Apricot-Jalapeno Preserves

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped dried apricots
2 cups sliced jalapeno peppers, leaving some seeds to increase spiciness
1/2 cup sliced jalapeno peppers
2 cups apple cider vinegar
6 cups sugar
3 oz bottle or pouch of pectin
4 oz or 8 oz canning jars and lids

Instructions:
Review safe canning instructions included in pamphlet in pectin box. Sterilize jars and add lids to simmering water. Add 1 1/2 cups jalapenos and all of vinegar to food processor. Puree until peppers are finely ground. Combine all ingredients together in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 5 full minutes. Remove from heat and add pectin. Fill jars leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch at top of jar. Add lids after wiping jar top clean with a damp towel or paper towel. Screw lids on tightly to form a good seal. Once all jars are filled, process in a boiling water bath as directed by instructions included in pectin box to ensure that jars seal properly. Remove from boiling water and turn jars upside down on dish towels to cool. Once cooled, checked buttons on each lid to make sure jars sealed. If any jars did not seal, use those within a few weeks.

Southern Pecan Cheese Ring

Ingredients:
1 lb extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated or finely chopped onion
1 cup toasted, chopped pecans
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Cayenne pepper to taste
1 - 1 and 1/2 cups preserves or chutney (strawberry or raspberry work well)

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together in food processor or with mixer. Using wax paper, plastic wrap or disposable gloves, shape mixture into a circle with raised edges like a wreath with a depressed flat center. Alternatively, press mixture into a decorative ring mold lined with plastic wrap. Cover and chill for at least 2 to 3 hours. Before serving, place preserves into center of ring. Let ring sit out to reach room temperature for about an hour prior to serving.
Serve with crackers.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 cups AP flour, sifted
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp course salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 sticks butter (1 cup), melted & cooled
4 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
15-oz can pumpkin puree

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin cups with liners. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice together. In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, butter and eggs until combined. Whisk dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Whisk in pumpkin puree.
Fill cupcake liners two thirds full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center a cupcake comes out clean.
Frost with cream cheese icing, if desired. Makes 24-30 cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Squares

oh. my. goodness.

Ingredients:
2 (8 oz) packages refrigerated crescent roll dough (I used Pillsbury light)
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened (I used light)
1 cup white sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup butter, melted (1/2 stick)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan or line pan with tin foil and grease for easy removal (cooking spray is sufficient for greasing pan).

Press one can of the crescent rolls into the bottom of the prepared pan, pinching all seems together. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 3/4 cup of sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Spread over the crescent layer.

Unroll the second can of crescent rolls and lay them on top of the cream cheese layer. Do not press down but stretch dough as necessary to meet edges of pan and pinch seems together.

Pour the melted butter over the entire pan. Then sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of sugar evenly over the top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown.

Copper Penny Salad

This is delicious and very colorful side dish. This makes a very large amount, so just half the recipe for a smaller crowd.

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar (I use Splenda)
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 10 3/4 oz can tomato soup
2 lbs carrots, peeled & sliced into discs
1 large onion, sliced into rings
1 green bell pepper, chopped

Instructions:
Cook carrots until tender. I steam them in the microwave, but some people prefer to boil them. Don't overcook them, though. They should still be firm, but not crunchy. If you boil them, drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, vinegar, oil, Worc. sauce, salt and pepper, whisking until sugar or sweetener is dissolved. Slowly whisk in tomato soup. Mix for several minutes until smooth. Add carrots, onions, and peppers to dressing, stirring to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours - overnight is better. The longer the salad marinates, the better it is.

Baked Spaghettio's Casserole

I got this great idea from here.

What a great, easy, inexpensive comfort food meal! So I made a few changes and here is the concoction I used below. It might seem kind of silly, but it's very tasty.

