Flourless Fudge Brownies

Flourless Fudge Brownies- Emily Simmons

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil (or butter if you aren't doing dairy free)
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Combine the sugars and oil and beat until well combined. Add in the eggs and whisk together. Mix the vanilla and instant coffee together until the coffee powder is dissolved and add to the egg/sugar/oil mixture. Beat for about two minutes. Stir together the cocoa and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and blend until smooth. Fold in the chips and nuts. Pour into prepared pan and bake about 25 minutes.

Homemade Croutons

Homemade Croutons -Emily Simmons

(From gimmesomeoven.com)

loaf of quality bread, cut into about 1-inch cubes (I used sour dough bread I had)  ~ preferably the loaf to be a day or two old

about 1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

seasonings ~ Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, put your bread cubes.  Now evenly drizzle your olive oil on top.  I didn't measure my olive oil, I just drizzled and tossed together until it looked evenly coated.  Season with salt and pepper and add your additional seasonings as desired.  I seasoned mine with garlic powder.

Toss again making sure all seasoning are evenly distributed.

Spread your bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake until golden brown, turning the bread to brown on all sides.  Cooking time will depend on your bread thickness.  The recipe said she did it for 15-20 minutes, mine took longer by 10-15 minutes.  Watch carefully though, you don't want burnt croutons!

Remove when done from oven and let them cool completely on the pan.  Try to keep any taste tasters at bay!  It may be hard because the smell was so enticing and it traveled throughout the house!!

Store any leftovers in an air tight container.  Use within a week or freeze for up to 6 months!

Variations:

• Season with a salad dressing instead of oil and herbs
• Bake in a toaster oven (for smaller amounts)
• Use different kinds of breads (rye, sandwich bread, etc.)

Steamed Vegetable Medley

Steamed Vegetable Medley- Desiree Crosby

I am not sure where I got this recipe, and I couldn’t find the original. So, this is what I do for us ☺. 

1 bag of Eat Smart Vegetable Medley (Steam in the Bag)

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Shredded Parmesan

Olive Oil

Poke bag with a fork; steam in microwave 4 minutes. Place veggies in a bowl (CAUTION – will be hot!). Drizzle olive oil, sprinkle with seasonings (to taste, but I think it’s about ½ teaspoon of each). Sprinkle about ¼ cup of Parmesan over veggies. Mix & enjoy!

Skillet Lasagna

Skillet Lasagna-Desiree Crosby

Description

If you’re in the mood for lasagna, but are out of time, try this!

Ingredients

• 1 pound Ground Chuck
• 5 cups Bow Tie Noodles (I used Rotini – worked just fine)
• 3 cups Spaghetti Sauce (or Pizza Sauce, Whatever You Prefer)
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (or More, Make It To Your Taste)
• ½ cups Mozzarella Cheese
• ½ cups Sour Cream

Preparation

Fry ground beef in small pan. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. After noodles are cooked, drain and drizzle with olive oil. Mix in your spaghetti sauce. Add your fried hamburger, seasonings, cheese, and sour cream. Fold together and allow it all to combine and melt together, over low heat, for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve to your family and be prepared to have it disappear before your very eyes. (Truly, even my pickiest eater asked for seconds!) Serve with your favorite garlic bread.

Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie

Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie (from Betty Crocker.com)-Nicole Hendershot

1 lb ground beef

1 large onion chopped (1 cup)--I usually just use dried onion

1 can corn, drained (not in the original recipe, but we always add this)

1 cup shredded cheese (I usually use cheddar or colby-jack)

½ c Bisquick

1 c milk

2 eggs

Cook beef and onion until beef is browned, drain and put in a greased 9” pie plate or 8x8 pan. Cover with drained corn (can stir a little if you’d like). Sprinkle cheese over the top. Mix bisquick, milk and eggs together and pour over hamburger, corn and cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from center.

