In YPG's Kitchens

Jessica's Aji De Gallina

2011-09-06T11:17:00.003-07:00

Traditional Peruvian dish.

Ingredients:
1 whole roaster chicken, pullet or hen (about 5 lb / 2½ kg)
3 slices white bread, crusts removed
2 cups chicken broth
½ cup vegetable oil
2 cups, finely chopped red onion
4 cloves garlic, crushed
½ tsp dried oregano
Pinch of cumin
1 ½-6 Tbsp ají amarillo paste (spicy yellow pepper paste). Add as much as you want the dish to be spicy. Can order on Amazon.com
2 Tbsp ají mirasol/panca paste (can use chili paste/powder if want to). Can order on Amazon.com
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 ½ cups evaporated milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Garnish:2-3 hard-boiled eggs, slicedBlack olives

PreparationPreheat oven 475'. Season chicken with salt, pepper.Bake the chicken 475' for 20 mins then at 350' for another 1 1/2 hours (or until done). Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Can save the cooking liquid to use instead of chicken broth if you want. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull meat from the bones and shred meat into bite size pieces, discard skin and bones. Set aside. This can be done the day before.

Put bread and 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid/ chicken broth in blender and let soak.

In a large heavy-based pan, heat oil and sauté onion and garlic over medium heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Add oregano, cumin, ají amarillo paste, ají mirasol paste, salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook for a further 10 minutes.

Meanwhile blend bread and its soaking liquid to form a thick creamy paste. Add Parmesan cheese and nuts. Blend. Add cooked onion and spice mixture from pan into blender. Blend till smooth.

Add blended bread onion mixture to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. If necessary add more chicken stock to keep the dish moist and juicy. Stir in shredded chicken pieces, Cook for 2 more minutes. Just before serving, add evaporated milk and warm through, taking care to ensure that the mixture does not boil.

Serve hot accompanied by rice and potatoes. Garnish with a sprinkling of chopped nuts, hard-boiled egg slices and black olives.

Amy's Chewy Raspberry Bars

2011-08-13T11:58:00.002-07:00

They can be Chewy Raspberry, Cherry or Apricot Bars--depending on your liking!
* I've tried strawberry, but it just didn't turn out well. I've never tried blackberry or plum though.

Chewy Raspberry Bars

Cream together in large bowl: 1 1/2 C Butter (3 sticks--do not use margarine)
2 C Brown Sugar

Add: 2 1/2 Cups Flour
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
3 Cups Old Fashioned Oats

Press 3/4ths of the mixture into bottom of 9 X 13 pan
Spread 1 C of jam or preserves over the top
Sprinkle/dot remaining crust on top of jam

Bake at 325' for 25-30 minutes--or (longer depending on the pan) until till brown and puffy.
Cool completely and cut into squares.

ENJOY!

Jessica's Potted Dirt

2011-05-06T16:09:00.005-07:00

Crush 24 oz Oreo cookies. In medium size bowl Cream 4 Tblsp softened Butter, 8 oz. softened cream cheese, and 1 cup powdered sugar. In separate bowl Mix 3 cups milk and 7 oz instant vanilla pudding then fold in 12 oz thawed whipped topping. Combine cream mixtures. Layer 1/3 cookies, 1/2 cream mix, 1/3 cookies, 1/2 mix cookies, Top with 1/3 cookies. Refrigerate over night.

For display: put in Flower Pot and add fake flower bouquet.
For fun: Add gummy worms.
For Adult Fun: use 1/2 cup Kahlula and 2 1/2 cups milk (instead of the 3 cups milk).
I like adding raspberries on top of the cream mixture.

Valentina's Sticky fruit oat squares

2011-03-17T20:40:00.002-07:00

Makes 16

¾ cup unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

3 tbsp honey

¾ packed raw brown sugar

3 ½ oz smooth peanut butter

2 ¾ cups rolled oats

¼ cup dried apricots, chopped

2 tbsp sunflower seeds

2 tbsp sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and line an 8 ½ -inch square baking pan.

Melt butter, honey, and sugar in a pan over low heat. When the sugar has melted, add the peanut butter, and stir until all the ingredients are well combined. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan, then cut into 16 squares.

Tasty Nuts from Kellie

2011-02-18T11:32:00.002-07:00

Ingredients:

1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons granular sugar substitute
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups mixed nuts (pecans, almonds, macadamias, walnuts)
Directions:

Heat oven to 275 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; spray with nonstick cooking spray.In a large bowl, mix egg white, water, sugar substitute, salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne. Add nuts; mix until evenly coated.Spread nuts in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour until golden brown. net carbs is 2.5

Amanda's Sweet Potato Casserole

2010-11-29T10:56:00.003-07:00

1-3/4 pounds sweet potatoes, quartered
1/2 cup and 1 teaspoon margarine
1/2 cup and 1 teaspoon brown sugar
1-1/4 cup miniature marshmallows
ground cinnamon to taste
ground nutmeg to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease baking dish

Boil potatoes until slightly underdone about 25 minutes. Drain, cool, and peel.

In large saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, brown sugar, 2 cups marshmallows, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook stirring until marshmallows are melted.

stir potatoes into marshmallow sauce and break them into bite size chunks.

bake in oven for about 15 minutes. remove and cover with remaining marshmallows return to oven and bake until marshmallows are golden brown.

Kellie's Mostacholi

2010-11-20T21:30:00.002-07:00

Oven Baked Mostacholi
1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
1 medium green bell pepper
1 large chopped onion
5 cups chopped meatless spaghetti sauce
1 – 16 ounce package mostacholi noodles
4 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook mostacholi according to package directions for firm pasta.

Brown the sausage, onions and green pepper until meat is no longer pink inside.
Stir often to break up the sausage. Drain.

Add sauce, bring mixture to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Put small amount of sauce into the bottom of baking dish.

Layer one half of the pasta over the sauce and add 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese.

