My Favorite Recipes

White Texas Sheet Cake

2012-01-14T15:50:00.000-08:00

I'm going to start working on posting more of my favorite recipes. Really, I am! I found this one today and thought I'd start updating now...

White Texas Sheet Cake

1 c butter
1 c water
2 c all purpose flour
2 c sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c sour cream
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

In a large saucepan, bring butter and water to a poil. Remove from heat; stir in flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, almond extract, salt & bakin soda until smooth. Pour into a greased & floured 15x10x1 baking pan. Bake at 375 for 20-22 mintues or until cake is golden brown & "tests" done. Cool for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, you'll want to make your frosting.

1/2 c butter
1/4 c milk
4 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 c chopped walnuts (or almonds)

Combine butter and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat & add powdered sugar & extract; mix well. Stir in almonds/walnuts; spread over warm cake.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Blast

2011-11-29T18:13:00.001-08:00

4 rectangles Honey Maid® Graham Crackers, crumbled (I omitted this part!)
1 16-ounce container Betty Crocker® Whipped Vanilla Frosting
3/4 cups peanut butter cups (the teeny tiny ones work great!)
1 18.4- ounce box Betty Crocker® Premium Brownie Mix—Original Supreme (oil and egg, see brownie mix box)

Heat oven to 350°F.
Line a 9x9x2-inch pan with foil, allowing foil to extend over pan edges. (I just greased the pan well & left them in the pan after cooking!)
Prepare brownie mix according to package instructions. Stir in 1 cup of the peanut butter cups. Spread batter into pan. Bake according to package instructions. Cool.
Spread frosting, top with graham crackers and remaining peanut butter cups.
Use foil to lift brownies from pan. (If you went this route!)

Paula Deen's Symphony Brownies

2011-11-29T17:32:00.000-08:00

I made these brownies for Thanksgiving. I promise you, they are addictive but at least I'm telling you up front!! The bad part is that they are TOO easy to make!!!

All you do is buy a brownie mix with walnuts - large size or two small ones and then two family size Symphony bars with toffee and almonds.

Mix the brownie mix as directed, pour half into a greased 9x13 pan. Break apart the candy bar & place on top of the mix then pour the other half on top. Bake according to package directions.

Before I poured the other half on top, I added miniature marshmallows & coconut. As soon as the brownies were done, I covered with whipped fudge icing, pecans & toffee pieces. I read on one of my favorite recipe blogs that you can add chopped Milky Way bars rather than the Symphony bars or even chopped Twix.

I kept them in the pan so they wouldn't dry out but you could cut them, if you wanted. They are better the next day nuked in the microwave. Goodness gracious!!!

Pumplin Cobbler

2011-11-29T07:18:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law made this for Thanksgiving. I do not like pumpkin so I was afraid to taste it originally. I ended up getting a bite & surprisingly, I wasn't disappointed!! According to Mendi, it's best when served warm with some whipped cream!!!

In case you're wondering, this picture was of a piece I fixed for Colton (Mendi's son). As soon as I sat it on the table, my mother-in-law said, "he'll never eat all of that." So I said, "whatever he doesn't eat, I will!" He did a pretty darn good job of putting it away and when he was just about done, he said, "you remember what you said you'd do if I couldn't eat all of this?" I said, "yes, slide it to me!" I never did eat it!!

1 large can pumpkin
4 large eggs - beaten
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1 - 13oz can evaporated milk
1 pkg yellow cake mix

1 cup butter, melted
2 tbsp brown sugar (more or less, depending on your taste buds!)
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Blend together pumpkin, eggs, sugar, salt, spices and canned milk. Pour into greased 13x9 pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over top of mixture. Drizzle melted butter over dry cake mix. Sprinkle brown sugar over butter. Sprinkle nuts on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 20 mins.

I have some new recipes I'm going to share - eventually!!!

Cajun Pasta

2011-09-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

(Picture borrowed from BlogChef; where I found this yummy recipe.)

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into small strips) - I used Tyson boneless, skinless tenderloins (already in strips!)

4 oz linguini (cooked all dente) - I used regular spaghetti since that's what I had on hand!

2 tsp Cajun seasoning (I used "Slap Yo Mamma")

2 Tbsp butter

1 green onion (thinly sliced)

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp dried basil

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp garlic powder

¼ c parmesan cheese

Step 1: Place chicken strips and Cajun seasoning in a bowl, toss the chicken with the seasoning until the chicken strips evenly coated with the seasoning.

Step 2: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add chicken and sauté the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.

Step 3: Reduce heat to low. Add green onions, heavy cream, tomatoes, basil, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Cook until heated through. Pour over hot linguini and toss with parmesan cheese.

(Makes 2 Servings)

Seriously folks, hubs said this was one of the best things I've ever made. Simple & satisfying...can't beat that!

Poor Man's Lasagna

2011-09-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

The other day, I found a recipe on Pinterest that linked me to Mommy's Kitchen. As I was browsing through all of the recipes, I ran into one called Poor Man's Lasagna. Larry loves any kind of pasta with sauce & cheese so I thought I'd give it a try. Sure enough, it was a hit! I am adding it to "My Favorites" since it is SO easy & he loved it!!

2 - packages (7.25 oz) Macaroni & Cheese
1 - lb ground beef
1 - Jar Spaghetti Sauce (use your favorite)
1 - (8oz) package mozzarella cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare the macaroni and cheese according to package directions.
While the macaroni is cooking, brown and drain the ground beef.
Add the ground beef to the prepared macaroni and cheese.
Mix in the spaghetti sauce and add to a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
Top with mozzarella cheese.
Cover with foil sprayed with baking spray and bake for 25 minutes until heated through and bubbly.

Another way she posted to assemble the lasagna: Spoon half of the prepared macaroni and cheese into lightly greased 9 x 13 inch square baking dish. Add half of the spaghetti sauce and then the remaining macaroni and cheese. Add the rest of the spaghetti sauce and top with mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.

I made corn for a side & could easily see this being added as a layer to the "lasagna". Next time, I may add pepperoni and black olives. Maybe even some green onions!

Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

2011-09-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of making Presley a recipe book of "My Favorite Recipes" just as my mother made me in 2002. I love my little book of Mother's favorites all handwritten in no particular order. Love it. Treasure it! One recipe that I want to make sure Presley knows how to make is home-made gravy just like Momma's. As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, Bryan had home-made biscuits and gravy every-single-morning for breakfast growing up and randomly on weekends his whole life. It's not the best thing in the world for you but it is NO DOUBT what I call a comfort food.

Mother always made cream gravy because Bryan & Daddy didn't like sausage in theirs. When you know how to make cream gravy or even sausage gravy, you learn how to adjust it accordingly to go with....fried chicken & mashed potatoes; fried deer steak & mashed potatoes; fried pork chops & mashed potoates....you get the picture already? Good because I'm getting HUUUUNGREEEE!!!

Dylan & Presley both love biscuits & gravy. Most every weekend, when Dylan is home, I make biscuits & gravy for them. Most every morning, I make it for Dylan before school. I make it homemade on the weekends but I cheat during the week!!

You see, Tennessee Pride has two products that I love and Pilsbury has the other. Tennessee Pride makes a frozen sausage gravy & sausage balls and Pilsbury has frozen biscuits. During the week, I pop a couple of frozen biscuits in my little oven and throw the frozen gravy in the microwave and in less than 15 minutes - VIOLA - biscuits & gravy!

Here's the recipe for Sausage Gravy followed by how to make cream gravy.

1 lb pork sausage

1/2 c oil

1/2 c flour

4 c milk

Salt & Pepper to taste

Scramble sausage in a heavy skillet. Drain fat into a measuring cup & add oil to make 1/2 cup. Return oil to the sausage in the skillet. Sprinkle on the flour or you can sift it into the pan slowly too. Stir & cook sausage, oil & flour over low heat, scraping browned particles loose from skillet (with wooden spoon or spatula) for 4 or 5 minutes or until flour is a very pale brown. Gradually add the milk, stirring rapidly to prevent lumping. Turn heat up to medium and bring to a boil. Cook until gravy gets bubbly and thickens. (If gravy gets too thick, just add more milk!) Season with salt & pepper.

-- If you prefer cream gravy (without sausage), just measure out 2 Tbsp of oil or drippings and 2 Tbsp of flour for each cup of milk you use in the recipe.

-- If you've just fried a chicken, pork chops or any other meat that makes crumples, you'll follow the recipe above, scraping the particles loose to incorporate into your gravy.

-- Mother always used part water and part milk. You can always use 2% or even evaporated milk too.

Biscuits....really, it's not hard to make home-made biscuits. Once you get the hang of it, you'll make biscuits for everything! I just don't want to make them at 4 in the morning so I buy the frozen ones. Mother used to make up over-sized batches & freeze them. I'm domestic but apparently not THAT domestic!!

2 c flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 stick cold salted butter, cut into 1/2 inch slices

3/4 c milk

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder & salt. Use a pastry blender or two butter knives to cut the butter into the mixture until it has a course, pea-size texture. Add milk & stir the mixture until it forms a shaggy dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Use your fingers to gently flatten it into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle or circle. Fold the dough over and flatten it once more. Repeat 3 or 4 times, working quickly so the butter remains solid.

Flatten the dough a final time & use a 3 inch biscuit cutter or a drinking glass as Mother did to cut out 10 dough rounds. Transfer them to a 12x17 baking sheet & bake them until golden brown in a 400 degree preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes. (Make your gravy while biscuits are baking!)

About the other product made by Tennessee Pride...Larry & my FIL love Sausage balls so I keep these little fellers on hand at all times. They go in the oven and VIOLA - no one knows that they are not homemade and the process is not near as messy!

What's your favorite breakfast and/or comfort food?

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

2011-08-19T05:58:00.000-07:00

I made Brown Sugar Meatloaf for supper last night. I am not a fan of bell peppers - red, yellow or green - raw or cooked but I am a fan of meatloaf! Many years ago, Mother gave me a recipe book she bought from the First Baptist Church in Nashville that I've used over and over and over for many meals; one of them being meatloaf. The one in this book has a glaze made up of ketchup, mustard, brown sugar & vinegar that you pour over the loaf before baking. I made it one time for my Mamaw & Papaw Hicks and it quickly became our favorite. I've made it that way for many years but sometimes, a little change up doesn't hurt.
More recently, I found a recipe for Hawaiian Meatloaf (find recipe here) that includes pineapples and let me tell you, it's out of this world!! (You won't regret visiting her entire blog either!)
As I was going through some of my recipes yesterday, I found this recipe for Brown Sugar Meatloaf and will add this to my top meatloaf recipes!

Brown Sugar Meatloaf
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c ketchup
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
3/4 c milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 c finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs (about 10 crackers)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 5x9 loaf pan.
Press the brown sugar into the bottom of pan & spread with ketsup.

(Here's what I used & what it looked like when I packed in the brown sugar)

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly mix all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf.
Place loaf on top of ketchup.
Bake for 1 hour or until juices run clear.

I topped mine with ketchup right before it was completely done & stuck it back in the oven to finish up. I didn't shape into a loaf because I like mine spread-out evenly.

I made twice baked mashed potatoes, green beans & rolls to go along with this very tasty dish!

Know what I look forward to? Meatloaf sandwiches! YUM-O!

Tell me, how do you like your meatloaf?

