Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

These are the puffy sugar cookies.

1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
6 cups flour
3 eggs
1 cup shortening
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Cream sugar, shortening, sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Add baking soda, salt and flour. Mix well. Roll dough out and use a round glass as a cookie cutter.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Sugar and Cinnamon Puffs

2/3 cups melted butter
2 eggs
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup milk
3 cups flour

Topping
1 1/4 cup melted butter
2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups sugar

Mix all ingredients. Put in to well greased cupcake tin. (Should make 15-18 puffs). Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Mix cinnamon and sugar. Dip puffs in to melted butter and then place in plastic bag with cinnamon and sugar. Shake 3 muffins in the bag at a time. Place on wax paper and allow to cool.

Apple Dumplings

2 pkgs crescent rolls

2-3 apples (I only used two, I wish I had used 3)

1 stick butter

1 cup sugar

1 tbs cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup Sprite or Sierra Mist or Mountain Dew

You cut the apple and wrap the crescent rolls around them. I only did one apple per roll, next time I will do two. Put them in the crock pot. Melt the butter, mix in vanilla, sugar and cinnamon. Pour over the apples. Then, pour the soda over the whole thing. Mmmm.... Cook on high for 4-5 hours (vent the crock pot by propping it open with a wooden spoon or something). Ours was done in 4 1/2 hours.

Jello Cake

1 white cake mix
1 pkg jello any flavor (cherry and raspberry work best)
1 carton Cool Whip

Make cake per box instructions. Let cool. Poke holes in cake with a fork. Make jello per box instructions. Pour over cake. Cover cake with Cool Whip and store in the fridge.

This is a great summer treat.

(This is Jeff's recipe)

Tuxedo Brownies

1 pkg brownie mix (bake per instructions and cool)
1/c seedless raspberry jam
3 squares (1 oz each) white chocolate melted and cooled
2 pkgs (8oz) cream cheese (cream it)
1/c powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 8oz container cool whip

Spread raspberry jam over brownies. Mix remaining ingredients until creamy. Spread mixture over jam. Keep in fridge.

I love these!!

Navajo Tacos (Fry Bread)

4 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 2/3 cup warm water

shortening for frying

Combine flour salt and baking powder in a bowl. Add enough warm water to make a soft dough. Knead thoroughly, cover and let dough rest for a half an hour. Dough should be soft but not sticky. Pinch off dough about the size of an egg. Shape it round and flat and 8-9 inches in diameter. Melt shortening in large frying pan. Fry bread in pan until brown on each side.

Warm 3 cans chili.

Top bread with chili, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, salsa and sour cream. YUM!

Russian Chicken

3-4 chicken breasts
2 small bottles Russian dressing (Wish Bone)
1 small jar apricot jam
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix

Put chicken in crock pot. Cover with remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve over rice.

(This is Heather's recipe. Have to give her credit.)

"Funeral Potatoes"

1 pkg frozen hash browns
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 pint sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup bread crumbs
2 cups grated cheese

Pour half of melted butter over hash browns. Mix other half with bread crumbs. Mix soup and sour cream well. Stir in potatoes. Sprinkle buttered bread crumbs on top, then cheese. Cover. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.

(Got this recipe from Jeff's mom. They are called funeral potatoes because they are always served at funeral luncheons here.)

Blonde Brownies

1/2 cup shortening
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp almond extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan. Melt shortening in a medium pan over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in brown sugar, vanilla and eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread in pan. Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool slightly and cut while warm.

Apple Pecan Cheesecake

1 1/2 c. honey graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 c. sour cream
4 eggs
4 cups chopped peeled apples (about 3 large apples)
3/4 c. chopped pecans
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

HEAT oven to 325'. Line 13*9 inch pan with foil. Mix crumbs, butter and 2 Tbsp. br. sugar; press into bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes.

BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add sour cream;blend. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended, pour over crust.

MIX remaining 1/2 sugar, apples, pecans and cinnamon;spoon over batter.

BAKE 1 hr. to 1hr. 5 min. Cool, then refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve.

YUMMMMEEEE!!

Mom's Pound Cake

2 3/4 c. Sugar
1 1/4 c. Butter softened
1 tsp. Almond or Vanilla extract
5 Eggs
3 c. Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 c. Milk

Oven 350' grease and flour bundt pan

set aside dry ingredients in separate bowl. Beat sugar,butter, extract, eggs in large bowl for 30 seconds. Beat on high for 5 minutes until fluffy scraping bowl occasionally. On low speed, alternately add dry ingredients and milk, ending with dry ingredients. spread in pan. Bake for 1 hour - 1hour 10 minutes

Dad's Sugar Cookies

Dad gave me the recipe way back, so here it is. I have the quadruple recipe but I figured I'd give the single for those of us that only have a few people and wouldn't need to make a quad.