Cover with 2 cups of sauce.

Repeat layers. Top with parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 30-45 minutes.

Recipe Serves: 9 – 12

Tricia's Hot Apple Cider (Crock Pot)

2010-11-20T20:48:00.001-07:00

Hot Cider Punch

1 (64 oz) bottle apple cider
2 c orange juice
¾ c fresh lemon juice
¼ c honey
10 whole allspice
5 whole cloves
1 (2 ½ in) cinnamon stick
1 lemon sliced

*Combine first seven ingredients in 4-5 qt slow cooker.
*Cover and cook on HIGH 4 hours or on LOW 8 hours. Pour liquid through a wire mesh strainer into a large container discarding the spices. Add lemon slices just before serving. Serve warm. Makes 11 cups.

TIP-Use cheesecloth for the spices for easy removal.

Notes: I’ve never made this recipe before, and I have a larger slow cooker. So I followed the recipe and increased it by half. Depending on what your taste is, you could add more spices, cider, honey, etc. It came from my Southern Living slow cooker book.

Martha's Tres Leches Cake

2010-11-15T18:17:00.004-07:00

This recipe actually came from my neighbor in North Carolina. I am just passing it along. You can top it with fresh fruit, which is delicious!

Tres Leches Cake

Ingredients for Cake
1 package white cake mix
1 1/2 cups flour
5 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup cooking oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk

Filling
1 can evaporated milk
1 can condensed milk (14 oz.)
1/2 pint whipping cream

Frosting
1/2 pint whipping cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:Prep Time: 1 hrTotal Time: 1 3/4 hrs
1.Mix cake ingredients together and place in a rectangular cake pan (spray with non stick cooking oil) Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.
2. Allow to cool for 20 minutes.
3. Mix together milk filling together and refrigerate while cake is cooking.
4. Mix Frosting together as cake cools.
5. Mix well until whipped cream peaks.
6. When cake is done allow to cool, then fill with milk filling (You will use all the filling even though it looks like too much. Allow it to soak in like a sponge until you use all the filling.)
7. You can poke holes in the cake or use a flavor injector
8.Frost and decorate.

Martha's Olive Cheese Ball

2010-11-15T18:11:00.003-07:00

Olive Cheese Ball

**This is a favorite appetizer from my mother-in-law.

2 8oz. cream cheese softened
4 cups (1 lb.) shredded cheddar cheese blend (Mexican or Colby blend)
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1/4 c. chopped pimento stuffed olives (green olives)
2 t. of olive juice (from jar of green olives)
1 c. chopped pecans

Combine all except pecans. Mix well. Shape into ball and roll in crushed pecans.

**This recipe makes a HUGE cheese ball, bigger than a softball. I often cut the recipe in half, and that still makes a large cheese ball.

Martha's Twinkie Trifle

2010-10-26T19:39:00.001-07:00

Twinkie Trifle

Layer the following in a triffle bowl:

6 Twinkies, cut in 1" pieces
2 c. milk and 1 box instant vanilla pudding mixed according to the directions on the box
1 pint blueberries
6 Twinkies, cut in 1" pieces
2 c. milk and 1 box instant vanilla pudding mixed according to the directions on the box
Strawberries
Small Cool Whip, softened (add this just before serving the dish)

Chill and serve

Sarah's Pancit

2010-10-26T14:57:00.002-07:00

You can make it with different kinds of meat - pork is very common. My mom likes to do it with bacon - gives it a nice flavor.

Recipe followed from allrecipes.com

1 (12 ounce) package dried rice noodles
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups diced cooked chicken breast meat
1 small head cabbage, thinly sliced
4 carrot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 lemons - cut into wedges, for garnish

Place the rice noodles in a large bowl, and cover with warm water. When soft, drain, and set aside. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in chicken cabbage, carrots and soy sauce. Cook until cabbage begins to soften. Toss in noodles, and cook until heated through, stirring constantly. Transfer pancit to a serving dish and garnish with quartered lemons.

Sarah's World's Best Scones

2010-10-11T19:53:00.002-07:00

World's Best Scones - from Scotland to the Savoy (from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup white sugar
1/8 tsp salt
5 T unsalted butter
1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 T milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or rubbing between your fingers until it is in pea sized lumps. Stir in the currants. Mix together 1/2 cup milk and sour cream in a measuring cup. Pour all at once into the dry ingredients, and stir gently until well blended. Overworking the dough results in terrible scones!

With floured hands, pat scone dough into balls 2 to 3 inches across, depending on what size you want. Place onto a greased baking sheet, and flatten lightly. Let the scones barely touch each other. Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of milk. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash. Let them rest for about 10 minutes.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops are golden brown, not deep brown. Break each scone apart, or slice in half. Serve with butter or clotted cream and a selection of jams - or even plain.

You can change these up by adding different things. I like to sub in some lemon juice in place of some of the milk for lemon scones, and combine that with craisins or dates, instead of the currants.

Recipe for Devonshire Cream to go with the scones - super easy!

Ingredients:

1 (3 oz) package cream cheese
1 T white sugar
1 pinch salt
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese, sugar and salt. Beat in cream until stiff peaks form. Chill until serving.

Kellie's Italian Vegetable Salad

2010-09-15T14:07:00.002-07:00

2 bunches of broccoli cut into bite sized pieces
1 cucumber chopped
1/2 large (or entire small one) each red and yellow bell peppers chopped
1 can sliced olives
1 cup cubed cheese (or cut string cheese into chunks)
1 container grape tomatoes
1/3 cup (more or less depending on preference) Italian dressing. (I like the Tuscon Italian best!)
You can add more or less of any of these ingredients to suit your taste.
You can also add or substitute so many different things with this salad and it always turns out great!
A "Greek" variation I enjoy is using feta cheese (in place of other cheese) and adding pepperoni slices. You can add capers but I don't like them so I leave them out!

