Coconut Cream Pie

Ingredients:
1 + 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 + 1/2 cups half-and-half
2 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine coconut milk, half-and-half, eggs, sugar, flour and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in 3/4 cup of the coconut and the vanilla extract. Pour into pie shell and chill 2 to 4 hours, or until firm. Top with whipped topping, and with remaining 1/4 cup of coconut.

Note: To toast coconut, spread it in an ungreased pan and bake in a 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes plus a few hours chill time
Recipe Origin: online at this link

Blackberry Cheese Streusel Pie

Ingredients:

Crust: (makes 2 pie crusts)
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup + 1 Tbsp. shortening
1/3 cup ice water
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 egg, beaten

Cheese Filling:
1 - 8 ounce pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 T. lemon juice

Topping:
6 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
6 tablespoons whole almonds
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 1/2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
4 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Directions:
To prepare your crust combine the flour, salt, sugar, and shortening in a medium bowl and mix with a pastry tool (or fork) until the shortening is cut into the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the water, vinegar, and egg and mix well. Then combine the wet ingredients with the other ingredients and mix till just blended. Divide dough in half and wrap the two halves in plastic wrap. Chill for 15 minutes. Once chilled, roll the crusts out on a floured surface and line 2 - 9 inch pie tins with the dough. Prick the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork and set aside.

To make the cheese layer, first preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the cream cheese in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the cheese is fluffy. Add the sugar, salt, egg, and lemon juice and mix well. Pour the cheese filling into the pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

While the cheese layer is baking, prepare your streusel topping. Place the brown sugar, almonds, butter, oats, and flour in a food processor and process them to your desired consistency. (Note: Instead of using a processor, I placed the almonds and oats into a nut chopper and chopped them until they were small pieces. Then I added that to the other ingredients and used a pastry tool to cut in the butter).

After the cheese layer has finished baking for 20 minutes, remove the pie from the oven, increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees and top the cheese layer with a can of blackberry pie filling. Top the pie filling with the streusel topping and continue to bake it at 400 degrees for another 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes is over, remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool completely.

Note: This pie can be made 1 day in advance, but should be stored in the refrigerator once it is cooled.

Difficulty: medium
Time to Make: about an hour
Recipe Origin: combination of several recipes

Pear Puree

Ingredients:
6 Pears, ripened, peeled, and cored

Directions:
Place cored and peeled pears in a food blender. Blend till smooth and then pour into ice cube trays. Cover with plastic wrap and place in trays in the freezer. Once frozen, remove pear cubes and place in a freezer bag or container. Thaw in a plastic bag under hot water just before serving and mix with baby cereal. Add water if necessary to get the desired consistency that you want.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 10 minutes
Recipe Origin: unknown

Easy Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:
1 quart strawberries, washed and sliced
1 pkg. strawberry glaze
1 8-9" pie crust, baked and ready to fill
whip cream (for garnishing)

Directions:
Prepare your pie crust according to the directions on the package (or use this recipe). While pie crust bakes, wash and slice the strawberries. Mix the strawberries with the strawberry glaze. Once the pie crust is cooled, fill it with the strawberry filling. Garnish it with whip cream just before serving. Store pie in refrigerator before and after serving.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: Nancy Drury

Buttermilk Cornbread

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8x8 pan and set aside. In a large skillet, melt the butter over low/med heat. Once melted, remove the pan from heat and stir in the sugar. Quickly add the eggs and beat till well blended (quickly so they don't cook). Combine the buttermilk and the baking soda in a large cup and add to the other ingredients. Stir till smooth. Stir in the cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended (leaving a few lumps). Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean).

Difficulty: Medium
Time to Make: about 15 minutes prep plus 40 minutes cook time
Recipe Origin: allrecipes.com (by Bethany Weathersby)

Superfoods Puree

Ingredients:
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
2 tsp. olive oil
1 small shallot, or small piece of onion, minced
1⁄2 cup ground turkey
2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves, washed but not dried

Directions:
Put the sweet potato in a steamer and steam until tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from the steamer and reserve the steaming water. While the sweet potato is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok, add the shallot and turkey, and stir-fry until the turkey is browned and crumbly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach and sauté until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cooked sweet potato and 4 Tbs. of the steaming water. Cover and simmer gently for about 5 minutes.

Put the contents of the frying pan in a blender and blend to a puree. Thin with a little of the steaming water, if necessary. Cool quickly, then refrigerate. Freeze in individual portions; when needed, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. To serve, heat the puree in the microwave or a saucepan until piping hot. Let cool slightly and check the temperature before serving.

Makes about 23 ice cubes.

Difficulty: Medium
Time to Make: about 25 minutes
Recipe Origin: Annabel Karmel (baby food book author)

Peach Jam

Ingredients:
3 Cups Finely Chopped Peaches (about 10 ripe peaches, peeled & pitted)
4 + 1/2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon will get you at least this much)
1 Box Sure-Jell
3/4 cup water

Directions:
Peel, pit, and finely chop the peaches and place them in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and sugar and stir till well blended. In a small sauce pan, mix the water and sure jell. Heat (stirring constantly) until the mixture is boiling and boil for 1 minute. After 1 minute is up, add the contents of the saucepan to the rest of the ingredients. Stir the ingredients for about 3 minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy. Pour jam into containers and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours to set. After 24 hours is up, place the jam in the freezer and store for up to 1 year.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: Sure Jell recipe on the package

Farfalle with Zucchini

Ingredients:
4 whole (to 5) Regular-sized Zucchini
1 whole Medium Onion
Grape Or Cherry Tomatoes
3 cloves Garlic
Farfalle (bowtie) Pasta
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
⅔ cups White Wine (or Chicken Broth)
1 Tablespoon Arrowroot
½ cups (to 3/4 Cup) Cream
Parmesan Cheese
Fresh Herbs (lemon Thyme, Fresh Basil, Chives, Etc.)
Salt And Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to boil.
Dice 1 medium onion and the zucchini into small slices. Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise. Next dice up the garlic.
Once the water is boiling, go ahead and cook the pasta according to directions on the package, on the al dente side so it has a nice “bite” to it.

While the pasta is boiling, heat a couple tablespoons olive oil over medium high to high heat in a saucepan. When the oil is hot, throw in half the zucchini and let it brown. Once brown, toss it onto a plate and repeat with the 2nd half of zucchini and repeat the process. Once the zucchini is cooked, throw in the onions and garlic. Next throw in the halved grape tomatoes on top and toss around a bit, keeping the heat at medium low to medium.

Pour in 1/3 cup white wine (or chicken broth) and with a whisk or spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan so all the flavorful bits will be released. Pour another 1/3 cup wine (or chicken broth) into a dish and sprinkle the Arrowroot in and stir. Pour this into the pan with the onions and tomatoes, and now add in ½ to ¾ cup cream. Next, turn the heat off and add in the zucchini and stir gently to combine. Grab a cup or two of the cooking liquid from the pasta and pour into the saucepan if the sauce needs to be thinned out a bit. Salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, pour the drained pasta into a large serving bowl or platter. Add your choice of fresh herbs, and pour the contents of the pan over the top. Add some Parmesan and a final sprinkling of fresh basil. Eat warm. Serves 8.

