Chex Mix

1 large box of Rice Chex
1 small box of golden grahams
1 1/2 c. (3 cubes) margarine
2 c. light karo syrup
2 c. sugar
1 pkg. sliced almonds
1/2 pkg. coconut

Mix margarine, karo syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes to dissolve sugar. Mix cereals, almonds and coconut in large bowl. Pour mixture over cereals and gently toss with a spoon from the outside of the bowl to the bottom to coat all pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Tips: I use my large tupperware bowl and pour the rice chex in... probably 2/3 or so of the bowl is rice chex. Then I just add the golden grahams on top (I always buy them in bulk so I have to guess how much:). You can also add as many almonds and as much coconut as you want. But when you get the dry ingredients in, the ingredients before the syrup should be about an inch from the top is all. Enjoy!!! It is one of our most favorite treats!

Cheeseburger Soup

1 lb. hamburger
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
1 1/2 c. diced celery
1 1/2 c. shredded carrots
8 c. diced potatoes
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. basil
1 1/2 cubes butter (divided)
2 Tbl. olive oil
6 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. flour
3 c. milk
16 oz. (1/2 pkg)  Velveeta cheese, cubed
1/2 c. sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Brown hamburger, seasoning it with salt, pepper, minced onion as desired. Drain and set aside. In large pot, melt 1/2 cube of the butter and extra virgin olive oil. Add carrots, celery, onion and cook until tender. Add potatoes & broth. Bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender, approx. 15 minutes. Add hamburger and seasonings. In skillet that you browned the hamburger in, melt 1 cube of the butter, stir in flour and let cook for a few minutes. Add milk gradually, mixing well. When thickened, add to vegetable, broth mixture. Add in sour cream and cubed velveeta. Stir soup until velveeta is completely melted.

I always use chicken boullion in place of the broth (6 boullion cubes to 6 cups water). I like the flavor better. With the boullion, I don't usually have to add more salt. You can also save some time by using frozen hash brown potatoes and packaged match stick or shredded carrots. This soup re-heats really well too. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Date Nut Cake

1c. Chopped dates
1-1/2 c. Boiling water
1 t. Soda
1/2 c. Margarine
1 c. Sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 c. Plus 3tbl flour
1/2 t. salt
3/4 t. Soda
1/2 package chocolate chips
1/2 C. Brown sugar
1/2 C. Walnuts, chopped

Pour water over dates and add 1t soda; set aside. Cream together the margarine, sugar and eggs. Add date mixture. Sift flour, salt and soda together . Add the other mixture and stir well. Pour into a 10x8 pan. Top with chocolate chips, brown sugar and walnuts

Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with cool whip on top.

Frozen Key Lime Pie

Easy, cool, refreshing goodness!

1 (12 oz) container cool-whip (thawed slightly)
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lime juice
1 prepared pie crust (graham cracker, vanilla wafer, or shortbread all work well)
grated lime zest for garnish (optional)

Mix sweetened condensed milk and lime juice together. Mix in cool whip until well blended. Spoon into pie crust. Freeze until firm 1-3 hours. Remove crust from tin and cut into 6-8 wedges. Garnish with lime zest and/or cool-whip. Enjoy!

Pastry Puffs!

These small bundles often referred to as profiteroles -- are a one-of-a-kind treat. The dough used to make them, called pâte à choux, is light and airy, yet sturdy, so it's perfect for filled goodies such as éclairs.

Ingredients

FOR THE PUFFS

1 cup water

1/2 cup unsalted butter, diced

1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour

4 eggs

1 lightly beaten egg for coating

FOR THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter

Instructions

Move the oven rack to a position slightly below the center and heat the oven to 375°. Lightly coat two baking sheets with butter.

In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil. Remove the pan from the stove top and stir in the flour until well blended. Return the pan to the stove top and cook on medium, stirring constantly, until the mixture pulls away from the sides, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the stove top once more and transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the 4 eggs, one at a time, until each is fully incorporated.

While the dough is still warm, use a tablespoon-size cookie scoop to place 1 1/2-inch-wide mounds on the baking sheets. Stagger the rows to give the puffs room to expand as they bake. Gently brush the top of each with the beaten egg.

