Amber's Carmel Apple Cheesecake Bars

2 C flour
1/2 C brown sug
1 Cup butter, softened
2 8oz pckages cream cheese, softend
1/2 C plus 2 Tblsp sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 Granny smith apples- peeled, cored and finely chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Streusel Topping:(combine before adding)
1 C brown sugar
1 C flour
1/2 C oats
1/2 C butter, softened
1/2 C caramel topping

Preheat oven to 350. In a med bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 pan. Bake 15 min or until lightly browned.In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer at med speed until smooth. Beat in 1/2 C sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Pour over warm crust.In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, 2 Tbs sug, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel Topping. Bake 30 min or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping.

Holiday Scents

1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
3-4 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. whole cloves
1 handful of cranberries
1 bay leaf

Put everything together and fill pan with water. Boil together and then let simmer on stove. It will fill your home with a wonderful holiday smell.

Poppy Seed Dressing

3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup vinegar
1 cup vegtable oil
1/2 T poppy seeds.

Wisk together, refrigerate, and serve over a bed of greens.

orange, brown sugar glaze

1 cube butter
2 med. oranges, sliced
2 cups fresh orange juice
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup water
1/4 tsp cloves
2 cinnamon sticks

Mix all ingredients into sauce pan, and cook for 30-40 minutes. Strain out orange slices, cloves and cinnamon sticks and serve over ham.

Katie's Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

8 cups chicken broth
3 cups sliced carrots
½ cup slice celery
1 small bunch green onions, sliced
1 box Uncle Ben's Wild Rice, original recipe with seasoning packet
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 Tbls butter
3 Tbls flour
1 cup milk
1 Tbls lemon juice
½ tsp. Italian seasoning
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (rotisserie works well)

Mix broth with vegetables, rice and seasoning packet, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 50 minutes. Melt butter, stir in flour, stirring until smooth. Add milk. Stir and cook until bubbly, then cook for 1 minute. Slowly add to hot rice mixture. Add chicken and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Heat through and serve.

Christmas Salad

1 head red leaf lettuce
1 head green leaf lettuce
1 large pomegranate
1 large pear
1 cup Asiago cheese shaved or shredded
1/2-1 cup toasted cashews
2 large grapefruits

Note: last night I added 1 head of Romaine and left out the grapefruits.)

Dressing:
1 cup sugar
2 Teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups vegetable oil
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
(This makes a TON of dressing....you could easily half it)

Sour Cream Rolls

Grandma Garff’s Sour Cream Rolls

Ingredients:

1 large carton of sour cream (2 cups)1/4 cup shortening
Heat them together in a little pan, but don't boil.Place in mixing bowl and stir in:

1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, well beaten
Directions:Take 2 packages of dry, fast rising yeast and dissolve in 1 cup of luke warm water. Then mix with other ingredients in large bowl. Add 7 1/2 cups flour, and knead.Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and place a dishtowel over it. Place bowl and contents, well covered, in a refrigerator overnight (or in a cold oven for 3 hours) and until the dough has doubled in bulk. Make rolls and place in roll pans, cover with dishtowel and let raise for about 3-4 hours.Don't make them too small. If you fold them over, put a little butter between the folds. Bake 9-12 minutes, depending on oven, at 350 degrees. Bake until rolls are light brown--not dark brown.
I cut the dough into 4 equal parts and then roll it out into a 16 inch circle. Then I use a pizza cutter to cut the circle into 16 even triangles. I roll them up like Cresent rolls and butter them with a melted butter and a pastry brush hot out of the oven.
Make them tastier!

This dough is an excellent base for cinnamon or orange rolls.
After the first rising, divide dough 4 ways. Roll each section out into a circle. Brush dough with softened butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar & cinnamon (for cinnamon rolls) or sugar and orange zest (for orange rolls). Roll into log shape and slice 1 ½ inch rolls. Place in buttered pyrex and bake.

Optional Frosting: While the rolls are still slightly warm, frost with a butter, milk, powdered sugar frosting (cinnamon rolls). Or butter, OJ and powdered sugar (orange rolls).

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons canola oil
8 corn tortillas, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 large cooked chicken breast halves, shredded

*I also like to add a can of black beans (for gas) and a bit of frozen corn (for color).

Garnish:

shredded monterey jack cheese
diced avocado

lime wedges
sour cream
2 corn tortillas, sliced and fried crisp (optional)

Directions:

1 In large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
2 Add the tortillas, garlic, cilantro and onion, cooking for 2-3 minutes.
3 Add the tomatoes, bringing to a boil.
4 Add cumin, chili powder and bay leaves.
5 Add chicken stock and return to a boil.
6 Reduce heat.
7 Add salt and cayenne and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
8 Remove bay leaves and stir in shredded chicken.
9 Garnish with Monterrey Jack cheese and avocado, and sour cream and fried tortillas if desired.

