Fresh Peach Pie

Before it becomes hard to find good fresh peaches, I want to share my peach pie recipe. My mother always made this recipe; so naturally, it's the one I always make as well. You can use frozen peaches, but I prefer to use the fresh for the pie.

Fresh Peach Pie
Posted by Donna:

Slice 5 or 6 large fresh peeled peaches, enough to fill an unbaked pie crust

Mix together 2 cups sugar, 6 T. flour, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg and 1/8 tsp. cloves.
Pour over the sliced peaches.
Put small dollops of butter on top of the peaches and sugar mixture.
Cover with the top unbaked pie crust. I always make a lattice topped crust. If you do a solid crust on top, be sure and cut slits in it.

Sprinkle sugar on top.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Be sure and have some vanilla ice cream on hand to put the finishing "yummy" touch on the pie!!!!

Pumpkin Cookies

Posted by Kimberly:

Each year I host a cookie swap in December. Two years ago, I was having a hard time finding a recipe, so I called my mom. She recommended these cookies. A lady she goes to church with had brought them to a church function, and everyone had a fit over them. So, I tried them for my cookie swap. They were good, and my husband loved them. Last year, my son entered these in his school's cookie cook-off, and he won first place in his grade level. Although these are not the prettiest cookie you've ever seen, they are delicious.

Pumpkin Cookies:

1 cup sugar
1 cup margarine, unmelted
1 cup pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour

Cream sugar and margarine together until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla. Lastly, add the dry ingredients. The batter will be more like a cake batter than a dough. Spoon the cookies onto a greased cookie sheet. (A cookie scoop makes this very easy.) Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Icing

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar


Melt the butter and sugar on top of the stove. Remove from heat and add the milk and powdered sugar. Let the icing cool somewhat to a thicker consistency. Do not add extra powdered sugar to thicken it, just let it cool. Spread on the cooled cookies.

With fall quickly approaching, these would be a great treat to serve at a party, take to someone, or just eat yourself!!

Lasagna

Posted by Lori:
Every year on the first day of school, my family takes an evening meal to our children's teachers. The menu is the same each year: lasagna, green beans, garlic bread, and Chocolate Delight (recipe called "Pudding Cake" here) or Butterfinger Cake. It's something we enjoy doing, but our children's teachers are also very appreciative and thankful to not have to think about cooking and feeding their own families on that hectic first day. This year we fed five families the "Back to School" meal.

BEEF LASAGNA

2 pounds hamburger
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon onion powder
2 - 26.5 oz cans or jars of spaghetti sauce
1 pkg. spaghetti sauce mix (thick and zesty variety)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
6-8 lasagna noodles, regular or whole wheat (uncooked)
Cottage cheese
3 cups mozzerella cheese, grated
1 cup fresh Parmesean cheese, grated

In large skillet or pot, brown hamburger meat with garlic and onion powder. Drain meat to remove grease and wipe grease out of skillet or pot. Return meat to skillet/pot and add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring occassionally.

In 9 x 13 casserole dish (or disposable aluminum pan, if desired) place three lasagna noodles across the bottom. (In some casserole dishes, the lasagna noodles don't reach the end. I break one in three pieces to fill to the end.)Spread meat sauce mixture over noodles. Spoon layer of cottage cheese over meat sauce. (I like it fairly thick, you may prefer it thinner.) Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese over cottage cheese, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated Parmesean cheese. Repeat noodle layer, meat sauce layer, and then top with mozzarella and Parmesean cheeses (only do the layer of cottage cheese one time - all the others twice).

You may bake this immediately, if desired, but I never do. In fact, I usually make them early and freeze them until I need them. If I don't freeze them, I still make them the day before - it's just easier that way for me. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, until cheese begins to brown. Let stand 10 - 15 minutes before serving so that layers will remain intact when serving.

