Sweet Potato Chocolate Cookies

Made with cooked leftover sweet potatoes,
and powdered cocoa these are delicious.
Soft and light inside and out with a nice
taste from the cocoa powder and potatoes.
A good way to use up cooked sweet potatoes.
It's a good tasting cookie as the cocoa
balances out the sweetness of the potatoes.
These are soft round cookies not flat.
Add in raisins and chopped nuts if desired.

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 large egg, beaten
2 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 cup baker's cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a mixing bowl combine the flour,
baking soda, cocoa and salt, mix well.
In a mixing bowl cream together the
butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add in the beaten egg, vanilla and milk.
Then add in the flour mixture mixing
until a soft workable dough is created.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Using your hands roll out balls of the dough
to about the size of a walnut and place 1"
apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
No need to flatten down the cookie dough.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until bottom just
starts to brown and cracks form in the tops.
Remove cookies to cool.

Phillo Dough Apple Tart Puff Pastry Apple Tart

Phillo Dough is as Easy as Thaw and Bake.
Make a good tasting apple tart in no time.
Simply thaw the pastry overnight and then
fill with a mixture of diced apples along
with raisins and cinnamon / brown sugar.

Ingredients:
1 sheet Phillo Dough pastry
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
8 Granny Smith apples
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup dried raisins
2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Thaw sheet of pastry dough overnight covered
with plastic wrap in the refrigerator.
Place raisins and hot water in a bowl add in
brown sugar, vanilla and salt, set aside.
Peel, core and dice apples into a mixing bowl
add in ground cinnamon and flour, mix well.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Grease bottom only of a glass baking dish.
Unfold pastry and place in greased baking dish.
Drain liquid from raisins and add to apples.
Place apple mixture in center of pastry and
carefully pull sides of pastry over top of apples.
Leave a few openings in pastry for steam to escape.
Bake for about 25 minutes of until pastry is
golden brown and the apples are cooked tender.

Grandma's Sugar Cookies

These are by far the best sugar cookies and
I think one of the best cookies I've ever made.
The top is crispy and the insides have a soft sugar
texture with a plain old fashioned sugar taste.
This recipe makes about 48 cookies.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 fresh lemon, zest of

Directions:
In a mixing bowl combine flour with
baking soda and salt, set aside.
In another mixing bowl cream together
the shortening, butter and sugar then
add in egg, lemon zest and vanilla extract,
mix batter well and slowly add in the
flour mixture to form a cookie dough.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl down
and mix dough to make it workable.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll batter into 1" sized balls
and place them 2" apart on baking sheet.
Flatten top of balls with a spoon and
sprinkle tops with granulated sugar.
Bake about 12 minutes or until the
edges of the cookies start to brown.
Remove to cool.

Simple Mashed Potatoes

This is an easy way to make the best
tasting and creamiest mashed potatoes.
I use Yukon Gold for making this.
The simplest way to mash them is using
a potato masher but a ricer works too.

Ingredients:
6 cups cold water
1 teaspoon salt
8 potatoes, peeled
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup milk, about
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Place water in a soup pot, add salt, set aside.
Peel each potato and rinse under cold water
before cutting into 2" pieces and adding
the cut potatoes into the salted water.
Bring water to a boil on high heat,
then reduce heat to a high simmer.
Cook potatoes for about 20 minutes
or until they are fork tender.
Drain water then add in butter and
milk to cooked potatoes in pot.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Use a potato masher to mash potatoes
to your desired creamy texture.
At this point you can add in other flavorings
such as dried parsley, chives, onion or garlic.

Sweet Potatoes in Slow Cooker

This is an easy way to prepare sweet potatoes,
the toughest part is in the pealing of them.
Made with brown sugar, butter and maple syrup
with a secret ingredient that tastes great.

Ingredients:
4 sweet whole potatoes
2 slices smoked bacon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
pinch of salt or to taste
pinch of pepper or to taste

Directions:
Place bacon slices in slow cooker,
peel sweet potatoes, cut into 1" pieces
place them into slow cooker along with
brown sugar, butter and maple syrup.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and cook on high setting for
2 hours or until potatoes are done.