Ingredients:
4 cans Spaghettio's (I used store brand)
1 lb ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided
2 cups grated cheese, divided (I used Mexican blend that was in the fridge)

Instructions:
In a large skillet, brown turkey and onions. I always add some seasoning while I'm browning meat. Drain if necessary. Pour all four cans of Spaghettio's into skillet. Add 1/4 Parmesan cheese and 1 cup shredded cheese and stir well. Then add seasonings as desired and stir again. Pour into 9 x13 baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1 cup shredded cheese over top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Serve with salad or other veggies and garlic toast if desired.

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:
4 ounces Bakers German sweet chocolate, melted and cooled
2 sticks butter, softened
1 - 2 tbs milk or chocolate milk
4 cups powdered sugar


Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter on high for several minutes until very light and fluffy. Scrape down sides. With mixer on low, pour in melted chocolate and mix until well combined with butter. Scrape down sides again. Add powered sugar about 1 cup at a time, mixing until combined after each addition. After all powered sugar has been added, scrape down sides again, turn mixer on medium, and slowly add just enough milk to get correct spreading consistency.

Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting:
For chocolate hazelnut frosting, add 3-4 tbs chocolate hazelnut spread (I use Nutella) when adding melted chocolate to butter in the recipe above.

Also note that this recipe can be easily doubled to frost a layer cake. You don't need as much icing with a pound cake so the half recipe suits just fine.

Chocolate Pound Cake

This is an old-fashioned Southern recipe with a few twists. Can be iced or glazed or left plain. I prefer it iced with chocolate frosting or chocolate-hazelnut frosting.

Ingredients:
3 cups name-brand sugar (due to the crystal size, name brands are recommended by Southern Living magazine for the best pound cake texture)
3 sticks butter, softened (I use salted sweet cream butter - others prefer unsalted)
6 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup cocoa, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking POWDER
1 1/4 cups whole milk or whole chocolate milk
1 tsp vanilla


Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter on medium to high for 3-5 minutes, until very fluffy and almost white in color. Add sugar one cup at a time and beat on medium to high for several more minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add eggs with mixer off one at a time and mix on low only long enough to incorporate the yolk, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Continue until all eggs have been added.
In another bowl sift together flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder.
With mixer on low, alternate adding flour mixture and milk to batter until all flour mixture and milk have been added, stopping frequently to scrape down sides of bowl. If you milk is cold, it will cause the batter to look curdled after each addition. This will correct itself when you finish incorporating all the flour. Fold in vanilla.
Pour into a greased & floured 10-12 cup bundt or tube pan.
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes or until pick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Shake gently to loosen cake from sides of pan then turn out cake onto cooling rack. Cool completely before icing or putting in a covered container.

Apricot Baked Chicken

Apparently this recipe has been around in various forms for years and years, but I just recently happened upon the idea. Made this last night and it turned out delicious - we liked it so much, we're making more tonight! I served it with seasoned rice and steamed broccoli. This would be a great meal to take someone or to have for company.

Ingredients:
1.5 - 2 lbs raw chicken, rinsed and patted dry (I used breast tenders and boneless thighs cut into quarters)
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 cup French dressing
1 cup apricot preserves

Instructions:
In a 9 x 13 baking dish, lay out your chicken in a single layer. In a medium bowl, mix together soup mix, dressing and preserves. Pour mixture even over chicken and then wiggle chicken pieces into mixture to coat. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes for smaller pieces, 45 - 60 minutes if using full-sized breasts, drumsticks, or thighs. To determine if chicken is done, cut one into one of the larger pieces and make sure juices run clear. Serve with or over rice or pasta. Makes a nice amount of "gravy."

To make lower in calories, you can use low-fat or fat-free French dressing and all-natural preserves made with fruit juice. I do not recommend using the sugar-free preserves because of the all the strange, fake ingredients.

Good Cookies

My mom was given this cookie recipe by a friend. This is the only name by which these cookies are known to us. The name suits. They are addictive. I dare you to eat just one.

Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 cup oil

1 cup quick oats
1 cup Rice Krispies
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:
Combine sugars, butter, oil and egg until well mixed.
Then add the remaining ingredients until well combined.
Refrigerate overnight or up to several days.
When ready to bake, roll dough in small balls and press down with a fork on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly browned.
Let cool on cookie sheet for one minute and remove to racks to cool completely.

Notes from Mom:
"I sometimes substitute ½ cup of applesauce for half of the oil and they turn out fine. I use a small melon baller instead of a spoon and this makes the cookies uniform in size. This dough can be frozen, thawed and frozen again. This recipe makes lots of cookies!"

Chicken Pie

Not to be confused with my other recipe for chicken pot pie. Although many of the filling ingredients are similar, this recipe has a biscuit top rather than a pie crust top and bottom. It is equally as delicious as the chicken pot pie recipe, in our opinions.


Ingredients:
Filling
3-4 cups cooked chicken, chopped (Rotisserie works great)
1 medium onion, chopped
16 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
2 cans cream of soups (I used cream of mushroom)
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground thyme
2 tbs butter (I used Smart Balance)


Biscuit top
1 1/2 cups whole wheat baking mix or regular baking mix
1 1/4 cups milk
2 - 4 tbs butter, melted (I used 2 tbs Smart Balance)
1 cup shredded cheese, optional

Instructions:
In a medium skillet or saute pan, saute onion in butter for about 5 minutes on medium-high. Then in a large bowl, mix onions and all other filling ingredients together well. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish, spreading evenly.

In a separate bowl, mix together all biscuit ingredients, stirring until any lumps are gone. Pour biscuit mix evenly over filling.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until center of biscuit is done.

Dad's Chicken Stew

I remember Dad making this stew many times growing up. It's definitely comfort food served with some rice. After Hurricane Hugo, he set up his propane cooker in the back yard and cooked a huge pot then delivered it to many of our neighbors who were without power for a week or more.

Ingredients:
One fryer (2 1/2 - 3 lb)
3 medium potatoes, peeled & diced

3 medium onions, diced

2 tbs sugar

1 1/2 cups ketchup

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Boil chicken and onions together. When chicken is done, remove meat from bones. Dice meat and place back in broth, along with potatoes. Add ketchup, sugar, salt and pepper.

Simmer for 30 - 60 minutes. Serve over rice if desired.

Chili

I made this chili a few weeks ago and we thoroughly enjoyed it. So I decided to write down what I put in it since I don't ever follow a recipe when making chili. And consequently it turns out different each time I make it. Dave wanted me to write down this combo, though, so he can have this same chili again.

Ingredients:
2.5 - 3 lbs ground meat (I mixed turkey and beef), browned with garlic powder and salt and drained
2 packs chili seasoning mix
2 bell peppers, diced (I chopped them up fine in the food processor)
1 large onion, diced (again, I used the food processor)
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
1 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 regular sized jar Ragu Traditional sauce
1 can chili beans in sauce, not drained
2 cups water
2-3 tbs sugar
2-3 tbs chili powder
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs garlic powder
hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste

Put browned meat, bell peppers and onions in a large pot. Let saute for a few minutes. Add chili seasoning packets and next 8 ingredients, stirring well after each addition. Let simmer on medium-low for 30-60 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce as desired after simmering. Garnish with shredded cheese, diced onion, sour cream, etc.

Coconut Custard Pie

My mother-in-law shared this recipe with me. She baked us one of these last week and it lasted less than 24 hours in our house. Delicious!

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup evaporated milk
1 tbs corn starch
1 tsp vanilla
1 pie crust

Instructions:
Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in coconut. In a separate bowl, mix together milk and corn starch. Then add milk mixture to coconut mixture, stirring well. Stir in vanilla. Pour filling into pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 mintues. Shields may be needed to keep crust edges from browning too fast.

Caramel-Chocolate Brownies

a.k.a. A little bit of HEAVEN!

I made this recipe for the first time last night for my brother-in-law's birthday dinner. I was expecting them to turn out fine, but I was PLEASANTLY SURPRISED! They were fantastic!

