Friday, December 21, 2007

Peppermint Stick Sauce


1 1/2 cups finely crushed peppermint candies
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 7 oz. Jar Marshmallow cream

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook over medium heat until smooth. Remove from heat. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate. Serve chilled over ice cream or cake. Makes 2 cups.

Garlic Roasted Chicken

Garlic Roasted Chicken

Ingredients
A 5 lb. roasting chicken
5 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup chicken broth
¼ pound butter or margarine
salt, pepper and paprika to taste

Rub the salt, pepper, paprika and minced garlic on the inside and outside of the chicken. Place the entire bird in the slow cooker with the broth. Spread the butter or margarine on the breasts of the chicken.

Cook for 8 to 10 hours. Serve with the garlic butter sauce.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Fiesta Breakfast Casserole

Make this casserole the night before, then refrigerate and pop it in the oven in the morning.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 12 slices white bread
  • 1 (approximately 11 ounces) can white kernel corn, drained
  • 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican blend
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION:

Remove crust from bread; place 6 slices in a lightly greased 12x8x2-inch baking dish. Spoon half of corn and half of chiles over the bread; sprinkle with half of the Monterey Jack cheese. Layer remaining bread, corn, chiles, and cheese

Whisk together eggs, milk, and salt; pour over last layers. Cover and refrigerate casserole overnight, about 8 to 10 hours. Remove from refrigerator; let stand 30 minutes. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes.
Fiesta breakfast casserole serves 8.

Eggnog Fudge

Eggnog fudge recipe with pecans and marshmallows.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 cups miniature marshmallows
  • 2/3 cup purchased eggnog
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

PREPARATION:

Butter sides of a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Add sugar, marshmallows, eggnog, butter, corn syrup, and salt to the saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Turn heat up to medium and cook until mixture boils.

Continue to cook, stirring constantly, to about 232° . Add chocolate chips and continue to cook for 5 minutes (should be at soft ball stage*), or until chocolate is melted. Stir in chopped nuts. Pour into a buttered 8-inch square pan. Cool to room temperature, then chill and cut into squares. Makes about 3 dozen pieces of eggnog fudge.

*To Test for Soft Ball Stage
A small amount of syrup dropped into chilled water forms a ball, but flattens when picked up with fingers (234° to 240°).


Monday, November 26, 2007

Dad's Cheesecake

Crust
1 & 1/4 cups of graham cracker crumbs
3 Tablespoons of sugar
1/3 cup very soft butter
Mix above together and spread in 9 X 13 glass pan
Pat crust firmly in pan ( Do Not Bake)
Filling
1 8oz package cream cheese--not low fat---room temperature
1 15 oz can eagle brand sweetened condensed can milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
1 can cherry pie filling (for topping)
Beat Cream cheese (at room temperature) until light and fluffy
then beat in milk on low until well blended.
Add lemon juice and vanilla slowly, I use a wire wish for this step and blend completelty and pour over unbaked crust.
Chill completely and then when set top with Chilled Cherry Pie Filling.
I sprinkle a bit of Cinnamon over the Cherry Topping.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Apple Cranberry Pie

FILLING
Juice of 1 orange
Zest of 1 orange
5 cups of peeled, sliced apples (approximately 5 medium apples)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped (if frozen, do not thaw)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
TOPPING
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons oats
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Make a pie crust for the bottom (whatever recipe you like)
To make filling, mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. To make topping, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. The topping mixture should clump when pressed together.
Add filling to cold pie crust and scatter topping all over the filling. Bake at 400 degrees until the juice in the center of the pie is bubbling, about 1 hour. If the crust or topping becomes too dark, cover the pie loosely with foil.
Transfer to a wire rack; cool completely before serving.

Friday, November 16, 2007

California Ice Tea

4 tea bags
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (5 to 6 lemons)
1/2 to 3/4 cup superfine sugar, to taste
3 lemon slices
Steep the 4 tea bags in 4 cups of boiling water for 10 minutes. Discard the tea bags and allow the tea to cool.

Combine the lemon juice, sugar and 4 cups of cold water in a large pitcher. Add the tea and lemon slices. Serve over ice.