Mini Meatloaves

Mini Meatloaves-Nicole Hendershot

2 eggs

½ c. milk

2/3 c. breadcrumbs

1 t. onion powder

1 t. salt

1 ½ lbs ground beef

Sauce (I prefer to double this to put on top)

¼ c ketchup

2 T brown sugar

1 t. ground mustard

½ t. Worcestershire Sauce

Mix all ingredients together and scoop into muffin tin or I prefer foil muffin liners. Bake at 350 for 20 min. Pour sauce over top and bake for additional 5-10 minutes.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups-Desiree Crosby

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 large egg

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch teaspoon salt, optional and to taste

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 12-count standard-sized muffin pan extremely well with floured cooking spray or grease and flour the pan. In microwave, melt the butter, about 1 minute. Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don't scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, peanut butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, optional salt, and stir until just combined; don't overmix. 

Stir in 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips; reserve remainder to place on cookie tops before baking. 

Distribute dough equally among the 12 muffin pan cavities; each will approximately be filled to about three-quarters full. The cookies don't rise much (nothing like muffins) so it's okay if dough seems high in the cavities. Evenly divide remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips by placing a few chips on each cookie top. 

Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, or until tops have set and are pale golden. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Allow cookies to cool in pan for at least 15 minutes before removing them. If they have stuck to the pan, gently wedge the tip of a soft spatula into the muffin cavity to dislodge the cookies, rather than rimming with a knife so you don't scratch your pan. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Salad

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Salad-Desiree Crosby

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato, peeled & diced

1 cup cooked quinoa

½ medium bell red pepper, diced

2 TBSP chopped raw cashews

Citrus Vinaigrette (directions below)

Directions

Fill the bottom of a steamer w/2 inches of water; bring to a boil over high heat. Place sweet potatoes in the top of steamer; steam 5 to 7 minutes, or until fork tender. Combine sweet potatoes, quinoa, bell pepper, and cashews in a medium sized serving bowl. Drizzle with citrus vinaigrette; toss gently.

Citrus Vinaigrette

3 TBSP orange juice

2 TBSP lemon juice

½ tsp. raw honey

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

3 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil

Combine vinegar, lemon juice, and honey; whisk to blend. Stir in mustard; mix well. Slowly add oil while whisking; mix well. (I just put all ingredients in my Ninja to mix)

Loaded Baked Potato

Loaded Baked Potato Salad-Desiree Crosby

Ingredients

8 potatoes, cubed (half peeled or half with skin)

2 teaspoons salt

6 slices bacon, diced & crisp cooked

6 green onions

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

16 ounces sour cream

1⁄4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup Miracle Whip or 1 cup mayonnaise

Directions

Wash and cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces (I left the peel on). Cover with water and boil until fork tender. It will take about 20 minutes. Check them at 10 minutes and every few minutes after that. You don’t want them overcooked or they will become mushy.

Drain and rinse with cool water. Drain again. Put them in a large separate bowl and place them in the fridge.

Mix the miracle whip and sour cream together in a small bowl.  Add to the cooled potatoes, green onions, 3/4 of the crumbled bacon and 1 cup of cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with the other cup of shredded cheese and bacon and serve! I also added extra green onions on top just for fun.

Creamy Pesto Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Creamy Pesto Grilled Chicken Sandwich-Desiree Crosby

Ingredients

4 – 6 thin cut Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts marinated overnight in Easy Italian Chicken Marinade

1/4 cup Basil Pesto

1/4 cup Whipped Cream Cheese

1 pack of your favorite Hamburger Buns {Onion Buns are really yummy with this!}

Leaf Lettuce

Directions

Grill your pre-marinated chicken on the grill outside, or on a grill pan inside. Mix together Pesto and Whipped Cream Cheese, and stir well. Build your chicken burgers… bun, chicken, creamy pesto topping and lettuce, and ENJOY!!

