Cranberry Salsa

Cranberry Salsa

You will need:
* 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple
* 1 can of cranberry jelly with berries
* 1/4 cup of sugar
* 2 green peppers
* 1 jalapeno pepper
* 1 bunch of green onions
* 1 bunch of fresh cilantro

Chop green peppers, jalapenos, green onions, and cilantro very finely. In a serving bowl mix cranberry jelly, crushed pineapple, green peppers, jalapeno, green onions, cilantro and sugar. Once well mixed refrigerate for at least 1-3 hours before serving. Serve with chips or in a warm crockpot on top of "lil smokies"

Easy Cream Cheese Shrimp Dip

1 package cream cheese, softened
1 bottle Cross and Blackwell cocktail sauce (tastes the best)
1-2 cans baby shrimp

INSTRUCTIONS
Soften cream cheese and spread out onto plate or pie plate. Pour cocktail sauce over cream cheese and top with shrimp. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate till ready to serve. Tastes best with Ritz, Wheat Thins or Triscuits.

Killer French Toast for Christmas Morning!

This recipe is DEADLY and DELICIOUS! It's a Paula Deen dish... so eaters beware! I've tried making this with 1/2 the eggs, milk, and half-n-half. It's good that way, too -- a little less bread pudding, a little more french toast. I also HIGHLY recommend adding a huge dollop of fresh whipped cream on top with maple syrup. Delicious!

Casserole:

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the casserole and bake for 40-60 minutes (it turns out differently every time for me -- just watch it), until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping: 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1 cup chopped pecans 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Use entire mixture to cover french toast casserole.

Christmas Wafer Cookies

I have to say this is my very favorite cookie ever! We only make it at Christmas time just to keep it "Special!" Enjoy ;)

Christmas Wafer Cookie

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter
½ cup margarine
½ cup cream
2 cups flour
Filling:
¼ cup butter, softened
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
red and green food coloring (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
Mix well butter, margarine, cream and flour and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out dough on floured board until thin. Cut out into circles. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake 7-9 minutes at 350 degrees. Take cookies out of oven and cool. Put two cookies together with filling in the middle. For filling, combine butter, powdered sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and a little food coloring (if desired) in a medium bowl and mix well. These are a perfect Christmas Time cookie!

CRANBERRY BREAKFAST WASSIL

20 ounces cranberry juice
10 ounces apple juice
3 3/4 ounces pineapple juice, frozen concentrate -- thawed
3 3/4 ounces lemonade, frozen concentrate -- thawed
3 cinnamon sticks

Directions:
In a large saucepan combine juices, concentrates and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add water if desired. Serve hot or cold


BTW - SIERRA MIST HAS A FABULOUS DRINK - CRANBERRY SPLASH! GREAT FOR PARTIES!

Crock Pot Apple Butter

10 c. peeled and sliced Jonathan apples (don't add any water)
5 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix all of the above and cook in crock pot on low for 10-12 hours. (Cook overnight and wake up to a wonderful smell!) Then uncover and cook an additional 2-4 hours on high until apple butter is thick. Pour into hot canning jars leaving 1/4 inch head space and seal or pour into jar and simply refrigerate. Yields about 4 1/2 pints.

Pork Burrito Salad

Our entire family LOVES Cafe Rio so when we found this recipe we
just had to try it out! ENJOY! Hmmmmmm


Cafe Rio Knock-Off Pork Burrito/Salad


Pork Burritos/Salad:
1 pork roast (shoulder approx 3-4lbs) or butt
2 cans coke
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 small cans of diced chilis
1 (14 OZ can of tomato sauce)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin

Mix ingredients in crock pot. Add roast. Cook the night before on low for 6-7 hours. Shred pork the next morning, put back in crockpot and let marinade for 4-5 hours on warm.

Costco has a great uncooked tortillas. (pk of 40)
2-3 cans of black or pinto beans
2-3 cups of rice of your choice
1 can of green chili enchilada sauce
2-4 cups of mozzarella cheese (depends on if you like a lot of cheese inside and on top)

If you want to make a salad do not use the enchilada sauce and mozzarella cheese from above, instead add: 2 bags of greens

Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Dressing:
1 cup mayo (full fat not light)
1 cup cilantro
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk Recipe Dressing
Mix 1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cloves garlic (minced)
3 tomatillos (quartered)

Mix all ingredients in blender until well blended. Chill before serving.

Don't forget tortilla strips for the top of the salad!(you can buy the tortilla strips in a bag at SMITHS in front of their deli meats.)

My Favorite Gooseberry Patch Cookbook!