Crabmeat Stuffed Tomatoes

Using left over bread stuffing with
cooked crabmeat makes for great dish.
The ingredients are almost all cooked
already so this goes together quickly.

8 Plum or Roma tomatoes
2 cups cooked bread stuffing
8 ounces cooked crabmeat
2 tablespoons prepared mayonnaise
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup flavored dry bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl combine the crab meat
along with the bread stuffing and
mayonnaise to make a crab stuffing.
Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise
and scoop out the seeds making a well.
Stuff the tomatoes with the crab mixture
making a mound on top of each tomato.
Place the stuffed tomatoes in a circle
in a round glass baking dish lined with foil.
Place any leftover crabmeat stuffing in
the center of the tomatoes in the dish,
top the crab mixture in center with cheese.
Sprinkle the stuffed tomatoes with breadcrumbs.
Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese melts.

Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies

Light cookies packed with chocolate chip flavor.
You add a cup of jarred applesauce to the batter
which keeps the cookies moist and tender crisp.
Take these out of the oven before you think,
they tend to get hard if let in for too long.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 cup prepared applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl combine flour,
baking powder, soda and cinnamon.
In a mixing bowl cream together the
shortening and the sugars the add in
the egg, vanilla and applesauce.
Mix well and then add the flour mixture
to the wet, scrape down the side of bowl.
Stir in the chocolate chips and drop by
teaspoonfuls on parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake for about 8 minutes or until bottom is
just starting to turn brown, remove to cool.

Yellow Squash Appetizers

Rounds of Yellow Squash sitting on top
of Toasted Ritz Crackers that are topped
with melted shredded Cheddar Cheese.
The crackers are crispy while the cheese
is just so tasty good on top of these.
This is easy to prepare and tasty good.

Ingredients:
Cooking spray for dish
18 Ritz crackers
2 small yellow squash, sliced 1/4"
18 small pieces roasted red pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried chopped chives

Directions:
Preheat broiler oven.
Slice squash into 1/4" pieces and place in a
microwave safe bowl with 1/4 cup water.
Microwave on high setting five miutes or so.
Spray a glass baking dish with cooking spray.
Arrange Ritz crackers on bottom of baking
dish keeping the crackers 1/2 inch apart.
Place a small slice of roasted red pepper on
top of each Ritz cracker in baking dish.
Place some shredded cheddar cheese on top.
Place a slice of yellow squash on top of
each Ritz cracker in baking dish.
Top with more cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese
season with dried oregano and dried chives.
Broil uncovered for 4 or 5 minutes or until
the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Whole Eggs Cooked inStove Top Stuffing Mix

This is good to make for a quick lunch,
using Stove Top Stuffing Mix and whole
eggs cooked in the microwave oven.
The combination of the runny yolks
and the stuffing are what makes this
dish a special treat any time of day.

Ingredients:
4 celery stalks, sliced
1 cup water
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
1 box stuffing mix, any flavor
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 egg per serving

Directions:
Place sliced celery in a glass bowl with
1 cup water, cover with plastic wrap,
and microwave on high settting for 4 minutes.
Remove and add in the diced apple.
Let sit a few minutes and then add in
the stuffing mix and 1 1/2 cups hot water.
Make wells or holes in the stuffing for each
serving of one egg per person.
Crack eggs in wells, cover bowl and microwave
another 5 or 6 minutes until heated through
and eggs are cooked but the yolks still runny.
Serve by spooning each egg along with some
stuffing on a serving plate one egg per person.

Bacon Minestrone Soup

Minestrone soup is an Italian Vegetable soup,
in this recipe I used some rendered bacon for
adding a good tasting smokey depth of flavor.

