Recipe Swappers

Coco-molasses cookies

2006-12-19T20:29:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup molasses

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup cocoa

Vanilla glaze, optional

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses, egg

and vanilla to mix well. Sift together flour, cocoa and salt; stir into

creamed mixture. Chill dough.

Roll dough rather thick, about 1/4”, and cut into rectangles with a

clean empty luncheon meat can, or use cookie cutters of your choice.

Place cookies 1/2” apart on lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350° about 10 minutes. Remove from sheets and cool on racks,

then frost with vanilla glaze if desired. Makes about 3 dozen.

Years ago I read the Trixie Belden series to the kids, then they

enjoyed them on their own as well. In one of the books a Dutch lady

named Mrs. Vanderpoel served Trixie and her friends some cookies, and

I’ve always wondered if these were the ones. The recipe says that these cocoa-molasses cookies are ”long-time favorites in Dutch neighborhoods in the Hudson River Valley.” These are yummy with a vanilla glaze but just as tasty without it. Moose and pine trees cut from this dough are really good!

Pepparkakor

2006-12-19T20:28:00.001-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 Tblsp. dark molasses

1 egg

3 1/4 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 Tblsp. cinnamon

1 Tblsp. ginger

1 Tblsp. cloves

Juice and grated rind of 1 orange

Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy; add molasses and egg.

Mix until blended. Sift flour, soda and spices into creamed mixture.

Add orange juice and rind; mix until well blended. Roll dough on

lightly floured surface to 1/8” thickness. Cut into heart or reindeer

shapes. Transfer to cookie sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes,

until brown. Cool on rack and store in a covered tin. Makes at least 3

to 4 dozen cookies.

I found this recipe in an old Country Woman magazine. The lady who

submitted it said that these were the first cookies she baked each year to make her house really smell like Christmas. It works! Of course, you need not limit yourself to hearts and reindeer; that’s just what I did. This year I cut some pine trees and moose as well!

Chocolate nutters

2006-12-19T20:28:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided

1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

1 3/4 cups flour

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 Tblsp. unsweetened baking cocoa

1 egg, separated

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

Candied cherry halves OR red and green M&Ms

Cream butter with 1 cup confectioners' sugar until well blended. Mix

in 1/4 cup cocoa; gradually beat in flour, mixing until smooth. Chill

dough for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, for filling, beat cream cheese in small mixer bowl; add

remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 2 T. cocoa, egg yolk, and vanilla,

beating until smooth. Set aside. Slightly beat the egg white in a

custard cup; set it aside.

Shape cookie dough into 1” balls; dip in egg white, then roll in

chopped pecans. Place balls 1” apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Gently press thumb into center of each cookie to make indentation; fill

each with about 1 tsp. filling mixture. Bake for 12 minutes at 350° or

until filling appears set. Cool slightly on cookie sheet; top each

cookie with a cherry half or an M&M candy. Remove to racks; cool

completely. Store in refrigerator due to the cream cheese filling.

Makes 40.

This recipe was in the same magazine article as the Macaroon Kiss

recipe. These cookies are really pretty and delicious. The M&Ms are my own variation. If you would like vanilla filling rather than chocolate

(even prettier!), just leave out the 2 T. cocoa in the filling mixture.

Macaroon kiss cookies

2006-12-19T20:27:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 pkg. (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

2 tsp. almond extract

2 tsp. orange juice

1 1/4 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

5 cups flaked coconut, divided

9 oz. Hershey milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped (about 54)

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add egg yolk, extract, and orange juice; beat well. Sift together the

flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture until

well blended. Stir in 3 cups coconut. Cover dough and chill it for

about 1 hour.

Shape the dough in 1” balls. Roll balls in remaining coconut; place on

ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until

lightly browned on bottom. Remove from oven and press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, then

carefully remove to racks to cool until chocolate is firm. Makes 4 1/2

dozen.

I found this recipe in an old Early American Life magazine being

discarded by the library. These cookies are delicious and very

festive-looking.

Lemon spritz

2006-12-19T20:26:00.001-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tsp. grated lemon peel

1 Tblsp. lemon juice

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

Beat butter until light; beat in sugars until light and fluffy. Beat

in lemon peel and juice and egg to blend thoroughly. Sift together

flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture, blending well.

Fill the cookie press with one-fourth of the dough at a time. Use the

plates of your choice to press out cookies about 1” apart on ungreased

baking sheet. (I traditionally use the camel plate for these

cookies.) Bake at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes, or until light brown on

edges. Remove from baking sheets to cooling racks. Makes about 8 dozen cookies.

These cookies have a very nice lemon flavor. It’s a change from the more traditional spritz flavors.

Sugar cookies

2006-12-19T20:26:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 1/4 cups butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

5 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Sift

together dry ingredients and add alternately with milk. If the dough is

sticky, add flour if necessary to make the dough easier to handle.

Roll dough 1/4” thick on a well-floured surface, and cut with cookie

cutters of your choice. Sprinkle with colored sugars or sprinkles.

Bake on ungreased baking sheets at 375° for 8 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 100 cookies.

I’m sure we used this recipe or a very similar one when I was growing

up. It came from Farm Journal and was supposed to be very easy for

children to roll and cut. I used this recipe for my own kids to make

and decorate cut-out cookies when they were young.

Candy cane cookies

2006-12-19T20:25:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. peppermint extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. red food coloring

Heat oven to 375°. Mix thoroughly the butter, sugar, egg, and

flavorings. Blend in flour and salt. Divide dough in half and remove

one half to a separate bowl. Blend food coloring into one half of

dough.

Shape 1 teaspoon of dough of each color into a 4” rope. For smooth,

even ropes, roll them back and forth on a lightly floured surface.

Place the 2 ropes side by side; press them together lightly and twist.

Complete cookies one at a time. Place on ungreased baking sheet as they are completed. Curve top of each cookie down to form the handle of the “candy cane”. Bake about 9 minutes or until set and very light brown. Remove to racks and cool. Makes about 4 dozen.

These cookies are something I always wanted to try in my younger

years. So when I had kids of my own, I did. They really liked making

these -- it’s sort of like playing with play dough!

Christmas tree spritz

2006-12-19T20:24:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. almond extract

14 tsp. salt

2 1/4 cups flour

Green paste food coloring

Colored candy sprinkles

Heat oven to 400°. Cream butter and sugar. Blend in egg and extract,

then flour and salt. Blend in small amount of green coloring to tint

dough a light green. Place tree plate in cookie press. Fill press with

1/4 of dough at a time. Form cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased baking

sheet. Sprinkle cookies with colored candy sprinkles. Bake for 7 to 9

minutes or until set but not brown. Remove to racks to cool. Makes

about 9 dozen.

This is a favorite on our cookie trays because it adds a note of lively

color. If you do not care for almond flavoring, substitute vanilla.

Sacher torte cookies

2006-12-19T20:23:00.001-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 cup butter, softened

1 (4 1/2 oz.) pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup apricot (or raspberry) jam

1/2 cup chocolate chips

3 tablespoons melted butter

Heat oven to 325°. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and pudding

mix; cream together until fluffy. Beat in egg and extract. Gradually

add flour, beating at low speed with mixer until dough forms. Shape

dough into 1” balls. Dip balls in sugar. Place 2” apart on ungreased

cookie sheets. With your thumb, make an imprint in center of each

ball. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until cookies are firm; remove from

sheets immediately to wire racks to cool. When cookies are cool, fill

each indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon jam. In a small saucepan, or

in microwave, blend chips and butter over low heat until chocolate

melts, stirring constantly. Drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon chocolate over

each cookie.

Yield: About 4 dozen cookies.

This is one of our very favorite Christmas cookie recipes. They look

pretty and fancy but are very easy to make. I believe I found the recipe in a Yankee magazine article about the Wellesley Cookie Exchange.

Christmas wreath cookies

2006-12-19T20:23:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Candied cherries, diced

Green sugar

Heat oven to 400°. Cream butter and sugar together. Blend in

remaining ingredients. Place star plate in cookie press Working with

one-fourth of the dough at a time, press dough out into strips on

ungreased cookie sheet. Form the strips into circles (wreaths) and

pinch ends together to seal. Decorate with pieces of candied cherries

to resemble holly berries; sprinkle with green decorating sugar. Bake 6

to 9 minutes, or until set but not brown. Remove to cooling racks.

Makes 4 to 5 dozen.

These resemble the spritz wreath cookies I always admired at the

Methodist church Christmas fair as a child. They add a lovely touch to a cookie tray, but tend to be very fragile. Broken wreaths still taste good, however.

Chocolate spritz

2006-12-19T20:22:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg, well beaten

1/4 tsp. salt

2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 Tblsp. milk

2 cups sifted cake flour

Multicolored candy sprinkles

Heat oven to 375°.

Work shortening until creamy. Stir in sugar gradually, then beat until

fluffy. Add egg, salt, chocolate, milk, and vanilla, and mix well.

Stir in flour gradually.

Shape dough into balls; roll or dip in candy sprinkles. Place on

ungreased baking sheet and bake 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen.

This was a traditional Christmas favorite when I was growing up. I've given the recipe here as I got it from my mother, but when I make them I change a few things. I use 6 Tblsp. baking cocoa instead of the melted chocolate, and I use 2 cups regular flour instead of cake flour. Easier and cheaper, and I can't tell that they taste any different.

Poinsettia brownies

2006-12-19T20:21:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

Bake your favorite brownie recipe. When brownies are cooled, frost

with a white butter frosting. Cut the brownies in squares. While

frosting is still soft, decorate each brownie with thin slices of

candied cherries. Arrange the cherry slices to form a poinsettia on top

of each frosted brownie. Beautiful and delicious!

Eggnog logs

2006-12-19T20:20:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla

3 cups flour

FROSTING:

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 cups confectioners sugar, divided

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tblsp. light cream (or use evaporated milk)

Ground nutmeg (freshly ground is wonderful!)

Cream butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl. Add nutmeg, sugar, and vanilla; mix thoroughly. Stir in flour to mix well. If necessary, chill dough for easier handling. Shape dough into logs about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch in diameter. Place logs 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350º for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks and cool completely.

For frosting, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add 2 cups of the confectioners sugar and the vanilla; mix well. Beat in cream and remaining sugar. Frost cookies. With the tines of a small fork, make lines down the frosting to simulate bark. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Makes 4 1/2 dozen cookies.

