Delectable Desserts

 

photo courtesy Pioneer Woman

Baked Apples a la Mode
• 4 large Mac or Empire apples, peeled and sliced
• ¾ C. brown sugar
• ¼ C. rolled oats
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 4 T. butter
• ¼ C. chopped walnuts

Preheat to 425 degrees. Mix ingredients. Bake 20 minutes. Best with Dulce de Leche ice cream. Makes your mouth water, doesn't it?

Berry Trifle
• 1 pound cake, sliced
• 1 small jar raspberry preserves (I prefer the seedless)
• 1 pint of fresh raspberries (or whatever other kind of berry you can find fresh)
• 1 pint real whipping cream (whipped—NOT Cool Whip and not the stuff in a can)
• 1 recipe Crème Anglais (recipe is below)

In a trifle bowl (or use a salad bowl with straight sides), you are going to layer everything, starting with pound cake slices spread with a generous spoonful of raspberry preserves. Place the first layer on the bottom with jam side up.

Then a layer of whipped cream, then some berries, then more pound cake smeared with raspberry jam. Do it again. End with whipped cream on top. Garnish with any remaining berries and fresh mint leaves. Serve with Crème Anglais on the side in a pitcher.

Crème Anglais (make this anytime. It will hold up for a few days in the fridge, no problem)

This is easy to make, but you must follow the directions exactly. You don't want the half and half boiling! It will break and you will have scrambled eggs floating in your sauce. Not good.

• 1 C. Half-and-Half
• ½ C. white sugar, divided
• 1 tsp. vanilla, plus another 1/2 tsp.
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 T. unsalted butter

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine Half-and-Half, 1/4 cup of the sugar and vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until smooth. When cream mixture starts to just boil, remove it from the heat. Whisk a small amount of hot cream into the egg yolk mixture, then pour egg yolk mixture into remaining hot cream and whisk together until smooth.

Return it to the heat and cook over medium heat stirring until mixture coats the back of a metal spoon and is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in butter. To keep it from getting a skin on top, put plastic wrap directly on the surface. Stir in the last 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla just before putting the plastic wrap on.

Better Than Anything Cake
• 1 pkg german chocolate cake mix
• 1 can sweetened milk
• 1 jar caramel topping
• 1 container Cool Whip, thawed
• 2 C. crushed Heath bars or Skor

Bake cake according to directions. While cake is still warm, poke holes in top of cake with end of a spoon. Mix caramel topping and sweetened milk in separate bowl. Pour over top of the cake and into the holes. Spread whipped topping over top of cake and sprinkle toffee bits over top. Chill.

Birthday Cake (adding pudding to any cake is a hit, not just birthday cake!)
• 1 package plain yellow or vanilla cake mix
• 1 package vanilla instant pudding (3.4 oz.)
• 1 1/4 C. milk
• ½ C. vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Touch of almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Light mist pan with oil and dust with flour. Mix all ingredients in bowl. Beat with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Mix on medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Mixture should be smooth. Pour into pan. Bake 35-40 minutes until golden brown and springy to the touch. Spread icing on the top:
• ½ C. shortening
• ½ C. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 lb. (4 C.) powdered sugar
• 2 T. milk
Cream butter and shortening. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar is mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Blueberry Streusel Cobbler (favorite ever cobbler)

• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 can sweetened milk
• ¾ C. plus 2 T. cold butter
• 2 C. Bisquick
• ½ C. brown sugar, packed
• ½ C. chopped nuts
Topping:
• ½ C. sugar
• 1 T. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 C. water

Preheat to 325 degrees. Combine blueberries and sweet milk in bowl. In a separate bowl, cut 3/4 C. butter into 1 1/2 C. bisquick until crumbly. Add blueberry mixture. Spread into greased (9 in.) baking pan. In small bowl combine remaining 1/2 C. bisquick, sugar, and remaining 2 T. butter until crumbly. Add nuts and sprinkle over cobbler. Bake 1 hour or until golden.
For the sauce, combine all ingredients except water in saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add water. Cook and stir until thickened. Serve cobber with ice cream and sauce over the top. If you aren’t serving immediately you can also just pour the sauce right over the cobbler and let it soak in.

Butter Cake
• 1 yellow cake mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 stick butter
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 lb. powdered sugar

Mix 1 slightly beaten egg with cake mix and melted butter. Press mixture evenly in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Beat cream cheese with remaining eggs and vanilla until creamy. Beat in powdered sugar until smooth, gradually. Pour over crust and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Serve with strawberries on top.

Carrot Cake
• 3 C. flour
• 1 tsp. salt, baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla
• 1 ½ C. vegetable oil
• 2 C. grated carrots
• 1 small can crushed pineapple (don't tell Allen I put pineapple in his carrot cake!)
• 2 C. sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ C. walnuts, chopped

Sift dry ingredients. Add remaining items. Beat well. Put in greased cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Top with cream cheese icing:
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 box powdered sugar
• 1 C. milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Chocolate Sheet Cake ( I think this might be Pioneer Woman recipe, but my mom makes it the same)
• 2 C. flour
• 2 C. sugar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ C. buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 sticks of butter
• 4 T. cocoa powder
Icing:
• 1 ¾ sticks of butter
• 4 T. cocoa powder
• 6 T. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 lb. powdered sugar
• ½ C. finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Stir together. In another bowl, mix buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and baking soda. Mix with a fork and set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the cocoa. Whisk together to combine. Meanwhile, bring 1 C. water to a boil. When the butter is melted, pour the boiling water in the pan. Allow to bubble and then turn off the heat. Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture. Stir togehter for a moment to cool the chocolate, then pour in the egg mixture. Stir together until smooth and then pour into a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
For the icing, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Add the cocoa powder and stir until smooth. Add the milk and vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir together. Dump the pecans and stir until well combined. Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, pour the warm icing over the top.

Cinnamon Crescent Roll Cheesecake
• 2 cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
• 2 packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 T. vanilla
• ½ C. butter, melted
• ½ C. sugar
• 1 T. cinnamon

Preheat to 350. Flatten one tube of crescent roll dough and press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, 1 C. sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread mixture over dough in the pan. Unroll remaining crescent dough and place over top of cream cheese layer. Spread melted butter over the top, and sprinkle the top with mixture of ½ C. sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 30 min. and cool.

Delightful Dessert
Crust:
• 1 C. flour
• 1 C. pecans, chopped fine
• 1 Stick butter, melted
Mix together and press into 9x13 pan. Cook until done and cool.
Filling #1:
• 1 container Cool Whip, thawed
• 1 package cream cheese
• ½ box powdered sugar
Mix with mixer and spread on crust.
Filling #2:
• 1 small box vanilla instant pudding
• 1 small box chocolate instant pudding
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 C. milk
Mix together and let set a few minutes. Spread over other layer.
Topping:
• 1 container Cool Whip, thawed
• 1 large chocolate bar, grated
Spread Cool Whip over top and sprinkle chocolate pieces. Chill until ready to serve.

Hello Dollies
• ½ C. butter
• 1 C. graham cracker crumbs
• 1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 C. coconut
• 1 C. pecans, chopped
• 1 can sweetened milk

Melt butter in saucepan. Blend with graham cracker crumbs. Place in 9x9 pan. Top with chocolate chips, coconut, pecans and milk, in that order. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. While warm, cut into squares.

Leon's Famous Buttermilk Pie (Makes 2 Deep Dish Pies)
• 3 eggs
• 2 C. sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 3 T. flour
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 C. buttermilk

Mix in blender and pour into 2 pie shells. Bake for 1 hour at 300 degrees (325 is okay for quicker baking)


Lime Cheesecake Pie
• 1 package cream cheese
• 1 can sweetened milk
• 1/3 C. lime juice (2-3 limes)
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla
• 2 drops green food coloring (or not, if you aren't into that)
• 1 graham crust
• 1 container Cool Whip, thawed
• Fresh lime/mint

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add milk, juice, vanilla, and coloring. Beat until smooth. Pour into crust and chill for 2 hours. Spread with Cool Whip and chill another hour. Garnish.