This is one of those semi-homemade deals.

Ingredients:
1 box chocolate cake mix (I used German chocolate)
1 14-oz can evaporated milk, divided
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped nuts, optional
1-2 cups chocolate chips, semisweet or milk chocolate (I did half of each)
50 caramels, unwrapped

Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, 2/3 cup evaporated milk and melted butter. If adding nuts, do it now. Stir well until lumps are gone. Batter will be thick. Spread half of batter into bottom a greased 9x13 pan/dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine remainder of evaporated milk with caramels in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until all caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
After 15 minutes of baking, bring cake/brownie out of oven. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over cake/brownie. Then pour caramel mix evenly over cake/brownie. Lastly, drop remaining cake/brownie batter by spoonfuls over top. Bake for another 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until set in middle.
Let cool before cutting/serving.

I served the squares slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I won't go into details about the gluttony that ensued.

Zuppa Toscana

This is my version of the soup made famous by Olive Garden. It's very hearty and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground Italian sausage (I used turkey sausage)
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 small to medium potatoes, diced (I used red potatoes)

1/2 small star pasta (optional)

5-6 cups water

2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1-2 tbs chicken bullion flakes (adjust to your taste)
garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

2-3 cups kale leaves, torn into small pieces (no stems)

2 cups half and half or heavy cream

Instructions:
In a large stock pot or dutch oven, brown sausage on medium-high heat until no longer pink. Add onion, potato, star pasta and water. Stir well. Reduce heat to medium. Add red pepper flakes, chicken bullion, garlic, salt and pepper. Simmer on medium +/- 15 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low. Stir in half and half and kale. Simmer another 10-15 minutes on medium-low heat. If soup is too thick, add water in 1-cup increments until desired consistency is reached. I like my soup fairly thick and chunky (I hate the word chunky!).

Delicious served with garlic toast!

Em's Chicken and Dumplings

Every time I make these, I make them a little bit different. I'm trying to come up with a standard recipe, though because I forget from time to time exactly what I did. The last time I made these which was for Dave's birthday this year, this is what I did to the best of my memory :).

Ingredients:
1 chicken (I bought one that was already cut into pieces by the meat department - 2 breasts, 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings)
Salt, pepper, garlic
Enough water to cover by 2-3 inches (this will be your broth)

1 can cream of mushroom or cream of celery condensed soup
1 can cream of chicken with herbs condensed soup
1 onion, chopped
Chicken bullion flakes, to taste

Dumplings: (I double or triple this recipe)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS butter
1/2 cup milk
Optional: 1 TBS dried parsley flakes

Instructions:
In a large stock pot or dutch oven, boil chicken until done in water seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic. Take chicken out of broth and let cool enough to de-bone. Shred/chop chicken and add back to broth. Add chopped onion, cream soups, and chicken bullion to your taste. Season accordingly with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Let soup come up to a simmer.

Mix together dumpling dough. Pinch of bite size pieces and drop in simmering broth. Let cook 5-10 minutes without stirring. Before serving, lightly stir to incorporate dumplings. Stirring too much or too hard will cause dumplings to disintegrate and break up.

Last time I ended up adding more dumplings to the broth later because everybody loves the dumplings.

Buttery Bread Machine Yeast Rolls***

Oh my! These require some effort, but they are DIVINE! They are the perfect roll for any special holiday meal.

Ingredients:
1 cup warm milk, 70-80 degrees F (I use reconstituted powdered milk)
1/2 cup butter, very soft
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 cups bread flour
2 1/4 tsp yeast

Instructions:
Put all ingredients in the pan of your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Choose dough setting. Once dough is finished kneading, turn out onto lightly floured surface. Divide into 24-28 equal sized portions. Roll into balls. Place balls in a lightly greased 9X13 baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place 1 1/2 - 2 hours for maximum size and fluffiness. Bake at 350 for 13-16 minutes or until light golden brown on top. Brush with softened butter after they come out of the oven for extra yumminess.

