Rainbow Jello

Ingredients:
1 small box red jello
1 small box orange jello
1 small box yellow jello
1 small box green jello
1 small box blue jello
1 small box purple jello
1 tub cool whip (regular size)

Directions:
Mix the first layer of jello according to the speed set directions on the box. Pour 2/3 of the mixture into your pan or spoon into containers. Place the jello in the refrigerator until it is pretty set. This shouldn't take much longer than 20 minutes or so. Mix the remaining 1/3 of jello with 1 cup or so of cool whip. Pour this over your pan or into your containers. Put mixture back into the refrigerator until this layer sets. Repeat this with all the boxes of jello until you have all the layers dished out.  This should make a 9x13 pan although I haven't tried it like this.

Previously I used 1 large box of each color (plus 1 small box of the color and whip cream layer) and I made 40 individual servings plus a large 11x13 pan full.

Tip: If you are using a container and it is larger on the top than on the bottom, get 2 boxes of jello of the last 2 colors because you will need more of this flavor to get the same even layer.

Time to Make: a little bit of mixing time, a lot of waiting time for the layers to set up. If you have a day to wait around at home and do this that would be great.
Difficulty: Easy
Recipe Origin: internet somewhere

Cookie Glaze Icing

Ingredients:


Directions:
Add powdered sugar to your mixer and mix it a little to break up clumps. (This is only neccessary if your powdered sugar is not already a fine powder.) Add wet ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix over low-medium speed for 10 minutes. This glaze will start to harden if it sits still for a period of time, so it is helpful to continue mixing the glaze while its not in use.

To glaze cookies: Add a cup of the glaze to a seperate bowl and add more powdered sugar. Mix till well blended. This is for outlining cookies. You need this part of the glaze to be a little bit thicker so that it can act as a barrier for the glaze to stop it from running off the cookie. Pipe this mixture around the outline of the cookie.

To fill in the cookie: Pour the rest of the glaze into a piping bag or bottle and fill in the remainder of the cookie. You can use a knife or the tip of the tool you are using to help fill in holes in the cookie. Allow the glaze to set up for a bit. It will set up to be a soft solid. This is not as hard as royal icing, but it will not run once it has set. Decorate it however you want.

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:
4 to 4 + 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 Tbsp. butter
1 large egg, beaten
1 + 3/4 cups buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles course meal. Make a well into the dough, add egg and buttermilk and mix with a wooden spoon until it is too tough to stir. Flour your hands and knead the dough just until it sticks together as a rough ball (a little like shortcake dough). If the dough is too wet to do this, add a little more flour.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and continue to knead just until the flour is moistened. Shaggy is good, the more you knead the dough, the tougher the bread will be. Shape into a round loaf and score and X through the top (just up to the edges). Place loaf on a lightly greased baking sheet or cast-iron skillet and bake at 425 degrees for 35-45 minutes.  The loaf will sound hollow when it is done. Cool slightly a bit on the baking sheet and serve warm with butter and honey.

Difficulty: medium
Time to Make: about an hour (including baking time)
Recipe Origin: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/irish_soda_bread/

Applesauce Muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 + 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla, and applesauce and mix well. Blend in the remaining ingredients. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full with the mix and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from pan. Makes about 24 muffins. Suitable for freezing too.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: http://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2015/10/family-favorite-applesauce-muffins.html

Divine Breadsticks

Ingredients:
1 + 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp. quick rise yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 + 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. melted butter (for the pan)
2 Tbsp. melted butter (for the top of the breadsticks)
herbs/seasonings (any you wish to use for flavor)

Directions:
Place all ingredients (except the melted butter) in the above order in a large mixer with a dough hook. Mix on a low speed for about 3 minutes. Dough should look well blended. Scrape the sides of your bowl if necessary to make sure all the flour gets blended. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

While dough is resting, add the melted butter to a 11x17 baking dish and spread it around to evenly coat the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. After the 10 minutes are over, roll out your bread dough on a floured surface to 1/4-1/2 in thick. Cut with a pizza cutter once down the middle of it lengthwise. Then cut into the breadstick about 1-1.5 inches wide. Once cut, lift each breadstick up and twist it around a few times. Place it in the baking dish and repeat with the other breadsticks laying them about 1/2 inch apart. Brush each breadstick with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic salt, basil, parsley, parmesan, and/or any other herbs or seasonings you may want to use. Cover pan with plastic wrap and let the breadsticks rise for 30 minutes.

While the breadsticks are rising, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Then bake your breadsticks for 15-20 minutes (until they look golden brown on the top).

Tip: You can also make really good cinnamon sticks with this recipe. Once you get your bread dough rolled out brush the dough with a good layer of melted butter. Then sprinkle cinnamon and sugar all over the top. Continue cutting and twisting the bread dough as described above. I like to lightly spread melted butter on the tops of the twisted breadsticks before letting them rise. Make a simple frosting glaze (2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tbsp. butter, 1 tsp. vanilla, 2 - 4 Tbsp. milk (depending on the thickness you are going for)) and drizzle the glaze over slightly cooled breadsticks.

Time to Make: about 1 hour
Difficulty: medium
Recipe Origin: www.melskitchencafe.com/divine-breadsticks-2/

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth
1 can chicken
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 package taco seasoning

Toppings:
Grated Cheese
Sour Cream
Salsa
Tortilla Chips

Directions:
Combine all ingredients into a pot and cook over medium heat (stirring occasionally) until hot. Or combine all ingredients in a crock pot, mix till blended and cook till hot (or until you're ready to eat). To serve, top the soup with any toppings you want and enjoy!

