Holiday Green Salad

Head of chopped romaine lettuce
toasted chopped almonds
pomegranate seeds
shredded dubliner cheese or your choice of cheese
cosmic crisp apple thinly sliced into bite size
small white onion thinly sliced

Dressing:
1/4 cup avocado oil
2 TBS sugar
2 TBS white vinegar
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1 TBS poppy seeds
Put ingredients in a jar and shake and put on salad right before serving

Other topping options:
oranges 
strawberries
blueberries
raspberries
candied almonds
bacon
pears
pistachios

S'mores Cookie Bars

 Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.
3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Lovin' the Oven

Raspberry Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

Bread Pudding:

3 T. softened butter
3 eggs, beaten
3 1/2 c. milk
1 pkg. frozen raspberries
2/3 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
8-10 c. cubed white bread (2 inch cubes)
2 1/2 T. cinnamon/sugar mixture

Cream Sauce:

3 T. butter, melted

1/2 c. sugar

1/8 tsp. cornstarch
1 pt. whipping cream at room temperature

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Mix softened butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and milk to make a the custard.

2. Put the cubed bread in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. The pan should be very full of bread, the custard will condense it. Spread the raspberries over the bread. Pour the custard mixture over the top and sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. You can also serve the sauce on the side or pour it over individual servings of the pudding. 

3. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until well set in the middle.

4. While the pudding is baking, mix the cream sauce ingredients well. Once the pudding is done, pour the cream sauce over the hot bread pudding.

5. Serve warm. 

Zuppa Toscana Soup

10-12 spicy sausage links

1 diced yellow onion

1/2 pkg. bacon

2 TBS. minced garlic

3 potatoes, diced

1/4 cup kale, chopped

3 chicken broth cubes

5-6 cups water

3 cups cream

1 large portabello mushroom, diced

2 TBS. fresh basil-cut up

1 TBS. garlic salt

1TBS. onion salt

In olive oil, sauté sausage, onion, garlic and mushroom.  Cook bacon until crispy. Then crumble and add to mixture.  Sauté diced potatoes for 2-3 minutes.  Add water, kale, broth cubes, and salts.  Simmer 30 minutes.  Blend in cream and basil.  Serve hot. 

Baked Beans...

16 oz. bacon cooked crispy and crumbled
1 large onion diced
1 large green pepper diced
1 can pineapple and juice
2 large cans pork and beans
16 oz. bottle of ketchup
1 Tbs. mustard
2 Tbs. Worcestershire
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1/2 cup brown sugar

Cut bacon into bite sized pieces and brown in pan until crispy.  Dice and sauté green pepper and onion in left over bacon grease.  Once everything is cooked, add to a crockpot.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.  Cook on low for 3 hours.  Still occasionally while cooking.

Instant Pot Baked Ziti

1 lb. ground beef (I use Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage)
2 cups broth
 2 cups cream (see note for lightened up substitutions)
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
 16 ounces uncooked ziti pasta or other tube-shaped pasta
 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
 1/2 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
 Fresh basil, for serving (optional)

Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 6-quart Instant Pot with nonstick cooking spray. Using the Saute feature on the Instant Pot, cook the ground beef or sausage, drain the fat, and proceed with the recipe, making sure when you add the broth to scrape the bottom of the pot really well before adding the other ingredients.  Pour in the broth and cream and add the salt, pepper and garlic.

Add the pasta; don't stir, but if it's mounded in the center, arrange into an even layer. Pour the crushed tomatoes evenly over the pasta and sprinkle the oregano and basil over the top. Don't stir.

Secure the lid of the Instant Pot, set the valve to seal, and select "manual" or "pressure cook" and dial up or down to the minutes needed --> take the cooking time on the pasta package directions, cut it in half and subtract two more minutes. So for pasta that cooks to al dente in 12 minutes, the IP cooking time would be 4 minutes (add an extra minute if you like your pasta super soft).

Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir thoroughly (it's ok if there are some darker, cooked spots on the bottom of the pot/bottom layer of pasta). Serve the ziti immediately with chopped, fresh basil, and additional Parmesan, if desired.

NOTES
If you want to lighten up the cream a bit, I've had great success making this with 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon cornstarch (whisked together) + 1 cup cream.

If I'm taking this meal somewhere I usually put it in a 9x13 pan after it's cooked, sprinkle mozzerella cheese on top and place it under the broiler to melt. 

Potato Cheese Soup

5 c. chicken broth
1 3/4 c. chopped celery
3/4 c. chopped onion
8 c. diced potatoes
2 carrots, grated
1 tsp. salt
dash of pepper

Bring the above ingredients to a boil and cook just until the potatoes are barely tender.  Remove from the heat. 

1 cube butter
1/2 c. flour

Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour to make a roux.  Add this to the cooked veggies. 

Add to the soup:

1 1/2 qt. half and half
3/4 of an 8 oz jar of cheese whiz

Return to low heat and stir until the cheese whiz is incorporated.