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

2011-08-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

I always seem to get in a habit of cooking the SAME OLD THING week after week so the other day, I went out searching for some new dinner ideas. I ran across this Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada recipe and decided to give it a try. Larry is not a fan of sour cream and I remembered that about half way through my baking time. I decided to go ahead with it...

I didn't get any pictures (naturally) but because they turned out SO good, I wanted to share the recipe with you. I served ours with Mexican Rice & chips/queso. Larry all but licked his plate & told me this was one of the Top 5 best dishes I've ever made. He went on to say, this would be a dish he'd pay up to $30 if he had to order it in a restaurant! (Silly boy!)

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
2 c chicken breast, diced
1/4 c margarine
1 lb Montery jack cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp flour
1 med. onion
2 c chicken broth
8 (8-in) flour tortillas
1 c sour cream
1 (4-oz) can green chiles, chopped

- In a frypan, cook chicken & onion together in oil over medium heat until chicken is just done.
- Divide chicken evenly between 8 tortillas; add 1 1/2 Tbsp cheese to each tortilla.
- Roll enchiladas & place seam-side down in 9x13 baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
- Melt butter in medium saucepan; stir in flour to make a roux; stir & cook until bubbly; gradually add chicken broth & bring to a boil - stirring frequently.
- Remove from heat; stir in sour cream & green chiles; mix well then pour evenly over enchiladas.
- Top with remaining shredded cheese & bake on 350 for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce near edges are bubbly.

I actually had some chicken fajita meat and used it. I buy the Mexian rice or Spanish rice in the Lipton sides packages & add about a half can of corn. Once the rice is done, I top with shredded cheese. Love it!

While this is easy to assemply & deliciously creamy - you don't want to eat it all the time. This should serve 8 and contains almost 492 calories per serving! YIKES! I told you it was good! (HA!)

Corn Salsa

2011-08-05T12:09:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe the other day & decided to give it a try for our food day today. How do you like my picture? You guessed it - I forgot to get a picture of it until it was sitting on my desk waiting to be consumed! So obviously, the picture doesn't do it justice but it really is yummy! You will be glad you tried it.

Corn Salsa -

1 can white shoepeg corn (drain)
1/2 can yellow corn (drain)
1 can chopped green chiles
1 can black beans (drain and rinse)
2 cans rotel (drain most, but add about 1 tbs. of juice) juice of 1 lemon
1 bunch of green onions
1 head of cilantro (except for stems)
3 or 4 shakes of lemon pepper
drizzle of olive oil
Mix and enjoy!

This was the first time I've ever worked with fresh cilantro so I just broke off a couple of "springs" from the bunch & added them. I guess you can add as much as you like.

Here are some variations I thought you might enjoy instead of or along with:

Add chopped avocado (I am doing this next time!)

Use Italian-style tomatoes rather than rotel

I do not like celery or bell peppers but those are other additions

Chopped red onion rather than green onions

Taco Seasoning or even Cumin for seasoning. I actually did not use lemon pepper in mine - I used Paula Dean's House Seasoning that includes black pepper, onion powder & garlic powder. I also added a little sugar to mine and think it turned out wonderfully!

I say brave it out and add mango to it too sometime. What would you change up about this?

Girl Scout Casserole from Your Little Birdie

2011-06-01T05:52:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Kelly's Korner hosted a blog where other bloggers posted their favorite Main Course recipe. Of course, I LOVE recipes & blogs so I was all over stalking me out some new recipes! I found this recipe for Girl Scout Casserole from yourlittlebirdie and was not disappointed! I have also fallen in love with this blog so I added it to my favorites!

Of course, I was a little late getting the picture & it's not the best one ever but....it's a picture - right?!!!Girl Scout Casserole

2 lbs ground beef
1 small chopped onion
2 small cans tomato sauce (I added the 20 oz size can)
1 can corn, drained
6-8 slices, American cheese (I used shredded Cheddar)
2 cans (whop 'em) biscuits

Brown beef & onion. (I added salt, pepper & garlic to taste) Drain & return to pan. Place on low heat. Stir in tomato sauce & corn. Top with American cheese & biscuits with sides touching. Place lid on top & cook for 15 minutes. The steam will cook the biscuits like dumplings.

I'm actually laughing at myself right now as I type this recipe! Want to know why? Well, I pre-heated my oven to 350 and once I stirred in the tomato sauce & corn, I transferred everything to my baking dish AND THEN covered with shredded cheese & biscuits. (Obviously I do not follow "recipes" very well because no where does it say do that!!) Oh well!!

I only used 1 can of large size biscuits & stretched them thinly across the top.

AND THEN....I covered with aluminum foil and placed in the oven for 20 minutes. I removed aluminum foil and stuck back in the oven until biscuits were brown. (Again, no where does it say do this but it did turn out pretty darn good!)

I served this with macaroni & cheese because that's what I made for Presley. I also added some hot pepper jelly (courtesy of my uncle Herbert) to the top. It was really easy and really good!

Hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

2011-04-29T07:32:00.000-07:00

I realize this is not the best picture, I took it with my phone because I've not cooked for so long, I forget to take pictures of new things until it's on my plate!

Notice the name is baked potato dip but not one potato in the recipe!! It's good cold or hot. Yum!

1/4 pound thick cut bacon (I use pepper bacon)
1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used a cheese blend and it was still cheesy and delish)
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons hot sauce
waffle fries, potato chips or Ritz crackers

Put everything in the bowl. (I save a little bacon and chives to garnish with.)
Mix well. Pour it into your container and let chill for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Garnish with the reserved bacon and chives.
Serve with some chips, crackers or even raw veggies.

Here's the deal...most of you know the "drama" we've had over the last couple of years - no need to go into all the details but I say that to say this....I tend to put things I love on hold when there's too much excitement in other areas. I love, love, love cooking for others - seriously, I love to cook for others but when an area in my life is unhappy, it makes me unhappy all over. (Does that make sense?) Well, I am slowly coming out of that shell these days and can't WAIT to get back in the swing of cooking & all the activities around it!

Oriental Chicken Skillet

2010-12-22T18:11:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe in my "stash" of recipes; the date I printed it was January 16, 2009. Funny that it's almost 2 years later that I finally got around to fixing it. It's a Campbell's Kitchen recipe and pretty tasty too!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ready in 25 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

That's not what I loved about it but let me tell you, as hectic as things are around here - I love the simple prep & cook time!!

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (Tyson always is best around here!)

1 (10.75 oz) can Campbell's cream of chicken soup (regular or 98% fat free)

1/3 c water

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 (10 oz) pkg frozen cut green beans

2 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

Hot cooked rice

1) Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken & cook for 10 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides.

2) Stir the soup, water, soy sauce, ginger, beans & onions into the skillet. Heat to boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover & cook 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with rice.

I didn't use frozen cut green beans nor did I add it too the "skillet" but rather I opened a can of green beans and served as a side. Along with new potatoes. I also chopped my green onions rather than cutting them into 1 inch pieces. And, I added shrimp along with my chicken and it was SO tasty!!

Hope you enjoy!

Grilling Part 2 - Hobo Supper

2010-07-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

Here's the recipe I was given some time ago & suggested that Larry cook some time while he's on the road...

1 pound ground beef
5 potatoes, peeled and cut into steak fries
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced lengthwise
1 onion, peeled and sliced into rings
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
garlic salt to taste

Preheat grill.
Shape the ground beef into patties, make a little well in the middle and place on aluminum foil. Layer the vegetables on top , starting with the potatoes, then carrots and finally onion rings. Season with salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste.
Cover with aluminum foil and seal edges. Bake on grill for 1 hour, or to desired doneness.

You can add seasoning salt, beef broth or even Worcestershire sauce for additional flavor. In the picture above, Larry took a short-cut and bought the little can of corn & carrots then diced the potatoes so that it wouldn't take near as long to cook. He said it was awesome!

Grilling Part 1 - Chocolate Banana Boats

2010-07-30T07:56:00.000-07:00

Some know, others may not but Larry travels quite a bit. His travelling slowed down at one point but lately it's picked up again. When he's on the road, he typically eats out every meal but when he's home he wants me to cook. Eating out = burn out so he purchased him a little gas grill the other day and has been cooking out...on the tailgate of his truck...in the motel parking lot! (Yes, he stays in motels!)

He was so proud of his grill that he just had to cook on it for me. Well, I hated to tell him but it didn't do anything for me. The steak was tough and dry. So he bought a "grilling" magazine and read all kinds of stuff online and after several attempts...he finally did it! I thought he did an awesome job on this T-bone! Matter of fact, I cut it with my fork!!! It was so good and I was so proud of him! He told me one night, I want to cook you something that's worthy of being posted on your food blog! I couldn't help but LAUGH OUT LOUD!!! He doesn't even read my blog but he knows it's something I enjoy!

Anyway, he had to go back to MS this week and already has fired up the grill. Here's what he's grilled so far...ENJOY!

Chocolate Banana Boats

2 -4 ripe bananas

Hershey Bar (or semi sweet chocolate chips - about 2 oz)

2 ounces miniature marshmallows, optional

Whipped cream or ice cream, optional

Preheat barbecue Grill.
Using a sharp knife, make a slit along most of the length of the unpeeled banana skin and almost through the bananas.
Push chocolate chips and marshmallows (if using) into the slits; push the banana skins closed.

Wrap each banana tightly in aluminum foil. (He didn't wrap them in aluminum foil!)
Place the banana packets on the grill rack and cook for 10 minutes, turning the packets after 5 minutes. Remove from the grill.

Carefully open the banana packets (if wrapped in aluminum foil) and remove the cooked bananas from the aluminum foil.NOTE: You can serve in the aluminum foil.
If desired, serve with either whipped cream or ice cream. Serve with a teaspoon, to scoop out the cooked banana flesh covered in melted chocolate.
Make 4 servings.

Cake Balls- Updated

2010-07-23T16:54:00.000-07:00

After posting on my other blog about making cake balls & receiving requests for the recipe, I decided to go ahead with the post. So, here they are.

Now I love http://www.bakerella.com/ - she's a FANCY cake ball making gal! Mine are not so fancy but OH SO DELISH!!

You will need 3 things for cake balls: cake, frosting & coating. Here are some ideas:
- Devil's food cake with fudge icing & dark-chocolate coating
- Yellow cake mix with buttercream frosting & orange-flavored vanilla coating with green & black accents
- White cake with white frosting mixed with orange & yellow sprinkles and chocolate coating
- German chocolate cake with coconut-pecan icing and milk-chocolate or light cocoa flavored coating
- Spice or carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and vanilla coating
- Lemon cake with lemon frosting and vanilla coating
- Chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and mint flavored coating tinted green.
- Strawberry cake with strawberry frosting and chocolate coating
- Carrot cake balls with cream cheese frosting and chocoate coating
- Red Velvet cake balls with cream cheese icing and vanilla coating
- White Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix with white frosting & vanilla coating. Decorate with sprinkles, etc...
Thought about this after I posted - take a bag of Oreos, crumble them up, add a block of cream cheese and mix well. Roll into balls, freeze them & then dip them into vanilla coating! OH YUMMY!!

Basic cake balls
1 (18.25 oz) boxed cake mix plus ingredients called for on box
1 (16 oz) can prepared frosting
Almond Bark Coating or Confectionery Wafer Coating

Bake the cake according to package instructions. While warm, crumble the cake into a bowl with a hand mixer to a fine texture. Mix in frosting to make a paste, using 3/4 to a full can of frosting, according to taste. Chill the mixture for at least 2 hours.