Single batch
2/3 c. butter flavor crisco
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1 egg
2 c.sifted flour
4 tsp. milk
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Cream shortening, sugar, almond together. add egg, beat until fluffy. Stir in milk. sift dry ingredients and blend into creamy mixture. Do just like dad does and cover with saran wrap and put it in the fridge or freezer and chill for at least an hour. Roll out dough to desired thickness, whip out the cookie cutters and go to town. Bake on cookie sheet at 375' for 6-8 minutes, cool slightly then remove from pan.

Icing
Powdered sugar
Water
Almond Extract

put powdered sugar in bowl, add just a smidge of almond extract, add a little water at a time and mix to the proper consistency, you all should know what that is...not too runny, not too thick, divide and add colors you want, frost cookies.

Green Chili Chicken Casserole

2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 (16oz) sour cream
1 (4oz) can diced green chilis
12 corn tortillas (cut in strips)
2 cups cheddar cheese
2 cups chicken cooked and cubed

Mix together soup, sour cream, chilis and chicken. In a 9x13 pan spoon some soup mixture on the bottom. Cover with cheese, then tortillas. Repeat in layers. Top with cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes. Remove foil for the last 15 minutes.

Creamy Chicken Pasta

1 TBS butter
2-3 chicken breasts
3 cups broccoli
3/4 cup carrots sliced or julienned
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

In a large skillet over Medium-High heat, melt butter, add chicken and cook 3 minutes. Add broccoli, carrots, milk, salt and lemon pepper. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to Medium, cover and cook 3 minutes or until veggies are crisp and chicken is done. Stir in cream cheese until smooth. Remove from heat and add Parmesan cheese. Serve over pasta.

I made this for the first time tonight. It was so easy and oh, so tasty.

No Bake Cookies

2 cups Sugar
2 TBSP Cocoa
½ cup milk
1 cube butter or margarine
½ cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups oatmeal

Melt butter and cocoa, milk and sugar – boil (rolling boil) for 2 minutes. Add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. Mix together well and spoon out onto wax paper. Let cool.

I am sure everyone has this recipe but just in case!!!

Chicken Fingers

2-3 Boneless, skinless chicken breast

2/3 cup Bisquick baking mix

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (grated people)

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1 slightly beaten egg

3 Tbl butter - melted

Heat oven to 450. Line cookie sheet with foil (and thank me later). Spray the foil with cooking spray.

Mix together Bisquick mix, cheese, garlic salt, and paprika (in bowl, gallon bag, you choose).
*Slightly beat you egg in a separate bowl.
*Slice chicken breast into strips (you knew that one was coming)
*Dip half the chicken strip into egg and then place into Bisquick mix
*Make sure to cover the whole "tender" in the mix
*Set on cookie sheet and repeat the first steps. When the cookie sheet is full drizzle the melted butter over top of the chicken.

Bake 12-14 minutes. At the halfway point turn over the chicken and resist the urge to eat them half cooked.

Once they are done, pull them out and enjoy. I like to make Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits (the frozen in a bag variety) with these, but if you don't want to splurge on those then just make baking soda biscuits...unless someone has a good recipe for Buttermilk biscuits and if so...get sharing.

Any questions - give me a call.

Easy Pumpkin Cookies

1 box spice cake mix
1 can pure pumpkin (15 oz.)
2 cups chocolate chips
Non Stick Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheets with a nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl mix together the cake mix and the canned pumpkin. Add chips. Drop cookie dough onto a cookie sheet and then bake for around 10-12 minutes.

Rice (good with Yucknee)

Handful of spaghetti noodles
1 TBS butter/margarine
2 cups rice
5 cups water
2 tsp salt

Break spaghetti noodles into pieces. Put in a medium sauce pan with butter. Add rice and brown over medium heat. Add water and salt. Bring to a boil and cover and reduce heat. Cook for 20-25 minutes

Yucknee

3-4 chicken breasts, legs or thighs (minus bones- I use the frozen breasts that come in a bag )
1 large can cut green beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
chopped onion
garlic (I use the jar stuff)
salt & pepper

Throw all ingredients in the crock pot. Season with garlic, salt & pepper to taste. Let simmer on low for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken and serve.

Chicken ring

2 large chicken breasts- cooked
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup sour cream (or to taste)
2 cups broccoli- cooked or steamed (I am fond of the Steamers-you microwave it in the bag)
2 cups shredded cheese
2 pkgs crescent rolls (of the refrigerator kind)
Lemon pepper or just plain pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients, except crescent rolls, together. On a round pizza pan or pizza stone lay the crescent rolls in a circle, large side in. It should look like a sun when you are done. Spoon mixture on to the largest portion on the ring. Wrap the shortest side over, so it tucks all the ooey, gooey goodness inside. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until ring is lightly browned.