Mrs. Sigg’s Peanut Butter Cookies
• ½ C. butter, softened
• ½ C. butter flavored shortening
• 1 C. white sugar
• 1 C. packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 C. creamy peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 ½ C. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt

Cream the butter, butter flavored shortening, and sugars. Add eggs and blend. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and stir until well blended. Measure out tablespoonfuls of dough and roll into balls. Place 3 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Make criss-cross pattern with fork.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) 8-10 minutes until set, but not hard. Do not overbake. Leave on sheets for 2 minutes before removing. Cool, and store in covered container.

Poor Man’s Turtles
• Mini pretzel twists
• Rolo candies
• pecan halves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees while preparing. Spray cookie sheet. Place pretzels in a single layer on the sheet. Place one Rolo candy on each pretzel. Place in oven and bake 4 minutes. Immediately place one pecan half on each pretzel/candy piece. (Press to spread candy and embed pecan.)

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
• 1 envelope Knox gelatin
• ¼ C. cold water
• 1 ¼ C. pumpkin puree
• ½ C. milk
• ½ tsp. ginger
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• 1 C. sugar
• 3 eggs, separated
• Pie crust

To slightly beaten egg yolks, add 1/2 C. sugar, milk, spices and pumpkin. Cook slowly until thickened. Soften gelatin in cold water and add to pumpkin mixture. Mix well and cool. Fold in beaten egg whites with sugar. Pour into baked pie crust and chill before serving. Serve with whipped cream.

Pumpkin Goodness (Allen renamed this to "goodness." He said Pumpkin Crunch didn't fit)

• 1 can pumpkin
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ C. sugar
• 4 T. pumpkin pie spice
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 yellow cake mix
• 1 C. pecans, chopped
• 1 C. butter, melted
• Cool Whip

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine pumpkin, eggs, milk, sugar, and spices in a large bowl. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 dish. Pour cake mix evenly over the top. Sprinkle pecans on the top and drizzle butter over the top. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serve with cool whip.

Snickerdoodles
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 2 eggs
• ¼ C. oil
• Sugar
• Cinnamon

Combine cake mix, oil and eggs. Combine 1/2 C. sugar and 1 T. cinnamon. Roll dough in 1 inch balls, then in cinnamon mixture. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake at 365 degrees for 8-9 minutes.

You can also use different cake mixes and roll in different things. Like strawberry in powdered sugar, carrot in walnuts, german chocolate with white chocolate chips, etc. They are all good!

Strawberry Tart
• 1 1/3 C. flour
• ½ C. finely chopped almonds
• 1/3 C. sugar
• 1 tsp. grated lemon rind
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 6 T. cold butter, cut into pieces
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ¾ C. seedless raspberry or strawberry jam
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1 C. white chocolate chips

Stir together flour, almonds, sugar, lemon rind and salt in large bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture with pastry blender or 2 knives, until coarse crumbs form. Whisk together egg and vanilla in small bowl; stir into flour mixture until a dough forms. Shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a baking sheet. Place dough on sheet; pat into a 10 inch circle, forming a high edge. Pierce bottom of dough all over with fork. Bake until slightly browned, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely.

Melt jam with lemon juice in small saucepan over low heat until spreadable. Spread ½ C. mixture over bottom of shell. Arrange berries on top, cut sides down. Brush with remaining jam. Drizzle with melted chocolate before serving. (chocolate chips can be mixed with a small amount of oil to make it more drizzly).

White Chocolate Oreo Cheesecake
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 C. cold milk
• 1 pkg. white chocolate instant pudding
• 1 container Cool Whip, thawed
• Oreos
• Graham or chocolate crust

Beat cream cheese and ¼ C. of milk with wire wisk until smooth. Add remaining milk and pudding. Beat another minute with wisk. Stir in 6 crumbled oreos. Stir in 6 oz of Cool Whip (save some for top). Spoon into crust. Chill. Garnish with Cool Whip and oreos.

White Chocolate Walnut Brownie
• 1 C. flour
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• ½ C. chopped walnuts
• 1/3 C. butter
• 1 C. packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 T. vanilla
• ½ C. white chocolate chips

Preheat to 350. Sift flour, add baking powder, soda and salt. Add nuts. Mix well and set aside. Melt butter; add brown sugar and mix well. Add egg and vanilla; blend well. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, mixing well. Stir in white chocolate chips. Spread in 9x9x2 inch pan. Bake 20-25 minutes.
Sauce:
• ¾ C. maple syrup
• ½ C. butter
• ¾ C. brown sugar
• ½ C. walnuts (chopped, optional)
Combine syrup and butter, cook over low heat until butter is melted. Stir in brown sugar until dissolved. Add walnuts, if desired. Serve brownie with vanilla ice cream and sauce smothered on top. Mmmm…best ever.

Yummy Brownie Trifle
• 1 package brownie mix
• 1 package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 package instant white chocolate pudding mix
• ½ C. water
• 1 can sweetened milk
• 2 containers Cook Whip, thawed
• 1 chocolate bar
• 1 bar of cream cheese
Prepare brownie mix according to directions and cool. Cut into 1 inch squares. In a large bowl, combine pudding mixes, water and sweetened milk. Mix until smooth and fold in 1 container Cool Whip until no streaks remain. In another bowl, combine half of last container of Cool Whip and 1 package of cream cheese, until well blended. In trifle bowl, place half of brownies, half of pudding, and half cream cheese mixture. Repeat layers. On the very top, place last half of Cool Whip. Shave chocolate onto top layer to garnish. Chill. Adding in some bits of Heath bar as an additional layer = Heavenly!

Sensational Sides

photo courtesy freedigitalphotos.net

Corn Casserole

• 2 cans cream style corn
• 2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 boxes honey sweet cornbread mix
• 1 C. sour cream
• 1 stick of butter, melted
• ¼ C. honey

Mix all ingredients, pour into a greased baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

• 5 large potatoes (I like red with some skins)
• water (or sub chicken broth for richer flavor)
• Salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste
• 2 T. butter
• Splash of milk or ½ and ½
• 1 C. shredded cheese

Cut up potatoes and boil until tender. Drain. Add all ingredients and blend with mixer until you reach desired consistency.

*Variation: Just blend together with a spoon and leave the big “chunks” of potatoes. Sprinkle bacon bits on top and you have what Rachel Ray calls Smashed Potatoes.

Creamed Corn

• 2 – (10 oz) packages frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 C. heavy cream
• 1 tsp salt and pepper
• 2 T. sugar
• 2 T. butter
• 1 C. milk
• 2 T. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 C. Parmesan cheese, grated
• ¼ C. shredded Pepper Jack cheese

In a skillet over medium heat, combine the corn, cream, salt, sugar, pepper, and butter. Once mixed, transfer some of mixture into a blender and blend. I usually blend a little more than half of the mixture, but you can alter depending on the desired consistency. The more you blend, the creamier the dish! Re-add blended mixture to the rest of the corn still on the stove top and stir in the flour and milk. Cook, stirring over medium heat, until the mixture is thickened, and corn is cooked through. Remove from heat, and stir in the Parmesan cheese and Pepper Jack cheese until melted. Serve hot!

Glazed Carrots

• 1 lb. carrots, peeled
• ½ C. chicken broth
• 3 T. sugar
• ½ tsp. salt, pepper
• 1 T. butter
• 2 tsp. lemon juice

Slice carrots at an angle. Combine carrots, broth, 1 T. of sugar, and salt in skillet. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and stir about 5 minutes. Uncover, return to boil and cook until liquid is almost gone, about 2 minutes. Stir in butter and rest of sugar. Continue to cook until carrots are completely tender, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat, stir in lemon juice and season with pepper.

Green Bean Bundles

• 2 C. fresh green beans
• Bacon, raw, cut in half
• 1 stick butter
• 1 C. brown sugar
• ½ tsp. garlic salt

Snap green beans and divide into bundles and wrap with bacon. Secure with toothpicks and place in baking dish. Melt butter in a saucepan, add brown sugar and garlic. Bring just to a boil and pour over green beans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Green Chili Potato Casserole

• 5-6 potatoes
• 1 small can green chilies
• 1 C. grated cheese
• ½ C. Velvetta cheese thinly sliced
• 3-4 strips crisp bacon

Grease casserole, Layer potatoes, chilies,, cheese and last velveeta cheese. Repeat until all ingredients are used up. Top with butter and crumbled bacon. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.


