Fruit Dip

This is a recipe comes from my sister-in-law, Debra.

1 jar marshmallow cream
8 oz. cream cheese

Mix together. Serve with grapes, strawberries, apples or any other fruit of your choice.

Meatballs

Another recipe from Steve's party.

Bag of Armour Meatballs
Jar of your favorite Marinara Sauce

Bake the meatballs according to the package directions. Put into an electric frying pan and pour sauce over. Heat thoroughly. You can serve immediately or turn on to low to serve in a buffet. They work great with toothpicks.

I also used the meatballs in my spaghetti sauce the other night and Steve and Christopher loved it.

Devil's Spit Chicken

We had a party for Steve last weekend and this is one of the recipes that I served.

Bag of popcorn chicken

Famous Dave's Devil's Spit BBQ Sauce

Cook chicken according to the directions on the package. Now turn your oven on to broil and cook the chicken until lightly browned. I was serving people over a two hour period so I put them into a crock pot on low and poured over the BBQ sauce. You could also just toss the chicken in the BBQ sauce and serve.

Quesadillas

Took this recipe off of Favorite Family Recipes. I didn't add the cilantro because Steve doesn't like it but it was still very tasty.

1 c. frozen corn
1 c. grated zucchini (juices squeezed out)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp. diced jalapeno (or more if you like it hot)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1-2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
flour tortillas (if you want to be really healthy, use whole-wheat tortillas)

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for the cheese (and tortillas of course). Place mixture in a large skillet and fry until hot. In the meantime, heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan. On half of the tortilla add a few large scoops of the corn/bean mixture and a little cheese. Fold tortilla over, then flip sides. When cheese is melted, cut in half and serve!

Apple Crisp

I found this recipe on Recipezaar. Steve and I found that it was a little too sweet so next time I will cut the sugar in half.

5-6 tart apples, I used Granny Smith
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Topping
3/4 cup flour, plus
2 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons oatmeal
7 tablespoons sugar
7 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
12 tablespoons butter, cut in small pieces

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Put apples, sugars, and cinnamon in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Stir to combine. Let sit about 20 minutes until some juice is released from the apples.

Combine flour, oatmeal and sugars. Mix in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Pour melted 2 tbsp butter over apple mixture in the casserole. Sprinkle with topping mixture. Bake 30-40 minutes until topping is golden and filling is bubbling. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cinnamon Biscuits

I am not sure where I picked up this recipe but it is a quick and easy breakfast.

1 can biscuits
Butter
Cinnamon
Sugar

Heat oven according to directions on biscuits. Melt butter in a bowl. Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a separate bowl. Dip each biscuit individually in the butter and then in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on cookie sheet. Cook according to directions on biscuit package. While biscuits are cooking make a glaze with the left over butter, a dash of vanilla, milk and powdered sugar. When biscuits are light brown remove from oven and spoon glaze over the top.

Cheese Sauce On Toast

Does anyone remember this from when we were kids? For some reason I remembered this recipe yesterday and had to cook some up for breakfast. This is one of those recipes that you just put stuff in until it is the way you like it. Mom may have a very specific recipe but this is how I make it.

Butter - I used about 1 tablespoon
Evaporated Milk - depending on how many you serve is how much you use
Cheese - cut into cubes, depends on how cheesy you want it
Toast

Toast your bread, it doesn't matter if it is hot because the cheese sauce is. After bread is toasted, I like to break it into bite size pieces in a bowl.

Put butter into pan and melt. Add evaporated milk and heat. When warm add cheese, stir until thickened. My preference is to have lumpy sauce, by that I mean that I still want chucks of cheese not thoroughly blended in but they are melted. Serve over toast.

Barbecued Spareribs

This is Mom's recipe. To change it up a little bit we cut the meat into bite size pieces, that helps to remove a lot of the fat.

4 pounds spareribs
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup water
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cut spareribs into serving size pieces. Brown slowly in two 10-inch skillets; put in a baking pan. Pour fat from skillet, melt butter, add onion and cook until tender. Add next nine ingredients, simmer 20 minutes. Set oven at 350. Pour sauce over ribs. Bake, covered, 1 1/2 hours.

