Simple Tomato Sauce

There is a new show on the Cooking Channel called Kelsey's Basics! She is a young girl from Utah and I am super excited about it. She made this today on Studio 5 and it looked fabulous and super super easy!

SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE

Yield: 4 cups

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped -or- 1 tablespoon dried basil
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In a large saucepan or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and golden brown. Add basil and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes with juices and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until sauce has thickened. With a potato masher, break up the tomatoes to achieve a sauce like consistency.

Season with salt and fresh ground pepper and serve.

Tomato sauce will last 1 week in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer.

VARIATIONS

Seasonal Vegetable Tomato Sauce: After cooking onion and garlic until soft, add ¾ cup seasonal vegetables to saucepan or skillet. Finish sauce as directed.

Creamy Tomato Sauce: Add ½ cup heavy cream to finish sauce.

Tomato Sauce with Italian Sausage: Before beginning sauce, brown ½ lb. sweet Italian sausage in heavy bottomed skillet. Remove, from skillet and set aside on a plate lined with paper towel. After finishing sauce, stir in cooked Italian sausage and continue warming for 2 minutes before serving.

Kids Gak (Gooey Slime)

Get slimey with Homemade Kids' Gooey-gak made from glue and borax.

What you'll need:

• Wire whisk
• 1 cup all purpose white glue (recommended: Elmer's Regular)
• 3/4 cup water
• Food coloring or 1 tablespoon tempera paint, your choice of color
• Borax detergent

How to make it:

1. Mix together with wire whisk the all purpose glue, water, and food coloring/tempera paint. I used the powdered tempera, but the liquid works just as well -- just don't mix the powdered too thin.
2. Mix separately 1/3 c. water and 1/2 tsp. Borax. Slowly pour Borax mix into glue mix.
3. Let stand a few minutes, then knead. Pour off any remaining liquid. Store in plastic bags.
4. Repeat for different colors.

Tips:

• As in all recipes, results can vary depending on humidity, conditions, etc. Please try any recipe out before attempting in a group setting with kids.
• Avoid contact with hair or clothing, especially with small children. If the Gooey Gak happens to get caught in either substance, try using vegetable oil to break down the Gak. In case of an emergency, please contact your family physician.

Sour Cream Banana Bread

I got this recipe from my friend, Tomi Durham! Thanks Tomi! It's my new favorite Banana Bread!

Dusting Mixture:
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Main Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
3 cups white sugar
3 eggs
6 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream (2 cups)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Mix well. Then add the four 1 cup at a time. Mix well. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans. Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Asparagus Rolls

4-6 Tortilla Wraps (depending on the size of the tortilla)
18 asparagus
Chicken (You could do fresh, but I use 1 can of the Chicken Salad from Costco)
1/2 c. nuts (optional)
1/2 c. Craisens
4 oz. regular cream cheese
1/2-1/3 of container of Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese (judge this to taste)
1/4 c. Mayo
Garlic Powder

Mix the Chicken on down all in bowl. Judge to your liking in taste. I usually use closer to 1/3 container of the Garden Vegetable Cream cheese, but I like it with a stronger taste.

Spread the mixture on a tortilla. Roll the already cooked asparagus into the tortilla. I usually use about 4 or 5 per tortilla. Cover the roller tortilla in Press N' Seal and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or overnight. Then cut into little bite size pieces and ENJOY!

Pasta with Hashed Brussels Sprouts and Pine Nuts

Pasta with Hashed Brussels Sprouts and Pine Nuts
Adapted from Gourmet, November 2007

¾ lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed
3 Tbsp. pine nuts
½ lb. dried pasta, preferably fettuccine or another long noodle
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
½ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

In a food processor fitted with the slicing disk, slice the Brussels sprouts into a fine hash. Set aside.

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat.

While the water is heating, prepare the pine nuts. Place a large heavy skillet over medium heat. When the pan is warm, add the pine nuts and, shaking the pan frequently, toast until golden and fragrant. (Careful: they burn easily.) Transfer to a bowl or small plate, and set aside. Set the pan aside as well, but do not wash it: you’ll use it again in a minute.

When the water boils, add the pasta and cook until al dente.

While the pasta cooks, prepare the Brussels sprouts. Return the skillet to the stove, and place over medium-high heat. You want it to get quite hot. Add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted – it’s okay if it browns a little; mine did – add the Brussels sprouts and salt. Sauté, stirring frequently, until bright green and just tender, about 4 minutes.

If the pasta is ready at this point, drain it, reserving ¼ cup cooking water, and add it to the skillet with the cooked Brussels sprouts. Alternatively, if the pasta is not yet ready, transfer the sprouts to a large bowl. (You don’t want them to sit in the hot pan too long.) Either way, when the pasta is ready, toss it with the sprouts. Add the pine nuts and cream, and toss again. If the pasta seems a bit dry, add a splash or two of the cooking water.

Serve immediately, with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and additional salt at the table.

Yield: 4 servings

M & M Sugar Cookies

I got this recipe from Deals to Meals who got if from Jamie Cooks it Up!

Yield: 48 cookies

Time: 1 hour

1 C butter, softened

1 1/2 C sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 t vanilla

3 C flour

2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

2 t cream of tartar

dash of salt

1 medium bag (12 oz) M and M's

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a stand mixer, or with hand held beaters cream the butter and sugar for about 3 minutes, or until fluffy.

2. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix for 2 more minutes.

3. In a separate small mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients. Add to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.

4. Pour in your M and M's and mix just until combined. Don't mix too long here guys and gals...you will crush your M and M's into smithereens.

5. Form into round balls (about 2 inches in size) and lay onto a cookies sheet. I like to smash the dough down just a little bit with the palm of my hand.

6. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes (about 6 minutes at 325 in a convection oven) or until you see the cookies start to crack. Take them out of the oven and let them finish cooking on the hot sheet for about 5 minutes.

7. Remove from the cookie sheet onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Pioneer Woman's Penne Pasta

My friend my this off the Pioneer Woman Cooks and it is seriously yummy! Enjoy!

1 pkg Penne Pasta
3 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 whole Onion (small)
3 cloves Garlic
½ cups white cooking wine
1 can tomato Sauce (8 Oz)
1 cup heavy Cream
2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper

Cook penne in boiling water. While that is cooking chop onion, I prefer to do it in a food processor so its really small. I also throw the garlic in to mince it too. Melt the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and garlic and saute until its clear. Add cooking wine and allow to cook for 1 -2 minutes on med-hi heat. Add cream and tomato sauce and stir until combined. Add basil and simmer until pasta is done. Drain penne and mix with sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Baked Lemon Pasta

Picture and recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

Ingredients

• 1 pound Thin Spaghetti
• 4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
• 2 cups Sour Cream
• ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste
• Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
• Extra Lemon Juice

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente.

In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.

Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.

*This is where I added some chicken. The original recipe didn't call for this, but I felt it needed some protein!

Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)

When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

Serve with crusty French bread and a simple green salad.

Beef and Broccoli

I got this recipe from my friend Lisa! It is super super yummy and actually quite easy! Enjoy!

1 pound top round beef steak
1/4 c soy sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 c apple juice
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup water
2 c fresh broccoli
4 Tbsp oil
2-3 cloves garlic
2 tsp sesame oil

Cut beef steak into thin strips, set aside. Combine soy sauce, sugar, water, juice, and cornstarch in small bowl and set aside. In large skillet stir fry broccoli with 2 Tbsp oil for about 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook. Set broccoli aside in a dish. Pour remaining oil into skillet and add beef steak and cook until well browned on all sides. Add garlic and cook until fragrant but not more than 1 min. Pour soy sauce mixture over meat and cook until slightly thickened. Stir in sesame oil. Remove from heat. Stir in broccoli serve over rice.

Rainbow Cupcakes

I got this from Family Fun after my friend, Jessica, blogged about doing it with her kiddos! So much fun! Enjoy!


Ingredients

• White cake mix (we used an 18-1/4-ounce box)
• Food coloring (red, blue, green, and yellow)

• Baking cups
• Whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare your favorite white cake mix, then divide the batter evenly among six small bowls. Following the chart below, dye each bowl of batter a rainbow color.
   
   

   RAINBOW COLOR	DROPS OF FOOD COLORING
   Purple	9 red and 6 blue drops
   Blue	12 drops
   Green	12 drops
   Yellow	12 drops
   Orange	12 yellow and 4 red drops
   Red	18 drops

   
   
   

2. Line 16 muffin pan wells with baking cups. Evenly distribute the purple batter among the cups, then the blue, and so on, following the order shown. As you go, gently spread each layer of batter with the back of a spoon to cover the color underneath.

3. Bake the cupcakes according to your recipe directions. Before serving, remove the paper wrapping, and if you like, top each cupcake with a whipped-cream cloud.

Applesauce

Update 8/2011 - I just finished my 2nd year of making Applesauce, and this year the cooking time was much longer..  In 2010 I used Granny Smith apples and in 2011 I used Gala apples.  So, just note that you may need to adjust the cooking time, depending on what type of apple you are using.

Also, making applesauce is really hard to explain, because it really just depends on your preference of taste and consistency.  So, just have a little faith in yourself and have some fun!

My batches consist of:

14-20 Apples (depending on the apples size) (cored/peeled/sliced)
Approx 4 cups water (just depends on how chunky you like it)
1./2 to 1 cup sugar (How sweet do you want it?)
1 tsp cinnamon

I like my applesauce a little chunky vs pureed. So, if you like it not as chunky then you will just want to add a little bit more water.  Just pay attention to how much you use on your first batch and you'll be able to make adjustments to what you like.

First off, get your jars in the dishwasher early enough that they are clean and hot by the time you need to fill them. My dishwasher has about a 2 hour wash cycle, so I got them loaded and going about 45 minutes before I got started. Also, get your water bath canner filled with water and a small pot to boil the lids in.

Then I used my new Apple Corer/Peeler/Slicer to prepare my apples. If you don't have one of these you can do it by hand, but it will take you forever. I was able to just stick them right in the pot on the stove without having put them in cold water to wait while I finish them all. If you do prepare them by hand then you will want to get a large bowl of cold water along with some fruit fresh to keep the apples from browning while you get them all prepared.