Bake the puffs until golden brown, 25 to 28 minutes. (Don't remove them from the oven before they're fully baked, or they'll collapse.) Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the chocolate sauce, bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Place the chocolate in a heat-safe bowl and pour the cream on top. Let the mixture sit for 3 minutes, then whisk it until it's smooth. Add the butter, then whisk again.

To assemble the dessert, cut each puff in half, place a scoop of ice cream on the bottom, replace the top, and drizzle with the warm chocolate sauce. Serve immediately.

Tips:

The pastries are pretty healthy for a dessert, but it just depends what goes inside. You can add ice cream whipped cream, or even just serve with powdered sugar and fruit. Also for an easy quick topping just drizzle chocolate syrup on top! Seriously easy and yummy!

Also, without the sweet toppings you can serve alongside dinner as a delicious dinner roll!

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

• 2 tablespoons CRISCO® Oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare Enchilada Sauce.
2. Enchilada Sauce: Heat CRISCO® Oil in large saucepan; stir in flour and chili powder. Cook for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Makes three cups of sauce.
3. Enchiladas: Mix together chicken, green onions, 1/2 cup Cheddar, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack, sour cream, chiles and cilantro in a medium bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup Enchilada Sauce; stir until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Heat 1/2 inch CRISCO® Oil in large pan.
5. Fry tortillas, one at a time, until soft (10 seconds per side). Drain well on paper towels.
6. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with CRISCO® No-Stick Cooking Spray. Spread a small amount of Enchilada Sauce over the bottom of dish.
7. Spread 2 heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture in each tortilla and roll up. Place enchiladas, seam side down, side by side in prepared dish. Pour remaining sauce over. Top with remaining cheeses.
8. Bake until bubbling, 15-20 minutes. Garnish with sour cream, sliced green onions and chopped cilantro.

Chicken Enchiladas

• 3 cups enchilada sauce
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• CRISCO® Oil, as needed
• 12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• CRISCO® No-Stick Cooking Spray

Yummy bacon and cheese dip!

1/2 c. mayonnaise (the REAL stuff..not Miracle Whip OR Salad dressing)

1-8 oz package cream cheese, softened (I unwrap mine from the foil and put in the microwave for 30 seconds)

1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese

1/2 t. cayenne pepper (optional...if you don't want a kick, don't add it)

1 bunch finely chopped green onion

1/2 bag crushed Frito corn chips

1/2 lb. cooked bacon, crumbled (cook while the dip is in the oven so the bacon will be warm when the dip is done cooking)

In a mixing bowl, combine mayo, cream cheese, grated cheese, cayenne pepper and green onion. Mix with an electric mixer until fluffy. Spoon into a 9x9 baking pan. Top with crushed corn chips. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until done. Remove from the oven and top with warm bacon crumbles. Serve with tortilla chips or your favorite cracker.

Zesty Beef Enchiladas

Approximately 16-18 tortilla shells (we like corn shells, but you can use flour if you prefer)

1 1/2 lbs ground beef, cooked and drained

3-4 c. grated cheese (more or less according to your likes)

1 c. sour cream

1 can cream chicken soup

1 1/2 c. green enchilada sauce

1 small can diced green chilies

Cook meat, drain and set aside. In a large frying pan, with a small amount of cooking oil, brown tortilla shells (this helps them to not be so stiff when rolling the meat and cheese up in them). Place a small amount of meat and cheese down the center of the cooked tortilla shell, roll up and place in a greased 9x13 baking pan. Continue until all shells are rolled and pan is filled. Set aside.

For sauce~ In a medium saucepan, combine cream chicken soup, green enchilada sauce, sour cream and green chilies. Heat until warm, stirring so that it won't scorch. Pour over prepared enchilada's and top with remaining cheese...add more cheese if you need or WANT it (the more the better I say). Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Toffee Cookies

These cookies are really easy and really good!