My Favorite GOOSEBERRY PATCH Cookbook is Slow-Cooker Recipes! Check out page 128! My Mexicali Beef Soft Tacos Recipe made it into their recipe book! I've been buying Gooseberry Patch Recipe Books and items from their website forever! I love all the fun stories, pictures and crafts! Its just one of those "feel good" websites! Check them out! www.gooseberrypatch.com

Broccolli-Cauliflower Soup

My family will all be here this weekend and this Broccoli Cauliflower Soup recipe is my favorite "go to" for a crowd! The Spike seasoning makes this soup taste wonderfully new to your taste buds and helps to keep down the salt! Even children love this soup!



INGREDIENTS
1 chopped onion
1 bunch broccoli, cut up into bite sized pieces
1 bunch cauliflower, cut up into bite sized pieces
1-2 tbsp all purpose SPIKE (original)
1 cup butter
1 cup flour
¼ tsp pepper
8 cups milk
2 cups medium cheddar cheese, shredded

INSTRUCTIONS
Cook onion, broccoli and cauliflower until tender and sprinkle with SPIKE (I use 2-3 TBSP). While vegetables are cooking make the soup part. In a large saucepan, melt butter and mix with flour and pepper (no salt because of the SPIKE). Add milk slowly and stir constantly until thickened. Add cheese. Empty water from broccoli and pour mixture into soup. You could also put the Spike in with the sauce as you make it rather than the veggies.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ahhh I love fall and all the great foods that come with it! This recipe is our family favorite! I've made it for so many years now and we never get tired of it! ENJOY!

Chicken Pot Pie

INGREDIENTS
3-4 cut up carrots
5-6 cut up potatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 package frozen peas
1 package frozen corn
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp salt

2-4 pre-made pie crust sheets Or make your own pastry pie crust.

Filling:
1 cup butter, melted
6 tsp chicken bullion (with no MSG)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
5 ¼ cups water
2 cups milk

INSTRUCTIONS
Cook carrots, potatoes, and onion on stovetop until soft but not mushy. Add peas when vegetables are done. Boil chicken breasts and salt for 1-2 hours. Break up chicken into pieces when done and set aside. For filling: In a large sauce pan combine melted butter, flour, chicken bullion, salt and pepper. Let it cook for a little bit to warm up the flour and then add water and milk. Stir constantly with a wire whisk until thick. Add chicken and vegetables when thickened to a gravy. Pour mixture into pie crusts and fill pie full then top with another crust and cut a slit in the top. Bake pies in oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Swamp Juice

Filled with gummy creatures and fish eggs made from tapioca pearls, this sweet, bubbly drink looks like something scooped up from a deep, dark bog. Try making a batch for a Halloween gathering or as a spooky after-dinner treat.

(I got this off of the Disney Family Fun Site!)

SWAMP JUICE

FOR 8 SERVINGS:
1/2 cup small tapioca pearls (found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores)
Food coloring
4 tablespoons sugar
8 gummy fish
Seltzer water
Lemonade
8 gummy worms
X
Instructions
MAKE THE EGGS: Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and add the tapioca pearls. Reduce the heat slightly and boil the pearls, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes.

COLOR THE EGGS: Divide the pearls, with the remaining water, between two bowls. Add 4 drops of food coloring (we used 3 drops of yellow and 1 drop of green in one bowl, and 4 drops of blue in the other) and 2 tablespoons of sugar to each bowl. Stir the mixtures, then allow them to sit uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and rinse the pearls with cold water.

ASSEMBLE THE DRINK: Spoon 2 tablespoons of pearls into each glass and drop in a gummy fish. Fill the glasses with seltzer water, then add a splash of lemonade. Place a gummy worm around a spoon as shown.

Hearty Lasagne / Lasagna !

This is the recipe my mom used my whole life! For me its the BEST I've tried! and...its very easy.

2 lbs Lean Hamburger or turkey burger
1 Onion chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic chopped
Brown together in a skillet. Drain off excess fat and add:

2 Large cans of Stewed Tomatos
1 Small can of Tomato Paste
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp pepper

Simmer for 2 Hours

Shred 3 Cups of Cheddar Cheese
Wash off the cream of 1 tub of Cottage Cheese by putting into a strainer under running water.
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese

Cook One 16 oz package of Lasagna Noodles until tender.

Put a little sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish - layer of noodles, then meat sauce, cottage cheese, shredded cheese, parm cheese. Repeat and then top with Cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until bubbly. (I place casserole pan on a cookie sheet inside the oven in case the lasagna bubbles over.)

This is the time of year when Lasagna tastes sooooo good! HAPPY FALL!