Ingredients:
2 slices smoked bacon, chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 celery stalk, peeled and sliced
2 cups cold water
1 bay leaf
4 plum tomatoes, quartered
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
15 ounces red kidney beans, with liquid
1 cup small dried pasta

Directions:
Heat up a large soup pot on medium heat,
add in the chopped bacon and render the
fat for a minute or to then add in the
chopped onions, carrots and celery.
Let the vegetables heat up for a minute
then add in the cold water, bring to a boil.
Add in bay leaf and tomatoes, sugar, and salt.
Let soup simmer until vegetables are almost done.
Stir in can of kidney beans with juice and the
small pasta of your choice to the soup pot.
Let simmer for about 20 minutes, remove bay leaf.
Serve by the bowlful with a drizzle of
olive oil and some grated parmesan cheese.

Banana Rice Pudding

Bananas make the cooked rice exotic tasting.
Simply made with water, rice and bananas,
seasoned with a little ground cinnamon.
This is warm and creamy good comfort food.
Add more sugar if you like it bit sweeter.
Add in a few dark raisins for tasty treat.

Ingredients
3 cups cold water
3/4 cups dried rice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teapoon cinnamon

Directions:
Bring water to a boil in a sauce pan.
Peal and slice two bananas and add in
the boiling water for about 3 minutes.
Add in the rice, lower heat to a simmer.
Cook until rice is almost done, 15 minutes.
Stir in sugar and cinnamon, serve warm
with a splash of cold milk in the bowl.

Holiday Cookie Recipe

This is my master cookie dough recipe
that I use to make dozens of differant
kinds of Christmas and Holiday cookies.
It's a simple sugar cookie which is
buttery soft and delicate that lends
itself to any extract of flavor you wish.

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 large egg
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon flavored extract of choice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a stand mixer cream butter and sugar,
add in beaten egg along with milk, and
then flavored extract of your choice.
Add in flour, baking powder and salt.
Form cookie dough into balls and place
1" apart on a baking sheet, press down
with the back of a spoon and bake until
bottom of the cookies just turn brown.
About 8 minutes depending on the size.
Remove from baking sheet to cool.

Oatmeal Cake

This cake has the look and taste of
a carrot cake without any carrots.
It has an addictive crumbly texture.
You'd never know it was made with oatmeal.

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups oatmeal
vegetable spray
2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
2 cups milk

Directins:
Melt and brown butter in a saucepan.
Place butter in a mixing bowl, add sugar
and mix for one minute then add in egg
baking soda and flour mixing to a batter.
Add in the oatmeal mixing as you add it in.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Vegetable spray the bottom of a baking dish.
Evenly press oatmeal mixture into baking dish.
Sprinkle top of oatmeat with cinnamon sugar.
Place baking dish in oven and then pour milk
over oatmeal mixture to bake for about 1 hour.
Remove from oven to cool before serving,
to remove cake from pan, run a knife around edge and then turn it over onto a platter.
Tap the bottom of the baking dish to release.

Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are amazing tasting!
Brown butter is indescribably good.
Your going to have trouble keeping yourself
from licking the batter from the mixing bowl.
Honestly, this is a good oatmeal cookie!
They don't spread out much while baking
creating a thicker and firmer cookie.

Ingredients:
1 stick (1/2 cup) burnt butter.
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups oatmeal, (about) 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
also salt for sprinkling

Directions:
Cut butter into 1" pieces and place in a
saucepan over medium high heat to melt.
Stir with a whisk until it turns amber brown
then remove browned butter to a measuring cup.
In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda
ground cinnamon and salt, set aside.
In a mixing bowl cream together butter with
brown and white sugars very well the add in
the egg, vanilla, and then the flour mixture.
Mix just to combine then add in enough oatmeal
to make a batter that will form into a ball.
Use yor hands to form 24 walnut sized balls.
Place balls on a parchment lined baking sheet
and bake for about 10 minutes or until the bottom
of the cookies just turn brown. Remove from oven
and hit the tops with a sprinkle of table salt.

Quakes Appetizers

Always crispy and tasty good
no matter what you put on them.
Try this recipe for making some
good tasting crunchy appetizers.

