Visions of Sugar Cookies Danced In Our Heads

Last night we had a Major Family Home Evening. We invited everyone to decorate Christmas cookies. It was a blast. I loved seeing all the creative ways to do the cookies. This is my favorite Sugar Cookie recipe. Each family got to take a box of cookies home. I am sorry that I didn't get a picture of the Goudy's with their box. Thanks for the fun evening guys. To my two children working...I missed you so bad.

Sugar Cookies
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. Milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. + flour (I always need to add more)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 TB. baking powder
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg. Beat well. Mix dry ingredients together. Add alternately with milk. Chill. Bake 375* for about 7 minutes. I have a convection oven. 7 minutes is perfect. We like them soft.

Salad Salute

Our faculty party was so fun this year. We went to the principal's lovely home and had the best meal. I loved the salad. I loved it so much that I begged for the recipe. The sugared pecans were fantastic. The raspberries fresh and large and popping in my mouth. The cheese had just the right bite. Thanks Bonnie for sharing, both your time, talents and recipe.
Spinach Salad

2 large bags of fresh Spinach
½ Purple onion
1 ½ cup Raspberries
¾ cup Blue cheese
½ cup Craisins
1 cup Candied pecans or as much as you like


Salad Dressing:
1 cup oil
¾ cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Dry mustard
1 tab. Poppy seeds

Candied pecans:
1 egg white
1 tab. Water
1 pound pecan halves
1 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Ground cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) Grease one baking sheet.
2. In a mixing bowl, whip together the egg white and water until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Add pecans to egg whites; stir to coat the nuts evenly. Remove the nuts, and toss them in the sugar mixture until coated. Spread the nuts out on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake at 250 degrees. For 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes.

Sweet Potatoes!

I just tried this recipe at Thanksgiving. For the few people that like sweet potatoes, it was fabulous. I will definitely try this again. I halved the recipe because there are so few of us that enjoy sweet potatoes...and I cheated and used canned yams.
Nutty Sweet Potato Bake

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 6 cups cubed cooked sweet potatoes or 2 cans (40 ounces each) cut yams, drained
• TOPPING:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

• In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add the sugar, milk and butter; mix well. Add sweet potatoes and stir gently. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
• For topping, combine flour and sugar in a small bowl. Stir in butter and pecans. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Yield: 16 servings

Another Winner

I have noticed that in my quest for new recipes, that I sometimes forget my oldies, but goodies. We used to love this dinner. I am once again offering a meal with us to the first responder. However, Morgan says if you don't ask quickly, she will take it. I plan to serve this on Monday. (That is tomorrow, but if your are first responder and would like another night let me know.)
Savory Baked Chicken Breasts
Chicken Breast Halves (however many you have)
1 c. sour cream
2 TB. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 1/2 tsp paprika (OPT)
1 1/2 tsp. sage
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 c. fine bread crumbs
1/2 c. melted margarine
Remove skin from chicken if skin on. Combine sour cream and lemon juice. Dip chicken in mixture and place in fridge overnight. Combine seasonings with bread crumbs. Coat chicken with crumbs. (I line my pan with foil and spray it.) Drizzle margarine on top. Bake 325* for 2 hours. Covered with foil. Remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes to brown.

Pie Are Square

This is pie month for me. Over the years I have collected some great pie recipes. I have many more to try. I love my husband's reactions to the pies. He loves pie. He tells me how my pumpkin pie is the best etc. I will always make him pies. I don't like my pie crusts however and mostly cheat with Pillsbury. My cousin Mardee makes the best pie crust I have ever had....I might have to bug her sometime. I can make great pie fillings. I am featuring two this week. One I am making today. I had a wonderful apple pie a few weeks ago with caramel sauce. I am offering caramel sauce with the Apple Crumble Pie tonight. The second recipe, French Silk, is a favorite to Superman. The rich chocolate melts in your mouth. I hope readers with wonderful pie recipes will share with me.

Apple Crumble Pie
1 single unbaked pie crust (get it where you can)
1 c. sugar
2 TB. flour
1 tsp. lemon peel
6 c. thinly sliced peeled apples
3 TB lemon juice
1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. mace or nutmeg
1/4 c butter or margarine
Get your crust ready. Stir together 1/2 c. sugar, 2 TB flour and lemon peel;set aside. Sprinkle apple slices with lemon juice. Toss apples with sugar mixture to coat. Place in crust. Combine remaining sugar, flour and spices. Cut in butter till crumbly. Sprinkle over apples.
Cover edges of pie with foil to prevent over browning. Bake 375* for 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake 30 minutes more or till topping is golden. Serve with vanilla ice cream.


French Silk Pie
1 baked pie crust (get it wherever you wish)
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter- not margarine
3 sq. unsweetened chocolate-melted and cooled
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
Cool whip or whipped cream
Cream sugar and butter about 4 minutes or til light. Blend in cooled chocolate and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed for 2 minutes after each addition, scraping sides of the bowl constantly. (This is a lot of beating but well worth it). Turn into pastry shell. Chill several hours. Top with some kind of whipped cream. (It calls for unsweetened whip cream, but we use Cool Whip)

Party Beef Casserole

I found this recipe in Taste of Home. Most of my family think it is the greatest! I add lots of mushrooms and the boys pick them out and put them on my plate. I highly recommend Taste of Home. They are proven recipes with simple ingredients. No searching around for something exotic that you aren’t even sure what it is! Visit Taste of Home’s website at www.tasteofhome.com They have a fantastic recipe search. I also purchase their recipe books often. I really enjoy them. This is slated to be served during the second week of November. First person requesting a dinner invitation will be granted.
Party Beef Casserole

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds boneless round steak, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup beef broth (I sometimes add more)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (I sometimes add lots more!)
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
3 cups mashed potatoes (with added milk and butter)- these have to be ‘real’ potatoes none of that cheating with the ‘fake things’.
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt and pepper; add beef in batches; shake to coat. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat in oil until meat is no longer pink. Place beef and drippings in a greased shallow 2-1/2-qt. baking dish.
In the same skillet, add the water, broth, garlic, onion, thyme and rosemary; bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes; stir in mushrooms. Pour over meat; stir to coat.
Cover and bake at 350° for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours or until beef is tender. Sprinkle peas over meat. Spread potatoes evenly over top. Brush with butter. Cover and bake 15-20 minutes longer. Yield: 6-8 servings.