Last week I started something new with our daughter and her friends. You can read about it here. But, in doing this new tradition, I made only one lasagna, which I never do. I'm always making five or even more at a time and don't measure out anything or know how much meat I use. So, when I made this "one" all by itself, I took care to measure it out for you (plus one of the kid's teachers has asked for the recipe for two years and I didn't have it written down!). The funny thing is that when I finished, I had 2 - 3 cups of meat sauce left over! But, I got to thinking that it would depend on how deep the casserole dish was as to how much (if any) was left over, plus it would depend on how thick you made made the sauce layer. So, if you have some left over, just freeze it and use it in a soup, make pizza cups (using biscuits in a muffin pan), or add more spaghetti sauce to thin and serve over pasta. Enjoy!!

Butterfinger Ice Cream

Instead of posting one of my recipes today, I'm going to share with you my husband's one and only recipe he makes. I'm not sure when or why he started making homemade ice cream; but, he loves doing it, and he especially loves the compliments he gets when people eat it. I had to twist his arm to let me share it. Of course, I guess if that is the only thing you know how to cook, you would treasure it!!!!!!!! (tee hee)

Butterfinger Ice Cream
Posted by Donna via Larry:

2 cups milk
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 cups half and half
1 T. vanilla
4 cups whipping cream
5 regular size butterfingers ( Freeze the butterfingers a couple of days before you are going to make the freezer of cream.)

Crush the frozen butterfingers until they are very fine.

Scald the milk until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Remove from heat. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Stir in half and half, vanilla, whipping cream, and butterfingers. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Pour into your gallon freezer and freeze.

This ice cream is very, very good. He does also make vanilla, but this is his most requested. A friend of ours told him about seeing a recipe for ice cream with bacon in it. He's been surfing the internet and found the recipe for it. I know what he's going to do very soon!!!!!!!

Fun Food 4 Kidz

I thought it would be fun to post "Fun Food 4 Kidz" from time to time. These aren't really "recipes", just easy and fun things that kids will especially enjoy making themselves. And, of course they'll enjoy eating their creations!

One of my favorite things to do with my own children, as well as when other children come over for birthday parties and slumber parties or sleep-overs, is to have them create their own pizza using their favorite toppings. The kids are always excited to get to create their special pizza and then get to eat it when it's done.

Either purchase small, individual pizza crusts, make your own dough, or my favorite - use frozen bread dough (I buy Rhodes brand frozen dinner rolls). Two thawed dinner rolls will make a nice sized personal pizza.

Place pizza sauce (either in one larger bowl or several small, individual bowls) and toppings where the kids can reach them and let them create their own pizza. If you're baking a lot of pizzas, it's good to mark them some way so you will remember whose each one is...or at least I have to do that to remember! It's sometimes hard for the kids to tell which one was theirs because they look different when cooked!

One more "Fun Food 4 Kidz" is "Frito Pie in a Bag". We first ate this in Sante Fe, New Mexico several years ago at a little restaurant there. They were selling them like crazy! My husband and I thought it was such a neat idea, especially for children.
Cut a one inch strip off of one side of a Frito corn chip bag. Spoon chili on the Fritos and top with cheese. Some people may also want onions, ketchup or mustard, as well. In Sante Fe, the bags were served with lettuce and tomatoes, if desired...kind of a corn chip salad.

Enjoy these "Fun Foods 4 Kidz"!

Guacamole

Posted by Kimberly:

I am a huge fan of avocados. I love them sliced on sandwiches or cut up in a salad. To me, they just make anything better. But my absolute favorite way to eat them is in guacamole. You give me some baked tortilla chips and a bowl of guacamole, and I could make myself sick! I tried this recipe a year ago. It was actually taken out of a family cookbook. I tweaked it just a little and have been addicted ever since.

Guacamole

2 avocados
2 tbsp. picante sauce
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
a little less than 1/4 tsp. salt
Dash of chili powder

Mash avocados with fork and blend in other ingredients.

