Nachos

1. Heat refried beans, hamburger, taco seasoning, salsa and cheese.
2. Pour mixture onto serving dishes (or individual plates), top with sour cream, then tomatoes. [Guacomole and olives can be added, as well]
3. Heat chips in oven if desired.

Banana Bread

1. Preheat oven to 350º
2. Cream shortening and sugar, add eggs, beat well.
3. Add dry ingredients and banana.
4. Pour into well greased 9x5x3" loaf pan. Bake 45-50 minutes.
5. Remove from pan. Cool on rack. Wrap and store overnight.

Pumpkin Bread

1. Mix together in one bowl.
2. Add nuts and/or 1 cup raisins before baking, if desired.
3. FIll 3 loaf pans 1/2 full.
4. Bake at 350º for 1 hour.

Apple Raisin Bread Pudding

1. Combine bread, apples, and pecans in lightly greased 13x9x2 baking dish, then spread evenly.
2. Whisk eggs, butter, sugar, cinnamon, milk and vanilla in large bowl until well blended; pour over bread mixture.
3. Press down with spatula if necessary to soak bread.
4. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow bread to absorb liquid.
5. Bake in preheated 350º oven for 45 minutes or until pudding is just set and golden brown on top.
6. Serve warm with a drizzle of heavy cream or vanilla ice cream.

Berry Cobbler Crust

Prepare fruit: mix 1/3 cup sugar and 1 Tbs corn starch with fruit in large bowl. Let stand until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a buttered 8-inch baking dish.

EXPERIMENTAL - Bisquick Cobbler Crust

Prepare fruit: mix 1/3 cup sugar and 1 Tbs corn starch with fruit in large bowl. Let stand until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a buttered 8-inch baking dish.

Peanut Butter Fudge

1. Combine sugar, butter, milk.
2. Bring to boil. STIR CONSTANTLY. Cook 5 min boiling (bubbling - MED to MED HI).
3. Add marshmallows, peanut butter, vanilla. Stir until melted and together.
4. Pour into buttered pan. Sprinkle choc chips over top, then spread or swirl melted choc chips.

Rocky Road Fudge

1. Melt chips & peanut butter.
2. Mix in marshmallows.
3. Spread in 9" pan.
4. Put in refrigerator to cool.

Spice Nuts

1. Beat up egg white.
2. Dip nuts into beaten egg white.
3. Shake in sugar mixture.
4. Bake for 1/2 hour at 300º. Store in airtight container.

Magic Cookie Bars

1. Preheat oven to 350º (325º for glass pan).
2. In 13x9x2 baking dish, melt margarine and mix with graham cracker crumbs in the pan. Pat to form a crust on the bottom of the pan.
3. Sprinkle nuts & chocolate chips in the pan, sprinkle coconut in the pan, then evenly drizzle Eagle Brand over the ingredients.
4. Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and cut into bars.
5. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Karen's Ultimate Brownies

1. Melt butter and chocolate on low in saucepan.
2. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well blended.
3. Put into 13x9" pan. Bake 30 minutes at 350º.

Grammy's Chocolate Cookies

1. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, 2 cups sugar, and eggs on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix to combine. Gradually add dry ingredients, and combine with mixer on low speed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and chill until dough is firm, about 1 hour.
3. Heat oven to 350º. Line baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats). Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Dip top of each ball into sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until set, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Makes about 10 dozen.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Beat melted butter until homogenized.
2. Add brown sugar, sugar, eggs and vanilla and blend well.
3. Add salt, baking soda, flour, mixing until well blended.
4. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
5. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet lined with brown paper.
6. Bake in 350º oven for approx. 9 minutes.

Chocolate Crackles

1. Melt chocolate, blend in oil, sugar, vanilla. Add eggs & beat well.
2. Sift dry ingredients into chocolate mixture. Mix in nuts.
3. Chill several hours.
4. Drop teaspoonful of dough into powdered sugar. Bake at 350º 10-12 minutes.

Chocolate P-nut Butter Surprise

1. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, vegetable shortening, granulated sugar, and 1 cup light-brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully combined between each addition. Add vanilla, and beat to combine. Gradually add dry ingredients, and mix on low speed until fully combined. Remove from mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in chocolate chips. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
3. Heat oven to 350º. Line baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats)
4. In a small bowl using a rubber spatula, stir together peanut butter and remaining 1/4 cup light-brown sugar.
5. Using a 1 1/4-inch scoop or heaping tablespoon, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Make a thumbprint in the center of each cookie. Fill thumbprint with 1 teaspoon peanut-butter mixture. Top with a second scoop of dough, and carefully mold dough to cover ³surprise.²
6. Bake until firm, about 12 minutes (15 min. on airbake sheets). Transfer sheets to wire racks to cool for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to racks. Makes about 3-1/2 dozen.

Gingerbread Men

1. Cream margarine and sugar. Add remaining ingredients, folding in flour. Chill at least one hour.
2. Sprinkle flour on clean counter, and roll out dough to 3/16"-1/4" thickness. Cut cookies and gently transport to baking sheets.
3. Bake on ungreased sheets at 350º for 10 minutes. Makes about 72 5" people.