Tricia's Breakfast Wraps and Salsa

2010-08-31T22:12:00.007-07:00

Breakfast Wraps
1 pkg tortillas
1 pkg ham
1 pkg shredded cheese
Eggs (egg whites or whole eggs both work, but whites work better I think)

1)Prepare eggs as if to scramble while heating up your pan. 2)Once pan is hot, slowly pour eggs until the bottom surface is just covered. I use a 10 in cast iron pan with very short sides. 3)After eggs are mostly cooked, carefully flip them over trying to keep them in as few pieces as possible, the goal being one big round piece of egg. (Good luck with this, the best I’ve done is two pieces!) A few seconds is usually enough to finish cooking the eggs. 4)Transfer cooked egg to a plate or platter of some kind. 5)Place a tortilla in the same pan you used for the eggs, burner still on. 6)Lightly sprinkle cheese, then put two or three slices of ham. 7)Next place your cooked egg on top with another light sprinkle of cheese on the eggs. 8)Now you just carefully, and with help from utensils, roll the tortilla while it’s still in the pan. Leave it in the pan a few seconds to completely melt the cheese so it ‘glues’ the whole thing together and doesn’t unroll on you before you transfer it to a plate. *You can also just make a breakfast quesadilla. Instead of rolling in step 8, just place another tortilla on top and flip it so it’s heated through and cheese is melted.

Salsa
There is no recipe for the salsa! I actually took a jar of the Chi-Chi’s salsa from the commissary and amped it up. I dumped the jar in the blender along with some Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning and about 1/3 c (or so) of a frozen Mango fruit blend that you can use to make frozen drinks/smoothies with. You may be able to get the same effect with pieces of really ripe mango thrown in the blender, too.

Amy's Broccoli and Tortellini Salad

2010-08-31T22:12:00.006-07:00

Broccoli and Tortellini Salad

INGREDIENTS:
6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
20 ounces cheese-filled tortellini (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup mayo (I use Miracle Whip)
2 Tbs sugar
2 Tsp apple cider vinegar
3 heads fresh broccoli, cut into florets
1 cup craisins
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 red onion, chopped

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini in boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Add broccoli last minute of pasta boiling. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. In a small bowl, mix together mayo, sugar and vinegar to make the dressing.
3. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, tortellini, raisins, bacon, sunflower seeds and red onion.
4. Pour dressing over salad and toss.

Dawn's Patriotic Trifle

2010-08-05T12:02:00.001-07:00

Patriotic Trifle:
1 1/2 cups cold fat free milk
1 pkg. (4 serving size) JELLO vanilla flavor fat free surgar free instant pudding
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool whip lite whipped topping, thawed, divided
1 pkg. (13 oz.) Angel food cake, cut into 1/2 cubes ( about 6 1/2 cups)
2 cups freash strawberried, sliced
1 cup of blueberries

Pour milk into med bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 mins. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups of the whipped topping.

Layer half each of the cake cubes, strawberries and blueberries in lrg bowl. Cover with pudding mixture. Top with layers of the remaining cake cubes, fruit and whipped topping.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Martha's Cafe Rio Sweet Pork (Crock Pot)

2010-08-05T09:07:00.003-07:00

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork-Crock Pot Dish!
1 pork loin (any size)
2 cans diced green chilies
3/4 to a bottle of salsa
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 package taco seasoning
1/2 cup water

Put the pork loin in the crock pot. Dump everything else on top. Turn on low and cook for 8 eight hours or so. You can cook on high for 4-5 hours if you want, but I find that cooking pork that size slower doesn't dry it out as much.

Serve over rice, and make sure you dump a lot of the sauce on your dinner. It's a wonderful sauce.

Elizabeth's Egg Rolls

2010-08-03T15:34:00.003-07:00

Homemade Eggrolls
1 pound sausage, browned
1 package shredded cabbage or slaw mix (or just a head of cabbage cut up)
some (maybe a half to one cup) stir fry sauce
any other "asian-y" veggies that you like (when I made it, I just had the slaw mix and sausage)
i.e. green onions, shredded carrots, waterchestnuts, etc
eggroll wrappers
oil for frying

Brown the sausage. When cooked through, add the veggies and the stir fry sauce. Cook until warm and cabbage wilted a bit. Put some of the mixture in the middle of the eggroll wrapper and fold over per directions on the package (bottom up, sides in and top over) Seal eggroll with a little bit of water.
Heat oil to 350F and drop eggroll in, a few at a time. Cook until browned.

**You can easily use a head of cabbage cut up and add in shredded carrots and any other veggies that you want. I just find it very easy to buy the bagged stuff.

Elizabeth's Mac and Cheese

2010-08-03T15:33:00.001-07:00

Homemade Mac and Cheese

1 pound of macaroni
6 tablespoons of butter
6 tablespoons of flour
3 cups of milk
3/8 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (it is kind of to taste--sorry about that; no exact measurement)
1/2 cup shredded mild chedder cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp chedder cheese

1. boil the macaroni until done.
2. While the macaroni is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan. When the butter is melted, add the flour and stir around until all the flour is mixed in with the butter. While whisking, add the milk. whisk until all the clumps of flour/butter are mixed in. Heat on medium heat until the sauce is thick and bubbly. Stir pretty frequently so that it doesn't burn.
3. Drain the macaroni and add the white sauce to it. Mix in the cheese until blended and serve warm.

**I usually use whatever cheese I have on hand but I do try to make sure some of it is sharp. It does add to the flavor of the mac and cheese. If you like really cheesy mac and cheese, add more than a cup of cheese.

Sarah's Banana Bread

2010-07-26T10:05:00.003-07:00

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup mashed bananas (about three)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Grease the bottom and side of a loaf pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine the eggs, bananas, sugar, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture. Stir just till moistenened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in pecans.

Spoon batter into pan. Bake at 350 for 45-50 min. Cool on wire rack. Makes one loaf.