Difficutly: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes prep time plus 30 minutes cook time
Recipe Origin: http://thepioneerwoman.com/

Tuna Cheese Melt

Ingredients:
1 can tuna fish
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
cheddar cheese, sliced
1 medium tomato, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
whole wheat bread slices

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the tuna fish and the mayonnaise. Mix well. Spread some tuna on top of a slice of bread and place cheddar cheese slices across the bread. Top with the slices of tomato and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven at 400 degrees and bake until the cheese is melted and the tuna fish is hot.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Tamale Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 can chile
1 can tamales, sliced
hamburger buns
cheddar cheese, grated (for topping)
ketchup

Directions:
In a small pot, combine the chile and tamales. Heat over medium until hot all the way through. Split the hamburger bun halves and place them on a baking sheet. Place a few spoonfuls of the chile mixture on each bun and top with the cheddar cheese. Broil the sandwiches until the cheese is melted. Serve topped with ketchup.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Meatball Subs

Ingredients:
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
10 ritz crackers, crushed
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 + 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
mozzarella cheese, grated (for topping)
3-4 subway buns

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the beef, crackers, egg, and pepper and mix well. Shape into 12 meatballs and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes (until cooked through). Meanwhile, heat the spaghetti sauce in a small pot. When the meatballs are done, toss them in the sauce and place 3-4 meatballs on each toasted sandwich bun. Top with additional sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: kraftfoods.com

Home Ec Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb ground hamburger, browned and drained
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 pkg mixed vegetables
1 cup water
1 can tomato soup
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1 beef bouillon cube
1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Directions:
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet and add salt and pepper, to taste. Meanwhile, cook the vegetables in the water until they are heated. Add the vegetables to the ground beef and add the tomato soup, celery salt, beef bouillon, and garlic salt. Continue cooking until the bouillon cube is dissolved. Serve hot.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Gooey Buns

Ingredients:
1 lb cold hot dogs
3/4 lb cheddar cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. grated sweet or dill pickles
1/4 cup mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. onion, chopped (optional)
hot dog buns

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, grate the hot dogs, cheese, and pickles. Add the mustard, mayonnaise, and onion and stir till its blended. Spread some mixture across a hot dog bun and wrap the bun in tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes (until the mixture is heated through).

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Fiesta Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 medium tomato, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
apple cider vinegar (enough to moisten the vegetables)
Monterey Jack cheese, sliced
3 eggs
bread
1 can green chilies

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the tomato, onion, green pepper and vinegar. Stir till well blended and set aside. Heat a griddle with non-stick spray. In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Place the monterey jack cheese slices in between two slices of bread topped with some green chilies and dip both sides of the sandwich in egg batter (like french toast). Place sandwiches on the hot griddle and cook both sides like a grilled cheese sandwich. Cut the sandwich in half and top with the vegetable mix. Serve warm.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
1 can corn (with the juice)
1/2 can evaporated milk
1 + 1/2 cups diced ham or 4-8 slices of bacon, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
melted butter, to taste

Directions:
In a large pot, combine the potatoes, carrots, and onion and cover with water. Boil till the vegetables are tender. Add the can of corn and evaporated milk and heat until just before boiling. Add the ham, salt and pepper, and melted butter. Heat and serve warm.

Tips: If the soup thick, add more milk or water.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 40 minutes
Recipe Origin: Annette Gardner

Clam Chowder

Ingredients:
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup onion, diced
2 cups potatoes, finely chopped
2 cans minced clams
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup flour
1 quart half and half
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 + 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. thyme

Directions:
In a large pot, combine the celery, onion, and potatoes. Drain the juice from the cans of clams over the veggies and add enough water to cover the veggies. Simmer the veggies over med heat until the potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, combine and blend the melted butter and flour in a medium bowl. Add the half and half to the flour mixture and whisk until it is smooth. Once the potatoes are tender, add the half and half mixture to it as well as the chopped minced clams, pepper, salt, sugar, and thyme. Stir till blended and continue cooking until it is heated well. Serve warm.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 40 minutes
Recipe Origin: Annette Gardner

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
egg noodles
1 can canned chicken (the juice and the chicken)
1 chicken bouillon (can add another if it needs more flavor)
frozen peas
baby carrots
salt and pepper, to taste
celery salt, to taste

Directions:
Add the desired amount of egg noodles in a large pot and cook according to the directions on the bag. Once the noodles are cooked, add the carrots, chicken and the chicken bouillon. Stir until the chicken bouillon is dissolved. Then add the frozen peas, salt, pepper, and celery salt. Heat till the peas are done and serve warm.

Tip: You can cook the noodles in chicken broth, just dont add the chicken bouillon later.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 25 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Taco Dip Dinner

Ingredients:
1 lbs ground beef, cooked and drained
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 small onion, diced
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
3 cups shredded lettuce
3 tomatoes, diced
tortilla chips

Directions:
In a large skillet, prepare the ground beef according to the directions on the taco seasoning package. Add the onion to the ground beef and cook it till tender. Place the ground beef in the middle of a large serving platter and cover it with the grated cheese. For the next ring, spread around the shredded lettuce. For the next ring, spread around the diced tomato. Serve with tortilla ships and salsa.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 15 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients:
2 cups tomatoes, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup green pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 + 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup vinegar
10 ounces pineapple, chunked (save the juice)
1/4 cup sugar
1/6 cup corn starch
1/8 cup water
cooked rice

Directions:
In a large skillet, combine the tomatoes, onion, green pepper, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, and chunked pineapple. In a medium bowl, mix together the juice from the pineapple, sugar, corn starch, and water. Mix till blended and add to the skillet. Stir all ingredients and cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes. Serve hot over rice.

Tips: Can add cooked chicken or pork to sauce while it is cooking.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 45 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
5 green peppers
1 lbs ground beef, browned and drained
1 cup rice, cooked
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Wash the green peppers and cut off the tops. Clean the inside and boil the peppers until they are tender. In a large skillet, brown the hamburger and drain off the grease. Add the rice, onion, salt and pepper and cook till the onion is tender. Stuff the peppers with the meat mixture and bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about an hour
Recipe Origin: Mom

Stir Fry

Ingredients:
broccoli
carrots
onion
celery
green pepper
zucchini
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup water

Gravy:
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 chicken bouillon cube

cooked rice
cooked chicken

Directions:
Wash and chunk any of the vegetables you want to use in the stir fry. Set aside. Heat a large skillet with the olive oil over med/high heat. Add your vegetables and cook till slightly wilted (stirring often). Add 1/4 cup water and simmer vegetables until they are soft. Add the ingredients for the gravy and cook until the bouillon is dissolved. Serve hot over cooked rice.