PUMPKIN BARS

I made these last week and they were a hit with every person who ate them! Brandon even took some to work and they were gone in a second!

PUMPKIN BARS
4 eggs
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups pumpkin (16 oz can of pumpkin)
Beat together 4-5 minutes

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

In mixing bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Then add all at once the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and soda. Mix thouroughly. Spread batter into a pan 15 x 10 sprayed with pam.

Bake at 350" for 25-30 minutes. Cool and Frost.

CREAM CHEESE ICING:
3 oz. package of Cream Cheese - softened
1/2 cup butter - softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Cream together cheese and butter, stir in vanilla and beat together until smooth.

DISNEYLAND GIVEAWAY

http://www.sweetlifeinthevalley.com/
http://www.outandaboutwiththefamily.com/

Link to the above sites and sign up for this awesome giveaway!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

3 cups white sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)



DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9x5 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Fill cans 1/2 to 3/4 full.
Bake for 1 hour, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before removing from cans or pans.

Check this out over at Recipe girl YUMMY!!

Carmelized Apple Waffle Patries :)

http://www.recipegirl.com/blog/

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

1 Can Black Beans drained
3 tbsp Olive oil
4 tbsp Lime Juice Fresh
1 Can Corn
1 Tomato chopped
2 Avacadoes chopped
1/2 purple onion finely diced
1/2 green pepper diced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Mix together and serve with chips or it tastes really great on fish!

My Favorite Football Game Appetizer

Original Roasted Raspberry Cheese Appetizer
From the Fischer & Wieser Website
(Right now this Sauce is on sale!)

If there's an easier, more elegant and delicious appetizer bring it on. With just a twist of the wrist this show-stopping recipe can be ready to serve in less than a minute.

1 3-oz. package cream cheese
1 bottle (15.75 oz.) Fischer & Wieser Gourmet The Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce®
Fresh raspberries and mint for garnish, if desired
Place cream cheese on serving dish and pour 1/3 cup Fischer & Wieser Gourmet The Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce® over top, allowing it to drizzle down sides of cream cheese. Garnish with fresh raspberries and mint, if desired. Serve with gingersnap cookies or assorted crackers. Serves 2.

Note: For an 8-ounce package of cream cheese use 1/2 to 3/4 cup of sauce.
Tip: Whip cream cheese with sauce (using measurements above). Form into a ball, and roll in chopped pistachio nuts or chopped, toasted pecans. Sprinkle parsley on top or drizzle with two tablespoons of additional sauce. Serve with gingersnap cookies or assorted crackers

SIMPLE PEACH CREPES

Basic Crepes

3 eggs
1 1/2 c. flour
2 tbsp. oil
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. milk

makes 24 crepes
In a mixing bowl, combine eggs and salt, add flour alternately with milk, beating until smooth after each addition. Add oil and beat. Refrigerate for an hour. Cook on upside-down crepe griddle according to manufacturer's directions, or in skillet with non stick coating.
Crepes may be made in advance, wrapped in foil or plastic wrap, and stored in refrigerator for 1-2 days.

After I make all of the crepes. I whip a pint of cream add sugar and vanilla and store in fridge while peeling peaches.
I peel around 8 peaches and slice them up then add 1/8 cup sugar to the peaches.

To put together the crepes is soooo easy - Just lay a layer of peaches onto the crepe add a little whipped cream, roll up and then top with a little more whipped cream! Sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top. So easy and Yummy too!

Asian Beef Rolls

Asian Beef Rolls
from MyRecipes.com

1 pound flank steak, trimmed
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, divided
2 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
48 (1 1/2-inch-long) pieces green onion tops (about 16 onions)
48 (1 1/2-inch-long) red bell pepper strips (about 1 large pepper)
Cooking spray
Preparation
1. Cut steak diagonally across grain into 16 thin slices. Combine steak, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon vinegar, mirin, and sesame oil in a shallow dish. Marinate steak 10 minutes, turning occasionally.

2. Remove steak from marinade, reserving marinade. Place 1 steak slice on a cutting board or work surface; arrange 3 green onion pieces and 3 bell pepper strips on the end of steak slice. Roll up; set aside, seam side down. Repeat procedure with remaining steak strips, onion pieces, and bell pepper pieces.

3. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place beef rolls in pan, seam side down; cook 7 minutes, turning once.

4. While beef rolls cook, bring reserved marinade to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar. Drizzle sauce over rolls.