Hot Chocolate Mix

Warm Cranberry Wassail

1. Combine all ingredients, except garnishes, in a large saucepan.
2. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
3. Strain punch to remove spices.
4. Place in a heatproof punch bowl (or crock pot).
5. Garnish with orange slices studded with cloves.

Chicken & Dumplings

1. Liberally salt and pepper chicken parts.
2. In electric skillet over medium high heat, brown chicken on all sides in oil.
3. In large bowl, mix soup and milk until smooth. Pour over browned chicken, cover, simmer on med-low for 20 min.
4. In bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt. With pastry tool, cut butter into the dry ingredients. Add milk & stir until sticky dough.
5. Drop lumps of dough into hot chicken & gravy. Cook 10 min uncovered, then 10-15 covered.

Chicken and Rice

Prepare rice according to instructions (add a couple chicken boullion cubes to the water for flavor).

Mom's Enchiladas

1. Brown hamburger.
2. Mix cottage cheese, hamburger, taco seasoning.
3. Grate cheeses.
4. Put cream of chicken soup & water in bottom of 13x9 pan.
5. Put hamburger mixture on tortilla. Put equal amount of cheese.
6. Put white & yellow cheese over top of tortillas.
7. Bake at 350º for 30 min.

Mom's Lasagna

HOMEMADE SAUCE

1. Boil noodles as directed, with a little oil to keep them from sticking.
2. Brown beef (w/ salt, pepper, garlic powder).
3. Add sauce and let simmer 15 min.
4. Mix eggs & cottage cheese together.
5. Lightly cover bottom of 13x9 pan with sauce, lay down 5 noodles, then 1/2 the meat sauce, 1/2 cottage cheese mixture, and 1/2 mozarella. Lay down 5 more noodles, repeat...
6. Bake 30 min. @ 350º then let cool 15 minutes.

Tim's Meatballs

Flank Steak

Broccoli Salad

DRESSING

Chicken Salad

Amounts of ingredients can be varied according to your taste. Mix all ingredients, except for almonds. Chill salad before serving. Do not add almonds until salad is ready to be served.

Oriental Chicken Salad

1. Combine ramen seasoning packet with other dressing ingredients. Shake well, and let stand overnight.
2. Crumble ramen noodles in bowl, add remaining ingredients and dressing. Toss well.
3. Serve with fresh melons and pineapple slices.

Sweet & Sour Sauce

Tim's Sweet & Sour

Lisa's Meatball Minestrone

Turkey meatballs:

1. In a bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients.
2. Crumble turkey over mixture, mix well.
3. Shape into 3/4 inch balls.
4. Place on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray.
5. Bake, uncovered, at 350º for 20 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

Soup:

1. In a LARGE saucepan coated with nonstick cooking spray, saute onion, celery and garlic in 1 Tbsp butter until crisp-tender.
2. Add broth, potatoes, tomato paste, vegetables and seasonings.
3. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Stir in pasta and meatballs.
5. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until vegetables and pasta are tender.

Crockpot directions:

1. If you use a crockpot, cook the soup portion for 4 hours on high to get the vegetables crisp/tender.
2. Add the cooked meatballs and pasta, cook for 30 more minutes and everything will be done.

Eggnog Cookies

** I made these once and don't remember liking them all THAT much. Let me know what you think **

1. Preheat oven to 300º.
2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer to form a grainy paste. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks and beat at medium speed until smooth.
4. Add the flour mixture and beat at low speed just until combined. Do not over mix.
5. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, 1 inch apart. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown. Transfer to cool, flat surface immediately with a spatula.

Rob's Beef Wellington

** This is Rob's recipe. It's truly melt-in-your-mouth, but I haven't tried to make it yet... **

1. Chop mushrooms to 1/8". Saute in red wine & butter. Drain
2. Cook tenderloin at 350º until meat thermometer indicates "rare" on a baking sheet with sides. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
3. Roll out pastry sheet
4. Mix chopped, sauteed mushrooms w/ cream cheese. Place 1/2" layer on pastry crust in the size of the tenderloin.
5. "Frost" tenderloin 1/2" think w/ mushroom mixture. Cover w/ second pastry sheet and pinch closed.
6. Brush w/ beaten egg and cold water on the outside.
7. Cook at 350º until meat thermometer reads "medium".
8. Let cool 20 min., slice 1" thick and serve.

Sukiyaki

** It's been a long time since I've made this...**

1. Slice beef very thin (easier to cut if slightly frozen).
2. Slice tofu into 1" pieces and set aside.
3. Put small amount of oil in frying pan and scramble eggs. Set aside.
4. Heat oil in frying pan and saute beef.
5. Add onions, shirataki, bamboo shoots, mushrooms and tofu.
6. Combine remaining ingredients to make a sauce. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables until they are half-covered. Adjust heat so that sauce simmers.
7. Cook for 10 minutes, then sample piece of meat.
8. Remove from pan and serve hot with rice.