Using a melon baller or your hands, form the mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place on wax paper; freee for at least 6 hours. (Below is what you'll get...)

Working in small batches, remove balls from the freezer & dip them into warm, melted Almond Bark Coating or Confectionery Wafer Coating, using toothpicks or forks to manipulate the balls. Remove balls & place on wax paper to harden.

Makes about 30 cake balls.

Almond Bark Coating: In a double boiler, melt one (20-oz) package vanilla or chocolate flavored almond bark, stirring constantly. Or, in a tall, narrow container, microwave almond bark for 45 seconds on High (100% power). Continue to heat in 15 second intervals, stirring between intervals, until melted. Be careful not to scorch.

When almond bark is melted, stir in 1 tsp vegetable oil. If desired, stir in oil-based coloring drop by drop until you achieve the desired color.

Confectionery Wafter Coating: Melt 48 oz confectionery wafers in a double boiler or microwave oven per instructions for Almond Bark Coating. Omit oil. If desired, stir in oil-based coloring drop by drop until you achieve the desired color.

Cream Cheese Frosting: Cream 8 oz cream cheese & 4 Tbsp softened butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy and smooth. Add 1 Tbsp vanilla extract & 1 c powdered sugar; beat at high until creamy.

Cake Ball Tips
Chill the cake & frosting mixture well - at least 2 hours before you shape into balls. Freeze at least 6 hours before dipping. However, before dipping, make sure cake balls aren't frozen solid because after being dipped, the coating has a tendency to crack when drying. Pre-dipped cake balls can be kept frozen for weeks.

To form ball, use a melon scoop for uniform size. Small balls are easier to eat!!!

For decoration, fill a narrow-tip plastic squeeze bottle with contrasting color of melted coating & paint stripes over the balls or sprinkel on rainbow sprinkles, sparkling sugar or chopped nuts.

Use your imagination and have fun! These are SO good!

Blackberry Cobbler

2010-07-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

I know the recipe & the picture do not match. What you're looking at is a Blackberry Pie rather than a cobbler but I'm going to list the recipe I have for a Blackberry Cobbler! (Hope that made sense!) You see, I got some fresh blackberries the other day at work, came home, whipped this "pie" up and realized after it was done ..... I was supposed to make a cobbler! Oh I hate when that happens. I will say that I followed the instructions pretty much for the cobbler except that I put a pie crust on top instead of the one listed below. AND.....there weren't any complaints - it was pretty much all gone by 9:00!

Ingredients
3/4 c sugar
2 c plus 1 Tbsp self rising flour
12 oz fresh (or frozen) blackberries ...about 3 cups
4 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces & chilled
2/3 c milk
Vanilla Ice Cream - for serving

Directions
Preheat oven to 450. Grease an 8 in square baking dish. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, 1 Tbsp flour, berries & 1 c water. Bring to a boil, lower heat & simmer 2 minutes then remove from heat. (I added a shake or two of poppyseeds to mine & a little dab of nutmeg!)

In a medium bowl, rub the butter into the remaining 2 c flour. Stir in the milk until a soft dough forms. Turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Pat into a square then roll into an 8-inch sqare, cute into 6 long strips.

Pour 1 c of the berry mixture into pan. Arrange 3 dough strips an equal distance apart over the blackberry mix. Bake until golden brown - about 12 minutes - remove from oven & pour the remaining berry mixture over the baked strips. Arrange another layer of dough strips perpendicular to the first row & bake until golden brown - about 12 minutes more. Let cool for about 20 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

If you use frozen blackberries, add 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice to the fimmered filling.

Now, go get a toothpick so you can get all those seeds out of your teeth! (HA!)

Blueberry & Pear Pie

2010-07-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

A group of ladies at work purchased some fresh blueberries and one made a comment to me about taking them and making her a pie. So, I brought them home and did just that.

I made a crust and then followed the below to assemble the pie.

Filling:
6 cups of fresh (or frozen) blueberries, rinsed and stems removed (if using frozen, defrost and drain first)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (for thickening)
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter (unsalted), cut into small pieces

Egg wash:
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk

Roll dough out & fit it over a 9-inch pie pan, and trim the edges to a 1/2 inch over the edge all around the pan. Put into the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes.
Gently mix the blueberries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Transfer them to the chilled bottom crust of the pie pan. Dot with butter pieces. Roll out remaining dough to the same size and thickness as the first. Place on top of the berry filling. (As you can see from the picture, I cut the dough into little flowers & placed on top!) Tuck the top dough over and under the edge of the bottom dough, and crimp the edges with your fingers. Transfer the pie to the refrigerator to chill until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes. Heat oven to 425°F.
Whisk egg and milk together to make an egg wash.
Remove the unbaked pie from refrigerator. Brush the top with egg wash. Score the pie on the top with 4 cuts (so steam can escape while cooking). Place the pie on the middle rack of the oven with a parchment paper or Silpat lined baking pan positioned on the lower rack to catch any filling that may bubble over.

Bake for 20 minutes at 425°. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for 30 to 40 minutes more or until juices are bubbling and have thickened.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Let cool completely before serving.
Makes 8 servings.

The reason the title is Blueberry & Pear Pie is because I didn't have enough blueberries so I added equal amounts of Pears. There were several who made it clear they did not like pears but loved the pie! I think the pears pulled the tanginess out of the blueberries and the blueberries added flavor to the pears! Super combination!!

Possum Cream Pie

2010-07-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

Also known as....4 Layer Delight! At this same little restaurant we ate at last week, they served up Possum Cream Pie! One look at it and I knew it was what we always called 4 layer delight and I've made it tons of times.
I decided since I was making the Pig Picken' Cake (see below) that I'd make this as well to take to work and share with my co-workers. One other time when I made this, I used coconut pudding so it was like a coconut cream pie! I think you can make it any flavor and it'd be just as good!

Ingredients...
c. flour
1 stick butter
1 lg. container Cool Whip
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 c. chopped pecans
2 tsp. vanilla
Grated chocolate
1 lg. pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 lg. pkg. instant chocolate pudding
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese

CRUST: Mix flour, 1 cup chopped pecans and butter. Press in bottom of an 8x13 inch pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool crust completely.

Layer 1: Mix cream cheese, 1/2 cup Cool Whip and 1 cup powdered sugar. Spread evenly over crust.
Layer 2 & 3: Mix puddings separately according to directions using a little less milk so pudding will set thicker. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla to vanilla pudding. Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar to each pudding. Gently spread each bowl of pudding over cream cheese filling.
Layer 4: Spread remaining Cool Whip over pudding. Sprinkle 1/2 cup pecans and grated chocolate on top.
Refrigerate long enough for pudding to set.

Pig Picken' Cake

2010-07-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

Last week, a co-worker and I ate at a local restaurant we'd heard good reviews on. It was a little out of our way but the food was good. They serve Fried Green Tomatoes and that was the reason I was going!!! We'd heard about this Pig Picken' Cake so of course, we had to give it a try. One bite and I knew I could duplicate it! So, after work, I went by the store and came home to put together my version.

It goes a little something like this...

1 box yellow cake mix

1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges

4 eggs

1/2 c oil

Mix cake mix, oranges (with juice), eggs & oil with an electric mixer until oranges are "blended" and better is fluffy. Divide evenly into 3 round cake pans & bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 mins. Cool.

Icing...

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple

1 (8 or 9 oz) container of Cool Whip

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding mix

Blend pineapple (with juice), Cool Whip & dry pudding mix until well blended. When cake is cooled, ice between layers, sides & top of cake. Keep cake refrigerated.

After I made this, I thought it sure would be good to sprinkle coconut & pecans on top & maybe even decorate with mandarin oranges!

Enjoy!

That Sauce

2010-06-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

I am hesitant on calling it a seafood sauce or maybe it should be just a cream sauce...for now, I'll call it...That Sauce. It is a very versatile sauce can be coupled with just about anything. The original sauce calls for crabmeat with rockfish or striped bass fillets. Well, I used crawfish tails and combined it with pork chops. I think it would be good to use shrimp (or crabmeat or scallops) on top of steaks!
I served corn on the cob, twice-baked mashed potatoes and Hawaiian rolls. I think the side items will vary depending on your meat choice. We ended up dipping our rolls in the sauce and even placing it over our potatoes. I think the fish would be awesome served over rice with this sauce. Endless possibilities!!!
The original recipe calls for 1 ½ lbs rockfish or striped bass fillets but I used 8 center cut pork chops and there was PLENTY of sauce! I prepared the pork chops by coating them with flour that I seasoned with “Slap Ya Momma” Cajun seasoning, Garlic pepper & Cayenne pepper.

On to the sauce…
2 ½ tsps McCormick Old Bay with Garlic & Herb Seasoning, divided. (I omitted this since I had seasoned my flour)
3 Tbsp butter, divided (I used butter flavored Crisco)
2 Tbsp white wine (I used white wine cooking sauce)
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 c heavy cream
2 tsp Dijon mustard (I used horseradish Dijon mustard)
8 oz backfin or lump crabmeat (I used crawfish tail – can be purchased in the frozen section at Wal-Mart with the other frozen seafood items) & I added some Cajun seasoning to the tails

Heat large skillet on medium-high heat 3 minutes. (I used my electric skillet) Melt 2 Tbsp butter in skillet. Place pork-chop or fish in skillet. Cook until both sides are browned and when meat is done, remove from skillet; keep warm. Reduce heat to medium.

Stir wine into skillet, scraping bottom to loosen browned bits. Add remaining butter and green onions; cook and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir in cream. (Because I used butter flavored Crisco, there was not a need for me to add more butter.)

Stir in mustard and remaining Old Bay with Garlic & Herb Seasoning. (Again, I omitted this step since my pork chops & crawfish meat was seasoned) Simmer 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in crabmeat (or crawfish, shrimp, scallops, etc…). The original recipe suggests to return the “fish” back to the skillet & cook 3 minutes longer until fish flakes easily with a fork. Because I used pork chops, I cooked the sauce about 3 minutes after I added my crawfish and then used a ladle to top my pork chops on the holding platter!

In case you are wondering about the potatoes… I used the bagged potatoes that you stick in the microwave for 10 minutes and added a little cream cheese, green onions, garlic & shredded cheese and done! Talk about DELISH!

Poppyseed Chicken

2010-05-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

I've always heard of Poppyseed Chicken but have never had it. So, I went out looking for the recipe just so I could see what the hype was all about. Basically, it's the same recipe no matter where you search - just a few variances. Here's my version!

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts - boiled & cut into bite size pieces

- I used boneless skinless tenders because that's what I had. One of the recipes I found used canned chicken....so whatever works for you!)

2 cans - Cream of Chicken soup

- I saw some recipes called for cream of mushroom but since I don't do mushrooms, I stuck with cream of chicken!

1 16 oz container - sour cream

2 Tbsp Poppyseeds

1 sleeve (give or take) Ritz crackers - crushed

- I used the Roasted Vegatable Ritz crackers because well, I AM ADDICTED TO THEM and because I have more than 3 boxes of them in my pantry!

1 stick of butter

Mix together sour cream, soup, poppyseeds & chicken. Pour into 9 x 13 baking dish & cover with Ritz crackers. Melt butter and pour on top. Bake 20-30 minutes on 350.

Serve over rice or egg noodles! I combined my egg noodles with the chicken and baked it. Only because I made this for my friend who had the baby and was trying to limit the containers I carried to her house.