Time to Make: about 20 minutes (or a few hours in the crock pot)
Difficulty: Easy
Recipe Origin:

Chocolate Chip PB Oat Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup applesauce
1/3 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 + 1/2 cups flour (whole wheat, all-purpose, or any combination of the two)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups quick oats
12 ounces chocolate chips (about 2 cups)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl combine all the wet ingredients. Beat with a mixer until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix till well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Roll into balls and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes (until golden brown around the edge). Makes about 40 cookies.

Time to make: 10 minutes plus baking time
Difficulty: Easy
Recipe Origin: http://moneysavingmom.com/2012/05/4-weeks-to-fill-your-freezer-chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-day-16.html

Chocolate Cream Pie

Ingredients:
For the Crust:
24 Oreo cookies, crushed
3 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled

For the Filling:
2 + 1/2 cups half & half
pinch of salt
1/3 cup sugar, divided
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
6 egg yolks, at room temperature
6 Tbsp. butter, cold and cubed
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chips or chopped bar
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla

For the Topping:
1 + 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar (or more to taste)
1 tsp. vanilla

Chocolate Shavings for garnishing (Optional)

Directions:
To make the crust, crush your Oreo cookies and mix with the butter until it can be pressed into a 9" pie pan. Refrigerate the crust for 10 minutes and then bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until it is set. Cool on a wire wrack.

To make the filling, bring the half & half, salt, and 3 Tbsp. of the sugar up to a simmer. Stir it frequently to avoid burning the cream on the bottom of the pan. Mix together the remaining sugar and the cornstarch in a separate bowl and set aside. Whisk together the egg yolks for 30 seconds until thickened slightly and then add the cornstarch and sugar mixture. Whisk together again until it looks glossy and smooth, about 1 minute longer. When the half & half mixture is simmering, add a small amount of it to the egg mixture to bring it up to heat. Continue doing that until you can incorporate the egg mixture into the pan without the eggs cooking. Return to simmer until the mixture thickens and looks glossy, about 20 seconds longer.

Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the butter, chocolate, and vanilla. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to fully mix the ingredients together. Pour the mixture into the pie crust pan and lay plastic wrap over the top so that a film doesn't form over the filling. Chill the pie for several hours until the filling and crust are well chilled.

To make the topping:
Once the pie is chilled completely, you can start the whipped topping. Place all ingredients into a medium bowl and beat with a mixer until the cream forms a good peak. Then spread the cream over the pie and garnish with chocolate shavings.

Time to Make: about an hour plus chilling time
Difficulty: Medium
Recipe Origin: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/chocolate-cream-pie-recipe/

Butternut Squash and Pears

Ingredients:
1 Butternut Squash
2 Pears

Directions:
To prepare your squash, peel the skin off being sure to remove the skin down to the orange flesh. Cut it in half and scoop out the seeds in the middle. Cube the squash and steam it for about 12-15 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile peel and core the pears and place them in your food processor or blender. Wait to blend them until the squash is tender and then blend the two until they are a nice puree. You can add liquid if necessary from water used to steam the squash, or apple juice works well too. Place puree in ice cubes trays and freeze. Once solid, remove the puree cubes to a freezer container or baggie and keep frozen until needed up to 3 months. Makes about 24 cubes.

*You can also add the pears to the squash for the last few minutes of steaming and then transfer all the ingredients to the processor/blender.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: http://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/butternut-squash-pear-puree
Introduce to Baby: Makes a good beginner food.

Sweet Potato and Apple Puree

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato
2-3 sweet apples (such as gala, jonagold, jonathon, etc.)

Directions:
Prepare your sweet potato by either baking it or steaming it. If you bake it, follow this recipe. If you steam it, then you need to peel your potato and cut it into cubes. Steam it for 6-8 minutes or until the pieces are tender when poked.

Prepare your apples by steaming them as well. Peel, core, and cut apples into thin slices. Steam for 6-8 minutes until tender.

Place the potato meat and the apples in a food processor or blender. Add enough water from the steamer to make a smooth puree. Spoon the puree into ice cubes and freeze till solid. Transfer cubes to a freezer container or baggie. Makes about 12 ice cubes.

To serve: Thaw ice cubes overnight in a fridge or under hot water in a baggie until the puree is warm. You can add more liquid before serving or baby cereal if you want. Discard any leftovers.

Difficuly: Easy
Time to Make: 20 minutes - 1 hour (depending on how you prepare the potatoes)
Recipe Origin: online somewhere
Introduce to Baby: Makes a good beginner food.

Sweet Potato Puree

Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes

Directions:
Scrub your sweet potatoes to clean them and wrap them in foil. Prick holes in the potatoes for steam vents and bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes, or until they are tender. Cool slightly and unwrap the sweet potatoes. Scoop out the meat of the potato and place it in a food processor or blender. Add a little liquid such as breast milk, water, or apple juice and puree till smooth. Spoon into ice cube trays and cover with wrap. Freeze until solid and then transfer the cubes to a freezer container or baggie.

To serve: Place an ice cube or two in a baggie and thaw under hot water until the puree is warm. You can add baby cereal or more liquid if necessary before serving. Makes about 24 ice cubes.

Difficulty: super easy
Time to make: about an hour start to finish
Recipe Origin: online somewhere
Introduce to Baby: Makes a good beginner food.

Chocolate Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup (2sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 + 1/4 cups flour (more if you want them a little thicker)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups chocolate chips (or any kind of chips you want to use)
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine wet ingredients and mix well till smooth. Add dry ingredients, chips, and nuts and mix till blended. Drop by spoonful on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 45 minutes
Recipe Origin: Tricia Richards

Irish Stew

Ingredients:
1/3 cup + 1 T. Flour, divided
1 + 1/2 lbs stew meat (beef or lamb)
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
3 medium onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups reduced sodium beef broth
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 medium carrots, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Basil, Parsley, Thyme, any other herbs you want to add (start with 1/2 tsp. and add more if need be)
2 Tbsp. water

Directions:
Add the 1/3 cup of flour to a large resealable bag and place the stew meat in the bag. Seal the bag and shake well to coat the stew meat in the flour evenly. In a large hot skillet, brown the stew meat in 2 batches in 1 Tbsp. oil for each batch. Set browned meat aside.

