles just before serving to maintain crunchiness.

Carrot raisin bread March at Jenna's

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup plus 2 T sugar

3 eggs

1/4 cup molassess

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup raisins

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Combine all dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix oil, eggs, molasses, and vanilla.

Add shredded carrots, raisins and walnuts. Mix by hand. Add flour mixture and stir until combined. Pour batter into two ungreased 8 in loaf pans. Bake at 350 for about 60 minutes.

(I would grease just the bottom of the pans because of the little incident I had when making them :)

Cheesy Queso Dip

Melt a large brick of Velveeta cheese in the microwave. Add 1 can of drained diced tomatoes with green chiles, some salsa, and taco sauce to taste. Mix it all together, put it in a crock pot to stay warm, and serve with tortilla chips.


*Not my best effort to date.*

Pork Chile Verde

March at Jenna's house

4 T cooking oil

1/3 c flour

¼ t salt

½ c chopped cilantro (I use more)

3-4 jalapeno peppers (I leave these out)

4 lbs. boneless pork, cut into 1" cubes

1 can chopped green chiles

½ t cumin

¼ t pepper

3 minced garlic cloves

1 C medium green salsa

1 can chicken broth

In frying pan, cook the cut up pork with flour until it is browned. Pour into crock pot. Add all the remaining ingredients. Simmer on high 6-8 hours. Serve on tortillas or chips with sour cream, avocados, olives, tomatoes and onions.

Gingered Lemon-Lime fizz

1 cup lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
1/2 cup lime juice (about 5 limes) You need 1 more for garnish
4 cups cold water
8 tsp honey
liter bottle of ginger ale
ice

Combine lemon juice, lime juice, water and honey. Stir well until honey is disolved. Set aside.

Put ice in glass, fill glass about half way with juice mix and then fill up to the top with the ginger ale. Stir and add lime wedge.

Makes abouut 8 glasses.

If the drink is to tart for you either add more water to the juice mix or add more ginger ale.

LaVon - March 2010 - Jenna's house

SUMMER SALAD

Romaine lettuce
sliced strawberries
1/2 apple, cubed
1 small can Mondrian oranges
1/4- 1/2 cup almonds (depending on how big your salad is)
2-3 tbsp. sugar

Mix everything together in large salad bowl. To make the candied almonds: melt sugar in saucepan, stirring continuously. When sugar is melted, immediately remove from heat and add almonds until all are coated.

Poppy Seed dressing:

3/4 C sugar
1 T dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c cider vinegar
1 C vegetable oil
1 T poppy seeds

In medium sized bowl, combine sugar, mustard, salt, vinegar. Using portable mixer, beat in oil gradually until mixture is think and smooth. Stir in poppy seeds and refrigerate.

NOTE: In the salad you can also use avocados, craisins, blueberries if you would like. Also you can use the store brand Brianna's poppy seed dressing if you don't have time to make it. I do that a lot.

made by Jessica- Julie's house, February

BROWN SUGAR AND CINNAMON COFFEE CAKE

3/4 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. sour cream
Filling (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12 cup bundt pan. In large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt alternately with sour cream. Spread 1/3 of batter (about 2 cups) in pan and sprinkle with 1/3 of filling (about 6 tablespoons). Repeat twice.

Bake 60 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. This is my best coffee cake recipe and the one that always gets the most compliments.

FILLING: Mix 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. (no walnuts for me) - Jenna's house, March

Dreamsicle Cake

Cake:

1 orange cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 1/2 cup water

1 small box orange gelatin

Mix all together and pour into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until done.

Topping:

8 oz. cream cheese

1 large box vanilla instant pudding

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup sugar

1 11oz can mandarin oranges, thoroughly drained

8 oz cool whip or whipped cream

Blend together cream cheese, pudding, and sugar. Add orange juice. When blended, fold in whipped topping and mandarin oranges. Spread on top of thoroughly cooled cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Personal note: The next time I try this, I'm going to change the topping by eliminating the pudding, using real whipped cream instead of cool whip, and add a tsp. of vanilla flavoring to the cream cheese.

Caramel Fruit Dip
(February at Julie’s House made by Marlana)

1 pkg. cream cheese, softened at room temperature
¾ C. brown sugar, dark
½ C. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients either with a blender or by hand. Serve with fruit or pretzels! Makes a great after school snack.