Mexican Rice

• 3 T. vegetable oil
• 1 C. uncooked long-grain rice
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 C. chopped onion
• 1/2 C. tomato sauce
• 2 C. chicken broth

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin.
Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Roasted Potatoes

• Red potatoes, cut into small wedges
• Olive oil
• Salt, Pepper, Spices of your choice

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss potatoes with minimal oil (enough to coat) and liberal seasonings (favorites of mine are: rosemary, garlic salt and pepper, cayenne). Arrange in single layer on baking sheet, cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes. Flip the potatoes and bake another 10-15 minutes, until golden on both sides.

Skillet Broccoli with Toasted Garlic and Lemon

• 1 bunch broccoli
• 1/2 C. water
• 2 T. olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 T. lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

Cut florets, combine with water in covered skillet over high heat until simmering and turns bright green. Uncover and cook until water is evaporated. Clear center of pan and add oil, garlic, and red pepper. Mash garlic and then stir into broccoli. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper.

Sweet Potato Casserole

• 3 cooked, mashed sweet potatoes (2 large cans)
• ¾ C. sugar
• ½ C. plus 2 ½ T. melted butter, divided
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¾ C. milk
• ½ C. packed brown sugar
• ¼ C. flour
• ½ C. chopped pecans

Combine potatoes, sugar, ½ C. butter, eggs, vanilla, salt, spices and milk. Mix well and place in a greased baking pan. Mix together remaining butter, brown sugar, flour and nuts. Distribute evenly over potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or so.

Twice Baked Potatoes (Allen loves these!)


• Medium Russett Potatoes
• Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3 T. butter
• Splash of milk or half and half
• Salt and pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Poke holes in potatoes and microwave 6-12 minutes, turning halfway through. Transfer potatoes to oven rack to cook approximately 20 minutes. Cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Slice potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh, leaving 1/4 inch shell. Arrange shells on baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. Mash flesh until smooth and stir in cheddar, butter, milk and salt and pepper. Remove shells from oven and increase temperature to 500 degrees. Spoon mixture into shells. Bake for 15 minutes, until crisp.

Main Dish Recipes

Main Dish Recipes

(Duty "Tried and Trues!")

                                           (Pictured: Chicken Pastina, courtesy Food Network)

Baked Ziti

• 1 lb. spicy Italian sausage
• 1 pkg. ziti noodles
• 1 jar 3-cheese pasta sauce
• 3 C. mozzarella cheese
• ½ C. parmesan cheese
• ½ bar of cream cheese
• 1 tsp. garlic salt, basil, pepper

Brown sausage with spices. Drain meat and simmer with pasta sauce, cream cheese and parmesan. Cooke pasta, al dente. Drain and mix the meat sauce with the pasta. Pour into a greased casserole dish and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Broil for a minute or two to give it that Carino’s look on top.

BBQ Chicken Packets 

• Boneless chicken breasts
• BBQ sauce
• Frozen corn
• Chopped bell pepper
• Shredded cheese

Preheat to 450 degrees. Center chicken a sheet of aluminum foil. Spoon BBQ sauce over chicken. Top with veggies and cheese. Double over foil, leaving airspace. Make as many or as little packets as you want. Bake 30-45 minutes on cookie sheet.

Braised Roast 

• Deer roast/beef shoulder (2-4 lbs.)
• Spices (salt, pepper, garlic salt and pepper, smidgen of cayenne)
• Oil
• Water
• Rice

Heat pot with oil. Season roast on both sides liberally with spices. Once pan is hot, add roast at high heat to quickly brown the outside (both sides). When nicely browned, add enough water to come up halfway up the sides of the roast. Put lid on pot, lower heat and simmer until meat is tender. Continue adding water. Could be ready in 45 minutes or continue to simmer several hours for better flavor and tenderness. Serve with rice.

Brisket

• 2 – 10.5 oz. cans beef consomme
• 1 ½ C. low-sodium soy sauce
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 T. liquid smoke (optional)
• 1 – 5-7 lb. beef brisket (trimmed)

Marinate brisket in the beef consomme, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic and liquid smoke. Place brisket in roastin pan, fat side up. Cover with foil and place in fridge to marinate for 24-48 hours. Pop brisket in 300 degree oven (covered in foil) and cook for 40 min. per pound). Or place in crockpot on low for 8 hours.

Check to see if it is fork-tender. If not, return to oven for increments of 20 minutes until it is. Slice brisket until it is falling apart. Scoop up sliced brisket and return to the juices in the pan (or crockpot) and keep warm in there.

Carbonara

• 1 box medium shell pasta
• 1 package of bacon, cooked and cut
• 1 C. chicken, grilled and cubed
• 1 stick butter
• 1 C. heavy cream
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 1 C. parmesan cheese, shredded
• 2 tsp. garlic salt, pepper,
• 1 tsp. cayenne

Boil pasta, al dente and drain. Add all ingredients except for Parmesan and mix well. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top before serving.

Chicken & Rice Casserole 

• 1 Stick butter, melted
• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 can water
• 2 C. rice, uncooked
• Salt, pepper , garlic powder/salt, lots of sage, poultry spice to taste
• 1 lb. of cooked chicken, cut up

Add butter to bottom of baking dish. Add rice, chicken, soup, water and spices. Bake at 350 degrees. Cover with foil for 30 minutes and uncover the last 30 minutes. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top (optional).

Chicken Fried Steak 

• 3 C. flour
• Salt, pepper, cayenne
• 1 C. buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 6 cube steaks, pounded 1/4 inch thick
• 4-5 C. vegetable oil

Toss flour, 1 T. salt, 1 tsp. pepper and cayenne together. In another dish beat buttermilk, egg, powder and soda together. Season steaks with salt and pepper and dredge through flour, buttermilk and again through flour. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry about 5 minutes on each side and transfer to towel-lined plate.

For the gravy, add thyme, 2 cloves of garlic (minced) and 3 T. of flour. Whisk in 1/2 C. of chicken broth and scrape up browned bits. Wisk in 2 C. of whole milk, salt, pepper and cayenne until thickened.

Chicken Pastina

• 1 box pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 C. cubed chicken breast
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with juice
• 1 C. shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 C. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 C. bread crumbs
• 1/4 C. grated Parmesan
• 1 T. butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Chicken Pesto Pizza:

• 1 dough ball (you can make or buy these pre-made, Sam’s is less than $1 per ball)
• ¼ C. pesto sauce (mine came from a jar)
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 T. butter
• ½ C. grilled chicken breast, cut up
• 1 C. Monterrey Jack shredded cheese
• 2 T. Parmesan cheese
Tomatoes (optional)

Press out dough. Melt butter and spoon out with garlic and pesto sauce on all but 1 inch around the edge. Place chicken evenly around. Sprinkle cheese evenly with Parmesan on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Chicken Pot Pie

• 3 medium carrots, peeled
• 4 T. stick butter
• ½ C. frozen peas
• 2 C. cooked chicken, chopped
• ¼ C. flour
• 2 C. chicken broth
• 1 package instant mashed potatoes
• 1 can cream of chicken
• 1 C. heavy cream
• 1 tsp. thyme, sage, kosher salt, pepper
• 1 can biscuits
• Shredded cheese

Dice carrots. Melt butter in large pot. Add carrots and peas and cook for a couple of minutes. Add chicken and combine. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and combine. Cook for a couple minutes.
Pour chicken broth, cream of chicken, instant mashed potatoes, cream and spices. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Pour chicken mixture into greased casserole dish. Pull out biscuits and cut in half with a sharp knife lengthwise (so as making 2 biscuits from each one).
Place biscuit halves on top of mixture and cut remaining ones into fourths and squeeze in, wherever you can. Bake for 20 minutes, until brown and bubbly. Cook 10 minutes before serving. Serve with shredded cheese on top.