* I meant to take a picture last night, but we inhaled it way too fast.

Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers

Usually the recipe calls for 2 lbs of turkey but I will put up the half recipe. One pound is supposed to make about 4 burgers, they are pretty big but that's good because you don't want to be eating all bun.

1 lb Ground Turkey (not ground turkey breast)
1 egg
half pack 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and sqeezed dry
half pack 6oz. Feta Cheese
about 1 tsp chopped garlic (I use the stuff that comes in a jar, to lazy to do fresh)

mix it all up in a bowl, pattie 'em up, cook 'em up, serve 'em up. I cook them on a non stick griddle. Or, cook them in a pan...If you were going to do it on a grill I suggest doing it on foil, they break up pretty easy in the beginning. Anyway, they are soooo tasty that even Ben likes them and he's super picky.

I want to see...

I would like to see Jessica's reeses pieces cookies and ginger snaps. That is all I have to say:)

Spring Strawberry Spinach Salad

Salad:
1 bunch spinach, rinsed
10 large strawberries, sliced

Dressing:
½ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup white wine vinegar (balsamic or rice vinegar)
1 cup vegetable oil (I only use ½ cup)
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Almonds:
½ large bag of sliced almonds (or however many you want)
White sugar (maybe 1/3 to ½ cup)

In a large bowl, mix the spinach and strawberries. In a blender, place the ½ cup sugar, salt, vinegar, and oil, and blend until smooth. (you can also do this with a hand mixer) Stir in the poppy seeds. Sauté the almonds and sugar over medium heat until the sugar melts, stirring constantly. Cool. Add the almonds to the salad just before serving. Pour the dressing over the spinach and strawberries, and toss to coat. (just before serving)

I want to change the veggie oil to Olive Oil and the Sugar to Splenda to make it a healthy salad. I don't think it will change the wonderful flavor.

Steak Parmesan

2-4 round steaks
2 cans spaghetti sauce (or your own)
2 cups Parmesan cheese

Place steaks in crock pot. Pour sauce over the top. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve over egg noodles and top with Parmesan cheese.

Can also replace steaks with chicken breasts.

Olive Garden Alfredo Pasta

1/2 cup butter
2 cups heavy cream
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper
1 12 oz box fettuccine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cream, garlic and pepper and simmer for 12 minutes or until thick.

Boil water for pasta and make that according to box instructions, drain.

When Alfredo sauce is thick, stir in Parmesan cheese. Serve pasta on plates and pour sauce over the top.

Just tried this tonight and it was TASTY! I forgot to grill up some seasoned chicken breast. I will try that next time.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

"This tangy, creamy dip tastes just like buffalo chicken wings. It's best served hot with crackers and celery sticks. Everyone loves the results!"

2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup pepper sauce, such as Franks® Red Hot® (If you like mild don't use as much)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces
1 Box crackers - I like Wheat Thins but whatever kind you like

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with celery sticks and crackers.

I have never actually used the crock pot for this, just cooked it on the stove and warmed int he microwave if needed. This does make a lot so cutting everything in half works just as well.

What recipes would you like to see?

I was just sitting here thinking: What recipes would I like to see?

So, what recipes do you want added here? I know Joanna wants Heather & Ed to post their meatloaf recipe.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Cook time should be around 10-15 minutes


Ingredients:
2 cups cooked and cubed chicken breast
1 refrigerated pizza crust (Pillsbury, etc.)
2 cups BBQ sauce (your choice, Bull's Eye is great!)
2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup sliced and diced red onions (completely optional)



After cooking and cutting the chicken, I generally mix it with about 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce for a little marinading. Spread the pizza crust in the pan of your choice, and you can also bake this for 5 or 6 minutes at this time, but it is not necessary, and can result in a dry pizza if you're not careful. Spread the BBQ sauce across the dough, then spread mozzarella cheese, chicken and red onions on top of that. Bake for 10-15 minutes and enjoy. The amount of each ingredient you use is completely up to you. I prefer more chicken and cheese, but these are just guidelines. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 cup shortening
10 TBS butter/margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups flour
your choice of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream shortening and butter. Stir in sugar until blended. Add brown sugar. Then eggs and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients and incorporate slowly. Finally add chips. Drop by spoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8:15-8:30, depending on how you like your cookies. Tap on the counter and let cookies cool on a cooling rack. They won't stay long, they will get gobbled up pretty fast.

Jeff's Spaghetti Sauce

I am not a fan of spaghetti, but this stuff rocks!

1 pound ground beef
1 large can tomato juice
2 cans tomato paste
2 packages McCormick Thick and Zesty spaghetti sauce mix

Brown beef in a medium pot with pepper (I add garlic). When beef is browned add tomato juice, tomato paste and sauce mix. Let simmer and thicken while you make pasta and bake your garlic bread. (Wally's has good garlic bread).