Oreo Truffles

36 Oreo cookies crushed
1 80z. brick cream cheese (I used Neufatchel)
Dipping chocolate

This is easiest in a food processor, but I don't have one. I crushed the cookies in a Ziploc bag and then mixed them with the cream cheese with a hand mixer.
Roll into balls.
You can dip them now, but I found it easier if you refrigerate them for an hour or so.
I used white chocolate chips and melted them in the microwave for about 15 seconds at a time, stirring thoroughly.
Drizzle with milk chocolate.
Allow to set up in the fridge.

You could do a variety of flavors of cookies and chocolates. I'm thinking of doing Nutterbutters and milk chocolate, drizzled with dark chocolate. Lemon sandwich cookies, vanilla cookies, mint Oreos...the possibilities are endless.

Southwest Toasted Meatloaf Melt with Avocado Salsa and Cilantro Mayonnaise

1 lb lean ground beef
1 egg, slightly beaten
½ Cup garlic and herb dry bread crumbs
4 oz can diced green chilies
¼ Cup finely chopped onion
¼ Cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

2 ripe avocados peeled, seeded and diced into ½ inch cubes
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 roma tomato diced
¼ Cup finely diced red onions
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon roasted garlic seasoning

¾ Cup mayonnaise
¼ Cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

4 slices cheddar cheese
8 slices sourdough bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl combine the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, green chilies, onions, bell pepper, garlic, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Gently mix until just combined. Form into loaf and place into meatloaf pan that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until meatloaf is cooked through and top has browned. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl combine diced avocados, lime juice, cumin, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, salt and pepper. Toss gently, cover and refrigerate until serving.
In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, cilantro and black pepper. Mix until well combined. Set aside.

When meatloaf has been removed from oven, preheat oven’s broiler. Place cheese onto 4 of the slices of bread. Place all 8 slices under broiler for 1-2 minutes or until lightly toasted and cheese melted. Spread generous portions of the cilantro mayonnaise onto the insides of the 4 toasts without the cheese. Slice the meatloaf into 8 equal slices. Place 2 slices of meatloaf onto the cheese side of the toasts. Top the meatloaf with divided avocado salsa, and place the remaining toast on top to close sandwich.

Julie's house February

Christmas Punch - February at Julie's house

Christmas Punch (from LaFaye Bergman)

1 package raspberry Kool-Aid
3/4 c. sugar
1 qt. water
1/2 c. orange juice
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 1/2 c. pineapple juice

Note: Raspberry Kool-Aid seems to be impossible to find these days. I used Raspberry ice Crystal Lite for Dinner Group. I reduced the amount of sugar by about a third.

Beautiful Burger Buns

1 c. water
2 T. butter
1 egg
3 1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 T. yeast
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder


Mix all ingredients together in mixer until soft dough forms. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each piece into a flattened ball. Place buns on greased baking sheet, cover and let rise 30-40 minutes, until they are quite puffy. Brush tops with beaten egg (this makes them pretty and helps the topping to stick) then sprinkle, sesame seeds, poppy seeds or dried onions on top. Pre-heat oven to 375*. Bake the buns for 12-15 minutes, until they are golden brown. Remove from pan and let cool on rack. Enjoy!!

Recipe from Korrie Bastian but LaVon brought them with her permission!

LaVon - February 2010 - Julie's house

Peanut butter cup pie Feb at Julie's

1 pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter (divided)
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg vanilla instant pudding
2 1/2 cups thawed cool whip
1 oreo pie crust
3 squares Baker's semi-sweet chocolate

Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup peanut butter until well blended. Add milk and dry pudding mix; beat 2 min. Whisk in 1 cup cool whip; spoon into crust. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Microwave remaining 1 1/2 cup cool whip and chocolate on high 1 1/2 to 2 min or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each minute. Cool completely.
Spread chocolate mixture over pudding layer in crust. Microwave remaining peanut butter for 30 sec; stir. Drizzle over top. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.

Citrus Quencher January at Lori's

2 2liters of Sprite
3/4 cup limeade concentrate
1/2 cup orange juice

Combine all and serve over ice.

Cheese Noodles

From Paula Deen, Food Network

1 c cottage cheese
1 c sour cream
6 oz angel hair pasta, cooked and drained
2 T grated onion (or 1 T dried minced-I did onion powder)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp garlic salt
½ c grated Parmesan (I did more)

Stir together cottage cheese and sour cream and add to noodles. Add onion, Worcestershire, and garlic salt.

Place in a greased casserole dish.

Sprinkle Parmesan over top and bake at 350 for 45 min.

Amy's ENGAGED!!! :)Congratulations, Amy & Mike!!!