Blueberry Buckle

For the cake:
Nonstick cooking spray
9 ounces cake flour, approximately 2 cups
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
5 1/4 ounces sugar, approximately 3/4 cup
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
15 ounces fresh whole blueberries, approximately 3 cups

For the topping:
3 1/2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/2 cup
1 1/2 ounces cake flour, approximately 1/3 cup
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground ginger. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Add the egg and beat until well incorporated, approximately 30 seconds. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until incorporated and then add 1/3 of the milk and beat until incorporated. Repeat, alternating flour and milk until everything has combined. Gently stir in the blueberries and pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

For the topping:
In a small bowl combine the sugar, flour and nutmeg. Add the butter and work into the dry ingredients using a fork to combine. Continue until the mixture has a crumb-like texture. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the cake. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35 minutes or until golden in color. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes & Bananas

You can roast the potatoes and bananas ahead of time, then put it all together just before serving. Then heat it up in the oven.
5 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
4 bananas, unpeeled
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup honey
Kosher salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, put them in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes. Toss the bananas into the pan and continue roasting for 10 to 15 minutes, until both the bananas and potatoes are very soft. Remove the pan from the oven but don't turn the oven off.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl. Peel the bananas and add them to the bowl along with 1 stick of the butter, and the honey. Season with salt and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until everything's well combined and the mixture is fluffy. Spoon into an oven-proof serving bowl and smooth the top.

In a separate mixing bowl, use your fingers to rub together the remaining stick of butter, the brown sugar, flour, and pecans until the mixture is the consistency of coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the sweet potatoes and return to the oven. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the crumbs are golden. Serve hot.

Carmelized Onion and Cornebread Stuffing



2 tablespoons butter
2 onions, chopped
6 large cornmeal muffins, cubed
Handful fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes, or until soft and caramelized. Add sage and scrape into a large mixing bowl. Add the cornbread pieces, season well with salt and pepper, and give it a good toss until it's well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, cream, and stock, and pour that over the cornbread. Stir the stuffing together and stuff the cavity of the turkey. You could also spoon it into a buttered baking dish and put it in the oven along with the turkey. Bake until hot and crusty on top, about 30 minutes.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Pinwheels

Quick-and-easy prep makes these roll-up treats a great addition to any holiday party.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 (8-ounce) package crescent roll dough (we used Pillsbury Crescent Rolls)
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons jellied cranberry sauce
1. First heat the oven to 375 degrees. Unroll the dough and divide it into 2 rectangles (most store-bought doughs are perforated down the middle). Press together any other perforations to seal them. Using a butter knife, spread the cream cheese evenly over the 2 rectangles, leaving a 1/4- to 1/2-inch border on all sides, then spread the cranberry sauce over the cream cheese. Starting at the short side, roll each piece of dough into a log, then cut each log into six 1-inch-wide slices.

2. Place the slices on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let the pinwheels sit for 5 minutes (to allow the filling to set) before removing them to wire racks. Serve warm. Makes 12 pinwheels.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Camping Recipes

http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/camping-recipes/index.htm

Cranberry Pretzel Salad

Cranberry Pretzel Salad

Layer 1
2 cups finely crushed pretzels
3/4 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Mix ingredients together. Press into the bottom of a large flat baking dish. Bake 8 minutes at 350 degrees F. Let cool. Meanwhile, prepare layers 2 and 3.

Layer 2
8 ounces cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Mix together, and spread on top of cooled crust.

Layer 3
1 large box black cherry Jell-O
2 cans whole cranberry sauce
2 cups boiling water

Mix well; let Cool and pour over second layer.

NOTE: The third layer can be mixed first and set in the refrigerator while other layers are being prepared. Just don't forget it and leave it too long; you don't want it to congeal.

Baked Potato Casserole

Baked Potato Casserole

5 large baking potatoes, cooked and diced

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 lb. shredded cheddar cheese

1 pint sour cream

2 bunches green onions, chopped (sauteed in bacon grease)

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients. Pour into casserole and bake 30 minutes at 325° F.

Serves 6 - 8

Fast Fritos and Chili Casserole

Quick, Easy -N- Fast Fritos Chili Pie Casserole Recipe

2 1/2 to 3 C. Fritos (or other brand) corn chips
1 large onion, chopped ( 3/4 to 1 C.)
2 1/2 C. chili (or 1 19-ounce can)
1 C. grated Cheddar (or American) cheese

Place half the corn chips in a baking dish. Sprinkle with all the chopped onions and half the cheese. Top with all the chili, then the rest of the corn chips and cheese.