Raspberry Dreams

2006-12-19T20:19:00.001-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

Dough:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups flour

Filling:

2/3 cup raspberry jam

Topping:

1/4 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups flaked coconut

2 eggs. beaten

1 teaspoon sugar

For dough, cream butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat until well mixed. Stir in flour. Pat dough into an ungreased 13 x 9-inch pan. Spread jam evenly on top.

In a medium bowl, combine all topping ingredients. Spread carefully over jam. Bake at 350º for 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack; cut in very small squares (about 1”) as they are very rich. Makes about 5 dozen.

Whipped Shortbread

2006-12-19T20:19:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

3 cups butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted if very lumpy

4 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups cornstarch

Colored candy sprinkles and/or halved candied cherries and/or red and green colored sugar

Using a heavy-duty mixer, beat butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add dry ingredients, beating constantly until well blended. Roll dough into 1-inch balls (dust hands with additional cornstarch if necessary); dip balls in either colored candy sprinkles or colored sugar. Place balls, decorated side up, on ungreased cookie sheets. Press each ball lightly with a fork. (If you wish to decorate cookies with cherries, do this: Do not dip balls in colored sprinkles or sugar. Instead, place plain balls on cookie sheet and press lightly with fork. Then top each cookie with a cherry half.) You may wish to do an assortment and trim some cookies with candy sprinkles, some with colored sugar, and some with cherries. Bake cookies at 300º for 20 to 22 minutes, or until cookies are set but not browned.

Yield: 16 dozen cookies

This is a very big recipe, but it is very easily divided in half (or even in thirds) if you wish to make a smaller batch. It is so easy, but produces many beautiful cookies quite quickly.

Broccoli Cheese soup

2006-11-30T14:42:00.000-05:00

submitted by Alicia

1/2 cup butter or margarine
3/4-1 cup finely chopped onions
6 cups seasoned chicken broth or 6 cups water with 1/3 cup chicken bullion
4 cups milk
3 cups shredded processed american cheese
3-4 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with about 1/2 cup water to thicken soup
1 small head of broccoli, chopped

In a large pan over medium heat, melt butter and saute onions until tender. Do not brown. Add chicken broth and milk and bring to a boil. Thicken to desired consistency with cornstarch and water mixture. When soup is hot, add cheese a little at a time. Stir constantly until cheese melts. Do not add cheese all at once as it will separate. Stir in broccoli.

Speedy Turkey Spinach Soup

2006-11-30T14:26:00.000-05:00

submitted by Alicia

8 cups water
1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes
1 10 oz. package frozen spinach
2 cups carrots, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 beef bullion cubes
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. turkey sausage
1 cup uncooked macaroni or other pasta
grated Parmesan cheese

Put all ingredients except sausage and macaroni in a pot, bring to boil. Drop pieces of sausage into soup. Stir in pasta. Simmer until pasta is tender. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Turkey Corn Chowder

2006-11-30T14:21:00.000-05:00

submitted by Jenny Muth

2-3 T butter
1 sm onion, chopped
3 T flour
3 cups Milk
Leftover turkey or chicken, cooked (I hear bacon is good as well)
1 can cream of corn
any other cooked, canned or frozen veggies, or potatoes (we like carrots & potatoes best)
salt & pepper to taste

Saute the onion in the butter, when the onions soften, mix in as much flour as you can to achieve a paste. (depending on how large of a batch you want to make) If you need to add more butter, this is fine, or you can add a little milk and then mix in more flour. Use 1 T flour for every cup of milk you are going to add. Add milk gradually, wisking to avoid lumps. Add cream of corn and cook soup until thickened, adding salt & pepper to taste. Add other veggies, if desired, and meat. Heat through, serve immediately.

Love soup

2006-11-30T14:19:00.000-05:00

submitted by Janelle

18 beef bouillon cubes
¼ c. dried minced onion
½ c. dried split peas
¼ c. barley
½ c. dry lentils
1/3 c. long grain white rice
½ c. uncooked twist macaroni
1 c. uncooked tri-colored spiral pasta
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 lb. ground beef

In large kettle, brown ground beef. Remove macaroni from the top of the jar and reserve. Add the rest of the jar contents to the kettle with 12 c. of water. Let it come to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Add pasta and simmer 15 more minutes. Serve with your favorite bread or rolls and a tossed salad.

Alicia, this is how the card on the jar read. I actually added the diced tomatoes to the recipe (added with the other ingredients after the beef has browned). I thought it added color as well as more flavor to the soup. I usually serve this with a baguette of sourdough bread or a loaf of French Bread. Hope you enjoy!

Cream of Broccoli soup

2006-11-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

3 cups chicken broth

1 large bunch broccoli, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 bay leaves

6 Tablespoons butter

7 Tablespoons flour

3 cups milk

Salt & pepper to taste

In large saucepan or dutch oven, bring broth to a boil. Add broccoli, onion, and bay leaves. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until broccoli is tender; remove bay leaves.

Meanwhile, in another pan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and gradually stir in milk. Return pan to heat and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture is hot and thickened. Add 1 cup of the broccoli mixture to the milk mixture, stirring until well blended. Gradually add all of the milk mixture to the broccoli mixture in the dutch oven. Stir to combine well. Heat and stir until well blended. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

This is our family’s favorite broccoli soup. I like it because it’s a little different from most broccoli soup recipes in not calling for cheese. That makes it a little bit healthier, too. The bay leaves in this recipe make all the difference to the flavor!

Baked fish chowder

2006-11-17T13:59:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

2 lb. haddock, hake or pollock fillets (probably most any mild white fish

would work fine)

4 med. potatoes, peeled

2 1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. freshly ground pepper

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

1/4 t. chili powder

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 bay leaf

3 med. onions, cut in chunks (I sometimes use 2 or 3 green onions, snipped, instead)

1-2 T. butter, cut in 2 pieces

1/4 t. dried dill weed

2 c. half and half OR 1 can evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 375º. Put fish in a 3 qt. casserole dish with a cover, or a Dutch oven. Layer potatoes on top of fish. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, cayenne, and chili powder, then add garlic and bay leaf. Top with onions, butter, and dill. Pour in 2 1/4 c. boiling water. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Stir evaporated. milk or half and half into the chowder. Remove bay leaf and serve hot with crusty bread or crackers.

**This is probably the easiest fish chowder recipe I’ve ever seen, and it is fabulous! The spices give it a nice flavor and an unusual “kick.” This is so yummy on a cold night. I can’t usually afford fresh fish, but I like to use the frozen pollock that you can buy at Walmart for under $3/lb.

Cheeseburger soup

2006-11-17T13:58:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1/2 lb. ground beef

3/4 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup shredded carrots

3/4 cup diced celery

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried parsley flakes

4 T. butter or margarine, divided

3 c. chicken broth

4 c. diced peeled potatoes

1/4 c. flour

8 oz. velveeta, cubed (I have also substituted shredded cheddar)

1 1/2 c. milk

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 sour cream (I almost never add this)

In 3-qt. saucepan (I use a dutch oven), brown the beef; drain if necessary and set aside. In same saucepan, sauté onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 T. butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream if using.

Yield: 8 servings.

Christmas Eve soup

2006-11-17T13:57:00.001-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

6 cups sliced potatoes 1 cup sliced carrots

6 slices bacon 1 cup chopped onions

1 cup sliced celery 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 cups milk

2 cups half & half cream Finely shredded cheddar cheese

Parsley sprigs

Cook potatoes and carrots in boiling water until tender;

drain. Sauté bacon until crisp in skillet. Drain on paper towels;

crumble. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat. Sauté the onion

and celery in the reserved bacon fat until tender but not brown.

Combine potatoes, carrots, onion mixture, salt, pepper, and cream in a

large kettle or Dutch oven. Simmer for 30 minutes; do not boil.

Garnish with shredded cheddar , parsley sprigs and the crumbled bacon.

Serves 4 to 6.

This has been our traditional Christmas Eve meal for approximately 25 years! Some things about the supper and the evening may change from year to year, but Christmas Eve Soup always has a part!

Classic Steak and Cheese soup

2006-11-17T13:57:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

3 frozen beef sandwich steaks

1 onion, peeled, quartered and sliced

8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup (or more, to taste) diced or sliced green bell pepper

1/4 cup flour

3 cups beef broth

1 cup milk (or more, to taste)

Salt & pepper to taste

8 ounces Velveeta-type cheese, cubed

Cut the steaks in strips. Cook steak strips, stirring, in a Dutch oven

over medium heat until most of the pink is gone. Add onion, mushrooms, and green peppers. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in flour. Remove from heat; gradually add broth and milk. Return to heat; cook, stirring often, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in cheese and continue to cook until cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste; if soup is too thick for your taste, add milk until it is the consistency you like.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

My family loves steak and cheese sub sandwiches, so I invented this

yummy soup full of the same flavors. A bowl full will warm you up on the chilliest winter night!

Gone-all-day soup

2006-11-17T13:56:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 can tomato soup, undiluted

1 cup water

1/4 cup flour

2 pounds beef chuck, cut in 1-inch cubes, trimmed of fat

3 medium carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces

1 onion, chopped (or use a handful of frozen baby onions)

4 medium potatoes, cut in 1 1/2-inch chunks

1/2 cup celery, cut in 1-inch slices

12 whole large fresh mushrooms (optional but good)

2 beef bouillon cubes ( or 2 tsp. beef bouillon granules)

1 Tblsp. Italian herb seasoning mix

1 bay leaf

3 grinds fresh pepper

In a large casserole dish (at least 3-quart) mix the soup with the water and flour until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover the casserole and bake at 275º for 4 to 5 hours. (The stew may also be cooked in a slow cooker on Low for the same amount of time.) Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

This delicious stew was a staple for us during the years our kids were at Dublin. It was the perfect meal for Sunday lunch before the trip back to school. I can’t even count the number of times I have given out this recipe over the years.

Alphabet soup

2006-11-17T13:55:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 pound ground beef

1 c. chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (do not drain)

2 c. beef broth (use a can, or use 2 c. water with 2 bouillon cubes)

2 c. water

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 c. frozen mixed vegetables

5 Tblsp. alphabet macaroni

Parsley if desired

In a soup pot, cook the first 3 ingredients together over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the beef is browned well and the onion is tender. Drain off any fat.