I let the apples boil at at a med-high heat in the 4 cups of water.  The Granny Smith apples boiled much faster.  They only boiled about 30 minutes per batch.  The Gala apples took more like 50 minutes.  The Granny Smith apples broke down much easier.  They were nearly the consistency that I wanted at the end of the 30 minutes.  I barely had to use the potato masher.  The Gala apples were cooked, but it would have taken me forever to get it the Consistency I wanted by hand.  So, I pulled out my food processor!  Just make sure all the apples are soft and cooked before you finished the boiling process!.  Then add the 1/2 cup to 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon and mix.



Get your water bath canner water boiling while your apples cook. Also, get the lids in some water boiling in a small sauce pan.







I then filled the jars. It is really nice if you have a canner funnel so the edges of your can don't get messy. I pretty much always just take a rag and wipe of the rim to make sure it is clean though.



I didn't take a picture of them in the water bath canner, but I canned them for about 25 minutes. Allow them to cool and make sure all the lids pop!

Ta-da applesauce! Like I said I got 37 pints out of my box of apples and it is super yummy!

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Adapted from Diary of a Stay at home Mom!

INGREDIENTS

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (28 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce
2 green bell pepper, seeded and cubed
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic

DIRECTIONS

1. Put the chicken in the slow cooker. Top with the spaghetti sauce, zucchini, yellow squash, green bell peppers, mushrooms, onion, and garlic (and any other veggies you like)!
2. Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Royal Icing

Royal Icing Using Egg Whites:

2 large egg whites

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the egg whites with the lemon juice. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth.

The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.

Royal Icing Using Meringue Powder:

4 cups confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons meringue powder

1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

1/2 cup - 3/4 cup warm water

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder until combined. Add the water and beat on medium to high speed until very glossy and stiff peaks form (5 to 7 minutes). If necessary, to get the right consistency, add more powdered sugar or water.

The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.

To cover or 'flood' the entire surface of the cookie with icing, the proper consistency is when you lift the beater, the ribbon of icing that falls back into the bowl remains on the surface of the icing for a few seconds before disappearing.

Spaghetti Sauce

I made the following to use just as a base spaghetti sauce. That way I can make it spicy or add more onions, garlic, etc.

20 pounds washed, peeled, cored and chopped tomatoes
6 medium onions, chopped fine
8 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/4 cup oregano
1/4 cup basil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons sugar

1. Blanch and peel the tomatoes and set aside in bowl. Blanching process: Drop the tomatoes into the rapidly boiling water. Pay attention to them as within 60 seconds their skin should split. Immediately remove them from the water with the slotted spoon and dip them into the cold water. After about a minute, remove them from the water and remove their skins. They should slip right off. If not, use a sharp paring knife to remove any stubborn spots.

2. Chop the onions and garlic. I use a food processor and it makes it 1000x easier! Then put them in a LARGE saute pan with a little bit of olive oil and saute. Keep your eye on them and stir them often until the onions are clear.

3. While the onions and garlic are in the saute pan, core and chop all the tomatoes. Again, I use a food processor. Add to a LARGE pot on the stove. I start on low and as I get more in the pot I up it to a med-high heat.

4. Add the onions and garlic.

5. Add all the fresh herbs, salt, pepper, red pepper, and sugar. With the fresh herbs I didn't really measure. The herbs should not affect the acid level, so I just added what I thought looked good. I also added a little rosemary.

6. Simmer about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

7. Put your empty jars into the dishwasher and start. That way when you are ready to pack them they are hot!

8. When canning tomatoes by themselves, it is recommended that acid should be added to lower the pH level. This can be done by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid per pint of product. For quarts, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid. This may be done by adding directly to jars before filling. Also, be sure to leave 1/2-inch head space. Wipe rim and screw threads and adjust lids and screw bands.

I pressured cooked my jars at 12 lbs for 15 minutes.

Makes 24 pints.

Honey Mustard Lime Chicken Legs

From Finding Joy in my Kitchen

8-10 chicken legs
1/3 C spicy brown mustard*
3 T honey
2-3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 T soy sauce
4 T lime juice (and some lime zest, if you have some)

In a medium bowl, mix together the honey/mustard, garlic, lime and soy sauce.

Place the chicken breasts in the crockpot (I was lazy and left the skin on, which was easy to remove after cooking!).

Pour some of the sauce over the bottom chicken legs, then top with the remaining chicken legs and the remaining sauce.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. The chicken gets super tender this way. I like it like this, but, if you don't want your chicken falling off the bone, then I might suggest cooking it for a little shorter amount of time, until the chicken reaches 180 degrees.

I served it with rice and veggies!

*You can also use 1/2 C honey mustard (either mustard or salad dressing varieties should be just fine)!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2 1/8 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup (7 ounces) light brown sugar
1/2 (3 1/2 ounces) cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips (use your preference of semisweet, bittersweet, milk, white, peanut butter...the options are endless!)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan by about 1 inch so you can grab those edges and pull the brownies from the pan after they have baked. Spray the foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.

Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 24-28 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Remove the bars from the pan by lifting the foil overhang and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Peach Crunch Cake

Picture and recipe courtesy of Bakerella!

24.5 oz jar of sliced peaches in light syrup
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), cut into 16 pieces
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Dumb sliced peaches (syrup and all) in the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Cut peaches in half to help cover the bottom of the pan completely.

