Easy Parmesan Knots

A new easy bread choice; the kids loved it!
The kids could make this too. So yummy!

Parmesan Garlic Knots

Ingredients:

1 tube (12 oz.) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

¼ C canola oil

3 T. grated Parmesan Cheese

½ t. garlic powder

1 t. dried oregano

1 t. dried parsley flakes

Roll each biscuit into a 12-in. rope and tie into a knot; tuck ends under. Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; brush the warm knots with the mixture.

Serving: 10 knots

Recipe Given By: Taste of Home (Garlic Knots)

Baked Garlic Chicken

This is the moistest chicken I bake. It is very rich and we don't eat it often, but there are rarely leftovers.   It's best served with a simple side like mashed or baked potatoes and a salad. It has a lot of flavor and you don't want it competing with other items on your plate. It wants to be the star of the show, so to speak, in a comfort food kind of way.  Enjoy!

Baked Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:

2 C (16 oz) sour cream

2 T. lemon juice

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 t. celery salt

4 t. Worcestershire sauce

2 t. paprika

½ t. pepper

8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

2 C crushed butter-flavored crackers (about 50)

½ C butter or margarine, melted

¼ C vegetable oil

In a large shallow glass dish, combine the first seven ingredients.  Add chicken; turn to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.  Place cracker crumbs in a shallow bowl; roll chicken in crumbs until coated.  Transfer to a greased 13x9x2 baking dish.  Combine butter and oil; pour over the chicken.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

Servings: 28

Recipe Given By: Quick Cooking 

Pinterest Crack Potatoes

Found these Crack Potatoes on Pinterest. Although they sounded rich, I thought I'd give them a try.

We were not a fan. The consistency was a little too dense, the taste a little too cloying.  Some folks like a rich starchy side and if this recipe appeals to you, by all means. My family would prefer to stick to mashed, roasted or baked potatoes. Too bad, 'cause they looked good.

We ate most of the leftovers so the recipe wasn't inedible,  it was just not to our liking.  Pinterest has a never-ending supply of recipes! It's so much fun perusing them; I'm pretty sure I gain weight just looking at the pictures.

Frosted Cinnamon Rolls

It's been awhile, I know. I changed computers, lost my photo editor and just haven't been as organized as I would like. However, I have been trying new recipes so during Christmas break I hope to add a few of those on the blog and wrap up 2012. Sound good?

These are our go-to cinnamon rolls. So yummy. They taste very similar to Cinnabon so if you have a bread machine, break it out and give this recipe a try. You won't be sorry!

Frosted Cinnamon Rolls 

Ingredients:

1 C milk (70-80 degrees)

¼ C water (70-80 degrees)

¼ C butter, softened

1 egg

1 t salt

4 C bread flour

¼ C instant vanilla pudding mix

1 T sugar

1 T active dry yeast

FILLING:

¼ C butter, softened

1 C packed brown sugar

2 t ground cinnamon

FROSTING:

4 oz. Cream cheese, softened

¼ C butter, softened

1 ½ C confectioners’ sugar

1 ½ t  milk

½ t  vanilla extract

In bread machine pan, place first nine ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer.  Select dough setting (check dough after 5 min of mixing; add 1-2 T water or flour if needed.)  When cycle is completed, turn dough onto lightly floured surface.  Roll into a 17 x 10” rectangle.  Spread with butter; sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting from a long side; pinch seam to seal.  Cut into 21 slices.  Place 12 slices, cut side down, in a greased 13 x 9 x 2” baking pan and nine rolls in a 9” square baking pan.  Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 min.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 min. or until golden brown.  Cool on wire racks for 5 min.  In a mixing bowl, beat frosting ingredients.  Frost warm rolls.  Store in a refrigerator.

Serves: about 21 rolls

Recipe Given By: Quick Cooking S/O 2000 p. 28

The frosting just melts all over the warm roll...mmmm.

