Wrapped Dates

This was at the Christmas party at Kathys house 2008

Take some dates and stuff with goat cheese.
Wrap in strips of dough ,like the cresent roll in a tube.
Bake until bubbly.

Simple appetizer.

Blue Cheese Pizza

This is so good. I know it sounds iffy.
Get a package of Pillsbury cresent rolls and flatten it out on an ungreased cookie sheet to be a rectangle of dough.
Add about 1/2 a cup of apricot preserves with 2 tablespoons of butter and melt in microwave.
spread on the dough.
Crumble blue cheese or gargonzola on top evenly. I used about a cup.
Chop pecans up finely and spread on top.
Bake at about 375 for about 15 minutes or until melted ,bubbly and light brown.
Cut into triangles or squares and devour!

Best Carrot Cake Ever!

INGREDIENTS
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar (I used 3/4 white and 3/4 cup brown)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 or 4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in nuts. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Sprinkle chopped nuts on top of frosted cooled cake.

Celestes Pumpkin Roll Cake with Cream Cheese Filling

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
pinch of salt
3 eggs, (whisked together)
2/3 cup canned pumpkin

FILLING:
1 8 ounce package cream cheese - room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter - room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Preheat the oven to 375. Butter a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet w/sides. Line pan w/waxed paper, butter paper. Mix first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake for about 15 min. (until it's lightly golden and pulls up nicely from the corner).

Lay a CLEAN kitchen towel on a work surface. Dust it with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Cut around pan sides to loosen the cake then turn it out onto the sugared towel, waxed paper side up. Fold 1 side of the towel over 1 side of the cake (like your making a cake and towel sandwich) and roll up jelly roll style. COOL cake. (I usualy let it cool about 2 hours)

Combine all your Filling ingredients into a bowl. Beat to blend.

Unroll your cake, leave it on the towel. Peel off the wax paper. Spread cream cheese filling evely over the cake. Using the towel, (like sushi on a bamboo mat), roll up cake an place seam side down. Trim the ends of the cake. Dust it with powdered sugar - cover and refrigerate

Moniques meatballs

1 can jellied cranberry sauce
1 jar chili sauce (I've used Heinz and storebrand and don't think it makes any difference)
1 bag frozen turkey meatballs 1 - 2 lbs
Mix over low/med heat: cranberry sauce & chili sauce. Add frozen meatballs and simmer till heated through. I'd double or triple the sauce depending on the size of the crockpot or the amount of meatballs.

Stevens simple sweet chili

1 1/2 - 2 lbs 85% or leaner ground beef
1/2 cup chopped yellow or white onion (you can mix in some chopped red onion for variety)
1 envelope (1.75 oz) chili seasoning mix
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, undrained
1 can (15 oz) regular bean chili, any brand
1 Tablesoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Johnny's Seasoning Salt

Preparation:

Heat oil in large pot, or if you prefer to do it separately, then a fry pan and brown ground beef through. Add diced onions, and let them cook together to marry the flavors. Stir in chili seasoning mix and water. Add all canned items (DO NOT DRAIN), stir together, and now slowly add spices and sugars to taste. I vary the amount of sugar and cinnamon slightly for a sweeter chili at times, and usually just stick with 1-1 1/2 Tablespoons of Johnny's seasoning.

Stevens mouthwatering pork chops

Package of regular bone in pork chops, normal cut (I usually do 3-4 at a time to feed 2)

In a cake pan, place chops to fit
Spread a small amount of olive or vegetable oil on each
Sprinkle a combo of the following spices (usually equals about a teaspoon or tablespoon, depending on the size of your chops, of spices), in equal amounts over each one
Johnny's Seasoning Salt (bottle is a clear brown type with a yellow top and yellow writing on the label)
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Onion powder
Basil
Oregano
Rosemary
Sage (less important if you can't find it)
a dash of cinnamon

Cover pan with tinfoil and bake at 300-325 for 90 minutes. Finish off the last two minutes uncovered on broil to sear the top and bring out the flavors of the spices

Chocolate Eclairs

Large box Instant Vanilla Pudding
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
pinch of salt
Beat in 2 eggs

Frosting: 3 Tablespoons butter
1-1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons cocoa



Mix up vanilla instant pudding per instructions on box. Refrigerate. Sift flour and set aside. Slowly heat the milk. Add butter and bring to boil. Add flour and salt. Stir immediately! Cook and stir the batter until it leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Remove from fire. Beat in eggs, one at a time - making sure each egg is fully mixed in the batter before adding the next egg. Spoon batter onto greased cookie ,sheet making six 2" mounds. Bake in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Bake an additional 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow puffs to cool . Fill each puff with vanilla pudding by cutting a slice in the side of each puff. Carefully open the eclair and fill. Melt 3 Tablespoons butter. Stir in cocoa and add balance of ingredients for frosting. Mix well and frost each eclair. Make sure to seal the cut side of the puff used to fill eclair ,with the chocolate frosting. Refrigerate until served.