Chicken Spaghetti

• 2 C. cooked chicken, cut up
• 1 lb. thin spaghetti, broken in 2 in. pieces
• ¼ C. minced green pepper
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 2 ½ C. grated cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp. seasoned salt, pepper, sage, garlic powder (and cayenne to taste)
• ¼ block of Velveeta

Bring broth to a boil and add spaghetti. Cook spaghetti and drain when done. Add chicken, cream of chicken, Velveeta and spices. Stir until well blended. Pour into a greased casserole dish, spread grated cheese over the top and bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Chicken Stirfry 

• 1 C. chicken broth
• 1/4 C. cold water
• 6 T. soy sauce
• 2 T. oil
• 2 T. onion, finely chopped
• 4 C. stirfry veggies
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. ginger
• 1 green pepper
• 1 lb. boneless chicken, cut in strips
• Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Heat oil in skillet. Cook chicken, onion, bell pepper, and veggies. Mix broth, water, soy sauce, cornstarch, garlic and ginger. Remove chicken from skillet. Add mix, stirring constantly until thick. Add chicken and veggies to sauce and cook 5 minutes. Serve with rice.

Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes 

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 C. Italian salad dressing
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning (or mix basil, oregano, crushed red pepper, and garlic powder to equal same)
• 1/2 C. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 4 to 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges or thick slices

Place chicken in bottom of Crock Pot. Sprinkle with half of the Italian dressing, spices, and the grated cheese. Put the potatoes on top or around the chicken. Sprinkle with the rest of the dressing, spices, and cheese. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours, or until the chicken is done and potatoes are tender.

Crockpot Meatloaf 

• 2 lb. hamburger meat
• 1 C. Italian breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. oregano, thyme, Worcestershire
• 1 pkg. Pioneer brown gravy mix

Put hamburger and bread crumbs in mixing bowl. Add eggs, oregano, thyme and Worcestershire and half the package of gravy. Moosh together and pat into a round, ball shape. Put into crockpot. Take other half of gravy mix and put into small bowl with 1 C. water, ½ tsp. oregano, thyme and 1 T. Worcestershire. Mix up well and pour over loaf. Cover, set to high and cook 3-4 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Easy Italian Chicken 

• 3 or 4 Chicken Breasts
• 1 Stick Butter
• 1 Pkg. Italian Dressing Mix
• ¼ C. Lime Juice

Season chicken with salt & pepper. Pour dressing mix, lime juice, and butter over chicken. Bake for 1 hour (covered) at 350°. Remove cover and bake another 15 minutes.

Enchilada Casserole 

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 T. onion, chopped
• 2 cans cream of chicken
• 1 can enchilada sauce
• 1 sml. can green chilies
• tortillas/tortilla chips
• grated cheese
Spices to taste (taco/fajita seasoning, salt, pepper)

Brown beef. Add onion, soups, sauce, and chilies. Mix well. Layer meat, torn tortillas/chips, cheese until all ingredients are used up. End with cheese on top. Bake for 30 min. at 350 degrees.

Garlic Lime Chicken 

• 1 tsp. salt, pepper, garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, paprika
• 1/2 tsp. teaspoon onion powder, thyme
• 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 T. butter, olive oil
• 1/2 C. chicken broth
• 4 T. lime juice

In a bowl, mix together first 7 ingredients. Sprinkle mixture on both sides of chicken breasts.
In a skillet heat butter and olive oil together over medium high heat. Saute chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Turn down the heat, remove the chicken (keeping warm) and add the lime juice and chicken broth to the pan, whisking up the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Keep cooking until sauce has reduced slightly. Add chicken back to the pan to thoroughly coat and serve.

Ghoulash 

• 1 lb. ground beef or sausage, cooked
• 1/4 block of Velveeta
• 1 (16 oz.) package of noodles
• 1 can Rotel
• 1 handful frozen corn
• Salt, pepper, garlic, cayenne to taste

Boil noodles until tender (approx. 15 minutes). Drain. Add in the rest of the ingredients and serve.

Green Chile Chicken Casserole 

• 1 lb. cooked chicken, cut up
• 1 T. minced onion (use more if you like onions)
• 1 can green chilies
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• Corn tortillas
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt, pepper and spices to taste

Saute onions in a T. of butter, add soups, salt, pepper, spices and chilies. Add chicken. In a greased baking dish, tear tortillas and layer along bottom of pan. Layer in order: tortillas, soup mixture, cheese and repeat. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese melts.

Lasagna

• 1 T. olive oil
• Salt, fresh ground pepper
• 10 oz. lasagna noodles (no boil)
• 1 lb. mozzarella cheese
• 1 ½ lbs. hamburger
• 1 lb. hot breakfast sausage
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 – 14.5 oz. cans whole tomatoes
• 2 – 6 oz. cans tomato paste
• 10-12 basil leaves
• ¼ C. chopped parsley
• 1 ½ C. Ricotta cheese
• 1 ½ C. cottage cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 C. Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute hamburger, sausage and garlic until brown. Drain fat. Add tomatoes and juice, paste, ½ tsp. salt, and pepper. Stir together and simmer over low for 45 minutes. Cut basil and parsley. Add half of each to the meat mixture.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, the cottage cheese, and ½ C. of the Parmesan cheese and the other half of the herbs. Stir together well.

Lay out noodles across the bottom of a deep pan. They should slightly overlap. Spoon half of the cheese mixture on top of noodles. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese on top of that. Spoon half of the meat mixture on top of the mozzarella. Now repeat the process. Sprinkle the remaining ½ C. Parmesan cheese over the top. Bake for 35-45 minutes until it is hot and bubbly. Allow to stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Meatball Subs 

• 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef/sausage
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 C. bread crumbs
• 1 T. Worcestershire
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. cayenne
• 2 T. garlic, minced
• 1/4 C. vegetable oil
• 1/4 C. flour
• 1 C. water
• 3 T. parsley
• 1 large French loaf
• Provolone or mozzarella cheese
• Creole seasoning

Combine meat, onion, garlic, egg, crumbs, Worcestershire, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. cayenne. Mix well. Form meatballs. Combine flour and Creole seasoning on a shallow plate. Roll meatballs in mixture and add to large skillet with oil over medium heat. Brown evenly and remove from pan. Stir in seasoned flour in skillet, making roux. Add remaining salt and cayenne, water and bring to a boil. Return meatballs to skillet. Reduce heat, simmer. Serve on French loaf, topped with cheese.

One Pan Sage Chicken and Sausage 

• 1 large onion
• 1/2 C. olive oil
• 2 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1 T. dried sage
• Pepper
• 1 T. Worcestershire
• 1 lemon
• 1 lb. chicken drumsticks
• 1 lb. smoked sausage
• 2 T. fresh sage leaves, chopped

Peel and cut the onion into eighths, and put into a freezer bag with the oil, mustard, dried sage, a good amount of pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Cut lemon in half, squeeze juice into bag, and then cut the halves into eighths and add them. Squidge everything around to mix (the mustard needs help to combine) and then add the chicken pieces. Leave to marinade in the refrigerator overnight, or for up to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Allow the chicken to come to room temperature in its marinade. Arrange the chicken pieces in a roasting pan skin side up with the marinade, including all the bits and pieces, and tuck the sausages around them. Sprinkle the fresh sage leaves over the chicken and sausages and then put the pan into the oven to cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the sausages over half way through to color them evenly. 


Pizza Casserole 

Batter:
• 1 1./2 C. flour
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 envelopes yeast
• 3/4 C. very warm water
• 1/.4 C. olive oil
Meat filling:
• 1/2 lb. ground beef, cooked
• 1/2 lb. Italian sausage, cooked
• 1 1/2 C. pizza sauce
Topping:
• 15-20 pepperoni slices
• 1 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/4 C. Parmesan, shredded
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Mix batter together in greased baking dish. Combine meat filling. Evenly distribute pepperonis over meat. Sprinkle cheeses and herbs on top. Bake by placing in cold oven. Set to 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Pot Roast

• 2-3 T. olive oil
• Kosher salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme
• 3-5 lb. chuck roast
• 6-8 carrots
• 2 ½ C. beef stock
• 1 onion
• 3 Potatoes, quartered and partially peeled

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Heat oil in large pot ove rmedium high heat. Generously salt roast on both sides. Cut onions in half and peel. Place onions in oil and brown, remove to a plate. Wash the carrots and cut them into 2 inch slices. Throw carrots into the pot and toss them until brown.
Remove and get oil hot again. Place meat in pot and sear it, about a minute per side. Remove to plate. With burner on deglace pot by adding 1 C. stock, whisking constantly. When most of the bits are loosened, place meat back in pot. Followed by carrots, onions and potatoes. Add beef stock and spices. Cover pot and roast for 3-5 hours. Cook until fork tender.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

• 1 bottle good BBQ sauce
• ¼ C. Worcestershire
• Salt, chili powder, oregano, cumin to taste
• 5-7 lb. Pork Butt/Shoulder
• Splash of lime juice
• Sandwich buns

Dump into crockpot and let cook until tender (6-8 hours). Pull off fat and shred. Eat on buns with Stubb’s BBQ sauce. You shouldn’t eat BBQ without Stubbs.