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Black Bean and Corn Salad- Emily Simmons

1/3 cup lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

~~combine above ingredients and shake together until well mixed

2 (15 oz) cans black beans rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen sweet corn, thawed
1 avocado, diced (I put in more because we really like the avocado)
1 small red pepper, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
6 green onions, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup cilantro

~~put together above ingredients. Pour lime dressing over and stir well to coat. Salad can be made ahead of time, but add avocado just before serving!
Makes 4-5 servings for main course, and 8-10 servings side dish!
(we ate ours with chips and inside fajitas or burritos!)

Oriental Chicken Salad and Dressing

Oriental Chicken Salad and Dressing-Emily Simmons

(http://www.chef-in-training.com/)

Romaine lettuce, chopped

Mandarin Oranges

Cooked, seasoned and sliced chicken (used Montreal Steak Seasoning for Chicken to season mine)

Sliced Almonds

Chow Mein Noodles

Dressing

1/4 cup mayonaise

4 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp sesame seed oil

1 tsp dijon mustard

Get all your ingredients prepared and ready.  I opened 2 cans of oranges and just made enough chicken for my family with a little left over.  You can adjust this to as many or as little people as you need to feed.

Keep your ingredients separated so that you can have leftovers another day.  I put my sliced chicken in one bowl, then the oranges in another and so forth.  Just pile on your toppings to the lettuce and enjoy!

Caramel Marshmallow Popcorn

CARAMEL MARSHMALLOW POPCORN (CHEF IN TRAINING) -Emily Simmons

1 package microwave popcorn, popped 1⁄2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup or honey 

1⁄2 tsp. vanilla
12 large marshmallows 

1. Pop popcorn until done, remove any unpopped kernels.

2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.

3. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and marshmallows.

4. Turn heat to medium and stir until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth.

5. Pour over popcorn and stir in until popcorn is evenly coated.

6. Store in an airtight container.

(One of our families favorites! Except we use air pop popcorn (a little healthier) and fill our biggest plastic bowl and then pour the mixture over. We prefer the “no sticky” version, which is why we use more popcorn. 

Little Cheddar Meatloaves

Little Cheddar Meatloaves -Emily Simmons

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1 lb ground beef
2/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp prepared mustard ( you know the yellow stuff )
Beat eggs and milk. Stir in the cheese, oats, onion, and salt. Add meat and mix together. Shape into 8 mini loaves. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
Separate bowl-combine ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard. Spoon over loaves.
Bake 350 degrees uncovered for 45 minutes. 

Super-Savory Sliders

These are great as a low carb meal without the bun, but for my kids and Jack who aren’t watching their carbs they get it on a bun if they wish. The sliders are high in flavor and are satisfying as a main course. The recipe calls for “sweating onions” which basically means you cook them slowly trying to minimize any browning. I like mine caramelized so if they brown while “sweating” I don’t mind. Great sides would be a salad, coleslaw, or veggie of choice.

Super-Savory Sliders (The Dash Diet Weight loss solution p. 188) 

1 Tablespoon olive or canola oil
1/2 large Bermuda onion (sweet onion) or 1 medium, sliced very thin
1 small pat of butter
1/4 cup red wine (I use red cooking wine found in the vinegar section you could use a broth here if you wanted to.)
1 pound extra-lean ground sirloin
4 slices 2 % Swiss cheese
2 cups grape tomatoes (or use a slicing tomato if you like them on your sliders vs. on the side) 

Preheat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Sweat the onions in the oil until very translucent and soft (takes about 20 minutes). Sir often, and turn down heat if needed to avoid crisping the onions. At the end of the sweating, add the butter and red wine to finish. (Allowing the wine to simmer/boil removes the alcoholic content leaving behind an intense flavor.) 

Make thin hamburger patties, using the ground sirloin. Pan-broil them over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes per side using the same skillet you cooked the onions in. After cooking, top with Swiss cheese, and tomatoes or add the grape tomatoes on the side. Cover with mustard if desired. 