Add the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil and saute the onions until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits, then return the meat to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and continue to simmer for 1 hour.

Add potatoes and carrots and cook for 20 more minutes. Then add the frozen peas and continue to cook 5-10 minutes longer, until all vegetables are tender.

Add the seasonings. In a small cup mix together the remaining 1 Tbsp. flour with the 2 Tbsp. water. Mix until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the stew and cook for a couple more minutes until it starts to thicken. Serve stew hot. Serves 8.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 2 hours from start to finish
Recipe Origin: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/favorite-irish-stew

Honey Chicken

Ingredients:
10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs OR 8 breasts, chunked
1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a crock pot and cook over low heat for 8 hours or high heat for 4-6 hours. Serve over rice.

To Freeze:
Label freezer bags with a name, date, and directions. Divide the chunked chicken between 2 quart sized freezer bags. Mix together remaining ingredients for the sauce and divide between the two bags. To reheat, thaw ingredients overnight in the fridge, or under warm water and then cook in a crock pot (low heat for 8 hours or high heat for 4-6 hours). Serve over rice.

Time to Make: 4-8 hours depending on heat of crock pot
Difficulty: Easy
Recipe Origin: http://www.six-cents.com/2012/06/crockpot-freezer-cooking-101.html
Number of Servings: makes 2 quart sized bags of 4 servings each.

Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients:

12 large potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch round slices OR a large bag of frozen potatoes

2 cans of cream of something soup (cream of celery, mushroom, etc)

2 cans water

2 ham steaks, cubed

8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated

4 cups of frozen broccoli

salt and pepper, to taste once cooked

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a crock pot and cook over low heat for 8 hours or high heat for 4-6 hours. 

To Freeze:

Label freezer bags with a name, date, and directions. Be sure to include a direction to add soup and water to the recipe when cooking. Divide all ingredients except soup, water, and salt and pepper into gallon sized bags. Freeze bags in the freezer. I froze the potatoes and broccoli in one quart sized bag and the ham and cheese in another and then taped the bags together.

Time to Make: 4 - 8 hours depending on your crock pot temperature

Difficulty: Easy

Recipe Origin: http://www.six-cents.com/2012/06/crockpot-freezer-cooking-101.html

Number of Servings: I got 3 freezer meals from these ingredients. Each meal included 2 quart sized bags of ingredients or enough to serve 4.

Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 lb - 1 lb Italian Sausage
1-2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 small onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. Italian herb seasoning
2 - 29 ounce cans tomato sauce
2 - 6 ounce tomato paste
2 - 14.5 ounce cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. sugar

Directions:
Brown sausage and ground beef in a large pot over medium heat. Once browned, drain off the grease. Add onions and garlic and continue cooking a few minutes until onions are translucent. Add seasonings and tomatoes and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes until hot.

To Freeze:
Chill the sauce in the refrigerator until cool. Label freezer bags and then distribute the sauce into the freezer bags. A quart size freezer bags will give 4 adult size servings. To reheat you can either thaw the bags over night in the fridge and then heat in a crockpot (low 8 hours or high 4-6 hours) or stove top, or you can thaw bags in warm water until mostly thawed and then heat over a stove top or in crockpot.

Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Recipe Origin: http://www.six-cents.com/2012/09/freezer-cooking-away.html
Number of Servings:

Maple Butter

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

2 T. powdered sugar

2 + 1/2 T. maple syrup (the 100% real kind)

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (optional)

1/4 tsp. maple extract (optional)

Directions:

Place butter and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl and beat (with a hand mixer, or the whisk attachment of your stand mixer) until combined and smooth. Add maple syrup, cinnamon, pie spice, and extract. beat slowly until combined and then whip for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy. Serve at room temperature over bread or muffins. This butter is awesome on warm baked goods when it melts a little.

Store in the refrigerator but allow time to bring to room temperature before serving. For best results, stir or re-whip before serving. Lasts for about a week or so in the fridge or several months in the freezer.

Time to Make: about 10 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Recipe Origin: ourbestbites.com/2013/11/maple-cinnamon-butter/

Rice Crispy Brownie Bars

Ingredients:
For the Crust:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 + 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 + 1/3 cups flour
3 Tablespoons cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

For the toppings:
4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 + 1/3 cups chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
3 Tablespoons butter
2 cups rice krispies cereal

Directions:
In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, coca, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts if desired. Spread in a greased 15 x 10 x 1 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes, until the middle looks set. Sprinkle with marshmallows and bake 2-3 minutes longer, or until the marshmallows look melty. Remove from oven and place pan on a cooling rack. Spread the marshmallows evenly with a knife dipped in water. Cool pan completely.

Once the bars are cooled completely start the topping. In a medium sauce pan combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Heat slowly over medium heat and stir continuously until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in rice krispies. Spread over the bars immediately. Chill until set. Makes about 36 bars.

Time to Make: about an hour with cooling time
Difficulty: Easy
Recipe Origin: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Deluxe-Chocolate-Marshmallow-Bars

Canned Peaches

Ingredients:
Fresh and Ripe Peaches
Salt
Sugar
Clean Canning Jars with matching Lids, & Rings

Preparation:
Gather all your supplies in advance to make things run smoothly. You'll need a water bath for sealing the jars, a large bowl of salt water (the ratio is 1 + 1/2 tsp. of salt per 1 quart of water), a pot of sugar water for syrup (see the ratios below), a small pan or pot of hot water for softening the lids, a pot of clean boiling water and a bowl of ice water for blanching the peaches, and a sharp knife.