Ritz Chicken

• 4 lbs. chicken tenderloins
• 3 eggs
• 3 C. crushed Ritz crackers
• 2 tsp. garlic salt, black pepper
• ½ C. butter, cut into slivers
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix eggs in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine crumbs and spices. Dip chicken in eggs and then dredge in crumbs. Place chicken in a greased baking dish. Place butter slivers on top of the chicken in the dish. Bake in oven for 40 minutes until golden brown.

Rosemary Pork Loin 

• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
• 4 tsp. chopped rosemary
• ½ tsp. finely grated lemon peel
• 1 ½ tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 boneless pork loin roast (approx. 3-4 lbs.)
• 1 C. chicken stock, warmed
• Fresh rosemary sprigs

Preheat to 400. Mix garlic, mustard, rosemary, lemon peel, salt and pepper together. Rub mixture over entire roast. Place pork, fat side down, onto a 13x9x2 roasting pan. Roast for 30 min., then turn fat side up and roast until thermometer inserted in center reaches 155 degrees, about 30 more minutes (depending on size). Let cool 10 min.

Deglaze pan with chicken stock over low heat. Drizzle pan juices over pork and garnish with rosemary.

Spicy Pasta

• 1 box Penne or Large Shell Pasta
• 1 stick butter
• 1 C. heavy cream
• 1 package of smoked sausage
• 2 C. grilled chicken, cubed
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 1 T. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil, cayenne
Boil pasta and cook al dente. Cook sausage, bell pepper and chicken with butter in a skillet until done. Add meat to drained pasta, as well as the rest of the ingredients. Stir together well and serve hot.

Stromboli

• 1 dough ball (you can buy these pre-made. Sam’s is the cheapest)
• ½ C. cooked sausage or hamburger
• pepperonis
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• ham (optional)
• Pizza Sauce (see page 53)

Press out dough in a rectangle shape (may need to use flour and a rolling pin). Spread pizza sauce onto dough, leaving a 1 inch space around the sides. Spread cooked (spicy) sausage, pepperonis and shredded monterrey jack cheese inside of the 1 inch margin (don't stuff too full or it will open up during baking). Pinch together sides and turn over so that pinched side is facing down.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.



Variation: {Ham Stromboli}
Omit sausage or hamburger, as well as pizza sauce. Use leftover ham from a baked ham, tearing pieces to place onto the dough and adding a brush of melted butter at the bottom. Continue with different types of shredded cheese. Bake as above. When you pull it out of the oven, brush with melted butter that has been mixed with garlic and parsley. Mmm....perfect for a fun lunch or appetizer.

Breakfast Recipes and Breads

photo courtesy www.freedigitalphotos.net

Banana Bread
• 1 2/3 C. flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 C. plus 2 T. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C. oil
• 3 1/2 bananas, very ripe, mashed
• 2 T. sour cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2/3 C. walnuts, toasted and chopped

Set oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Beat sugar and eggs with a whisk until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Drizzle in oil. Add mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients and nuts. Pour into a lined loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Blueberry Muffins
• 2 cups flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 T milk

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 12-cup muffin pan with butter or cooking spray. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt. Add blueberries and toss until coated. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg. Add sugar, butter, sour cream and milk. Whisk until combined. Fold into dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over mix. Spoon into muffin cups. Bake for 25-30 mins.

Breakfast Stromboli
• 1 dough ball (I buy these at Sam's for really cheap, but sometimes I also make them in my bread machine. Either way, super easy!)
• 1 lb. spicy breakfast sausage
• 3 C. Colby Jack cheese, shredded
• 6 eggs, scrambled

Roll out dough in a rectangle on a greased and floured cookie sheet. Sprinkle cooked sausage on the rectangle, leaving a 1 inch border around the outside. Sprinkle eggs and cheese on top of the sausage. Roll up, pinching the ends together and placing the pinched side down on the cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Breakfast Taco Casserole
• 1 lb sausage, browned
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 bag of tator tots
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup grated cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

Beat eggs, milk and seasonings together. In greased 9x13 pyrex, layer half the tator tots, half the sausage, & sprinkle with half the cheese. Pour half of the egg mixture over layer. Repeat for second layer. Refrigerate overnight. Bake, uncovered for 45-60 minutes at 325 degrees. Serve with tortillas.

Chile-Cheese Bake
• 1 small can green chilies
• 2 C. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
• 10 large eggs
• ¼ C. flour
• 1 ½ C. milk
• ½ tsp. salt, pepper
• Dash of Tabasco and paprika

Grease 13 x 9 baking dish. Layer half of the chilies, half of Monterrey Jack cheese, half of cheddar cheese. Repeat layers. Blend the eggs, flour, milk, and spices. Pour mixture over top of the layers. Bake at 335 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, until firm and golden.

Cinnamon French Toast
• 8 slices of Texas Toast sliced diagonally
• 1 c. flour
• 1 1/2 T sugar
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1-3 T cinnamon - depending on how much you like cinnamon
• 1 c. milk
• 1 beaten egg

Combine all dry ingredients. Mix milk and egg together and add to dry ingredients.
Dip slices of bread into mixture and cook in skillet with lots of oil! Top with syrup and powdered sugar
Not your average French Toast!!!

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
• 1 pkg. dry yeast
• 1 C. warm milk
• ½ C. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 4 C. flour
Filling:
• 1 C. packed brown sugar
• 2 ½ tsp. cinnamon
• 1/3 C. margarine, softened
Icing:
• 8 T. margarine
• 1 ½ C. powdered sugar
• ¼ C. cream cheese
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Dissolve yeast in warm milk in a large bowl. Add sugar, margarine, salt, eggs, flour and mix well. Knead dough into a large ball, using hands lightly dusted with flour. Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about an hour or until dough has doubled in size. Roll dough out onto lightly floured surface, until approx. ¼” thick. Preheat to 400 degrees.

For filling, combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread softened margarine over the surface and then sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture over the surface. From the long edge, roll dough slowly down to the bottom edge. Cut dough into 1 ¾ “ slices and place in a lightly greased baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown.

Beat icing ingredients until fluffy. When rolls are done, cool and spread generously with icing.


Eggs in a Hole
• Sliced bread
• Butter
• Large eggs
• Salt and Pepper

With a biscuit cutter, cut a hole in the center of bread. Heat 2-3 T. butter in a skillet over medium to low heat. Place bread in the skillet and allow it to soak up the butter. After 1 minute, crack egg into the hole. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for another minute. With a spatula flip to the other side and sprinkle that side with salt and pepper. Take it out when its all good and buttery.

Friendship Bread
I keep these starters in my freezer. Did you know you can do that? Just so you know how much I despise waiting, I let these go until day 10 and then I freeze the extras. That way, I can make Friendship Bread whenever I want to without waiting for 10 days.

Do NOT refrigerate starter. Let air out of bag as the batter rises and ferments.

Day:
1. Do Nothing.
2-5 Mash the bag
6: ADD to the bag: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk - Mash the bag
7-9 Mash the bag
10. Follow instructions below:

Pour contents of the bag into a non-metal bowl. Add:
• 1 ½ C. sugar
• 1 ½ C. flour
• 1 ½ C. milk

Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cup each into 4 Ziploc bags. Keep a starter for yourself and give the other 3 to friends with a copy of this recipe.