Zucchini Quiche

We have an abundance of zucchini here on the farm and I began looking for a few recipes that didn't mask the flavor of the veggie (really, chocolate chocolate chip zucchini cookies?), but one that gave us a broader repertoire than sauteed and grilled. I found this recipe at Pillsbury.com.

This basic zucchini quiche was delicious and so easy to make.

Zucchini Quiche

Ingredients:

2 T butter
4 C thinly sliced zucchini
1 C chopped onions
2 T dried parsley flakes
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t dried basil leaves
1/4 t dried oregano leaves
2 eggs, well beaten
2 C shredded Muenster or mozzarella cheese (8 oz.)
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
2 t yellow mustard

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a 12-in skillet, melt butter over med-high heat. Add zucchini and onions; cook 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in parsley flakes, salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil and oregano.

In a large bowl, mix eggs and cheese. Add cooked vegetable mixture; stir gently to mix.

Separate dough into 8 triangles. Place in ungreased 10-in glass pie plate, 12 x 8 in (2 qt.) glass baking dish or 11-in quiche pan; press over bottom and up sides to form crust.  Firmly press perforations to seal.  Spread crust with mustard. Pour egg mixture evening into crust-lined pie plate.

Bake 18-22 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.  If necessary, cover edge of crust with strips of foil during last 10 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Servings: 6
Recipe Given by: Pillsbury.com

Hints: I purchased the wrong Pillsbury tube and came home with a sheet of dough, more like a dinner roll. It worked well (although fitting a rectangle into a circle was more challenging than arranging the crescent triangles would have been.)  Just letting you know that a different bread-type crust worked well.  I dislike mustard, but don't like to mess with a recipe the first time around. Although there was a slight mustard taste, I really enjoyed it. If I made it again I might go with 1 1/2 t of mustard, but really, who's counting!

Orange-Soaked Pound Cake

I found this recipe on the back

of a Betty Crocker pound cake box mix. 

It's easy and hard to resist!

Orange-Soaked Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 box Betty Crocker pound cake

1/2 C powdered sugar

3 - 4 t. orange juice

1/8 t. grated orange peel

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake cake mix as directed on box for 1 (9x5 inch) loaf pan.  Cool 10 minutes.  Remove from pan; cool about 30 minutes.  Pierce with fork every 1/2 inch.

Stir together powdered sugar, 3 teaspoons of the orange juice and the orange peel. Stir in just enough remaining orange juice to make glaze smooth and consistency of thick syrup. Pour slowly over warm cake, allowing some to drizzle down sides. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. ( I left off the powdered sugar; it was sweet enough.)

Servings: 8

Recipe Given By: Betty Crocker

Tricky summer treat

Here's a tricky treat that can be used, not only on April 1st, but any day of the year!

Sweet Hamburger Bites

Ingredients: (per serving)

2 vanilla wafers

Yellow frosting
Red frosting
Mini peppermint patty (York used here)

Layer in order:

1 vanilla wafer, flat side up
yellow frosting
peppermint patty
red frosting
Top with vanilla wafer, flat side down

You could mix coconut with green food coloring to add a "lettuce" layer, if you like.

Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Cake

I made this delicious apple cake recently and although my family and I enjoyed it, if I made it again, I would make a couple of changes. First, there was too much caramel for the cake (see my dripping picture below.)  I LOVE caramel, but it was too much even for me. **Amendment: I just reread the recipe and missed the 20 caramels; we used the whole bag. Duh! No wonder there was too much caramel!**

Secondly, the cake gets soggy as it sits for a few days, so on the website they suggested reserving the caramel sauce on the side and using it when you slice/eat the cake. I had pulled a paper copy of this recipe from a magazine so I didn't have that wonderful tip. If so, the cake would have lasted longer and I could have been more judicious in my use of the caramel sauce.   With this tip in mind, we may give it one more try. The cake would also be a wonderful treat on it's own. It doesn't need a topping.