Sprinkle yellow cake mix over the top of the peaches. I kind of helped the cake mix get wet from the peaches juice to ensure that it would cook good.

Cut up the stick of butter and spread across the top of the cake mix.

Sprinkle brown sugar over the top of the butter.

Sprinkle the walnuts over the top of the brown sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for about 40 minutes.

Serve warm or cold… with or without ice cream.

Pretzel Jello Salad

Pretzels
1 cube butter
1 c sugar, plus 4 tsp sugar
12 oz Cool Whip
8 oz cream cheese, softened
6 oz strawberry Jello
16 oz frozen strawberries (sliced)

Crush pretzels into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Melt butter with 4 tsp sugar and pour over pretzels and bake at 400 for 6 minutes.

Cool in refrigerator or freezer and make sure it is completely cooled.

Beat softened cream cheese, cool whip, and 1 cup sugar on med/low until smooth. Spread over COOLED pretzels. Make sure to seal all the edges, so the jello doesn't get into pretzels. Mix Jello with 2 cups boiling water. Stir until well dissolved. Stir in frozen sliced strawberries. Let Jello partial set (3-5 minutes) then pour over cream cheese mixture.

Put in fridge and let set for 3-4 hours.

Caramel Corn

This is a yummy caramel corn recipe! It stays soft and gooey!

Pop 1 1/2 cups of popcorn and set aside. This is just an estimate. You may want to pop more or less depending on how gooey you want it.

In a saucepan add:
2 c brown sugar
1 c Karo syrup
1 c butter
dash of salt

Cook to softball stage and stir in 1 can of Sweetened Condensed Milk.

Pour over popcorn. Store in an airtight container.

Authentic Flour Tortillas

5 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp salt
3/4 c shortening

Combine dry ingredients and blend well. Add shortening and blend with a pastry blender - like pie crust. Add 1 1/2 cups of warm (not hot) water. Knead it well and divide into 1 1/2 inch balls. Cover for 20 minutes. Roll out flour as round as you can get them. Cook on a dry hot skillet.

Authentic Red Sauce

6 or 7 large tomatoes
6 or 7 dried guajillo peppers (for spicier, use chipotle)
1 clove of garlic
1 onion
1 tbsp chicken bouillon
1 tsp to 1 tbs cumen (to taste)

Boil tomatoes and peppers (remove stems from dried peppers first) for approximately 30 minutes until soft.

Skin the tomatoes and place in a blender (the skins should be split and easy to remove after boiling). Blend (in blender or food processor) tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic until smooth. You will need to add about a cup of water to get the right consistency - not too thick, like tomato soup. (For more flavor and spice, use the water from the boiling of the peppers.)

Add chicken broth and and mix well.

Heat a large pan with about 1-2 tablespoons of oil. When it's hot, add the sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes to blend the flavors. You may add salt if needed. Usually the bouillon is sufficient.

Will make enough for sauce for a 9x13 pan of enchiladas.

Authentic Green Sauce

6 or 7 tomatillos, husked and cleaned
Jalapenos (Optional)
1/2 to 1 bunch of cilantro
1 clove of garlic
1 onion
1 tbsp chicken bouillon

Boil tomatillos and peppers (remove stems from dried peppers first) for approximately 30 minutes until soft.

Blend (in blender or food processor) tomatillos, peppers, onions, cilantro and garlic until smooth. You will need to add about a cup of water to get the right consistency - not too thick, like tomato soup. (For more flavor and spice, use the water from the boiling of the peppers.)

Add chicken broth and and mix well.

Heat a large pan with about 1-2 tablespoons of oil. When it's hot, add the sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes to blend the flavors. You may add salt if needed. Usually the bouillon is sufficient.

Will make enough for sauce for a 9x13 pan of enchiladas.

Michelle's Nutty Torte

1 c flour
1 stick butter
2 tbs sugar
1/3 c (or more if desired) chopped walnuts
8 oz cream cheese, softened
13 oz Cool Whip
2 boxes any flavor instant pudding (I use 1 small chocolate and 1 large vanilla)
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
2 3/4 c milk

1st layer: Mix and press into a 9x13 pan; 1 c flour, 1 stick butter, 2 tbs sugar and nuts. Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 375. Cool.

2nd layer: Mix and spread over 1st layer; 8 oz cream cheese (softened), 1 1/2 cups powered sugar and 1/2 bowl of Cool Whip.

3rd layer: Mix 2 boxes of instant pudding with 2 3/4 cups of milk. Mix with a whisk (mix only until moistened, don't mix until setup) pour over the 2nd layer.

4th layer: Top with cool whip.

Snicker Salad

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 c milk
1 container cool whip
6 apples (peeled, cored, and chopped)
1/2 c seedless grapes
6 Snickers (or Baby Ruth) candy bars (chopped)

Prepare pudding using 1 cup milk. Blend together with cool whip. Add apples, grapes and candy bars. Mix together and refrigerate until chilled.

Raspberry Salsa

2 tbs chopped green onion
1 tsp honey
1 tsp grated ginger root
1 c fresh raspberries
1 kiwi or carambola quartered and sliced

In a medium bowl stir together onion, honey and ginger root. Gently stir in raspberries and kiwi.