14-16 graham crackers (about 1 1/2 packages) and Keebler are the best:)
1 c. butter (2 squares) saltine or club crackers are good too!
1 c. brown sugar
1 bag milk choc. chips
1/2 bag toffee bits

Line jelly roll pan or large cookie sheet with foil and spray foil with pam. Layer graham crackers in single layer covering bottom of pam. Break if necessary to cover edges. Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour over graham crackers spreading with a rubber spatula if needed to cover the graham crackers. Bake for 10 minutes at 350°. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Let sit a few minutes until the chips melt enough to spread evenly. Sprinkle with toffee bits. Let sit until cool or refrigerate if you are in a hurry. Remove from refrigerator and let sit until room temp. Cut or break into squares. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

From Shaurie's kitchen:

2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter or margarine
3 c. rolled oats (I used quick)
1 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt

Combine sugar, milk, butter & salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add vanilla peanut butter. Stir until peanut butter is dissolved. Add oats and mix. Cool slightly and drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Chocolate Bread

4 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 (3 oz) package INSTANT chocolate pudding mix
1 c. HOT water

Mix oil and eggs until whipped. Add cake mix, pudding mix and HOT water. Mix until smooth. Spray 2 loaf pans with pan coating. Pour batter into pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

*All I had on hand was the bigger box of instant pudding (5.6 oz or something like that) so I used it and it still turned out so good! I also whipped up a powdered sugar glaze and poured it on while they were still hot in the pans. Next time I think I'll add chocolate chips! :)

Salsa

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes (not drained)
3 Tbl. canned diced jalapenos
1 Tbl. lime juice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 c. diced yellow or white onion

Combine all ingredients in food processor (or blender) Run on high speed for just a minute until it is nearly pureed. Be careful not to over-process. Stir well. Cover and chill overnight. Serve with chips.

We absolutely LOVE Chili's salsa... this recipe is the closest thing to it! Enjoy!!!

Strawberry Smoothie

1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained
6 whole frozen strawberries
2 tsp. crystal light strawberry/orange/banana drink mix
3 tsp. vanilla
1 container light strawberry yoplait yogurt
3 c. crushed ice
1 can sprite zero

Blend until smooth. Makes at least 2 smoothies. You can also divide it into thirds. I love using the mandarin oranges... they are so versatile and blend up really well. I buy them by the case so I always have them on hand too.

Citrus Smoothie

1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained
2 tsp. lemonade crystal light powder
1 container light key lime pie yoplait yogurt
3 tsp. vanilla
1 can sprite zero
3 c. crushed ice

Add all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. Divide into 3 servings. Enjoy!

We developed this recipe last night and can I just tell you... it was fabulous! The only calories in it are the yogurt and the mandarin oranges (and maybe a couple from the drink powder).

Mexican Meat Marinade

1/4 C fresh lime juice
1/3 C water
2 T vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
3 t vinegar
2 t soy sauce
2 t liquid smoke
1 t salt
1/4 t chili powder
1/4 t cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients and whisk well. You can use chicken or steak, cut into strips. Marinate for at least 4-6 hours...preferably overnight. Grill on the barbeque, Foreman, or in a skillet on the stove till meat is done. Serve on a tortilla with whatever fixin's you want...beans, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, green or red peppers, onions, pico di gallo, etc.

Poppy Seed Bread with Glaze

Poppy Seed Bread with Glaze

This is our FAVORITE, my kids beg for me to make it and its gone in a day or two. VERY YUMMY.

3 eggs beaten

1 1/8 cup veg. oil

2 1/4 cup sugar

3 cups flour

1 1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 teaspoon butter melted

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

3 Tablespoons poppy seed

Mix all ingredients really well. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Glaze

1/4 cup orange juice

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon butter melted

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Mix it well. Pour on top of warm bread.

I dump out the hot Bread immediately onto a square of tin foil,

turn the bread over and pour the glaze on while its HOT,

then wrap up the bread while hot.

