Monster Cookies

1 1/4 C. Shortening
1 1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1 C. Sugar
3 eggs
1 1/4 C. Peanut Butter
2 C. Oats
2 1/2 C. Flour
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 C. Chocolate Chips
1 C. Butterscotch Chips

Bake at 350* for 9-10 minutes. Makes 8 dozen.

Honey Dijon Chicken

1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 cube)
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Cover 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts with sauce. Bake at 350* F for 1 1/2 hours. Cover with foil.

This would go well with rice and fresh veggies.

Wontons or Egg Rolls

1 pound lean sausage (I use Jimmy Dean Regular)
1 egg
1 can (4 1/2 ounce) tiny shrimp
1 can (4 ounce) water chestnuts, finely chopped
3/4 cup celery, finely chopped
4 green onions, finely chipped
1 package wonton skins OR egg roll skins

Brown sausage. Drain off fat. Put in bowl. Mix in egg, tiny shrimp, water chestnuts, celery, and green onions. Put rounded teaspoon sausage mixture on each wonton skin. Wrap. Seal edges with moistened fingers, Deep gry in 365* oil (until golden brown). Remove with slotted spoon. Drain on paper towel in warm oven until ready to serve. You can fry ahead and heat in 450* oven.

Watermelon Cookies

Children LOVE these cookies. They taste like a sugar cookie (not like watermelon) and are so cute!

½ cup shortening

½ cup margarine

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 ½ tsp. almond extract

2 ½ cups flour

Color 1/2 dough red, ¼ green and leave ¼ white. Shape red dough into a long tube and freeze. Roll white dough out into a rectangle and shape over red dough (using a little water lightly spread over the white dough will help the two layers stick better). Freeze. Roll out green dough into a rectangle and shape over white and red oblong dough. Refrigerate.Slice and place on cookie sheet. Place 6 tiny chocolate chips on watermelons so they look like seeds.

Bake 350* for 7-10 minutes. While still hot, slice in half.

Chicken Pot Pie with Sweet Potatoes & Peas

Crust
1 cup flour - I'd like to try wheat flour but haven't yet
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup and 2 Tbsp shortening
3 Tbsp. cold water

Filling
¼ cup butter
¼ cup wheat flour
1 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
2 cups chicken broth (2 cups water and 2 bullion cubes)
1 ½ cups cooked chicken, chopped
¾ to 1 cup Broccoli crowns, chopped (nuke for 1 minute in the microwave).
1/2 cup frozen peas1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed (I recommend nuking it in the microwave for 3 minutes. This will speed up the cooking time).

1. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 tsp of salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough in half and shape into balls. Roll one ball out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place bottom crust in pie plate. Roll out top crust and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. In a large saucepan, melt ¼ cup butter. Blend in wheat flour and onion. Gradually stir in chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened. Stir in chicken, broccoli, peas, and sweet potatoes. Mix well and pour bottom pie crust. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top and allow steam to escape.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown, and filling is bubbly.

Iced Carrot Cookies

I got this recipe from the Lion House Classics recipe book. It turned out great!

1 cup shortening
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup cooked, mashed carrots
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup coconut

In large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs; beat until fluffy. Add mashed carrots. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture. Stir in coconut. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool, then ice with Orange Frosting (below). Makes 4 dozen small cookies.

Orange Frosting
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons soft margarine

In small bowl, combine all ingredients; stir until well mixed.

Chicken Parmesan

Once a month I get together with my mother-in-law (Julie) and sister-in-law (Jenn) and we have a luncheon. We each make dishes we have never tried before. One person makes a dessert, another a salad (fruit or veggie) and the person making the main dish has the luncheon at their home. Today it was my turn to be the hostess. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, but it was meant for the Microwave. I baked it in the oven instead and it turned out to be an 'A' on my rating scale. I will definately make it again.