People that I have served this to really like it. In fact, my daughters even like -- They call it "broccamole". (I think because it is green, they associate it with broccoli!)

Key West Chicken

Posted by Donna:
This recipe came to me via Facebook---orginally from allrecipes.com. You'll never know how glad I am to have this recipe. Chicken is never a choice when it comes to my husband. He's one of those beef lovers, as I think most husbands are. However, the first time I tried this, he didn't say anything negative about it. The next time I fixed it, he told me this was the best thing that ever happened to chicken!!!!!!! I wish I had stumbled across it years ago.

Key West Chicken

6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tsp. lime juice
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally (Cutting each breast in half horizontally gives you a breast that's just the right thickness. Also, instead of buying four breasts, you're saving money by only buying two.)

Whisk the sauce, honey, oil, juice, and garlic together until well blended. Pour into a shallow container. Place the chicken breasts into the mixture, and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least an hour. When you're ready to grill the chicken, discard the marinade and grill the chicken on each side until the juices run clear.

This is such a good marinade. I haven't tried it on anything else as of yet, but I do think it would be good on pork chops. I hope this recipe will also help you convince your "only beef" husband that this is the best thing that ever happened to chicken!!!!!

Cherry Enchiladas

Posted by Lori:

Cherry Enchiladas are a definite crowd pleaser. I take this dessert to various functions throughout the year (church, school, husband's work) and there is never any left. It's great with any meal, but is definitely special to serve at the end of a delicious Mexican food meal.

This past May I had made these enchiladas for the elementary teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. Another friend made a caramel cheesecake, and I had delivered it to the workroom for her. I couldn't wait to go pick up both of our dishes after the teachers were finished eating. I really wanted a small piece of dessert myself. I wanted some of mine, but I also wanted a bite of that cheesecake! Cheesecake is an absolute favorite of mine.

Well, when I got to the room where the food was, I found that my dessert was all gone. Hopeful, I looked over towards the cheesecake. There was a small teeny, tiny sliver of cheesecake still left. I was so excited! I was just about finished cleaning up all of the food. I was just about to go over to get the cheesecake container to take home and wash it(and eat it :)!!) and the elementary principal walked in. I thought he'd already eaten for sure, but he went straight towards the cheesecake and scooped it up! Was I ever sad (ha! ha!). He said, "Wow, this sure looks good!" I said, "Yes, it sure does!". I didn't let him know it was MY piece (since it really wasn't). Actually, I did scrape the crumbs on the bottom of the platter and it was delicious!

Cherry Enchiladas
1 (21 ounce) can cherry, apple, or peach (or other type) pie filling
6 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Grease 9 x 13 baking dish. Spoon fruit filling evenly down centers of tortillas. Roll up and place, seam side down, in the baking dish. In medium saucepan, bring butter, 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, and water to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer (stirring constantly)for 3 minutes. Pour sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, then let stand for 30 minutes. You may rather refrigerate the enchiladas and bake later on in the day or even the next day. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until edges of tortillas are slightly browned.

I have used fruit filling made with Splenda, as well as the regular sugared fruit. They were just as good as the regular pie filling ones.

Hope you enjoy these fruity enchiladas!

Veggie Pizza

Posted by Donna:
The recipe I'm posting today is my favorite finger food - and is always my first "go-to" recipe when I need to provide a finger food for a shower, cookie swap, or potluck.

VEGGIE PIZZA

Step One:
2 cans crescent rolls

Place sections of crescent rolls to fill pizza or cookie sheet and press pieces together to form crust. Bake for 10 minutes in 400 degree oven and let cool completely.

Step Two:
2 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature (the light variety mixes easier)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I prefer Hellman's. Some off-brands lack in taste)
1 envelope dry Ranch Party Mix

Mix cream cheese and mayonnaise together and spread on baked, cooled crust.

Step Three:
Finely chop broccoli, carrots, and black olives to sprinkle on top of the cream cheese mixture. I always top the pizza with shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

As we near the beginning of our fall season, it seems there are more functions to attend and foods to provide. Hopefully, this recipe will answer your could-be question - "What should I take?"