Baking Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325. To the remaining batter in the bowl (approx. 1 1/2 cups) ADD first:
• 3 eggs,
• ½ C. milk
• 1 C. oil
• ½ tsp vanilla

Hand mix with wooden spoon. Do NOT use electric mixer. Then add:
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 C. sugar
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 2 C. flour
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 lg. or 2 small boxes of instant vanilla pudding
• 1 C. raisins or chopped nuts (optional)

Hand mix with wooden spoon. Grease 2 large loaf pans or 1 bundt pan. In a separate bowl, mix an additional ¼ tsp cinnamon and ¼ cup sugar. Dust the greased pan(s) with half this mixture. Pour batter evenly in to pan(s). Sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture over the top. Bake 1 hour. Cool 5-10 minutes, then turn pan(s) upside down and gently ease the bread loaves out.

Make Ahead Country Breakfast Casserole
• 1 roll sausage
• 6 bread slices
• 6 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 C. water
• 1/2 C. milk
• 2 pkg. Gravy mix (Pioneer is the best)
• 2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 T. melted butter
• Paprika/Tony Chachere’s to taste

Brown sausage. Remove and drain on paper towel. Spread over bottom of greased 11x8 baking dish. Wisk together eggs, water, milk and gravy mix. Sprinkle cheese over sausage. Pour mixture over cheese. Cut bread into 1 inch cubes and arrange evenly over mixture. Drizzle butter over bread. Sprinkle with seasoning. May refrigerate up to 2 days. Bake at 325 degrees, uncovered for 40 min.

Make Ahead French Toast Casserole
• 1 loaf French bread
• 8 large eggs
• 2 C. whole milk
• 2 C. half and half
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter
• 1 1/2 C. brown sugar
• 3 T. corn syrup
• 1 1/2 C. pecans, chopped

Heat to 325 degrees. Arrange bread, slice 1/2 inch thick on baking sheets and bake until golden. Cool. Grease baking dish with butter. Layer 2 layers of bread in dish. Wisk eggs, milk, half and half, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and pour evenly over bread. Press to soak bread. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees, and make topping. Mix butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup together and stir in pecans. Spoon topping evenly over casserole and bake 60 minutes, until golden.

Maple Cinnamon Rolls (makes a LOT, half if necessary)...this is the Pioneer Woman's
Dough:
• 1 Qt. Whole milk
• 1 C. vegetable oil
• 1 C. sugar
• 2 Pkgs. Active dry yeast (4 ½ teaspoons)
• 9 C. flour
• 1 heaping tsp. baking powder
• 1 scant tsp. baking soda
• 1 T. salt
Filling:
• 2 C. melted butter, plus more as needed
• ¼ C. ground cinnamon for sprinkling
• 2 C. sugar, plus more if needed
Maple Icing:
• 2 Lbs. powdered sugar
• ½ C. whole milk
• 6 T. butter, melted
• ¼ C. strongly brewed coffee
• Dash of salt
• 1 T. maple flavoring or maple extract

Heat milk, oil, sugar in saucepan over medium heat without boiling. Set aside and cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast on top and let sit on milk for 1 min. Add 8 C. of flour, stir until just combined, cover with towel and set aside to rise for an hour.

Remove towel and add baking powder, soda, salt and 1 C. flour. Stir thoroughly to combine. Roll out half of dough on floured surface to 10” X 30”. Pour 1 C. melted butter over surface of dough. Generously sprinkle half of cinnamon and 1 C. of sugar over the butter. Roll up the rectangle and when you reach the end, pinch the ends together. Cut with a sharp knife, making 1 ½” slices. Place sliced rolls in greased baking pan.

Repeat rolling/sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set pans aside to rise for 20 min. before baking. Bake for 13-17 minutes until golden brown.

For the icing, whisk together sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt. Splash in the maple flavoring. Whisk until very smooth. When rolls come out, drizzle icing over hte top and all around the edges.

Monkey Bread ( I make these whenever I don't have enough time to make homemade cinnamon rolls but want a similar yummy result)

• 3 packages biscuits
• 1 T. vanilla
• 3/4 C. sugar
• 1/2 C. brown sugar
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 8 T. butter, melted

Preheat to 350 degrees. Grease tube or bundt pan. Melt butter and vanilla on stovetop. Toss sugars, cinnamon and salt together in separate bowl. Cut biscuits in fourths and roll in butter mixture then sugar mixture to coat and arrange in pan. Drizzle remaining butter and sugar over the top. Bake until golden, 30 minutes or so. Top with drizzly cream cheese icing if you want to make it really special. Just heat the icing a bit to make it drizzly.

No Knead Knot Rolls
• 2 pkgs. Active dry yeast
• 2 C. warm water (110-115 degrees)
• ½ C. sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 6-6 ½ C. flour
• 1 egg
• ½ C. shortening
• ½ C. butter, softened

In bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, salt and 2 C. flour. Beat on medium speed for 2 min. Add egg and shortening; mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form soft dough (do not knead). Cover and refrigerate overnight. You can refrigerate for several days, freeze or use right away. I usually use one right away and freeze the other 3. This comes in handy on days that I am cooking a meal for company. Just pop it out of the freezer and focus on the rest of the meal.

After refrigerating, punch dough down and divide into 4 portions. Cover 3 with plastic wrap. Roll remaining portion into a 14x12 rectangle. Spread 2 T. butter over dough. Fold in half lengthwise; cut into 12 strips. Tie each strip into a knot; tuck and pinch ends under. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cover and let rise until doubled; about 1 hour. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until brown. Makes 4 dozen.

Orange Bread
• 3/4 C. of sugar
• 1/2 C. of chopped pecans
• 1 T. grated orange rind
• 2 cans of buttermilk biscuits (11oz can)
• 1 pack of cream cheese
• 1/2 C. of butter, melted
• 1 C. of sifted powdered sugar
• 2 T. of orange juice

Combine the first three ingredients in small bowl and set aside. Separate biscuits twice (take them apart first then half them- like you are buttering it). Cut cream cheese in 20 squares then put one square in between two halves of the biscuit and pinch edges. Dip in melted butter. Dip in small bowl mixture. Grease bundt pan then stand biscuits up beginning around the edges. Drizzle and sprinkle remaining butter and sugar over the biscuits. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden. Flip onto serving plate then drizzle orange juice and powdered sugar mixture over the top.

Quiche Lorraine
• 1 pie pastry, deep dish
• 12 slices bacon
• 1 C. shredded Swiss cheese
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 C. cream
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. white sugar
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place bacon in a large skillet, and fry over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels, then chop coarsely. Sprinkle bacon and cheese into pastry shell. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, salt, sugar and cayenne pepper. Pour mixture into pastry shell.
Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Allow quiche to sit 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Sausage Egg Casserole
• 1 can crescent rolls
• 1 lb. sausage
• 2 C. mozzarella cheese
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 C. milk

Spray 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Press crescent rolls into bottom of pan. Brown and crumble sausage. Drain. Spread over crescent rolls. Add mozzarella cheese over sausage. Beat eggs with milk and pour over sausage and cheese. Bake 20 minutes at 365...or until the thing looks done.

Spicy Home Fries
• Yukon gold potatoes, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 C. vegetable oil
• 3 T. butter
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne to taste

In microwave-safe bow, toss potatoes with oil. Cover with Saran and microwave on high 5-10 minutes, shaking every 3 minutes. Drain. Melt butter in skillet over medium high heat, adding potatoes and cooking until golden on one side (about 5 minutes). Turn potatoes until well browned, 10 or 15 more minutes. Season and serve.

Sour Cream Pancakes ( I think this is Pioneer Woman, too. Even if you don't like sour cream, which we don't, this is very good and you can't taste it!)

• 1 C. sour cream
• 7 T. flour
• 1 T. sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• Butter
• Syrup

Heat griddle. Place sour cream in a medium bowl. Dump in flour, sugar, soda and salt. Stir together gently. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl and add vanilla. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture. Stir together gently. Melt butter on the griddle. Pour batter ¼ C. at a time. Cook for 1-1 ½ min. then flip. Repeat with remaining batter.