Directions:
To prepare your syrup, place water and sugar in a large pot and bring to a boil. For LIGHT syrup use a ration or 1 cup sugar to 4 cups water. For MEDIUM syrup use a ratio of 2 cups sugar to 4 cups water. For HEAVY syrup use a ration of 3 cups sugar to 4 cups water.* Start preparing the lids by placing them in a small pot or pan of boiling water to soften them before using them. Start the boiling water for blanching the peaches. You only need enough water to fully cover the peaches.

Once your blanching water has reached boiling point and while the rest of the water (or syrup) is all heating up, blanch your peaches by placing them in clean boiling water for a few minutes and then in ice water for a few minutes. Peel the skins off the peaches, cut them down the crease and remove the pits. Using a spoon to help pry the peach open in half will sometimes help accomplish the task while not making a mess of the fruit. 

When you have enough peaches to do a batch place the peaches in HOT jars (dip the jars in boiling water) and fill the jars with syrup to within 1/2 inch of the top of the jar. Use a knife to remove air bubbles in jar by running the knife up and down the inside edge of the jar. Place a softened lid on the jar and screw it on with a ring. Fill the bottom of your water bath with 2 quarts of water and place the jars on the water bath.

Once the plate is filled with jars place the cover on the water bath and turn the heat to high. When steam is coming steadily out the hole on the cover start the timer. For quart jars start the timer for 25 minutes. For pint jars start the timer for 20 minutes. Once time is up, remove the lid and remove the jars with a jar lifter. (We always place our hot jars on a dry towel while they cool.) Allow jars to cool completely and check to make sure they all sealed. Wipe the outside of the jars with a clean wet rag and  label the lid with the current year.

Before doing another batch be sure you have more syrup heating if necessary and more lids softening. Also be sure there is still at least 2 quarts of water in the bottom pan of the water bath before using it again.

*Tip: We usually use a medium syrup for our peaches. Changing the salt water every 4 batches will help keep the peaches less messy. Mom's water bath will fit 7 quart jars at a time and 8 pint jars at a time. 1 bushel of peaches will generally yield between 20-25 quart jars depending on the size and condition of the fruit. If you choose to combine peaches and pears in the same jar you must time the jars in the water bath according to whichever fruit has the longest time, in this case the pears. Pears go for 30 minutes for a quart jar and 25 minutes for a pint jar.

Time to Make: depends on how many batches you do
Difficulty: Medium
Recipe Origin: Mom

Canned Pears

Ingredients:
Fresh and Ripe Pears
Salt
Sugar
Clean Canning Jars with matching Lids, & Rings

Preparation:
Gather all your supplies in advance to make things run smoothly. You'll need a water bath for sealing the jars, a large bowl of salt water (the ratio is 1 + 1/2 tsp. of salt per 1 quart of water), a pot of sugar water for syrup (see the ratios below), a small pan or pot of hot water for softening the lids, a peeler, and a pear corer.

Directions:
To prepare your syrup, place water and sugar in a large pot and bring to a boil. For LIGHT syrup use a ration of 1 cup sugar to 4 cups water. For MEDIUM syrup use a ratio of 2 cups sugar to 4 cups water. For HEAVY syrup use a ration of 3 cups sugar to 4 cups water.* Start preparing the lids by placing them in a small pot or pan of boiling water to soften them before using them.

While the water is all heating up, peel and core your pears and place them in the bowl of salt water. When you have enough pears to do a batch place the pears in HOT jars (dip the jars in boiling water) and fill the jars with syrup to within 1/2 inch of the top of the jar. Use a knife to remove air bubbles in jar by running the knife up and down the inside edge of the jar. Place a softened lid on the jar and screw it on with a ring. Fill the bottom of your water bath with 2 quarts of water and place the jars on the water bath.

Once the plate is filled with jars place the cover on the water bath and turn the heat to high. When steam is coming steadily out the hole on the cover start the timer. For quart jars start the timer for 30 minutes. For pint jars start the timer for 25 minutes. Once time is up, remove the lid and remove the jars with a jar lifter. (We always place our hot jars on a dry towel while they cool.) Allow jars to cool completely and check to make sure they all sealed. Wipe the outside of the jars with a clean wet rag and  label the lid with the current year.

Before doing another batch be sure you have more syrup heating if necessary and more lids softening. Also be sure there is still at least 2 quarts of water in the bottom pan of the water bath before using it again.

*Tip: We usually use a medium syrup for our pears. Changing the salt water every 4 batches will help keep the pears less messy. Mom's water bath will fit 7 quart jars at a time and 8 pint jars at a time. 1 bushel of pears will generally yield between 25-30 quart jars depending on the size and condition of the pears.

Time to Make: depends on how many batches you do
Difficulty: Medium
Recipe Origin: Mom

Scratch Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:
1 - 9" pie crust (recipe found here)

3 cups half & half
5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tablespoons butter
1 + 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 - 3 large ripe bananas
1 - 8 ounce tub of cool whip
vanilla wafers or sliced almonds for garnishing

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and half & half. In a medium saucepan combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt and stir till well blended. Whisk the half & half mixture with the ingredients in the saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until boiling, stirring CONSTANTLY with a rubber spatula. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile bake the pie crust till it is light brown and set aside till cool. Once the time is done on the custard, slice 1 banana into thin slices and line the bottom of the pie crust with the slices. Cover with half of the custard. Slice another 1 - 2 bananas and layer them on top of the custard layer. Cover with the remaining custard. Lightly cover the pie with plastic wrap and chill pie for 4-5 hours, (or overnight). After the pie is chilled, top it with the cool whip and decorate it with the vanilla wafers or sliced almonds. Refrigerate leftovers.