Have a great day!

Broccoli Fettuccini

Posted by Kimberly

We like to grill chicken a lot at our house and then use the leftovers in a different dish the next night. I have been in a rut for several weeks now and have been using the extra chicken the same way -- in fajitas. This weekend, though, I happened to think of my recipe for broccoli fettuccini. I used to make this dish a lot, and my kids would all eat it. I do not know why I hadn't thought about it in so long. When my kids found out that I was making it for supper, you would've thought by their reaction that we were having brownie ice cream sundaes! They were so pleased and excited with this meal that I am going to fix it again next Monday to celebrate their surviving their first day of school.

Broccoli Fettuccini

1 lb. whole wheat fettuccini
4 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup olive oil
1 stick butter
Pinch of red pepper flakes
5-6 garlic cloves
1 cup parmesan

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water for 5 minutes. Drop in broccoli and cook pasta and broccoli 5-8 minutes longer. Drain water.

While pasta is cooking, saute oil, butter, garlic, and pepper for 1-2 minutes. Do not let garlic brown. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Pour sauce over pasta and toss. Serve immediately.

I cut up my leftover chicken and added it before I poured the sauce over the top. I also heated the chicken in the microwave since it wouldn't really have a chance to get warm.

This makes a lot, so the kids had the leftovers for lunch the next day. Oh, and they were still excited about it!!!

Cheese Ball

Posted by Lori
First of all...thank you so much for visiting "Life's a Bowl of Cherries"! We appreciate you visiting and would love to hear from you. Let us know what you think and what recipes you've enjoyed trying!

Now...on to the recipe for today...
The holidays will be here soon and we'll all be making lots of snacks and treats for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. If I have one food category that is my very favorite to make, it would be appetizers. They are fun to make, but that "snacky" type food is also good to eat! I'll start posting lots of appetizers from now until Thanksgiving that you might enjoy making for your family and for others, too.

I first began making this cheese ball when I was in 9th grade. Home Ec was my favorite class in school and my teacher asked a friend and I to enter an FHA (Future Homemakers of America) contest. We both decided to enter and both of us won with our entries. We were so excited! The original recipe was my mom's cousin's recipe, but I tweaked it a little and made it with ingredients I preferred. The ingredients sound strange, but I think you'll like it when it's all mixed together!

CHEESE BALL
2 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 flat can crushed pineapple, well drained
2 Tablespoons green chilies (I usually make this and "Tortilla Wrap Ups" at the same time and use the leftover green chilies for that. I'll post that recipe next.)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt - You may want to start out with less and adjust to your taste preferences...plus brands may be different)
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup thin sliced ham, finely chopped
1 cup crushed pecans (plus extra to roll ball in)

In mixing bowl, mix together cream cheese and pineapple with electric mixer. Add cheddar cheese, green chilies, celery, ham, and pecans. Mix well. Add seasoned salt (desired amount). Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight (This makes it easier to roll into ball.) Place remaining crushed pecans on waxed paper or plate. Make cheese ball mixture into ball shape and roll in pecans. Place on cheese tray or platter. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with various kinds of crackers.

I have made the cheese ball into two balls. You can freeze one of them to have for later. It's also fun to make the cheese ball into different shapes. Here are some I've done: a snowman, football, and then done individual sized balls...rolling each in pecans.

Breakfast Muffin Cups

Posted by Lori
This is one of my four children's favorite breakfasts. I created it several years ago to serve to my own family, but also they are great for showers and brunches. A few days ago I used it for the annual "Back to School Breakfast" for the teachers and staff of our local school. The mixture, which I call "Breakfast Bonanza Sausage Mix", can be used for the muffin cups or for breakfast burritos.