Ingredients for TWO people:
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (consider doubling sauce if you are a sauce person)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thawed)
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Combine tomato sauce, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Simmer on stove. Set aside
2. In a bowl, combine the crumbs, Parmesan cheese and parsley. Dip the chicken into the egg, then roll in the crumb mixture. Place in a lightly greased glass baking dish. Bake at 375* for 30 minutes, uncovered, turning over each chicken breast after 15 minutes.
3. Pour tomato mixture over chicken when there are about 7-10 minutes remaining; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, until meat juices run clear.

Serve with pasta, salad (or veggies) and bread sticks.

I did not have any Italian seasoning, but again found a recipe for Italian seasoning on allrecipes.com:

1 TBSP basil
1 TBSP oregano
1 TBSP rosemary
1 TBSP marjoram
1 TBSP thyme

I used our hand wheat grinder to grind it up. Wow! It is potent - tastes fresh too.

Ginger Bread

This is a great tasting recipe. Follow it to the 'T' if you like hard ginger bread. For softer ginger bread bake it for less time.

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 egg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
4 ½ - 5 cups flour

Cream 1 cup butter and one cup sugar;
set aside. Heat the molasses and vinegar
to a boil; cool. Combine with the butter
and sugar. Mix in remaining ingredients.
Roll out. Bake at 350* for 8-10 minutes.

Caramel

1 cup butter (NOT MARGARINE!)
2 ¼ cups brown sugar
Dash salt
1 cup light corn syrup
1 15-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter in heavy 3 quart saucepan. Add sugar and salt; stir thoroughly. Stir in corn syrup; mix well. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over medium heat to firm ball stage (275* F.), 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour into buttered 9x9x2-inch pan. Cool and cut into squares.

I do not use a thermometer to watch the temperature; I find it cumbersome and my caramels turn out too hard. Instead I have a bowl of ice water on the stove and after about 10 minutes of stirring/cooking I spoon caramel into the bowl. It will set up quickly. If I like the consistency I know it is done.

Orson Gygi has great chocolate, called Peter's Superlative Chocolate, that I use to dip the caramel in. The chocolate is a bit softer and more tempermental but has a GREAT flavor and I get rave reviews.

Ritzy Chicken

Combine the following ingredients and marinate chicken overnight:
1 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
5 chicken breasts

½ cup crushed Ritz crackers
½ cup butter
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Roll chicken in Ritz crackers and place in 9x13 pan. Pour half melted butter over chicken. Bake 350* for 45 minutes. Pour remainder of butter and poppy seeds over chicken. Bake 15 more minutes.

Sunday Roast Beef (beef or pork roast)

Place Roast in Crockpot with:

¼ cup butter or margarine
Dash garlic salt
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
1½ pounds of meat
¼ cup white grape juice or pear juice
Pepper

Cook for at least 5 hours (or until tender)

Bran Muffins

Mix together and set aside:
2 cups boiling water
4 cups bran cereal (can be All Bran, Bran buds, Bran Flakes, Raisin Bran)
1 pound dates pitted and chopped (optional, but add a great flavor)

Sift together in separate bowl:
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
5 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
5 tsp. baking soda

Add into dry ingredients bowl:
1 cup salad oil
1 quart buttermilk

MIX EVERYTHING TOGETHER NOW, and then add 2 more cups of bran flakes.

Bake 400* F for 15-20 minutes. Yields 72 muffins. The great thing about this recipe is that the batter can be stored in the fridge for up to 6 weeks, so not all the muffins have to be made at once. You can make them at your leisure - or craving.

Zucchini Brownies

These are the BEST brownies and the zucchini makes them so moist. Happy Eating!!!