Tip: Cook any type of meat in a separate skillet and add it to the vegetables once they are cooking to add flavor.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Spinach Tortellini

ingredients:
1 lbs fresh cheese tortellini
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
9 ounces fresh baby spinach
1 cup tomato, diced
1/4 cup fresh basil, copped OR 1 + 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
In a large pot, boil the tortellini until its tender. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil, onion, and garlic. Cook till the onion is tender. Add the spinach, tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper and cook ingredients for 5 minutes. Stir in the whipping cream and parmesan cheese and then add the cooked tortellini. Stir everything together and serve warm.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Sassy Meatballs

Ingredients:
Meatballs:
2 eggs
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped craisins
2 Tbsp. minced parsley
1.5 lbs. ground beef

Sauce:
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup beef broth
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. chopped onions
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs and stir till well blended. Shape into balls and cook in a large skillet over med heat until they are done all the way through. In a medium pot, combine all the ingredients for the sauce and stir till well blended. Heat over med heat and stir until the sauce is smooth. Place the hot sauce and the cooked meatballs into a crock pot and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Serve hot.

Tip: You can also use frozen meatballs if you don't want to make your own, just brown them before adding them to the sauce.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes prep plus 4 hours cooking
Recipe Origin: Devin Walker's Mom

Pepper Steak

Ingredients:
1 + 1/2 pounds beef steak, chunked into small pieces
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup beef broth
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green peppers, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup water
cooked rice

Directions:
In a large skillet, brown the steak over med/high heat until all sides are browned. Turn heat to med and add the onion to the skillet. Cook till the onion is tender. in a small bowl, mix the beef broth, soy sauce, and garlic until well blended. Add the mixture to the skillet, cover and simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, add the green peppers and simmer (covered) for 5 more minutes. Add the tomatoes and the cornstarch and water. (Mix the cornstarch and water in a small cup together first before adding them). Cook the ingredients until it starts to thicken and serve hot over rice.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Parmesan Salmon

ingredients:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp. red pepper (cayenne)
1 lbs salmon fillets (4 fillets)
2 tsp. lemon juice
ritz crackers, crushed (for topping)

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, and red pepper. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the salmon fillets on a foil lined pan skin side down. Drizzle each of the fish with the lemon juice and top with the cheese mixture (spreading the cheese mixture evenly across the top). Top with the crushed ritz crackers. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes. (Salmon is done when it flakes easily).

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: kraftfoods.com

Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1.5 - 2 lbs. ground beef
1 large egg
1 cup quick oats
salt and pepper, to taste
1 can tomato sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. garlic salt

Tomato soup or catsup for topping

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix till well blended. Spread the mixture into a bread pan and bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes (until hamburger is done in the middle). Serve hot topped with catsup or tomato soup.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 2 hours
Recipe Origin: Mom

Many Way Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 lbs ground beef
1/4 cup ritz crackers, crushed
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 egg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 can cream of vegetable soup
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ritz crackers, onion, egg, and salt. Stir well and shape into balls. Brown the meatballs in a large skillet over med heat. In a medium bowl, combine the soup, water, and parsley and mix well. When the meatballs are browned, drain the grease off and add the soup mixture. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Hawaiian Haystacks

Ingredients:
3 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can water
6 cups rice cooked
3 cups chicken, cooked and chopped

Toppings:
tomato, chopped
celery, diced
green onion, diced
cheddar cheese, grated
crushed pineapple
flaked coconut
slivered almonds
maraschino cherries
chinese noodles
black olives, sliced

Directions:
In a large pot, combine the soup, water, and cooked chicken and cook over med till hot. To make the haystacks, place the rice on your plate followed by the chicken gravy mixture, followed by any of the toppings that you want.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1 lb ground hamburger, cooked and drained
1 medium onion, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 can tomato sauce
1 can enchilada sauce
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. corn meal
12 small tortillas
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
lettuce (for garnishing)
sour cream (for garnishing)
salsa (for garnishing)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and drain. Add the onion, salt, and pepper and cook till tender. In a medium bowl, combine the tomato sauce, enchilada sauce, milk, and corn meal. Stir till blended. Dip each of the flour tortillas into the sauce until they are coated and then fill them with the meat mixture. Place them seam side down in a large baking dish. Pour any remaining sauce onto the enchiladas and top them with the grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve on lettuce with sour cream and salsa.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 40 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Deviled Ham Pie

Ingredients:
Pie Crust
4.5 ounce can deviled ham
3 ounce can mushrooms, sliced (optional)
10 ounces broccoli or asparagus, cooked
1/4 cup milk
1 can Cheddar Cheese soup

Directions:
Prepare a single pie crust recipe. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the pie crust to a square. Spread the deviled ham out on 1/2 of the crust to within 1/2" of the edge of the crust. Top the ham with the mushrooms. Fold the crust onto itself and seal the edges with a little bit of water. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes. While the pie cooks, combine the milk and cheddar cheese soup in a small pot and heat over med till hot. In a medium pot, cook your vegetable until they are tender. Once the pie is done cooking, cut it into serving pieces and top each serving with the cooked vegetables and cheddar soup mix.

Tip: You can use grated cheddar cheese in place of the soup and milk mixture if you want.

Difficulty: Medium
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients:
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
10 ounces chicken, cooked and chunked
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
flour tortillas
salsa
green onions (optional)
cilantro (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the chicken soup, chicken, and 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese. Mix together till blended. Spread 1/4 cup of the mixture onto 1/2 of a floured tortilla. Spread the mixture to within 1/2" of the edge of the tortilla. Fold over the tortillas and seal the edge with a little bit of water. Place the tortillas on a large baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes (until the tortillas are hot). Remove the tortillas from the oven and top with the remaining cheddar cheese. Garnish with salsa, green onions, and cilantro if desired.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: campbell soups recipe book

Chicken in Creamy Pan Sauce

Ingredients:
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup chicken broth
4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

Directions:
Place a large skillet on the stove and add the olive oil. Heat the skillet over med/high heat while you prepare the chicken for cooking. Coat the chicken breasts with the flour and place them in the skillet. Cook each side for 5-6 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover it with foil to keep it warm. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and scrape the bottom to loosen the chicken drippings. Add the cream cheese and cook for 2-3 minutes (stirring constantly) until the cheese is melted and starting to thicken. Return the chicken to the pan and turn it to coat both sides. Cook it for a few more minutes to reheat the chicken through. Place the chicken and sauce on your serving dish and sprinkle with the basil and cherry tomatoes.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: online somewhere

Broccoli Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:
1 pkg. Chicken Stuffing Mix
1 cup water
6 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (halves)
10 ounces broccoli, cooked and drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the stuffing mix and water and stir till mixed, set aside. Pound the chicken breasts down to 1/4" thickness. Add the cooked broccoli to the stuffing mix and stir till blended. Spread the stuffing mix onto the chicken breast to just before the edge of the chicken. Roll up the chicken and place it seam side down in a 9x13 baking dish. Place any extra stuffing around the chicken. In a medium bowl, mix together the chicken soup and milk. Pour the soup mix over the chicken and sprinkle the chicken with the paprika and parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes (until chicken is cooked through). Serve warm.