Ingredients:
Quaker Oats Quakes, any flavor
Creamy peanut butter, any brand
Softened cream cheese
Deli sliced pepperoni

Directions:
Top each crispy rice baked Quake chip with
a dollop of peanut butter or cream cheese
and a slice of deli sliced pepperoni.

Creamy Lemon Cheesecake

Using an instant lemon flavored pudding mix,
it couldn't get any easier to make this cake.
Simply placing ginger snap cookies around the
bottom of a springform pan makes an easy crust.

Ingredients:
Vegetable grease and flour
12 lemon snap cookies
3 packages cream cheese
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 package instant vanilla pie filling
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
prepared jar of lemon curd
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Grease and flour a 9" spring form pan.
Place lemon snap cookies around the outside
edge of pan to form a circle in the pan.
In a mixing bowl whip cream cheese and sugar
until fluffy then add in eggs, one at a time.
Add in salt and instant vanilla pudding.
Whip to combine well, scraping down the sides
of the mixing bowl with a spatula as needed.
Add in milk to create a smooth batter.
Pour lemon cheese batter in spring form pan
shaking pan a little to even batter out.
Place pan in oven and bake about 1 hour or
until the top is cracked and golden brown.
Turn off heat and open up oven door a crack,
leave cake in oven until cool then remove
and spresd lemon curd evenly over top.

Kahlu'a Rum Balls

It's that time of year when we make all
kinds of sweet holiday treats and cookies.
This is a no bake recipe for making rum balls.
these are good tasting and actually better when
made ahead and let sit to dry out in a covered
container a week or two before serving.

Ingredients:
1 box vanilla wafer cookies, crushed
1/2 cup powdered bakers cocoa
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, chopped
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup Kahlu'a rum, and more
1 cup white sugar for rolling balls

Directions:
Place in a mixing bowl the crushed cookies
along with cocoa, sunflower seeds, white sugar
brown sugar, corn syrup and Kahlu'a rum.
Mix to combine well to a thick batter.
At this time add in 1 tablespoon of flour.
Then while mixer is on pour in more Kahlu'a
until the batter is rolling consistancy.
Place 1 cup white granulated sugar in a
large mixing bowl, set aside.
Take about a teaspoon of the batter and
using your hands roll batter into balls.
Not to big about the size of a cherry.
Wash hands to remove sticky batter for making
smoother and better looking rum balls. Place rolled balls a few at a time in sugar
toss around to coat all over right good.
Place the sugar coated rum balls on a
baking sheet and cover to rest for 1 hour.
Place rum balls in an air tight container.
This makes a good seven dozen rum balls.

Chocolate Pudding Chip Cookies

With chocolate pudding in the batter
these cookies are a special treat.
Double the chocolate inside and then
then dipped in gooey melted chocolate,
these cookies have triple the chocolate.
I think I just drooled on my keyboard!

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1 (3.4 ounce) package-
instant chocolate pudding
2 large eggs, white or brown
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped pistachio nuts
melted chocolate for dipping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl combine the flour
salt and baking soda, set aside.
In another mixing bowl, cream together
butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.
Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended.
Stir in the eggs, beaten and vanilla.
Blend in the flour mixture to the wet mixture.
Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.
Drop cookie dough by rounded teaspoonfuls
onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets.
Bake for 12 minutes until edges are browned.
Remove cookies to cool before
dipping them in melted chocolate.

Mashed Potatoes and Peas

Frozen green peas take the spotlight
in this good tasting potato side dish.
Sauteeing the frozen peas in browned butter
lends a depth of flavor that along with
the creamy mashed potatoes tastes great.

Ingredients:
4 cups prepared mashed potatoes
1 cup frozen green peas
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:
Melt butter in a sauce pan on medium heat,
add in the frozen peas and saute until
the butter is just turning a brown color.
Stir in the mashed potatoes and heat through,
remove from heat, let sit until ready to serve.

Onion Dip for Chips

This time of year I get to thinking
about favorite party time recipes.
This is an onion dip I make that
is everyone seems to go crazy for.