Add the tomatoes, beef broth, water, and seasonings. Simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Add the vegetables and the pasta. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until the pasta is cooked the way you like it. Stir in some chopped parsley if you like. Yield : 4 servings.

This homemade alphabet soup is delicious and so easy. It really hits the spot on a cold evening, and also makes a great lunch.

Beef ravioli soup

2006-11-17T13:54:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 cup sliced celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup sliced carrots

2 Tblsp. olive or vegetable oil

4 cups beef broth

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1 15-oz. can beef ravioli

Chopped fresh parsley

Grated Parmesan cheese

In large kettle, saute´the celery, onion, and carrots in oil for 3 minutes; add broth and seasonings. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in ravioli and heat through. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan.

Yield: 1 1/2 quarts (4 to 6 servings)

This good and easy soup recipe came from Country Woman magazine some years ago. Makes a quick, easy supper with crusty bread or rolls!

Basque soup

2006-11-17T13:53:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage (either links or bulk -- I used bulk)

1 cup chopped onions

2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes (don’t drain)

3 medium potatoes, cubed, skins on

1 cup chopped celery (include some celery leaves)

1/4 cup snipped parsley (or use 1 Tblsp. or so parsley flakes)

4 cups water

2 tsp. beef bouillon granules (or use 2 beef bouillon cubes)

1 Tblsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Slice or crumble the sausage -- slice it if it’s in links, crumble it if it’s bulk sausage. (I often have trouble finding bulk Italian sausage when recipes call for it, but my supermarket sells Italian sausage patties which can be used the exact same way.) Brown the sausage and the onion together in a Dutch oven. Add all of the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer the soup for 1 1/2 hours. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

This recipe comes from my favorite cooking newsletter, COOK & TELL (see link in sidebar). It was in the September 1998 issue and is just delicious. I am not sure whether or not it’s completely authentic, but it does taste reminiscent of some Basque food we have had, and we absolutely loved this soup. Last summer in Nevada we had the opportunity to enjoy some authentic Basque food. We had dinner at a Basque dinner house and also ate lunch at a restaurant in a Basque hotel. In both cases the soup we had with our meal was a Basque vegetable soup. It was good, but this is even better!

Nevada Chili-Albodigas Soup

2006-11-17T13:52:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

Meatballs:

1.5 lbs. ground beef

1 Tblsp. dried sweet basil

1 tsp. chili powder

1 egg

1/2 tsp. garlic granules

1/3 cup fine dry plain bread crumbs

1 Tblsp. water mixed with 1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules

Soup:

2 qts. water

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes

2 medium carrots, cut in sticks (I actually used baby carrots, sliced vertically, probably almost a pound of them)

1/2 head cabbage, coarsely chopped

1 green pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced

5 whole fresh garlic cloves (I prefer to take the green sprout out of the center of my garlic before using it, so I sliced these vertically in half rather that leaving them whole)

3 beef bouillon cubes

1/2 tsp. paprika (I used the Hungarian sweet paprika)

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Salt to taste

Mix the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl. Form into small balls approximately 1.5 inches in diameter.

Bring 2 qts. water to boil in a large soup kettle. Add all of the remaining soup ingredients (except salt and meatballs). Return the soup to boiling. When soup is boiling, carefully drop in the meatballs. Turn heat to simmering. Cover and cook from 1.5 hours to 3 hours. Add salt to taste. Serve soup very hot with warm, buttered flour tortillas or warm, buttered sourdough bread. (For the church dinner, I served this with herbed dinner rolls. For the leftovers, at home, I made cornbread to go alongside.) This recipe is from Machi’s, a restaurant in Elko, Nevada.

This makes a LOT of soup, so you might want to experiment with cutting the recipe in half. It does get more and more flavorful each time it is reheated, I noticed.

Easy Potato Soup

2006-11-17T13:51:00.000-05:00

submitted by Jenny

1 bag cube-style hash brown potatoes
1 pkg (2-cup size) McCormick Country Gravy Mix (NOT sausage flavored)
2 cans chicken broth
bacon or ham if desired
green onion & cheese for toppings

Combine potatoes and broth in soup pan. Stir the country gravy mix
with about 1/4 cup of water, enough to make a thick paste, add to soup
pan. Add chunks of ham or bits of bacon if desired. Cook until soup
reaches desired consistancy, stirring frequently. Top with green
onions & cheese if desired.

"Homemade" Chicken Noodle Soup

2006-11-17T13:50:00.000-05:00

submitted by Jenny

2 cans Swanson Chicken broth
1 chicken bullion cube, or 1 tsp dry bullion
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into 1/2" pieces
1 1lb baby carrots
1/2 tsp minced garlic (or one clove)
1/4 c chopped onion, or however much you like.
black pepper to taste
1 cup dry Kluski noodles (these are awesome, they are homestyle noodles)

In your soup pan, cook chicken pieces in a small amount of olive oil.
When the outsides are just done, add broth, bullion, carrots, garlic,
& onion. Cook until carrots are tender (you can pre-cook these in the
microwave if you're really short on time) Add Kluski, cook until
noodles are the desired consistancy, about 10 minutes. Add pepper to
taste, serve!

OR you can cook this in your slow cooker, just throw everything but
the noodles in there and cook it on high for a couple of hours (no
need to pre-cook the chicken). Add Kluski the last 20 minutes or so.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

2006-10-31T21:52:00.000-05:00

submitted by Alicia

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup ground pecans
2 Tbsp. white sugar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin (canned or fresh)
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinammon
1/2 tsp. ground mace
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
3/8 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp. whipping cream
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. lemon extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, ground pecans, 2 Tbsp. both white and brown sugars, and the melted butter and mix well. Firmly press mixture into one 9 inch springform pan.
3. Combine 3/4 cup of the white sugar, pumpkin, 3 egg yolks, cinammon, mace, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside.
4. Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually add 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. white sugar and mix well. Add the whole egg, remaining egg yolk and the whipping cream, beating well. Add cornstarch and vanilla and lemon flavorings, beat batter until smooth. Add pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes. Do not overbake. Center may be soft but it will firm up when chilled. Let cheesecake cool, then refrigerate.

I made this last Thanksgiving and it was a hit! I used fresh pumpkin (cooked of course) and I used pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinammon, mace, ginger this recipe called for.

Crumb Top Apple Pie

2006-10-31T21:49:00.001-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
Unbaked 9” pie shell
6 apples, peeled, cored, sliced
Lemon juice
Crumb topping:
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of salt
1/2 cup butter

Begin by mixing together the brown sugar and spices in a small bowl. In the pie shell, alternate layers of apples with the spice mixture. Sprinkle each layer with lemon juice before adding another layer. When all apples and spices are in pie shell, make the topping by mixing the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and dash of salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until crumbs form. Top the pie with the crumb topping.
Bake the pie at 450º for 15 minutes; then reduce the heat to 350º and bake 30 minutes more. Serve warm with cheddar cheese or ice cream on the side.

This excellent pie comes from Jane & Michael Stern’s wonderful cookbook, Square Meals. I have made this pie so many times that its page in my handwritten cookbook is freckled with apple juice and spices.

Apple Cranberry Crisp

2006-10-31T21:49:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

3 cups chopped unpeeled apples
2 cups raw cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
TOPPING:
1 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup canola oil

Combine the apples, cranberries and sugar in a 9” square baking dish or a 2-qt. casserole dish. Mix thoroughly to blend; set aside. Combine topping ingredients until crumbly; spread evenly over fruit layer. Bake at 350º for 1 hour or until the fruit is fork-tender. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Yield: 6-8 servings.

This is a wonderful dessert to make in the fall when apples and cranberries are both fresh. But it tastes good anytime! I’ve adapted this recipe from the original to make it healthier and lower in fat and sugar.

Hot Apple Oatmeal

2006-10-31T21:48:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

4 cups milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups chopped, unpeeled apples
1 cup raisins, optional
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

In a large saucepan, combine the milk, brown sugar, butter, salt and
cinnamon. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, combine all of the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. When the milk mixture comes to a boil, remove it from the heat. Pour the hot milk mixture over the oatmeal mix in the bowl. Stir well. Pour the mixture into a buttered 2-quart casserole. Cover the casserole and bake for 45 minutes at 350º, or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Serve with
additional milk or cream.

I found this recipe many years ago in my favorite cooking newsletter, Cook & Tell. We have served this oatmeal to many guests over the years and everyone loves it. I will sometimes omit the raisins and/or walnuts if I know our guests have picky children, but the nuts and raisins are a delicious addition to the recipe otherwise.

Apple Crisp Pizza

2006-10-31T21:47:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

Pastry for a single crust pie
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 medium apples, peeled and sliced 1/2” thick
TOPPING:
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup old-fashioned (or quick-cooking) oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 to 1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

Roll out pastry to fit a 12-inch pizza pan; fold under or flute edges of
pastry. Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl; add apples and
toss mixture together well. Arrange apple slices in a single layer over
pastry in a circular pattern to completely cover pastry. Combine the
first five topping ingredients in a bowl; mix well and sprinkle over
apples. Bake at 350º for 35 to 40 minutes or until apples are
tender. Remove from oven and immediately drizzle caramel topping over apples. Serve warm.

Yield: 12 servings

This is a wonderful dessert to make in the fall when the apples are
ready to pick. It makes your kitchen smell so good! You may add
vanilla ice cream on top if you like, but it’s delicious just as it is.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

2006-10-31T21:45:00.000-05:00

submitted by Jenny

1 cup quick oats
1 1/4 cups water (or more)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice*
2 T brown sugar

Mix oats & water, microwave 2-3 minutes or until thick. Add pumpkin,
spice, and sugar, heat through. YUMMY!

* Make pumpkin pie spice at home! 1T cinnamon + 3/4 tsp nutmeg + 3/4
tsp ginger + 1/2 tsp cloves and you've got some for now and for later.

Pumpkin Empanadas

2006-10-30T09:43:00.000-05:00

submitted by Alicia

Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter
6 tablespoons water

Filling:
1 1/2 cups cooked pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. To make dough: In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in the shortening till pieces are the size of small peas. Add a small amount of water to slightly moisten. Form dough into a ball. Roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thick and cut into 4-inch circles. Lightly flour both sides of circles.

2. To make fruit filling: Cut pumpkin into fourths. Roast pumpkin in 350 degree oven by placing pumpkin fourths face down on cookie sheets and cover with foil. Roast pumpkin for 1 hour or until meat is soft. Scoop out hot pumpkin meat and place in large mixing bowl. Add sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to pumpkin and mash with potato masher. Mix thoroughly.