Add-on-options: slivered almonds, shredded cheese & green onions

Do you have a favorite Poppyseed Chicken recipe that you follow?

Green Bean Un-Bundles

2010-05-19T12:59:00.001-07:00

I made dinner for one of my friends that just had a little baby and thought I'd make Green Bean Bundles. When Presley was born, a lady brought these to us and we loved them. Well, I unfortunately didn't have time to "bundle" the green beans due to my limited time so I'm going to call them Green Bean Un-Bundles! But I'll give you the receipe as if they were bundled.

2 cans whole green beans
1 stick butter (uh huh - the whole stick!)
1/2 lb bacon - cut in halves
1/2 c brown sugar (or more depending on how sweet you like your beans)
1 tsp garlic salt (I used garlic powder; figured there'd be enough salt in the bacon!)

Take 3 or 4 green beans & wrap with a piece of bacon. Secure with a toothpick & place in pan. Mix together butter, brown sugar & garlic salt/powder & pour over bundles. Cook on 350 until bacon is done.

They are good...really good!

Bow Tie Pasta Salad

2010-04-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

This pasta salad was brought by one of our PTA members for a luncheon we had for the staff during Parent/Teacher conferences. Matter of fact, it was my last luncheon for Asbell's staff. Was a sad day for me for two reasons - 1) because I have gotten to know and enjoy this group of teachers and 2) means it's my kids' last year in elementary school!!

On to the recipe....this salad was a huge hit so I had to get my hands on the recipe. I made it for our potluck at church on Sunday and again, huge hit!

1 lb box - bow tie pasta

1 pkg fresh baby spinach, stemmed

1 can black olives (whole or sliced)

1 can quarted artichokes, drained & chopped

1 avacado, chopped

grape tomatoes, halved

1 (4 oz) pkg feta cheese

1 bottle Girard's Romano Cheese dressing

Cook pasta, drain & toss with 1/2 bottle of dressing. (This can be done a day ahead) Refrigerate. Before serving, add vegetables & remaining salad dressing. Top with feta cheese.

NOTE: You're supposed to use Girard's Romano Cheese dressing and apparently the only place in NWA that carries this dressing is at Marvin's IGA on College/near Dickson because the manager special orders it. I used Girard's Italian dressing for my potluck and it turned out equally as good.

I also added:

1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

Salt, black pepper & red crushed peppers, to taste

1/2 thinly sliced red onion

I know you'll enjoy!!!

Sue & Gloria's Baked Beans

2010-04-19T06:14:00.001-07:00

I found this recipe for Baked Beans in Paula Deen's recipes. It makes a lot so you might want to half the recipe if you're just making them at home for supper.

4 (16 oz) cans - baked beans (I use Pork & Beans and pick out the little fatty stuff!)

1 (20 oz) can - crushed pineapple; drained

1 c Molasses

1 c BBQ sauce

2 Tbsp yellow or brown mustard

5 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

1 (6 oz) can french-fried onions; crushed

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine beans, pineapple, molasses, BBQ sauce, mustard, 1/2 bacon & 1/3 of the onions. Add salt & pepper to taste. Pour beans into 9x13 casserole dish & sprinkle with remaining onions & bacon. Cook in oven for 1 hour or until beans brown & bubble. Serve warm.

Divinity Salad

2010-03-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

Larry loves Divinity! Every Christmas his mother gives him Divinity as a gift...that's how much he loves it! I've always wondered and still do...can you only get divinity during Christmas?

Anyway, I found this recipe and made it for him the other night! It's supposed to "set-up" overnight in the refrigerator but one bowl of it never even made it past the refrigerator door!

1 pkg. cream cheese

1 can sweetend Condensed milk

2 cups chopped pecans

1 large container cool whip

1 large can crushed pineapple, drained

Mix together well cream cheese, milk, cool whip, and then fold in pineapple and pecans.

Let sit overnight!

Mozzarella Cheese Dip

2010-03-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

I've been reading recipes lately trying to come up with different menu items & ran across Mother's Mozzarella Cheese Dip recipe. I can remember Mother making this recipe for the 1st time and telling me all the raves she got over it. This recipe card is a treasure to me because it's in her handwriting!!! Yes, I treasure anything & everything I have that's in her writing! Matter of fact, I found several of her recipe cards just like this that I will always treasure!

I used a combination of Mozzarella & Cheddar cheese to make up 5 cups. Mayo is mayonnaise not Miracle Whip! That's 1 tsp of Accent, 2 tsp of minced onion & 1 Tbsp minced parsley flakes...incase you needed that spelled out! Oh and I think it's much better if it's made the day before!

You can also add any or all of the following: dash of black pepper; dash of seasoning salt; 1 tsp Parmesan cheese and/or dash of garlic.

Serve with Fritos, any cracker, spread on sandwiches or with raw veggies!

This stuff is sinfully good & addicting! The picture doesn't do it justice! We had potluck at work so I took a picture of it after I got it to work since I didn't get one after I made it at home.

Enjoy!

Peach Pie

2010-03-06T06:44:00.000-08:00

Not long ago, I asked my Mamaw how to make fried peach pies. I want to be able to carry down the tradition of making her pies. She doesn't remember how to do much else, but surprisingly, she was able to walk me through how to make her pies. It took a little coaxing but I got it!

When I got home, I decided to make a large peach pie than the individual pies and it was so very good.

I just took my crust (store bought, even though I have her homemade recipe) and spread it over my pie dish. I took a large can of peaches, (drained) & added about 1/4 c sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon & nutmeg and then spread them out over my crust. I took another crust & spread it over the peaches & poked holes in it to let the steam out. I baked it for about 30-45 mins (or when crust was golden brown) on 325 degrees.

When I removed it from the oven, I spread some cream cheese icing over the top and just let it set. Oh it was good....real good!

Ziplock Omelets

2010-02-20T15:35:00.000-08:00

I've heard about them for years but have never given them a try until this past weekend. They are really easy to make and really good!

I used sandwich size Ziplock bags, added each girls initial with a Sharpie & added 2 eggs to each bag. I let them choose from shredded cheese, sliced/chopped turkey (lunchmeat), chopped onions & little tiny pepperoni. But the choices are endless....as you know!

Push all of the air out of the bag & seal up. Massage the mixture to combine & drop into a large pot of boiling water. The directions I had said to remove from water after 5 minutes but that wasn't long enough so I ended up leaving ours in for more like 15 minutes.

Remove from bag onto plate. Salt & pepper as desired. Top with salsa, chili or whatever you choose at this point!

I served ours with biscuits, hashbrown patty & sausage links.

I love quick & easy recipes like these. Do you have any you'd be willing to share?

Jalapeno Garlic Tilapia

2010-01-29T17:56:00.000-08:00

(Portion sizes appear larger in picture!! Also, in this picture, I served with rice rather than over angel hair pasta as indicated below!)

This is one of Larry's favorite dishes from Johnny Carino's. So, when I stumbled upon the recipe, I thought I'd give it a shot. He loved it! Matter of fact, he wants me to make it for my father-in-law next time they come for a visit. I believe you can make this sauce to go over any type of fish, use with shrimp or just as a dip!!

2 (4 oz) tilapia filets
1/2 c flour
2 oz melted margarine
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 c diced jalepeno
1 c de-stemmed spinach, chopped
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
1 pinch garlic salt
4 oz heavy cream
1/4 c lemon butter*
5 oz angel hair pasta
1/8 c diced roma tomato
1 tsp fresh parsley

*Lemon Butter:
1 stick butter
1/4 c lemon juice
2 tsp garlic
Combine & refrigerate until ready to use.

Add margarine & garlic to medium temperature saute pan.
Dredge tilapia filets in flour & add to pan. Once tilapia has finished cooking on one side, flip them over and add jalapenos, spinach, salt, pepper & garlic salt.
In the meantime, prepare angel hair pasta.
As the filets begin to flake, add the heavy cream & bring to a slight boil.
Once the cream boils, remove pan from fire/heat and pour the lemon butter into the sauce.
Place the pasta on a plate, add a piece of fish & sauce on top.
Garnish with fresh roma tomato & parsley

I made Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes as a side item! Super yummy!!
You will not regret trying either of these recipes!

Chicken Parmigiana

2010-01-29T12:07:00.000-08:00

In my quest to cook things outside of my comfort zone, I found the recipe for Rachael Ray's Chicken Parmigiana and naturally, it was awesome! I must admit though, I didn't follow her recipe completely. I used Prego's Roasted Garlic spaghetti sauce instead of making it from scratch (something Sandra Lee would do) and so it turned out "Semi-Homemade"!! (Wonder if I watch way too many Food Channel shows???)

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided
1/4 cup chopped parsley (about a handful)
2 tablespoons chopped oregano (about half a palmful)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 chicken breast cutlets, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided, plus additional
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 small, yellow-skinned onion, finely chopped
1 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, such as Muir Glen brand
1 cup chopped fresh basil (about 2 handfuls), plus additional for garnish
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions:
Preheat broiler.
Set up three dishes on your countertop: Fill one with the flour, one with the eggs, and the other with a mixture of the breadcrumbs, half the grated cheese, herbs, salt and pepper.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 3 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 3 tablespoons. While the pan is heating up, season the chicken cutlets with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and coat each one in the flour, then in the egg, and lastly in the cheesy breadcrumbs.
Once the oil is hot, cook the chicken cutlets until golden brown and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side depending on how thick they are. Cook them in two batches, transferring the cooked cutlets to a paper towel-lined plate while the others, adding more oil to the pan between batches if need be.
While the chicken is cooking, place a medium-size pot on the stove over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and chopped onion. Cook 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until the veggies have softened. Add the tomatoes and heat them through, about 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the basil, then season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Layer the chicken with the sauce in a casserole dish. Top the casserole with the remaining grated Parmigiano and mozzarella. Brown the chicken parm casserole under the broiler until the cheese has melted and is lightly golden brown, about 3 minutes. Garnish with some chopped basil before serving.

Heart Healthy - Homemade Salsa

2010-01-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

I'm joining Robin at Big Red Kitchen for National Wear Red Day Event... So, here's my Heart Healthy Recipe. I'll save this space for my recipe but check Life's Little Blessings for my (coming soon) post on the Heart!

4 large tomatoes, seeds removed, diced

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 green pepper, diced

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

4.5 oz. can green chilis, chopped

1/4 tsp. salt

1 medium onion, diced

1/8 tsp. black pepper

3 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine tomatoes, green pepper, chilies, onion, garlic, lemon juice, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Heat thoroughly on medium-high temperature for approximately 10 minutes. Let cool and add the cilantro. Refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.

Cajun Saffron Rice

2010-01-21T13:22:00.001-08:00

I hit the jackpot recently while attending services at Mineral Springs church of Christ in Mineral Springs. As most of you know, this was my Mother's church. It's an awesome place to worship - it's a place of help, hope & home. I love this place. Not only did they give Mother a new life but they let her be a servant for God which was her pride & joy of life. This is where I was baptized by our very close friend Mike Reese and where we held Mother's final celebration. I make sure I attend each time I'm home because I feel Mother's love & touch while I'm there. Oops...about the jackpot - it happened to be Potluck Sunday when I was visiting! YUMMY!!! Anyways, this was the first dish I came to & just had to make it for the whole family to enjoy.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 ounces kielbasa, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (5 ounce) package saffron rice mix (I use Mahatma saffron yellow rice)
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium hight heat. Add the sausage and brown on both sides - about 5 minutes total. Reduce heat to medium and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Drain off the grease. Add the broth and rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in the shrimp, sprinkle with cajun seasoning, cover, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Season with salt and pepper.