Ingredients:
1 cup Real mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons prepared ketchup
3 teaspoons dried onions
3 teaspoons dried chopped chives
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried mustard powder

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sauteed Mushrooms and Spinach

I make this mixture as a filling in spinach bread
and it's a good base for making spinach quiche.
Add some cheese for spinach enchaladas,
or use it to stuff a whole baked onions.
Spread it on a pizza pie for a tasty treat.

Ingredients:
1 package sliced mushrooms
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup dry sherry
dash of salt
dash of black pepper
dash of garlic powder
dash of granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk

Directions:
Place frozen spinach in a glass bowl,Br> microwave on high setting for 6 minutes.
Remove spinach to cool, then use your
hands to squeeze out water, set aside.
In a saute pan heat up oil and butter on medium heat.
Add in mushrooms and saute until slightly browned.
Season mushrooms with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Raise heat to high and add in the sherry and sugar.
Add in the spinach, stir and adjust seasonings to taste.
Add in the milk then remove pan from heat to cool.
Refrigerate mixture until ready to use.

Bisquick Beer Bread

This beer bread only has a few ingredients,
is easy to make and tastes great toasted.
If you want a whiter bread replace the
brown sugar with white granulated sugar.
For a nice crusty loaf of beer bread
spray the top of the bread with water
twice while it's baking in the oven.

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3 cups Original Bisquick mix
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
12 ounces dark beer

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Butter the bottom of 9x5-inch loaf pan
with 2 tablespoons of the butter.
In a large mixing bowl combine Bisquick,
with brown sugar and sftened butter.
and in the dark beer until well blended.
Pour mixture into the 9x5" bread loaf pan.
Bake for about 50 minutes or until done.
Cool bread for 15 minutes before slicing.

Brussels Sprouts with Marie's Cole Slaw Dressing

This is easy to prepare and is very good.
The Brussels sprouts are steamed in the
microwave oven to a tasty tenderness.
Garlic powder is the magic ingredient
making this side dish amazing tasting.

Ingredients:
15 fresh brussels sprouts
1/4 cup cold water for steaming
1 tablespoon capers in vinegar
1/2 cup Marie's cole slaw dressing
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
Quarter brussel sprouts and place in a
glass measuring bowl along with water.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and
microwave on high power for 4 minutes.
Drain wter from bowl and place the
brussel sprouts in a mixing bowl.
Stir in the capers and dressing.
Sprinkle in the garlic powder and
mix ingredients to combine well.
Serve warm.

Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs

This is so easy and so very good tasting.
The tender meat falls off the bone,
and the sauce is just amazing.

Ingredients:
2 onions, peeled and sliced
6 bone-in beef short ribs
1 bay leaf
12 ounces beer
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons brown mustard
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold water

Directions:
Place onions in a 5-qt. slow cooker,
add in beef short ribs and bay leaf.
In a mixing bowl combine the beer,
brown sugar, mustard, tomato paste,
dried thyme, bouillon, salt and pepper.
Pour mixture over meat in slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours
or until meat is fall of the bone tender.
Remove beef and onions to a serving platter
Discard bay leaf. Skim fat from cooking juices;
transfer juices to a small saucepan.
Bring liquid from slow cooker to a boil.
Combine flour and water until smooth.
Gradually stir into the pan. Bring to a boil,
cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Baked Fresh Avocado Wedges

A fine alternative to french fries,
these bakes avocado wedges are crispy
and taste great along with a dip.

Ingredients:
2 Hass Avocados
1/2 cup cold water
1 ttablespoon corn starch
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Cut avocados in half, remove pits, and peel them.
Cut each avocado into eight lengthwise wedges.
In a mixing bowl, combine the water and corn starch.
In another mixing bowl combine the cornmeal,
onion powder, salt and ground black pepper.
Dip each wedge of avocado into corn starch mixture,
then dip it into the cornmeal to coat the avocado.
Place wedges on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes,
or until the cornmeal is lightly browned and crispy.

