Bethany's Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

Cream together:

1 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Add:

2 cups wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/3 cups rolled oats

Mix thoroughly. Stir in:

1 package chocolate chips
2 cups chopped nuts

Drop onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing.

Oatmeal Carmelitas

Crust:

2 cups flour
2 cups quick rolled oats
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 butter, softened

Filling:

1 cup caramel ice cream topping
3 Tablespoons flour
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9-inch pan. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine all crust ingredients; mix at low speed until crumbly. Reserve half of crumb mixture (about 3 cups) for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture in bottom of greased pan. Bake at 350°F. for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine caramel topping and 3 tablespoons flour; blend well.

Remove partially baked crust from oven; sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Drizzle evenly with caramel mixture; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Return to oven; bake an additional 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until filling is set. Cut into bars.

Garlic Chicken in Lemon Butter Sauce

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup seasoned flour (1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper)
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons parsley flakes or 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 eggs
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 stick butter

Place the seasoned flour in a large gallon-size ziploc bag. Set aside. In a shallow pie plate, beat the eggs until mixed and add the Parmesan cheese. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt one tablespoon butter and one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat.

Put the four chicken breasts in the bag with the seasoned flour, close the bag, and shake to coat. Take the chicken out of the bag and dip into the egg/Parmesan mixture. Place the chicken in the skillet with the hot oil/butter. Repeat with the other chicken breasts. Let the chicken cook on the first side for 1-2 minutes until a nice, golden crust has formed. Flip the chicken and let it continue to cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side until it is golden brown.

Remove the chicken to a 9X13-inch pan. Set aside while you make the sauce.

In the same skillet that you browned the chicken, melt the remaining stick of butter (7 tablespoons). Add the minced garlic, lemon juice, and parsley. Simmer the sauce for 1-2 minutes, stirring and scraping up any browned bits that were on the bottom of the skillet.

Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken breasts and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Serve over pasta.

Recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Baby Back Ribs

• 4 pounds Pork Ribs
• ¾ cups Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
• 2 cups Sweet Baby Ray BBQ Original Sauce
  

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Mix together the sugar and spices to make the rub. Apply rub to ribs on all sides. Lay ribs on two layers of foil shiny side of the foil facing out and meaty side of the rib face down. Lay two layers of foil on top of ribs and roll and crimp edges tightly, edges facing up to seal them. Place the foil-wrapped ribs on a baking sheet and bake for 2 – 2 1/2 hours or until meat is starting to shrink away from the ends of the bone.

Remove from oven and pull ribs out of the foil packages. Heat broiler. Cut ribs into serving sized portions of 2 or 3 ribs each. Arrange the ribs on a broiler pan, bony side up. Brush on sauce. Broil under broiler for 1 or 2 minutes until sauce is cooked on and bubbly. Turn ribs over, brush on the sauce and broil that side for 1 or 2 minutes until sauce is cooked on and bubbly.

Chocolate Raspberry Sauce

Makes about six 8-ounce jars:

1/2 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pkg. regular powdered fruit pectin
4 1/2 cups crushed red raspberries
4 tbsp. lemon juice
6 3/4 cups granulated sugar

Combine cocoa and pectin. Stir and set aside. In a large saucepan, place crushed raspberries and lemon juice. Whisk in pectin mixture until dissolved. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently.

Add sugar all at once and bring to a full boil. Boil hard for one minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam. Fill prepared jars. Process for 20 minutes if you are canning it.

This is really yummy eaten warm over ice cream.

Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup onion (or sprinkle onion salt)
1-2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1 can kernel corn
1 can tomato sauce
1 pkg. taco seasoning

Brown ground beef with onion. Add rest of ingredients and heat through. Best if it simmers for a little while. Top with grated cheese, corn chips, and sour cream.

Honey Butter

1.5 sticks of butter
1/2-3/4 cup honey

Mix honey into softened butter. Store in refrigerator. Serve with rolls or cornbread.

Tomato & Avocado Finger Sandwiches

We had a book club luncheon at my house recently, and Shelley made the yummiest sandwiches. My favorite were these...

Sandwich bread
Pesto
Avocado
Tomato
Mayo

Spread pesto on one side of bread, and toast on a griddle (pesto side down) until lightly toasted. Cut off crusts. To make sandwiches, lightly apply mayo to the inside of the bread and add thinly sliced tomatoes and avocado.

I have been craving these ever since!

Fruit Yogurt Parfait

• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 cups plain yogurt (or vanilla and skip extract)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, peaches, cherries, grapes, melon, etc.)
• 3/4 cup granola

Mix honey, yogurt, and vanilla. In cups or glasses, layer assorted fruit with yogurt and granola.

Barbecue Chicken Chopped Salad

1/2 head romaine lettuce
1/2 head iceburg lettuce
cilantro (to taste)
Fresh basil (2-3 leaves, but I've also made it without and it's good)
1 cup white corn
1 cup black beans
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Tortilla strips
Chopped tomatoes (optional)
Cooked chopped chicken
Sweet & spicy BBQ sauce
Ranch dressing

Prepare the chicken by covering it with BBQ sauce after it is cooked and chopped, and let it chill in the refrigerator. Chop the lettuces into strips and combine with chopped cilantro and basil. Stir in corn, beans, and cheese. Just before serving, stir in about 1 cup of tortilla strips and toss with a small amount of ranch dressing. Top the salad with the BBQ chicken and drizzle the salad with a little extra BBQ sauce.