Makes 4 servings 

Side: Choice of Vegetable or Salad. or go all out and bake fries :-) 

Dessert: Banana Chocolate Ice Cream in a Blender 

We like to toss several frozen bananas in a blender, add Vanilla almond milk (or regular) and some chocolate protein powder or chocolate milk mix and blend until it is the constancy you love your milkshakes. Pour in to cups and eat with a spoon or sip through a straw. This is a great non-dairy dessert for those with allergies or intolerances. 

Strawberry Mango Salad

Strawberry Mango Salad -Jill Carpenter  

1 cup diced mangos or more

2 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup Craisins
Dark green leaf lettuce (or a Spring Mix from Costco as a filler to the romaine) 3/4 cup slivered almonds (see recipe below)
**This is a staple in my fridge since my friend Katie shared it with me! I make a double
3/4 cup olive oil or light olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup grated onion
1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar (Katie says Balsamic is key here but you can use other vinegars if you desire. I have tried it with Red Wine Vinegar and it was good but balsamic is our all time favorite!!!)
Melt 2-3 Tablespoons of butter in frying pan.
Add
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg (I use less not one of my favorite spices)

Romaine lettuce (1-2 bunches) or 1 bag romaine hearts

All these ingredients can vary depending on tastes--can add more or less of all ingredients.

Balsamic Dressing:

batch so that it will last a while. A single batch will fit in one of those glass jars that you can get with the “Good Seasons” Italian dressing mixes.

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Emulsify in blender and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Almonds:

Mix together and then add 3/4 cup sliced almonds. Stir just until nuts turn light or medium brown in color. Pour out of pan onto a cookie sheet and cool. When cool, add nuts to salad.

To make this ore of a meal, add cooked chicken. Serves 8-10.

**I found that this was a large recipe for our family of 5 but I didn't toss the mangos and strawberries in with the lettuce we just added them to each serving, same with the nuts. It worked like a charm and we were able to have it with two meals. I found that by mixing the mangos and strawberries together in a bowl worked nicely and the strawberries kept a fresh look even for the next day's servings. 

Skillet Lasagna

I got this recipe idea from Emily Simmons blog: reliefsocietycookers.blogsport.com who gave the credit to http://sistersstuff.blogspot.com I modified it to our liking so if you want the original recipe check out sisters stuff.

It was quick, simple, and tasty! It was a hit with my kids! Which makes many recipes winners. I

was happy that I happened to have cottage cheese on hand this week. We will be making this again. It is as delicious as Lasagna, to me, without all the labor and time.

Skillet Lasagna -Submitted by Jill

1 pound ground beef (browning with salt and pepper) 

1 small onion, chopped
1 clove minced garlic
1 (14-15 oz can) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 1/2 cups water
1 (8-ounce can) tomato sauce
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon salt (3/4 teaspoon because I salt and peppered the meat as it was browning)
3 cups bow tie pasta, uncooked
1 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (sometimes I leave this out)

In large skillet, brown beef with onions and garlic; drain. Add tomatoes, water, tomato sauce, parsley, basil, oregano, and salt. Mix well.

Stir in uncooked pasta. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; cover, simmer for 20 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring once.

Stir in cottage cheese. Cover with and Parmesan cheese, and sprinkle in basil and pepper to taste if desired. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. 

Berry Shortbread Dreams

Berry Shortbread Dreams-Kelli Steenbakkers
Best of Taste of Home, 132

1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 to 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

 GLAZE:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 tsp. water
1/2 tsp. almond extract

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Beat in extract; gradually add flour until dough forms a ball.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.  Roll into 1-inch balls.  Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each ball.  Fill with jam.  Bake at 350° for 14-18 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Remove to wire racks to cool.  Spoon additional jam into cookies, if desired.  Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over cookies.  Yield:  about 3-1/2 dozen

Southwest Seven Layer Sliders

Southwest Seven Layer Sliders- Kelli Steenbakkers
sixsistersstuff.com

1 lb. lean ground beef
Slices of cheese (we used cheddar)
1 (8 oz) can refried beans
Shredded lettuce
Sliced tomatoes
Guacamole
Sour Cream
10 small buns (I used King's Hawaiian Rolls)

Divide beef into about 10 small patties. Grill until done. Melt cheese on top of patties.