Serve with sliced turkey.

Grandma's Yams

1 c orange juice
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 tbs cornstarch
1 tbs melted butter

Layer potatoes in a 9x13 pan. Pour mixture over and bake at 325 for 1 hour.

Spiced Cranberry Dip

8 oz cream cheese
1/2 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/4 c orange marmalade
1/8 tsp grounded red pepper
slivered almonds

Mix cranberry sauce, orange marmalade and red pepper. Spread on top of softened cream cheese that has been spread on a 9 inch pie plate. Top with sliced almonds and serve with crackers. I prefer Wheat Thins.

Funeral Potatoes

6 c diced potato
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/3 stick melted butter
1 c sour cream
2 cups shredded cheese (I like the Colby/Monterrey Jack mix, but most recipes call for Cheddar)
1/2 c grated onion (optional)
Salt
Pepper
3/4 c corn flakes

Bake the potatoes in foil and then peel and dice them. You can also substitute plain frozen diced (not shredded) potatoes. Let the potatoes thaw before using them in the recipe.

Combine soup, 1 cube butter, sour cream, 1 c. cheese, onion, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the potatoes and stir gently until combined.

Place potato mixture in a 2 to 3 quart casserole dish or 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Top with the remaining 1 c. cheese.

Mix 3 tablespoons butter with 3/4 cup crushed corn flakes and sprinkle over the potato mixture.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Avacado Citrus Salad

Salad:

1 firm ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
2 c torn romaine lettuce
1 large orange, peeled and cut into sections
1/4 small red onion
2 T snipped fresh cilantro

Dressing:

2 limes
2 tbs sugar
dash of salt
2 tbs vegetable oil

For dressing, zest limes to measure 1 tsp zest and juice limes to measure 1/4 c juice. Place zest and juice in a small bowl. Add sugar, salt and oil. Whisk until blended. Refrigerate dressing until ready to serve salad. Pour over salad just prior to serving.

Creamy Chicken Salad

2 c cooked chicken
1 c celery
1 c grapes
1 c slivered almonds
1 tsp minced onion
1 tsp salt
1 c mayo
1/2 c cool whip

Mix may and cool whip and mix over the other ingredients. Serve chilled.

Chicken Bowtie Pasta

1 pkg/box bowtie pasta
3 to 4 Chicken Breasts (cubed)
Bunch of grapes
2 chopped apples
1 1/2 c sliced almonds
1 or 2 bunch of green onions

Cook bowtie pasta noodles and chill. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together. Cover with a bottle of coleslaw dressing or make your own. Serve chilled.

Ramen Cabbage Salad

Salad:

Medium head of cabbage
1 bunch of green onions
1/2 c sliced almonds
1 pack Chicken Ramen
3 large chicken breasts cubed
Bunch of Grapes

Chop up head of cabbage and mix in all other ingredients. Set aside the flavor packet from the Ramen.

Dressing:

1/2 c salad oil
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp vinegar
Flavor packet from Ramen

Mix all ingredients well. Then mix over salad.

Neiman-Marcus Cookies

2 c butter
24 oz chocolate chips
4 c flour
2 c brown sugar
5 c blended oatmeal
2 tsp baking powered
3 c chopped nuts
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c sugar
1 - 8 oz Hershey bar (grated)
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey bar, and nuts. Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes at 375.

Makes approx 110 cookies.

German Chocolate Cake Frosting

1 c evaporated milk
1/2 c butter
3 egg yolks (slightly beaten)
1 tsp vanilla
1 c sugar
1 1/3 c coconut
1 c chopped pecans

Combine evaporated milk, butter, egg yolks, vanilla and sugar in a large sauce pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens (approx 12 min). Remove from heat and add coconut and pecans.

Beat until cool.

Special K Pan Cookies

Base:
1/2 c white karo syrup
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c crunch peanut butter
3 c Special K cereal

Topping:
6 oz chocolate chips
1 pk butterscotch chips
2 or 3 tbsp milk

Combine karo syrup and sugar and bring to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from stove and quickly add crunchy peanut butter.

Butter a 9x13 pan and spread Special K cereal in the bottom of the pan. Pour syrup over cereal.

Melt all the topping ingredients together and spread over the base.

Let cool before serving.

Cindy's Raspberry Cake

1/2 pkg white cake mix
8 oz cream cheese
2 c powdered sugar
1 pt whipping cream (already whipped)
2 pkg frozen raspberries - thawed
1 pk raspberry danish dessert

Beat cream cheese, add powdered sugar and whipped cream. Cook danish dessert and add raspberries. Spread cream mixture over cake. Top with raspberry mixture.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Denise's Strawberry Cake

Prepare 1 white cake mix and pour in a Texas Sheet Cake size pan. Bake 15 minutes at 350. Cool.

Frosting:

12 oz cream cheese
1 to 2 cups cool whip

Beat and spread on cooled cake.

Jelly Topping:

2 boxes danish dessert
3 c water

Prepare danish dessert and spread on top of Frosting.

Top with strawberries (preferably fresh) and chill before serving.

Salted Peanute Chews

Base:

1 pkg yellow cake mix
1/3 c butter (softened)
1 egg
3 c mini marshmallows

Mix first three base in ingredients until crumbly. Place in a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 12-18 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with marshmallows. Bake an additional 2 minutes or until marshmallows puff. Cool while preparing topping.

