STAINED GLASS WINDOW COOKIES

* 2/3 cup butter
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/3 cup milk
* 40 fruit flavored hard candies


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with foil.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and eggs.
3. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add to egg mixture alternately with milk.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes. Using a smaller cookie cutter or a knife, cut shapes into centers of cookies, reserving these center bits to add into extra dough.
5. Keeping the colors separate, place candy in plastic bags and crush with a hammer. Use a spoon to sprinkle the crushed candy into the hollowed-out centers of the cookies, filling to the edges. Try to keep the candy within the centers. Any candy specks that fall on the cookie will color the cookie.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until candy is just melted. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, until candy is hard. Carefully lift cookies off baking sheet with spatula.

PRETZEL KISSES

1 bag pretzels
1 pkg. M&Ms
1 pkg. Hershey Kisses

Place pretzels on baking stone or sheet. Place a Kiss on each pretzel and bake at 200 degrees for about 8 minutes (just watch for the Kisses to melt). Remove from oven and promptly place a couple of M&Ms on each pretzel, pressing into the melted chocolate. Allow to cool before serving. At room temperature, this takes SEVERAL hours. I would recommend making these the day before you plan on eating/delivering. Or you can put them in the refrigerator to speed up the process.

PEPPERMINT CRUMBLE COOKIES

3/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 T. water
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
bag of crumbled peppermint pieces

Melt butter, brown sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat until melted and then add the chocolate chips, stirring until completely melted. Cool for 10 minutes. Put this in a mixing bowl and beat in 2 eggs. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix together and chill for about 45 minutes.

Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. When cookies come out of oven, sprinkle peppermint crumbles on top of the cookie and do not spread. The pieces will get soft at first, but then keep their shape and re-solidify when cool.

Ranch Cheeseburgers

1 packet (1 ounce) Hidden Valley® The Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
1 pound ground beef (or turkey)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
4 hamburger buns


Combine Ranch mix, beef and cheese. Shape into patties; cook thoroughly, until meat is no longer pink in the center. Toast buns before serving, if desired.

Perfect Crispy Potatoes

1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 russet potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon butter (I used salted)


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the potato cubes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Saute stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Turn the heat up to high, add the water, stir, and cover the pan with a lid. Steam the potatoes until the water evaporates, about 3 or 4 more minutes. (Every 1 to 2 minutes, open the lid long enough to stir the potatoes so they don't stick.) Lower the heat to medium, and saute another 1 to 2 minutes until all traces of water are gone. Toss in the butter and stir to coat the potatoes. Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven until the potatoes are crisp and browned to your liking, about 15 to 25 minutes depending on how dark you want them (I recommend stirring them half way through cooking). Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl and serve.

soft pretzels

* 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1 1/8 teaspoons salt
* 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup bread flour
* 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
* 2 tablespoons baking soda
* 2 tablespoons butter, melted
* 2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt


1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast, brown sugar and salt in 1 1/2 cups warm water. Stir in flour, and knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover, and let rise for one hour.
2. Combine 2 cups warm water and baking soda in an 8 inch square pan.
3. After dough has risen, cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 3 foot rope, pencil thin or thinner. Twist into a pretzel shape, and dip into the baking soda solution. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets, and let rise 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse salt, garlic salt or cinnamon sugar.

Chinese Meatballs with Sesame Rice

* 1lb. ground turkey
* 1 small can water chesnuts, minced
* 2 scallions, trimmed and minced
* 2 tbsp. soy sauce
* 1 tsp. Asian (dark) roasted sesame oil
* 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
* 3 cups hot cooked rice, preferably Basmati, Texmati or Jasmine (I use Jasmine)
* 2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
* 1 scallion thinly sliced

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, water chesnuts, minced scallions, soy sauce and sesame oil. Use a fork to stir mixture until it's well mixed. Use your hands to shape tiny meatballs (approx. 1 inch diameter). Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, stirring often, until browned on all sides. Cover and cook until meatballs are no longer raw in the center. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine rice, sesame seeds and sliced scallions. Toss well to combine. Serve meatballs beside or over rice.

**To toast sesame seeds, place a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sesame seeds and toast, stirring occasionally, until the seeds turn golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove seeds from skillet right away to prevent further browning.**

Cheeseburger Soup

* 1/2 pound ground beef
* 3/4 cup chopped onion
* 3/4 cup shredded carrots
* 3/4 cup chopped celery
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1 teaspoon dried parsley
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 3 cups chicken broth
* 4 cups cubed potatoes
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1/4 cup sour cream


1. In a large pot, melt 1 tablespoon butter or margarine over medium heat: cook and stir vegetables and beef , until beef is brown.
2. Stir in basil and parsley. Add broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes.
3. Melt the remainder of butter and stir in flour. Add the milk, stirring until smooth.
4. Gradually add milk mixture to the soup, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Stir in cheese. When cheese is melted, add sour cream and heat through. Do not boil.

