Orange Crush Delight

Posted by Donna:
Once a week in our local newspaper, the kid's section always posts a recipe. Last week, I saw this one and it sounded good for the upcoming hot weather. I made it this morning and had it for lunch. Larry wouldn't touch it; but, I really liked it.

Orange Crush Delight
1 (16 oz.) container low-fat small-curd cottage cheese
1 (3 oz.) small box orange gelatin mix ( sugar free can also be used)
4 ounces light whipped topping
1 ( 10.5 or 11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained

Mix the cottage cheese with the orange gelatin mix. Fold in the whipped topping and stir gently to blend. Add the mandarin oranges and stir to mix. Chill for one hour before serving.

This is very light, but filling. It was hard not to eat the cottage cheese plain with the mandarin oranges added; but, this seems more like a light dessert with the whipped topping and gelatin added.
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Roasted Potatoes

Posted by Lori:
Last week I thought I would try to make a roasted potato dish using olive oil and a packet of onion soup mix. Interestingly, when I got the packet out of the pantry, there was a recipe for it on the packet.

Roasted Potatoes
4 large potatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
1 packet onion soup mix
1 tsp. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450°F. Wash potatoes. Cut them into chunks and place in a 13×9-inch baking or roasting pan. In small bowl, stir together olive oil, onion soup mix, and garlic powder. Pour over potatoes and stir to coat. Bake uncovered, stirring occasionally, 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.

I doubled the recipe for a church fellowship meal. Since I didn't have two packets of onion soup mix, I used one garlic mushroom soup mix. The flavor of these potatoes is great!
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Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

Posted by Lori:
This recipe is an idea you may already make for your family, but we just began making these in our family a few years ago.  It's been a favorite ever since.  As a kid, I remember when Hardee's came to a nearby town.  They sold hot ham and cheese and I always liked them.  Sometimes its the simple things we think of that become a staple in our recipe file, isn't it?

Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
Hamburger buns
Thin-sliced deli ham
Swiss cheese

Assemble sandwiches with desired amounts of ham and cheese.  Wrap in aluminum foil.  Place in preheated oven (350 - 400 degrees) and heat thouroughly.  Usually I cook ours for 15 - 20 minutes.  Of course, you could turn the heat down to 200 or so and warm them up slowly.

Some may want mayo or mustard on after heating, but for us, the flavors of the melted cheese with the ham is just enough.
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Sherbet the Frog

Posted by Lori:
A few days ago our school's Pre-K teacher made these snacks for her students. I asked if I could borrow her picture for this post. She agreed. Thanks, Mrs. J.!  She said using a green plate would make a more authentic-looking lilly pad.

The recipe is from Family Fun magazine.  More detailed pictures showing how to make to frog can be found on their site at this http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/sherbet-the-frog-684366/


Ingredients
Lime sherbet
Green decorators' gel
Junior Mints
Green gummy ring candy

Instructions
To make one, set a scoop of lime sherbet on a small green paper plate (trim the plate to resemble a lily pad first, if you like).

Cut one green gummy ring candy into quarters and place the four pieces under the sherbet scoop for feet.

Set a Junior Mint candy and half a gummy ring in place for each eye. Finally, add a green decorators' gel mouth and nostrils.

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Sliders

Posted by Lori:
This recipe is a fun food for sure! It's a snack/appetizer that is certainly popular lately and it's become a favorite of our son, Zachary. In fact, he usually is the one that makes them for me.

SLIDERS
Hamburger meat
Cheese, desired variety
Desired condiments: Mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, barbeque sauce
Desired toppings: pickles, onions, lettuce, tomatoes
Salt, Pepper, onion powder
Rolls for buns - we use Hawaiian Rolls

Pan fry tiny hamburger patties over medium-high heat. Use a golf ball size of meat for each patty. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and onion powder.
Drain patties on paper towels.

Halve rolls hortizontally. Assemble sliders with meat, cheese, and desired condiments and toppings.

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake

Posted by Lori:
I made this for a church fellowship meal Sunday.  It was really good - especially to those that are peanut butter/chocolate fans.  I got a special request to make it for a teenage boy for his 16th birthday in August.  He said it was his favorite dessert EVER. Only one of my four children like cheesecake and my husband doesn't like it, so I rarely make it.  When I do it's for Thanksgiving, a church dinner or a school fundraiser.  It's always fun to try something new and see how it goes! This one is definitely a keeper.

This recipe comes from the current Paula Deen dessert magazine.  I made my cheesecake with a brownie crust, but am listing it here as Paula lists it in the magazine. I also used hot fudge sauce on top instead of the chocolate ganache.  I don't know why, but chocolate "ganache" always sounds "ga-nasty" to me! :)  You may like it, and it may be really good.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

Chocolate Layer:
6 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate (I used 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, which is the same equivalent)
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Peanut Butter Layer:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
(I added 1 teaspoon vanilla.  It just seemed like it should have it, to me.  Plus, I really like vanilla.)

Chocolate Ganache:
3 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Garnish:  chopped miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups (I used the whole bag (minus the two I ate!) of miniature Reese's cups)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. 

To prepare crust:  In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar.  Stir in melted butter.  Press into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch springform pan.  Bake for 6 minutes.

To prepare chocolate layer:  In a medium bowl, combine chocolate and butter.  Microwave on High in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted and smooth (about 1 1/2 minutes total.).

Whisk in sugar, eggs, and flour until combined.  Pour over cooled crust and bake for 15 minutes; let cool.

To prepare the peanut butter layer: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and brown sugar at medium speed with a mixer until creamy.  Add peanut butter, beating until combined.  Beat in eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in cream.  Pour over cooled chocolate layer and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, and gently run a knife around edges to release crust from sides of pan.  Let cool completely.

To prepare chocolate ganache:  In a small bowl, combine chocolate and cream.  Microwave on High in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted and smooth.  Spread over cooled cheesecake.  Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.  Garnish with chopped chocolate covered peanut butter cups, if desired.

Paula's cheesecake had quartered peanut butter cups all around the edge and a few in the middle.  I quarted mine and just piled them all over the top.  It sure pleased the Reese's lovers and made the garnishing super-easy!  (I refrigerated the candy for a little while before quartering it to make it easier to slice.)
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One Week Recipe

Posted by Donna:

For something different, I thought I would share this special "recipe" that will help all of us through our week.

Sunday: The Lord's Day
Help me to worship you in spirit and in truth.

Monday: Wash Day
Help me wash away all my selfishness, so I may serve you with perfect humility throughout the week.

Tuesday: Ironing Day
Help me iron out all the wrinkles of criticism, so that I may see only the good in others.

Wednesday: Mending Day
Help me mend my ways so I will not set a bad example for others.

Thursday: Cleaning Day
Help me to dust out all the many faults I have hiding in the seceret corners of my heart.

Friday: Shopping Day
Give me the wisdom to shop wisely for the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Saturday: Cooking Day
Help me brew a cup of brotherly love and serve it with the bread of human kindness.


I'm not sure who wrote this; but, I love the message it has. I've used this on the bulletin board that I fix for our church. Hopefully, it will be something you will enjoy reading from time to time.
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