3. Place a large spoonful of filling near the rounded edge a dough circle. Fold circle over to create a hemisphere and then seal edges with fork. These may then be baked in a preheated 350 F until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately dust with white sugar and cinnamon.

Pumpkin empanadas are a Horn family tradition (it's a Mexican thing to use a lot of pumpkin). You can make these as apple empanadas by cooking up some peeled, cored, chopped apples with sugar, cinammon and nutmeg and using that as the fruit filling. I've never made these from a recipe so these quantities for the filling are guesses. Just add as much brown sugar and spices as suit your taste buds!

Pumpkin Layered Dessert

2006-10-30T09:38:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

Crust:

1 cup flour

2 T. sugar

1/2 cup margarine, softened

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Mix together ingredients and pat into a 13x9-inch pan or dish. Bake at 350º for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

2nd Layer:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

half of a 12-oz. tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

Beat cream cheese and sugar well. Fold in whipped topping and spread on cooled crust.

3rd Layer:

16-oz. can of pumpkin

2 small (3.5 oz. I think) pkgs. vanilla instant pudding mix

1 cup half & half cream (or use evaporated milk or even regular milk)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. cloves

Beat these ingredients together and spread the pumpkin mixture over the cream cheese layer. Chill for 1 hour.

4th Layer:

remaining 6 ounces of whipped topping (from the 12-oz. tub mentioned above)

Chopped walnuts

Spread the remaining whipped topping over the pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This wonderful dessert has been a favorite at our Thanksgiving dinners for 10 years!

Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake

2006-10-30T09:37:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

Cake:

1/2 cup butter or margarine

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup sour cream

Pumpkin Layer:

1 (15 to 16-oz.) can pumpkin

1 slightly beaten egg

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Streusel:

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans

Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla in mixer bowl. Add eggs, beating well. Sift together flour, baking powder, and soda and add them to the creamed mixture alternately with the sour cream.

In a smaller bowl, combine the pumpkin, egg, sugar and pie spice. In another small bowl, combine all the streusel ingredients until crumbly.

Spoon half of the cake batter into a well-greased 13 x 9” pan. Spread the batter evenly, being sure to get into the corners of the pan. Sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter. Now spread all of the

pumpkin layer over the streusel. Next, spread the remaining cake batter evenly over the pumpkin layer. sprinkle the remaining streusel over the top. Bake at 325º until a toothpick comes out clean.

Makes one 13 x 9” coffee cake.

Apple Affair

2006-10-24T19:04:00.000-05:00

submitted by Carrie

1 package yellow cake mix
1 package Vanilla Jell-o flavor instant pudding & pie filling
1 cup water
4 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 granny apples, peeled, coarsely chopped
20 Kraft caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 12 cup bundt pan or 10 inch tube pan. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, eggs, and oil in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Beat on high for 2 minutes. Gently stir in apples. Pour in pan.

Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool 20 minutes and remove from pan, cool completely on wire rack.

Microwave caramels and milk for 1 minute stirring every 30 seconds until blended. Cool 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Drizzle over cake

Makes 16 servings

Libby's Pumpkin Roll

2006-10-22T21:53:00.000-05:00

submitted by Carrie

Mix dry ingredients
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon

Add
2/3 cup pumpkin (a large can will make 5 rolls)
3 eggs

Grease 15 x 10, 1/2 inch cookie sheet and line with waxed or parchment paper. Spread pumkin roll mixture and if desired spinkle with 1/2 cup chopped nuts. Bake in a pre‑heated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Place linen towel flat and sprinkle with sugar. Quickly flip from pan to linen towel. Remove wax paper carefully and roll pumpkin roll with towel and cool completely.

Filling ‑ Cream together
2 tsp crisco
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar

Unroll pumpkin roll, careful not to get sugar everywhere, and spread icing all over the exposed side. Reroll tightly, wrap in aluminum foil and store in fridge of freezer. Hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Kirsten's Apple Bean Bake

2006-10-22T21:50:00.001-05:00

submitted by Katie

1 48oz. jar Great Northern Beans, drained (I only use 2 15oz cans)

4 Tbsp. butter

3 cups cubed tart cooking apples, peeled

1/2 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt (or to taste)

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained

Preheat over to 375 degrees. While the beef is browning, melt the butter in another large skillet. Add apples and onions, cook 10 minutes, or until the apples are tender, stirring occasionally. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Blend in the ketchup, cinnamon and salt. Place beans in a 2 quart caserole dish. Add browned and drained hamburger. Pour apple mixture over all and mix well. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 1 hour.

Spiced Pumpkin Praine Roll

2006-10-22T21:50:00.000-05:00

submitted by Katie

3 eggs

3/4 canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1/4 package yellow cake mix (1 cup)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Powdered sugar

1/2 package (8-ounce size) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup whipping (heavy) cream

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line jelly roll pan with aluminum foil or wax paper; grease foil or wax paper.

Beat eggs in medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed about 2 minutes or until very thick and lemon color. Beat in pumpkin until well mixed. Gradualy beat in cake mix (dry), cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves on low speed; continue beating 1 minute. Pour into pan, spreading to corners.

Bake 8-12 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Immediately loosen cake from edges of pan and turn upside down onto towel generously sprinkled with powdered sugar. Carefully move foil. While hot, carefully roll cake and towel from narrow end. Cook on wire rack at least 30 minutes.

Beat cream cheese and brown sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until smooth. Gradually add whipping cream; beat until stiff. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the pecans.

Unroll cake and remove towel. Spread two-thirds of the cream cheese mixture over cake; roll up. Spread remaining cream cheese mixture over outside of cake. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons pecans. Store covered in refigerator.

Polish Kraut 'n Apples

2006-10-22T21:49:00.000-05:00

submitted by Katie

1 lb. fresh or canned sauerkraut

2 lbs. lean smoked Polish sausage

5 tart cooking apples, thinly sliced

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

3/4 cup apple juice or cider

Rinse sauerkraut and sqeeze dry. Place half in slow cooker. Cut sausage into 2-inch lengths and add to pot. Continue to layer remaining ingredients in slow cooker in order given. Top with remaining sauerkraut. Do NOT stir. Cover. Cook on high 3-3/12 hours, or low 6-7 hours. Stir before serving.

Butternut Squash and Apple Casserole

2006-10-22T21:45:00.000-05:00

submitted by Katie

1 small butternut sqaush, about 2 pounds

2 apples, cored, peeled, sliced

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 cup cold butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Peel sqaush, scoop out seeds, and cut in small pieces. Place sqaush and apple slices in oblong baking dish (7x11 inch). Blend remaining ingredients with fork or pastry cutter until crumbly. Distribute over sqaush and apple. Cover and bake butternut sqaush casserole at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes. Serves 6-8.

Man Pleasin' Jambalaya

2006-09-28T12:53:00.000-05:00

8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, diced
6 cups chicken broth
3 cups long grain white rice
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 can mushrooms or 1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently until soft. Add the chicken and continue cooking and stirring so that it doesn't stick. When the chicken is browned, add the carrots, celery, mushrooms, and sausage.
2. Pour in the broth, and bring to a boil. Add the rice, and season with cayenne, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, until rice is tender and broth has been absorbed.

I know this recipe has more than the 5-8 ingredients for a simple supper recipe, but this truly is easy. And it's your whole dinner in one pot! I just served this with bread and we were set. And my toddler LOVED it! I also think this is a good recipe to add/subtract ingredients depending on what you have. I didn't have chicken so I omitted it. You could easily add some other veggies too.

Aunt Carol's Spinach and Fish Bake

2006-09-28T12:50:00.000-05:00

1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 pound cod (or any whitefish) fillets
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, mix the spinach, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, and about 5 tablespoons dry bread crumbs, and the egg. Spread the mixture into the bottom of a small baking dish. Arrange the cod fillets on top of the spinach mixture, and season with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese and bread crumbs.
3. Cover, and back 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

I got this recipe from allrecipes.com and the reader reviews all suggested more spice to this dish. So, I added onion salt and garlic powder along with the salt and pepper and it turned out great! I LOVE making fish for dinner and am always on the lookout for new recipes. This one was a winner.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2006-09-28T12:49:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

Bone-in chicken breasts with skin on (as many as you like)
Stuffing (use a mix or your favorite stuffing recipe)

Line a baking sheet or pan with foil.
Prepare your stuffing from a mix, or use any stuffing recipe you like.
You will want to allow 1/2 cup stuffing for each chicken breast.
On the straighter side of each chicken breast, work your fingers under the skin to form a pocket. Fill the pocket with stuffing. Replace the skin, using toothpicks to hold it in place if necessary. Place stuffed chicken breasts on the baking sheet and bake at 350º for 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

This is a delicious way to fix the bone-in chicken breasts, which can often be found on sale for 99¢ a pound. The skin is necessary to hold the stuffing in place and keep the chicken moist, but you can discard it before eating if you prefer.

China Lake Fried Rice

2006-09-28T12:17:00.001-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 cup raw rice
2 cups water
4 to 5 slices of bacon, diced
4 eggs, slightly beaten
4 to 5 green onions, sliced
Soy sauce
Any leftover meat in tiny pieces (optional)

Bring the rice and water to a boil in a heavy saucepan; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15-20 minutes or until rice is cooked. In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Add the green onions; cook until tender. Add the eggs to the skillet, stirring, and cook until eggs are scrambled. Add the cooked rice and the optional meat; mix well. Add the soy sauce until the fried rice is as brown as you like it. Cook all together over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Serve piping hot.

Yield: 4-6 servings.

I copied this recipe from a radio cooking show many years ago. The lady who shared the recipe was from China Lake, Maine. This fried rice is really delicious. For years, whenever we ordered Chinese takeout, I would whip this up while we waited for the food to arrive.

Asian Beef and Noodles

2006-09-28T12:17:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 pound ground beef
2 pkg. (3 oz. each) Oriental flavor instant ramen noodles
2 c. water
1 bag frozen stir-fry vegetable mixture
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
2 Tblsp. thinly sliced green onion

In a large nonstick skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking it up into pieces as you cook and stir. Remove the beef to a bowl, using a slotted spoon; pour off any drippings from the skillet and discard them. Season the beef with one seasoning packet from the ramen noodles; set the beef aside.
In the same skillet, combine water, vegetables, noodles (broken up), ginger, and remaining seasoning packet. If you prefer your green onions cooked, add them now also. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Return beef to skillet; stir in green onion.
Yield: 4 servings.