Difficulty: medium
Time to Make: about 45 minutes prep time
Recipe origin: online somewhere

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 cups sugar
1 T. vanilla
2 cups zucchini, grated

2 + 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 + 1/3 cups chocolate chips (plus a few to sprinkle on the top of the loaf before baking)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in zucchini. Combine dry ingredients with chocolate chips and add to zucchini mixture. Mix well. Pour into two greased bread pans and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Makes 2 loaves.

Time to Make: about 20 minutes prep + 90 minutes for cooking and cooling
Difficulty: Easy
Recipe Origin: www.food.com

Ranch Pasta

Ingredients:
1 small package or box of bow tie pasta, cooked according to directions
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
2-3 tomatoes, diced
1 can olives, sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix

Directions:
Cook the box of pasta according to the directions on the package. Rinse under cold water until pasta is cool. Add the diced cucumber, diced tomato, and sliced olives. Mix together the package of ranch mix and the mayonnaise. Add the ranch mix to the other ingredients and stir till well blended. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 25 minutes
Recipe Origin: Annette Gardner

Tin Foil Dinner

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 small bag of baby carrots, chopped into medium sized pieces.
4-5 cups chopped potatoes
1 family size can of cream of mushroom soup
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread the ground beef evenly across the bottom of 9x13 pan. Top the ground beef with the chopped onion. Then layer the chopped carrots over the onions. Top with the chopped potatoes. Spread the can of cream of mushroom soup over the potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake at 375 degrees for 70-90 minutes (or until the potatoes are cooked through and tender).

*You can also prepare this into individual dinners. Simply add the ingredients in the same order onto a medium square of tin foil. Top with another piece of tin foil and cook until the ingredients are done.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes prep time plus cooking time
Recipe Origin: Mom

Brown Sugar Muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

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

Molten Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:
6 oz semisweet baking chocolate
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. butter
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1 + 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup flour
additional powdered sugar for dusting
baking cocoa for dusting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 2 muffin tins (enough for 24 cupcakes) and then dust each with baking cocoa (just like you would dust a cake pan with flour). You can also use cupcake papers to line each muffin spot. In a small saucepan, melt the baking chocolate with the butter over medium heat, stirring continuously. Once smooth, remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, wisk the whole eggs and the egg yolks together until they are well beaten. Add the powdered sugar and the flour and beat until smooth. Then add the melted chocolate mixture and beat until smooth again. Divide batter evenly among the muffin tins (this recipe should make about 16). Bake at 425 degrees for 9 minutes. Be sure to watch them carefully. They are done when the edges look set and the middle is still soft. Although they taste just fine if they are cooked all the way through. Remove from pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar. These are really good served warm with a little ice cream.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to make: 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/molten-chocolate-cakes/be3b3ba1-f88e-4da1-9c89-75f4f1a08bba?sc=Warm%20Dessert%20Recipes&term=Comfort-Food-Warm-Desserts&itemId=eccb1270-e38a-4f54-9e6c-2bcc22d181ea

Bread Machine Rolls

Ingredients:
1 tsp salt
4 T. sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
4 T. butter (or margarine)
3 cups bread flour (good flour like the turkey flour from Lehi Mills)
1 heaping tsp. yeast (I use quick rise)

Directions:
Put loaf container in bread machine and put on the kneading attachment. Add salt, sugar, and egg to the container. In a small bowl microwave the milk and butter for 1 minute. (The milk will be hot and the butter soft, but not melted.) Carefully pour the milk into the container. Add the flour and spread it around to cover the liquid ingredients. Then add the yeast. Set bread machine for 1st rise cycle only. (In my bread machine there is a dough setting - #7. Set it to that and let it knead. Watch it after  few minutes to make sure all the ingredients are kneading properly and not getting stuck in the corner. If they are stuck, use a bread knife to scrape them off into the middle of the container so they can be kneaded as well.

Once the bread cycle is done, dump the dough out onto the counter and divide it into 16 balls. Place the rolled balls into a greased 9x13 pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise until they have doubled in size (about 2 hours). Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes (until the rolls are golden brown over most of the top surfaces).

Remove rolls from pan and let them cool on top of a cooling rack or clean towel.

*This dough can also be used to make cinnamon rolls. Simply follow the same directions for the rolls until the dough is done in the bread maker. Roll out the dough into a rectangle and spread with cinnamon & sugar filling:

1/2 cup softened butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Roll up dough and cut into slices. Let rise for 90 minutes (or until doubled in size) and then bake at 350 degrees for 16 minutes. Frost while warm.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 3 + 1/2 hours
Recipe Origin: Annette Gardner (although I don't know where she got it)

Chicken and Rice Dinner

Ingredients:
4-6 Chicken Breasts, skinless and boneless
2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can Cheddar Soup
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
1 tsp. garlic powder
6 cups cooked rice

Directions:
Wash the chicken and trim the fat from the breasts. In the slow cooker, combine the chicken, chicken soup, cheddar soup, salt and pepper, and garlic powder. Cook over low heat for 4-6 hours. Cook your rice according to the directions on the package. Once cooked, place the chicken mix over the rice and serve warm.

Tip: You can also cook vegetables to add to the chicken dish just before serving such as broccoli, carrots, or any other vegetable you want to try.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 6 hours
Recipe Origin: allrecipes.com

German Scones

Ingredients:
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp. salt
3 eggs, beaten
4 + 1/2 cups flour

Directions:
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water. Add the 1 T. sugar and set aside. In a large bowl add the 1/2 cup sugar, boiling water, butter, and salt. Stir till blended then add the eggs and mix well. Then add the yeast mixture and 2 cups of flour. Beat with a mixer until smooth. Add the remaining 2 + 1/2 cups of flour and mix by hand until blended. Let rise for 1 hour.