Martha's Lasagna

2010-07-01T11:10:00.002-07:00

Lasagna

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed (instead of this, I use a teaspoon of garlic powder)
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons dried Crushed Red Pepper
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
In a Large pot, cook ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, crushed red peppers, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Pour hot water over lasagna noodles in a 9x12 pan. Cook lasagna noodles for10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Martha's Chicken Enchiladas

2010-06-28T14:39:00.005-07:00

Chicken Enchiladas

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken (1 package of chicken works well or you can use a pre-cooked rotissserie chicken) breast meat - cut into chunks
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 can chopped green chilies, drained
1 package mild taco seasoning mix
1 bunch green onions, chopped, divided
1 cup water
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
5 (12 inch) flour tortillas
3 cups Mexican blend cheese (I like a blend better than a straight Cheddar)
1 can enchilada sauce (I like mild)
1 can sliced black olives (optional for the top)

Cook the chicken first. Either get a rotisserie chicken or I bake the chicken breasts until cooked through (1 hr. at 350 with a little chicken broth in the baking dish)

In a saucepan, combine 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup,
1 1/4 cups sour cream, and the 1/4 teaspoon chili powder.

In a skillet, add the shredded chicken, chopped green chilies, taco seasoning, half of the bunch of chopped green onion, and water. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, onion powder, and garlic powder; simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Stir 1 cup of the soup mixture into the skillet with the chicken mixture. Spread the remaining soup mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese over the chicken filling before folding the tortillas, reserving half of the shredded cheese for topping the enchiladas. Fold tortillas over the filling and place seam-side down in the prepared pan.

Pour enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Cover with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of Cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the reserved chopped green onions and the sliced olives on top of the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven until filling is heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 25 minutes.

Martha's Pepperoni Rolls

2010-06-19T09:47:00.002-07:00

This recipe was passed along to me from my dear friend and college roommate, Jenn.

Pepperoni Rolls

1 bag Rhoades dinner roll bread (frozen dough 36 per package). They can be found at Wal-Mart.
36 slices of sandwich pepperoni (smaller is fine, but you need 3 per roll)
18 slices provolone (will be cut in half)

Thaw dough on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam, spray top on dough balls with Pam also, cover with plastic wrap. This will take 1-1/2.
When thawed, on another cookie sheet that is sprayed, flatten each doughball to the approximate size of sandwich pepperoni (maybe 3 inches in diameter).
Put on a piece of pepperoni. If using the small, lay out the pepperoni in a cloverleaf fashion to cover the dough.
Take a halved piece of cheese and fold it over a few times to make a small log of cheese. Put in the middle of the pepperoni.
Pull up the sides of the dough to cover the filling (if you are looking at a clock, pull the 12 and the 6 up over the filling and press the dough together). This way it will bake and hold the roll together.

When they are all made:
Beat up 1-2 eggs, brush this all over the rolls, then sprinkle lightly with salt (I use coarse), garlic powder, crushed oregano.
Bake at 350 for approximately 20 minutes.
You sometimes can use a toothpick to hold it together as they bake because they sometimes open up ( which is not a problem if it happens).

Becky's Green Bean Casserole

2010-06-15T13:10:00.002-07:00

4 Tbsp margarine
4 Tbsp flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp sugar
1/2 C finely chopped onion
1 carton (16 oz) sour cream
4 cans (16 oz each) French-style green beans-drained
1 C Kellogg's Corn Flake Crumbs (sold at YPG commissary)
2 Tbsp margarine melted

1. Melt 4 Tbsp margarine in large saucepan. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, sugar, and onion. Stir in sour cream. Cook over low heat until thickened stirring occasionally. Fold in green beans. Pour into 3 Qt (13x9) baking dish coated with cooking spray.

2. Mix Corn Flake Crumbs with 2 Tbsp melted margarine and sprinkle over top.

3. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot.

ENJOY!!!!

Rebekah's Banana Crush Punch

2010-05-27T17:45:00.006-07:00

Banana Crush Punch

4 cups sugar
6 cups warm water (needs to be warm enough to dissolve sugar)
46 oz pineapple juice
2-12 oz cans frozen orange juice-unmixed
1-12 oz can frozen lemonade-unmixed
5 ripe bananas, mashed and put through blender (unripened bananas will make the punch sour)

Dissolve sugar in water. Stir in pineapple juice and frozen orange juice and lemonade (DO NOT add water to frozen juices according to the directions on the can!) Stir in bananas. Divide mixture evenly between 5-1 quart freezer bags and freeze. To serve: Thaw and add 1-2 liter of 7 Up/Sprite/Sierra Mist per bag of punch. Yield: Approximately 5 gallons.

Rebekah's Chocolate Crunch Brownies

2010-05-27T17:45:00.005-07:00

Chocolate Crunch Brownies

Brownies (or use your own recipe to fit a 9x13 in. pan):
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
6 tablespoons (or 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) cocoa
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:
7 ounces Marshmallow Cream

Topping:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups Rice Krispies

Brownies: Cream butter and sugar; add eggs. Stir in cocoa, flour, vanilla, and salt. Spread into greased 9x13 pan; bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool. Spread marshmallow cream over cooled brownies.
Topping: In saucepan, melt peanut butter and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in cereal. Spread over marshmallow layer. Chill before cutting. Store in fridge. (Note: Wait just long enough for the topping to set up before cutting. If you chill them for too long they become VERY solid and hard to cut. Also, margarine can be used instead of butter if you prefer.)

Rebekah's Glazed Banana Nut Bars

2010-05-27T17:44:00.005-07:00

Glazed Banana Nut Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup milk
1 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Glaze:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons boiling water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and spices. Combine bananas and milk. Add the dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with banana mixture; mix well. Stir in nuts. Pour into a greased 15 in. x 10 in. x 1 in. baking pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. For glaze, cream butter and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Stir in vanilla and enough water until glaze reaches desired consistency. Spread over bars. Sprinkle with walnuts. Yield: About 3 dozen. (Note: When I made these for MOPS I did not include the walnuts, either in the bars or on top. Also, margarine can be used instead of butter if you prefer.)