I served this with toasted/buttered whole-wheat Orowheat Sandwhich Thins as I felt that was plenty. I think a side salad might be good too! Let me mention, the white stuff you see in the picture is melted mozzarella cheese - I thought it was a wonderful addition. And the next time I make it, I'm going to add crawfish tails!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2010-01-21T12:42:00.000-08:00

Funny thing...this is the ONLY picture I took! It's my chopped mushrooms, bamboo shoots (which was an add-in not listed below, onions & water chestnuts!

I finally got the ingredients to make Chicken Lettuce Wraps for Larry. He asked me for them weeks ago but for some reason, I had to get mentally prepared to make them. They were really good except that I felt like they weren't spicy enough for my tastebuds! As I'm writing out this post & reviewing the ingredients, I realize it's because I didn't follow the instructions very well! For the "special sauce" it calls for red chile paste and it just dawned on me...I didn't follow that step!!! I did add a lot more hot mustard to mine to compensate and would make them again! Next time, I would add either Chinese collophone noodles (cooked per pkg. directions) or chopped peanuts!

Ingredients
3 tablespoons oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 c water chestnuts - minced to the size of corn kernals
2/3 cup mushrooms - minced to the size of corn kernals
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1-2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Stir Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions
Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve. Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well. Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.
Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan. Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done. Remove chicken from the pan and cool. Keep oil in the pan, keep hot. As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of corn kernals.

Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl. When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil. Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".

Top with"Special Sauce".

I'd really like to learn how to make Spring Rolls or Egg Rolls - if you have a recipe worth sharing, please do so!

Enjoy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2010-01-11T20:16:00.001-08:00

2nd week of menu items from the hubs. This week he asked for grilled chicken salad (done), chicken stir fry, deer meat & Cordon Bleu. (And he's still waiting on the spicy lettuce cups!) So, I ventured out on a misson to find the recipes to make these special request items. Sure, I could buy these little frozen Cordon Blue patties, bags of stir fry and bags of grilled chicken, but I sure have had a lot of fun cookin these requests all "semi-homemade"!! I was a little nervous about making Cordon Bleu but it was SO easy and did I mention....DELICIOUS!!!Sorry the picture is not all that good. As I was packing it up into my leftovers container, I realized I didn't get a picture. You know, sometimes, pictures do not do justice to the real deal!

Ingredients
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (Tyson works best! Yes, I'm partial!)
6 slices Swiss cheese
6 slices ham
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour (or more)
1 tsp paprika
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 c dry white wine or chicken broth
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 c heavy whipping cream
chopped basil, for garnish (optional)

Directions
1) Pound chicken breasts to 1/2 in thickness. Place a slice of cheese & slice of ham on each breast within 1/2 inch of the egde. Fold the edges of the chicken over the filling and secure with a toothpick. Mix the flour & paprika in a small bowl & coat the chicken pieces.
2) Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken until browned on all sides. Add the wine or chicken broth and bouillon. Reduce heat to low, cover & simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
3) Remove the toothpicks & transfer checken to a warm plate. Blend the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl and whisk slowly into the skillet. Cook, stirring until thickened and pour over the chicken. Serve warm!

I served this with green beans & cheese and spinach tortillini. I know it'd be so good with mashed potatoes too.

Paula Deen's Hurry Up Chicken Pot Pie

2010-01-10T08:23:00.000-08:00

I have been hungry for chicken pot pie for some time now. I found Paula Deen's recipe & thought I'd give it a try. It was DELICIOUS! I don't have a picture of it, unfortunately because once it was done & dished out, I realized, I didn't take any pictures. Oh wait...there were left-overs & I was able to get a picture! Not as good as when it first came out of the oven - but you'll get the idea!

Ingredients
1 c chicken breast, cooked & chopped (I used a large can of chicken)
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1/2 c thinly sliced carrots (I used a whole can of sliced carrots)
1/2 c frozen green peas (I used a whole can of English peas)
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 c chicken broth
salt & pepper, optional
1 1/2 c Bisquick
1 c milk
1 stick butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a greased 2-quart casserole, layer chicken, eggs, carrots & peas. Mix the soup, chicken broth & season with salt & pepper, if desired. Pour over the layers. (I gently mixed the soup mixture with the veggies rather than having layers.) Stir together the bisquick & milk and pour this over the casserole. Drizzle butter over the top. Bake until the topping is golden brown, 30-40 minutes. (Mine took a little longer!)

Larry liked it and he doesn't even like chicken pot pie. I think next time, I'm going to add whole kernal corn & chopped potatoes.

Enjoy!

Chipolte Lime Chicken

2010-01-06T19:58:00.000-08:00

This was made by special request from Larry! I was surprised at how moist & tasty the chicken turned out! This was my first time to ever cook anything chipolte flavored but it won't be the last!

(Note, I found this picture online & borrowed it! I was so excited about this new menu item, that I forgot to take pictures!)

Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 6
1 chipotle chile in adobo, minced
1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce, from the canned peppers
1/4 cup lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons honey

Directions
1) Preheat grill to moderate heat for gas or medium indirect heat for charcoal and AWAY from fire, lightly oil or spray COOL cooking rack for easy cleaning.

2) Mix minced pepper, adobo, lime juice,garlic, oil and pour half into resealable bag. DO NOT add the honey. That comes later. Reserve the rest for basting.

3) Season chicken with salt and pepper- sometimes we use season salt or lemon pepper for a twist.

4) Add chicken to bag and allow to marinate for 15 minutes. No need to refrigerate for this short time.

5) Remove chicken from marinade and place on preheated grill. Discard USED marinade.

6) Grill chicken about 4-5 minutes then flip over and cook another 4-5 minutes.
7) Now add the honey to RESERVED marinade and baste chicken. Immediately flip chicken and baste the unbasted side. Grill until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

8) Remove from grill and pour any remaining RESERVED sauce on top.

Note: This can be done on an indoor grill as well. Make sure you spray or oil it before heating grill. I actually cooked mine in a skillet & let it sit a little while before serving. The flavors just seemed to "mesh" by resting together for a bit!

I made Goya yellow rice as a side for a simple yet perfect dinner.

Do you like to try new recipes & flavors? What's something different/unique that you've had on your menu?

Tamale Pie

2010-01-05T20:20:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but when I'm not hungry, it's hard for me to cook! During the last two weeks, I've not really "cooked" anything! We've just eaten what we wanted, when we got hungry! I love those days! They spoil me! But now that we're back in the school routine, it's back to cooking for me.

Every time I ask Larry what he wants, he says, " I don't care. Every thing you cook is good". Or sometimes, he may throw in..."well, I don't know what's on the menu"! Ok, well then tell me what you want on the "menu" and that's what we'll have. When he does ask me for something, it's usually chicken & dumplins, chicken noodle soup, Shepard's Pie or even B's pizza. (That's the way my mom made them!) But this time, he threw me for a loop and asked for Tamale Pie, Chipolte Lime Chicken and Spicy Lettuce Cups! Well, alrighty then!

On the mission I went to find the perfect recipes for ... all of the above! So far, I'm 2 for 2! Here's the Tamale Recipe I found. I won't lie and tell you where I found it - because I looked so much, I couldn't even tell you where I found it! But it's good & I hope you enjoy!

3 Tbsp Canola oil, divided

1 small onion, chopped

1 lg clove garlic, finely chopped

1 lb beef (or turkey) (I used ground deer burger)

1/2 tsp chipolte puree or smoked paprika (or more to taste)

1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, divided

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp sugar, divided

2 tsp white vinegar

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 15 oz can beans (pinto, kidney or black) (I used pinto)

2 c frozen corn (I used 1 can whole kernal, drained)

1/3 c flour

2/3 c cornmeal

1 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 c buttermilk

1 egg

1 c grated cheddar cheese

1) Heat oven to 400. In a 10 or 12 in heavy oven proof pan, heat 1 Tbsp of oil & saute onions until translucent and browning around edges.

2) Add garlic & saute another minute, then crumble meant. Turn up heat to cook - stirring & breaking until browned.

3) Stir in chipolte puree, 3/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp of sugar, vinegar, tomato sauce, beans & corn. Simmer for a few minutes so the ingredients can get to know each other! (HA...read that the other day & couldn't wait to use it!)

4) Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, remaining 1/2 tsp salt & remaining Tbsp sugar. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk & remaining oil. Finally, mix the liquid mixture with the dry ingredients. Stir in half of the cheddar cheese. **Or cheat like I did...I had a package of War Eagle Cornbread mix so I just followed the package instructions - added sugar & cheese! Ta-Da...

5) Pour meat mixture into 9x13 baking dish

Cover evenly with cornbread mixture. Top with remaining half of cheddar cheese. Place in pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes or until cornbread is golden brown & knife inserted in center comes out clean!

It was really, really good! Personally, I think it needed a little jalepeno to spice it up a little but overall, it was different & good.

There are TONS of Tamale Pie recipes out there. In this one cookbook I always reach for when looking up new recipes, she actually used Tamales & Wolf brand chili instead of using making cornbread. My dad's wife says she actually makes chili & layers her ingredients starting with cornbread mixture on the bottom, chili, corn, cheese - repeat.

If you have a favorite Tamale Pie recipe ...how do you fix yours?

Crawfish Corn Chowder

2010-01-01T09:21:00.000-08:00

One of my co-workers made this chowder for a Multi-Cultural luncheon at work recently. They had a whole slew of Louisiana dishes and I just had to have this recipe. My VP made Jambalaya & he kindly gave me his "secret" recipe too! It was so yummy!

Here's her chowder recipe....I hope you enjoy!

2-3 celery stalks, chopped

1 onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

2 cloves minced garlic

1 stick butter

2 lbs Crawfish tailmeat*

1 pint half and half

2 cans cream of potato soup

2 cans whole kernal corn, drained

celery seed to taste

salt & pepper to taste

ground red pepper to taste

1/2 bunch of parsley, destemmed & chopped

5-6 green onions, chopped

Saute veggies in butter. Add cream of potato soup, corn, celery seed, tailmeat and half and half to desired consistency. (I added water too). Stir until simmering. Add salt, black pepper and red pepper, let simmer a little more until all flavors are meshed. You can add a can of cream of celery soup, cream of shrimp soup, etc...if you like. Last 5 minutes, add parsley & green onions.

*Crawfish tailmeat can be found frozen in the seafood case at Wal-Mart. Shrimp or keilbasa sausage can be substituted and/or included.

I added a little Tony Chachere's seasoning to give it a more Louisiana flavor.

Pecan Pie

2009-12-17T18:36:00.001-08:00

My in-laws came before Christmas to visit & brought 2 pecan pies. They were delicious! I was so glad my MIL shared her recipe!

3 eggs

1/2 c sugar

1 cup Karo Syrup

2 Tbsp melted butter

dash of salt

1 tsp vanilla

Combine eggs & sugar - beat by hand (with wisk or fork) until creamy. Add karo, melted butter, salt & vanilla - mix well. Pour into an unbaked pie crust. Place pecans on top until well covered. Bake 350 degrees for approximately 55 mins or until center doesn't "jiggle".

Use a pie crust cover to keep the edge from getting too brown. I think what I'll do next time is chop the pecans & add them to the mixture before adding to the crust.