Finally a good use for ramen noodles... something one would actually eat and that actually tastes good! This is a quick and easy meal for a busy day.

Cheese Ravioli with Veggies

2006-09-28T12:16:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 16-oz, pkg. frozen vegetables (we like the asparagus stir-fry blend from Walmart, but use whatever you like)*
1 25-oz. pkg. frozen miniature cheese ravioli
1 to 2 Tblsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. seasoning of your choice**
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Fill a large saucepan or Dutch oven with water and bring it to a boil. Add the vegetables and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the ravioli and cook for 5 to 7 minutes longer, until the vegetables and ravioli are tender. Drain the mixture in a colander, then return the veggies and ravioli to the saucepan. Gently stir in the olive oil, then the seasoning and Parmesan. Yield: 6 servings.

* I usually use an entire package of one vegetable blend as called for here, but sometimes I have leftover veggies I want to use up. In that case, the leftover vegetables were already cooked once. So I just heat them in the microwave and stir them in with the olive oil and seasonings.

** Seasoning could be whatever you like -- Mrs. Dash®, garlic pepper, lemon pepper, Italian seasoning or whatever. I have used a McCormick Grinder -- the pizza blend, and it was wonderful.

Spicy Tomato Soup

2006-09-28T12:12:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 can tomato soup
3/4 of a soup can milk
1/3 cup medium salsa
Shredded cheddar cheese

In a small saucepan, combine the soup, milk and salsa until well blended. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese (and oyster crackers if you like) when serving. Yield: 2 servings.

The original recipe called for a 4-oz. can of chopped green chilies rather that salsa. I happened to be out of green chilies, but decided to substitute salsa. It worked beautifully. A great warming soup for a chilly night! You could easily double or triple the recipe for more servings.

Apples, Sweet Potatoes, and Pork Chops

2006-09-13T14:09:00.000-05:00

submitted by Alicia

6 large sweet potatoes
4 Tbsp. cooking oil
6 2" thick pork chops
salt and pepper
6 large tart apples
1 c. raisins
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the potatoes; cut them into large chunks and boil them till they're about half done. Set aside. Heat the oil and brown the chops quickly on both sides - salt and pepper. Put the chops and sweet potatoes in a large baking pan. Peel, halve and core the apples. Place them in the pan with the chops and potatoes and sprinkle on the raisins. Sprinkle cinnamon on each apple. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake 50 minutes until apples and chops are tender.

Ok, this isn't the simplest supper since peeling and coring are involved. But what I love about this recipe is that your whole supper is in one pot! Just slice up some french bread on the side and you're done. And the smells of this luscious dish are so comforting on a crisp fall day.

French Bread Pizza

2006-09-13T14:01:00.000-05:00

submitted by Pamela Smith

1 loaf of Italian Bread
1 can of Pizza Sauce
2 cups – Mozzarella Cheese
Pizza toppings to your liking

Preheat your oven to 350* F. Slice the loaf of bread evenly horizontally & then each piece diagonally in half giving you 4 “slices.” Place on a cookie sheet. Ladle pizza sauce onto each slice. Sprinkle cheese to each slice; use all but a couple handfuls of cheese. Add your own variety of toppings, and then top with remaining cheese.

Bake in the oven for 8-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Topping Ideas: Pepperoni, Sausage, Fully cooked Meatballs, Leftover meats, Chopped Ham Steak, Bird’s Eye Pepper Stir Fry (Found with frozen vegetables), Chicken Marinated in Barbecue Sauce.

Fruit Ices

2006-07-19T09:03:00.000-05:00

1/2 cup each, sugar and water
2 Tbs. lemon juice
Fruit of your choice (see options below)

1. If you're not using bagged frozen fruit, freeze chopped fresh fruit on a plastic cutting board or a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
2. In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil, then boil until sugar is dissolved. Let cool; stir in lemon juice. Place frozen fruit in food processor and puree while slowly adding sugar syrup.
3. Transfer to container or ice-pop molds and freeze or eat soft.

Fruit:
5 cups strawberries (or 20 oz. frozen bag)
3 cups sliced peaches (or 10 oz. frozen bag)
2 cups blueberries (or 16 oz. frozen bag) plus 1 banana
4 cups diced watermelon
1 cored fresh pineapple
4 cups seedles green grapes
4 cups diced cantaloupe
4 cups diced honeydew

Stars and Stripes Torte

2006-07-02T20:50:00.000-05:00

submitted by Pamela Smith

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white cake mix
1-1/2 cups cold milk
1 package (3.3 ounces) instant white chocolate pudding mix
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
1-2/3 cups raspberry pie filling
1-2/3 cups blueberry pie filling
Fresh blueberries and raspberries, optional

Directions:

Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using two greased 9-in. round baking pans. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

In a small mixing bowl, beat milk and pudding mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Beat in extract. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Fold in whipped cream.

Split each cake into two horizontal layers. Place bottom layer on a cake plate; spread with raspberry pie filling. top with second cake layer; spread with 1-2/3 cups of pudding mixture. Top with third cake layer; spread with blueberry pie filling. Top with remaining cake layer and pudding mixture. If desired, place blueberries around top edge of cake and form a star with blueberries and raspberries.

Yield: 10-14 servings.

Quick and Easy Strawberry Jam

2006-07-02T20:48:00.000-05:00

submitted by Pamela Smith

2 quarts strawberries, washed and stemmed
1 package (1-3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin
6-3/4 cups sugar

Crush strawberries and measure 4-1/2 cups berries into a large saucepan. Stir in pectin and bring to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar and return to a rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and skim off foam. Carefully ladle hot jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace Adjust caps. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath.

Yield: about 7 half-pints.

Fruit Sauce for Pancakes or Waffles

2006-06-30T07:16:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1/2 cup sugar
1 Tblsp. cornstarch
1/3 cup water
2 cups blueberries, raspberries, OR cut-up strawberries

Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a 2-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in the water. Add the fruit and bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Serve warm. Makes about 2 cups.

This is a wonderful, versatile recipe that tastes so good on waffles in particular. It's also good on pancakes or French toast and would probably be good on vanilla ice cream as well. You can make blueberry sauce, raspberry sauce, or strawberry sauce -- all are wonderful. Or you might like to use a mixture of these berries to make a mixed berry sauce. When I do this, I usually also add a few cranberries to the mixture.

Fabulous Four Fruit Crumble

2006-06-30T07:15:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

3 cups diced rhubarb
2 medium apples, chopped
1 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)
1 cup raspberries (frozen or fresh)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour

TOPPING:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup canola oil

Combine fruit, sugar and flour; place in greased 13x9x2" baking dish. Combine brown sugar, oats, and flour; mix in oil until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit mixture. Bake at 375º for 40 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
Yield: 10-12 servings.

This is a recipe I recently improvised. It came out delicious -- and is actually semi-healthy too!

Red, White, and Blue Berry Cake

2006-06-30T07:02:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

9" baked pie crust

BERRY LAYER:
1 1/2 c. sugar
4 1/2 Tblsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 c. water

4 1/2 Tblsp. dry raspberry jello powder

1 pint fresh blueberries
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 pint fresh or frozen whole unsweetened raspberries

CREAM LAYER:
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 c. confectioners sugar
4 oz. cool whip

For berry layers, combine sugar, cornstarch and water in medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve. Cook until thick and clear. Add jello powder; stir until dissolved. Divide mixture in half. Stir blueberries and lemon juice into half of the mixture; spread over bottom of pie shell. Refrigerate. Fold raspberries gently into remaining half of mixture; set aside. For cream layer, beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the cool whip. Spread cream cheese mixture over blueberry layer. Refrigerate until set. Carefully spread raspberry layer over cream layer. Chill at least 4 hours before serving. Yield: 8 servings.

This beautiful pie is very easy to make and is just delicious. It's perfect for patriotic holidays or any other special summer occasion.

Rhubarb Pudding Cake

2006-06-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

4 cups diced rhubarb
1 1/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup butter or real margarine, softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

In medium saucepan, cook rhubarb, 3/4 cup sugar, orange juice, and water over medium heat until tender. Keep mixture warm while preparing cake batter. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar, using electric mixer at medium speed. Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add alternately with milk to the creamed mixture. Pour batter into a greased 9” square baking dish. Spoon the hot rhubarb sauce over the batter. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

My family just loves rhubarb desserts and eagerly awaits the appearance of rhubarb every spring. This tangy pudding cake is one of our favorites.

Rhubarb Crisp

2006-06-30T06:58:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

3 cups diced fresh rhubarb
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons flour, divided
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup butter or real margarine

Combine the rhubarb, sugar, and 3 tablespoons flour. Place in a greased 13X9X2" baking pan. In large bowl, combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, the brown sugar, and oats. Cut in the butter until medium crumbs are formed. Sprinkle crumb mixture over the rhubarb mixture in the pan. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes, or until rhubarb is tender and bubbly and topping is golden brown. Serve warm or cold, with vanilla ice cream if desired. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

I found this recipe nearly 30 years ago in a wonderful dessert cookbook given me by an aunt. It is easy and delicious -- a real taste of springtime in new England!

Rhubarb Streusel Cake

2006-06-30T06:57:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1 egg
4 cups sliced fresh rhubarb
3 tablespoons strawberry gelatin powder

Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup quick or old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup butter or real margarine, melted

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the oil, milk and egg; beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well combined. Spread the batter in a greased
13X9" baking pan. Arrange rhubarb evenly over batter; sprinkle with gelatin powder. For Streusel Topping, combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl until crumbly; sprinkle evenly over rhubarb. Bake at 375º for 35 to 40 minutes, until topping is golden brown and cake tests
done. May be served warm or cool.

Yield: 1 13X9" cake

I have been making this cake for my entire married life! It's one of the first dessert recipes I turn to when the rhubarb is ready every spring. The strawberry gelatin is the touch that makes this cake especially mouth-watering.