BREAKFAST MUFFIN CUPS
Make "Breakfast Bonanza Sausage Mix" as follows:
1/2 pound sausage
3 eggs
3 Tablespoons milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Also For Breakfast Muffin Cups:
1 can of biscuits

Items needed: 1 - 12 count regular sized muffin tin or 2 - 12 count mini muffin tins

In skillet, cook sausage until no pink remains. Place sausage in bowl which has been layered with paper towels to drain grease. Wipe grease from skillet. Break eggs into skillet and whisk them with a fork to break yolks. Add milk. Scramble eggs on medium heat, stirring frequently. When done, add in sausage and cheese. Mix until well blended.

Grease muffin pans. For regular sized muffins, use one biscuit per muffin cup. For mini muffins, tear biscuits in half. Flatten the whole biscuit and place in muffin cup. Fill with sausage mixture. For mini muffins, roll 1/2 biscuit dough into a ball, then flatten and place in mini muffin cup. Fill with sausage mixture. Bake 350 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes. (Note: Muffins can be refrigerated or frozen and baked later. Of course, cooking time will vary if beginning with the ingredients cold.)

The above picture is showing a mini muffin pan. I recently purchased this neat little gadget (I have no idea what it's called and can't find it on their site right now to tell you!) from Pampered Chef. It's so handy to use and it is a definite time saver. You just place the balls of biscuit dough in the mini muffin pan and push the gadget down and it does the work for you by forcing the dough to make the muffin shape.
This is another useful tool - a one inch scoop. I'm not sure where I got this one, but it is handy for scooping this mixture as well as cookie dough.
This larger two inch scoop did come from Pampered Chef. These scoops make it super easy to fill the muffin cups and are handy for other things, as well. I like little gadgets like this that aren't expensive, but save lots of time.

To make "Breakfast Burritos", use the "Breakfast Bonanza Sausage Mix" and fill 4 heated flour tortillas with the mixture. I like to double (or triple or quadruple!!) this mix and make lots of different things to freeze and use later. The burritos can be eaten immediately or they can be wrapped up in foil and heated in the oven the next morning. They may also be frozen (also wrapped in foil) in a large Ziplock bag. Heat them from a frozen state or allow to thaw in the fridge over night.

Milk Chocolate Smoothie

I've shared with you how I love chocolate. Up until a few years ago, one of my favorite things to enjoy was a chocolate malt. However, after drinking one on one particular day, I became very, very sick. That's when I discovered I was lactose intolerant. After several incidences, I had to stop drinking milk. Before this, I could drink three or four glasses of milk a day. Here recently, I have started to drink Lactaid fat free milk, but not in big amounts, or very often. My system just can't handle it. However, when my younger daughter was here this summer, she was making her smoothie that she posted earlier, and I began to miss my chocolate malts. I decided to drink my Lactaid milk with chocolate Carnation instant breakfast in it. There on the package of the instant breakfast was a recipe for a smoothie. I had never noticed it before. My life changed from that instant. I have enjoyed a version of a Chocolate Malt ever since. It doesn't require very much milk, and it is such a satisfying treat. Of course, you can use whole milk, but for us "lactose" intolerant people, or for those of us who are on cholesterol medicine, this is a great way to satisfy our sweet tooth without feeling guilty.

Milk Chocolate Smoothie
Posted by Donna:

3/4 cup lactaid fat free milk
1/2 cup ice cubes
1 packet Rich Milk Chocolate Flavor Carnation Instant Breakfast Essentials

Place milk, instant breakfast powder, and ice in blender; cover. Blend until smooth.

Not only are you getting to enjoy a great treat, you're also getting lots of nutrients. Plus, it's a lot cheaper than having a chocolate malt or milkshake.

A Taste of Britain: Baked Chips

Posted by Lori:
Some friends of ours are overseas doing mission work. Currently they are living in Morely-Leeds, England. Each month they send out a newsletter which includes a recipe they have tried over there. I am looking forward to trying each recipe and then sharing it with you!