CHRISTMAS QUACAMOLE

Seed of 1 ripe pomegranate

1 avocado, chopped

1 tomato chopped

2 T finely chopped red onion

1/4 t ground coriander

1/8 t cayenne

1 T lemon juice

Salt

Chicken Alfredo

Marinade for chicken:

1/4 C soy
3 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 1/2 tsp garlic powd
1 1/2 tsp ginger
2 green onions chopped
1 tsp pepper

Marinate 4 chicken breasts for 4 hours in fridge. Grill then slice into thin slices and put on top of noodles and sauce.
Alfredo sauce:

1 cube butter
1 C cream
1 egg white
1/2 C parmesan cheese

Warm up the butter, cream and parm cheese until it reaches a boil. As soon as it starts boiling, take it off the burner. Then whisk in the egg white. Let it sit for a few minutes for thickening. Serve over a box of cooked bowtie noodles.

Shannons Tort Salad

2 12 oz pkg fresh tortellini
1 8 1/2 oz can Artichoke hearts drained and quartered
1 cup diced tomato
1 cup feta crumbled
1/2 cup black olives
1/2 cup walnuts chopped


Dressing:
1/4 white wine vinegar
1/4 cup green onion chopped
3 med garlic cloves minced
1 Tbs dried basil
1 tsp dill
1/2 cup olive oil

Cook tort, drain, transfer to large bowl
Add all. Whisk dress and pour on top.

(Be forewarned...Sally loves this salad...Krissy thinks its disgusting.)

Anna's pasta salad

1/2-3/4 box of bowtie pasta
1 rotisserie chicken
1/2 sliced/seeded cucumber
1 bunch green onions
3 stalks celery chopped
red grapes (as many as you'd like)
toasted cashews

dressing:
1 bottle Kraft Coleslaw dressing

Aly's Back to School Luau

JERK CHICKEN SALAD

1 T olive oil

1 T Caribbean Jerk Rub

1 pound chicken tenders

1 cup diced fresh pineapple

1 red bell pepper

3 green onions

2 heads romaine lettuce

1 can black beans, drained

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Dressing

2 limes

1/3 cup lite mayonnaise

2 T pineapple preserves

In a grill pan combine oil and jerk rub. Add chicken, cook until done, set aside. Add pineapple to pan and cook one to two minutes. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Dice bell pepper and slice green onions. Add them to chicken and pineapple. Mix in bacon and black beans. For dressing zest one lime and use the juice of both limes, mix well with mayo and preserves. Put chicken salad onto individual romaine lettuce leafs and drizzle with dressing.

POLYNESIAN MEATBALLS

1 pound lean ground beef

2 eggs slightly beaten

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 small onion minced

1/2 cup crushed seasoned croutons

Mix above ingredients and roll into small balls. Roll in flour and brown in a well-oiled fry pan. You can also use the pre-cooked meatballs from Costco.

Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 tsp powdered ginger

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup pineapple juice

Heat ingredients for sauce and add meatballs. Simmer for a few minutes or put them in a crockpot. You can serve with pineapple tidbits over rice.

The Cupcakes were a hit (thanks sal!)

You sprinkle cinnamon sugar on them for sand

a gobstopper candy for the beach ball

and a piece of fruit by the foot for the towel!

all of the girls!

Hollie's Yams

Beat together:
3 cups cooked mashed yams
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 stick butter melted
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter

Bake in 9x9 glass pan @350 for 20 min.

Jenni's Chicken Pot Pie

In 1/3 cup butter saute until soft:
1 cup onion
1 cup celery
1 cup carrots
1 potato

add 1/2 cup flour
then add 3 cups chicken broth and
1 cup half and half
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn

add cut up chicken (I prefer rotisserie)

Pour all of above into pie crust
Bake 30 minutes @ 400 (may need to cover edges during last 10 minutes)

Granola

10 cups oats
1 lb melted butter
2/3 cup molasses
1 cup brown sugar
3 cup coconut (toasted)
1 T. cinnamon
2 pkgs. craisins
1-2 cups slivered almonds

Melt butter. Add molasses, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add butter mixture and mix until well combined. Pour onto cookie sheet and bake @ 350 for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes.

Thanksgiving Stuffing

1-2 bags Peppridge farms stuffing OR
Wonder bread with crust removed, cubed
2 cups Chicken broth
1-2 onions
celery, chopped
1-2 cans water chestnut, chopped
1-2 tsp. dried sage
1 cube butter

Saute onions and celery in 1 cube of butter. Add chopped water chestnuts, chicken broth, and sage. Pour mixture over bread crumbs, may need to add more chicken broth. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and more sage if needed. Place in Pyrex dish and bake for 30 min. @ 325, covered.

Christmas Spinach Salad

3-10 oz bag baby spinach leaves/ mixed greens
1 cup crasins
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup toasted walnuts/pecans
4 oz feta cheese crumbled
1 pomegranate, seeded
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

Vinaigrette:
2 large tomatoes coarsely chopped
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Pulse above ingredients then add 1/2 cup olive oil. Drizzle over salad and serve.