After 1 hour place the dough in the refrigerator until it is chilled. Once chilled, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until it is thin (about 1/4 inch). Cut dough into 3-inch squares and fry in hot oil. Serve warm with honey or cinnamon butter.

Tip: Once the dough is cut into squares you can freeze them to use for the future. Just unthaw the dough at room temperature until it is completely thawed and then fry it in hot oil.

Time to Make: about 3 hours from start to finish
Difficulty: Medium
Recipe Origin: online somewhere

Dad's Salmon

Ingredients:

4-6 Salmon Fillets (medium sized)

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil (vegetable oil works too)

Dash of garlic powder

Dash of lemon pepper

Directions:

Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and oil in a ziploc bag. Mix the ingredients around in the bag until the sugar feels more dissolved. Sprinkle the fish fillets with garlic powder, lemon pepper, and any other spices you may want. Add the fish to the marinade and place in the refrigerator for at least 1-3 hours (or longer). Heat your grill to medium high. Spray the grill with non-stick spray (don't spray the flame or you'll catch the oil on fire). Cook the fish 6-8 minutes each side until the fish is flaky and no longer raw looking. Tip: Sprinkle a little brown sugar on the fish when it is first put on the grill to get a yummy crust.

Time to Make: a few hours marinating plus 15 minutes on the grill.

Difficulty: Easy

Recipe Origin: Dad

Cheescake Bars

Ingredients:
2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup honey (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer until smooth and sugar isn't grainy. Spread out one of the rolls of crescents across the bottom (not the sides) of the pan. Press the seams together so that it looks like a crust. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the rolled out rolls. Roll out the other package of crescent rolls and lay on top of the cream cheese layer (so that it looks like a crust on top of the dessert).

In a small bowl, combine the butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, and cinnamon. Stir until well blended. Using a spoon, drop small dots of the butter mixture all across the top of the dessert until all the butter mixture is gone. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (until the top is golden brown and no longer doughy looking). Remove from oven and drizzle with honey (optional). Cool completely and cut into bars.

Time to Make: about 45 minutes plus cooling time
Difficulty: Easy
Recipe Origin: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sopapilla-cheesecake-pie/

Creamy Potato Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth
4 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
1 cup minced onion
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup ham, cubed
1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper (black is okay too)
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

Directions:
In a large pot, combine the chicken broth, potatoes, onion, celery, and spices. Bring to a boil and boil until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Combine the cream cheese with some of the soup broth and blend till smooth. Reduce the heat and add the cream cheese mixture to the soup. (You could also chunk up the cream cheese to small cubes and stir them in the soup until they are melted - just be sure the heat is reduced so you don't curdle the cheese.) If desired, thicken the soup a little with cornstarch. Serve warm.

To Freeze:
Prepare soup as directed above. Chill until cool in the refrigerator and then divide into labeled freezer bags. If you double this recipe you will get 4-5 quart sized freezer bags of 4 cups of soup in each. To reheat, thaw over night in the fridge or thaw under warm water. Then reheat over low-medium heat until hot.

Time to Make: about 45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Recipe Origin: adapted from the recipe posted here.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

Ingredients:
One Pumpkin - 12-14 inches, cleaned well
6 cups rice, cooked
2 lbs. ground beef, browned
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 - 4 ounce cans sliced mushrooms
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
3 cups celery, chopped
2 cups onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. Gut and clean the pumpkin and set it on a baking sheet lined with foil. In a large skillet combine the cooked rice, browned hamburger, soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms, and cream of mushroom soup. Stir over low heat until combined. Meanwhile, saute the celery and onion in the butter until tender. Combine all the ingredients and pour the mixture into the cleaned pumpkin. Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes (with the lid OFF the pumpkin). Serve warm.

Time to Make: about 30 minutes prep time and 90 minutes cooking time
Difficulty: Easy
Recipe Origin: Mom

Jello Worms

Ingredients:
2 - 3 ounce packages of Raspberry Jello
1 pkg unflavored gelatin
3/4 cup whipping cream
3 cups boiling water
15 drops green food coloring
Tall container
100 flexible straws (or enough to fill your container)

Directions:
Combine gelatin packages in a bowl and add the boiling water. Let it cool to a lukewarm temperature and then add the drops of green food coloring and the whipping cream. Stretch out all your straws and place them flex-side down in your tall container. It is important that the straws fit tightly so that the jello stays in the straws. Pour the gelatin mixture over the straws so that each straw fills up and place in the refrigerator to set until firm.

To remove the jello from the straws, either run each straw under lukewarm water and squeeze the jello out with your fingers; or use a rolling pin to roll the jello out of the straws. Experiment and see which works best for you. Keep chilled until serving.

Time to Make: a few hours
Difficulty: Medium
Recipe Origin: http://www.instructables.com/id/Bowl-of-Worms-Anyone/

Easy Cinnamon Buns

Ingredients:
2 tubes of Pillsbury Rolls
1/4 cup of melted butter (more if needed)
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl melt the butter in the microwave. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in another small bowl and stir till blended. Coat each roll first in the melted butter and then in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Stand the rolls up in a bread ban (or bundt pan) so that they are stacked together and wont fall over.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, or until the rolls can be pulled apart and aren't gooey in the middle.

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

Fresh Veggies in Vinegar Marinade

Ingredients:
1 tomato, sliced into strips or wedges
1 green pepper, sliced into strips
1 onion, sliced into thin strips
1 cucumber, sliced

Marinade:
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt

Directions:
Combine the marinade ingredients in a small saucepan and on low, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside and let cool before adding to the vegetables. Chop or slice all the vegetables and combine them in a bowl with the cooled marinade. Stir until everything is coated and store in the refrigerator until serving.