Here's the first recipe:

BAKED CHIPS
4 baking potatoes, about 8 oz each
Vegetable oil for greasing (I used olive oil)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
Vinegar

Clean and cut potatoes into wedges or slices as desired. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease cooking sheets with vegetable oil. Place wedges or slices on the sheet and sprinkle on the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes, turning/flipping halfway through to even crispiness. After baking sprinkled with desired amount of vinegar.

I made the Baked Chips and we all really enjoyed them. At the time I made them, I realized the recipe didn't specify what to do with the vinegar, so I didn't use it. But after getting instructions from the friend, she said to sprinkle it on afterwards. I look forward to trying them again and will try the vinegar, too! It's a keeper either way and makes a great side dish for many meals.

Panko Chicken Strips

Posted by Kimberly:

One thing that my kids really like to eat is chicken strips. Because we try to eat healthy, I have tried many recipes for chicken strips but never really was that crazy about any that I had attempted. The seasoning never seemed to be that great and they were never that crunchy. Back in the fall, I came across this recipe on foodnetwork.com. It caught my eye because it used panko bread crumbs. I wasn't disappointed.... The seasoning was really good, and they had the crunch that I had been wanting.

Panko Chicken Strips

1 large egg (I omit this to make the recipe healthier.)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs (These are found in the Asian food aisle of your grocery store.)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper

Whisk the egg and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Soak chicken strips in egg mixture while you gather remaining ingredients. (As I said above, I don't use the egg. I just put my cut-up chicken in large Ziploc bags and cover the strips in buttermilk. I let them soak in the buttermilk in the fridge for 2-4 hours.) Meanwhile, in another shallow bowl combine panko with paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper, to taste. Lift chicken from buttermilk, letting excess liquid drain back into the bowl, then dip into panko and turn to coat all sides. Place chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with a cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes or so. (The original recipe had you fry them, but I chose to bake mine to make them even more figure-friendly.)

My family likes to dip these in different sauces/dressings. I prefer honey mustard dressing. My husband and son like to use barbecue sauce, and my daughters like ranch dressing. Also, I always make extra, so we can have them for another meal. They are better reheated in the oven instead of the microwave, though. The microwave makes the bread crumbs soggy, while the oven will return some of their crunch.

Peach Cobbler

I chose to post this recipe today because I'm hungry for it. I'm trying to stay off sweets for a while; so, I'm hoping that just reading the recipe and knowing how good it would have tasted will satisfy my craving for it. Most people prefer cobblers with a bottom pie crust and top pie crust. I like mine with the cake consistency.

Peach Cobbler
Posted by Donna:

6 T. margarine
2 cups sugar ( l cup for the batter and 1 cup for the peaches)
3/4 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup milk
2 cups frozen or fresh peaches ( cut in bite sized pieces)

Melt the margarine in an 8 x8 glass dish. Mix the 1 cup sugar, flour, baking powder, and milk together and pour over the melted margarine. Do not stir.
Mix the remaining 1 cup sugar with the peaches. Add them on top of the other ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

If I use frozen peaches, I put them in a colander, then run water over them and let them drain while I melt the margarine and mix the other ingredients. Right before I add them, I add my 1 cup of sugar to them.

When I double this recipe, I always add about a tsp. of cornstarch to the batter. Of course, you and I know that cobbler has to have ice cream on top.

Well, posting this recipe has not curbed my craving for it. I'm sure we'll be enjoying it tonight for supper!!!!

Crock Pot Candy

Posted by Lori:
Several years ago a friend made this candy for a Christmas party. We asked for the recipe and ever since then it has become my daughter's signature recipe. Lauren has entered the candy in our local fair, the county fair, and even used it as a 4-H demonstration. After that she was asked to present a program showing the demonstration to our local Garden Club.