Moist Caramel Apple Cake

1pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
1pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla or French Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding (used Vanilla)
1cup water
4eggs
1/3cup oil
3Granny Smith apples (1 lb.), peeled, coarsely chopped (used Golden Delicious)
20KRAFT Caramels (used whole bag; yikes!)
3Tbsp. milk

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

BEAT first 5 ingredients in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Stir in apples. Pour into greased and floured 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan.

BAKE 50 min. to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 15 min. Loosen cake from side of pan; invert onto wire rack. Gently remove pan. Cool cake completely. Transfer to plate.

MICROWAVE caramels and milk in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min. or until caramels are completely melted and sauce is smooth, stirring every 30 sec. Cool 10 min. or until slightly thickened. Drizzle over cake.


Kraft Kitchens Tips:

• Do not use cake mix with pudding in the mix.
• To avoid soggy cake, drizzle caramel sauce over cake just before serving.
• Serve topped with thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping or vanilla ice cream.

Servings: 16
Recipe Given By: Kraft

Participating in

at Our Front Door.



Z - Baked Ziti

Simple Kid-friendly meatless dish. We love it!  With a salad and bread, it's makes a wonderful meal.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:

1 pkg (16 oz.) ziti or small tube pasta
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 carton (15 oz) part-skim ricotta cheese
½ C grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 jar (28 oz) meatless spaghetti sauce
2 C (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to pkg directions. Drain pasta; set aside. In a bowl, combine the egg, ricotta and ¼ C Parmesan cheese. Spread 1 C spaghetti sauce in a 9x13 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with a third of the pasta, half of the ricotta mixture, 2/3 C mozzarella cheese, 1 T. Parmesan cheese and 1 C sauce. Repeat layers of pasta, ricotta mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with 2 T. Parmesan cheese. Top with remaining pasta, sauce, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 min or until heated through.

Serving: 12
Recipe Given By: Light & Tasty, Feb/Mar 2004

Y - Yam (Sweet Potato) Bake

Please, if you only try one of my recipes, let it be this one! 

I'm telling 'ya! Yum-O! 

I don't care for the brown sugar/marshmallow concoction that often happens to the poor yam/sweet potato.  I used to say I didn't like them until a friend baked this recipe. Now I LOVE them!

My son recently cooked this dish in a dutch oven on a campout and made a believer out of another non-yammy guy.  At Rhett's Eagle ceremony the guy got up and said if they made a badge for cooking the best sweet potatoes, Rhett would have earned that badge.

Need I say more? Please, give this one a try. It's so good!

Sweet Potato Bake

Ingredients:

2 large (or 4-5 small) sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed
1 pint heavy whipping cream (or ½ & ½)
1 egg
¾ t. salt
¼ t. nutmeg
pinch pepper
real Parmesan cheese

Place cubed sweet potatoes in a 8” square pan. Mix the cream, egg, salt, nutmeg and pepper together. Pour over sweet potatoes to cover. Cover top with real grated Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 1 ½ hours.
(You may want to cover the top with foil for the first 30-45 minutes, but we like the crusty Parmesan top!)

Serving: 8-9
Recipe Given By: Sandra O’Grady

X - Xanthan Gum

Ah, did you think I wouldn't come up with something for X?

How many times have you watched Iron Chef or some other show on the Food Network and seen someone add xanthan gum (a thickening agent) to their food?  There have been some pretty strange guests on Iron Chef, but I usually enjoy learning about new ingredients and/or cooking styles so I've been known to stay up late watching one cooking show after another.  Been there?

Anyway...

Xanthan gum. No, I don't have a recipe that includes xanthan gum, but on the heels of pink slime, I got thinking about what xanthan gum really is and how often I am ingesting it.  Buyer beware and all.

Xanthan gum is derived from the same bacterium that cause broccoli and other leafy vegetables to rot and turn black. It's called "Xanthomonas campestris," (so science-y) and it produces a slimy substance that, when combined with corn sugar, becomes an extremely useful thickener, emulsifier and stabilizer for just about any processed food. Umm, yum!