Rebekah's Soft Spice Bars

2010-05-27T17:44:00.004-07:00

Soft Spice Bars (taste similar to ginger snaps)

3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a mixing bowl, combine butter, 1 cup sugar and molasses. Beat in egg until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt; stir into the molasses mixture. Spread into a greased 15 in. x 10 in. x 1 in. baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Do not overbake. Cool on a wire rack before cutting. Yield:2-1/2 dozen. (Note: Margarine can be used instead of butter if you prefer.)

Rebekah's Peanut Butter Bars

2010-05-27T17:43:00.002-07:00

Peanut Butter Bars

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Icing:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons milk

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugars, and peanut butter. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Spread into a greased 13 in. x 9 in. x 2 in. baking pan (can use 10 in. x 15 in. too-just bake 5 min. or so less). Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes. Combine icing ingredients; drizzle over bars. Yield: 3-4 dozen. (Note: Margarine can be used instead of butter if you prefer.)

Becky's Veggie Pizza

2010-05-24T15:57:00.002-07:00

1 Boboli Pizza Crust
8 oz Cream Cheese
1/4 C Mayo
1 pkg (0.4 oz) Ranch Seasoning Powder
1/4 C each finely chopped (I usually put in food processor and sometimes it takes more than depending on the size of the crust):
Carrots
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Bake the Boboli Crust as per package instructions. Cream together Mayo, Cream Cheese and Ranch Powder. Spread over Boboli Crust once it has cooled. Sprinkled veggies evenly over crust and press gently to keep it in place. Cut into squares. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Tricia's Turkey Bacon Avocado Wraps

2010-05-24T11:04:00.002-07:00

Turkey Bacon Avocado Wraps

Spread Ingredients:

¾ c. Sour cream
¾ c. Stonyfield plain yogurt
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp chipotle pepper
Two household teaspoons of Hidden Valley Ranch Dip powder
Garlic to taste
Combine all ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Prepare this ahead of time to give the ingredients time to come together. I made mine the day before. Note: I made this spread up totally from an idea, so you may have to adjust your spices a bit to taste.

Sandwich wrap ingredients:

1 pkg tomato basil tortilla wraps
1 head bundle leaf lettuce, washed and drained
Oscar Meyer Deli Fresh Shaved Mesquite Turkey
1 pkg Oscar Meyer Center Cut Bacon, cooked in the oven at 300 degrees
Avocados, peeled, cut, sliced
Roma tomatoes diced
Homemade spread

Layer your wrap: spread, lettuce, turkey meat, bacon, avocado, diced tomatoes. You can use as much or little of the ingredients as you like, and I wanted my ingredients all the way to the end of the tortilla shell. But remember, you have to roll this when you are done. For my MOPS dish, I left both ends open and cut the wraps in thirds. Alternatively, you can roll them burrito style, closing one or both ends to keep everything inside. Note: I highly recommend cooking the bacon in the oven every time you cook it. It comes out perfectly, plus it speeds up meal prep.

Martha's Manicotti

2010-04-21T19:39:00.003-07:00

Cook manicotti shells 8-10 minutes (if cooked too long, shells will fall apart)

Cook ground beef or other meat for the sauce.

Cheese Filling
1/4 lb. mozzarella cheese grated/shredded
1 1b. Ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, and chopped parsley to taste

Mix all of the cheese filling thorougly.

Sauce
1 large can (29 oz size or so) tomato sauce
1 lb. ground beef (already cooked) or any kind of ground turkey or sausage
Rosemary, oregano, basil to taste

Heat thorougly.

Stuff the cheese into the shells. In the bottom of a baking dish, layer sauce, stuffed manicotti, and more sauce. I usually put a little Parmesan on top. Cook at 350 for 25 minutes.

Serves 4+

Diana's Oreo Truffles

2010-04-18T20:06:00.001-07:00

Oreo Truffles

1 18 oz. package of Oreos, finely crushed
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese
1 lb. white baking chocolate, melted

In a large mixing bowl, combine crushed cookies and creame cheese. Beat with mixer on low until will blended. Form one inch balls by hand. Dip balls in white chocolate; place on baking sheet covered with wax paper. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. (I refrigerated the balls before I dipped them in the chocolate, it seemed to work well).

Elizabeth's Bran Muffins

2010-03-30T19:44:00.001-07:00

Bran Muffins

2 c All Bran
2 c boiling water
1 c butter/marg.
2 c sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 c flour
5 t baking soda
4 eggs
1 qt. buttermilk
4 c 40% bran flakes (I use the bran flakes cereal but if you can't find that, she said Total or Wheaties would work)

Mix the All Bran, boiling water and butter together. Let that cool.

Mix the sugar, salt flour and soda into the cooled mixture.

Blend in the eggs, buttermilk and flakes. (I usually use a hand mixer because my stand mixer will not hold all the stuff!)

Fill muffin cups about 2/3-3/4 full and bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

Amy's Bean Dip

2010-03-30T19:43:00.002-07:00

Bean Dip

2 cans of refried beans
shredded cheese(I use the colby mexican blend)
Chopped tomatoes
Sour cream (16oz)
I package taco seasoning

Last night I made a double batch. I usually do half.

First heat the beans, then spread them on the bottom of the dish.
Sprinkle cheese on top(use as much as you like).
Sprinkle tomatoes(again use as much as you like).
Mix 1 packet of season mix with sour cream.
Spread on top.

Calah's Chicken Roma

2010-03-30T19:40:00.001-07:00

Chicken Roma

2 tbsp. olive oil
4 chkn breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 (14-16oz) can tomatoes diced, undrained
1/2 c. sliced olives
1 clove garlic, minced
1 env. Lipton beefy onion soup mix
1/4 c. red wine or water

In skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and brown chicken. Stir in tomatoes (I used the garlic basil diced tomatoes), olives, and garlic. Combine beefy onion soup with red wine and add to skillet. Bring to boil over high heat then reduce heat to low, simmering covered for 30min. Serve over hot noodles...I used egg noodles and it was great. Makes about 4 servings.