CROCK POT CANDY
16 oz. jar unsalted dry roasted peanuts
16 oz. jar salted dry roasted peanuts
4 oz. bar German chocolate
12 oz. bag chocolate chips, (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
24 oz. white almond bark (or one almond and one chocolate)

Pour ingredients into crock pot in the order as written. Cook on low for 2 hours. Stir mixture and dip out by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Allow to cool and harden. Store in airtight container.

Crock Pot Candy is such a simple and easy recipe to make. It makes a lot - so it is perfect for gift giving at Christmas or anytime. Just place pieces in a cute container and you have an easy homemade gift! Of course, since it makes so much, there's still plenty to keep around the house for you to nibble on!

Cake Balls

Posted by Lori:
My father-in-law preaches at a small country church, where each month they have a terrific potluck dinner. About a year ago, we visited the congregation and it happened to be potluck day - lucky us!!

That day I tasted something new to me, but OH SO GOOD! In fact, my daughter and I came home and made some that very same day to take to another church event later on that evening.

CAKE BALLS
1 package strawberry cake mix
1 (16 ounce) container prepared vanilla frosting
1 package chocolate almond bark (you can use melted chocolate chips - semi-sweet or milk chocolate...just add a small amount of shortening with the chocolate when you melt it.)

Prepare the cake mix according to package directions, baking in a 9 x 13 pan. When cake is done, crumble while warm into a large bowl, and stir in the frosting until well blended.

Melt chocolate coating in a glass bowl in the microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth. (Be careful not to overcook the chocolate!)

Using a small scoop or your hands form balls - about the size of a walnut - of the cake mixture. (Note: At this point, I froze the cake balls for about 30 minutes or until firm, then dipped them in chocolate. It made them easier to dip.)Dip the balls in chocolate using a toothpick or fork to hold them. Place on waxed paper to set.

Cake Balls taste great, but they are also pretty and very easy to make. They can be personalized to whatever flavors or colors you might want and used for weddings, showers, and parties. The strawberry/chocolate combination is what I first tasted and it's still my favorite. I've also made red velvet/white almond bark and have tasted spice cake/white almond bark. You could easily color the white almond bark with food coloring and make it go with the colors of your event even more. We've drizzled chocolate on top of the white and vice versa, just to give it a fancier look. My husband got into the decorating last time we made them and made swirly designs all over them - I think it was really an accident, but it looked pretty!

Cake Balls can be served cold or at room temperature. Pretty serving suggestions: On a stick, each ball nesting in a mini candy/muffin wrapper, on tiered serving platters.

Have you ever eaten Cake Balls? If so, what's your favorite flavor combination?

Fresh Broccoli Salad

Posted by Donna:
I acquired this salad recipe from my brother and sister-in-law. It appeared in our first "Nell Family Cookbook" about twenty years ago that was put together and sold at our family reunion. It's really simple; but, for broccoli lovers, it does hit the spot. Women always ask for the recipe when I take it to our potlucks at church.

I'm going to list approximate amounts because it has to be adjusted for the amount of people you are serving.

Fresh Broccoli Salad

4 stalks of cut up broccoli
2 - 3 dozen cherry tomatoes, cut in half
15 - 20 black olives, cut in half ( I love black olives, so I go heavy on these.)
1/2 purple onion, chopped
Pour a whole bottle of Italian dressing over the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving. Toss right before serving.

Just for a variation, I have fried several strips of bacon and crumbled it into the salad.

You may want to go heavier on some of the veggies just because of personal taste. I love the cherry tomatoes and black olives; so, I add more of those. I love purple onions, but they don't like me. You may want to add more of those if you prefer. My brother and sister-in-law add fresh mushrooms to theirs. It's a very versatile salad. Let me know your special version. I'm sure I would love it!!!!!

Hawaiian Roll Sandwiches

Posted by Lori:

This recipe was given to me last year by the 1st Grade teacher here in our small town. They are so good! They are great to serve as appetizers or as quick lunches.