Difficulty: Medium
Time to Make: about an hour
Recipe Origin: kraftfoods.com

BBQ Ribs

Ingredients:
1 pkg boneless pork ribs
1 bottle BBQ sauce

Directions:
Place the ribs in a large pot and cover with hot water. Put the pot on the stove on med/high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to med and continue boiling for 2 hours. (Check the water level throughout the boiling time and add more if it starts to get below the ribs). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. After 2 hours, drain the water and place the ribs in a 9x13 baking dish. Top with the BBQ sauce. Cover the dish with tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Tip: There is no need to cut the ribs apart, they will fall apart on their own.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 2 + 1/2 hours
Recipe Origin: Mom

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:
2 cups macaroni noodles
4 cups hot water
1 can drained tuna
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
crushed potato chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot, boil the macaroni noodles in the 4 cups of water until it is tender. Drain the noodles. In a large bowl, combine the noodles, tuna, soup, and milk. Stir till well blended. Put mixture into a casserole dish and top with the grated cheese and crushed potato chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 45 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Hamburger and Rice Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
3 cups cooked rice
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/4 cup evaporated milk
soy sauce, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
cheddar cheese, grated (for topping)

Directions:
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and drain. Add the onion and green pepper and cook until the veggies are tender. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice and the soup. Add the hamburger mixture stir till well blended. Add teh evaporated milk and stir again. Add soy sauce and salt and pepper to taste and stir again. Place ingredients in a square 8x8 microwavable pan and cover. Microwave for 10 minutes. Remove from microwave and top with cheese. Cover the casserole until the cheese melts and serve hot.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Tricia Richards

Easy Lasagna

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
3/4 cup water
16 ounces spaghetti sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 - 8 ounce pkg. lasagna noodles
1 cup ricotta or cottage cheese
12 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, cook and drain the ground beef. Add the water, spaghetti sauce, and salt to the ground beef and bring the ingredients to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat. In an 11x7 casserole dish, layer the ingredients in the following order: sauce, uncooked noodles, ricotta (or cottage cheese), and mozzarella. Repeat the layers until you are almost out of sauce (end with the sauce). Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. After the hour is over, LET THE LASAGNA STAND for 10 minutes. Garnish it with parmesan cheese and serve hot.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: 90 minutes
Recipe Origin: Annette Gardner

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

Ingredients:
1 pkg stove top stuffing, chicken flavor
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 + 1/2 cups hot water
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup sour cream

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the stuffing mix, melted butter, and water. Stir just till blended and set aside. In a greased 9x13 pan, place the chicken breast evenly across the bottom. In a small bowl, mix together the cream of mushroom soup and the sour cream. Spread the mixture over the chicken breasts. Top the dish with the stuffing mix. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes (until the chicken is done cooking).

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about an hour
Recipe Origin: Mom

Chicken Chile Casserole

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
1 can chicken soup with rice
1 can chopped green chilies
1 large can stewed tomatoes, drained
1 lbs. chicken or hamburger, cooked and drained
tortilla chips
3 cups cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, saute the onion. Add the chicken soup, green chilies, and stewed tomatoes. Cook ingredients for a few minute and then add the meat. Stir till well blended. In a 9x13 pan, alternate layering the tortilla chips, the grated cheese, and the meat mixture. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 1 hour
Recipe Origin: Mom

Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. margarine
3 cups milk
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
7 medium potatoes, cooked and sliced
2 Tbsp. onion, diced

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, combine the margarine, milk, flour, salt, and pepper. Stir over medium heat until melted and smooth. Meanwhile prepare your cooked potatoes by slicing them into thin slices. Add the onions to the potatoes and mix together. Layer half of the potatoes in a greased 9x13 pan and top with half of the sauce. Repeat again with the other half of potatoes and sauce. Cover the pan with tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. After the hour is up, remove the tinfoil and continue baking until the top is browned.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 90 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Sauerkraut

Ingredients:
1 jar or can sauerkraut
1/3 cup apple, diced into small pieces
1/3 cup onion, diced into small pieces
a few Tbsp. caraway seeds
sugar, to taste

Directions:
In a large skillet, combine the sauerkraut, apple, onion, and caraway seeds. Turn the heat to medium and sprinkle sugar on the top of the ingredients. While stirring frequently, cook the sauerkraut until it has a sweet and salty flavor (adding more sugar if necessary). Keep sauerkraut on medium heat for about 45 minutes (until tender, not mooshy or chewy) adding water to the sauerkraut if it starts to dry out.

Tip: Rinse the sauerkraut with water bore cooking for less of a vinegar taste.

Difficulty: Medium
Time to Make: at least an hour
Recipe Origin: Steven Manning (Dad)

Navajo Potatoes

Ingredients:
6-8 medium potatoes, cooked and grated
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup butter
8 ounces sour cream
1 + 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper, to taste
5 stalks green onions, diced
corn flakes, slightly crushed (for the topping)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the cooked potatoes, cream of chicken soup, butter, sour cream, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper, and green onions. Stir till well blended. Spread into a 9x13 pan and top with the corn flakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about an hour
Recipe Origin: Mom

Cucumbers in Sour Cream Dressing

Ingredients:
1 large cucumber, rinsed, peeled, and sliced
1 + 1/2 cups sour cream
1 + 1/2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. chopped chives (the top of the green onion)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Directions:
Prepare your cucumber by washing, peeling, and slicing it into thin/medium slices. Combine all the other ingredients in a medium bowl and stir till smooth. Add the cucumber and stir again till the cucumber slices are evenly coated. Chill in the refrigerator and serve.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Cheesy Cauliflower

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1/2 head of cauliflower (you can always add more later)
2 cups cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a medium pot, combine the butter, flour, salt, and milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until warm and smooth. Meanwhile, in a separate medium pot, cook the cauliflower until its tender. Once the sauce is done, add the grated cheese and stir until its melted. (You can also add more cheese if you need too) Drain the cooked cauliflower and add it to the cheese sauce. Stir till cauliflower is well coated and serve warm.

Tip: You can use broccoli instead of cauliflower if you wish.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Taco Salad

Ingredients:
1 lbs ground beef, cooked and drained
1/2 an envelope dry onion soup mix
3/4 cup water
1 medium head of lettuce, chopped (about 4 cups)
1 large tomato, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup black olives, chopped
1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
1 - 6 ounce pkg corn chips
Thousand Island dressing

Directions:
In a large pan, cook and drain the ground beef. Add the onion soup mix and water and cook for about 10 minutes over med heat.
Meanwhile, chop the head of lettuce and place it in a large bowl. Add the tomato, onion, green pepper, black olives, and cheese. Finally add the ground beef and corn chips and stir till ingredients are mixed. Serve topped with Thousand Island Dressing.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Sweet Pork Salad

Ingredients:
Pork ingredients:
1 medium picnic pork roast
1 cup mild salsa
1 cup brown sugar

Salad ingredients:
flour tortillas
cheddar cheese, shredded
black beans, warmed
white or brown rice, cooked
lettuce
pico de gallo
guacamole
Fresco cheese crumbles
crispy tortilla strips
Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

Directions:
To make the pork, brown the pork roast and place it in a crock pot. Add the salsa and brown sugar and cook for 4-8 hours. To make the salad, warm a flour tortilla and top with cheddar cheese. Then top with pork, black beans, rice, lettuce, and the other ingredients. Top with the dressing.