Topping:

2/3 c corn syrup
1/4 c butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 pkg peanut butter chips
2 c crisp rice cereal
2 c salted peanuts

In a large sauce pan, combine all topping ingredients, except cereal and peanuts. Heat just until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat, stir in cereal and peanuts. Immediately spoon warm topping over marshmallows; spread to cover. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Cut into bars. Store in covered containers.

Makes 48 bars.

Oreo Cookies

Cookie:

1 Devils food cake mix
3/4 c shortening
2 eggs

Mix together the above ingredients. It will be very thick. I find it easiest to just use your hands.

Filling:

4 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 lb powdered sugar (or 1 cup)

Mix together the above ingredients in a separate bowl. I like A LOT of filling, so I usually double the recipe.)

Cook dough balls at 375 for 7 minutes. Cool and add filling. Top with another cookie.

White Chocolate Popcorn

Ingredients:

3 packages of kettle corn, popped and kernals removed
1 package of white candy melts
salt
variously colored candy melts

Directions:

Pop the popcorn and remove the unpopped kernels. Melt the white candy melts in microwave and stir over the popcorn. Spread on waxed paper and sprinkle with salt. Melt colored candy if desired and drizzle over cooling popcorn for decor!

Honey Butter

1 cube butter
1/2 c creamed honey
1 tsp vanilla paste (equal to liquid)

Beat with hand beater until mixed together well.

Marinade for Kabobs

3 tbsp sesame seeds
3 tbsp salad oil
1/4 c soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 c finely sliced green onions
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground giner

Marinade any type of meat or veggie! Super yummy!

Pumpkin Seeds

1 1/2 c of seeds
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter

Melt butter and add to Worcestershire sauce and salt. Mix sauce over seeds. Spread seeds over a sheet pan. Cook at 250 for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Crepes

1 1/2 c flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 c milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbs butter

For each crepe: Butter 8 in skillet until it bubbles. Pour 1/4 c of batter. Rotate skillet until batter covers bottom. Cook until light brown. Turn and repeat.

Spread with fruit, jam, Nutella, powdered sugar for breakfast and or dessert crepes. You can also make yummy sandwiches out of them. Turkey, Avacado, Pesto is my favorite with Mozzarella cheese!

Pumpkin Nut Bread

4 c white sugar
2 cubes butter
6 eggs
1 large can pumpkin filling
1 c water
1 1/2 c nuts (your choice, I like walnuts. I also add a bit more then this.)
5 c flour
3/4 t baking powder
3 t baking soda
2 1/4 t salt
1 1/2 t cinnamon
3/4 t cloves
1 1/2 c chocolate chips

Cream sugar and butter. Add beaten eggs. Sift dry ingredients. Add alternating with pumpkin and water to the sugar and butter mixture. Add nuts and chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 for approx 45 minutes. Makes 6 small loaves.

Zucchini Bread

Combine and mix:

2 eggs
1 c oil
3 t vanilla
2 c sugar
2 c grated zucchini w/ skin

Then add:

3 c flour
1 t salt
2 t cinnamon
1 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder

Bake at 325 for approx 1 hour. Makes 2 loafs.

Taco Soup

1 1/2 lb hamburger
1 onion
1 can kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can corn
1 quart tomato juice
1 pkg taco seasoning

Brown the hamburger meat with the onion in a frying pan. Set aside.

In a sauce pan combine the beans, corn, tomato juice, and taco seasoning and bring to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add the hamburger mixture and let simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until everything is heated.

Top soup with corn chips, grated cheese, and sour cream.

Puffy Oven Pancakes

These were known as Puffy Oven Pancakes in my house growing up, but you may know them as German Pancakes or many many other names! Enjoy!

Melt 4T of butter in the bottom of a glass 9x13 pan.

Beat together well:
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
dash of salt
optional: vanilla and sugar

Pour in pan and bake at 400 for approx 16-20 minutes. Serve while puffy with butter, syrup and/or powdered sugar!

Cinnamon Rolls

These are so easy! I use my easy bread dough recipe for the dough and then use the following recipes for the filling and frosting. This recipe comes from my friend, Lisa! Thanks Lisa!

Prepare dough according the recipe. Spray counter top with Pam Cooking spray and roll out dough out. Mix filling and spread over the top evenly. Roll up tight and cut into 2-inch intervals. Place on greased cookie sheet or in a pan and let rise again until doubled (or put in refrigerator and let sit overnight). Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or golden brown. Frost after baked.

Filling:
1 c butter
2 c brown sugar
4 tsp cinnamon

Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
½ c butter
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 c powdered sugar

Easiest Bread Ever (from Lisa)!

My friend, Lisa, got this from her friend. Lisa has been making it for a few months now and I absolutely love it! I have also (with the help of Lisa) made homemade Cinnamon Rolls out of this recipe! This is so easy! I'm going to try to start making a couple loafs a week! Thanks Lisa!