Bake in a 350°F. oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Makes 6 servings

Eggnog French Toast with Cranberry Orange Syrup

Eggnog French Toast with Cranberry Orange Syrup

4 eggs

1 cup eggnog

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 slices (4 inches wide, 1 inch thick) French bread

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or cinnamon

Syrup

1 can (16 ounces) jellied cranberry sauce

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

To prepare bread: In large mixing bowl, combine eggs, eggnog, butter and vanilla. Beat at medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until well mixed. Dip bread slices in egg mixture, turning to coat both sides. Place in greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Pour any remaining egg mixture over bread.

In small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons sugar and nutmeg. Sprinkle over bread. Bake in 450-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown.

To make syrup: Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, combine cranberry sauce, sugar, orange juice and orange peel. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minuets, or until cranberry sauce is melted and mixture comes to a boil.

To serve: Serve toast immediately with cranberry orange syrup.

Makes 4 serving

Muffin Recipes

http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/muffin-recipes/index.htm


This link has any type of muffin you could ever imagine! They are some really creative recipes.

Pineapple Cream Cheese Ball

Pineapple Cream Cheese Ball Recipe

2 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 (8 1/2 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
2 C. chopped pecans
1/4 C. chopped green pepper
1 T. chopped onion
1 T. seasoning salt

Cream the cream cheese and stir in pineapple. When smooth, add 1 cup nuts, green pepper, onion and seasoning salt. Chill. Form into 2 balls and roll cheese ball in rest of pecans to coat the surface. Chill until ready for serving. (Set out until room temperature just before serving.) Serve with raw vegetables and / or crackers.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Apple Cranberry Dressing

Apple-Cranberry Dressing
From Food Network Kitchens How To Boil Water, Meredith, 2006

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
1 pound sliced country white sandwich bread
1 large cooking apple, such as Gravenstein, or Golden Delicious
1 medium onion
2 ribs celery with leaves
1/2 cup dried apricots
Handful fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch fennel seeds, optional
3 cups chicken broth (about 1 1/2 small cans)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons turkey or chicken pan drippings or melted butter
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a shallow 3-quart casserole.

Cut or tear bread into bite-size pieces. Lay bread pieces in a single layer on 1 or 2 baking sheets. Bake until slightly dry and crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool.

Peel, core, and coarsely chop the apple. Coarsely chop the onion, celery, and apricots. Chop the parsley.

Melt the 6 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apple, onion, celery, apricots, cranberries, thyme, salt, and fennel seeds; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and parsley and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg in a large bowl. Add the toasted bread and the onion and fruit mixture; toss until evenly moistened. Loosely pack the dressing into the prepared pan. Bake, uncovered, until the top is crusty, about 40 minutes. Drizzle the pan drippings or melted butter over the top. Cook until the top is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes more.

Tips: Put the dressing in the oven during the last hour of cooking the turkey

Upgrades or Make it your Own:
Cook pork sausage until brown and crispy in the skillet. Remove to a plate and cook vegetables and fruit in the residual fat. Stir sausage into stuffing just before baking.

Country Bread and Sage Dressing

Country Bread and Sage Dressing
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay
See this recipe on air Thursday Nov. 15 at 11:00 AM ET/PT.
Show: Boy Meets Grill
Episode: Thanksgiving on the Grill

1 pound hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing dish
1 large red onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 large egg, slightly beaten
4 cups stale country bread, cut into 1-inch dice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 to 2 cups warm chicken stock
Heat large saute pan over high heat. Add the sausage and cook until golden brown. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Add butter to the rendered fat in the pan, and then add the onions, celery and carrots and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove the mixture from the heat and fold in the sage. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and let cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

When the vegetable mixture has cooled slightly, add the sausage to the bowl. Add the egg and bread and mix to coat. Add the chicken stock until the mixture is moist. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Butter a large baking dish and scrape the mixture into the dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Sausage Corn Bread Dressing

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces breakfast sausage
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 pound corn bread stuffing mix
3/4 cup cooked rice
2 to 3 cups milk
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until brown. Add the vegetables and cook until they are soft. Stir in the poultry seasoning, then set the skillet aside.

2. Prepare the corn bread stuffing according to the package directions. Add the sausage mixture and the rice. Stir in enough milk to evenly moisten the dressing. Pour the dressing into a large baking dish and bake uncovered for 1 hour or until a crust forms on top. Makes about 10 cups.