Blueberry French Toast

2006-06-30T06:55:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

12 slices day-old white bread, crusts removed, cut in 1" cubes
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, cut in 1/2" cubes
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
12 eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup maple syrup or honey

SAUCE:
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 Tablespoon butter

Place half of the bread cubes in a greased 13X9X2" baking dish. Top
with all of the cream cheese cubes. Top with blueberries and remaining
bread cubes. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk and syrup; mix
well. Pour over bread mixture. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or
overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover
with foil and bake at 350° for 30 minutes; then uncover and bake 25 - 30 minutes more or until golden brown and the center is set.
For sauce: In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; add water. Bring to a boil
over medium heat; boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in
blueberries; reduce heat. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until berries
have burst. Stir in butter until melted. To serve, cut the French
toast into squares; serve with blueberry sauce ladled over each portion.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

This is a wonderful breakfast or brunch dish for company! I've never
tried cutting the recipe in half, but you could probably do so and bake it in a 9" square dish.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

2006-06-30T06:53:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

Coffee cake batter:
2 1/3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Cheese filling:
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 Tblsp. sugar
1 Tblsp. grated lemon peel (or substitute 1/2 tsp. pure lemon extract)

Streusel topping:
1 cup reserved crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (optional)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

To make batter, combine flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup of this crumb mixture and set aside. Add baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla to dry mixture
remaining in bowl. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl often. Pour evenly into greased 13x9" baking pan. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over batter. For cheese filling, blend all ingredients together until smooth; spoon evenly over blueberries. For topping, combine
reserved crumbs with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts if using them.
Sprinkle over cheese layer. Bake at 350º for 45 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly before cutting. Makes 1 13x9" coffeecake -- about 20 to 24 servings.

Basic Fruit Shake

2006-06-13T09:07:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 frozen banana
1 cup liquid (as specified in recipe)
additional fruit or flavoring (as specified in recipe)
optional sweetener (as specified in recipe)

Break the frozen banana into chunks and put in blender. Cover with specified liquid up to the 1-cup mark on the blender container. Add any additional ingredients. Blend until the mixture reaches "shake" consistency, usually 30-40 seconds. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Now for the variations.

VANILLA -- use 1 banana, 1 cup milk, 1 tsp. vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE -- use 1 banana, 1 cup milk, a few squirts of chocolate syrup

STRAWBERRY -- use 1 banana, 1 cup milk, 1 handful fresh strawberries, washed/sliced (or use unsweetened frozen ones -- works fine); pinch of sugar if desired

BLUEBERRY -- use 1 banana, 1 cup milk, 1 handful fresh or frozen blueberries

PURPLE COW -- use 1 banana, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup grape juice

PEANUT BUTTER -- use 1 banana, 1 cup milk, 2 tsp. peanut butter. May also add some chocolate syrup for a "Reese's" effect. (This one is yummy!)

PINA COLADA -- use 1 banana, 1 cup milk, 1-2 tsp shredded coconut, 1/4 cup crushed pineapple

APPLE -- use 1 banana, 1 cup apple juice, 1/2 of an apple, peeled & chopped, cinnamon & nutmeg to taste

KEY LIME - - use 1 banana, juice of 1 lime placed in a 1 cup measure and milk added to the 1-cup mark

TROPICAL -- use 1 banana, 1 c. orange juice, 1/4 cup crushed pineapple

Strawberry banana smoothie

2006-05-01T08:29:00.000-05:00

1 banana, peeled and sliced
2/3 cups strawberries, frozen or fresh (chopped)
1/2 cup orange juice
1 8 oz. container of yogurt (your choice of flavor)

In a blender, blend all ingredients until smooth.

If you use fresh strawberries, you might want to add a few ice cubes to make the consistency smoothie-esque. Also, if you choose to use unflavored yogurt, add some sugar or honey to sweeten things up.

Apple Berry Salsa with Cinnamon chips

2006-05-01T08:25:00.000-05:00

4 (7-in) flour tortillas
1 T Sugar
½ t cinnamon
2 med. apples
1 c strawberries, chopped
1 kiwi, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp. orange juice
2 T brown sugar
2 T apple jelly

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly spritz tortillas with water. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over tortillas. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges; place in single layer on baking sheet. Bake 8-10 min. or until lightly browned and crisp. Cool completely. For salsa, Peel/Core/Slice apples, then cut into quarters and chop in food chopper. Combine apples with strawberries and kiwi in batter bowl. Add juice to bowl along with brown sugar and apple jelly. Mix gently. Serve with cinnamon chips.
Yields: 16 Servings

French dip sandwiches

2006-04-29T20:07:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 (3 lb.) beef roast, trimmed of fat
2 c. water
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 t. dried rosemary
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. dried thyme
3-4 whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
8 French rolls (or other hard rolls), split

1. Place roast in slow cooker; add water, soy sauce and seasonings. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or until meat is tender.
2. Remove meat from broth to bowl; shred meat with two forks; cover bowl and keep warm.
3. Strain broth; skim off fat. Pour broth into small cups for dipping.
4. Serve beef on rolls, along with a small cup of broth for each person to dip the sandwiches while eating.

Slow cooker sirloin tips

2006-04-29T20:05:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

2-3 lbs. London broil, cut in cubes
1 can beef consomme
1/3 cup cranberry juice
2 Tblsp. soy sauce
1 onion, cut in quarters or eighths
1 or 2 whole garlic cloves (or use dried minced garlic)
Pepper to taste

Combine all in slow cooker. Cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-5 hours. Thicken juices with cornstarch for gravy if desired. Great with noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.

"Rotisserie" Chicken

2006-04-06T08:44:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 roasting chicken

Seasoning of your choice -- like lemon pepper, or Italian or Greek seasoning, or Montreal Chicken seasoning -- but the seasoning may be optional, as you will see

Rinse the chicken and remove any innards. Put it in a slow cooker and sprinkle with the seasoning of your choice. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.

(Now, if your market sells seasoned roasting chickens, you may prefer to use those for a couple of reasons: the innards have already been removed, so you don't have to pay for them; and also, you won't need to add any extra seasoning.)

This produces a wonderfully tender chicken that just falls off the bones. You can serve it with mashed potatoes or rice and a veggie for a very easy meal. The leftovers -- it produces a lot of great, concentrated broth -- give you a great head start on a soup. Recently I wanted to make a large amount of chicken salad, so I just cooked a seasoned roaster like this and used the entire thing to make the salad. Since the meat obligingly falls off the bone, it simplifies the task of cooking chicken for any recipe.

Crockpot Ribs

2006-04-06T08:43:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

3 to 4 pounds of country-style pork ribs
Steak seasoning, lemon pepper or other favorite seasoning to taste
1 cup barbecue sauce

Place ribs in crock pot. Sprinkle liberally with the seasoning of your choice. Lemon pepper is good; Montreal-style steak seasoning is outstanding. Or try one of your own favorites. Cover crock pot. Cook ribs all day on Low, or 4 to 5 hours on High.

30 minutes before you are ready to eat, drain off all the liquid from the crock pot. Spread the barbecue sauce over the ribs. Cover crock pot again and continue to cook for 30 minutes.

This easy recipe produces some of the tastiest ribs you will ever eat. If you use bone-in ribs, the meat will fall off them. Boneless ribs are even better. This has become a favorite meal in our family! Great with mashed potatoes and coleslaw for a warming winter meal.

Tortilla Enchilada Soup

2006-04-06T08:41:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

4 cups chicken broth
2 cans chicken with rice soup
1 small boneless skinless chicken breast (frozen is fine)
1 cup salsa or picante sauce
1 can red enchilada sauce
Flour tortillas
Shredded cheddar cheese OR cubes of velveeta-type cheese

In crock pot combine the broth, soup, chicken breast, salsa, and enchilada sauce. Cook on low for about 4 hours. Remove chicken breast from soup; shred it or cut in small pieces. Return to soup.
When ready to eat, cut flour tortillas into strips (scissors work best for this). Put tortilla strips in each bowl and ladle the hot soup on top. Top with shredded cheddar or cubed velveeta. About 6 servings.

This is another favorite in our "rotation" of crockpot meals. It is just delicious and soooo easy. Great with cornbread!

Italian Wedding Soup

2006-04-06T08:39:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

6 cups chicken broth
12 to 15 1/2-ounce frozen meatballs (or 6 to 8 1-oz. ones) (You could certainly use homemade ones if you prefer.)
1 small boneless skinless chicken breast (may be frozen)
Sliced celery to taste (I usually use a cup or two)
Cut-up carrots to taste (I usually use baby carrots and quarter them --again, about a cup or two)
Spinach to taste, stems removed (can use up to a bunch of spinach -- I
have used part of a bag of baby spinach leaves or of frozen cut leaf spinach)
Garlic powder to taste
Lemon pepper to taste
1/4 cup tiny pasta, like alphabets or orzo (add during last hour of cooking)
Parmesan or Romano cheese to taste

Put the meatballs on a microwave safe plate and defrost them for a minute or two, so you can quarter them. If using the larger (1 oz.) meatballs, cut them in eighths.

Put in crock pot along with broth, chicken, vegetables and seasonings. Cook all day on low or 3 hours on high. Add pasta during the last hour of cooking. (In the case of alphabets, I have added them just before
serving and they cook just fine.) Before serving, remove the chicken breast and cut it or shred it in small pieces. Return chicken to the soup.

Serve with Parmesan or Romano cheese for people to add to taste. Probably makes about 6 servings.

This is one of my crock pot standbys! So easy with homemade bread from the bread machine!

Taco Soup

2006-04-06T08:25:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or use less -- even as little as 1/2 lb.)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (28 oz.) crushed or diced tomatoes
1 can (14 oz.) kidney beans, not drained
1 can (17 oz.) whole kernel corn, not drained
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 package taco seasoning
1 to 2 cups water
Shredded cheddar cheese
Crushed tortilla chips

Brown beef in large heavy kettle or Dutch oven; drain off any fat and add onions. Cook until onions are tender. Add remaining ingredients except cheese and chips; simmer for 15 minutes. (Or, after browning the beef and onions, combine these with the remaining ingredients -- except cheese & chips -- in a slow cooker and cook for 3-4 hours on low.) Ladle into bowls; top with shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips, to taste.

Yield: 4-6 servings.

This simple recipe has been a lifesaver for me so many times. Recently, I saw a young mom whom I'd given a homemade recipe book for her wedding some years ago. She was visiting at her Grandma's and thought, "What recipe can I make from memory?" She then told me, "It was your Taco Soup!" What a blessing to realize the cookbook had truly been a help to her.