 Cut buns in half. Place a small amount of refried beans on the bottom of each bun. Top with some shredded lettuce.  Place beef patty with melted cheese on top of lettuce.  Add your tomato and guacamole.

Top with some sour cream and place other bun on top! 

We absolutely LOVE these sliders!  Can never make enough.

Oreo Heaven

Oreo Heaven -Nicole Hendershot

From House344.com

1 pkg of regular Oreos
1/2 c. of butter
1 lg box of instant chocolate pudding 2-8 oz cool whips
8 oz. of cream cheese, softened
1 c. powdered sugar

Crush the whole package of cookies either with a food processor, or in a bag and a rolling pin. Save a 1/2 c. to sprinkle on top of dessert when it's done. Pour remaining crumbs in a 13x9 pan. Melt butter and pour into crumb mix. Stir and press crumbs in bottom of pan to make a crust. Make chocolate pudding according to package directions and let it set up in the fridge. In a mixing bowl blend cream cheese until nice and smooth and then add

powdered sugar, mix. Then fold in 1-8 oz container of cool whip. Top Oreo layer with cream cheese mix, then pudding, then your last 8 oz container of cool whip, and then sprinkle remaining Oreo's on top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sliders

Hawaiian Ham & Cheese Sliders-Nicole Hendershot

From KingsHawaiian.com

24 Slices of deli honey ham
6 Slices of swiss cheese, cut into fourths (I don’t like Swiss Cheese, so I use provolone!) 1/3 cup Mayonnaise (I’m pretty sure I use more than this because I like mayo)
1 tablespoon Poppy seeds (We have left these out and they are great without too)
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Butter melted
1 tablespoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 packages (12 count) KING'S HAWAIIAN Original Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls
Step 1Cut rolls in half and spread mayo onto 1 side of the rolls. Place a slice or two of ham and slice of swiss cheese in roll. Replace the top of the rolls and bunch them closely together into a baking dish.
Step 2 In a medium bowl, whisk together poppy seeds, dijon mustard, melted butter, onion powder and worcestershire sauce.
Step 3 Pour sauce over the rolls, just covering the tops. Cover with foil and let sit for 10 minutes.
Step 4 Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for additional 2 minutes until tops are slightly browned and crisp. Serve warm. 

Sweet & Sour Pasta Salad

 Sweet & Sour Pasta Salad-Nicole Hendershot

1 package pasta, cooked and drained (I typically use rotini—tri color looks pretty, but any pasta can be substituted)
Add-ins—I usually use whatever we have on hand! You could choose many other items too!
-chopped green pepper (or any color you have on hand)

-diced green onions (or red onions are good too) -cubed cheese
-chopped cucumber
-olives

Dressing

2/3 cup sugar 1⁄2 cup oil
1/3 cup ketchup

1⁄4 cup white vinegar 1 t. salt
1 t. paprika
1⁄4 t. pepper

Combine the pasta and add-ins. Whisk together the dressing ingredients (I usually heat the ingredients in a small sauce pan first, to make sure everything dissolves well) and pour over the pasta mixture. Mix well and chill for several hours to overnight. Mix well occasionally to distribute the dressing and flavors. There should be enough dressing so that you can see the extra liquid settled on bottom of your container. 

Chicken Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

Chicken Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich -Jill Carpenter

(In the pan or a crockpot)

Olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breast or tenders
1/2-1 Red bell pepper, diced
1/2-1 Green bell pepper, diced (just add as many peppers to your liking)
1 large onion diced the same size as your peppers
2 Cloves garlic minced
1 (1 oz) packet of Good Seasons Italian dressing mix
6 Torta Rolls (Ciabatta or your favorite hoagie roll)
6-8 slices provolone cheese. (I have also used shredded cheese- Italian style blended that has Mozzarella, cheddar, Provolone, and Asiago cheeses in it)

Cut up meat into nice bitesize cubes. In a fry pan sauté your peppers, onion, and garlic until tender, remove and set aside. Add the chicken and the dressing mix to the same pan, adding extra oil if needed. Cook chicken until no longer pink. Toss the pepper and onion mix back in and stir until evenly distributed with the chicken. Place chicken on the rolls of choice and top with cheese. (I have also just added the cheese to the pan and let it melt allover the meat mixture.)