From Mother's handwritten cookbook, here's her recipe & comment:

3/4 c dark Karo syrup

3/4 c sugar

3 eggs beaten

2 Tbsp flour

1/3 c melted butter

1 c pecans

Mix together and pour into an unbaked pie shell. Bake 40 minutes on 350 degrees.

Here's what makes this special...her added note: "Got this recipe at Southern State (now SAU). I think I made it once or twice but Kathy Turley (my aunt) always makes the pecan pies at Thanksgiving and Mamaw always makes them at her house. I did use a 9" deep dish pie crust. Maybe one day I'll make one...think I might for Christmas." (Handwritten in 2002)

Update...as I mentioned above, I did it. I made another pie & this time, I chopped the pecans & mixed it with my syrup mixture before pouring into my crust. Oh my stars, it was the best. It looks a little runny in the picture but only because I cut it while it was piping hot! It was super delicious!

Ham & Cheese Breakfast Casserole

2009-09-07T12:45:00.000-07:00

This casserole was served at my Nashville baby shower! It was so good, I requested the recipe and made it for the teachers at our Back 2 School breakfast. Word of advice, serve it hot because it's not as good warmed up!

18 slices white bread, cubed

8 oz cooked ham, cubed (can use Pampered Chef chopper or buy it cubed)

2 c shredded Cheddar cheese

1 1/2 c diced Swiss cheese

6 eggs

3 1/2 c milk

1/2 tsp onion powder

2 c crushed cornflakes

1/2 c butter, melted

Lightly grease a 8x13 baking dish. Line the bottom of the dish with half the bread cubes. Sprinkle with ham, Cheddar & Swiss cheese. Top with remaining bread. In a bowl, beat together the eggs, milk & onion powder. Pour evenly over bread. Cover & refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 375. In a small bowl, blend the crushed cornflakes and melted butter. Spread evenly over casserole. Bake 40 minutes until bubbly and golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

You might want to add a little salt & pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

2009-07-04T07:51:00.001-07:00

I love to read recipes, print them out & then file them. Larry laughs because I have a HUGE collection of recipe books and printed out recipes but always cook the same ole things. Every one in a while, I'll bust out a new recipe and even though it's delicious - I go back to the old reliables! Well, I've been in a cooking mood lately! Not sure if it's because Presley's coming so I'm obsessed with getting things in the freezer so it'll be so much easier with a new baby or what it is! Anywho...I found myself browsing Pioneer Woman's recipe index and found a few recipes (ok, more than a few) that caught my attention. I just so happened to be going to the store, so before the mood left me, I bought all of the ingredients for the following recipes: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie, Onion Straws, The Marlboro Man Sandwich & Crash Hot Potatoes. And since the kids are not home, I decided I'd make the sandwhich, potatoes & pie for the ole hubby. I wasn't fond of the sandwich but Larry LOVED it! We both loved the Crash Hot Potatoes!
I only took pictures of the pie because it's obvious someone's been eating my pie - right out of the pan!
I think it tastes just like eating peanut butter fudge so beware on the serving sizes, you obviously do not want to cut a HUGE piece of this pie or you'll regret it!

Here's the recipe:

Crust: (I cheated & bought an Oreo crust)
25 Oreos
1 Tbsp butter, melted
Crust the Oreos until they're fine crumbs. Pour melted butter over the top & stir with a fork to combine. Press into pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Filling:
1 c creamy peanut butter
1 8-oz pkg softened cream cheese
1 1/4 c powdered sugar
1 8-oz container Cool Whip, thawed
Beat the peanut butter with the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add in the thawed Cool Whip and beat mixture until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.
Pour filling into crust, evening out the top with a knife or spatula. Chill for at least an hour before serving.
She even places the same warning...this is ultra, ultra rich! Cut into small slivers - your guests will thank you!

Chicken Spaghetti & Green Beans

2009-07-02T18:06:00.001-07:00

Mother occasionally made chicken spaghetti for potlucks, etc... but for some reason, I was never brave enough to try it. When she died, one of my cousins brought this casserole over and I just loved it.

This recipe makes enough to feed an army - that's the only way us Turley girls know how to cook. Tonight, when I made supper, I actually made enough for one 9 x 13 dish instead of two!

3 cans chicken broth

1 pkg. spaghetti (I use angel hair pasta)

cooked chicken, chopped (I have used can chicken & it works just as good!)

1/2 medium onion, chopped (I use whatever I have - purple, white or yellow)

1 or 2 cans English peas, drained

1 can mild Rotel

1/4 loaf to 1 lb. Velveeta (diced)

4 c. shredded Cheddar cheese (or shredded Mexican blend)

2 Tbsp Worcestershire

2 Tbsp margarine

2 small cans, sliced black olives (I like the chopped!)

pkg. sliced fresh mushrooms (I opt to leave them out!)

1 pod garlic, chopped (I use the jar of chopped garlic)

1 can cream of chicken soup

In a large stock pot, cook noodles in chicken broth. While noodles are cooking, saute onions, garlic & mushrooms (if using) in 2 Tbsp margarine. When noodles are done, add cheeses into noodles & broth; mix well. (If not cheesy enough, add more Velveeta.) (Do not drain noodles - it'll be too dry otherwise after baking)When cheese melts, add in all other ingredients. Mix thoroughly & pour into baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes.

The recipe says to pour plain bread crumbs over casserole then pour 4 Tbsp of melted butter over crumbs. I skip this part and cover the casserole with shredded cheddar cheese & French fried onions.

I think the reason I never ate Mother's is because she used celery and green peppers & I am not a fan of either one!

Here's her recipe:

4 c cooked diced chicken

1 lg. onion, chopped

1 lg green bell pepper, chopped

1 c celery, chopped

Saute onion, bell pepper & celery in 3 Tbsp of margarine until tender.

Combine 1 can chicken broth, 1 can cream of chicken soup & 1 can rotel

Add chicken, onion, bell pepper & celery to soup mixture

Add 1 pkg cooked spaghetti. Place in casserole dish & top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

For some reason, I think I have to have green beans or a green salad as a side with my spaghetti -regular or chicken. Larry loves my green beans and there's really nothing to them.

Most of the time, I chop bacon & onion and cook until done & then add a couple of cans of French style green beans and a couple teaspoons of sugar. Then, I just cook the green beans to death!!

If I'm in a hurry, I use onion flakes & real bacon bits and no one even can tell the difference!

Hash Brown Quiche

2009-05-24T15:23:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe for Hash Brown Quiche on Mimi's Making Meals and made it for our church potluck tonight. They turned out beautifully & were both delicious! So different than your traditional pie crust quiche.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

3 c frozen shredded hash browns, thawed & drained

1/2 stick of butter, melted

Press the drained hashbrowns between paper towels to dry them. Add melted butter to the hashbrowns & mix well. Press the hashbrowns into the bottom & sides of a 9 inch pie plate to form a crust. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until the hashbrowns are golden brown & starting to get crispy.

3 large eggs, beaten

1 c half & half

1 can Hormel canned ham

1/2 c chopped onion

1/8 tsp red pepper

1 c shredded Cheddar cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl, combine the half & half, eggs & chopped ham. Add chopped onion, red pepper & shredded cheese; stir to combine. Pour egg mixture into hashbrown crust & return to the oven.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the quiche is golden brown & a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. The top of the quiche will be slightly puffed up.

MODIFICATIONS:

I used deli sliced ham & chopped into small pieces. I used green onions rather than yellow or white onion. And lastly, I used mozzarella cheese rather than Cheddar.

I made another quiche using sausage & Cheddar cheese. While my crust was cooking, I cut up 1 yellow onion & added to sausage while browning. I then combined the sausage & egg mixture and poured into my crust.

This really can be made with any combination. I think spinach would even be a good add in to the recipe!

Black Eye Pea Salad

2009-05-05T17:03:00.001-07:00

When I was growing up, my Papaw Turley had a garden & I can remember us cousins would have to go out and pick a whole row of "purple hull" peas and then shell them! Those rows seem to NEVER end!!! Then, we'd all have purple fingers by the time we were finished!! I was so glad to see the day he bought a sheller. What was even better was when I got old enough not to have to go pick peas!!!

I never have been able to tell the difference between purple hull peas & black eye peas. I love them no matter what they're called!! I love them on cornbread, by themselves or in this salad!

2 cans Black Eye Peas - drained

green onions, chopped (use as much as you like)

1 sm jar Pimentos

bacon bits (again, use as much as you like)

1 green pepper, chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix ingredients together in a medium container with lid. Next you'll mix together the following ingredients & pour over the Black Eye Pea mixture.

1/4 c sugar

1/4 c vinegar

1/4 c oil

Mix together well with vegetables & store in airtight container. This is one of those recipes that's better after 24-48 hours.

You can not damage this recipe. I made this recently & I didn't have pimentos so I chopped up a red & green pepper. I also used purple instead of green onions and I added celery. It was still good.

Sloppy Slaw (aka Saurerkraut Salad)

2009-05-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from Mother before she died; she got it from working at the Dinner Bell in Nashville. We all called it Sloppy Slaw & ate it on BBQ sandwiches in place of Coleslaw. It's really good on some pinto beans and cornbread too!
Can you tell I was raised in the South??

2 cans (or 1 large jar) Saurerkraut, drained
1 med. purple onion, chopped
1 lg. jar pimentos, drained
1 bunch clelery, chopped
Black pepper, to taste
Sugar, to taste**

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized container with lid. Mix well, cover & refrigerate. Stir periodically. Best if refrigerated for 24-48 hours before use.

**I start with 1/4 c sugar and add until I reach the desired taste. You can add more (or less) onion & celery as desired.

Hot Chicken Salad

2009-04-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

I made this recipe recently for Friends & Family day pot luck at church. It really turned out pretty good. Of course, I had to made modifications because I don't like all of the suggested ingredients. I know others probably do but I wanted to be able to sample my own dish!

Here's the recipe. I hope you enjoy!

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (Tyson chicken is always my first choice! Wonder why??)
2 bay leaves

Place chicken in a large pot & cover with water; add bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cook uncovered, until juices run clear. Remove chicken & cut into 1/2 inch cubes; place in a large bowl. Add next 11 ingredients.

4 cups diced celery
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 c mayonnaise
2 c (16 oz) sour cream
2 cans (8 oz) water chestnuts, drained
1 can (8 oz) mushrooms, stems & pieces, drained
1 c slivered almonds
2 Tbsp chopped onion
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 c (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
2 cans (2.8 oz each) french-fried onions

Mix well. Transfer to a 13x9x2 baking dish (dish will be full). Sprinkle with cheese & french-fried onions. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Wanna guess what I left out??? You got it...mushrooms & water chestnuts!! I only added about 2 cups of celery and I used 1 tsp (and then some) of pepper. I was thinking I might add chopped black olives next time.

ps. As a word of caution - this dish yields 16 servings!

Carrots kids will want to nibble on!

2009-04-04T07:44:00.001-07:00

I made these little Easter surprises last April, placed them in an Easter basket and passed them out to the little ones at church. With Easter just around the corner, I thought I'd share this for those Mothers looking for Easter basket ideas for their little ones!

Craft Materials

Bag of Cheetos or Cheese Puffs

Green Tissue Paper

Wilton decorating/icing bags

different colors of curling ribbon

1. Fill an icing bag with Cheetos, leaving at least 3 inches unfilled at the top.

2. Cut out two 8-inch squares of green tissue paper and lay one on top of the other.

3. Pick up the squares from the center and give them a little twist so you have a cone-shaped carrot top.

4. Place the tissue, twisted end down, into the bag.

5. Gather the bag at the top of the jelly beans and secure with a piece of curling ribbon, wrapping the ribbon around the "stem" of the tissue paper, so the greenery sticks out of the top.