Spicy ginger noodles: Combine 3 cups hot cooked linguine, 1 tablespoon canola oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

GERMAN CHOCOLATE ....WOW Brownies

My friend Valerie made these yummy brownies for me one time when I was sick, like about 16 or 17 years ago. Well today I'm craving these brownies! Some call them German Chocolate Brownies but she calls them WOW Brownies! I have to agree with her!
Enjoy!


WOW Brownies


4 beaten eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup oil (or try applesauce)
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cup flour
chopped nuts

Beat eggs, stir in remaining ingredients. Bake in greased 9x13 pan for 30-35 minutes at 325 degrees
Great chewy brownies

Coconut pecan topping

from make a mix cookbook from the 70's

In a small sauce pan or microwave bowl add 2/3 cup sugar, 2/3 cup evaporated milk,2 beaten egg yolks, 6 Tbl butter.

On stove cook over Medium heat about 5 minutes stirring constantly until mixture boils. Remove from heat and add 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 1/3 c up coconut and either pecan or walnuts chopped. cool 10 minutes. Adapt for microwave~boil mixture 3 or 4 minutes depending on microwave. Make sure to stir every minute so egg yolks dont cook. Delicious on cooled brownies.

For an ultimate brownie add half of the brownie mix and then a layer of melted caramel, add by dollops the rest of the brownie mix and add chunks of chocolate bar. So rich and tasty!!

THANKS VALERIE! I ALWAYS THINK OF YOU WHEN I EAT THESE!

White Cake with Cream Cheese & Raspberry Sauce

Its Bear River Raspberry season so I've made Raspberry jam and now we're getting together tomorrow and I'm making this wonderful Raspberry Cheese-Cake!
This is our family favorite! Every one of our 6 children requests it for their birthday. And although its not a "cheesecake" when I ask them which cake they want me to make them they always say "Hmmmm Raspberry Cheesecake!"

Raspberry Cheesecake

Make a white cake mix. Bake and Cool.

Mix together:
1 Pint of "whipped cream"
1 Softened package of Cream Cheese
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Frost Cake

Mix in sauce pan:
1 package Raspberry flavored Danish Dessert with 2 cups of water and follow the directions on the package.
When thickened add 2 cups fresh raspberries or 1 pkg of frozen raspberries.

Refrigerate until ready to serve, then cut cake into squares and serve with the raspberry topping over each slice.

RASPBERRY JAM

I got this recipe in the 80's from LaPriel Louder. Its so yummy!

Raspberry Jam
2 Cups of Raspberries
2 Cups of Water
1 Package Raspberry Koolaid
1 Package of Pectin
Bring to a boil, add 6 cups of sugar then boil 3 minutes.
Makes 4 pints.
(I double this recipe and only put in 10 cups of sugar)

Grandma Long's Oatmeal Cake

OKay....I'm going through all of my old recipes. I probably didn't make this when my kids were growing up, but my mom made it all the time when I was little so I have to get this online so the original recipe she used is still around! I've noticed that since this recipe is from the 60's it is quite sweet. You could half the sugar in both the cake and the topping and it would probably still turn our really good!

Grandma Long's Oatmeal cake

Ingredients:
•1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
•1 1/4 cups boiling water
•1/4 cup butter, soft
•1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
•1 cup granulated sugar
•2 eggs, beaten
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
•1 teaspoon baking powder
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•.

•Coconut Pecan Topping:
•1/2 cup evaporated milk
•1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
•1/4 cup granulated sugar
•1/4 cup butter
•1 cup flaked coconut
•1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preparation:
Make Cake. Combine oats and boiling water, stirring to blend well. Let stand 20 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, cream butter; add sugars and beat at medium speed of electric mixer. Add eggs, vanilla, and cooled oatmeal mixture, beating until well blended.
Into a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add to creamed mixture, stirring until smooth.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 9-inch baking dish. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes.

While cake is baking, combine topping ingredients in a medium saucepan; mix well. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Spread over hot cake right out of the oven. Turn broiler on; return cake to oven to broil topping for about 4 to 5 minutes.

Quiche

Quiche
Fry until crisp 1 lb Bacon then cut up into bits
Saute 1 cup sliced mushrooms, 1 chopped onion

Place all of this in the bottom of a frozen pie shell.
(I like Marie Calenders Deep Dish frozen pie shell)

Then top with fresh chopped broccoli. Cover over that with
1 Cup grated swiss cheese.

Blend 1 cup cream and 1/4 cup milk into 4 beaten eggs with a 1/2 tsp salt and a 1/4 tsp pepper.

Pour into pie.

Put pie plate onto cookie sheet and then into oven.

Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Reduce heat to 300 degrees, and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Allow quiche to sit 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Really good served with fresh fruit for any meal!