Difficulty: Medium
Time to Make: 45 minutes prep time plus a few hours for the roast to cook
Recipe Origin: Nancy and Tricia

Raspberry Apple Jello Salad

Ingredients:
1 large pkg raspberry jello
2 cups raspberries
1 pkg dream whip, prepared
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 apple, chunked into tiny pieces

Directions:
Prepare the jello according to the directions on the package. Add the raspberries to the jello and chill till the jello is fully set. In a small bowl, combine the dream whip, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. Mix ingredients till slightly lumpy. Mix in the tiny apple chunks and stir again. 30 minutes before serving, top the jello with the cream cheese mixture.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: 10 minutes prep time plus a few hours chill time
Recipe Origin: Mom

Potato Salad

Ingredients:
6 medium potatoes
3 hard boiled eggs
6 green onion stalks, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:
Peel and boil the potatoes until they are tender. Chop the potatoes and put them in a large bowl. Combine all the other ingredients with the potatoes and stir till well blended. Chill salad in the refrigerator until serving.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Wallace Manning (Grandpa)

Macaroni Salad

Ingredients:
4 cups macaroni, cooked and drained
1 cup ham, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup pickle, diced
1/4 cup pickle liquid
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, diced
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup mustard

Directions:
Cook and drain the macaroni and run under cold water until it is cooled. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir till well blended. If salad is too dry, add more mayonnaise.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Lemon Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
1 - 4 ounce pkg instant lemon pudding mix, prepared
1 large can of fruit cocktail
2 sliced bananas
strawberries, sliced
blueberries
raspberries
apples, sliced

Directions:
In a large bowl, prepare the pudding mix according to the directions on the box. Add any of the fruit that you want and mix the salad well. Serve immediately.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Holiday Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
2 bananas, chunked
2 Golden Delicious Apples, chunked
2 Gala Apples, chunked
1 pineapple, chunked
2 pears, chunked
2 oranges, chunked
2 cups grapes
2 - 6 ounce containers of raspberry yogurt
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
walnuts (optional)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir till well blended. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Easy Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
4 cups of tricolor pasta, cooked and drained
1 bottle of zesty italian dressing

Topping choices:
black Olives
pepperoni slices
cubed cheese
broccoli chunks
carrot chunks
feta crumbles
chunked tomatoes
chunked green peppers
chunked cucumbers
cubed ham, turkey, or chicken
diced red onions

Directions:
Cook and drain pasta. Run pasta under cold water till cooled, drain it, and place it in a large bowl. Add any combination of the ingredients to the pasta. Stir until the dish is evenly blended. Pour the entire bottle of italian dressing over the pasta and stir again until everything is evenly coated.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: unknown

Cole Slaw

Ingredients:
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
2-3 big Tbsp. miracle whipe
1/2 tsp. celery salt
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir till well blended. If salad is too dry, add more mayo. If salad is too tart, add more sugar. To make salad more zippy, add more vinegar,

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
18 ounces cooked chicken, diced
1 + 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
3 stalks celery, diced
1 bunch green onions, diced
1 cup mayonnaise
seasoned salt, to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir till well blended. Serve over croissants, rolls, or by itself.

Tips: For variety, add sliced black olives, green grapes, or diced tomatoes.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Nancy Drury

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
dash of salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1 + 1/2 cups buttermilk

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and stir till well blended. Drop batter onto a hot, greased griddle and brown both sides. Serve hot with maple syrup.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Waffles

Ingredients:
2 + 1/4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 + 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
2 + 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
diced ham (optional)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir till well blended. Drop batter into a hot, greased waffle maker and bake till the waffle sensor indicates the waffles are done. Serve warm with maple syrup.

German Pancakes

Ingredients:
1/3 cup margarine
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
dash of salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the margarine in a 9x13 pan and place the pan in the oven while it preheats to melt the margarine. In a medium bowl, combine all the other ingredients and stir till well blended. Take the pan out of the oven when the margarine is melted and pour the batter into the pan. Do not mix the batter. Bake the pancakes at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. Make sure the pancakes have a lot of room to rise. Serve warm with lemon juice, maple syrup, and powdered sugar.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

French Pancakes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and powdered sugar. Mix till blended. Add the milk, eggs, water, and vanilla and stir lightly. Pour a small amount of batter on a hot, greased skillet. Brown both sides of the pancake. Top with powdered sugar before serving.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Farmer's Brunch Casserole

Ingredients:
3 cups frozen hash browns
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup ham, diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
4 eggs, beaten
12 ounces evaporated milk
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 pan and arrange the frozen hash browns on the bottom. Top the hash browns with the shredded cheese, ham, and onion. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, evaporated milk, pepper, and salt. Beat well with a spoon. Pour the mixture over the pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips: You can make this ahead of time and refrigerate it over night (unbaked), Just increase the baking time to 60-65 minutes.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: 30 minutes prep time and 1 hour for baking.
Recipe Origin: Tricia Richards

Crepes

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 tsp. sugar
2 large eggs
1 + 1/2 cups milk
2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir till smooth. Let batter sit for a few minutes to let the air bubbles rise. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet or crepe pan with some melted butter. Drop 3-4 Tbsp. of batter onto the hot pan. Tilt the pan to spread the batter out evenly in a circle. Cook batter until small bubbles appear on the top of the crepe. Check that the crepe is lightly browned underneath by lifting the edge with a knife. Once it is browned, flip the crepe to the other side and brown lightly. Cool crepes and serve with fruit, sour cream, and powdered sugar.

Tips: Loosed the crepe from the pan before trying to flip it over for a better flip. Also, spread the pan with melted butter after each crepe has cooked to keep the next crepe from sticking to the pan. You can store cooked crepes for up to 3 days in a refrigerator or 1 month frozen.

Difficulty: Medium
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: online somewhere

Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted

Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. butter

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, milk, egg, and melted butter. Mix together ingredients and pour the batter in a greased 8x8 pan. In a small bowl mix together the ingredients for the topping. Sprinkle the topping over the cake batter and bake the cake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean). Cool slightly before serving.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: unknown

Easy Ginger Ale Punch

Ingredients:
2 liters Ginger Ale, chilled
1 can frozen white grape juice, prepared
Ice

Directions:
Prepare the white grape juice according to the directions on the can. Pour both ingredients into a large punch bowl, add ice and serve cold.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 5 minutes
Recipe Origin: Waterford

Pink Punch

Ingredients:
2 liters of cherry 7up, chilled
46 ounces of pineapple juice, chilled

Directions:
In a large punch bowl combine the lemon lime pop with the pineapple juice. Serve cold.