Pork Carnitas - January 2010

Pork Carnitas

1 4lb pork roast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp powdered cumin
1/2 tsp dried coriander or cilantro
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken broth

Mix all spices together (except bay leaves) and rub over pork roast. Place bay leaves in the bottom of a crock pot. Place roast with dry rub on top of bay leaves. Pour chicken broth around roast, being careful not to pour on the roast and rinse off the spice rub. Cook on low until meat pulls apart with a fork. Serve with warm tortillas, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or whatever you like. This spice rub is also good on chicken.

Mexican 7-Layer Dip-Jan at Lori's House

Spread 1 can refried beans on bottom of 8 x 8 pan.
Spread a thin layer of salsa on top,
Then a thin layer of sour cream. (You can mix the sour cream with a little bit of milk, it makes it easier to spread.)
Sprinkle grated cheddar or Mexican cheese on top.
Then sprinkle a layer of sliced olives on top of that.
Then dollop spoonfuls of guacamole around the edges of the pan.
Sprinkle the whole thing with shredded lettuce.

Chill for at least 1 hour and then enjoy! This works great with scoops chips so you can fill your chip with the dip.

By-LaVon Jacson

Red Hen Bread - January at Lori's house

This recipe is from Diane Botill, originally titled "Carolyn's Onion Bread." My children have re-named it

Red Hen Bread

1 T. yeast
1 1/4 c. water
1 c. milk
3 T. sugar
2 T. oil
2 tsp. salt
approx. 5 c. flour
2-3 T. dried minced onion
1 tsp. dill weed (original recipe called for dill seed, but I use weed)
egg white
poppy seeds

Mix yeast, water, milk, and sugar in a bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Add oil, salt, flour, onion, and dill. Mix until slightly sticky dough forms, then continue to knead for about 5 minutes if by mixer, about 10 minutes if by hand. Let rise. Shape into braids or loaves. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Let rise. Bake at 375 F for about 26 minutes.

Korrie's Notes: A single recipe makes about 3 lbs. of dough, which will make one large braid (about as long as a cookie sheet) or two smaller ones. I always double the recipe, and when I do, I use 1 1/2 T. yeast.

Jessica had her baby boy last night! :) Just thought you'd all like to know. I'll let her give you the details, but I will say that she and the baby are doing just great! :)

Cheese Logs

1 roll of goat cheese (the cheapest place I've found them is at Costco, they're only like $5!)
Craisins
basil (or any herb you think would be tasty)
Crackers

Let cheese get to room temperature. Chop up desired amount of basil and herbs. Cut the log in half. Roll the first log in craisins until it is covered. Roll the second log in the basil until covered, you may have to do some working to get it all covered. Set them both in the center of a plate surrounded by crackers, Enjoy!

Thai Chicken Satay

Marinade:
1/2 C. coconut milk
1 minced garlic clove
1 t. curry powder
1 1/2 t. brown sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper (next time I'm leaving this out)
3/4 lb chicken breast cut into strips (I think I used more chicken and it was fine)

Marinate at least two hours.
Traditionally after marinating you soak bamboo skewers, thread the chicken on and grill it.
I just baked the chicken in the marinade at 375 degrees for an hour.

Sauce:
1 C. coconut milk
1 T. curry powder
1/2 C. creamy peanut butter
3/4 C. chicken stock
1/4 C. brown sugar
Bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 5 minutes. It will thicken slightly.
Add: 2T. lime juice and 1t. soy sauce
Garnish with cilantro, peanuts and green onion

Crunchy Asian Salad

1 box Betty Crocker® Suddenly Salad® classic pasta salad mix
1 package (3 oz) Oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup mix
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 cups coleslaw mix
1 cup snow pea pods, strings removed, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces (I didn't have these)
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 can (15 oz) mandarin orange segments, drained

1. Empty Pasta mix into 3-quart saucepan 2/3 full of boiling water. Gently boil uncovered 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Drain pasta; rinse with cold water. Shake to drain well.

3. In large bowl, stir together seasoning mixes from pasta mix and soup mix, sugar, oil, vinegar, water and soy sauce. Add pasta, coleslaw mix, pea pods, almonds and oranges; toss to combine.

4. Just before serving, coarsely crush dry noodles from soup mix; stir into pasta mixture. Serve immediately, or refrigerate.

**I toasted the almonds and the crunched up raman noodles in a saucepan with some butter in it. Then, I left those on the side for people to add as desired.**

Scalloped Corn Casserole

2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 can (16 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (16 oz) cream style corn
8 pats of butter
16-20 saltine crackers, crushed

Preheat oven to 350. Place eggs in a large bowl, beat well. Add milk, sugar, salt and corn. Melt 4 pats of butter in a 1-quart baking dish. Add half of the corn mixture, top with half of the crushed crackers. Add remaining corn mixture, top with remaining crackers. Place 4 pats of butter on top. Bake uncovered at 350 for 45-60 minutes or until corn is bubbly and beginning to brown on top.