Zucchini Bread (my husband still doesn't know that there is zucchini in this bread. He loves it!)

• 2 C. sugar
• 1 C. oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 C. flour
• ¼ tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. soda, salt, cinnamon
• 2 C. grated zucchini
• 1 C. chopped nuts
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Mix ingredients together as listed. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Makes 2 - 9x5 loaves.

Yummy Soups

Photo courtesy nuchylee

 Baked Potato Soup

• 2 C. chicken broth
• 6 C. cooked potatoes, partially peeled
• ½ C. bacon, cooked and cut
• ½ C. sour cream
• 2 C. milk (or ½ and ½)
• 2 C. cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 stick butter
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, sage to taste

Boil potatoes and drain. Add the rest of the ingredients, adding the milk as needed at the end to make it soup-y. Garnish with more cheese and bacon.

Beef Stew
• 1 T. vegetable oil , beef bouillon granules
• 1 1/2 lb beef stew meat, cut into bite-size pieces if needed
• 4 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices (2 cups)
• 3 medium red potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (3 cups)
• 1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 medium stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 cup)
• 3 C. vegetable juice
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. pepper, salt, basil, garlic to taste

In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 4 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned on all sides. Spray 4- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, mix browned beef and remaining ingredients. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 9 to 10 hours.

Broccoli Cheese Soup
• 3 cans chicken broth
• 1 can cream of chicken soup (or mushroom)
• ½ tsp. salt and pepper
• 10 oz. broccoli floret, cooked
• 2 C. milk
• 1/3 C. corn starch
• 1/4 C. water
• 3 C. cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large pot, combine broth, soup, and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. Add milk and bring to a boil.
In a small bowl, mix water and cornstarch until dissolved. Gradually add to soup. Stir constantly and simmer 5 minutes. Add broccoli and cheese and mix until cheese is melted.

Chicken Chili
• 2 lbs. chicken, cooked and shredded
• 2 cans Great Northern beans
• 1 can Rotel
• 2 T. garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 4 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. oregano
• 5 C. chicken broth
• 3 C. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 C. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 C. sour cream

Bring broth to a boil. Add chicken, beans, tomatoes, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and cilantro. Gradually stir in cheese making sure it’s melted. After cheese has melted, add sour cream. Simmer 15 minutes. Serve topped with cheese and cilantro. Makes a TON! I often cut this recipe in half if it’s just our family.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
• 1 T. vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 T. chili powder
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 C. chicken broth
• 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts
• 2 T. lime juice
• Tortilla chips, broken up
• 1/2 C. cilantro leaves, whole

Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, chili powder and garlic. Cook until softened and stir in the broth until simmering. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Remove chicken and shred. Stir in lime juice and divide portions of chips and chicken among bowls. Ladle broth over each bowl and sprinkle with cilantro.

Cheesy Ham Corn Chowder
• 1 T. butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 T. flour
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 can chicken broth
• 4 red potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 tsp. sage
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 lb. cooked ham, cubed
• 1 1/2 C. milk
• Handful of frozen corn
• 1/4 block of Velveeta, cubed

Melt butter. Stir in onion. Cook over medium until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Add green pepper, broth, potatoes, sage, salt and pepper and stir. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender (15-20 min.). Add remaining ingredients. Stir and cook 8-10 minutes.

Chili
• 2 lbs. ground beef, browned
• 1/4 C. finely chopped onions
• 1 tsp. garlic
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can water
• LOTS of chili powder
• celery salt, cayenne, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin to taste

Brown beef, add onions, then rest of ingredients. Can eat right way, or better if you let it simmer in all of the spices for a couple of hours. Even better the next day.

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini
• 2 lbs. Italian sausage, diced
• ½ C. onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 80 oz. beef broth
• 1 C. water
• 1 C. red wine
• 58 oz. crushed tomatoes
• 2 C. sliced carrots
• 1 T. basil
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 16 oz. tomato sauce
• 3 C. sliced zucchini
• 16 oz. cheese tortellini pasta, frozen
• 6 T. parsley
In large skillet, brown sausage. Remove from pan. Saute onions and garlic in 2 T. of drippings. Place all ingredients (except tortellini, zucchini and parsley) in a large pot on the stovetop on high heat. After it begins boiling, turn to a simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in parsley and zucchini, continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Add tortellini and simmer another 30 minutes.

Salsa Corn Chowder
• 2 T. butter
• ¼ C. onion
• 1 T. chili powder
• 3 T. flour
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 can chicken broth
• 2 C. salsa with beans and corn
• 16 oz. corn, frozen
• 1 C. milk
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 lb. chicken, cooked and cubed
• salt and pepper to taste

Saute butter and onion. Mix dry ingredients and add to butter mixture. Add broth and salsa. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Warm milk in microwave, add cream cheese and mix. Spoon in soup. Return to low heat until mixed.

Taco Soup
• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 small can green chilies
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 can Ranch style beans
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 can whole kernel corn
• 2 packages Taco seasoning
• 1 package Ranch dressing
• 6-8 C. water
• 2 C. Colby Jack cheese, shredded
• Sour Cream

Brown beef, stirring in green chilies. Drain. In a large pot, add meat and chili mixture. Drain all beans and tomatoes, add to pot. Pour in taco seasoning, ranch, and water. Stir well. Bring to a boil and stir for two minutes. Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle cheese on the top.

Tomato Basil Soup
• 1 stick butter
• 7 leaves fresh basil
• 4 C. tomato juice
• 1 large can tomatoes, crushed
• 1 pint heavy cream
• salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

Mix all ingredients together and simmer at least 30 minutes. Serve with grilled cheese.

Tried and True Appetizers

So, I've been hearing that others want to get in on the "tried and true" recipe action. Since I already have them typed up, I will begin posting some of the recipes as I find an extra few minutes here and there. Here are some appetizers that will blow you away.

Apple Dip

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

• 3/4 C. brown sugar, packed

• 1/2 C. powdered sugar

• 1 tsp. vanilla

Mix until smooth. Stir in 1 C. Heath bits. (optional)

Bacon-Wrapped Smokies

• 1 pound sliced bacon, cut into thirds

• 1 (14 ounce) package beef cocktail wieners

• 3/4 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Refrigerate 2/3 of the bacon until needed. It is easier to wrap the wieners with cold bacon. Wrap each cocktail wiener with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle brown sugar generously over all.

Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until the sugar is bubbly. To serve, place the wieners in a slow cooker and keep on the low setting. 

BBQ Smokies 

• 2 pkgs. Lil’ smokies

• 1 bottle of Stubb’s BBQ sauce

• ½ Brown sugar

• ½ grape jelly

Dump all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low. Stir occasionally, until ready to serve.

Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas

• 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts

• Salt and pepper

• 2 T. vegetable oil

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 red pepper, chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tsp. cumin

• 1/4 C. cilantro, minced

• 1 1/2 tsp. Tabasco

• Flour tortillas

• Mexican cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 475 degrees. Heat skillet over medium with 1 T. oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in skillet. Cook until brown on both sides and remove from pan. Add 1 T. oil, onion, bell pepper, and salt to skillet and cook until softened. Stir in garlic, cumin, cilantro and Tabasco and toss with chicken. Spread 1/4 C. of filling over half of each tortilla, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Sprinkle cheese on top and sprinkle the plain half of the tortilla with vegetable spray and fold over. Press the edges to seal it and arrange on baking sheets. Spray the tops with vegetable spray to make them golden. Bake 10-15 minutes. 

Cocktail Meatballs

• 2 lbs of ground beef

• 1 cup breadcrumbs (seasoned)

• ½ cup milk

• 1/4 onion, minced

• Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

• ½ cup dark Karo

• ½ cup ketchup

• ¼ cup mustard

Mix together all the ingredients for the meat (above) by hand. Roll into small

meatballs. Fry in a skillet with a little oil. Drain meatballs and set aside. Wisk

together all the ingredients for the sauce (above). Pour sauce over meatballs and

simmer for 10 minutes

Coffee Punch

• 3 C. strong coffee

• 2 C. sugar

• 1 pint heavy cream (or ½ and ½)

• 1 qt. milk

• 2 T. vanilla

Dissolve sugar in hot coffee. Cool and add other ingredients. Freeze. Remove from freezer 2 hours before serving. Mix and serve icy. 