Tips: You can add less pineapple juice if it is too strong.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: 5 minutes
Recipe Origin: Waterford

Wedding Punch

Ingredients:
5 quarts water
3 ups sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon extract
1 Tbsp. citric acid
Ice

Directions:
Combine all ingredients together in a large thermos or 5 gallon bucket. Stir till well mixed. Serve cold.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 10 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Wassail (Apple Juice Recipe)

Ingredients:
4 cups apple cider or juice
1 cups orange juice
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large pot over med heat. Bring ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat to low/med and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: unknown

Sherbet Punch

Ingredients:
2 liters lemon lime pop
Sherbet, any flavor

Directions:
Pour the lemon lime pop into a large punch bowl. Add scoops of sherbet to the pop. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Serve cold.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: 10 minutes
Recipe Origin: unknown

Pineapple Orange Slush

Ingredients:
4 cups sugar
6 cups HOT water
6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
6 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate
46 ounces pineapple juice
lemon lime pop

Directions:
In a 5 quart ice cream container, combine the hot water and sugar. Stir till sugar is dissolved. Add the orange juice concentrate, lemonade concentrate, and pineapple juice. Carefully stir till well mixed. Freeze mixture (stirring every 45 minutes so it freezes evenly). Serve over lemon lime pop. Store covered and frozen.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes plus freezing time
Recipe Origin: Mormon Cookbook

Orange Julius

Ingredients:
6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
12 ice cubes

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend till the ice chunks are gone. Serve immediately.

Tips: Add fruit for variety.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 10 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Orange Ice

Ingredients:
1 cup water, boiling
1 cup cold water
2 cups sugar
3 cups orange juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
lemon-lime pop

Directions:
Boil the 1 cup of water and dissolve the sugar in the hot water. Add the remaining water, orange juice, and lemon juice. Stir till well blended. Pour mixture into a pan and freeze (stir mixture every so often while its freezing). Serve over lemon lime pop.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes prep time plus a few hours freezing time
Recipe Origin: Mom

Hot Wassail

Ingredients:
5 quarts water
3 cups sugar
3 sticks cinnamon
1 Tbsp. whole cloves
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 cups orange juice
thin apple or lemon or orange slices for garnishing

Directions:
In a large pot, combine all ingredients. Simmer over low/med heat for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: unknown

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk Mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. cayenne (1/2 tsp. if you like it spicy)
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup cilantro, diced
3 tomatillos, quarted

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the ranch mix, sour cream, mayonnaise, and cayenne. Stir till smooth. Set aside. In a blender combine the garlic, cilantro, and tomatillos and puree the ingredients. Add the blended mix to the ranch mix and stir till smooth. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: online somewhere

Spinach Dip

Ingredients:
8 ounces spinach, chopped
3 cups light mayonnaise
5 cups sour cream
10 ounces water chestnuts, drained and diced
2.5 ounces Knorr Dry Veggie Soup & Dip Mix
1/2 bunch green onions, finely chopped

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir till well blended. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour and then serve with potato chips.

Note: Using miracle whip in place of mayonnaise will dramatically change the flavor of the dip.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: Nancy Drury

Olive Garden House Dressing

Ingredients:
8 ounces Paul Newman's Vinegar & Oil Dressing
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. sugar

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a salad dressing mixer bottle. Shake ingredients well. Refrigerate for 24 hours before serving with salad.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 10 minutes
Recipe Origin: online somewhere

Honey Butter

Ingredients:
1 cup honey
1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Beat all the ingredients in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high for 3 minutes (until the mixture thickens). Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 10 minutes
Recipe Origin: online somewhere

Citrus Fruit Dip

Ingredients:
1 - 6 ounce carton plain low fat yogurt
1/3 cup light cool whip, thawed
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
2 tsp. finely shredded lime, orange, and/or lemon zest
1 Tbsp. orange juice

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and stir till smooth. Serve with fruit. Serves about 8.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 10 minutes
Recipe Origin: Diabetic Living Cookbook

Dad's Calm Dip

Ingredients:
2 blocks Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
2 cans minced clams
Louisiana Hot Sauce, to taste

Directions:
Place your cream cheese in a medium bowl. Drain one of the cans of minced clams and add the clams to the cream cheese. Add the other can of clams to your cream cheese with the liquid. Stir with a fork till desired consistency. Add hot sauce (to taste) and stir. Serve with potato chips.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 10 minutes
Recipe Origin: Steven Manning (Dad)

Cowboy Salsa

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans corn, drained
2-3 tomatoes, diced
2 avocados, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 pkg italian dressing, prepared according to directions on the pkg

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, and red onion. Stir ingredients well. Pour the italian dressing over the ingredients and stir till everything is evenly coated. Chill in the refrigerator till serving. Eat with tortilla chips, or as a salad by itself.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Tricia Richards

Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients:
4-5 squares dark chocolate, chopped
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:
in a medium pot, heat all the ingredients until everything is melted (stirring constantly). Bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove pot from heat and serve warm over ice cream. Make about 1 + 1/2 cups.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 10 minutes
Recipe Origin: unknown

Chocolate Mint Syrup

Ingredients:
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup half & half or light cream
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbso. light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract

Directions:
In a small pot, combine the chocolate chips and butter. Heat over med and stir till melted. Once smooth, add the half & half (or light cream), sugar, and light corn syrup. Boil gently over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring constantly. After 8 minutes, remove pot from heat and add the peppermint extract. Stir till smooth and serve warm over cake and/or ice cream. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 10 minutes
Recipe Origin: unknown

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Dip

Ingredients:
1/2 quart cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 quart sour cream
1/2 quart ranch dressing
1.5 ounces REAL bacon bits
1 - 1 ounce pkg hidden valley ranch dip mix
1/4 bunch of green onions, diced

Directions:
Blend all ingredients in a medium bowl and chill for 1 hour before serving with chips.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: 10 minutes
Recipe Origin: Nancy Drury

Catalina Dressing:

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
dash of paprika
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 cup vinegar
2/3 cup ketchup
1 cup vegetable oil
grated onion, to taste

Directions:
Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend well. Store in a jar in the refrigerator.