We like our rolls toasted under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or a 375 degree oven for 5-8 minutes, just until it starts to crisp but not completely so they are still soft and pliable for eating. 

Fried Ice Cream

Boy of boy! This was a dangerous recipe for me to discover I could do! I loved it, as did my family. Got 5 stars all around! Now I can make it from the comforts of my own home; everyone can have their own serving at a fraction of the price of our favorite Mexican restaurants. If you love fried ice cream you will thoroughly enjoy this sweet find. There are several fried ice cream recipes I have pin from pintrest, I started with this one from The in The Loft House blog and modified it to our liking. I may not be trying an others because this is so simple and so delicious! And it doesn't require I get my big fryer out!

Fried Ice Cream-Jill Carpenter

6-8 cups of Corn Flakes crushed (you need 3-4 cups total after it is crushed.) 3/4-1 cup sugar
3/4-1 cup ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup toasted sweetened coconut flakes (I do this separately in a fry pan until its golden brown)

Combine corn flakes, sugar, and cinnamon. Melt the butter in a large fry pan then add the cornflake sugar mixture. Pan fry for 5 minutes on medium high heat, until the cereal starts to toast. Watch it carefully, stirring frequently, you do not want to let it burn which it can do quickly. When cereal is done frying toss in the toasted coconut and stir until mixed in.

Press half the cornflake mixture into a 9 x 13. Top with a quart of your favorite vanilla ice cream, then top with the second half of the fried cornflakes. Transfer to the freezer until it hardens. Top with drizzle of chocolate sauce, a dollop of whipping cream (I like to use the spray can kind on desserts like this.) and top with a Maraschino Cherry.

Note:
If you really love the cinnamon flavor you can soften your ice cream and stir in another 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and a tub of cool whip if desired. (I have tried it both ways. I don't think that the cool whip really adds that much to the dish other than more expense and calories.) If you choose to soften the ice cream to spread it into the pan than plan for 5 hours to set back up. 

Quick Fruit Salad

Growing up I loved when my mom would make her fresh fruit salad with whipping cream. It seemed like we had it mostly at large family gatherings. It was always a huge hit and everyone wanted to lick the bowl clean. I guess I wasn't the only one who loved mom's salad! Because I don't recall there being a set ingredients list to mom's salad all I do remember is the banana's, apples, pears, peaches, pineapple chunks and cream. I have just started adding all kinds of fresh fruits to ours.

Quick Fruit Salad- Jill Carpenter
2-4 Banana's
2 Golden Delicious Apples
1 Red Delicious Apple
Canned Peaches, Pears, and Pineapple (I use a homemade quart of fruit cocktail) 2 cups sliced Strawberries
1 8 oz container Cool Whip Free (or in my mom’s case real whipping cream)

Gently mix together in a large bowl, chill if necessary. If chilling is required I would recommend not slicing the banana's or strawberries into the mix until right before you serve the dish, so that they don't discolor or go soggy 

Fruit Water

Fruit Water-Kelli Steenbakkers

Ranee Ferbrache

For a 5 gallon GOTT cooler of fruit water:

1 bag crushed ice, put in cooler

Slice all fruit so the slices are round or discs (girth wise):

4 red delicious apples, washed, do not peel, sliced in 1/8” to ¼” round.

4 oranges, washed, do not peel, sliced in 1/8” to ¼” rounds

2-3 limes, washed, do not peel, sliced in 1/8” to ¼” rounds

No need to juice any of the fruit.  Add fruit to ice, then fill to top of cooler with cold water.  Replace lid and tighten.  Let water sit at least one hour before serving.  Make sure you use a lot of ice and keep the serving bowl filled with ice.  The chilled fruit is delicious and very refreshing.