Crabmeat Casserole

This is a really tasty crabmeat dish.
Moist and it's crispy on the bottom.
Cooking the onions in lemon juice
adds a really nice depth of flavor.

Ingredients:
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons butter
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound crabmeat with juice
1 cup ritz crackers, crushed
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Saute onion and celery with lemon juice
just until softened and heated through.
Butter the bottom of a baking dish.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a mixing bolw place beaten egg,
Worcestershire sauce, sugar, mayonnaise,
Old Bay Seasoning, garlic powder,crabmeat
and Ritz crackers until blended together.
Add in onions and celery to mixing bowl.
Place mixture in baking dish and spread evenly.
Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over top.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until done.

Baked Potato Pancakes

Potato pancakes are usually fried in oil
and sometimes get quite greasy that way.
Here is a way to bake the pancakes that
creates a nice golden and crispy crust
while the inside stays creamy and good.

Ingredients:
Cooking spray for baking pan
2 Russett potatoes, peeled and grated
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
salt and ground black pepper to taste
prepared applesauce for serving
sour cream for serving

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Use a hand grater to shred the potatoes,
placing the shreds to a bowl of cold water.
Drain the potatoes and squeeze out water.
Place shredded potatoes to a mixing bowl.
Add the egg, flour, onions, salt and pepper to taste.
Stir potato pancake mixture to mix well.
Prepare baking sheet by spraying with oil.
Place prepared baking sheet in preheated oven to heat up.
Use 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture for each pancake,
place on baking sheet and press down to form pancakes.
Bake 8 minutes or until the pancakes are nice and
golden brown on the bottom, flip the pancakes,
and bake until they are brown on the other side.
Serve with applesauce and sour cream on the side.

Honey Mustard Baked Bacon

This is smoked Bacon at it's best.
The honey creates sweetness and the
mustard adds in some spicy flavors.
The saltiness of the smoked bacon
is just enough to shine through.
All crisped up on a baking sheet.
I like the added ground black pepper.

Ingredients:
12 slices smoked bacon
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons clover honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Remove bacon from package and while
it's cold cut the slices in thirds.
Seperate the slices into a mixing bowl.
Add into the bowl the mustard, honey,
brown sugar and ground black pepper.
Mix to coat the bacon slices all over.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and then
place mixing bowl in refrigerator to chill
for at least 2 hours or overnight is best.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the bacon slices side by side,
with the marinade on a foil lined baking sheet.
Bake until the bacon is your desired doneness.

Baked Sliced Potatoes

A potato side dish that some the potatoes
get golden brown and crispy on the edges,
and has a creamy goodness in the middle.
The sprinkle of cinnamon/sugar tastes great.

Ingredients:
6 Yukon Gold potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
dash of salt
dash of black pepper
dash of cinnamon/sugar
dash of dried chives

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Peel potatoes and thinly slice, 1/8".
Place potatoes in a baking dish
aranging so they are evenly spread.
Drizzle potato slices with olive oil
and season with salt, black pepper,
cinnamon /sugar and dried chives.
Dot top of potato slices with butter.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until done.
Just before serving use a spoon to turn
the crisy potatoes over into the creamy.

Roasted Garlic Whole Chicken

This is good tasting and easy to make.
It might seem like a lot of garlic but
believe me everyone will want a whole head.
One garlicky bird should feed four people.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
1 whole fresh lemon
6 whole heads of garlic
6 rosemary sprigs
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Remove chicken from plastic and
pat the bird dry using paper towels.
Cut tops off of the heads of garlic
and place in the cavity of the chicken.
Cut lemon in half and place inside the
cavity of the bird with the rosemary.
Place chicken in a roasting pan.
Coat the chicken all over with oil.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Bake in oven for 15 minutes then
reduce heat to 350 degrees F.
Bake for another 40 minutes or
until chicken juices run clear.
Let rest 15 minutes before serving.
Serve each person a whole head of garlic.