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

German Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup brown sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 + 1/3 cup flaked coconut (I added a little extra)
1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Directions:
In a large skillet add all ingredients expect the coconut and pecans. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut and pecans. Let cool until room temperature before using.

Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Recipe Origin: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/german-chocolate-cake-frosting/

Fresh Cooked Green Beans

Ingredients:
Fresh Green Beans
Butter
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
To prepare the green beans for cooking, snap the ends off of each bean. Wash green beans thoroughly with cold water. Place beans in a pressure cooker on top of a steaming rack. Fill the pressure cooker with hot water just to the level off the rack. Sprinkle the beans with a little bit of salt.  Place the uncovered pressure cooker on the stove over high heat and heat until the water is boiling. Once the water is boiling place the lid on the pressure cooker tightening it to make sure it is secure and place the bobber on the top. Keep the heat on high. Once the steam causes the bobber to bob back and forth start a timer for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, cool the pressure cooker under cold water until all the pressure is released and you can easily open the lid. (Tip: Open the lid on the back side of the cooker so that the steam doesn't burn your hands or your face.) Check that the beans are fully cooked and tender by poking them with a fork. If they aren't all the way tender, put the pressure cooker back on the stove until they do come out tender. (Sometimes I will let the timer go for a little longer than 2 minutes just to be sure the beans are done.) Butter and add salt and pepper to taste and serve warm!

Tip: For variety, thinly slice a small amount of onion and add to the beans before cooking.

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

Scratch Fruit Cobbler

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

1 cup milk

ground cinnamon (for sprinkling on top if desired)

Fruit filling (see below for some options)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the butter in a 9x13 glass pan and place pan in the oven while it preheats. Remove the pan once the butter is melted. Meanwhile mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then add the milk and stir until ingredients are moistened. Pour batter over the butter (do not stir). Then pour your fruit filling over the batter layer (again, do not stir). Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 - 45 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve warm or cold with ice cream.

For peach cobbler:

In a large skillet, combine 1 cup sugar, 4 cups fresh peach slices (about 6-8 medium peaches), and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Bring ingredients to a boil over high heat stirring constantly. Use for the fruit filling.

For apple cobbler:

in a large skillet combine 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 6-7 jonathon apples (peeled and sliced), and 1 tbsp. lemon juice. Cook over medium high heat until apple are softened (about 10 minutes) stirring constantly. Use for the fruit filling.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 quarts Half and Half

1 + 1/2 cups whipping cream

2 cups sugar

5 Tbsp. Vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Put in an electric ice maker and and make according to the manufacturers directions. Once complete in the ice cream maker, put in a freezer container and freeze for a few hours until it is hardened.

Time to Make: about 4 hours (including ice cream maker and freezing time)

Difficulty: Easy

Recipe Origin: cousin Renae who got it from an old family friend (Mimi)

Layered Jello

Ingredients:

For Red, White, and Blue Jello (in above picture):
2 large boxes blue jello - 6 ounce size
1 large box of lemon jello - 6 ounce size
1 large box of red jello - 6 ounce size
1 large tub of cool whip - 16 ounce size
20 clear plastic cups (smaller in size)
cookies for decoration (optional)

Directions:
First mix the red jello according to the directions on the box. Put 1/3 cup of jello in each cup. Refrigerate until set. Then mix up the lemon jello according to the directions on the box. Chill until the jello is cool and set slightly (about the consistency of egg whites). Add the cool whip to the cooled jello and stir till blended. Add 1/3 cup of the mixture on top of each red layer in the jello cups. Refrigerate until set. Mix up the 2 boxes of blue jello according to the directions. Add 1/2 cup of jello to each jello cup and refrigerate until set. Top with left over cool whip and a cookie or fruit.

*Tip: My measurements for adding jello to the cups may not be completely accurate for every cup. Just try to get the stripes even. If the cup is wider on the bottom than it is on the top, you'll need more red jello than this recipe calls for.

Difficulty: easy
Time to make: most of a day, but its all in the waiting for the jello to set
Recipe Origin: http://www.glorioustreats.com/2010/06/festive-4th-of-july-treats.html

BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. mustard powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer (stirring constantly). Remove from heat and allow sauce to cool slightly before using.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 10 minutes
Recipe Origin: allrecipes.com (listed under Bar-B-Que Sauce by Debi K)

Churros

Ingredients:

Vegetable or Olive Oil (for frying)
1 cup water
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs

For topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

Prepare to fry the churros by heating oil in a pan (1 to 1&1/2 inches) to 360 degrees F.  To make churro dough, heat water, margarine and salt to rolling boil in 3-quart saucepan; stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute; remove from heat. Beat in eggs slowly so you don’t cook the eggs and beat mixture until smooth.

Spoon mixture into cake decorators' tube with large star tip (like the kind use to decorate cakes). Squeeze 4-inch strips of dough into hot oil. Fry 3 or 4 strips at a time until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together and roll the cooked churros in sugar mixture until they are coated.

Difficulty: Easy

Time to Make: about 30 minutes

Recipe Origin: online at http://user.xmission.com/~dderhak/recipe/churros.htm

Southern Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

Shortening for the pans

2 + 1/2 cups flour

1 + 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. fine salt

1 tsp. cocoa powder

1 + 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 T. red food coloring (1/2 ounce)

1 tsp. white distilled vinegar

1 tsp.vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour cake pans.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil,buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.

Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.

Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake at 350 degrees until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.