It's as simple as that!

I've also seen this done with orange jelly beans or M&Ms. If you're giving it to someone special, you can attach an Easter greeting.

Hominy Casserole

2009-04-02T20:23:00.001-07:00

Mother loved Hominy Casserole. Christmas 2002, she gave me a handwritten recipe book of all her favorite recipes & this was one of them.
Every 4th Sunday following our evening worship at church, we have different themed potluck meals. One particular night was Mexican themed and unbeknownst to me, I got some Hominy Casserole & just loved it! Shame on me for never trying it for Mother!!

Here's her recipe...

1/2 stick butter
1/2 c onion, chopped
2 cans yellow hominy, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Melt butter in a skillet, add onion & cook until tender. Add hominy, cream of chicken soup & 1/2 c shredded cheese and mix well. Pour into 2 qt casserole dish & top with remaining cheese. Bake on 350 for 30 minutes. She sometimes liked using Mexican velveeta to give it a little spice.

I followed her recipe but added a little garlic, 1/4 c milk & a can of green chilies to give it my own little spice!!!

Go ahead and try it and let me know what you think!

Beef Enchilada Casserole

2009-04-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I am the PTA Hospitality chairperson at my kids' school, so when the teachers have Parent/Teacher conferences, we (PTA) provide luncheons for them which gives me an excuse to try out new recipes!!

I found this recipe on Kelly's Korner and modified it a little to fit my needs for our luncheon!

Here's the original recipe as posted on Kelly's blog:

1 lb hamburger meat
1 small onion, chopped
1 can black olives, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can Enchilada sause
2 c shredded Cheddar Cheese
6-8 flour tortillas

Brown meat & onions until done, drain. Mix in olives & add 3/4 c of cheese - let it melt and mix all together. Fill tortillas with meat mixture & roll up. Place in 9x13 baking dish. Combine mushroom soup & enchilada sauce then pour on top. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Here's my version...
Mushrooms disgust me so I used cream of chicken soup. I cut my flour tortillas into strips. Once my meat mixture was done, I added the black olives and mixed well. I placed half of my tortilla strips in my 9x13 pan and then added meat mixture, Enchilada sauce mixture & sprinkled with cheese. I repeated the layers & topped with remaining cheese. Then, I baked it just as directed.

Ole'

Oooey, Gooey Chocolate Bars

2009-03-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on Kelly's Korner the other day while browsing through her recipes and couldn't wait to make them. Wanted to share this yummy recipe with my friends & family as well. Enjoy!
1 c butter, melted (2 sticks)

1 Chocolate cake mix (18.25 oz)

3 large eggs

3-4 Tbsp cocoa powder (I used 3 "rounded" Tbsp)

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 box (1 lb) powdered sugar

1 c chopped pecans (or walnuts) (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees & place rack in center. Lightly butter a 9x13 baking dish/pan. In a large bowl, beat together (with mixer on slow) cake mix, 1 egg & 1/2 c (1 stick) melted butter until well combined. Evenly pat out into prepared dish/pan & set aside.

In another mixing bowl, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Beat in 2 remaining eggs & cocoa powder until well combined. Reduce speed to low and add powered sugar; beat until well combined. Gradually add remaining 1/2 c butter and vanilla extract - beat until smooth. Fold in pecans (or walnuts) with a rubber spatula & spread over cake mixture. Bake until set around edges but center is a little gooey - 40-50 minutes.

If you like German Chocolate cake, you can use a German Chocolate cake mix instead of plain chocolate & add 1 c. sweetened, flaked coconut when folding in pecans. I added 1/2 c pecans & 1/2 c Heath bar chips - it was Yummy!!!

Serve with Homemade Vanilla ice cream for a wonderful treat!

Kraft's Sky High Brunch Bake

2009-02-22T14:01:00.000-08:00

I found this on Kraft's website & made for a Teacher's back-to-school breakfast. I made it again for my co-workers & had to pass out the recipe both times. When we're having food day, I get asked to bring this because it really is so good!

1 pkg (2 sheets) frozen pastry puff (thawed)
6 eggs
1 c. Ricotta cheese
dash of Tabasco sauce
2 pkg (10 oz each) chopped spinach, thawed & drained
1 lb sausage (hot or mild depending on taste), cooked & drained
1-1/2 c shredded Cheddar (or Mozzarella) cheese

4 slices bacon, cooked & chopped
1 c chopped red pepper
dash or two of red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook & drain sausage. (I cook the red peppers with the sausage.) Unfold pastry sheets; roll out one sheet to about 11 inch square & the other to 12 inch square. Line the bottom & side of greased (or foiled) 9x13 baking dish.

Beat eggs in medium bowl with wire whisk. Reserve 1 Tbsp of the eggs; set aside. Add ricotta cheese, pepper sauce & spinach to remaining eggs; mix until well blended. Layer half each of the sausage, Cheddar/Mozzarella cheese, bacon & spinach mixture in pastry-lined pan. Repeat layers.

Place remaining pastry sheet over mixture; fold & tuck edges in pan. Pinch edges to seal. Brush top with reserved 1 Tbsp egg. Cut 5 or 6 slots in top crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake 45 - 55 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

For a different taste, you can use Shredded Swiss cheese & chopped ham.

Dump Soup

2009-02-22T13:50:00.001-08:00

Children can easily help make this recipe! All they have to do is....dump!

1 lb lean ground beef
2-10 3/4 oz cans minestrone soup (+2 cans water)
16 oz cans Ranch style beans
2-16 oz cans stewed tomatoes (or you can use Rotel)
15 oz can whole kernal corn, drained
1 c frozen hash brown potatoes

Brown beef & drain. (I add a small chopped onion & cook with beef!) Combine meat with remaining ingredients in medium-sized soup pot & bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer about 15 minutes. If soup appears too thick, add a little water. Makes 16 (3/4 cup) servings.

This recipe can be "doctored" so many different ways. You can add additional vegetables or even spice it up with Tabasco sauce and/or chili powder. Make a batch of my Mother's cornbread and you've got a meal!!!

Hawaiian Waffles

2009-02-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

If you read "Breakfast - Food for Thought", I suggested to stay away from sugery breakfast items but this is such a good treat!!! I'd be lying if I told you I stayed completely away from foods that were not the best thing for me!

1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c flaked coconut 1/2 c light corn syrup
1/4 c pineapple juice

Waffles:
2 c all-purpose flour 4 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar 1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, separated 1 c milk
1/4 c butter or margarine, melted 1/4 c flaked coconut
1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple, drained 1/4 c chopped macadamia nuts
Add'l chopped macadamia nuts, toasted - optional

In a saucepan, combine the first 5 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 12-15 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken then set aside.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar & salt. In a separate bowl, combine egg yolks, milk & butter; stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Stir in pineapple, coconut & nuts. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter (batter will be thick). Preheat waffle iron. Fill & bake according to manufacturer's directions. Top with pineapple sauce & additional nuts, if desired.

Breakfast - Food for Thought!

2009-02-08T14:48:00.001-08:00

When Bryan & I were growing up, EVERY SINGLE MORNING, Mother would make breakfast - I'm talking homemade biscuits & gravy!!! (She spoiled us SO bad!!!) Mother always made sure we had breakfast & would remind us how important it was for us to eat breakfast. WELL...one of the first things I learned on my weight loss journey was that breakfast IS the most important meal!!! (Never doubt your Mother!) I've had to learn to eat SOMETHING each morning because I have never really been one to eat right when I get up in the morning.

Anyway...in case you're wondering why breakfast is so important...here's why: It refuels the body, reduces the risk of heart disease, good for physical & mental health, better concentration & you have a higher energy level. I will say that biscuits & gravy are probably not the best breakfast choice but it's a good treat every now and then!! Skip sugary cereals/foods too cause it's not good for concentration if you have a hard time concentrating as it is!!

Sausage Enchiladas

2009-02-08T14:39:00.000-08:00

At Asbell, PTA hosts a Back-to-School breakfast for the staff. This is one the staff loves along with the Breakfast Casserole & Sky High Brunch Bake & oh, you get the picture!! I always take the recipes with me because I always have to pass them out.

2 c browned breakfast sausage
1/2 c green onions, chopped
1/2 c green peppers, chopped
1-1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
8 flour tortillas
4 eggs beaten
2 c half & half
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
4 drops Tabasco sauce

Add Ons: Sour Cream - Salsa - Guacamole - Jalepenos

Preheat oven to 350. Combine sausage, green onions, green peppers & cheddar cheese in a bowl. Divide into tortillas & roll; place seam down in greased retangular baking dish. Combine beaten eggs, half & half, flour, salt, garlic powder & Tabasco sauce. Pour egg mixture over tortillas & cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil during last 10 minutes of baking. Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole & jalapenos.

Breakfast Casserole

2009-02-08T14:24:00.000-08:00

This really is a good breakfast casserole & can be made so many different ways!

1 lb breakfast meat (sausage, ham, bacon or combination)
1 32 oz bag hasbrowns (thawed or left out at room temp)
salt & pepper to taste
1 onion, chopped
Lawrey's seasoning salt to taste
2-3 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp onion powder

Brown meat & onion until done; drain & set aside. In a mixing bowl, mix together hashbrowns, seasoning salt, salt, pepper & onion powder. Place mixture in lightly greased 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle with half cheese mixture then spoon sausage mixture over cheese.

5 eggs beaten
3 Tbsp milk or half & half
1/2 tsp dry mustard

Mix together eggs, dash of salt & pepper and 3 Tbsp milk. Pour mixture over sausage. Now, it's best if you can refrigerate overnight but ok if you don't have the time! When ready to bake, sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake on 350 for 45 minutes or until eggs are set.

Because this is such a versatile recipe!! You can add in or change this up tons of ways; add mushrooms, red/green peppers (for not only flavor but color), crushed red peppers or Tabasco sauce for a little spice. You may want to use Swiss cheese if using ham as your meat or Fiesta cheese if adding peppers & Tabasco sauce & add a little Salsa while you're at it!!

Taco Bake

2009-01-28T11:32:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe in a Kraft Food magazine, a couple of pages from the Shephard's Pie recipe!!! Surprisingly, it's really good & easy.

1 pkg. Macaroni & Cheese dinner
1 lb ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
3/4 c water
3/4 c sour cream
1-1/2 c shredded cheddar - divided
1 c Thick 'n chunky salsa

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare macaroni & cheese dinner as directed on package. While macaroni is cooking, brown meat until done & drain. Add taco seasoning & water to meat; simmer for 5 minutes. Stir sour cream into macaroni & cheese. Spoon half of the macaroni mixture into baking dish; top with meat mixture, 1 cup shredded cheese & remaining macaroni mixture. Cover & bake for 15 minutes. Top with salsa & remaining 1/2 c cheese. Bake uncovered until cheese is melted.

Jazz it up by topping with 1/2 c crushed Fritos.

Easy Shepherd's Pie

2009-01-28T11:17:00.000-08:00

My husband runs up and down the road a lot so he's constantly in and out of fast food restaurants. He loves just about everything I cook - rarely have I made something he's turned away! One time, he made the comment that he loved Shepherd's Pie. I searched for that perfect Shepherd's Pie recipe, just as he described and found it in a Kraft Foods magazine. He now enjoys Shepherd's Pie in the comfort of his own home!