Beef Cubes

1 pound stew meat
2 cans Golden Mushroom soup

Place stew meat in crock pot, cover with soup and a can of water. Let simmer for 6-8 hours. Serve over egg noodles.

BBQ Pork Sandwiches

Pork loin
1 bottle favorite BBQ sauce (we like Famous Dave's Sweet and Sassy)
Kaiser rolls or hamburger buns

Place pork in crock pot and coat with BBQ sauce. Let cook for 6-8 hours. Remove pork from pot and shred with a fork. Return to crock pot.

Pile the pork high on buns and enjoy!

Chicken Tacos

1 can chicken (located by the tuna)

1 can white beans

1 pkg taco seasoning

medium size tortillas

anything you like to put on your tacos

Put chicken, beans and taco seasoning in a pan and let simmer until most of the liquid evaporates. Spoon out on to tortillas and top with your favorite toppings. Yummy.

(from my friend, Theresa)

Brownie D-light!

Another fairly simple recipe for some dessert goodness. This week's dessert is what I like to call Brownie D-light. Obviously not it's the official name, name it what you will.

To begin:

Make some brownies! You can follow directions on the box right? Do it!



Go ahead...mix it up.

Then spread into a well greased (you know how I feel about well greasing things) cake pan. Then bake just like the box tells ya.
Once the brownies are done let them cool completely. I find it best to find something else to do so that I don't try to jump the gun.


When it is ready, go ahead and open up a can of white frosting (I love that stuff) and spread it liberally all over the brownies. I have an old oven and sometimes it burns the edges a bit on the brownies. The more frosting (and later chocolate topping) you use the least likely someone is to detect the slightly burnt taste of an edge. It's not tricking people...it's for the greater good.


Get out that handy dandy progressive nut chopper again (my goodness I love that thing).

It doesn't matter which way you go. Coarse or fine, it really depends on how you want them on the brownies. I usually start off with coarse and then in desperation turn it towards fine. once they are all crushed up covered the icing with them...you want it to look like so:

Once you've covered that puppy up stick it into the fridge to chill.

While that's going on you want to begin to prepare the topping. You might want to measure the ingredients first, but it really doesn't matter (I'm such a laid back baker no?) You want to melt 2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet), with 1 cup peanut butter.


Yum-O (and I don't even eat chocolate)

Then you are going to add about 4 cups rice krispes(sp?) Some brands are called "Puffed Rice" among other things. I'm not a brand name snob (unless it's Cheerios) so take your pick at what exactly it is you're adding.

Once it's mixed up, take the brownies out of the fridge and spread the mixture all over the top. It's going to be thick and come right to the edge of the pan. It's a good thing.

Wa-la! A dessert that looks and tastes like it took more effort! Yea! Now from what I understand these treats are a little on the super sweet side, so when you are cutting them (don't bother with a butter knife get something you'd use to protect yourself in the ghetto to cut these things) cut them into smaller squares and then people can eat as many as they want, but if they are small enough no one is wasting.

Hope you enjoy! Feel free to tell me how they turn out for you!

Oreo Angel Food Cake

You want to make this?

Okay.

The oreo angel food cake is pretty easy to make. First, you take a box of angel food cake mix. Like so...Follow the directions on the box, cause really that might be the only right way to make an angel food cake. After you have mixed it up you want to "fold" in six crushed oreos (I like to crush them before I mix the mix. Sprinkle and fold.

Then put the cake mix into the angle food cake pan - or bundt pan.

Yum-o.

For baking follow the directions on the box (I told you this is pretty simple). When the cake is done you want to let it cool upside down. I find that 2-liter soda bottles work extremely well for this.

Let it completely cool. Don't worry, it's not going to tumble out of the pan...if so that's baker's error - you made that cake wrong (though that's next to impossible, but some people are gifted in accomplishing the next to impossible tasks of this world). Go back and try again.

While you're cake is cooling you want to crush up loads of oreos. I find that my Progressive Nut Chopper works really well with that. Well, as good as a nut chopper can do when "cream" is involved. You may need to help it out by shoving down the oreos with a spoon.

When you are done it should look like this.

When you are sure the cake is done (2 hours seems ample time). Squish it out of the pan (seriously, it's spongy just gently push and tug until the thing comes out), then take a can of white icing and frost it - don't worry if tiny chunks of cake come off in the icing, you won't be able to tell when the oreos are through with it.

Once it is frosting sprinkle your crushed oreos over the icing.

As you can see I like to sprinkle some to garnish the bottom of the cake as well. Use as much or as little as you like, that's your prerogative. OR you could skip that part all together, use some of the crushed ones that you WOULD HAVE mix INTO the cake and sprinkle the edge of the top. Then you can take about 9 or so cookies, cut them in half, and decorate the top. ...Again your prerogative.

See? Told you if was easy.