BowTie Chicken Pesto Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes

Bow Tie Chicken Pesto Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes

1 box or bag bowtie pasta

1 jar of alfredo sauce

2 large spoonfulls of pesto sauce

3 Tablespoons of sundried tomatoes cut up (I buy the kind in the jar)

Shredded cheese

1 rotisserie chicken

Boil a large pot of water for the pasta, add pasta when its boiling. Begin to shred the rotisserie chicken into a large microwave safe bowl. I don't like to use the dark meat, but you can if you want. Add the entire jar of Alfredo Sauce. Then add the pesto sauce and the tomatoes.

Mix together.

Put in the Microwave for about 2 minutes, take out mix and add about 1/4 cup shredded cheese, put back in the microwave till HOT. Take it out and mix in about another 1/4 cup cheese and mix.

When the noodles are done drain them and add them to the chicken sauce mixture. I usually don't use the whole box. I like mine saucy.

Now its ready to serve!

Serves about 5-6 people

You can add mushrooms too.

This is a family favorite! Its so easy and SO fast. This is what I make when I am in a hurry. My kids LOVE it too!

Enchiladas

1 lb. ground beefsalt
pepper
minced onion
shredded cheddar cheese
10 taco size flour tortillas (9-10 inch)
1 (16 oz. ) can mild enchilada sauce

Brown hamburger with salt, pepper and minced onion. Drain. Divide hamburger between the 10 tortillas and put a small handful of cheese onto hamburger. Roll up and place in greased 9x13 inch pan. I pour a little of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan before putting in the rolled up tortillas. Top with enchilada sauce and a little shredded cheese. Bake at 350° for approx. 20 minutes.

Variation: for cheese enchiladas, put a handful of cheese on flour tortilla and a little bit of chopped green onion. Roll up and cover with enchilada sauce. I usually make a few of these along with the ground beef ones. They are really good too!

Homemade Pizza

1 Chef Boyardee Cheese pizza kit
Pepperoni
2 sm. cans of mushrooms
1/2 lb. hamburger
1 lg. bag of cheese (pizza blend)

Mix crust according to directions on box. Spread crust on large greased cookie sheet (jelly roll pan). Pre-bake for 9 min. (I think it is at 425° but I'm not sure. It does tell you on the box though). Brown hamburger, seasoning with salt, pepper and minced onion. Drain and set aside. Remove crust from oven and spread with most of the can of sauce (I personally think they put too much sauce in the can for the amount of crust so I don't use it all... just most of it:) Sprinkle with cheese (not all of the cheese, just a thin layer). Layer pepperoni, browned hamburger and mushrooms. Sprinkle with more cheese. Bake for an additional 9 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

This is our kind of homemade pizza. It goes together pretty quickly and our family loves it. Of course you can add whatever toppings you like. Enjoy!

Cheesy Potatoes

2 pkg. shredded hashbrowns
1 cube butter
2 c. sour cream
2 cans. cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. minced onion
salt
pepper
4 c. shredded cheddar cheese (or more)
crushed potato chips (optional)

Thaw hashbrowns in microwave. Approx. 5 min. per package. Melt butter in large bowl. Add hashbrowns, sour cream, soup, and about 3 cups of cheese. You can add more cheese if desired. I like alot:). I never measure my onion, salt or pepper. I just sprinkle a thin layer before I add the cheese. Stir it all together and spread into a greased 10x13 inch pan. Sprinkle with cheese and crushed potato chips. Cover with foil and bake at 325° for 1 1/2 hours or until heated through.

Tip: For best flavor include 1 c. sharp shredded cheese in with the cheese.
You can also bake at 350° for 1 hour. If I have time, I prefer the lower temp though.

Lemon Cream Cheesecake Dessert

60 vanilla wafers, crushed (about 2 cups)
2/3 c. melted butter
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
16 oz. cool whip, thawed
2 small pkg. lemon instant pudding
2 1/2 c. cold milk
1 c. sour cream
sweetened whipped cream or more cool whip for top

Mix vanilla wafers with melted butter. Reserve about 1/3 cup and press remaining mix into bottom of 9x13 inch pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
*Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and well combined. Mix in about 3/4 of the cool whip. Spread onto crust.
*Mix pudding packages with cold milk. Mix in sour cream and remaining cool whip. Spread onto cream cheese layer. Refrigerate.
*Just before serving, spread sweetened whipped cream or cool whip on top and sprinkle with the reserved crumbs.