Carrot Coconut Truffle Balls

This is an amazing recipe for making truffles.
I've made rum balls many times before but that
was using vanilla wafer crackers as a base,
here is a unique recipe using grated carrots.
You grate carrots add sugar and spice then cook
the mixture into a truffle making consistency.
This makes about 35 carrot based truffles.

Ingredients:
1 pound carrots, peeled and finely grated
1 cup granulated White sugar
the zest of one lemon
1 cup shredded dried coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons cheap rum or cognac
3/4 teaspoons cardamom powder
1 cup powdered bakers cocoa
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Directions:
Put grated carrot and sugar in a small saucepan,
on medium heat and stir with a wooden spoon
until the mixture looses moisture and carmalizes.
Add in the pan the lemon zest, shredded coconut,
vanilla and the rum or cognac and stir well.
Remove pan from heat and leave aside to cool down.
Then shape the mixture into grape sized balls.
Combine powdered cocoa with confectioner's sugar.
Roll truffles in cocoa/sugar to coat all over.
These can be stored for up to 1 week, refrigerated.

Creamed Tomatoes

This is a good way to make those
tomatoes in the grocery taste good.
Use any fresh herb you like, but
I find tarragon works good here.

Ingredients:
4 whole tomatoes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream

Directions
Slice the tomatoes in half.
Place butter in a saute pan that is
big enough to hold the halved tomatoes.
After butter has melted place the
tomatoes in the pan cut side down.
Sate on medium heat for 10 minutes,
turn tomato halves over, season with
salt and ground black pepper.
Pour cream in pan around tomatoes,
place fresh chopped tarragon in cream
and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Serve tomatoes drizzled with sauce.

Baked Whole Onions

The skins get all crispy and carmalized,
the inside gets creamy and tastes great.
Big sweet onions are the best for this.

Ingredients:
6 Vidalia or sweet onions
salt and black pepper to taste
creamy salad dressing

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut the root end off of onions so
they can stand up in a baking dish.
Use a knife to make a few slits
in the top of the skins to vent steam.
Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes
then reduce heat to 275 degrees F.
bake for about another hour or so.

Serve seasoned, warm with creamy salad
dressing or a dressing of your choice.

Cake Mix Cookies

I used a box of yellow cake mix and apple sauce
to make soft and chewy toasted almond cookies.
I've heard of people using canned pumpkin to make
cookies using a box cake mix so why not apple sauce?
Also added in some chopped M&M candies and raisins,
this is a quick cookie to make and tastes good.

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup toasted almonds, chopped
1 cup M&M candies, chopped
1 cup dried raisins
1 cup prepared apple sauce.

Directions:
Toast almond either in the oven or in a pan.
Place in a food processor and pulse to chop,
remove chopped almonds to a mixing bowl.
Place M&M candies in food processor and chop,
removed chopped M&M candies to the mixing bowl.
Add thr raisins to the mixing bowl along with
the box cake mix and combine well.
(I used a Kitchen-Aide stand mixer to do this)
Add in 1 cup prepared applesauce being careful
not to put to much it because the batter
will be too runny to roll into cookies.
Place all the batter in mixing bowl in
refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Using wet hands roll out batter into 1" balls
placing them 1" apart on a parchment paper
lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
Time they need to bake depends on the size.
Remove to cool, store in air tight container.

Asparagus Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I made this sandwich using frozen asparagus,
it taked so good I just had to tell you about it.
And I can't wait to make this with fresh from
the garden asparagus in the spring time.
You can add ham, bacon, and different cheeses
but I keept it simple in this sandwich.

Ingredients:
2 slices bread of your choice
1 tablesoon unsalted butter
8 spears of asparagus, cut
2 slices American cheese

Preheat a fry pan to medium.
Place asparagus on a paper plate and microwave
only for a minute or two just to heat through.
Spread butter on one side of each bread slice,
placing one butter side down in fry pan.
Place one slice of cheese on bread then arrange
the asparagus spears over cheese.
Place another slice of cheese on asparagus and
top with the other slice of bread, butter side up.
When bottom of sandwich is browned turn and press
down sandwich with a spatula.
When cooked remove and slice to serve.