Some typical foods you might purchase that include xanthan gum:

Fruit Juices

Xanthan gum acts as a stabilizer in beverages, particularly fruit juices.  Without xanthan gum all the fruit bits (pulp) would sink to the bottom. Xanthan gum helps them stay afloat.

Dairy Products

Ice creams often include xanthan gum as a stabilizer. It prevents the buildup of ice crystals and keeps the product smooth and creamy. It also gives American cheese slices their unique melting ability due to its stability under extreme heat. It remains stable, holding the oil and other ingredients together resulting in a smooth, uniform melt.

Salad Dressings

Xanthan gum holds unlike substances together. Such compounds are called emulsifiers, and they keep a bottle of salad dressing smooth and uniform. Without xanthan gum, the oil content in the dressing would slowly separate from the other ingredients. This is especially true in low-fat and nonfat dressings.

Condiments and Relishes

Manufacturers add xanthan gum to condiments and relishes, particularly cream-based varieties, as a thickening agent. It keeps the at-rest ingredients stay together and gives it excellent flow.  It also reduces water separation, which would otherwise result in a soggy burger bun.

Microwaveable Foods

Xanthan gum is extremely stable from a wide range of temperatures - both from the freezing point to the boiling point, which makes it an ideal stabilizer in microwaveable foods.

Gluten-free Products

Xanthan gum is used as a wheat gluten substitute to give a gluten-free product that "stickiness" that wheat bread contains.

Xanthan Gum used to only be available commercially, but now it's appearing on health food store shelves. Have you ever tried this thickening agent?

I don't know, but if it comes from the same substance that makes broccoli turn black, then I think I'd rather pass.  I wonder how many other mystery ingredients we're swallowing each day?  It makes me want to go on a whole foods diet!

W - Warm Winter Lemon Cake

This is a recipe to tuck away for a cold day; it might be rainy or snowy, but this warm winter lemon cake will hit the spot. It's one of my husband's favorites and he's not a big fan of cake!

Warm Winter Lemon Cake

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
2 C cold milk
1 ¼ C water
2 pkg. (4 serving size ea) Jell-O Lemon Instant pudding & Pie filling
1/3 C granulated sugar
2 T powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Pour into greased 13x9-in baking dish; set aside.

Pour milk and water into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes and granulated sugar. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Pour over batter. Place baking dish on baking sheet to catch any sauce that might bubble over sides of dish as dessert bakes.

Bake 55 min to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 20 min. (Sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.) Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Spoon into serving dishes to serve warm. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Serving: 16
Recipe Given By: kraftfoods.com (click the link to see a yummy pic!)

V - Veggie-Filled Croissants

Best Adult Lunch Ever!

Veggie-Filled Croissants

Ingredients:

4 large croissants
1 ½ C shredded Monterey Jack cheese (6 oz)
1 small zucchini, chopped into bite-size (about ½ C)
1 small tomato, chopped into bite-size (about ½ C)
1 small onion, chopped (about ¼ C)
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, drained

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut along outside curve of each croissant to within 1 in of each end and ¼” of inside curve to form a pocket. Mix remaining ingredients; spoon into croissants. Heat on ungreased cookie sheet until cheese is melted, about 15 min.

Serving: 4 sandwiches (360 calories per sandwich)
Recipe Given By: Betty Crocker Cookbook, p. 325

U - Ugly Dip

I had to search the web for a "U" recipe so I haven't made this dip, but the reviews were quite positive. Seems easy...and ugly.

Ugly Dip

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, drained
1 (7 ounce) can Mexican-style corn, drained
1 green onion, chopped

Stir the cream cheese, mayonnaise, diced tomatoes, corn, and green onion together in a bowl. Serve immediately or chill.