Variation: Substitute 1 pkg. vanilla pudding mix and 1 pkg. coconut cream pudding mix. Add in 3/4 c. toasted coconut and sprinkle top with more toasted coconut.

Beef Tips & Mushrooms

Stew meat - browned and seasoned as desired (I sauteed the mushrooms with the meat.)

In crockpot:
Meat
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. water
1 can beef gravy
1 pkg. dry gravy mix
1 can mushrooms (drained) or fresh mushrooms
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix (see note below**)

Cook in crockpot on low for 4 to 6 hours. Add 1/2 carton of sour cream when ready to serve.
**We added a packet of dry onion soup mix. Next time, we are only going to add 1/4 of a packet.)
Serve over cooked noodles, etc.

Pizza Bites

These pizza bites are fun, perfect for parties, or anytime. This is made in my mini muffin tins using my favorite pizza dough and sauce. Using mini pepperoni and spicy italian sausage adds a kick…you’ll love these!

Deep Dish Pizza Crust

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

In a large mixer bowl, combine the water, yeast, and sugar and stir to combine. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
Add 2 cups of the flour, 1/2 cup oil, and the salt, mixing by hand until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Continue adding the flour, along with herbs and garlic (I use basil, oregano, thyme, and garlic powder; just small palm -fulls of each.) 1/4 cup at a time, working the dough after each addition, until all the flour is incorporated but the dough is still slightly sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky; 3-5 minutes. Oil a large mixing bowl with the remaining 2 tsp. oil.
Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil all sides. Cover the bowl with a towel and set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size; 1-1.5 hours. Divide into 2 equal portions and it’s ready to use!

Old World Style Pizza Sauce:

Ingredients:
6 ounces tomato paste
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 can tomato sauce (29 ounces)
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. rosemary
1-3 tsp. dried red pepper flakes–to taste
2 cups water
salt to taste

Directions:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, stir the tomato paste and olive oil together, then stir in the tomato sauce.
Add all of the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered for 3 hours, stirring frequently. Add water if sauce gets too thick, but it should reduce down to a thick paste that has enough body to cover a pizza.
Makes 3 cups, enough for 2-3 pizzas.

Notes:

I’ve added herbs and garlic to this crust which gives it lots of flavor. I’ve also tried this with white whole wheat flour if this interests some… it works wonderfully.
I like to throw this on my pizza stone fully topped and with a pastry brush and little olive oil, brush the dough with the olive oil; it helps create that crispy crust.
Bake at 425 degrees if using a pan… 500 degrees if using a stone.

Added toppings:
•Mini pepperoni bites
•Ground Italian sausage, sweet or hot, depends on you taste. I used spicy in my recipe. Brown the Italian sausage before assembling.
•Hand shredded mozzarella. About 3 cups.

Assembly:

Spray a mini muffin tin with a non-stick spray. Tear off a small piece of dough, roll in the palm of your hand and stretch to line the muffin tin up to the lip, creating the shape of the muffin. Add about a tsp. of pizza sauce, Italian sausage, a small dollop of cheese and the tiny pepperoni.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Pop out of the tins, place on platter and watch them disappear!

Pea Salad

2 16 oz bag of frozen peas
1 lbs fat back bacon
1 med red onion
16 oz sour cream
Lawry's seasoned salt

Thaw peas in warm water, DO NOT MICROWAVE. cut up bacon into bite size pieces, cook and drain. cut up about 1/4 -1/2 of your onion. Be careful not to use to much onion. Mix first three ingredients in bowl, slowly add in sour cream (at least half of container if not all) until peas are covered add in Lawry's to taste.