1 lb ground beef
2 c hot mashed potatoes
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
1 c shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
4 c frozen mixed vegetables, thawed (I cook my veggies in a little water until tender, but you don't have to!)
1 c beef gravy

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown meat in large skillet until done - drain. In a medium bowl, mix potatoes, cream cheese & 1/2 c shredded cheese until well blended. (May add salt, pepper & minced garlic for added flavor!) Add vegetables & beef gravy to ground beef - mix together. Spoon meat mixture into 9x13 baking dish. Cover with potato mixture. (Does not have to be perfectly spread!) Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c shredded cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Picante Chicken

2009-01-28T11:02:00.000-08:00

For the majority of my Junior High years, you could usually find me at Amy McAnelly's house. I know it's Amy Kuykendall now, but she'll always be McAnelly to me. It's no different for Patti Childress because she'll always be Patti Hinds and Julie Backus will always be Julie Parnell!!! Anywho...we were in like the 9th grade when she first introduced me to quick fix and I've made it ever since! It really doesn't even need anything to go with it as it's pretty good all by itself!

1 family size box - Shells & Cheese
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 med to large jar of Picante sauce (mild, medium or hot - depends on your taste)

Follow directions on box for shells & cheese. Boil chicken until done & drain. When cool enough to handle, cut into bite size pieces or shred with fork. Add chicken & picante sauce to shells & cheese. I add a little garlic powder & pepper to taste. Serve!

Easy as pie & satisfying!

Danish Coffee Cake

2009-01-28T10:56:00.000-08:00

This is so easy to make & oh so good!

2 can Crescent rolls
1 c sugar
8 oz pkg. cream cheese - softened
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Unroll 1 can crescent roll onto pizza pan or jelly roll pan. Beat cream cheese, 1 c sugar & vanilla - spread over crescent rolls. Unroll the other can & place on tope of cream cheese mixture. Melt butter & drizzle over top. Mix 1/4 c sugar & cinnamon & sprinkle over top. Bake on 350 degrees for 30 mintues or browned slightly.

Can add fruit topping such as apple or cherry pie filling to top of cream cheese mixture prior to unrolling 2nd can of crescent rolls.

Baked Squash

2009-01-28T10:49:00.000-08:00

My Mamaw Hicks used to make this for me when I was a little girl. It's comparable to what you'd get at Dixie Cafe, except hers wasn't sweet. I love it either way!!!

5-6 cups Squash
1/4 c onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c milk
1 c cracker crumbs (Ritz works best)
4 Tbsp butter, melted
salt & pepper, to taste

Cook squash with onion until squash is tender - drain. Add salt and pepper to taste. In a small bowl, Mix 3 Tbsp butter, eggs & milk together. Add to squash & stir gently. Pour into 9x13 baking dish. Mix remaining 1 Tbsp butter with cracker crumbs & pour over squash mixture. Bake on 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

Easy Potato Casserole

2009-01-28T10:43:00.000-08:00

1 bag hashbrowns - thawed
1 stick butter, melted
1 can cream of chicken soup (can use cream of mushroom)
1 (8 oz) carton of sour cream
1 tsp Salt
1 lb Velveeta, cubed
1 c onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute onion in a little butter until transparent. Mix potaotes, soup, sour cream, butter, Velveeta, salt & onion. Pour mixture in greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Gravy

2009-01-28T10:36:00.000-08:00

Back in the day, I literally lived at Doug & Patty Jones' house! Patty would make this and my whole family would enjoy the feast!

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4-6 slices of bacon (I cook in microwave until almost done)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I don't do mushrooms, so I use cream of chicken soup)
1 (8oz) carton of sour cream
1 jar dried beef
pepper to taste

Wash & cut off excess fat off chicken. Wrap bacon around chicken breasts. Layer dried beef in bottom of greased 9x13 pan. Place wrapped chicken on top of beef. Mix sour cream & soup then pour over chicken. Pepper to taste.

Bake 3 hours on 250 degrees.

I love serving this on a bed of rice with green beans as a side.

Creamy Tacos

2009-01-28T10:32:00.000-08:00

This is such a quick & easy recipe.

1 lb grouund beef
1 med onion, chopped
1 lb Velveeta, cubed
1/2 pkg chili or taco seasoning mix

1 can pinto or ranch style beans (optional)
1 can Rotel, drained
1 (8oz) carton of sour cream

Brown ground beef with onion until meat is done - drain. Add remaining ingredients & stir often until sour cream & Velveeta are melted.

Serve over Doritos, Fritos or Tortilla chips.

Topping suggestions: lettuce, tomatoes, taco sauce and/or guacamole.

Capitol Smokehouse & Grill Baked Potato Salad

2009-01-22T16:38:00.001-08:00

Did I mention that I love recipes, cooking & potato salad? I am VERY picky though when it comes to eating potato salad. I used to love, love, love Dinner Bell's potato salad & they closed down shop on me! Thank goodness Mother worked out there and would make it for me when I'd come in to visit. I found this recipe on KATV's website and made it the other day & found a new love!!!

8 baking potatoes. Wash potatoes & spray with butter flavored oil. Bake at 350 degrees until tender. Cool to room temperature.

While potatoes are baking, mix the following ingredients:

1 c mayonnaise
1 c sour cream
2 Tbsp White Vinegar
1/4 c green onions, chopped
1/4 c fresh bacon bits
1/4 c chopped, chives
1/4 c chopped parsley
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp pepper (white or black)

When potatoes are cooled, remove skins (or not) and chop coarsely. Mix with the above ingredients, folding in gently. DO NOT OVER MIX. Put in airtight container & store in refrigerator.

Heavenly Pink Salad

2009-01-22T16:26:00.000-08:00

This salad is indeed heavenly & definitely a keeper! It's pretty, makes plenty & tastes wonderful!

1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling
1 (15 oz) can crushed pineapple
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 c shredded coconut
2 c miniature marshmallows
1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 (16 oz) container Cool Whip, thawed

Mix together cherry pie filling, condensed milk, oranges, pineapple, coconut, marshmallows & Cool Whip. Chill for several hours & top with crushed pecans, if desired.

I make this in my triffle bowl & it is beautiful! I added sliced bananas but just a word of caution...don't add them until you're ready to serve or they will turn brown.

Creamed Corn

2009-01-22T16:16:00.000-08:00

Corn is right at the top of being my favorite vegetable. I love whole kernal, cream style, corn on the cob, corn nuggets....you get the picture? This is a super-fattening-delicious recipe that I could (and do) eat right out of the cooker!!!

2 pkgs (16 oz each) frozen whole kernal corn
4 (3 oz) pkg cream cheese, cubed
1 c milk
1/2 c butter/margarine, melted
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp (or more) ground black pepper

Place corn in slow cooker. Top with cream cheese. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients & mix well. Pour over corn mixture. Cover & cook on high for 3-4 hours.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Crunchy Asian Salad

2009-01-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

Yum-O - this is so good! I get asked to bring this to potlucks a lot!

1 envelope Good Season's Italian Salad Dressing
1/2 c sugar
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 pkg. Ramen Noodle (Discard seasoning pkg.)
2 pkg (16 oz each) Coleslaw blend
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 c dry roasted sunflower kernals
1/2 c sliced almonds, toasted

Prepare salad dressing mix in small bowl as directed on envelope. Stir in sugar & soy sauce.

Break apart noodles; place in a large bowl. Add coleslaw blend, onions, sunflower kernals & almonds; mix lightly. Add dressing to coat & serve immediately.

Dressing can be prepared the day ahead. Cover & refrigerate. Noodles can be crumbled the day before too - just place in a resealable back along with sunflower kernals & almonds.

You may substitute Good Season's Asain Sesame Dressing & mix or liquid Italian dressing rather than mix.

Marinated Vegetable Salad

2009-01-22T15:53:00.000-08:00

This salad is Yummy! I make this quiet often for the staff at school. I even substitute Splenda for the sugar & you can't even tell the difference!

2 cans whole kernal corn
2 cans English peas
2 cans French Style green beans
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (yellow, red or green)
1 large jar pimentos

Drain all vegetables. In a large bowl, with lid, combine all ingredients.

In a medium saucepan, combine:
1-1/2 c vinegar
1-1/2 c. oil
1-1/2 c sugar

Bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Let completely cool. Pour over vegetables - add pepper (approximately 1-1/2 tsp) & stir well. Cover & refrigerate.

Best after 24 hrs. May need to drain some liquid prior to serving.

Broccoli-Cauliflower-Bacon Salad

2009-01-22T15:44:00.000-08:00

This is one salad that I just cannot pass up, no matter what!

2 c. Miracle Whip
1/3 c grated (or shredded) Parmesan cheese
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c diced onion
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
1 head broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1 (16 oz pkg) bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled

Mix together Miracle Whip, Parmesan cheese, sugar & onion in a large bowl. Add cauliflower, broccoli & bacon. Stir to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Best if refrigerated overnight. Serves 8

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

2009-01-22T15:39:00.000-08:00

I love chicken salad! I found this recipe & used cranberry/pecan bread - OMG - so good!

2 c. diced cooked chicken
1 c. diced celery (optional)
1/2 c. diced green apple (optional)
3 slices bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled
1/2 c sour cream
1 c mayo
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 8 oz whipped cream cheese
Finely chopped pecans - toasted

In a bowl, combine chicken, celery, apple & bacon. In another bowl, stir together sour cream, mayo & lemon juice. Add to chicken mixture; stir to coat. Season with salt & pepper. Cover & refrigerate 2-24 hrs.

Cut bread into different shapes, spread chicken mixture on half of bread & add top piece. Spread edges with cream cheese & coat with pecans.

ENJOY!

Meal-In-A-Mug

2009-01-19T14:27:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from one of my Gooseberry Patch recipe books. I made it for the staff at school & came home empty handed!

1 lb ground beef
1/4 c onion, chopped
1/4 c green pepper chopped

Combine in a large skillet & cook until meat is done. Drain.

2 c water
1 c elbow macaroni, uncooked
21 oz can Pork -n- beans, undrained
14-1/2 oz can tomatoes, undrained & cut-up
1 envelope sloppy joe mix.

Add above ingredients, except macaroni, to meat mixture. Bring to a boil & add macaroni. Reduce heat, cover & simmer 10 minutes or until macaroni is tender but not mushy! Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Serve with Fritos & shredded cheese!

Betty Turley's Cornbread Recipe

2009-01-19T11:07:00.000-08:00

Mother gave me this recipe out of the blue about 2 weeks before she passed away.

1-1/2 c cornmeal
1/2 c all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda - ONLY if you're using buttermilk
1 egg
1-1/2 c milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add 1 Tbsp of oil to iron skillet and place in oven while preparing mix.

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients & pour into HOT cast iron skillet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Note: Can store dry ingredients & just add egg & milk when ready to bake.

Taste of Home - Apple Streusel Muffins

2009-01-19T10:57:00.000-08:00

These are the BEST muffins ever!!
Yield: 16 muffins

2 c all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c (8 oz) sour cream
1/4 c butter, melted
1-1/2 c chopped peeled tart apples

Topping
1/4 c sugar
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp cold butter

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sour cream & butter. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apples. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two thirds full.

For topping, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle a rounded teaspoonful over each muffin.

Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve warm.