Jan 30, 2009

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 cup Shortening
2/3 cup Butter
1 cup Brown Sugar
3/4 cup Sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon Vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
3 cups Flour
1 Bag Chocolate Chips (I like to use Mini Hershey's Kisses!)

Cream Shortening, Butter, Brown Sugar and Sugar. Add Eggs, Vanilla, Salt and Baking Soda, then slowly add 3 cups flour. Mix in Chocolate Chips. Bake at 375 for 11-13 minutes till a light golden brown.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Crust:

1 box Yellow cake mix (reserve 1 c for topping)
1/2 cup Margerine

Filling:

1 29 oz can Pumpkin
1 1/2 cup Sugar
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 12 oz can Evaporated milk
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
2 tsp Cinnamon

Topping:

1 cup Yellow Cake Mix
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 cup Margerine softened

Mix crust ingredients together. Sprinkle the mixture on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Stir the filling ingredients together until well blended then spread over crust. Mix the topping ingredients together using fingers. Sprinkle on top of filling. Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

1 pkg. frozen spinach thawed
1 jar marinated artichokes, chopped
8 oz. Philly Cream Cheese
8 oz. Sour cream
3/4 c. Shredded Parmesan cheese
8 oz. Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 stick butter
Red pepper flakes to taste

Saute onions in butter, adding ingredients while mixing and blending well after each addition. Add ingredients in this order: Spinach, Cream Cheese, Sour Cream, Parmesan Cheese, Artichoke Hears, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes.

Remove from heat and put in crocks or microwave dish. Top with Monterey Jack Cheese and melt. Serve hot with chips or bread.

Christmas Wassail

2 1/2 quarts apple cider
2 1/2 cups orange juice
1 (26 oz) can pineapple juice
about 3/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves

Mix all ingredients in a large pot, simmer for at least a half an hour to an hour. Serve hot.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

1 Spice Cake Mix
1 Pumpkin Pie mix (large size)
1 1/2 cups Small chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together, spoon dough onto cookie sheet and bake at 350º for 12-15 minutes.

Mexican-ish Dip!

1 can black beans
1 can of corn (or 2 cups frozen corn)
2-3 tomatoes
1-2 avacados
1 packet dry Good Seasons Italian Dressing
vegetable oil and vinegar (for dressing mix)

Drain the black beans and corn, mix together in a bowl. Prepare the Italian Dressing per the instructions on the package and pour it over the beans and corn. Mix together, refridgerate this overnight. Chop up the tomatoes & avacado and add to mixture right before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

3 Bean Salad

1 green pepper
1 can wax beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can kidney beans
1 sliced onion
1 can green beans (if desired)

Dressing:

3/4 cup salad oil
1 cup vinegar
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix dressing well. Pour over vegetables and refrigerate overnight. Slice green pepper and onion and add just before eating.

Poppy Seed Chicken

3 to 4 cups cut up chicken (cooked)
1 1/2 cup crushed Ritz crackers
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 cube melted butter (you can use margarine)

Mix sour cream, soup and poppy seeds. In a casserole dish, layer 1/2 cup Ritz, 1/2 of sour cream mixture, then 1/2 of chicken. Repeat. End with 1/2 cup of Ritz. Pour butter on top. Cook at 325º for 30-40 minutes.

Meatloaf

1 1/2 lb. ground beef (may be part of sausage)
1 cup tomato juice
3/4 cup oats
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Press firmly into loaf pan. Bake at 350º for one hour.

Rice Broccoli and Chicken Casserole

4 servings of cooked rice
1 (10oz) pkg broccoli, cooked
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. curry powder (optional)
2 cups shredded cheese

Mix soup, mayonnaise, lemon, curry and half of the cheese. In a deep casserole dish, line bottom of dish with cooked rice. Spread some of your soup mixture on top. Spread drained cooked broccoli next. Put more of your soup mixture on top. Place cooked and chopped chicken on top. Spread remaining soup mixture on top. Sprinkle the rest of the grated cheese on top. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes.

Chili Verde

3 lb. pork loin roast
1 cup water
salt
3 cloves garlic
1 can green chilies (the larger can)
1 medium can tomotaes (I use stewed)
3 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. flour

Place the pork in water with salt to taste and 2 cloves garlic. I also season the pork with cumin, chili powder and seasoned salt. Use whatever spices you would like! Cook the 3 lb pork roast at 325º for approximately 2 1/2 hrs and meat pulls apart easily. Cool; let stand until the fat congeals at the top; remove fat. Combine 1 clove garlic, can chilies and can tomatoes and salt to taste and set aside. ( I also like to put salsa in this mixture)Cut the cool pork in small squares. Heat the oil in an extra large skillet, stir in flour. Add chili-tomato mixture and enough meat broth to desired consistency (keeping mixture thick). Add cut up meat; simmer for about 15 minutes.

Jan 27, 2009

Tamale Pie

Cook:
1 lb. Hamburger
1 c. chopped onion

Add:
1 10 3/4 can tomatoes
1/2 c. green pepper
1/2 c. chopped celery
12 oz. can of corn
1 T. salt
1 1/2 t. chili powder


Cook in above order. Then add 1/2 c. corn meal in 1 c. water and mix with other ingredients. Simmer until thick. Then add 1 c. pitted olives. Put in casserole dish and top with the following crust.

Crust:
Heat:
1 1/2 c. can milk
1 t. salt
2 T. Butter
When hot, stir in 1/2 c. corn meal. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add 1/2 c. grated cheese and 2 lightly beaten eggs. Mix well and spread over tamale pie.

Chill, Bake at 350* for 40 minutes.