Hawaiian bread/rolls can be purchased at most supermarkets. If you are not familiar with them, they are sweet bread/dinner roll packaged in an orange plastic wrapper. Sometimes they are not with the regular breads on the shelf, but you know how supermarkets move stuff around so we have to search for them???? I have noticed these rolls keep moving locations so that I have to hunt for them! I think they do that on purpose....so we'll find something else we (don't) need.

Hawaiian Roll Sandwiches

24 King's Hawaiian Rolls (I prefer the Honey Wheat)
1 lb of ham, thinly sliced
3/4 to 1 lb sliced swiss cheese

To assemble sandwiches, slice the entire package of rolls at once to make the bottom layer. Place bottoms on a large cookie sheet. Add ham and cheese equally to each bottom and replace tops.

Mix together:
1 stick butter, melted
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon onion flakes or powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Drizzle a little of the mixture over the ham and cheese layer before placing tops of rolls. Drizzle remaining mixture over the rolls. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

You can also use the huge round Hawaiian bread loaf, adding a little more ham and cheese. Then slice into individual sandwiches to serve.

These are so yummy!! Enjoy!

Pudding Cake

Posted by Donna:
This recipe has been around for a long time; but, my girls and I have noticed that we haven't seen it at very many occasions in the last few years. Sometimes recipes follow the same trend as styles---they reappear all of a sudden and are popular again. I still fix this quite often and we really enjoy it. It's called different things by different people. Whatever it's called in a recipe book, it is scrumptious.

Pudding Cake

Crust:
1 cup flour
1/4 lb. margarine ( 1 stick), softened
1 cup pecans (chopped)

Mix and pat into a medium sized oblong glass baking dish. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely.

Bottom Layer:

1 ( 8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 cup whipped topping (Cool Whip)

Mix ingredients and spread on top of the cooled crust.

Top Layer:

1 small pkg. instant chocolate pudding
1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding
3 cups cold milk

Mix until thick and spread over the bottom layer ingredients.

Top with Cool whip. (You'll need to buy a large carton of Cool Whip in order to have enough for the one cup in the bottom layer and then enough to cover the pudding mixture.)

After spreading the dessert with kool whip, you can grate chocolate and sprinkle it and chopped pecans over the top. For my family, I usually don't do the chocolate and pecans on top. I do when I take it to potlucks or funeral meals. It doesn't make it any better; but, it does look pretty .

Refrigerate and chill thoroughly.

If this is a dessert you haven't tried in a while, or if it's new to you, I do hope you try it. During this hot weather, cold desserts are so refreshing. This one just melts in your mouth. It's also very addicting. You usually can't have just one piece!!!!

Chewy Granola Bars

Posted by Kimberly:

A couple of weeks ago, we went on vacation to San Antonio. I spent the day before we left baking snacks/cookies for my family to have while we were gone. I wanted a sweet treat, too, but didn't want it to be unhealthy. I remembered that when I had kept a friend's little girl back before school was out, she had left a homemade granola bar for her daughter as a snack. I thought it looked good, so I decided I would call her and see if I could have the recipe. She had actually taken the recipe from a baby food cookbook. Since I do not like a crunchy granola bar, these were the perfect snack for me. They were really good and kept my sweet tooth in check.

Chewy Granola Bars

1-1/2 cups oatmeal
1/4 cup wheat germ (just a healthy addition; you can omit it if you'd like)
1/4 cup ground nuts (I used peanuts.)
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup dried fruit (i.e. raisins)
1/4 cup melted butter or oil
5 tablespoons honey
1 beaten egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients into dry mixture. Add more honey to moisten or more oats to dry, if necessary. (I didn't have to do this.) Press mixture into a greased 8x8 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

I doubled the recipe and baked them in a 9x13 dish, and it worked just fine. I also substituted the oil/butter with 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce.

During our week in San Antonio, this was a great way for me to feel like I was getting to eat dessert without having all of the extra calories and fat. I will definitely be making these again when I am going to be faced with the temptation of cookies, brownies, etc.