Easy Salsa

• 1 Can Rotel (drained)

• 2 Cans Whole Peeled Tomatoes (drained)

• 1 jalapeno (if you use the canned kind, 2 T, more if you like it really hot)

• 1/4 C. diced onion

• 3/4 tsp. garlic salt (or chopped garlic)

• 1/2 tsp. cumin

• 1/4 tsp. sugar

• a good handful of cilantro

• spritz of lime juice

Blend together for a couple seconds. Serve with chips. Add sugar to cool it down if it’s too spicy. Also, simmer all ingredients on stovetop before blending for a more “roasted” flavor.

Sausage & Cream Cheese Goodness

• 2 cans crescent rolls

• 1 lb. sausage, browned

• 1 block cream cheese

Soften cream cheese in microwave and mix in sausage. On cookie sheet spread out crescent rolls to make 1 big rectangle, get rid of seams. Spread the sausage/cream cheese mixture over the pastry, leave a 1/2"-1" space along edge. Spread out the 2nd can of crescent rolls into 1 piece and lay it over top of the mixture. Press edges together all around the rectangle and bake according to the direction on crescents.

Spinach Dip

• 4 garlic cloves

• 1 pkg. frozen, chopped spinach (thawed and drained)

• 1 container Alfredo pasta sauce

• 1 C. shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1/3 C. grated Parmesan cheese

• ½ package cream cheese, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients and put in an oven safe serving dish. Cover with foil and bake in the oven 30 minutes or until cheese are hot and bubbly! Serve warm with chips.

Streamlining Project

If you are just now tuning in, I am in process of a week of blog posts concerning this book, this review and now turning my attention to the project I chose to embark upon.

After thinking through the goals that I have, there are many. I decided on a smaller one that will impact my daily life greatly and one that will be beneficial for many years to come. It largely has to do with my menu planning, once a month cooking, grocery store preparations and freezer inventory. I am in process of streamlining all of these processes in my home.

So, this means:

- sorting through my recipe box and recipe books to find ones I actually use (the "tried and true" recipes). COMPLETE!

- typing up the recipes I love and getting to the task of revising the recipes that need revision for our family's tastes. COMPLETE!

- organizing recipes by type, name and formatting them in a book. COMPLETE!

- revising my current "tried and true" recipes checklist with necessary ingredients for grocery store planning. COMPLETE!

- going through these favorite recipes and adding a section of the book for once a month cooking ( I got this book for Christmas and have been using it for the past month, but decided that for our family's tastes and for the long-term, coming up with my own once-a-month meals may prove more helpful and satisfying in the long run). My friend, Chelsea, is my partner in making this happen.
     Grocery Checklist for each cycle (1-6)
     Freezer supplies for each cycle (1-6)
     Processes for each cycle (1-6)

-Getting the whole thing printed and bound


- making a Freezer Inventory checklist since there will be many meals stored in there, it will help me to plan for the weeks accordingly. This is the image that you see at the top...COMPLETE!

If you want to keep me accountable, ask me how I am doing with finishing this project!

Easter Recipes, Ideas, Crafts

Last year I posted this about the things that we were implementing during the Lent season, especially the Easter weekend. Perhaps that may be helpful to you as you decide what to do with your kids on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We want to always evaluate the things we are doing or desire to do with our kids to make sure they are age-appropriate and such, but after thinking it through have continued to do similar activities for our Easter traditions with a now almost 4 year old, 2 year old and 8 month old.

We will continue to do the Easter Playdough Mountain this year. Directions below:

Playdough Mountain:

http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1719_tell_the_easter_story_with_a_playdough_mountain/







We will also bake our Resurrection Rolls on Sunday morning, with this recipe, telling this story as we make it:

Resurrection Rolls Recipe: (the author of the recipe and story is unknown)

*Tip: Because I have heard of several whose marshmallow didn't totally disappear, I would suggest using a small one to ensure that it melts and there isn't confusion*

Resurrection Rolls

Here's a new twist on the Resurrection Cookie idea for Easter, both are recipes you can do with your kids/grand kids in order for them to understand the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This fun recipe uses Crescent rolls and a disappearing marshmallow!

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:
Crescent rolls
Melted butter
Large marshmallows
Cinnamon
Sugar

Give each child a triangle of crescent rolls. The crescent roll represents the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in.

Read Matthew 27:57-61

1. Give each child a marshmallow. This represents Jesus.
2. Have him/her dip the marshmallow in melted butter. This represents the oils of embalming.
3. Now dip the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon and sugar which represents the spices used to anoint the body.
4. Then wrap up the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll (not like a typical crescent roll up, but bring the sides up and seal the marshmallow inside.) This represents the wrapping of Jesus' body after death.
5. Place in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. (The oven represents the tomb - pretend like it was three days!)
6. Let the rolls cool slightly. The children can open their rolls (cloth) and discover that Jesus is no longer there, HE IS RISEN!!!! (The marshmallow melts and the crescent roll is puffed up, but empty.)

Now read Matthew 28:5-8

Explain: At the tomb, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary saw an angel, who told them not to be afraid. No one had taken Jesus' body, but He Had risen from the dead! The angel told the women to go and tell the disciples what they had seen, that Jesus had risen from the dead. They were so excited, they ran all the way home to tell the disciples the good news! He is risen from the dead! Alleluia!

After that Jesus appeared in person to Peter, then to the 12 disciples and after that, to more than 500 people. Jesus' appearance to eyewitnesses, those who saw Him with their own eyes, would give support and prove that Jesus rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).

By rising from the dead, Jesus proved once and for all that He was the Messiah, the Savior of the World, the Chosen One, and the Lamb of God. By dying on the cross and rising from the dead, Jesus did what no other had ever done before. As both God and man, He overcame sin, death, and hell. And now because of what Jesus has done, these things no longer have any power over those who believe in Jesus and allow His Spirit to lead and direct them. Rather than being slaves to sin and death, Christians ( those who love and believe in Jesus) are free to obey God and do good ( Romans 6:17-18). The Bible says in John 8:36, "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed."

However, we will only obey God if we listen to the Holy Spirit our helper. He enables believers in Jesus to do the right thing. It is important that we read the Bible (God's Word) because one of the ways the Holy Spirit helps us obey God is by reminding us of what He says to us in His Word. God's Spirit will never go against his Word. In fact, when we read God's Word, we are listening to the Holy Spirit. Of course, you won't always do the right thing; the Bible says this ) 1 John 1:5-10). But that is why we need to continue to confess our sins knowing that God forgives us, based on what Jesus did on the cross. This is also a reason we need to spend time with other believers in Christ so they can encourage us in our faith.

May you have a blessed and meaningful Easter!

- Author Unknown -

Easter Crafting:

We also made some Easter treats to hand out to our neighbors this year. I actually got the idea from a Family Fun magazine, but they were making something similar to this just in the form of fun snacks. It's trail mix in the shape of a butterfly since we cinched the middle with a decorated clothespin and attached a pipe cleaner as antennas. I made a little tag in Photoshop and let the kids go to town. They had a blast making them, and I'm sure the big fun will be handing out their artwork to our neighbors and telling them about Jesus. We're also inviting them to watch the Passion with us at our house tonight.

As we were making these Taylor Joy said, "I'm just sad that Jesus is dead."  I explained to her that yes, it is sad, but the story doesn't end there. Jesus showed his power over death when he rose from the dead after 3 days in tomb. He is risen and that should make us very excited! He is faithful to do what he said he would do! She said, "But what if Jesus is dead in our hearts?" Blown away by her insightfulness and depth of thought, I told her that unless we realize that we need Jesus and He gives us faith in Him, He is dead in our hearts. He has to give us new hearts and make us new creations and we went on to talk about this verse that we used on the little cards we are going to hand out with the treats:

I am so thankful for the opportunity to be with my children all day and share Christ with them as we spend the day together, as we walk along the way, as we do crafts together, as we sit down for a meal and as I tuck them in bed. What an incredible blessing that is!

 (just had to slip in a picture of this cutie!)