(Lori's house Jan 2010)

December at Korrie's house

Orange Rolls

2 pkg Golden flake refrigerator rolls
1 cube butter
1/2 cup sugar
the zest from one orange

Spray bundt pan with Pam. Arrange rolls around pan loosely. Melt butter and mix in sugar and orange zest. Pour mixture over rolls evenly. Bake 375 for 20 min.

October - Jessica's House

Appetizer Meatballs

Meatballs (I brought frozen meatballs from Costco, but this is a really good recipe if you want to make your own meatballs)

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 3/4 cup crushed croutons
• 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp prepared yellow mustard
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning

Mix all ingredients together and roll into 1-inch balls. Bake in a 350F oven for 20 minutes or until desired doneness. I turn the meatballs halfway through baking. Drain off any grease and place cooked meatballs into crockpot.

Sauce

• 1 20oz bottle of Coke or beer (the original recipe calls for beer but I used Coke. It's really good either way and the alcohol cooks out)
• 20oz ketchup
• 1 pkg onion soup mix

Mix all ingredients together. Pour over meatballs in the crock and stir well, coating all meatballs with sauce. Cook in a low crockpot 4-6 hours until sauce is desired thickness.

Sundance Cheesecake - September at Lori's house

Sundance Cheesecake

Beat for 15 minutes:
3 8-oz. packages cream cheese
1 ¾ c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
¼ tsp. almond extract

Pour into a prepared graham cracker crust in a 10” springform pan. Bake at 325 F for 40-50 minutes. Cool 1 hour.

Topping (beat 5 minutes):
1 pt. sour cream
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Spread on cooled cheesecake and bake 7 minutes at 450 F.

P.S. This is VERY good cheesecake recipe, but the one I brought to dinner group was NOT up to snuff! You see, Walmart deceptively packages their “fat free cream cheese” (someone please tell me: what’s the point in THAT?!?) very similarly to the regular cream cheese, and I picked up the wrong stuff by mistake. By the time I discovered it, is was too late to run to the store again. The resulting cheesecake had (I thought) a rather gelatinous texture, which was pretty nasty. It’s cheesecake. It’s SUPPOSED to be full of fat!

October- Jessica's House

Chicken Parmigiana

4-6 chicken breasts
2 eggs (beaten)
2 C bread crumbs
2/3 C Parmesan cheese (powder or fresh)
Shredded Mozzarella
Marinara sauce

Cut each chicken breast in half and pound until very thin. Roll in egg mix and then in bread crumb mixture. (Mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese together to make bread crumb mixture). Deep fry for a few minutes until browned on each side. Put in 9 x 13 pan. Cook at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Spoon on marinara sauce of your choice and top with mozzarella cheese. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

August- Marlana's House

O Henry Bars

1 C Sugar
1 C Light corn syrup
1 C Crunchy peanut butter
5 C Rice Krispies
1 pkg. Butterscotch chips
1 pkg. Chocolate chips

Boil sugar and corn syrup. Remove from heat and add peanut butter. Pour over Rice Krispies. Mix well. Put in a 9 X 13 inch pan. Cool. Melt butterscotch and chocolate chips together in microwave (about 2 minutes, then stir well) Spread over Rice Krispie mixture. Let them set up. Cut into squares and enjoy!

September- Lori's House

Pistachio Jello Salad

1 pkg. pistachio dry pudding mix
1 can pineapple or fruit cocktail, (do not drain)
1 (8 oz.) frozen whipped cream
1 pkg. mini marshmallows
A few drops green food coloring
Also can garnish with chopped pistachio's

Mix all together and let sit for several hours or overnight.

February- Korrie's house

Wanton Chicken Salad

Chop 1 Head of Lettuce
3 Chicken breasts- cooked and cubed
2-4 Chopped Green Onions
1/4 c Sesame Seeds
1/2 pkg. Wonton Skins

Dressing

4 T. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 C Oil
4 tsp. Vinegar

Slice Wonton skins and deep fry until crisp. Mix salad and add dressing and sesame seeds. Top with fried wontons.

April- Julie's House

Fruit Dip

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese
1 can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
12 oz. cool whip
1 tsp. vanilla
Few drops of food coloring (red or green)

Mix cream cheeses and sweetened condensed milk until well blended. Fold in the remainder of ingredients and refrigerate several hours to thicken. Serve with cup-up fresh fruit.