Peppermint Bark

1 lb. white almond bark
6 crushed candy canes
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
red paste food coloring (do not use liquid food coloring)

Line a cookie sheet with foil. I like to use the new non-stick foil.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt almond bark. Stir in crushed candy canes and extract. Tint until light pink with red food coloring. Do not use liquid food coloring or it will cause the chocolate to clump. Use Wilton paste coloring. Spread on foil. Chill about 1 hr. Break into pieces. Store in air tight container in refrigerator.

Toffee Bars

2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 pkg. chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
36-40 saltines, depending on size of cookie sheet

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. I like to use the new non-stick kind.
Lay the saltine crackers on the foil.

In a heavy saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 min.
Carefully pour sugar sauce over saltines. Bake for 5 min. As soon as you remove pan from oven sprinkle chocolate chips over top of crackers. Let sit for a few minutes until they begin to melt. Spread chocolate over crackers carefully with a knife. Sprinkle with nuts. Chill for 1 hr. in refrigerator. Break into squares and store in airtight container in refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.

Noni's Sweet Potatoes

4-6 sweet potatoes
1 stick of butter
1 1/2 to 2 cups brown sugar
3 TBS dark Karo syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon

Boil sweet potatoes until fork tender, but still firm. Drain, run cold water over, drain again. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut potatoes in chunks. Place in casserole or 13 x 9 pan. Cut up butter into pieces over potatoes. Sprinkle brown sugar over all. Pour syrup over all.

  Sprinkle cinnamon over all. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 35-40 min. or until syrupy. Stir about half way through baking.

Texas Sheet Cake

Serves 24

Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs plus 2 yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate , chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

Chocolate Icing
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup toasted pecans , chopped


1. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 18- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Whisk eggs and yolks, vanilla, and sour cream in another bowl until smooth.

2. Heat chocolate, butter, oil, water, and cocoa in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk chocolate mixture into flour mixture until incorporated. Whisk egg mixture into batter, then pour into prepared baking pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack.

3. For the icing: About 5 minutes before cake is done, heat butter, cream, cocoa, and corn syrup in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Off heat, whisk in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Spread warm icing evenly over hot cake and sprinkle with pecans. Let cake cool to room temperature on wire rack, about 1 hour, then refrigerate until icing is set, about 1 hour longer. (Cake can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Cut into 3-inch squares. Serve.

Grandma Alta's Sweet Potatoes

4-5 large fat sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced long ways a little over 1/4 in. thick
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup red hots candy

Place sweet potato slices in a large skillet. Add water. Bring to boil. Cover and boil until tender, but not mushy. You should use a spatula to turn them after a few minutes. Pour off all but a little (1/4 cup) water. Add butter, sugar and red hots to pan. Cook until red hots are melted, sugar is dissolved and syrup forms.

Thanksgiving Stuffing

1 large loaf of Sandwich style bread (the long pkg with the square pieces of bread)

1 stick of real butter

1 cup chopped onion

3 stalks celery chopped

1 roll Jimmy Dean or some other sausage with sage

1 can cream of chicken soup

½ can water

1 egg, slightly beaten

½ tsp. garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Lay pieces of bread on cookie sheets for a day or two before making the dressing so it gets stale, or buy day old bread from the bakery outlet.

1. Tear up stale bread into bite size pieces and put in large bowl or pan. Add Garlic powder.

2. In non-stick skillet, cook sausage until brown but not really dry and dark.

3. Remove sausage with slotted spoon or drain on paper towels then put on top of bread.

4. Pour off any remaining grease and in same skillet, melt butter on medium heat. When almost melted, add onion and celery. Saute until soft, but do not brown. Add can of soup and ½ can of water. Mix well and heat through.

5. Pour soup mixture over bread mixture. Stir until bread is mixed in, but not real mushy. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Add egg and stir in.

6. Pour into greased casserole dish.
7.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes until brown on top.

Broccoli Casserole

* 1 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli
* 1 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
* 1 1/2 cups instant rice, dry
* 3/4 cup chopped onion
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1 (16 ounce) Cheese Whiz
* salt to taste
* ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook rice as directed on box.
2. Saute onions in margarine until soft, add broccoli and saute a few more minutes.

3. Mix together broccoli, soup, rice, onion, butter or margarine, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place in greased casserole dish.
4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees F until hot and bubbly.

Cranberry Orange Jello Salad

Indian Trail Cranberry Orange Jello Mold

2 pkgs. (3 oz. each) Cherry* Flavor Gelatin
2-1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup crushed pineapple (juice and all)
1 pkg. (10 oz.) Frozen Indian Trail Cranberry
Orange Sauce - thawed
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir into it Indian Trail Cranberry Orange Sauce and crushed pineapple. Pour into mold. Refrigerate until time to remove from mold and serve. This is my mother's recipe, but I cannot find Indian Trail Cranberry Orange relish any more. I have ground my own cranberries and added chopped oranges. It is good, but not the same.

Pumpkin Squares

This is a favorite of my Ladies Night Out group. Stock up on the Muirhead pumpkin butter at Williams-Sonoma and use it all through the holidays.

• 1 (18 ounce) box Duncan Hines butter yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 13 ounces pumpkin butter (specifically 1 13-oz. jar of Muirhead pumpkin pecan butter, found at Williams-Sonoma)
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter softened
• 3 Tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Reserve 1 cup of cake mix and set aside.
• Mix remaining cake with with 1/2 cup melted butter and 1 egg. Press mixture lightly into the bottom of a 13" x 9" baking dish sprayed with PAM.
• Mix one jar of pumpkin pecan butter with remaining two eggs and milk, and pour over cake mixture in pan.
• Mix remaining 1 cup cake mix with flour, sugar, remaining 1/4 cup butter, and cinnamon, and crumble over the top of the pumpkin layer.
• Bake 35-40 minutes, or until golden.
• Cool to room temp and serve.

Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Sandwich

Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Sandwich


* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 to 6 oz each)
* teriyaki sauce
* 4 slices swiss cheese
* 4 slices pineapple (1/2" thick)
* 4 whole-wheat kaiser rolls
* 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
* 1/4 cup pickled jalapeno slices, or 1 fresh jalapeno, thinly sliced

Directions
1.
Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag, add enough teriyaki sauce to cover, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or up to 12 hours).
2.
Heat a grill; it's ready when you can't hold your hand above the grate for longer than 5 seconds. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it on the grill. (Discard any remaining marinade.) Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, flip, and immediately add the cheese to each breast. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted and the chicken is lightly charred and feels firm to the touch. Remove and set aside.
3.
While the chicken is resting, place the pineapple slices and rolls on the grill. Toast the rolls lightly and cook the pineapple until it's soft and caramelized, about 2 minutes on each side. Top each roll with chicken and, if you like, drizzle on a bit of teriyaki sauce from the bottle. Top the sandwiches with pineapple, onion, and jalapeno.

We found that the pickled jalapeno worked better than the fresh. It added something to the sweet/sour taste that the fresh jalapeno did not.

Potato Salad

6 large baking potatoes
1/2 cup prepared Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing
1 onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, sliced thin or chopped4 hard boiled eggs
1 cup Hellman's Real Mayonnaise
2 TB yellow mustard (stir into mayonnaise)
3 TB sweet pickle relish
Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil potatoes with skins on until fork tender but not mushy. Meanwhile, boil eggs. Drain potatoes and place on plate or in refrigerator until cool enough to handle. Peel potatoes and cut into bite size cubes. Place in bowl. Pour salad dressing over all and stir gently. Chill in refrigerator. When potatoes are cold, add onion, celery, cut up hard boiled eggs and pickle relish. Stir mustard into mayonnaise and then add to potato mixture. Stir gently until coated. Salt and pepper to taste.

Strawberry Cake

Cake:

1 pkg plain white cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
1 pkg strawberry gelatin
1 cup mashed fresh strawberries with juice
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup whole milk
4 large eggs

Frosting:

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese
1 stick of butter
3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/3 cup mashed strawberries (drained)

Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.

Lightly grease and flour three 9 inch round pans or a 13 x 9 pan. Set pans aside.

Place cake mix, strawberry gelatin, mashed strawberries, oil, milk, and eggs in large mixing bowl and beat on low speed for 1 minute. Strawberries should be well-blended.

Divide batter among pans and place in oven.

Cake can also be made in a 13 x 9 pan. Bake about 30 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean.

Bake cakes until lightly brown (about 28 min. or until toothpick comes out clean). Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting or it will melt on cake.

Prepare frosting:

Combine cream cheese, and butter and cream on low speed for a minute. Add sugar and strawberries. Blend frosting on low until sugar is incorporated and frosting is creamy and spreadable. If too runny, add a little more powdered sugar.

To assemble: place one cake layer on plate and spread top with frosting, add another cake layer and frost the top, add last cake layer and frost the top. Use remaining frosting for the sides of the cake.

Sue's Bruschetta

3 cups chopped plum or other ripe tomatoes 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves 

1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano leaves

 3 cloves crushed garlic 

1Tbs. balsamic vinegar 

1Tbs. light olive oil 

1 tsp. lemon juice

 1 loaf thin French bread sliced thin, brushed with olive oil and baked in 350 oven until lightly toasted........ or package of various crusty bread rounds.

 I have found these at Costco or in the bakery section of various markets.

 Chop tomatoes. Place basil and oregano together and chop with a knife, or put in a cup and snip with scissors until chopped. Mix all ingredients together and season with a little salt and pepper. Refrigerate 1-2 hrs. for flavors to meld. Spoon on toasted bread round and top with finely shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese.

Chocolate Pots de Creme

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60%, if using 70% the chocolate needs to be reduced to 8 ounce)
5 lrg egg yolks
5 Tb sugar
1/4 ts salt
1 1/2 c heavy cream
3/4 c half and half
1 Tb vanilla extract
1/2 ts instant espresso powder mixed with 1 Tb water

Place chocolate in a medium heat proof bowl; set a fine mesh strainer over the bowl and set aside.
Whisk yolks, sugar and salt in a medium bowl until combined; whisk in heavy cream and half and half. Transfer mixture to medium saucepan. Cook mixture over medium low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot with wooden spoon, until thickened and silt and the custard registers 175F - 180F on instant read thermometer. Do not let the custard overcook or simmer.
Immediately pour the custard through strainer over chocolate. Let mixture stand to melt the chocolate, about 5 minutes Whisk gently until smooth, then whisk in the vanilla and espresso. Divide mixture evenly amount eight 5 ounce ramekins. Gently tap ramekins against counter to remove air bubbles.
Cool pots de creme to room temperature, then cover with cling and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 72 hours.Before serving let pots de creme stand at room temperature for 20 - 30 minutes. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Golden Oatmeal Muffins

This is a favorite in our house. It is easy to make and goes well with a fruit salad for a lovely breakfast.

1 box Duncan Hines Butter yellow cake mix
1 cup dry oatmeal
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 TBS melted butter
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin pan with Pam or grease with Crisco, or line muffin pan with paper cups. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Spoon into muffin pan. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden and toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 large muffins.
Serve with butter and/or honey.