Words from Lisa on the bread: You can make it in 1 hour from start to finish. I use it for everything now. Cinnamon rolls, rolls, scones, pizza...everything! The yeast and soy lecithin might be something you can only get in Utah at stores but it can be ordered off the Internet. Best part is it costs .25 cents a loaf to make this. We only eat homemade bread in our house now! I make a half recipe on Sunday and we eat a warm loaf of bread with dinner and use the other loaf for sandwiches and toast during the week. When we do Movie night on Friday I make a second half batch and use half for pizza dough and make another loaf of bread. Pantry Secrets has classes on how to make this bread and perfect it.

• 10 ½ cups White unbleached bread flour (NOT all purpose- they do not have enough gluten)

• ½ Cup Sugar (white or brown or you can use 1/3 honey or molasses but it will not freeze well)
  

• 3 rounded/heaping tablespoons Saf-instant yeast (Macey’s sells it, keep in freezer and add to the recipe directly from the freezer, it does not have to warm up)

• 3 tablespoons liquid Lecithin* (use instead of oil, it’s made of soy, it cleans arteries has a 4 year shelf life and you can buy it at Kitchen Kneads, Bosch or any health food store and buy the liquid in squeeze bottles not the granules)

• 4 cups hot tap water (you can use powdered milk and for Wheat flour you add 1 cup applesauce in place of hot tap water) mix for 10 minutes.

Mix dry ingredients. Add lecithin and water. To add the lecithin, squeeze or pour approximately 3 tablespoons of lecithin directly into the bowl. Do not measure, it’s too sticky. (An amount about the size of a quarter equals 1 Tablespoon)

Mix for 1 minute and check consistency. If dough is too dry, add more water a little at a time but only 2-4 Tbsp. If dough is too moist, add more flour (You want nice soft dough). It’s better to be on the sticky side than to be too dry and hard. The stickier dough will stretch out better when you roll it. Mix for 5 minutes in mixer or knead by hand for 10 minutes. Do not add water or flour to the dough after it has finished mixing or it will be unstable.

Spray counter and pans with Pam (do not put flour on counter; it will dry out your bread, the gluten doesn’t develop in the extra flour and the dough won’t stretch as well and the breads will crack. Get a little Pam on your hands. Cut; don’t pull the dough into four pieces, shape loves and cover with a dish towel to keep the dough moist. Let raise 25 minutes.

Bake at 350º for 25 minutes on the middle rack in the oven. This recipe makes four loaves of bread. You can half the recipe for 2 loaves of bread.

For a year’s worth of bread (4 loaves a week)
6-25 bags of flour
6 pkgs of Saf-instant yeast
4-6 bottles of lecithin

You can keep a loaf of dough overnight in the fridge. Spray the inside of a bread sack with Pam. Put dough in and tie loosely. Put in Fridge. You might have to punch down the dough before you work with it. Great for pizza, scones, braids, etc. Might not form a pretty loaf of bread though.

Mint Brownies

This recipe came from my MIL and is a fun change every once in a while!

Base:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 can (16 ounces) chocolate-flavored syrup
1 cup sugar

Mix together by beating at medium speed for approx 3 minutes. Pour batter into a greased 13 in. by 9 in. pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Filling:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
1 tbs water
1/2 tsp mint or a couple drops peppermint essential oil
3 drops green food coloring

Combine filling in bowl and beat until creamy. Spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate until set.

Topping:
1 package (10 ounce) chocolate chips (Semi Sweet or Milk Chocolate - your choice)
6 tbs butter or margarine

Melt in saucepan over low heat or microwave until melted. Spread over filling and chill. Serve!

Meatballs with Cream Sauce

MEATBALLS:

1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 T. ketchup
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup quick oats
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
3 T. flour

CREAM SAUCE:

2 T. butter
3 1/2 T. flour
1/4 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
14 oz. can chicken broth (If you want your sauce thicker, cut down the chicken broth to 1 cup)
2/3 cup milk
2 T. minced fresh parsley

In a bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients EXCEPT the beef and flour. Add beef and mix well. Shape into balls. Roll in flour, shaking off excess. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet and bake, uncovered, at 400 for 10 minutes. Turn meatballs, bake 8-10 minutes longer or until no longer pink.

Meanwhile, for the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, thyme, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add broth and milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. If using the full can of chicken broth, the sauce doesn't thicken overly much, but it is delicious that way. If you want it slightly thicker, cut down the chicken broth to 1 cup. Drain meatballs on paper towels; transfer to a serving dish.

Top with sauce and parsley. Serve over rice or egg noodles. I prefer egg noodles.

Pineapple Meatballs

Meatballs-
2 lbs ground beef (lean)
2 large eggs
½ cup dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Sauce-
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 ¾ cups pineapple juice (reserved from pineapple tidbits)
¼ cup white vinegar
1 ½ tablespoon soy sauce
1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (14 oz) can pineapple tidbits

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Make the meatballs by combining all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into about 1” meatballs.

Step 2: Brown Meatballs in a non-stick frying pan and drain on paper towels (or if you want to save time brown in the oven on a cookie sheet while you’re making the sauce).

Step 3: Make the sauce by combining cornstarch and brown sugar in a sauce pan. Then add 1 ¾ cup pineapple juice and blend until the mixture is smooth. Add vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and stir. Simmer uncovered on medium low until thickened (about 8 minutes - mine only took about 4 minutes to thicken).