Yields: 4 Cups
Recipe Given By: Allrecipes. com

T - Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

12 Baked potatoes
Milk
Butter
Sour cream
Chives, bacon (if desired)
Grated Cheddar

Bake potatoes, and scoop them out. Mash as normal and add sour cream (@ ½ pint of sour cream for 12 potatoes). Add chives and bacon, if desired. Restuff.

Reheat for 20 min. at 350 degrees. (Sprinkle with grated cheese before reheating.)

Serving: 24 stuffed potato halves
Recipe Given By: Sheila Woolworth

These freeze very well. After you have stuffed them, (no cheese), then lay them flat on a cookie sheet and freeze. After frozen, place them in a Ziploc Freezer Bag. When you reheat them, do not thaw, or they will be watery. Add the cheese and you may have to increase time by a small amount depending on how frozen they are.

S - Lisa's Salsa

This is a wonderful restaurant-quality salsa. We just can't make it enough at our house - so yummy! Thanks for sharing, Lisa!

Lisa's Salsa

Combine:
3-4 jalapenos
1 chopped white onion

Blend together in food processor or blender:
2 – 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 – 15 oz. cans stewed tomatoes

Add:
2 T. sugar
¼ C cider vinegar
1 t. salt
½ t. pepper
3 t. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 T. oregano

Mix all together and store in refrigerator.

Serving: 1batch
Recipe Given By: my friend, Lisa (with permission)
Hints: You can make it as mild or as spicy as you like depending on the jalapenos. We use 3 jalapenos without the seeds for a mild version. We also do not blend all the diced tomatoes; we leave one can as is so it had a little more texture.

R - Raspberry White Chocolate Scones with Devonshire Cream

A few years ago I went to a Tea House with the girls in my extended family. While there I had a delectable Raspberry White Chocolate Scone and couldn't get it off my mind. I came home and found this delicious recipe online.

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

Ingredients:

2 1/2 C flour
1/2 C sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 C butter or margarine, softened
1/3 C milk
1/3 C non-fat vanilla yogurt
1 egg
1 T. vanilla extract
2 C frozen raspberries
1 C white chocolate chips or chunks (I cut up Baker's White Chocolate bars)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet. Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Work butter or margarine into dry ingredients, using a pastry blender or fork, until it is the size of small peas. Combine milk, yogurt, egg and vanilla in a small mixing bowl. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until the dry ingredients are moist. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon about 1/3 C of batter for each scone onto cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Serving: 1 dozen scones
Recipe Given By: epicurean.com
Hint: Serve warm with a little butter and Devonshire Cream!

Devonshire Cream

Ingredients:

4 oz. mascarpone
1 C heavy whipping cream
1 t. vanilla extract
1-2 T. granulated sugar
zest of lemon or lime, optional (I left out)

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and beat until the mixture holds its shape and looks like softly whipped cream. Use right away or cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Serving: about 1 1/2 C
Recipe Given By: Joy of Baking
Note: This can also be used as a filling for tarts or with fresh berries. (Divine!)

Q - Quiche: Breakfast Pie

This is my go-to breakfast quiche!  It is hearty and delicious! Enjoy!

Breakfast Pie

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon, cooked crisp
½ C cornflake crumbs
1 T. bacon drippings
5 eggs
2 ½ C frozen hash browns
1 ½ C shredded Swiss cheese
½ C cottage cheese
1/3 C milk
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper

Cook and crumble bacon, set aside. Mix cornflake crumbs with the 1 T bacon drippings, set aside. Beat eggs until foamy. Stir in potatoes, Swiss cheese, cottage cheese, milk, onion, salt and pepper. Pour into greased 9 in pie pan. Sprinkle with crumb mixture and bacon. Cover. Refrigerate overnight or bake immediately. Remove from refrigerator, uncover, bake at 325 degrees 50-60 min until knife comes out clean.