Combine mixing well:

1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. salad oil
1/4 c. water
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp soda
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c. cocoa

Then add:
2 c grated zucchini
2 c. sifted flour
1/2 c. nuts (optional)

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes on a backing sheet or in muffin tins

Frosting (I always double the frosting but these measurements are for a single batch)
1/2 c. butter
6 tsp. cocoa
3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
A pinch of salt
1 Tbsp. milk

Minestrone Soup

1 lb sausage browned and drained
1 quart of water
2 chopped onions
2 large carrots sliced
2 large celery stocks chopped
1 28 ounce can tomatoes pureed
2 8 ounce cans of tomato sauce
2 cups of beef bouillon (2 cups of water to 4 beef bouillon cubes)
1 TBSP parsley flakes
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp oregano
Garlic salt to taste
1 can garbanzo beans
½ head of cabbage

Optional: 1 cup uncooked macaroni noodles. I personally don't like adding the noodles because they get soggy - and I'm not a fan of the added noodles because the taste is fine without them.

Simmer 3 hours

Creamy Parmesan Fondue

1 ½ cups milk
2 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
½ tsp garlic salt
½ tsp parsley flakes
¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated

With an electric mixer, mix milk and cream cheese until well blended. Pour into saucepan and heat slowly. Add garlic salt and parsley. Slowly add parmesan and mozzarella cheese, stirring until smooth. Pour into fondue pot. Serve with bread cubes and chopped vegetables. (We also BBQ meats and dip those into the fondue).

Maple Syrup

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
½ cup water
1 teaspoon maple syrup flavoring

Mix white and brown sugar together with corn syrup and water. Nearly bring to a boil, constantly stir. Remove from stove. With spoon remove white froth, discard. Pour in syrup container.


This is soooo good! You'll never want to buy syrup from the store again!

Cream of Cheesy Vegetable Soup

Shred 2 ½ cups cheddar cheese
Boil each separately:
2 ½ cups diced carrots
7 cups diced potatoes
1 cup diced broccoli flowerets
Cook until tender.
2 Tablespoons margarine
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup onion

In a big pt melt 6 Tablespoons margarine. Add ½ cup flour and cook. Add 4 cups hot water. Cook until thick and boiling. Add 3 cups milk or half & half. Stir in celery and onion mixture and the cooked veggies. Add 2 Tablespoons chicken boullion. Salt and pepper to taste. Add cheese. Don’t boil. Top with bacon bits and shredded cheese.

Swiss Chicken

12-16 chicken tenders
1 pound shredded Swiss cheese
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 ½ cups milk (or a little more than that won’t hurt)

Place chicken in greased 9x13 casserole dish. Cover with all cheese. Pour mixture of soup and milk over top. Take 1/3 package of Pepperidge Farm Herb Season crumbs and sprinkle on top. Sprinkle ¼ cube melted butter over top. Bake at 325* for 2 hours.

Serve with baked potatoes, sour cream, cranberry sauce, salad, rolls…

This is a Sunday dinner favorite. It is very easy and tastes like you've slaved for hours.

EASY Beef Stroganoff

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can French onion soup
Cubed beef (stew meat)

Place in greased casserole dish and add ½ can of water and stir. Bake 350* for 5 hours. OR use a crock pot on high all day, stirring occasionally.

Stir in small carton of sour cream ½ hour before serving. Fresh sliced mushrooms may be added at this time.

This can be served over rice or noodles. Steamed veggies also go well with this meal.

Dinner Rolls

¼ cup warm water
1 package active dry yeast
¾ cup lukewarm milk (scald and cool)
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
¼ cup olive oil
3 ½ to 3 ¾ flour

In bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, sugar, salt, egg, olive oil, and half the flour to yeast. Mix with spoon until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to handle easily. Turn onto lightly floured board. Knead until smooth (5 min.) Round up in greased bowl, bring greased side up. Cover with cloth. Let rise in warm place (85*) until double, about 1 ½ hour. Punch down; let rise again until almost double, about 30 minutes.

Roll dough about ¼ inches thick into a 12 inch circle. Spread with soft butter. Cut into 16 pie-shaped pieces. Beginning at rounded edge, roll up. Place on pan, point underneath.

Let rise until light, 15 to 20 minutes. Heat oven to 400*. Bake 12 to 15 minutes on lightly greased pan or baking sheet. Serve piping hot.