Quick Potato Rolls

Makes 12 Rolls

3-1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 envelope Fleischmann's Rapid Rise Yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup instant potato flakes or buds* (I used buds)
2 eggs

In large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt. Heat water, milk, and butter until very warm (120o to 130oF). Stir in potato flakes; let soften 1 minute. Stir into dry ingredients. Stir in 1 egg and enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. Cover; let rest on floured surface 10 minutes.Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece to 12-inch rope. Coil each rope to make "snail" shape. Arrange rolls in a circle on large greased baking sheet with sides barely touching. Place large shallow pan on counter; half fill with boiling water. Place baking sheet on pan. Cover; let rise 15 minutes. Lightly beat remaining egg; brush over rolls. Bake at 375oF for 25 minutes or until done. Remove from sheet; let cool on wire rack.

*To use fresh potato: Follow above directions except decrease water to 1/2 cup and replace potato flakes with 1/3 cup cooked, mashed potato (at room temperature). Stir mashed potato into dough along with egg.

3 Envelope Roast

3 pound beef roast (such as chuck roast)
1 envelope of dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 envelope of dry ranch salad dressing mix
1 envelope of dry brown gravy mix
2 cups water

Put the water in a measuring cup that is larger then the amount of water you are using. Now add and mix all three envelopes of dry ingredients to the water. Mix until blended completely. Add the meat to your slow cooker. Pour the water, salad dressing mixture over the roast. Cook it on high for about 4 hours on low about 8 hours.

Vegetable Pizza

* 2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
* 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1 (1 ounce) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
* 1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
* 1 cup chopped tomatoes
* 1 cup chopped green bell pepper* 1 cup chopped cauliflower
* 1 cup shredded carrots
* 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese




1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Roll out the crescent roll dough onto a 9x13 inch baking sheet, and pinch together edges to form the pizza crust.
3. Bake crust for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Once finished cooking, remove crust from oven and let cool 15 minutes without removing it from the baking sheet.
4. In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and dry Ranch dressing. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange broccoli, tomato, cauliflower, shredded carrots, and Cheddar cheese over the cream cheese layer. Chill for one hour, slice and serve.

Pinto Beans

4 cups Dried Pinto Beans
4 slices Thick Sliced Bacon
salt
pepper

Measure four cups of beans and rinse them under cool water. If you see any little strange looking bits in there, pick them out and discard. Throw the beans into the pot. Now put some water in the pot…cover the beans by a good two inches.
Now take four slices of thick-sliced bacon (or one slice per cup of dry beans.)
Slice them into 1-inch pieces. And throw ‘em in the pot. The bacon adds a nice flavor and a slight saltiness to the beans, but you could certainly leave it out if you want your beans to be more lowfat, though I can’t imagine why anyone would want to do that. Now bring pot to a boil. Then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. We’ll add seasoning later on. After the beans have been simmering now for about two hours. The bean juice will be thick and yummy. (Or is it gravy? Or sauce? I haven’t decided.) Now it’s time for seasoning.

Start with 1 teaspoon salt. You can always add more later. Now add 2 teaspoons black pepper.

Stir together well and check the seasoning. You might want to add a little more salt, but be aware the cornbread with which you’ll serve the beans contains salt. So don’t overdo it.

banana bread

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/4 cup applesauce
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 cup mashed bananas (2 or 3 medium bananas)
1 3/4 cups flour (I sneak wheat flour in and nobody notices)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

optional:
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup chocolate chips (yum!)



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Smash the bananas until they’re broken up but not completely smooth. Some lumps are OK.



Add in the applesauce, eggs, milk, and brown sugar.


Blend with a hand mixer until everything is incorporated. Again, small lumps are OK.


In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients (or gently shake them through a strainer, which works the same).


The cookbooks all say you don’t have to sift your flour any more, but you know why I do?

Because these lumps are *not* OK.

Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and mix gently with a spoon. When all the flour is mixed in, add any optional ingredients.

Spray your loaf pan with cooking spray, and pour in the batter. Bake at 350 until golden and a toothpick/piece of dry spaghetti comes out clean, about 60 minutes.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool to room temperature. OK, who am I kidding? As soon as it comes out of the pan, everybody in the house is going to grab a piece because it smells sooooo good.