Scotcheroos

Scotcheroos-Kelli Steenbakkers

Cindy Morrison

In a small saucepan, bring to a boil: 

1 cup light Karo syrup

1 cup sugar

Remove from heat and add:

1 c. creamy peanut butter

½ pkg. butterscotch chips

Stir until blended.  Pour this mixture over 6 cups of rice krispies.  Stir well.

Grease a 9 x 13 pan.  Press mixture into pan.  Melt 1 bag of milk chocolate chips.  Spread evenly over the top of the butterscotch chews.  Allow to cool.  (May need to put them in the freezer for about 10 minutes to help the chocolate mixture set.)  Cut into 1-inch x 1-inch squares. Yummy!  NOTE:  Double recipe for a jelly roll pan.

Mia's Favorite Salad

Mia’s Favorite Salad-Kelli Steenbakkers

Wendy Winterholler

Green or Red Leaf Lettuce

1 c. strawberries, sliced

½ c. sliced almonds, sugared

1-11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained

½ bag Craisins

1 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

½ red onion, chopped

4 strips bacon, cooked

½ bottle Brianna’s Poppy Seed dressing

Shred lettuce in a salad bowl.  Slice strawberries into salad.  Place sliced almonds in salad and toss.  Add mandarin oranges, Craisins, cheese, onion, and bacon.  Drizzle with dressing and toss together.  Serve immediately.  Delicious!  

Patio Beans

Patio Beans-Kelli Steenbakkers

Beverly Morrison

2 cans red kidney beans, drained

1 lb. ground beef

1 can tomato soup

1 can tomato sauce

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. prepared mustard

6 slices of bacon

Brown hamburger lightly.  Blend with remainder of ingredients.  Put in a 9x13-inch pan and top with bacon slices.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.  Yummy!

7-up Chicken

7-UP Chicken-Kelli Steenbakkers

1 c. soy sauce

1 c. oil

2 c. 7-UP

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp. horseradish

Family pack of chicken or turkey breast

Mix first 5 ingredients together in a bowl.  Add chicken or turkey to the marinade.  Marinate overnight.  Barbecue or broil until meat is no longer pink.

German Chocolate Cookie Bars

German Chocolate Cookie Bars-Jill Carpenter
(This recipes came from www.favfamilyreipces.com)

Crust:
1 box Devil's Food cake mix (not the kind with pudding added) 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg

Filling:
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (fat free works great too!) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup milk chocolate chip
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Greased a 9 x 13-inch baking pan; spray with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, mix together the cake mix, butter eggs, and press into the bottom of the prepared pan. The crust should not come up the sides. Bale for 7 minutes and remove from oven. The crust will not look done.
While the crust is baking, mix together the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, eggs, pecans and coconut. Pour evenly over the warm crust and sprinkle evenly with the chocolate chips.
Bake for 24-30 minutes, until the top is light golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely before cutting into squares.
Watch them disappear! 

Refrigerated Salad

This is a crisp and refreshing during those hot summer months. It is a recipe of our family friend Camille Fowler.

Refrigerated Salad-Jill Carpenter
Break up one head of lettuce in a bowl
Then layer the following ingredients on the lettuce:
layer of fresh sliced mushrooms
Bean sprouts (I can't typically leave this out)
Grated Carrots (I use my Julienne peeler; I love this handy tool!) Frozen peas
Water chestnuts [optional] (I leave them out most of the time)
Ice with mayonnaise and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese and bacon bits.
I typically use: (It is a one to one ratio--example: 1/2 cup mayo. 1/2 T. sugar) 1 cup or less of Mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon or less sugar
Stir it together and then spread it on top. I omit the ice part because I don't want to deal with the sogginess that it can make it I don't think the entire salad will be eaten. Simply make what you think would be appropriate for your size of salad. Enjoy!