Fruit Dip

1 8 oz. cream cheese
1 jar Marshmallow cream
1 tsp. orange juice concentrate
dash of powdered ginger
2 T. orange rind

Blend ingredients together and chill. Serve with apples, oranges, kiwi, banana's, etc.

Skor Cookies

2 1/4 cup flour
1 T baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 T. vanilla
2 eggs
1 pkg. skor toffee chips

Combine dry ingredients. Pre-heat oven to 350. Combine brown sugar, sugar and butter/margarine. Add eggs and vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture. Add skor chips. Bake @ 350 for 9-11 min.

Anna's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 lb real butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 T. real vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
6 cup flour
6 cup milk chocolate chips

Bake @ 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Sugar Cookies

COOKIES:
1 Cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
4 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Cover surface with flour. Roll out to 1/2 in. thickness. Bake @ 350 for 13 min. Done when not shiny on top.

FROSTING:
8 oz pkg. cream cheese
1 lb bag of powdered sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract (optional)

Choco Bundt Cake

1 yellow cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
1/2 cup sugar
- remove lumps with a wire whisk

Add:
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like to use the big Ghiradelli ones)
- stir with electric mixer 2 minutes

Put in an greased bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Take out of the oven and let sit in pan for 15 minutes then flip over and sprinkle with powdered sugar. mmm mmm mmm.

Keller Brownies

1 cub butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup water
4 T. cocoa

Boil above ingredients together then add

2 1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 tsp. soda
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix together and pour into greased cookie sheet/sheet cake pan. Bake @ 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Frosting:
1/2 cube butter
3 T. milk or more
1 tsp. vanilla
2 T cocoa
1/2 bag powdered sugar

Frost cake while still warm, enjoy!

Swedish Meatballs

Meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs. of ground beef
1/4 cup water chestnuts, chopped
1/2 cup oats
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp garlic salt

Mix ingredients together and form into meatballs. Optional: Roll them in flour before cooking.Brown in pan with a little oil in the bottom.

Sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
juice from 16 oz. pineapple juice
3 T. corn starch

Boil ingredients together and then add corn starch

Add sauce to meatballs, then serve over a bed of rice.

Creamy Pumpkin Dip

2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese
1 (16-0z) package powdered sugar, sifted
1 (16-oz) can pumpkin
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Beat cheese at med until creamy. Grad add sugar beating well. Stir in pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cover and chill. Serve dip with gingersnaps.

Cheese Ball

2 (8-oz) package cream cheese
1 (8-oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon seasoning salt
2 cups chopped toasted pecans

Combine all but pecans. Cover and chill until firm then roll in toasted pecans. Serve with crackers

Strawberry Dessert

1/2 cup butter (melted)

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups Rice Krispies

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

3/4 cup cashews (chopped)

1 package strawberry Danish Dessert (found in the jello aisle, usually on the top shelf)

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

1 (12 0z) package frozen strawberries

Mix together butter and sugar. Add Rice Krispies, coconut and cashews. Pat 1/2 mixture into a 9x13 pan. Slice ice cream in three equal pieces and put on top. Pat down and cover with remaining Rice Krispies mixture. Freeze (covered)

Make topping by cooking Danish Dessert according to directions. Remove from heat and add package of thawed berries. Cool.

Remove dessert from freezer about 1/2 hour before serving and spoon on topping.

Can use raspberry Danish Dessert and frozen raspberries in place of strawberry.

Pork Tenderloin/ Garlic-Orange Vinaigrette

A friend brought this over when I had Indie and B and I literally licked our plates clean. Soooo Good!

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each), trimmed and patted dry
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 garlic clove
• 4 bunches flat-leaf spinach (about 2 pounds total), thick stems removed, washed well

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium; season pork with salt and pepper. Add pork to skillet, and cook, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 145 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes (reduce heat if pork browns too quickly). Transfer pork to a plate, and cover loosely with aluminum foil; let rest 5 to 10 minutes (reserve skillet).
2. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine orange juice, mustard, honey, garlic, and 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper, and blend until smooth; set vinaigrette aside.
3. In reserved skillet (if bottom of skillet is blackened, use a new one), heat remaining tablespoon oil over high. Add as much spinach as will fit; toss until wilted, adding more spinach as there is room, 3 to 5 minutes total. Drain off excess liquid, and season spinach with salt and pepper. Slice pork and drizzle with vinaigrette; serve with spinach.

Pineapple Coconut Loaf Cake

* 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 1 cup sour cream
* 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks in juice, drained well

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, tossing occasionally, 6 to 10 minutes; set aside. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch (8-cup) loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low, and alternately add flour mixture in three parts and sour cream in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until combined (do not overmix).
3. Using a rubber spatula, fold pineapple and 1 cup coconut into batter. Spoon into prepared pan, and smooth top; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup coconut. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 65 to 70 minutes (cover pan with foil halfway through). Let cake cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Super moist! Perfect for a brunch or dessert for a summer lunch!