Heather's Cheeseburger Pasta

2010-03-25T13:39:00.002-07:00

Cheeseburger Pasta

1 1/2 cups uncooked pasta
3/4 lb ground beef
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp dill pickle relish
2 Tbspn prepared yellow mustard
2 Tbspn ketchup
1 tsp steak seasoning
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Cook pasta (al dente is a bit better). Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Drain pasta and add to meat mixture
2. Stir in tomatoes (with juice), relish, mustard, ketchup, steak seasoning and seasoned salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered, for 5 minutes.
3. Sprinkle with cheese. Remove from heat; cover and let stand until cheese is melted.

Martha's Granola Bars

2010-03-23T11:29:00.007-07:00

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups old-fashioned Quaker Oats (not the instant kind)
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

In a microwave-safe large bowl, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter and corn syrup. Microwave for a minute, stir the mixture, and microwave another 20 seconds. Stir in the vanilla, oats, and Rice Krispies. Fold in chocolate chips into batter. Press into a 9-in.square pan (sprayed with Pam). Let it cool and cut into bars.

You also might try melting the chocolate chips with the microwave mixture instead of adding them at the end to create more of a chocolate bar.

Martha's Texas Sheet Cake

2010-02-23T20:06:00.003-07:00

Martha's Texas Sheet Cake

Beat in bowl:
2 eggs
1/2 c. buttermilk (I use 1 1/2 t. vinegar and rest milk to make 1/2 cup)
1 T. vinegar
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla

Add to this-
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour (sifted)
1/2 t. salt

Put this aside for now.

Bring to a boil:
2 sticks butter
1 cup water
4 T cocoa

Once this mixture is boiling, remove from the stove, and add to the other ingredients you mixed in the bowl. Mix all of it.

Place in a 11x17 greased cookie sheet. These are very hard to find because they are a longer size, but Michaels, Kitchen Collection, and Wal-Mart often carry them. I wouldn't recommend trying to make this in two smaller pans. It just doesn't work out well.

Bake 375 for 15 min (sometimes a minute or so longer).

Frosting (cook while the cake is baking)

Heat
1 stick butter
4 T cocoa
6 T milk

Remove from stove and add
1 box of confectioner sugar (sifted)
1 t. vanilla

Mix until smooth. Pour onto the cake after you get it out of the oven/while it is still warm. Let it sit out, and the frosting will harden.

Courtney's Spinach Brownies/Spinato's Squares

2010-02-23T20:01:00.001-07:00

Courtney's Spinach Brownies/Spinato's Squares

2 TB butter
1 TB veggie oil
2 TB sugar
1 medium to large sweet onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 10 oz packages frozen chopped spinach
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ts salt
1 ts baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup milk (I've used soy, whole, and skim...all seem to work fine)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 8 oz package mozzarella cheese
1 package bacon bits (or 1 cup if cooking your own bacon)
4 Roma tomatoes, sliced

Preheat oven to 375; grease a 9"x13" pan.

Carmelize the onions. You don't HAVE to do this, but I prefer the sweet onion to be sweeter; it makes it seem like there aren't onions in the dish. Melt 2 TB butter and veggie oil in a pan on medium-low heat and add onions. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Uncover pan, sprinkle with sugar, stir thoroughly, and continue cooking on low, uncovered, for 25 minutes. I shake the pan/stir the onions occassionally. Add the garlic the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Put the spinach in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for about 7 minutes to thaw. Add bacon and set aside.

In a separate bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder, eggs, milk, and melted butter. When the onions and garlic have finished cooking, add them to the bowl, along with the spinach, bacon, and mozzarella (reserve a little bit of the cheese to sprinkle on top of the tomatoes). Pour into baking dish and arrange the sliced tomatoes on top, sprinkling them with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 35 minutes.

Elizabeth's Caramel-Pecan Monkey Bread

2010-02-09T09:33:00.001-07:00

Caramel-pecan monkey bread

1 pkg active dry yeast
1/4 cup water (110-115F)
1 1/4 cups warm 2% milk (110-115F)
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
5 cups flour
caramel:
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
assembly:
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, butter, sugar, eggs, salt and 3 cups flour. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
For caramel, in a small saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter and cream to a boil. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Pour half into a greased 10-in fluted tube pan; sprinkle with half of the pecans.

Punch dough down; shape into 40 balls (about 1 1/4 in diameter). In a shallow bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Place melted butter in another bowl. Dip balls in butter, then roll in sugar mixture. Place 20 balls in the tube pan; top with remaining caramel and pecans. Top with remaining balls. Cover and let rise until double in size, about 45 minutes.

Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. (Cover loosely with foil if top browns too quickly) Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving place. Serve warm.

Sara's Taco Soup

2010-01-29T14:59:00.003-07:00

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
3 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles (I use Rotel)-can use regular petite diced if you don't want it too spicy
1 (15.5 oz.) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (7 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 pkg. Ranch dressing seasoning mix

Cook beef and onion in a skillet. Drain. Mix with broth, tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, corn, taco seasoning mix, and Ranch dressing seasoning mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer.

Can be made in a crock pot too.

Sara's Strawberry Pie

2010-01-29T14:56:00.003-07:00

1 cup sugar
4T corn starch
3/4 cup cold water
3T strawberry Jello powder
Red food coloring
1 qt. strawberries
baked pie shell

Mix corn starch and sugar. Add water and bring to a boil stirring constantly until thickened well (you will have to stir it for awhile to get it pretty thick). Add Jello and food coloring. Let cool. Add strawberries and pour into a baked pie shell. Refrigerate until firm.