Serving: 6-8
Recipe Given By: my mom

Hints: I almost never let it sit overnight in the frig. I just don't think that far ahead. I usually cook some kind of sweet bread (like a cinnamon loaf, coffee cake or muffins) at the same time. I then cook both at 350 degrees. In my oven the breakfast pie still takes an hour to cook. I also make two pies at the same time (mixing the ingredients separately). Whether your family will eat through two pies at one sitting or you just want to have the leftovers for breakfast, cooking two pies works for us!

(Here's a reheated leftover - good to eat any time of the day!)

P - Pretzel Sparklers

My pretzels below aren't quite as cute as the ones in the link, however, I had a little help which makes them all the more beautiful. This is an easy way to use leftover candy melts for a fun snack.

Pretzel Sparklers

Ingredients:
8 squares (1 oz each) white baking chocolate
1 pkg. (10 oz) pretzel rods
Colored candy stars or sprinkles

Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; heat until melted. Dip each pretzel rod about halfway into chocolate; sprinkle with stars. Place on waxed paper to dry.

Serving: @ 2 dozen
Recipe Given By: Quick Cooking J/A 1999 p. 62
Hint: if chocolate gets too thick, use vegetable oil to thin out again, while heating.

O - Orange Julius

Have you ever had one of these at the mall?
Now you can make your own at home!

Orange Julius

Ingredients:

1 can (6 oz) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 C milk
1 C water
¼ C sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
10-12 ice cubes

In a blender, combine the orange juice concentrate, milk, water, sugar and vanilla. Cover and blend until smooth. With blender running, add ice cubes, one at a time, through the opening in lid. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Servings: 4-5
Recipe Given By: Quick Cooking
Hint: Make ONE batch at a time

N - No-Fry Potato Doughnuts

These may seem like a lot of work, but you could make them up and freeze them (a tip I found reviewed on Taste of Home). I would probably make them up on a Saturday, have them for a treat while warm and then for a quick Sunday breakfast the next morning.

I have made these, but it's been awhile. I might have to resurrect this recipe and give it another try. I know I loved the "no fry" part and I do remember they were tasty.

No-Fry Potato Doughnuts

Ingredients:

3 med. Potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 C milk (70-80 degrees)
2 eggs, well beaten
½ C sugar
1 t salt
4 ½ C bread flour
2 ¼ t active dry yeast

TOPPING:
¾ C sugar
1 ¼ t ground cinnamon
¼ C butter or margarine, melted

Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook until tender. Drain, reserving ¼ C cooking liquid; set liquid aside to cool to 70-80 degrees. Mash potatoes; set aside 1 C to cool to room temperature. (Refrigerate any remaining mashed potatoes for another use.)

In bread machine pan, place dough ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer, adding reserved cooking liquid and potatoes. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 min. of mixing; some flour may remain on top; add 1-2 T water or flour if needed.) When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in an additional ¼ - ½ C flour if necessary. Roll out to ½” thickness. Cut with a2 ½” doughnut cutter.

Place on greased baking sheets; cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 25 min. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 min. or until lightly browned. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Brush warm doughnuts with butter; dip in cinnamon-sugar.

Serving: 2 ½ dozen
Recipe Given By: Quick Cooking M/A 2000 p. 33

M - Molasses-Spice Cookies

The boys plow right through these cookies at my house. I've included a picture of mine at the bottom, but click on the Southern Living link to see them in all their glory.

Molasses-Spice Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 C shortening
1 C granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 C molasses
2 C all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. ground allspice (which I leave out or just add a small pinch of pepper)
1 C sparkling sugar

Beat the shortening at med speed with mixer until fluffy. Gradually add 1 C granulated sugar, beating well. Add egg and molasses; beat well.

Combine flour and next 8 ingredients, stirring well. Add 1/4 of the flour mixture at a time to shortening mixture, beating at low speed after each addition until blended. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Shape dough into 1-in balls, and roll in sparkling sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes. (Tops will crack.) Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Serving: 3 dozen
Recipe Given By: Southern Living

Look for sparkling sugar in the Wilton aisle of your local craft store!