***I'm sure you could also make these without the bread machine. I haven't tried them this way, but this is what I would do if making them the "normal" way. Convert the bread machine yeast into the equivalent amount of regular yeast, letting it bloom in the warm milk for 3-5 minutes and then use a mixer with a dough hook to mix/knead. Let the dough knead for 7-10 minutes in the mixer or knead by hand for the same amount of time.

Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

We love cheesecake around here. And this time of year pumpkin cheesecake is always appropriate at a gathering. This recipe is a little bit easier than the full-size recipe that calls for a springform pan and water bath.

Regarding the crust:
I started out intending to use the prepared graham cracker crust just as is, but when I opened it, it was all broken from being dropped at the store. No problem. All I did was dump the pieces into a bowl, crush back into fine crumbs and add a few tablespoons of melted butter and a few tablespoons of brown sugar. Then I stirred well, poured the mix back into the pan and remolded into a crust. The result was crunchier and more delicious than even a homemade crust.

Ingredients:
2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon *
1/4 tsp ground ginger *
1/4 tsp ground cloves *
2 eggs
1 15-oz can pumpkin
1 large ready graham cracker pie crust (not the standard size which is too small)

* If you prefer to use pumpkin pie spice, substitute 2 tsp for the cinnamon, ginger and cloves.

Instructions:
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add sugar and spices and beat until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined after each addition. Fold/stir in pumpkin. Pour mixture into crust (see description at top of post). Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate for several hours before serving. Garnish as desired. Keep stored in refrigerator.

Easy Salsa

I was looking back through the posts and realized that I haven't posted my super easy and delicious salsa recipe. I came up with this recipe years ago after eating more than my share of chips and salsa at local Mexican restaurants. I wanted something very similar to what they serve in the little plastic jars minus the cilantro, which I don't like. Of course, you can add cilantro if you so desire.

Ingredients:
1 28-oz can diced or petite diced tomatoes
1 10.5-oz can diced tomatoes with chilis
1/4-1/2 of a medium onion, chopped roughly
1 TBS minced garlic or more to taste (I used the kind in the jar)
Salt to taste

Instructions:
Put all ingredients except salt in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse several times until onion is finely diced. Pour salsa into a large glass or plastic bowl. Add salt as desired and stir well. Try not to eat it all.

Easy Coconut Macaroons

Oh, my! These are very reminiscent of a popular chocolate-covered coconut candy bar you might be familiar with. Yummy! Try not to eat them all at one time.

Ingredients:
2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk (I used fat-free)
1 egg white
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions:
Stir all 4 ingredients together until well-combined. Drop by rounded teaspoons-full onto a greased cookie sheet. They don't spread so you can put them close together. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-12 minutes.

Chicken Tetrazzini

I made this one this weekend. It was a huge hit. Very, very yummy.

Ingredients:
2 to 3 cups cooked chicken
7-8 oz dried angel hair pasta
1 TBS olive oil
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 to 1 1/2 cups grated carrot, zucchini, squash or any combination of these
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups half & half or cream (can use fat-free half & half)
1 cup sour cream (can use fat-free, reduced fat, or even Greek yogurt)
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic powder to taste

Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions; Drain & set aside. In a large stock pot or very large skillet, saute peppers, onions, grated veggies and mushrooms in olive oil until almost tender. Stir in cooked chicken, cream of mushroom soup, half & half, sour cream and seasonings. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese. Add cooked pasta and stir well. Pour into a lightly greased casserole dish (9X13 should work). Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Notes:
I also think chopped broccoli would be a great addition. Maybe peas, too.
You can make this vegetarian by substituting more veggies in place of the chicken.