You Are the Apple of My Eye

We have been blessed with an abundance of apples. We have been blessed to share them with family and friends, enjoy them dipped into Carmel Apple Dip, and are in the process of retrieving juice from said apples.
Steve working on his amazing apple press
Steve is working on his apple press and had plans for an Apple Festival.
Carter was indispensable in helping

(Rain may change his plans) I plan to bottle Pearl’s Apple Pie Filling. I also have plans for Apple Crumble Pie and Apple Crisp. I tried a new recipe-Apple Cake. Please see the reviews following the recipe. I found this recipe in the Mormon Essentials Cookbook. It was so easy to make. And by the way, Steve is the apple of my eye…..although there are lots of little apples in there also.
I will be trying new recipes from time to time and sharing the results.
Apple Cake Before the tasting
Apple Cake
1 ½ c. oil
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
3 c. flour
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Vanilla
3 c. peeled and thinly sliced apples
Beat oil and sugar. Add the eggs and beat until mixture is Creamy. In a separate bowl sift together flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Stir into batter. Add apples and vanilla. Bake 350* for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and frost.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 oz. pkg. Cream cheese softened
½ c. butter, melted
1 16 oz. Pkg. Powdered sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
Cream the cheese. Blend with butter. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat Well.

Unsolicited reviews:
"What's this apple-ish stuff? Is it apple? It's good."
Carter J."Ummm I like it. Do you like it? Ummmmm"
Steve JSorry, that is all the reviews I could get. I just work with what I have!

"Delectable."
Morgan G.
"MMMMM"
Colton G.

Recipe Club

Almost 24 years ago, I was new to my neighborhood. I was looking for new friends. I wanted to make our family meals more exciting, so I began a club. Recipe club. The first members were Cae Hurst, Chris Barkdull, Barbara Palmer, Lesley Leger (my new bff) and me. We met each month, rotating the host home. We shared our recipes and enjoyed a luncheon together made from those recipes. The tradition continued for many years. The faces around the table changed and I am grateful for my friendships with those people. Lesley will better remember how many years we continued. (Put it in the comments, Les) More of the friends that shared: Melinda Welch, Janet Webster, Jann Nelson Simpson, Darlene Baza. I even know of another group that started because of our group. Today's recipe is from that club. Melinda Welch brought Cheddar Chicken Casserole. My family loves it. Although, I have to make one end nutless for Hayden. (that crazy boy!) We are enjoying it tonight.
Here is the recipe with my adjustments:
1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts (I just cook the whole package, who notices how much it weighs? I have found that skin on- bone in is best)
Water to cover
3 green onions chopped
3 stalks celery including tops chopped
Simmer this until tender. Strain and reserve broth. Chunk up the chicken
3 c. cooked angel hair pasta (break in 3 inch pieces)
Grated cheddar cheese
Cashews
(Note that I didn't give amounts...use what suits your tastes)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
Crushed Cheddar Cheese Crackers
Grease a 9X13 pan. Layer pasta,cheese, chicken, nuts. Combine soup with 2/3 c. broth. (I use more broth to make the sauce a little thinner and 'saucier'). Pour over the previous ingredients. Cover with crushed crackers. Bake uncovered 350* for 30 minutes.
To any of my friends from past years that may find this..please leave a comment and maybe a fun memory!

Dinner in A Pumpkin

Thanks to Ethan for posing with the pumpkins last year!

When I was little, our family vacations often consisted of visiting Aunt June. She was one of our favorite aunts, although she really wasn't 'our' aunt, she was my mother's aunt. She made our visits so fun. she took us all over Washington state showing us the landmarks and interests. Seattle is still one of my favorite places because of her. Every day was an adventure. She also made great meals. I remember stopping at roadside stands to purchase the fresh ingredients for her meals. One of my favorites was her Dinner In A Pumpkin. It was always a quest to find the right pumpkin. It still is! I love this autumn meal to this day! Here are the instructions:

Dinner In A Pumpkin
2 pounds ground beef
6 oz. Sausage
2 tsp. Salt
2 ½ T chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
2 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Vinegar
½ c. chopped green olives
1 can tomato sauce
3 eggs beaten
1 tsp. Pepper
Brown meats. Add remaining ingredients, except eggs and fry until tender. I add the eggs right at the end of the frying. Put into a cleaned out 10 inch pumpkin shell. Place in a shallow pan of water. Bake 350* for 1 hour. Serve in pumpkin. Scoop out some of the pumpkin when serving. I sometimes draw a Jack O Lantern face on the side of the pumpkin with a Sharpie.

Share the Eats

I am endeavoring to save some of my best recipes and to share with others. I am not advertising this blog just yet....Hopefully my most loved family and friends will find it quickly. I accept requests and hope others will share 'keeper' recipes. Those are recipes that are fantastic and well worth saving. Coming tomorrow.....my favorite Dinner in a Pumpkin. Yes, I have tried other recipes. This is the best. It has a great spice to it which flavors the pumpkin. Some of my squash hating family even ask for the pumpkin 'scrappin's' when we serve this......This is on the menu for this week.