Quick! Cut yourself off a piece and save it for breakfast tomorrow.

garlic fridge pickles

* 2 whole Cucumbers
* 2 cloves Garlic
* 1 cup Vinegar
* 1 cup Water
* ⅓ cups Sugar
* 1 tablespoon Salt
* 1 teaspoon Dill, Dried
* 1 pinch(es) Red Pepper Flakes
* 1 pinch(es) Coriander
* 6 whole Peppercorns


Use cucumbers with no wax residue on the peels.

Slice cucumbers in 1/4″-1/8″ slices.

Cut garlic cloves in quarters, then smash them a bit.

Put cucumbers and garlic in a bowl.

Heat vinegar (I like apple cider vinegar, but white works also), water, sugar, salt, dill, red pepper flakes, coriander and peppercorns in a small sauce pan until sugar and salt are dissolved.*

Pour over the cucumbers and garlic.

Cover and let marinate in refrigerator for at least two hours.

Serve cold.

* We don’t love sweet pickles around here, so next time I think I'll cut back on the sugar.

90 Second Dessert

These individual desserts are a huge hit because they're so fun and so easy! The ingredients are "anything goes"! We've had them with canned sliced peaches, coconut, heath toffee bits, chocolate chips, fresh cherries chopped, broken up candy bars, cherry pie filling and so on.

* Cake mix, any flavor or flavors you choose
* Water
* Toppings such as chocolate chips, M&Ms, Reeses pieces, Toffee Bits, Coconut, nuts, fruit (bottled, canned or fresh), sprinkles, mini-marshmallows, syrups, you get the idea...
*water

In regular cereal size bowl, mix 1/2 cup dry cake mix and 1/3 cup of water. Stir with a fork until it's no longer lumpy. Add any toppings you desire. Microwave cook for 90 seconds. (My microwave takes 100 seconds for the fruity ones.) Eat! You can top the cake with whipped cream or ice cream or, again, anything goes! Enjoy!

Loose Burgers

1 lb. ground turkey, browned with 1/2 an onion
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom
1/2 can water

once turkey is browned, dump onion soup mix and cream of mushroom into it. add 1/2 can of water and stir. cook until mixture thickens. serve on your choice of bun.

Nachos

1 lb. ground beef/turkey
1/4 cup diced onions
1 pint taco sauce
1 can refried beans
can cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope dry taco seasoning
2 cups cheddar cheese
tortilla chips
lettuce
chopped tomatoes
sour cream

brown ground beef/turkey and onions. drain. combine all ingredients except tortilla chips, lettuce, tomato and sour cream in crock pot. cover. cook on high 1 hour, stirring occasionally until cheese fully melted. serve with tortilla chips, lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream.

Hummus

1 can of chick peas (with juice)
1 clove of garlic
2-3 tbsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp. tahini
2-3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

throw it all in a blender and blend until smooth

chickenetti

* 1 cup chicken broth
* 16 ounces spaghetti, cooked
* 4-6 cups cooked chicken or cooked turkey, cubed
* 10 3/4 ounces cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup
* 1 cup water
* 1/2 cup celery, diced
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 1 medium onion, grated
* 1/2 lb American cheese, cubed

Put chicken broth into a very large crockpot. Add spaghetti and meat.
In large bowl, combine soup and water until smooth.
Stir in remaining ingredients, then pour into crockpot.
Cover. Cook on low, 2-3 hours.

Roasted New Potato Salad

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 pounds small red potatoes, diced
* 1/2 medium-size sweet onion, chopped
* 2 teaspoons minced garlic
* 1 teaspoon coarse salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 8 to 10 cooked crisp bacon slices, crumbled
* 1 bunch green onions, chopped
* 3/4 cup prepared Ranch dressing
* Salt and pepper to taste


Place oil in a bowl; add potatoes and the next 4 ingredients, tossing to coat. Arrange potato mixture in a single layer on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 425° for 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. If you like your potatoes crispier, bake about 10 minutes longer, stirring once. Transfer to a large bowl.

Toss together potatoes, bacon, green onions, and dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.

Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding

* 2 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts
* 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
* 2 (4.5-ounce) cans fruit cocktail (undrained)
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1 (9-ounce) box raisins
* 1 pinch salt
* 1 or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* Butter Sauce, recipe follows
** I have also used coconut in this. I used about a cup.**
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cube donuts into a large bowl. Pour other ingredients on top of donuts and let soak for a few minutes. Mix all ingredients together until donuts have soaked up the liquid as much as possible.

Bake for about 1 hour until center has jelled. Top with Butter Sauce.
Butter Sauce:

1 stick butter

1 pound box confectioners' sugar

Melt butter and slowly stir in confectioners' sugar. Heat until bubbly. Pour over each serving of Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding.