Directions: Easy
Time to Make: about 10 minutes
Recipe Origin: unknown

Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter
3 Tbsp. Karo syrup
3/4 cup brown sugar
dash of salt
1 + 1/4 cups evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
In a medium sauce pan, combine the butter, Karo syrup, brown sugar and salt. Over medium heat, stir ingredients constantly until they are melted and smooth. Slowly add in the evaporated milk and vanilla. Stir ingredients till smooth and well heated. Serve warm over cake or ice cream.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 15 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Butterscotch Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup butter

Directions:
In a small pot, heat all ingredients on med/high until they are boiling, stirring them continuously. Once boiling, reduce the heat to med and simmer for 3 minutes. Serve hot over ice cream. Store in a refrigerator and reheat in a microwave.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 15 minutes
Recipe Origin: Ice Cream Cookbook

Spice Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup nuts
1 + 1/4 cups fruit, blended (peaches, pears, apples, or fruit cocktail)

1 + 3/4 + 2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Note: If you use applesauce for your blended fruit, add 1/8 tsp. ginger and 1/8 tsp. allspice.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, nuts, and blended fruit. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and ground cloves and stir together till blended. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean). Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about an hour
Recipe Origin: Mom

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:cream for topping
2 pie shells
2 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 pound pumpkin puree (2 cups)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 can evaporated milk
whip cream (for topping)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prep your pie shells so they are ready to be filled and baked. In a large bowl, combine all the other ingredients (except the whip cream) and stir till smooth. Pour the mixture into the pie shells and bake the pies at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees and continue baking for 30 minutes (until a knife comes out clean). Cool pies completely and serve with whip cream.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about an hour plus cooling time
Recipe Origin: Mom

Pats Oatmeal Cake

Ingredients:
1 + 1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup quick oats
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs

1 + 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Topping:
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar
6 Tbsp. evaporated milk
1 + 1/2 cups coconut

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the boiling water, oats, and shortening. Stir until the shortening is melted. Add the sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and the eggs (once its cooled enough). Stir again until its smooth. Then add the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir till blended and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean). While the cake is baking, mix up all the ingredients for the topping in a small bowl. When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately top it with the topping. Carefully spread the topping out evenly on the cake. Put the cake under the broiler and leave the door open slightly on the oven. Watch the cake continuously until the top starts to turn golden brown. Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely.

Difficulty: Medium
Time to Make: about 40 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom (who got it from Pat)

No-Bake Philly Cheesecake

Ingredients:
1 pkg. Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
8 ounces cool whip topping
1 - 9" graham cracker crust

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar till well blended. Gently fold in the cool whip. Pour mixture into the crust and refrigerate at least 3 hours (or overnight).

Tips: Top the cheesecake with fresh fruit or pie filling before serving for variety.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 15 minutes plus 3 hours chilling time
Recipe Origin: unknown

Miniature Cheesecakes

Ingredients:
18-24 vanilla wafers
2 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. lemon juice
cherry pie filling
whip cream (for topping)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To prepare, place 18-24 muffin papers in a muffin tin and put 1 vanilla wafer in each paper. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice with a mixer until ingredients are smooth. Spoon mixture over vanilla wafers and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool the cheesecakes completely and top them with a spoonful of cherry pie filling and whipped cream. Store in the refrigerator.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes prep time plus 40 minutes cooling time.

Easy Chicken and Veggies

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast
1/4 cup pesto
1/4 cup water
3 cups vegetables
mozzarella or parmesan cheese (for topping)

Directions:
Heat a large skillet with non-stick spray over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken to the pan, cover, and brown each side for 5 minutes each. Add the pesto, water, and vegetables and bring to a boil. Heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until your chicken is cooked thoroughly. Put chicken and veggies on a plate and sprinkle with mozzarella or parmesan cheese.

Tips: Steam your veggies for a few minutes before adding them to the chicken for a more tender vegetable.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: kraftfoods.com

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:
1 - 9" graham cracker pie crust
1 can sweetened condensed milk
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup lime juice
1 - 1+1/2 tsp. lime zest
whip cream (for garnishing)
lime zest (for garnishing)

Directions:
Prepare a 9" graham cracker crust and set aside.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk and the egg yolks. Whisk them together. Stir in the heavy whipping cream, lime juice, and the lime zest. Pour ingredients into the pie crust and bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Cool pie and top with whip cream and lime zest.

Tips: You can also make this with a meringue topping too (see directions below). Simply follow the same pie directions as above, but have meringue topping ready when pie is done baking. Remove the pie from the oven and increase the temp to 350 degrees. Spoon meringue on top of the pie and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minute or until it is lightly browned.

Meringue Topping:
3-4 egg whites
6 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
dash of salt

Directions:
Beat the egg white till peaks are formed. Combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt and continue beating till whites no longer feel gritty.

Difficulty: Medium
Time to Make: about 40 minutes
Recipe Origin: online somewhere

Hershey Sundae Pie

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces cool whip, thawed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large box instant chocolate pudding mix
1 small tub of cool whip
chocolate shavings (for garnishing)
1 Oreo pie crust

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar and beat will well blended. Fold in the 8 ounces of cool whip and vanilla extract. Spread the mixture in the bottom of the oreo pie crust.

In a medium bowl, prepare the chocolate pudding mix according to the directions on the box (minus 1/2 cup of milk). Spread over the cheese layer in the pie.

Top the pie with cool whip and chocolate shavings and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Nancy Drury

Creamy Lemon Pie

Ingredients:
1 + 3/4 cups cold milk
2 small packages instant vanilla pudding mix
1 - 6 ounce can frozen lemonade, thawed
8 ounces cool whip, thawed
1 - 9" graham cracker crust
lemon slices (for garnishing)
whip cream (for garnishing)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the cold mix and pudding mixes. Beat with a wire whisk till smooth. Add the lemonade and beat with a whisk for 30 seconds more. (Mixture will be thick). Immediately fold in the cool whip until mixture is blended. Pour filling into the pie crust and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving. Garnish with lemon slices and whip cream just before serving.

Tips: for variety try different flavors of lemonade.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes prep time plus 4 hours chill time.
Recipe Origin: one of my cookbooks

Coconut Cream Pie

Ingredients:
1 large box coconut cream pudding mix, prepared
1 large container of cool whip
2 cups coconut
1 graham cracker crust
vanilla wafer and maraschino cherries (for garnishing - optional)

Directions:
Prepare the pudding mix as directed on the box for pies. Add the coconut and stir till blended. Gently fold in 1/2 of the container of cool whip. Pour pudding mixture into the graham cracker crust and refrigerate for 2 hours. Top with the remaining cool whip and refrigerate another hour. Garnish with vanilla wafers and maraschino cherries just before serving.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes prep time plus 3 hours chill time
Recipe Origin: Nancy Drury

Chocolate Health Bar Cake

Ingredients:
1 chocolate cake mix, prepared according to the directions on the box
1 can sweet and condensed milk
1 jar caramel ice cream topping
1 large tub of cool whip, thawed
2-3 crushed heath bars

Directions:
Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the directions on the box. After the cake is done, and while it is still warm, use a wooden spoon to poke holes in the cake about 1.5" apart. Pour the sweet & condensed milk over the cake and then pour the caramel ice cream topping over the cake. Place the cake in the refrigerator and let it cool completely. Once cake is cool, ice it with the cool whip and sprinkle the health bar over the top. Store in the refrigerator.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 40 minutes prep time + 2 hours chilling time.
Recipe Origin: online somewhere

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 + 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/3 cup melted butter

Filling:
3 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp. flour

Directions:
For crust, combine all ingredients in a small bowl an mix until well blended. Press crumbs onto the bottom and sides of a 9" spring-form pan. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Put the cream cheese in a medium bowl and beat it with the sweetened condensed milk (gradually adding the milk). Add the eggs and vanilla and beat till smooth. Measure out 1/3 of the chocolate chips and sprinkle them with the flour. Fold the floured chocolate chips into the cream cheese mixture. Pour the filling into the crust and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on the top.

Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour. Turn the oven off (leaving the cheesecake in the oven and the door closed). Leave the cheesecake in the oven for another hour. Remove from oven and cool completely. Chill before removing the sides of the pan.

Directions: Medium
Time to Make: about 2 + 1/2 hours
Recipe Origin: online somewhere

Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients:
4 squares semi-sweet Bakers chocolate
2 pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
8 ounces cool whip, thawed
Oreo or chocolate pie crust

Directions:
Melt the Bakers chocolate in the microwave and stir till smooth. Add the cream cheese and sugar and stir till creamy. Gently fold in the cool whip and then pour mixture into the pie crust. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight) before serving.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes prep plus at least 3 hours chilling time
Recipe Origin: Tricia Richards

Caramel Apple Pie

Ingredients:
Pie Crust: (Makes a top and bottom)
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup + 1 Tbsp. shortening
1/3 cup ice water
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 egg, beaten

Filling:
6 Jonathon Apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cug sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 Tbsp. heavy cream
4 Tbsp. butter, melted

Vanilla Ice Cream

Directions:
For the crust, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and shortening in a medium bowl. Mix with a pasty tool till well blended. In a small bowl combine the ice water, vinegar, and the egg. Mix till smooth and add to the flour mixture. Mix everything until blended and chill in the refrigerator. Once chilled, cut the dough into halves and roll each half out on a lightly floured surface into a circle. Place one of the circles into a pie crust and form the edges however you want. Prick all the sides and bottom with a fork. Set aside the other circle until the pie is filled.

For the filling, sprinkle the sliced apples the lemon juice in a large bowl. In a small bowl combine together the brown sugar, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add to the apples and stir till all apples are evenly coated. Add to the apples the vanilla extract and the heavy cream. Pour the apples into a large pan with the melted butter and cook about 8 minutes to soften the apples. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Pour the apples into the pie crust and top with the top crust. Seal the edges of the pie crust and cut slits into the top for steam vents.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook 45 minutes longer. Let stand at least 1 hour before serving with vanilla ice cream.

Tips: You can use a dutch topping for this pie. Recipe found here.

Difficulty: Hard
Time to Make: about 2 + 1/2 hours
Recipe Origin: allrecipes.com

Boston Cream Pie Minis

Ingredients:
24 chocolate or yellow cupcakes

Filling:
1 cup milk, cold
1 - 4 ounce instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup cool whip

Icing:
1 cup cool whip
4 squares Baker's chocolate

Directions:
For the filling, beat together the milk and vanilla pudding mix. Let it stand 5 minutes and then fold in the cool whip. Fill each cupcake with about 1 Tbsp of the filling. For the icing, microwave together the cool whip and Baker's chocolate till the chocolate is almost melted. Stir till smooth. Frost each cupcake with the chocolate icing and refrigerate cupcakes for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 90 minutes (including cupcake prep time)
Recipe Origin: Tricia Richards

Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:
1 large package of banana cream pudding mix
Milk
1 small container of cool whip, thawed
2 large bananas, sliced
1 - 9" graham cracker crust
maraschino cherries (optional)

Directions:
Prepare the banana cream pudding mix according to the pie directions on the box. Fold 1/2 of the cool whip into the pudding. Add the 2 sliced bananas to the pudding mix and fold gently. Pour the pudding into the graham cracker crust and top with the remaining cool whip. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Top with maraschino cherries just before serving.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes prep time plus 4 hours chill time
Recipe Origin: Nancy Drury

Banana Cake

Ingredients:
1 + 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup butter, melted
3 bananas, mashed
2 Tbsp. sour cream

2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup nuts
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Icing to frost cake with.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and eggs. Add the melted butter, mashed bananas, and sour cream. Stir till well blended. Add the remaining ingredients and stir again till blended. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool completely and frost with icing.

Tips: This cake is good with sour cream icing, peanut butter icing, or just plain vanilla icing.

Directions: Easy
Time to Make: about an hour + cooling and frosting time
Recipe Origin: Mom

Dutch Apple Pie

Ingredients:
1 Pie Crust
2 cans of apple pie filling (to use fresh fruit, see below)
Vanilla Ice Cream

Dutch Topping: (makes enough for 1 pie, double if you are making 2 pies)
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1 tsp. cinnamon
6 Tbsp. butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a pie crust according to the baked pie directions found here. Pour 2 cans of apple pie filling into the unbaked pie shells. Mix together the ingredients for the dutch topping mix until well blended and top the pies with the topping. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.

Fresh Fruit Ingredients: (this is enough for 1 pie)
4-6 Granny or Braeburn apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. apple pie spice

Directions:
Toss your apples with the other ingredients and pour fruit into the pie shells. Continue with directions above.

Difficulty: Medium
Time to Make: about 2 hours
Recipe Origin: Mom

Waffle Iron Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup margarine
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
6 Tbsp. cocoa

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:
in a large bowl, cream together the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and stir till well blended. Heat a waffle iron. Drop dough by spoonful into the hot waffle iron. Bake for about 1 minute. Cool slightly and frost with chocolate icing.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 45 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 + 1/2 cups sugar

2 + 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. salt

Cinnamon/sugar coating:
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream together wet ingredients (above). Add the dry ingredients and stir till well blended. Chill dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Once dough is chilled, roll it into balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place the balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 90 minutes
Recipe Origin: unknown

Raisin Filled Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 + 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Raisin Filling:
1 cup raisins
3/8 cup sugar
3/8 cup water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and stir till well blended. Put the ingredients for the raisin filling into a blender and blend till smooth. Empty the blender into a small saucepan and cook till thickened. On a cookie sheet, sandwich the raisin filling in between two spoonfuls of cookie dough. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Difficulty: Medium
Time to Make: about 90 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Quacker's Best Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
1 + 1/4 cups butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 + 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 cups quick oats

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together wet ingredients (above). Then add the dry ingredients and stir till well blended. Drop dough by spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool 1 minute on the pan and then remove and cool completely.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about an hour
Recipe Origin: allrecepies.com

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
14.5 ounce can of pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 - 12 ounce pkg. chocolate chips
4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together everything but the flour and baking powder. Add the flour and baking powder and mix till well blended. Drop dough by spoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 2 hours
Recipe Origin: online somewhere

Peanut Kissed Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 + 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
48 Hershey Kisses, unwrapped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine shortening, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat with a mixer till fluffy. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla extract and stir till blended. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and stir again till well blended. Shape dough into 1" balls and roll in sugar. Put ball on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and immediately press a hershey kiss into the center of the cookie. Cool completely.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 90 minutes
Recipe Origin: online somewhere