Easy Spaghetti Sauce

2006-04-04T15:52:00.000-05:00

submitted by Jennifer Muth

¼ pound frozen ground beef
1 large can Italian style diced tomatoes (the Dei Fraetelli brand is awesome!)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
salt to taste

Place the beef in the crock pot, cover with both cans of tomatoes, undrained. Cook on low 4-6 hours, or high 2-3, breaking up the beef as you have opportunity. Make sure the beef is cooked through.

Picante Chicken

2006-04-04T15:49:00.000-05:00

submitted by Jennifer Muth

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, frozen
1 cup picante sauce or salsa
¼-½ cup water

Place chicken in the crock pot. Add the water. Pour the picante sauce over the top, hitting as much of the chicken as possible. Cook on low 3-6 hours, or high 2-3, until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Shred chicken with a fork and mix with sauce.

We like to fill up tortillas with this mixture and add toppings like guacamole, sour cream, cheese, lettuce & tomato, but you can also make killer nachos and even quesadillas with the leftovers! We use Medium Pace Picante sauce for this, which ends up being not too spicy.

Taco Salad

2006-04-04T08:42:00.000-05:00

submitted by Pamela Smith

1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey

1 Pkg. of Beef Rice-A-Roni

1 c. Salsa

1 tsp. chili powder

Corn chips

Lettuce

Shredded American or Cheddar Cheese

Any Salad toppings (tomatoes, olives, etc.)

Brown meat untl crumbled, drain. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, prepare Rice-A-Roni according to the directions. In a large pot, combine rice & meat. Stir in the salsa and chili powder. Mixture will be thick.

Spoon mixture over corn chips, sprinkle cheese on top, and add your own variety of salad toppings.

Serves 6-8

The meat mixture freezes very well for future meals.

Marinated Chicken Salad

2006-03-14T12:55:00.000-05:00

submitted by Carrie

Dressing:
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbl. soy sauce

Chicken marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2 Tbl. white vinegar
1 Tbl. brown sugar
2 Tbl. oil
1/2 tsp. pepper

Crunchies:
2 pkg. Ramen noodles, without flavoring
4 Tbl. butter
2 Tbl. sugar
1/4 cup sesame or sunflower seeds
3/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds

3-4 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, cut in strips
1 16 oz. can mandarin oranges
2 heads (approx.) leafy greens of your choice

1. Combine dressing ingredients in a tightly-sealed jar. Set aside.
2. Combine marinade ingredients in a large measuring cup. Set aside.
3. To make crunchies (can be done ahead):
- break noodles into tiny pieces (I just crush 'em up wiht my hands while they're still in the package)
- melt butter in large skillet
- add sugar, noodles, seeds and almonds
- brown over low-med heat until golden in color and toasted
- be careful not to burn; stir frequently
- let cool and set aside
4. Pour chicken marinade into large skillet and add cut chicken strips to marinade. Cook in marinade over med. heat for 15-20 minutes. (I find it doesn't usually take nearly that long though.) Stir frequently to be sure all the chicken is cooked evenly.
5. Wash greens and tear into bite sized pieces. Place in large serving bowl.
6. Drain mandarin oranges and place on top of greens in bowl.
7. When chicken is cooked through, remove from marinade with slotted spoon and place on top of greens. Discard marinade.
8. Just before serving, place crunchies on top of greens.
9. Shake the dressing thorgouhly and immediately before serving and pour evenly over salad. Toss to combine.
10. Serve and enjoy!

Layered Tortellini Spinach Salad

2006-03-09T21:42:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 9-ounce package frozen or refrigerated cheese tortellini
2 cups shredded red cabbage
6 cups torn fresh spinach (or use whole baby spinach)
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 8-ounce bottle ranch dressing
Cooked crumbled bacon if desired

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; set aside. In a large glass bowl, layer cabbage, spinach, tortellini, tomatoes, and onions. Pour dressing over top; sprinkle with bacon if desired. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Yield: 8-10 servings.

This great recipe is from Taste of Home magazine. I make this every year for the season-opener potluck at our favorite campground. It is so easy, but very delicious.

Hot Ham and Potato Salad

2006-03-09T21:39:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

2 lb. red potatoes, scrubbed and cut in 1-inch cubes
8 ounces smoked ham steak, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 Tblsp. cider vinegar
1 Tblsp. honey
2 tsp. coarse-grained mustard (I often use the Dijon pub-style with mustard seeds)
1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise (light works fine)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
Chopped parsley to taste
Hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered (optional)
Plum tomatoes, quartered (optional)

Place potatoes in saucepan; cover with lightly salted water. Bring to boil, cover, lower heat, and simmer until just tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook ham in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove ham to a large bowl, using a slotted spoon. Add celery and onion to the bowl.
Pour vinegar into warm skillet, stirring to dissolve browned bits in bottom of pan. Stir in honey and mustard. Slowly whisk in mayo. Add salt, pepper, and Tabasco.

Drain cooked potatoes and, while still warm, add to mixing bowl. Pour dressing over potatoes. Toss gently to combine, then sprinkle on the chopped parsley. Serve salad in a shallow bowl (or even in the skillet) encircled with egg and tomato quarters (sprinkled with salt & pepper) if desired. Serve warm. Yield : 4 servings.

Greek Pasta Salad

2006-03-09T21:37:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

2 cups cold cooked chicken in bite-size pieces
8 ounces rotini, cooked as package directs
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 large sweet red pepper, chopped
3 or 4 green onions, thinly sliced
Small can sliced black olives, or as many whole black olives as you like
2 to 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Mustard-Tarragon Dressing (recipe follows) OR 1 cup Italian dressing

Mustard-Tarragon Dressing:
2/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, split (or use 1/2 tsp. dried minced garlic)
1 Tblsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp. pepper
Combine all in a jar and shake very well.

Combine dressing with salad ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
It should be served cold. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

This recipe is from Cook & Tell, my favorite cooking newsletter. This salad always goes over well whenever I serve it. If I want to make it as a side dish, I just leave out the chicken.

Chicken Rice Salad

2006-03-09T21:34:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

5 cups cubed cooked chicken
3 cups cooked rice
1 1/2 cups diced green or red pepper
1 1/2 cups sliced celery
1 20-ounce can sliced pineapple, drained and cut into tidbits
3/4 cup mayonnaise (light works fine)
4 tsp. orange juice
2 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
Garlic powder to taste
1 15-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, rice, diced peppers, celery, and pineapple. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, orange juice, vinegar, salt, ginger and garlic powder for dressing. Just before serving, gently fold in the oranges and almonds. Yield: 10-12 servings

This wonderful recipe is slightly adapted from Taste of Home magazine. I get together with a small group of ladies every month for lunch or tea, and this salad was a big hit with that group. It's delicious!

Cobb salad

2006-03-06T10:12:00.000-05:00

1 small head of lettuce, spinach or romaine leaves
2 cuts cut-up chicken
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1-2 ripe avocados, chopped
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Lemon vinaigrette
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic finely chopped

1. Prepare lemon vinaigrette by shaking all ingredients in a tightly covered container. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Wash and tear lettuce into pieces. Place into large serving bowl (or do individual salad bowls if you prefer). Top with remaining ingredients. Serve with vinaigrette.

I often make this salad without the chicken and I add a few more veggies like carrots or celery - whatever I have on hand. The best part about this salad is the combination of bacon, blue cheese (one of my all time favorites!), avocado and egg. Enjoy!

Brownie Delight

2006-02-16T21:15:00.000-05:00

submitted by Pamela Smith

1 – 9 x 13 pan of brownies (made from a mix is fine)

2 small packages of instant Chocolate Pudding

2 c. cold milk

1 – 8 oz. Container of Cool Whip thawed

Cut the brownies into 1” squares. In a medium sized bowl mix the pudding and milk together until powder is completely dissolved (2 min). Place bowl into refrigerator until pudding is set.

In a large glass bowl, layer the brownies, pudding and cool whip until all brownies and pudding are in the glass bowl. Top with leftover cool whip.

Better Than Anything Cake

2006-02-16T21:12:00.000-05:00

submitted by Pamela Smith

1 c. flour

1 c. chopped nuts

1 stick butter, soft

2 (3 1/2 oz.) pkgs. instant chocolate pudding

1 c. confectioners' sugar

2 (8 oz.) cartons whipped topping

3 c. milk

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese

In medium bowl, combine flour, nuts and butter; mix thoroughly.

Press into bottom of a greased 9"x13" pan. Bake 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

In medium bowl with electric mixer, cream the cream cheese, sugar and one carton whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust. Refrigerate.

In large bowl, combine pudding mix and milk. Beat 3 minutes at low speed until thick and glossy. Spread evenly over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until pudding is set. Spread remaining whipped topping on top. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until everything is set.

*Revisions: This recipe is very versatile. You can replace the chocolate pudding with another flavor or add ½ cup of peanut butter to the chocolate pudding. I usually replace the crust with a graham cracker crust, which is also delicious with these flavors. Sprinkle chocolate shavings, sprinkles, chocolate syrup, or nuts on top for a nice garnish.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

2006-02-15T11:35:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

2 packages cook-and-serve type chocolate pudding
4 cups milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 9-inch baked pie crust, cooled
1 to 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, whipped with 2 Tablespoons confectioners sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a large saucepan, combine the pudding mixes and milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, cut the peanut butter into the confectioners sugar until small crumbs form. Set aside about 2 Tablespoons of the crumbs -- put them in a custard cup or something. (It will be awhile before you use them.) Sprinkle all the rest of the crumbs into the bottom of the pie crust. Pour the pudding over the crumbs. Refrigerate the pie until the pudding is set. It will be cold. Spread the whipped cream over the top and sprinkle the reserved crumbs on top. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

In our family, we call this "Reese's Pie" because it reminds us of a pie by that name which we used to eat at a Vermont truck stop. I'm not sure, but I think the whipped cream on their pie had some cocoa added. It was chocolate, anyway. If you want to try that, whip in 3 or 4 Tablespoons of baking cocoa along with the sugar and vanilla; add 2 more Tablespoons confectioners sugar too since the cocoa is not sweetened.