World's Easiest Chicken Salad

My kids prefer this to the fancier recipes and I make it often because it's so easy.  They have requested it in their sack lunches once school starts.  :)

Sprinkle Lowry's seasoning salt and some lemon pepper on three fresh (not frozen but I am sure frozen would work too) chicken breasts and cook them on high in the crockpot until just cooked to 165 degrees but no longer. 

While it's hot, shred the chicken using two forks.  You want it in nice chunks, not overly shredded.  Then let it cool.

Add mayonnaise to make the chicken salad as creamy as you like it and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve on King's Hawaiian rolls. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Whip:
1 C. Sugar
1 C. Brown Sugar
2/3 C. Butter softened
2/3 C. Shortening
2 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla

Mix:
3 C. Flour
1 1/2 C. Oats
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 C. Chocolate Chips (we use more)

Mix until barely blended
Bake @ 375 for 8-10 minutes

Made for me by Payton

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

Recipe from Made It Ate It Loved It

2 lbs beef stew meat
8 oz whole mushrooms, cut in quarters
2 packets of onion soup mix
1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup worchesteshire sauce
8 oz cream cheese
16 oz sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
egg noodles or rice

Place the stew meat in the bottom of crockpot.  Top with mushrooms.  Add 2 packets of dry onion soup mix.  Add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce.  Cook on low for 6 hours.

Add cream cheese, sour cream, and heavy cream. Cook on high for 1 hour or until melted. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

Oriental Slaw Salad

2 (16 oz) packages slaw

½ cup green pepper-diced

½ cup yellow pepper-diced

½ cup radish-chopped

½ cup green onion

2 pages oriental ramen noodles

¾ cup sunflower seeds

¾ cup slivered almonds

2 TBS. butter

Melt butter and mix with nuts and crushed ramen noodles.  Bake at 350 degrees. Be careful not to burn. Cool.

Dressing:

1 cup canola oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 TBS. soy sauce

2 packages of ramen noodle seasoning packets 

½ cup sugar

Mix all ingredients together, making sure the sugar dissolves.  Right before serving, mix all ingredients: vegetables, nuts and dressing.

Greek Pasta Salad

1 lb. rotini or other small pasta
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
8 oz Persian cucumbers, diced
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 (8 oz.) chunk feta cheese, cubed
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

One Hour White Bread

One Hour Bread (from Cooking Classy)

Makes 2 small loaves.

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 cups (780g) bread flour , then more as needed
• 3 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp rapid rise yeast
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2/3 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp butter, diced into 1 Tbsp pieces
• 2 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. In a bowl or in a large liquid measuring cup combine water, milk and butter. Heat in microwave until it reaches 120 - 130 on an instant read thermometer, about 1 - 2 minutes (it's okay if butter doesn't fully melt). 
2. Meanwhile add 5 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix for about 10 seconds to blend.
3. Pour warmed water mixture into flour mixture then pour in lemon juice. Mix on a fairly low speed for 1 minute. 
4. Scrape dough from paddle and switch to hook attachment, scrape sides of bowl. Set to a fairly low speed and let knead 4 minutes, while adding a little more flour if needed until dough consistency isn't sticky (it can stick to the bottom of bowl but shouldn't stick to the sides).
5. Meanwhile spray two 8 by 4-inch or 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.
6. Divide dough into two equal portions, and shape into logs each 8-inches long. Transfer to prepared loaf pans.
7. Cover loaves with a large container such as a cake carrier or spray a sheet of plastic wrap with non-stick cooking spray and drape over loaf pans. Let rise until doubled in volume, about 25 minutes. 
8. Meanwhile preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
9. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown on top and hollow when tapped, about 22 - 25 minutes. Invert loaves onto wire racks to cool. 
10. Store loaves in an airtight container once they are almost finished cooling.

Almond Sheet Cake with Butter Frosting

2 cups flours

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 cup butter

1 cup water

1/2 cup sour cream

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp. almond extract

sliced almonds, for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 15 x 11 jelly roll pan.  In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients and set aside.  In a small saucepan, combine butter and water-bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Add to flour mixture and stir to combine.  

Stir in sour cream, beaten eggs, and almond extract .

Pour into buttered pan and bake 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Spread warm (not hot) cake with butter frosting (recipe below). Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Cut into squares and serve.

Butter Frosting

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup milk (the higher the fat content, the richer it will taste)

1/2 tsp. almond extract 

3 cups powdered milk

In a medium saucepan, combine butter and milk.  Bring to a soft boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, and remove from heat as soon as it boils.  Whisk in almond extract, then gradually whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth.  Frost warm cake. 

Junk Mix (cereal mix)

In a large bowl add:
6 cups Golden Grahams
6 cups Corn Chex
2 cups coconut
2 cups slivered almonds

In a medium saucepan add:
1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup butter

Bring to a boil over medium heat. Let boil for 2 minutes. Pour over cereal and mix. Pour mixture over waxed paper to cool and store in air tight container

*instead of Golden Grahams you could try Smore cereal and Fruit Loops