Banana Bread

2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped pecans
4-5 bananas (use completely black bananas,,this is very important)

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray 2 loaf pans. In a large bowl, mash bananas with a masher.
• Dissolve soda in buttermilk-- use a larger container as it will foam up quite a bit.
• Mix all ingredients by hand and add in 1 cup chopped nuts. Bake at 350 for 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out ALMOST clean.
• Totally clean will mean a dryer loaf. Let sit 15 minutes after removing from oven and remove from pans. Or, let cool, cover with foil, slide into freezer bags and freeze. Great when using tin foil pans.

Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut Butter Balls

1/2 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup sifter powdered sugar
8 ounces chocolate
optional: rice crispies

In a mixing bowl stir together peanut butter and butter. Gradually add
powdered sugar, stirring till combined.( At this point you could add rice crispies if you want some crunch).Shape into 1-inch balls; place
on waxed paper. Let stand till dry (about 20 minutes).

Melt chocolate. Dip balls, one at a time, into
coating. Let excess coating drip off peanut butter balls. Place on
waxed paper; let stand till coating is firm, Store tightly covered in
refrigerator. Makes about 30 pieces.

* To melt chocolate for dipping, cut it up, place it in a heavy
saucepan, and stir it constantly over low heat until melted and smooth.
Or, you can microwave 8 ounces in a microwave-safe
bowl, uncovered, on 100% power (high) for 1 to 3 minutes or until
coating is almost melted; stir until smooth.

** Lift the balls out of melted candy coating with a fork. Draw the fork
across the rim of the dish to remove excess coating.

The peanut butter and butter are easier to mix if
butter is room temperature. You can also use parchment paper instead of
waxed paper. To make these look like buckeyes, just leave a portion of
the peanut butter uncoated.

Moms White Bread

3 Tablespoons yeast
1/4 cup warm water(baby bottle warm)
touch of sugar for the yeast to eat

1 quart (4cups) hot water
1/2 cup powered milk (whisk into water)
1 stick margerine or butter ,margerine,or oil
2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 cup sugar or honey
you can also add 1/4 c. of flaxseed if you want. Sometimes I do,sometimes I don't!

about 11-12 cups of flour

soften first 3 ing. until bubbly
whisk everything else in a large bowl with about 4 cups of the flour
start adding rest of flour and the yeast mix
Yeast will die if its to hot,so you need to have flour in the bowl first so it will cool down a bit.
knead for about 10 min. cover with a clean cloth and let rise until double
form into loafs or rolls ,cover and let rise again
bake around 375* depending on where you live for about 45 min. maybe less.
The loafs will sound hollow when tapped
use butter to rub on top while still hot to soften and make it look nicer.(not so dry looking)

makes 4 large loafs

Eggrolls

1 head of cabbage cut fine,you can use bok choy too.chop it up a bit.
2 or 3 carrots shredded and chopped
1 onion,chopped fine
1 large can or 2 small cans of drained bean sprouts
1 can of water chestnuts chopped, (optional )
I like to put chopped spinich or some bok choy for color. You can use leftover ham that has been chopped fine,pork cutlets cooked and diced,shrimp or chicken.
Add a little salt ,soy sauce,oyster sauce. Mix all ingredients by hand.
2 packages of egg roll wrappers. Usually in refrigerated section of grocery.

Mix everything and kind of squeeze out when your wrapping them.Put a small heap,couple of tabelspoons, on each egg roll and wrap. Seal edges with a paste of cornstarch in water. Put rolled egg rolls on a rack so they can dry some before frying.
Fry until golden brown. I think the secret is draining standing straight up on a paper towel, then put in a casserole dish standing up with more paper towel on bottom to catch any more drips. Makes about 45 or so.
We use LaChoy sweet and sour sauce. YUM! Another favorite we discovered is hot pepper jelly. You can use a little teriyaki sauce and wasabi mixed too.These are good hot and cold.

Sweet Yam Casserole

This is a dish we enjoy every Thanksgiving. I can't get away without making it or the family has a few words about it! Its like pecan pie.

Bake at 400* for 30-45 minutes

2 cans of yams ( 3 cups)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
******************
Topping
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 stick butter
1 cup of chopped pecans.
Pour into a buttered casserole dish.

Chicken Salad

4 boneless chicken breast,cooked and cubed.
1/3 cup of cranrasins
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chopped celery
mix together with enough Hellmans mayonaise to moisten.

I love this on salad or in a sandwich with whole grain bread!

You can also put spinich leaves on this or radish sprouts, yummy....