Aunt Rosie's Cake

2006-02-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 cake mix (either yellow [my preference] or chocolate) plus the eggs, oil and water it calls for
Custard Filling (recipe follows)
Chocolate Icing (recipe follows)

Prepare and bake the cake mix as directed, using 2 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans. When baked, cool in pans 10 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely. When cooled, split each layer in half horizontally so that you end up with 4 layers. (Dental floss works well for this procedure. Just wrap a length of it around the layer so it's at the midway point of the cake's height. Then take one end of the floss in each hand and gently pull until the ends cross. You will have neatly sliced your cake layer in half!) Place the bottom layer on a serving plate. Spread with a third of the custard filling. Repeat twice. Top with the final cake layer (right side up) and ice with Chocolate Icing. It will run down over the sides. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Custard Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup warm milk
1 cup butter or margarine
3 Tablespoons confectioners sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

In a small saucepan, mix the sugar and flour together. Add the beaten egg and mix well. Pour the milk over all and mix well. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until thick. Cool. Whip together the butter and confectioners sugar. Add the cooled custard and continue beating until light and fluffy. Use to fill cake layers.

Chocolate Icing:
1 stick margarine
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 egg, beaten

Melt butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Beat well. Icing will be too thin to spread right away. Either let it set for awhile before using, or add enough more confectioners sugar to make it thick enough to spread. When ready, spread it gently over the top cake layer. It will run down over the sides and -- if desired -- you can spread it to cover the sides of the cake as well as the top. It will firm up nicely after some time in the refrigerator.

Yield: 12-15 servings. This recipe, from my pastor's wife (whose Aunt Rosie really did invent it) is extremely rich and delicious. My son claims you can feel this cake going directly to your arteries.

Christine's Ice Cream Cake

2006-02-15T10:57:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

3 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
Hot fudge sauce (recipe follows) at room temperature
1/2 gallon ice cream, softened
8 ounces whipped topping

Press half of the cookie crumbs in the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Drizzle with a third of the fudge sauce. Top with half of the ice cream. Layer on the remaining cookie crumbs, then another third of the fudge sauce. Top with the remaining ice cream, and drizzle on the remaining fudge sauce. Freeze solid.

Top with whipped topping (and I like to add some chocolate sprinkles at this point). Freeze until ready to serve.
Yield: 12 to 15 servings.

BEST HOT FUDGE SAUCE:
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup baking cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cream, evaporated milk or milk
Dash of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place butter and unsweetened chocolate in a microwave-safe dish -- I use a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Cook for 2 minutes at High. Stir in baking cocoa, sugar, cream, and salt; heat 2 minutes more at High. Stir in vanilla. If necessary, heat another 30 to 60 seconds until no longer sugary.

This is the best hot fudge sauce I've ever tasted. It makes exactly the right amount for the ice cream cake recipe, but is great in sundaes or for other uses as well. I found this recipe in my
favorite cooking newsletter, Cook & Tell

Chocolate Eclair Cake

2006-02-15T10:55:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 cup water
1 stick margarine
1 cup flour
4 eggs
2 3.25 ounce packages instant vanilla pudding
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups milk
8 ounces whipped topping
1 bottle fudge sauce

Bring water and margarine to a boil. Remove from heat. Add flour and beat vigorously. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour the dough into an ungreased jelly roll pan (10x15 inches) and bake at 400º for 30 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

Combine pudding mix, cream cheese and milk. Mix until smooth and creamy; spread this filling over the cooled cake. Spread whipped topping over the filling. Drizzle with fudge sauce. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: At least 12 servings

This very delicious dessert is a recipe I heard many years ago on a radio cooking show. It may be made well ahead and serves a bunch of people.

Double Chocolate Torte

2006-02-15T10:51:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 package fudge brownie mix (13x9-inch size) plus the eggs, oil and water it calls for
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups whipped topping
Chocolate or heart-shaped sprinkles

Prepare brownie mix as package directs for fudge-like brownies. Spread batter in a greased & floured 9-inch round cake pan. (Or do as I do and don't bother with greasing & flouring -- just place a 9-inch round of wax paper in the bottom of the cake pan.) Bake at 350º for 38-42 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 10 minutes.

Invert onto a serving plate and cool completely. In a bowl, stir together the chocolate and butter until smooth. Spread over brownie layer; refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Just before serving, top with the whipped topping. Decorate with sprinkles. Yield: 9-12 servings.

This recipe is so easy and takes such ordinary ingredients, yet produces something really special! You might already have all of the ingredients on hand. It is decadent, for sure. I found this recipe in an early Quick Cooking magazine.

Rhubarb Cheesecake

2006-02-14T09:02:00.000-05:00

submitted by Cheryl Mendez

1 cup flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter
3 cups chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon flour
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup chopped nuts and 1/2 cup butter. Mix until crumbly and pat into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
2. In a medium bowl, toss together the chopped rhubarb, 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons flour. Pour onto crust. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
3. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and the 1/2 cup sugar until creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Pour over hot rhubarb in the pan.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until filling is set. Cover with sour cream topping while still hot.
5. To make the sour cream topping: In a small bowl, combine 1 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well and spread on top of cake.

Lemon Ambrosia Cake

2006-02-13T12:18:00.000-05:00

submitted by Mrs. T

1 (18.25 oz) lemon cake mix, plus the eggs and oil it calls for
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup sugar
2 (3.5 oz.) packages cook-and-serve lemon pudding and pie filling
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Bake the cake as directed in a 13x9x2" pan. Combine the pineapple and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and boil 5 minutes. Pour pineapple mixture over the hot cake. Cool pineapple-topped cake in pan on rack.
Cook the lemon pudding mixes as directed, with the egg yolks and water called for. Pour the cooked pudding over the cake and chill until firm.
Whip the cream until medium-stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the pudding. Sprinkle the coconut over the whipped cream and refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.

Yield: 12 servings.

This cake has been a family favorite for years. It has a yummy lemon filling and a real whipped cream topping. (Real whipped cream tastes much better than cool whip on this dessert!) Although this recipe is easy to make, it is somewhat time-consuming because the cake needs to cool and then chill in between the different steps of the recipe. It can be made (or partly made) a day ahead if you like.

Better Than _____ Cake (You fill it in.)

2006-02-12T16:21:00.000-05:00

Submitted by: Janelle Johnson

This cake is, by definition, decadent. And it's amazingly easy! You've got to give it a try.

1 chocolate cake mix (whatever variation you want)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar butterscotch topping, divided
1 tub Cool Whip
Heath candy bars, crushed

Bake cake mix in 9x13 in. pan, according to box. While still hot, poke multiple holes in the cake, using a fork or other utensil. Pour entire can of sweetened condensed milk and 1/2 of the butterscotch topping over cake. Let cool in refridgerator. Spread Cool Whip over top. Sprinkle crushed candy bar over Cool Whip. Drizzle remaining butterscotch topping over cake. Serve chilled. Enjoy!

Tunnel of Fudge Cake

2006-02-10T16:59:00.000-05:00

1 3/4 c. butter, softened

1 3/4 c. granulated sugar
6 eggs
2 c. powdered sugar
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. cocoa
2 c. chopped walnuts

Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add powdered sugar, blending well. By hand, stir in flour, cocoa and walnuts until well blended.

Spoon batter into greased and floured Bundt pan or 10 inch angel food tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 58-62 minutes. Cool upright in pan 1 hour. Invert onto serving plate (I couldn't bring myself to turn it over as I was afraid the fudgy middle would spill out. It looks fine without inverting it). Cool completely. Spoon glaze over top of cake, allowing some to run down sides. Top with sprinkled powdered sugar. Yields 16 servings.

Tip: It's difficult to tell exactly when this cake is done. The outside should be dark brownish and dry; it should pull away from the side of the pan a bit the way brownies do. When you insert a toothpick it should come out with some "wetness" from the fudgy inside but not from the cake itself.

Glaze:

3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1 1/2-2 tbsp. milk

Combine sugar, cocoa and milk in small bowl until well blended.

This cake is delicious and a fun treat for company. It is also the very definition of decadent - check out all this butter!?! I made this for lunch at a friend's house today so you get to see a picture of this yummy cake. The lunch group raved over its moist fudginess. :)

Special Occasion Ice Cream Cake

2006-02-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

A few years ago, I was on a search for a good ice cream cake recipe for Chris' birthday. The tradition was to go to DQ and get a cake for the special day, but my husband is so much more special than a simple cake from DQ! I found this recipe and have made is several times since. It is a little extra work but is so worth the effort! You can make life much easier by preparing the individual componants ahead of time; then you will only have to assemble the cake. Give this recipe a try. You won't regret it! (Unless you're a crazy person and don't like chocolate or ice cream!)

Cookies:
1 cup + 2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla until creamy. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake for 9-11 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool completely; chop into small pieces.

Walnut Mixture:
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

Greast 8-inch pan. Combine walnuts, butter and brown sugar. Pour into pan. Bake 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees. Stir well. Cool completely.

Chocolate Sauce:
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup powdered sugar
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, broken into pieces
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Combine evaporated milk, 1 cup chocolate chps, powdered sugar, baking bar and butter in medium pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until chocolate is melted. Reduce heat to low; continue cooking, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and cool completely.

**Don't forget the final and all-important ingredient - VANILLA ICE CREAM! - approximately 1/2 gallon, or more depending on how much you want to use.

ASSEMBLY:

Wrap outside of 9-10 inch springform pan with foil. Spread 1/3 of cookie crumbles on bottom of pan. Top with 1/2 of the icecream and 1/2 of the chocolate sauce. Combine remaining cookies and walnut mixture. Spread half of cookie/walnut mixture over chocolate sauce. Top with remaining ice cream, chocolate sauce (reserving 2 Tbsp.) and cookie/walnut mixture. Place remaining chocolate sauce in a plastic bag. Cut a hole in the corner of the bag and drizzle over top of the dessert. Freeze at least 4 hours or overnight.

To save time, you could buy pre-made cookie dough and chocolate sauce. Results are not guaranteed though! You could also be creative and substitute your favorite cookie and flavor of ice cream. Oreo cookies and mint ice cream have been begging me to use them in this recipe!

Decadent Desserts

2006-02-08T21:09:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our recipe swappers blog! This is how it works - each month we'll have a theme for recipes and we'll post your recipes to share with our blogging community. If you have a recipe you'd like to contribute, please email me (aliciahorn@hotmail.com) or Katie (kbruno01@yahoo.com) with your recipe. If you can, send a photo too! We'll post the recipes and then we invite you to try them out and comment. Be sure to tell your pals about our recipe swapper site. The more folks we get to contribute the greater variety of recipes we'll have.

In honor of romance, February's theme will be decadent desserts. Let us know if there's a theme you'd like for the coming months. Here's to romance and gooey chocolate!

Happy cooking and eating!