Corn-Jalapeno Pudding

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups milk *
3 eggs
3 TBS butter, melted
3 TBS baking mix (I used Hodgsen Mill) *
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

1 TBS sugar

1/2 tsp garlic powder, optional

1/2 black pepper, optional

1 1/2 cups cheese

16 oz frozen corn, thawed (I used frozen, but use whatever you like - canned, fresh, frozen)

1/2 cup chopped jalapenos (I used the jarred ones) *

Instructions:
Whisk together milk, eggs, flour, butter and seasonings until well incorporated. Add corn, cheese and jalapenos last and stir well. Bake at 375 degrees in a greased casserole dish (9X13) for 50-60 minutes or until set in the middle*.

* A few notes:
Milk: I almost always use re-constituted powdered milk in recipes and it works beautifully and tastes just the same as using regular milk. It's much more cost-effective.

Baking mix: If you don't have any baking mix in the house, you can substitute 3 TBS all purpose flour and 1 tsp baking powder.

Jalapenos: This isn't overly spicy, but if you want a milder casserole, you can substitute a small can of diced green chilis.

Baking: You can also make this in the crock pot. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until set in the center. I haven't done it this way so cooking time may need to be adjusted.

Hummus

Let me start by saying that I've read a lot of recipes for hummus, authentic and Americanized. What I've found is that people who are from the Middle East and Mediterranean have distinct opinions about hummus as far as ingredients and the quality of those ingredients. True hummus, many believe, should not have additions such as roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, etc. And if it does have such additions, it should not be called hummus. These same people also believe that you should add only tahini to your hummus, not tahini and olive oil. Olive oil, they say, is only for pouring on top of your prepared hummus.

I've also read that in order to get the smoothest hummus you have to make sure the outer jacket or skin is removed from each chickpea. Just out of curiosity I did try removing all the skins from the chickpeas. It was very time consuming but did result in very smooth hummus. I don't really mind what you add to your hummus as long as it tastes good. But then again, I'm not from the Middle East.

For my personal preferences, I have found that I like the simpler recipes best as far as additions go. I prefer powdered or granulated garlic because fresh garlic is too strong. I also like the texture, flavor and seasoning that chicken broth adds so I use that instead of the chickpea juice for thinning. And I don't like squeezing fresh lemons because it takes so much time and results in so little product. For that reason I use bottled lemon juice. All that said, here's my hummus recipe. Keep in mind it is a little different than what many would call authentic. But it tastes great to me!

Ingredients:
2 16-0z cans chickpeas, drained
1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
1/3 - 1/2 cup tahini
2 TBS olive oil
1/3 - 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
garlic powder or granulated garlic to taste
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon cumin

Instructions:
Pour all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor (you can use a blender if you don't have a food processor, but it may be a little more difficult to get smooth). Blend until very smooth, 1-2 full minutes. Add extra chicken broth as needed to reach desired consistency. Stop blending and give it a taste. Make adjustments if needed. Blend a little longer to incorporate additions. Scrape into a bowl making sure not to waste a single drop. Enjoy with pita bread, pita chips, or fresh veggies such as carrots, celery, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, and bell peppers. Or just eat it with a spoon as I often do.

Biscuit Cups

I have tried this recipe a couple of times using different ideas and they've come out great each time.

Pizza Cups

Ingredients:

2 (6-count) containers small refrigerated biscuits

1 cup cooked turkey sausage (or chopped pepperoni)

1 cup pizza or pasta sauce

1 cup cheese

Instructions:

Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Press one biscuit into the bottom and up the sides of each cup of the muffin tin. Spoon approximately 1 TBS each of turkey and pizza sauce into each cup. Top with 1 TBS cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 14 minutes.

To make Chili Cups

Ingredients:

12 biscuits (same as above)

1 1/2 - 2 cups chili

1 cup cheese

Instructions:

Follow the above instructions except spoon chili and cheese into each muffin cup.

Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole, modified

This recipe was adapted from several chicken & rice casserole recipes (one of those is already on this blog) that I have in my collection. Some of the other recipes use mayonnaise and/or sour cream in addition to the cream soups. Next time I make it I plan to experiment a little by substituting or adding other veggies besides the green beans such as green peas, mushrooms, green pepper, or celery.
I also think french fried onions or crushed butter crackers would be great toppers in addition to the cheese if you want to dress it up some more. I made this just as listed below and cooked it in the crock pot on low for about 3 hours and it turned out great and was delicious.

Ingredients:
3-4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 boxes fast-cook long grain & wild rice (I used Uncle Ben's)
2 cans Cream of soups (I used Cream of Chicken & Herb & Cream of Mushroom)
2 cups shredded cheese such as Cheddar, Monterray Jack, or Colby, separated
1 12-oz. bag frozen cut green beans, cooked
1 medium to large onion, chopped
1 can chopped water chestnuts, optional
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
Cook rice according to package directions; set aside. In large mixing bowl mix 1 1/2 cups cheese with all other ingredients. Stir very well. Spoon mixture into greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes until hot all the way through.

Corn Dog Handwiches/Muffins

DH fell in love with this Cuisinart Sandwich Grill one day when were in Belk. So of course we got it. Turns out it's more versatile than originally anticipated. I found some recipe ideas for making corn dog muffins and corn dogs in the sandwich grill and have been dying to try them out. So today I did.

Ingredients:
1 package buttermilk corn bread mix (the only-add-water kind), prepared
according to package directions
1/2 cup shredded cheese, or more if desired
3 of your favorite hot dogs, sliced thinly (We like Ball Park Smoked White Turkey Franks)
ketchup and mustard for dipping

Instructions:
I mixed all ingredients together. Then I filled the wells of the sandwich grill evenly and closed the lid. About 5 minutes later we had perfectly cooked corn dog handwiches. Yum!

Don't worry, though. You can make these as corn dog muffins in a muffin tin if you don't have a sandwich grill like me. In fact, I often just use the muffin tin (results shown above) myself so I can cook all the batter at one time.

Crock Pot Beef & Broccoli

I got the idea for the recipe here. I basically doubled the original recipe.

Ingredients:
2 - 2 1/2 lb thinly sliced beef (I used sirloin)
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 TBS white wine
4 TBS apple cider vinegar
2 TBS brown sugar
3 tsp sesame oil
2-3 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 bag thawed broccoli florets or broccoli cuts (to add later)

Instructions:
Add all the liquid ingredients to the crock pot. Add your garlic and red pepper. Add your sliced meat, tossing to coat thoroughly. Cook on high for 2 - 3 hours or low for 4- 5 hours. This didn't take as long as I thought it would.
An hour before serving, add your broccoli, stirring to coat with sauce. Cook on high for another hour.
I served DH's with steamed brown rice. I ate mine without any rice.

I also plan to try this with chicken because it was delicious. I was surprised how tender the beef was due to the vinegar.

Honey Oat Bread

DH gave me a bread machine for my 30th birthday. Because I tend to want to eat the entire loaf, I don't use the machine very often. But last weekend I decided I wanted Dave to have some fresh bread to make peanut butter and honey sandwiches with. We didn't get as far as the peanut butter. We used the bread more like pancakes, spread with real butter and honey and stacked several pieces high.

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups bread flour *
1/4 cup powdered milk
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast
1/2 cup rolled or quick cook oats
1 TBS vegetable oil

Instructions:
Add all ingredients to bread machine pan in the order suggested by your manufacturer's guide. Select a basic cycle for medium/large loaf with a light crust. Then wait about 4 hours. Your house will smell amazing. Try not to engulf the entire loaf straight out of the bread machine. This part will be especially difficult.
* I substituted 1 cup of spelt flour for 1 cup of bread flour. Because of this I also added a tablespoon of vital gluten to make sure the bread rose. I imagine 1 cup of whole wheat would also work well.

Watergate Salad

Another one of DH's favorites.

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (3.4 oz) carton instant pistachio pudding mix
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained

Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine whipped topping and pudding mix. Fold in pineapple and marshmallows. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.