Blueberry Muffin French Toast

6 1/4 c. All Purpose flour
1 Tbl. + 1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
20 oz. Unsalted Butter
3 c. Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
5 Whole Eggs
1 1/2 c. Fresh Blueberries

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Adds eggs and vanilla. Beat until incorporated. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Add dry ingredients. Beat until well combined. Add blueberries. Mix briefly. Spread into a greased 9x12 pan. Bake 350 degrees for about an hour. Cut into squares and dip in an egg wash just as you would with french toast. Fry in butter on a griddle to 'toast' each side. Serve with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 lbs cream cheese
3 cups sugar
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

whip it up and serve on top

Individual Cherry Cheesecakes

24 cupcake liners
24 vanilla wafers
3 8-oz. packages of cream cheese
1 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 Tbl. lemon juice
1 can cherry pie filling

Mix sugar, cream cheese, eggs and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Line muffin tins with the cupcake liners. Drop 1 vanilla wafer in the bottom of each liner. Spoon cream cheese mixture on top of vanilla wafer, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes. Chill. When cool, spoon pie filling on top. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Makes 24 individual cheesecakes.

Skillet

1 lb. hamburger
minced onion
1/2 tsp. oregano
salt & pepper
5 c. elbow macaroni (un-cooked)
5 chicken bouillon cubes
5 c. hot water (approx.)
1-2 cans evaporated milk
2-3 c. grated cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger seasoning it with salt, pepper and minced onion to taste. I also add the oregano and chicken bouillon at this point. When hamburger is completely browned, drain if necessary. Mix dry macaroni in with the hamburger mixture. Add enough water to just barely cover macaroni. If you add too much water at this point, just add a little more macaroni so the noodle/hamburger mixture is just covered. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for approx. 15 minutes or until noodles are tender. Add evaporated milk and cheese. Stir until cheese melts and serve.

This is one of our most favorite meals. I love it because the skillet is the only pan that gets dirty:). I always use 2 cans of milk and I never measure my cheese. I just add about 3 handfuls or so. You could also substitute the chicken bouillon and water for chicken broth/stock. Easy and delicious... it doesn't get any better than that!

Caramel Pudding Cake

2 T. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. raisins (optional)
1 c. nuts (optional)

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and mix well. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk. Spread in a greased 9x13 cake pan and pour hot caramel sauce over all of it. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°.

Caramel Sauce:
2 c. brown sugar
1 cube butter or margarine
3 c. water

Bring to a boil and pour over cake batter. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve either warm or cold with ice cream or whipping cream. This is a Sunday afternoon favorite at our house. It works well in a dutch oven also.

Crock-pot Cake

Crock-pot Cake

1 large box instant chocolate pudding
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
3 cups milk

(for richer 'filling' use 2 large
boxes and omit the small box)

Whisk together and pour into your crock-pot. A crock pot liner works great but if you don't have one, be sure to spray it good with pam.

1 box chocolate cake mix (prepared according to the directions)

Pour this slowly over the pudding in the crock-pot - DO NOT MIX THESE
TOGETHER!!!

Cover and cook for 2 ½ hours on low setting. Let it sit, covered, for an
additional 30 minutes so the pudding will set up. You can serve it warm with whipped topping or ice cream. It is good chilled too. I'm sure you could experiment with different flavors too.

Tip: put a couple of paper towels between your crock pot and the lid. That keeps the water from dripping onto you cake.

French Dip au Jus

3-4 lb sirloin roast
2 c. beef broth
2/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1/4 t. seasoning salt
1 t. liquid smoke
1/3 c. soy sauce
Cook in 5 quart slow cooker for 1 hour on high, then 9 hours on low. Shred and serve on bun with swiss or provolone cheese. Use broth for dipping.

*This is the meat we had for Peyton's Blessing. A few people asked me for the recipe, so here it is. :)

Scott's Cranberry Pineapple Salad

Mix:
1 c. chopped fresh cranberries
3/4 c. sugar
Chill in fridge for 2 hours.

Mix:
1 pint whipped whipping cream (no sugar added)
1 20-oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 large package of mini marshmallows
Chill in fridge for 2 hours.

Mix both together. Re-chill and serve.
(Can add nuts if you want and I think pomegranate seeds would be a delicious add-in.)

Scott brought this salad to our Berlin Family Christmas party and it is delicious. I have already made it twice since and everyone that tastes it seems to agree. Thanks Scott!