Step 4: In a casserole dish pour sauce over meatballs and add pineapple tidbits. Lightly mix meatballs until they are coated with the sauce. Bake in the oven at 375 for 30-40 minutes or until fully cooked.

Teryaki Meatballs

I got this from My Kitchen Cafe!

Meatballs:
2 pounds ground beef (at least 90% lean)
2 eggs
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons milk

Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 3/4 cups water
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water

For the sauce, in a medium bowl mix the soy sauce, 1 3/4 cups water, ginger, garlic powder, brown sugar, honey and cornstarch together. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into the 1/2 cup cold water. Set both bowls aside.

For the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients except for the ground beef and mix well. Add the ground beef and mix until combined. Form ground beef mixture into 1 to 1 1/2-inch meatballs. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat two tablespoons oil over medium heat until the oil is rippling and hot. Add the meatballs to the hot skillet and brown on all sides, turning with a pair of tongs. The meatballs don't need to be completely cooked through, just equally browned on all sides.

When the meatballs have browned, pour the sauce ingredients over the meatballs and gently turn the meatballs to coat them in the sauce. Heat the sauce until just simmering and add the cornstarch/water mixture, carefully mixing so as not to break apart the meatballs as you combine the cornstarch mixture with the teriyaki sauce. Simmer the meatballs and sauce over medium heat, maintaining a constant simmer but not cooking at too high of a boil, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is thick and smooth (if the sauce becomes overly thick, add a tablespoon of water at a time to thin), about 10-15 minutes, turning the meatballs every two or three minutes to ensure even cooking. Serve over rice or couscous.

*Makes about 16 meatballs

Nun's Puffs

I got this recipe from my sister, Cortney. They are like a type of roll, but really more like a dessert. They are so yummy! I have even eaten them with syrup for breakfast! Enjoy!

1/2 c. butter
1 c. milk
3/4 c. flour
4 eggs
1 tbs sugar
honey

Melt butter and add milk. Bring to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir vigorously. Cook and stir until mix forms balls. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time. Beat 1 minute with a wooden spoon after each egg. Fill each spot in a muffin pan 2/3 of the way full.

Bake for 30 minutes at 375. Makes 12.

Honey Glazed Walnut Rolls

Roll

• ⅔ c. notfat dry milk
• 2 c. warm water
• ⅓ c. sugar
• ⅓ c. butter
• 2 pkg. dry yeast (2 tbsp.)
• 5-6 c. flour
• 1 egg
• 2½ tsp. salt

In a bowl using an electric mixer, combine yeast and water. Let stand 5 minutes. Add sugar, butter, salt, dry milk, 2 c. flour and egg. Beat together until smooth. Add 3½ c. of flour, one cup at a time and beat until smooth.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Brush dough with butter and return to bowl. Let rise in a warm place until it triples in size. Dust surface with flour for rolling and shaping dough. Cut or mold into desired shapes.

Place on greased baking sheets. Brush surface of rolls with melted butter. Let rise in warm place for 1½ hours.

Preheat oven to 400°. Bake rolls for 10 minutes, remove from oven, cover with Honey Walnut Glaze. Return rolls to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Honey Walnut Glaze

• ½ c. liquid honey
• ⅓ c. granulated sugar
• ¼ c. finely chopped walnuts
• 3 tbsp. creamy butter
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix ingredients together and heat. Do not boil. Remove from heat and slightly cool. Bake rolls for 10 minutes. Take out of oven and spoon on Honey Walnut Glaze. Return to oven and bake rolls for an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Raspberry Jello Salad

I got this from The Gathering of Friends blog and it was fabulous! I love raspberry anything and pecans, so this seemed like the perfect jello salad! Enjoy!

Holiday Pecans (middle layer)

½ c. sugar
3 tbsp. water
½ tsp. Karo syrup
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ginger
¼ tsp. cloves
½ tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped pecans

Combine sugar, water, syrup, salt and spices. Bring to a boil until syrup spins a short thread. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and nuts. Turn onto a flat surface and separate the nuts. Let cool. Chop into smaller pieces if desired.

Cranberry Jello

3 oz. Vanilla Pudding (cook and serve)
3 oz. Lemon Jello
1 ¾ c. water
1 tbsp. lemon juice
6 oz. Raspberry Jello
3 ¼ c. water
1 c. canned cranberry sauce
¾ tsp. nutmeg

Whipped Cream

1 ½ pints whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
¾ c. sugar
Whip cream until stiff, fold in sugar and vanilla. Set aside 1/3 of the whipped cream for topping.

Instructions:

Combine dry pudding mix, lemon jello mix and 1 ¾ c. water in a pot and bring to a boil. Add lemon juice and set aside to cool, do not refrigerate yet. In a separate pot bring raspberry Jello and 3 ¼ c. water to a boil. Fold in cranberry sauce and blend well until cranberry sauce melts. Pour into an 8X11 glass dish and refrigerate Raspberry Jello layer. After Jello has set, sprinkle with layer of chopped spiced nuts. Set aside 3 tbsp. to sprinkle on top when serving. Combine whipped cream, vanilla pudding/lemon Jello mixture and nutmeg. Spread whipped cream mixture over the layer of nuts. To serve top with whipped cream and sprinkle with nuts.