Strawberry Jam

2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berry. (you could also throw into the blender and give them a whirl if you want it less chunky) In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C). Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process any unsealed jars in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, don't bother with processing, and just refrigerate. (or buy Ball freezer jars like I did and dump cooled jam into them and freeze)

We Don't Eat A Lot Of Pork Around Here

my favorite pork recipe only has 3 ingredients:
2-4 lb. pork shoulder
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 envelope onion soup mix

pour all ingredients over the pork and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Baked Potato Soup

2 1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and diced in 1 to 2-inch chunks
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 quart chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, to add at the end
crumbled bacon and green onion or chives as garnish (optional)

Peel and dice the potatoes, and put them into the crock pot. Add onion and garlic. Sprinkle in the seasonings, and pour in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4. The potatoes should be fork-tender. You can use a potato masher to mash the potatoes in the soup, or a hand-held immersible blender. )i just dumped into my blender. Maddy broke my hand blender several months ago)I suppose you can also leave the potatoes in chunks, if you really wanted, but I wanted a smooth soup.

After smashing the potatoes, crumble in package of cream cheese, and put the lid back on. Cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is completely dissolved. Stir a few times during the 30 minutes.

Garnish with crumbled bacon, green onion or chives, and I'd assume cheddar cheese would be just delightful.

Garlic Chicken Farfalle

16 oz. Farfalle pasta
1 c. heavy whipping cream
3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed OR garlic salt (I do a spoonful of crushed garlic)
1 Tbsp. pepper*
1/2 c. butter
1 lb. bacon, crumpled**
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 (12 oz) Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice

*Seems like a lot of pepper, but it has a wonderful flavor when everything mixes together. If you’re apprehensive, do less pepper. You can always add more.

**We like to cook our bacon in the oven (400 degrees, convection). Way less messy. And it’s crispy every time. Time varies, so you just have to watch it. I think it’s usually around 30 minutes. Allow to cool and then crumple.

Crock pot chicken and bottle of marinade on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit, and shred (I pull it apart). Set this aside. About a half-hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.

too tired to cook

pick up the phone and order pizza

Apple Dumplings

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew (I didn't use the whole can, maybe 1/2)

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Shortbread

Ingredients:

* 8 ounces butter (2 sticks), room temperature
* 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients; use hands to knead until ingredients are blended. Press into ungreased pans (or chill and roll out to about 1/2-inch on a floured board and cut into shapes). Bake at 325° for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Cut into wedges while warm or break apart.

My Babies Favorite French Toast

* 2 eggs
* 1/4 cup milk
* 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* dash nutmeg
* 6 slices French bread, sliced on diagonal

Preparation:
In a shallow bowl, whisk egg until foamy. Whisk in milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg.

Heat butter in heavy skillet over medium-low heat. (I use an electric skillet) Dip 4 slices of bread in the egg mixture, turning to coat thoroughly. Let excess drip back into bowl.

Place coated bread slices in hot skillet. Cook, turning, until both sides are nicely browned, about 2 minutes each side.

Repeat with remaining bread and egg mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, if desired. Serve with maple syrup.

Crockpot Oatmeal

* 2 cups steel cut oats (not instant or rolled oats)
* 6-8 cups water, depending on how long the oatmeal will cook
* 1 tsp. cinnamon
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* 2 apples, peeled and diced
* 1 cup sliced bananas
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Spray crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. If you're planning to cook the oatmeal 8 hours or longer, use 8 cups of water. If you want to cook it less than 8 hours, use 6 cups of water. Put first sixingredients in slow cooker and cook on low. Just before serving, Stir in bananas and walnuts. Sprinkle with additional brown sugar if desired.

Chicken Lo Mein

12 oz. fettucine noodles, cooked and set aside
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup hot water
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. oil
1 lb. uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 medium head broccoli
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
6 green onions chopped

in a jar with a tight lid, mix peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, hot water and garlic. shake well until blended. in a skillet, stir fry chicken in oil for 5-7 minutes. add vegetables. cook an additional 5 minutes. add sauce to skillet. stir in noodles. cook 2 more minutes and then serve.

Cheese Fondue

* 1 cup milk
* 1 garlic clove, smashed
* 1 lb monterrey jack cheese, coarsely grated
* 2 tablespoons flour

Directions

1. Heat milk and garlic (if using) in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering, about 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Toss the cheese and flour together in a bowl or large ziploc bag until the shreds are nicely floured.
3. Whisk the cheese into the milk a handful at a time, waiting for each handful to melt before adding more.
4. When it's all melted and smooth, remove garlic clove and pour cheese into a fondue pot.