Amy's Chinese Chicken Salad

2010-01-29T13:38:00.002-07:00

Amy’s Chinese Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (boiled and shredded)
1 bunch of green onions (chopped)
1 head of green lettuce (chopped and washed or shredded lettuce 3 to 4 bags)
1 pkg. sliced almonds
1 pkg. Wonton skins fried and crushed

Dressing:

1 cup of vegetable oil
1 cup of white distilled vinegar
½ cup sugar
3 tbls salt
2 tbls accent
1 tsp. pepper

Mix all the ingredients together, making sure everything is chopped and shredded. Make the dressing by bringing the vinegar, sugar, salt, accent, and pepper to a boil. Boil until the liquid is clear. Pour into another container to cool. Once cooled, add oil, shake and serve over salad.

Add crushed wontons for an added crunch.

Diana's Breakfast Casserole

2010-01-29T09:45:00.004-07:00

Breakfast Casserole

Bag of frozen hashbrowns (shredded)
Bag of chopped ham
cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
eggs (3-4)
milk

Cover your baking dish with a layer of the frozen hashbrowns. Top with the ham, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper to cover the hashbrown layer. On that, add the mixture of a few eggs beaten together with milk. **Use just enough eggs to fill the holes. If you use too many, it will take forever to bake.** Top with just a little more cheese and bake at 350 for 35-45 min. You need to cook it until it is browning on top, and it looks like the eggs are cooked all the way through.

Sara's Stuffed Shells

2010-01-29T09:30:00.003-07:00

Stuffed Shells

1 lb. ground beef
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 T chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 jar spaghetti sauce
jumbo pasta shells
mozzarella cheese

Brown meat. Drain. Mix with egg, cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pour 1/4 of the sauce into the baking dish to lightly cover the dish. Cook the shells according to the box. Stuff the shells with the filling. Arrange in the dish and top with the remaining sauce. Top with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Nikki's Black-Eyed Pea Salad

2010-01-28T13:31:00.001-07:00

Nikki's Black-Eyed Pea Salad

1 can (15 oz) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 large tomato, diced
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and diced
1/3 cup chopped green pepper (red or yellow would work too)
2 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup prepared Italian salad dressing

In a large serving bowl, combine all the ingredients; toss to coat.
Serve with a slotted spoon.
Yields 4 servings

This is a perfect side dish to take to a gathering. I always take home an empty bowl when I bring this!

***when cutting hot peppers don't touch face after touching peppers!***

Martha's Sugar Cookies

2010-01-27T19:30:00.003-07:00

Martha's Sugar Cookies

Recipe makes about six dozen cookies

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
3 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir (don't use the mixer for this part) in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight). I have refrigerated it for several days, and it's fine too.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use sugar on your rolling pin instead of flour so it doesn't stick to the dough. This dough tends to be sticky no matter what. Roll out dough on parchment paper (which you should already have on your cookie sheet) 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick (thin seems to work better). Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Remove excess dough from the parchment paper.

Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Watch these cookies. They bake quickly. Cool and top with icing or the like.

Martha's Cookie Icing/Topping

**You may need to double this for the cookies listed above.
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
assorted food coloring

In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup (I usually add more corn syrup).

If you want to add food coloring, divide into separate bowls. Use a pastry brush to spread the icing. If desired, immediately top with colored sugar sprinkles.

Let the cookies sit for awhile. They may be tacky from the icing.

Sarah's Chili Sauce Chicken (Crock Pot Recipe)

2010-01-27T19:29:00.002-07:00

Chili Sauce Chicken

2 lbs chicken thighs
3/4 cup chili sauce
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (I didn't have any so I left this out. I assume this would just add some spice and be really yummy)

Spray or line your slow cooker and arrange chicken pieces in bottom of cooker.

Combine the chili sauce, brown sugar, dry onion soup, pepper and 1/4 cup of water. Spoon over chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours. Serve over rice!

Elizabeth's Pie Crust

2010-01-27T14:10:00.001-07:00

Pastry for 2 crust pie

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortning
6-7 tablespoons cold water

1. Stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender (or 2 forks or even your fingers) cut in the shortning till pieces are pea size (or look like cookie crumbs)
2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of water over mixture. gently toss with a fork. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon at a time until dough is moistened (stays together in a ball but is not sticky). Divide in half and form into 2 balls. Let rest on the counter or in the fridge for a little while.
3. On lightly floured surface, flatten 1 dough ball. Roll from center to edges into a 12-inch circle.
4. To transfer pastry, wrap around the rolling pin; unroll into a 9-inch pie plate.
5. Do the same for the 2nd dough ball. After transfered onto the pie plate, cut a few slits (or designs, whatever) in the top to let the steam escape.

Elizabeth's Apple Pie

2010-01-27T14:08:00.002-07:00

Apple Pie
Pastry for a 2 crust pie (recipe to follow)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
dash of salt
6 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (6 medium)
2 tablespoons firm butter or margarine, if desired
2 teaspoons water
1 tablespoon sugar

1. Heat oven to 425F. Make pastry
2. In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar, the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in apples. Spoon into pastry-lined plate. Cut butter into small pieces; sprinkle over apples. Cover with top pastry that has slits vut in it; seal and flute.
3. Brush top crust with 2 teaspoons water; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Cover edge with 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.
4. Bake 40-50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust. Cool on wire rack at least 2 hours.

Elizabeth's Cookie Dough Truffles

2010-01-26T14:54:00.002-07:00

Cookie Dough Truffles

1/2 c butter, softened
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts(I did not have those so they were not in mine)
1-1/2 pound semisweet candy coating, chopped ( I think I used milk chocolate stuff)

In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually add the flour, alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Shape into 1 inch balls; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Loosely cover and refridgerate for 1-2 hours or until firm.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt candy coating; stirring until smooth. Dip balls in coating, allowing excess to drip off; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refridgerate until firm, about 15 min. If desired, remelt remaining cand coating and drizzle over candies. Store in the refridgerator.