Home Remedy Recipes

http://www.recipegoldmine.com/health/health.html

Gifts In A Jar Link

http://heart4home.net/giftsinajar.htm

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/giftinajar/index.shtml

http://www.craftbits.com/viewCategory.do?categoryID=REC

http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/christmas/gifts/index.htm

http://www.kitchenlink.com/holiday/merrygifts.html

These are fun gifts! I made one last night!

Friday, November 2, 2007

Apple Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup diced unpeeled apple
3/4 cup cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl whisk eggs, sugar, oil, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in apple, cranberries, and walnuts. Fold into dry ingredients. Bake in greased muffin cups at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes

Friday, October 26, 2007

Southwest Bean Soup

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. low-sodium taco mix
1 pkg. Ranch style dressing mix
2 cans low-sodium diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomatoes (mild, regular, or hot, according to your taste)
1 can whole-kernel corn, drained
1 can red kidney beans, washed and drained
1 can black beans, washed and drained
1 can great northern beans, washed and drained
1. Brown hamburger meat in a skillet. Drain and add dry ingredients. Stir until mixed and pour into large saucepan.

2. Stir until mixed and pour into large saucepan. Add remaining ingredients. Bring almost to boil, lower heat to simmer and cook for 15 to 30 minutes.

3. Serve and enjoy!

Old Fashion Spaghetti and Meatballs

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
Spaghetti Sauce
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 ribs celery, sliced thin
1 to 2 medium carrots, chopped
1 lb. ground beef, ground turkey, or sweet Italian sausage meat or a mixture (optional)
1/3 cup white or red wine
Two 28 oz. cans Italian plum tomatoes, either whole or crushed
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Meatballs

1/2 cup cubed, crustless white bread
1/4 cup water
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. dried basil or oregano
2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb. spaghetti
1. For the Spaghetti Sauce: In a large skillet, add the olive oil and saute the onion over medium heat until it has softened. Add the celery and carrots and cook 8 to 10 minutes, lowering the heat if necessary to keep the vegetables from browning. (If making a meat sauce, use a fork to crumble the meat into the pan as well; cook, stirring, until the meat loses its pink color.) Next, turn the heat to High and add the wine. Cook, stirring until the wine has evaporated. Add the tomatoes and their juice. (If you are using whole tomatoes, break them up in the pan with a wooden spoon.) When the mixture begins to bubble, turn the heat to Low and keep the sauce barely simmering for 1-1/2 hours. Finally, stir in the seasonings and remove from the heat. You may use the sauce immediately, save it for a day or two in the refrigerator or freeze it. Makes 2-1/2 quarts.

2. For the Meatballs: Combine the bread cubes with the water and let stand for 5 minutes. Combine the ground beef and cheese in a bowl. Thoroughly mix in the bread cubes, garlic, herbs and spices, and egg. With your fingers, shape the meat into 12 balls.

3. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the meatballs and brown them evenly, turning them often. Move the meatballs to paper towels and pat off the fat; then add them to a large pot with 3-1/2 cups of tomato sauce. Simmer partially covered for 45 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. Ladle the sauce and meatballs on top of spaghetti cooked according to the package directions; pass the parmesan as well. The sauce and meatballs will keep for several days in the refrigerator or may be frozen. Makes 4 servings.

Green Chili Enchilada

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
For the Sauce:
2 pounds tomatillos
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped white onion
1/3 cup chopped cilantro, lightly packed
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream

For the Enchiladas:
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. To make the sauce, husk the tomatillos and rinse them under warm water to remove any stickiness and dirt. Broil the tomatillos on a foil-lined baking sheet 1 to 2 inches from the heat, turning them once, until they are softened and slightly charred, about 7 to 9 minutes.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the white onions and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

3. Transfer the tomatillos to a blender and add the sautéed onions, cilantro, green chilies, cumin, sugar, and salt and puree until smooth.

4. Return the tomatillo sauce to the skillet and cook it over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Add the broth and cream and continue cooking until the sauce is slightly thickened and not watery, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add more salt if desired.

5. To make the enchiladas, brush both sides of the tortillas lightly with oil and lay them on a cookie sheet in stacks of two. Heat them in a 375°F oven just until they're soft and pliable, about 3 minutes.

6. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, half of the Cheddar, half of the Monterey Jack, the chopped onion, and the salt. Add 1/2 cup of the sauce to the chicken mixture and toss to combine.

7. Spread a third of the remaining sauce in the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Place 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla. Roll up the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the other tortillas. Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle the remaining Monterey Jack and Cheddar on top of the casserole.

8. Bake the casserole until the enchiladas are heated through and the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.