Macaroni & Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

4 cups dried macaroni
1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 4 tablespoons) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard (more if desired)
1 egg, beaten
1 pound cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (more to taste)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper


Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.
In a small bowl, beat egg.
In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.
Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.
Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.
Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.
Add in cheese and stir to melt.
Add seasoned salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.
Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.

Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Orange Cream Cheesecake

CRUST
* 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon orange zest
* 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

FILLING

* 1 (3 ounce) package orange flavor gelatin
* 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
* 1 1/4 cups sugar
* 1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice
* 1/3 cup orange juice concentrate
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 (8 ounce) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

TOPPING

* 2 cups whipped topping
* 1/4 cup sugar
* lemon slice

Directions

1. Combine the cracker crumbs, cinnamon, orange peel and butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 10 inch springform pan. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Prepare gelatin according to package directions. Set aside 1/2 cup at room temperature. Chill remaining gelatin until slightly thickened, about 80 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar for 2 minutes. Gradually beat in milk and lemon juice. Beat on medium-high speed 2 minutes longer. Gradually beat in orange juice concentrate, vanilla and room temperature gelatin. Fold in whipped topping. Pour over prepared crust.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat whipped topping and sugar. beat in refrigerated gelatin mixture (mixture will be thin). Chill for 30 minutes. Gently spoon over filling (pan will be full). Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

6-8 slices ham
8-10 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
1-2 onions, thinly sliced
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
can of cream of mushroom soup

Put half of ham, potatoes and onions in crockpot. sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cheese. repeat layers. spoon soup over top. cover. cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4 hours.

Mini Meat Pies

3/4 lb ground turkey (I added chopped onions, carrots and celery)
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 can grands biscuits
1/4 cup shredded cheese

preheat over to 400. brown the turkey and drain. mix ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar to make sauce. add sauce to meat mixture. take biscuits from can and form dough into cups in a muffin pan. spoon the meat into the dough cups. bake at for about 15 minutes (or until biscuit dough looks done). sprinkle tops with cheese and let melt.

Cheeseburger Casserole aka My Family's Favorite Meal

1 lb. elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
1 lb. ground turkey, browned (as usual I tend to brown it with chopped onion, carrot and celery)
1 packet onion soup mix
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 can tomato soup
1 8 oz. package of shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients(except cheese). Pour into a 13x9 baking dish. Top with cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

16 Bean Soup

Trying a new recipe in the crockpot today...I'll let you know how it goes.

**Edit** Can we say yuck? I'm not even going to post this nasty recipe.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

* 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
* 1 sweet onion, diced
* 1/4 cup canola oil
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1 (1 ounce) envelope ranch dressing mix
* 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
* 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded (not from the shaker)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. In a gallon zip-top storage bag, combine potatoes, onion, and oil.
3. Toss to coat vegetables with oil.
4. Add paprika and ranch dressing mix, toss again until coated with seasonings.
5. Bake in an ungreased baking pan 30-35 minutes until potatoes are browned, or cook longer for crispier potatoes.
6. Remove from oven and top with cheeses, return to oven for 2-3 minutes to let cheese melt.
7. Remove from oven and serve.

Spanish Rice

2 lbs. ground turkey (beef, whatever), browned
2 medium onions, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped (We don't like them so I don't use them)
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 1/2 tsp, chili powder
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups rice, uncooked

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high for 6 hours.

Taco Soup

1 lb. ground turkey (or beef)
1 large onion, chopped
2-14 oz. can pinto beans
14 oz. can tomatoes with chilies
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
16 oz. tomato sauce
15 oz. can of corn
1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix
1 pkg. dry taco seasoning

Brown turkey and onions in skillet. Drain. Combine all ingredients in crockpot. Cover. Cook on low 4 hours, or until ingredients are heated through. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips and whatever else floats your boat.

Broccoli Tortellini Salad

1 pkg. cheese tortellini (can be found in the pasta aisle)
1 head broccoli, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
12 slices bacon, fried (or baked) (I have also used real bacon bits, much easier...do not use imitation bacon bits...yuck!)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (I use more)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 T white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain. Let cool. Mix tortellini, bacon, onion and sunflower seeds in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar and salt. (Or whiz it in the blender like I do) Pour over broccoli tortellini mixture.

*I've also had this with raisins in it. I prefer it without.*

Cucumber Hungarian Salad Thing

This is one of my all time favorites and has been for as long as I can remember.

5 cucumbers, peeled and sliced thin
1 medium onion, cut in half and slice thin
1 8 oz. sour cream
salt

Mix the first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Add salt to taste. All done!

**Discovered last night that the cucumber hungarian salad thing juice makes excellent chip dip. I'm just saying.**