Sara's Chicken Taco Ring

2009-12-06T15:38:00.006-07:00

**Sara doesn't make this with olives, as the recipe calls, but you can add them if you like.

Ingredients
2 tubes (8 ounces each) crescent rolls
2/3 cup finely crushed tortilla chips, divided
2 cups finely chopped rotisserie chicken
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, undrained
1/4 cup chopped pitted ripe olives
1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
1 tablespoon lime juice (have used lemon juice in place of the lime before, and it was fine)

GARNISH (any of these are delicious):
sour cream
salsa
tomatoes
lime

Directions
Grease a 12-in. pizza pan. Unroll crescent dough. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup tortilla chips; press down gently. Separate into 16 triangles.

Place wide end of one triangle, chip side down, 3 in. from edge of prepared pan, with point overhanging edge of pan. Repeat with remaining triangles, overlapping the wide ends (dough will look like a sun when complete). Lightly press wide ends together.

In a small bowl, combine the chicken, cheese, mayonnaise, chilies, olives, tomato, taco seasoning, lime juice and remaining tortilla chips. Spoon over wide ends of dough. Fold points of triangles over filling and tuck under wide ends (filling will be visible).

Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with sour cream, salsa, tomatoes and lime.

Martha's Macaroni and Cheese Casserole

2009-11-25T13:46:00.006-07:00

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (just over 8 oz)
4T butter
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I usually use a Colby Jack blend or similar)
3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream (I use fat free)
1 can condensed Cheddar Cheese soup
1/2 t. salt
1 cup milk
1/2 t. pepper

Boil noodles.

Beat eggs. Add all other ingredients and beat.

Combine the cooked noodles with the mixture and bake in a 9x13 pan (or two smaller ones) at 350 for 30-40 min until it's browning on top and thickening out.

Courtney's Dump Cake

2009-11-25T11:08:00.002-07:00

1 15oz can crushed pineapple (juice included)
1 large can cherry pie filling
1 box yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cups halved pecans (optional - I didn't use them)
2 4oz stick butter, sliced in thin pats

Layer ingredients in a 9"x13" pan in the order given and top off with pats of butter. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Melissa's Fruit Salad

2009-11-25T11:06:00.001-07:00

red grapes 1-2 lbs (cut in half)
bananas 4-5 (cut in half longways then sliced)
red apples 3-4 (bite size pieces)
mini marshmellows 3/4-1 bag
stemless red marichino cherries-to taste about 12( cut in half)
Heavy whipping 16oz (more than you need really-use the excess for coffee and pie!)
sugar about 3/4cup to 1cup(until it thickens up)
vanilla about a tsp

Cut up all the fruit -you want about equall parts-i usually do grapes first, bananas, apples then cherries- put into large bowl.

In med size bowl put heavy whipping cream and mix with hand mixer med to high start adding sugar a little at a time untill it thickens up-add vanilla, keep beating till it stiffens up with peaks.

Add marshmellows to large bowl of fruit then with soft spatula add whipped cream a little at a time-only use enough to give a good coating to the salad. refrigerate for 1/2 an hour and Enjoy!

I usually try to make this as close to time it will be eaten as it doesn't stay great for long!

Tricia's Squash Casserole

2009-11-24T15:23:00.003-07:00

Tricia's Variations-
It calls for vanilla wafers in the topping, but I didn’t have any for the MOPS casserole I made, so I just used graham crackers instead. Total amount of butter used is one stick, divided. I use the unsalted butter, too. You can cut fat by using reduced, skim, or fat free milk. I used reduced fat. Also, I didn’t do any substitutions on the sugar, but it may be just fine with Splenda instead of the white sugar. If anybody tries that, they’ll have to let me know how it turns out.

3 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
3/4 cup milk
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
TOPPING:
1/2 cup crushed vanilla wafers (about 15 wafers)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Place squash in a large saucepan or Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cover and cook for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Drain and place in a large bowl; beat just until smooth.

Beat in the milk, butter, eggs and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; gradually add to squash mixture and mix well.

Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine topping ingredients until crumbly; sprinkle over squash.

Bake, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes longer or until heated through.

Martha's Blueberry Cobbler

2009-11-21T16:04:00.001-07:00

You can use several fruits in it. I've done it with blueberries and peaches (even combined the two before!). I haven't tried it with others, but I bet it would be really good with cherries too.

Put 1 cup white cake mix on bottom of greased 8x8 pan.
Put a can of blueberry pie filling (can) on top. If you use peaches, slice about six good sized ones to cover the pan. If you use a frozen fruit, also use enough to cover the pan.

On top of that, put up to a cup of sugar. This varies depending on the fruit. If you are using the canned pie fillings, I only use about a half a cup because it's already sweetened some. If you are using fresh or frozen fruits, use more sugar.

Dot this with butter. I put about six droppings of butter on it.

Then, put another 1 cup of white cake mix on top.

Finally, use 1 cup or a little less of water (don't drown it, but have a decent amount).

Bake 45 min or longer at 375 (should be browning/bubbling slightly on top)

Martha's Pizza

2009-11-20T13:49:00.005-07:00

1 pkg. dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP oil
1 tsp salt
about 3 cups flour

pound of bulk sausage (or whatever topping you want)
bag or so (2 cups plus) of mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. oregano
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1/2-1 cup of Parmesan

Mix the warm water with the sugar, 2 TBSP of flour, and the yeast. Mix this and let it sit for 10 min or so to see if the yeast is working.

Then, mix in oil, salt, and at least two cups of flour. You're going for a stiff dough you can knead, which is still soft but not sticky (I usually need more than two cups). Keeping adding flour until you get this.

Put the bowl or some sort of plastic wrap over this and let it rise for 45 min to an hour.

Then, spread dough in your pizza pan. Put mozzarella on the dough, fairly heavy.

On top of the cheese, put your topping(s).

Then, put very well drained tomatoes on the toppings. Sprinkle with oregano and top with Parmesan.

Bake 425 15-20 min.