Frost the cake. Place 1 layer, rounded-side down, in the middle of a rotating cake stand. Using a palette knife or offset spatula spread some of the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake. (Spread enough frosting to make a 1/4 to 1/2-inch layer.) Carefully set another layer on top, rounded-side down, and repeat. Top with the remaining layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. 

Difficulty: Easy

Time to Make: about 45 minutes

Recipe Origin: Cakeman Raven, Cakeman Raven Confectionery, NYC

Roasted Potato Wedges

Ingredients:
potatoes (number and variety of your choosing: Russets work well)
1/4 cup (approximately) olive oil
salt, to taste
fresh herbs, to taste


Optional Ingredients:
2 T. butter, melted
garlic, minced
2 - 3 T. balsamic vinegar
cayenne pepper
paprika


Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash potatoes.  Cut potatoes into wedges.  Toss with oil, butter, salt, pepper, and whatever else you’d like: garlic, balsamic, spices, etc.  Roast for 15 minutes.  Shake around. Stir.  Roast for another 20 minutes. Check them and if they aren't done keep them cooking till they are tender and soft. Add more seasoning if necessary.  Sprinkle with herbs.  Serve immediately.


Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 35 minutes
Recipe Origin: The Pioneer Woman
   found here at http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/04/roasted-potato-wedges/

Goolash

Ingredients:

2 cups macaroni, cooked and drained
1 lbs hamburger, browner and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 quart diced tomatoes, with the juice
1 medium green pepper, chopped
Ketchup
Chili powder

Directions:
In a large pot, cook the 2 cups of macaroni according to the directions on the package. While the macaroni is cooking, brown the hamburger in a large skillet. Drain the water from the macaroni and drain the grease off the hamburger. Add the green pepper to the hamburger and cook for a few minutes until the green pepper is tender. Add the macaroni, corn, and tomatoes. Stir until well mixed. Add enough ketchup to make the ingredients moist. Add chili powder to taste and serve hot.

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

Funeral Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 small-medium onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp. butter
1 28-oz. bag shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 c. sour cream
1 10-oz. can cream of chicken (or cream of mushroom) soup
2 1/4 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
OPTIONAL: Crushed cornflakes, seasoned bread crumbs, crushed potato chips, or crushed Ritz or saltine crackers

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Remove from heat. Add the thawed hash browns, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, cheese, salt, and pepper and combine well. Add additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Spread the mixture into a 9×13″ (or similar) dish and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the casserole is hot in the center and the cheese is bubbly throughout. Makes 6-8 main dish or 10-12 side dish servings.

Time to Make: about 15 minutes prep time plus 1 hour for baking
Difficulty: Easy
Recipe Origin: ourbestbites.com

Sour Cream Buns

Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115° F)
1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
3 T. granulated sugar
2 T. shortening
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 to 3 + 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Spread:
2 T. butter, nearly melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Icing:
1 - 2 cups powdered sugar
3 - 4 T. milk
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla


Directions:
In a large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. In a small saucepan combine sour cream, granulated sugar, shortening, and salt. Heat and stir over medium-low heat until warm (105°F to 115°F) and shortening is melted. Stir in baking soda. Stir sour cream mixture and egg into yeast. Stir in as much of the flour as you can with a wooden spoon. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough ( 3 to 5 minutes total). Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

Grease a large baking pan. Combine the ingredients for the cinnamon spread until well mixed. On a lightly floured surface roll dough into an 18x12-inch rectangle; Spread dough with cinnamon spread up to the edges. Roll up, starting from long side; seal seam. Slice into twelve 1-1/2-inch-wide pieces. Place each bun, cut side down, into the baking pan (OR in a prepared, greased, muffin cup). Cover and let rise in a warm place until 1/4 to 1/2 inch above tops of cups (45 minutes).

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake buns in the preheated oven about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans. Combine ingredients for the icing and spread a little over the rolls while still warm. Serve warm.

Tip: If you use a baking pan to bake the rolls, pack the rolls a little so that they will bake touching each other. This will make them better.

Time to Make: about 90 minutes
Difficutly: Easy
Recipe Origin: Better Homes and Gardens

Brownies (Annette's Recipe)

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
4 T. butter or margarine
1 + 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Icing:
3 T. powdered cocoa
2 dashes salt
3 cups unsifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
4-5 T. hot water
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a microwavable bowl, combine the shortening and butter and heat until melted in 30 second increments. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cocoa, and salt. In another bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy. Slowly add the 2 cups sugar, beating all the time until light and fluffy. Add 2 tsp. vanilla and melted shortening/butter mixture while beating. Add the flour mixture and combine. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes in a greased 9x13" pan.

While the brownies are baking, combine all the ingredients for the icing and mix until smooth. Once the brownies are done, spread the icing over them almost immediately after they come out of the oven so the icing melts into the brownies, then cool completely.

Difficulty: Medium
Time to Make: about 45 minutes
Recipe Origin: Annette Gardener

BBQ pulled pork sandwiches

Ingredients:

4 pounds pork roast (shoulder or butt works best)
2 medium onions
1 cup ginger ale
1 - 18 ounce bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Buns or rolls for sandwiches

Directions:
Dice or slice the onions. Put half the onions in a 4 quart crock pot and place the roast on top. Top with the remaining onions and the ginger ale. (add a little extra ginger ale if you need a bit more to cover the roast). Cook the meat on high for 4-7 hours (or until you can easily shred the pork). Shred the pork once it shreds easily and drain off and discard the liquid. Put the shredded pork in the crock pot and add the BBQ sauce (as much as you think it needs). Continue cooking for 2-3 hours. Serve as a sandwich inside your favorite rolls or buns.

Difficulty: easy
Time to make: at least 7 hours depending on your slow cooker.
Recipe origin: online somewhere