K - Reeses Krispies

I shared these with friends at our homeschool CoOp and they quickly asked for the recipe. Addicting!

Reeses Krispies

Ingredients:

1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Corn Syrup
1 1/3 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
4 1/4 Cup Rice Krispies
1 Pinch of Salt
4 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped
(4 individual cups were just a token flavor, will try 4 pkgs next time.)
1 Handful Chocolate Chips

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt the sugar, corn syrup, and peanut butter until smooth and evenly combined. (get it hot and melty, not just combined!)Remove from heat.

Quickly add the salt and cereal and stir to combine thoroughly. Add the chocolate chips and stir again. Wait about 1 min and add the candy, quickly folding the mixture together so as to not smash up the candy.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop rounded tablespoons onto the sheet. Let cool and devour!

Recipe Given By: http://www.ohsweetbasil.com/

J - Jello Poke Cake

I've made this twice in the last month, once for my birthday cake and once for Easter. It's so refreshing and tasty! My two favorite flavors of jello right now are raspberry and orange. They are a great combo!

Jello Poke Layer Cake

Ingredients:

White cake mix – made in 9x13 pan or in two layers, cooled

2 small boxes or 1 large box of jello (*2 small different flavors, best)

2 C boiling water (1 C each flavor)

3 ½ C (8 oz) cool whip

Place cake layers, top side up, in two 8 or 9” cake pans.  Prick each cake with utility fork at ½” intervals. Dissolve jello in boiling water. Carefully spoon over cake layers. (I pour.) Chill 3-4 hours. Dip cake pans in warm water for 10 sec.; then unmold onto serving plate. Top with about 1 C of cool whip. Unmold second layer carefully onto 1st layer. Frost top and side with cool whip. Chill.

• When I don’t have a lot of time I make this cake in a 9x13 pan, add the jello, and frost top after chilled. It’s light and cool – great for a hot summer day!

Recipe Given By: Sherry Hildebrant

I - Ice Cream Torte

This often requested torte substitutes for birthday cakes and homecoming desserts in our family. It is one of our preferred frozen treats!

Ice Cream Torte

Ingredients:

2 pkgs of Archway Dutch Cocoa cookies or 24 Mothers macaroon or other soft chocolate cookie
1 qt. chocolate ice cream, softened
1 qt. coffee ice cream, softened
Hershey’s syrup
6 Heath Toffee Candy bars

Crush 12 Dutch Cocoa cookies. Press into an 8 or 9” oiled spring form pan. Put 1 qt. of softened chocolate ice cream on top. Drizzle 2 T Hershey’s chocolate syrup on top. Crush 12 more Dutch Cocoa cookies and layer on top of the chocolate syrup/chocolate ice cream. Then top with 1 qt. of softened coffee ice cream. Drizzle with 2 T. chocolate syrup. Top with 6 crushed Heath candy bars. Store in freezer to set before serving.

Recipe Given By: Mom Underhill
Hint: The Archway Dutch Cocoa cookies are worth looking for; try not to substitute unless you have to. This is an expensive dessert; use for special occasions. 

H - Ham Rolls and Hot Dogs N Beans

Today for lunch I spread onion/chive cream cheese on a flour tortilla and added lettuce and thinly sliced deli ham for a delicious roll-up. This isn't original, probably something I've seen along the way.

It lacked something so I added a dill pickle for an extra tang/crunch. So yummy!

Then I made this crock pot meal for an easy dinner and served it with cornbread muffins.

Hot Dogs ‘N’ Beans

Ingredients:

3 cans (two 28 oz., one 16 oz.) pork and beans
1 pkg. (1 lb) hot dogs, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
½ C packed brown sugar
3 T prepared mustard
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients; mix well. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Serving: 10
Recipe Given By: Quick Cooking

ready to go...

all mixed together.