Cheese Bread

Another great recipe from my friend, Jana Davis. This bread is so good I could eat the whole loaf myself.

1/2 cup real butter
1 bottle Old English cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
salt and pepper
Loaf of french bread

Soften butter and mix with cheese, mustard and egg yolk. Beat egg white and fold in together. Take crust off loaf of french bread except bottom. Slice loaf in on in slices nearly through bottom and then in one slice down center lengthwise. Cover exposed parts of bread, including down inside slices, with cheese mixture. Bake at 350 until lightly brown.

Spinach Salad

This is one of "Becky Crocker's" yummy recipes. Here is my laziness coming out in me but you can buy bacon already cooked in a bag by the salad dressings, it makes this salad that much easier.

1 10 ounce bag of spinach
1 medium granny smith apple
1/2 pound cooked bacon, crisp
3/4 cups slivered almonds
3/4 cups craisins

Chop up apple. Mix all of the above ingredients together in a salad bowl.

1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/8 small red onion

Dice red onion. Mix together with sugar, oil, salt and vinegar to make dressing. Pour over salad and toss to coat.

Baked Potato Soup

I found this recipe on the internet. Another of our favorites and so easy and quick to make.

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
4 cups milk
6 large baking potatoes, scrubbed
1 cup sour cream

Microwave potatoes until done. While potatoes are cooking make a roux over low to medium heat. Mix butter, margarine or light olive oil and flour. DO NOT BURN THE ROUX. When roux is thickened a bit, gradually blend in milk. Continue cooking over low to medium heat while preparing potatoes. Peel and cut up potatoes. Add potatoes to the milk mixture. Blend in sour cream. Serve with all your baked potato favorites - chopped green onions, grated cheese, bacon bits and sour cream.

Dry Milk

I received this information in Relief Society. It gives some suggestions on how to use your dry packed dry milk. I use the baking with dry milk when I am making soup and it calls for milk. I remember Mom used to always mix our milk with dry milk when we were kids.

Mix it half and half with whole milk. You will have a product that much like 2% milk.
*Mix 2 quarts water with 1 1/2 cups dry milk to make 1/2 gallon of milk. Then mix in 1/2 gallon of whole milk to make 1 gallon of 2% milk. Use a wire whisk to mix

Baking with dry milk.
*If a recipe calls for 1 cup of milk, stir 3 tablespoons of dry milk into the flour and use 1 cup of water in place of milk in the recipe. Keep a container of dry milk next to your flour container for convenience.

White Sauce, using dry milk is simple, quick and cheaper than canned creamed soups.
1 cup water
3 tablespoons dry milk
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Boil 1/2 cup water. Mix in bowl 1/2 cup water and remaining ingredients except the butter with a whisk. When water is boiling, reduce heat. Stir in blended milk mixture. Mix until thick. Add butter.

Midwest Chowder

It is rainy and I had to turn on the furnace yesterday so it seems appropriate to post one of my favorite soup recipes. This recipe is so quick and easy and tastes so good. This is another great recipe from my friend, Jana Davis.

2 cups boiling water
2 cups chopped potatoes
1/2 cups carrots, sliced
1/2 cups celery, sliced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 17 oz. can cream style corn

In large pan, combine water, vegetables and seasonings. Cover; simmer 10 minutes. Do not drain. Make a white sauce with margarine, flour and milk. Add cheese; stir until melted. Add corn and undrained vegetables. Heat; do not boil.

For variety, add one cup ham cubes, chopped cooked chicken or turkey, or flaked cooked cod or haddock.

Fettuccine Alla Panna

This is another recipe from Betty Crocker's International Cookbook. In Italian cooking, alla panna indicates a sauce made with butter, cream and cheese. It is served throughout the country but is often associated with the food of northern Italy. This recipe is best known to Americans as fettuccine al Alfredo. Alfredo was a dashing Roman restaurateur who tossed his noodles with a gold fork and spoon given to him by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. I love this recipe because it is so easy and so tasty!

8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Chopped fresh parsley

Cook fettuccine as directed on package. While fettuccine is cooking, heat butter and whipping cream in 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper. Drain fettuccine. Pour sauce over fettuccine; stir until fettuccine is well coated. Sprinkle with parsley.