Lemonade Cake

• Pillsbury classic white cake mix
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup oil
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed


Set your oven to 350F. Prepare to keep cake from sticking by lightly coating bottom of pan with cooking spray or use shortening and a flour dusting.
Blend cake mix, water, oil, eggs, and lemonade in a large bowl until moistened. Beat with a mixer on low speed for 2 minutes.

Bake until cake is done, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool 10-15 minutes then run a knife around the edge of pan before removing.

Recipe from Laura.

Spicy Chicken Romano

2 tablespoons butter
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (thinly sliced)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (can also use canned mushrooms)
1/4 cup diced green onions
1/8 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce (I have only found the Classico brand)
1/4 cup grated romano cheese (I use the kind in a small tub, can be mixture of cheeses as well)
1 (12 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
cayenne pepper
bow tie pasta, cooked


In skillet melt butter and saute chicken, mushrooms, green onions, artichoke hearts, and sun dried tomatoes until hot and chicken is cooked through. Add Alfredo sauce and Romano cheese. Simmer. Add cayenne pepper to taste. Serve over bowtie pasta.
You can also stir in the pasta with the sauce and chicken mixture, but I like to serve it over the pasta so each person can take how much of each they like.

Beef Stroganoff

2 pounds round steak, cut in strips
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
4 oz. can mushrooms
1-2 onions, sliced
1 1/2 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. marjoram
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. kitchen bouquet
1/4 cup ketchup
1 cup sour cream (optional)

Preheat electric pan to 360 degrees. Coat meat with flour. Brown in butter. Add all other ingredients except sour cream. Cover pan and simmer for 1.5 hours. Add more water if necessary. Just before serving add sour cream and heat through. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

Crockpot option: Cook meat in fry pan and combine all ingredients, then transfer to a crock pot and cook on low for 3 or more hours.

Recipe from Grandma Diane.

Frog Eye Salad

1/2 box of Acini Pepe pasta
1 T. oil

1 cup sugar
2 T. flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 beaten eggs
1 T. lemon juice
3 small cans mandarin oranges
2 small cans crushed pineapple
2 cups fruit juice drained from mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple
8 oz. Cool Whip
1 small pkg. colored marshmallows
1 cup coconut (optional)

Cook pasta in boiling water with oil and a little salt for 5-6 minutes. When done drain and rinse in a colander with cold water. Drain oranges and pineapple to make 2 cups fruit juice. Mix together sugar, flour, salt, eggs, lemon juice and fruit juice in a saucepan and boil until thick. Cool and pour over pasta in a bowl. Mix and let sit overnight in refrigerator. Before serving, stir in Cool Whip, marshmallows, fruit, and coconut (if desired).

Recipe from: Nana

Sour cream chicken

4-5 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup mayo
2 Tb chopped onion or sprinkled dry onion
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheese
1 tsp lemon juice
salt & pepper
Serve with rice

Place chicken, cream of chicken soup, onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper in crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hrs or high 3-4 hours (low is always better). During the last hour of cooking time, shred chicken then add mayo, sour cream and cheese. Serve over rice and sprinkle with shredded cheese, salt and pepper.

Salsa Chicken Tacos

Small flour tortillas

1 jar medium salsa

3-4 chicken breasts

desired toppings (shredded lettuce, cheese, sour cream, etc.)

Place breasts in slow cooker and cover with salsa. Cook on low for 6-7 hours, shredding halfway through or toward the end. Fry the tortillas in a little oil until lightly brown and crispy. Then fill with shredded chicken and garnish with desired toppings.

Poppyseed Bundt Cake

1 yellow cake mix (the kind with pudding)

1 (3.5 oz) box of instant vanilla pudding

1 TB poppyseeds

1/2 cup pinapple or orange juice

1/2 cup oil

1 cup sour cream (I use lite)

4 eggs

Mix yellow cake mix, vanilla pudding and poppyseeds. Add juice, oil, and sour cream and mix. Add 4 eggs one at a time, mix well. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

When the cake is about 10 minutes from being done start the glaze.

Glaze:

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1-2 TB corn syrup

Bring to a boil--then keep bubbly until ready to pour over cake. It is really like syrup that soaks in. Give it a few minutes to soak in and then turn it out onto a cake plate. Enjoy!

Recipe from Sisters Cafe.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos

20 whole fresh jalapenos, 2-3 inches in size
2 cubes cream cheese, softened
1 pound bacon, sliced into thirds

Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane. Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half. Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle. (At this point, you can freeze them, uncooked, in a Ziploc bag for later use).

Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. If, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. These are best when the jalapeno still has a bit of bite to it.

From: Pioneer Woman

Yogurt Fruit Dip

1 oz. pkg vanilla pudding
1 cup milk
2 (6 oz.) strawberry yogurts (or 1 ½ cups)

8 oz container cool whip

Mix the pudding and the milk together. Fold in the yogurt and whipped topping with a large spatula, mixing gently until well combined.

This is great served with grapes, strawberries, apples, pineapple, and more!

Vegetable Minestrone Soup

3 T. olive oil
1 cup white onion, minced
1/2 cup zuchinni, chopped
1/2 cup frozen italian cut green beans
1/4 cup minced celery (optional)
4 t. minced garlic
4 cups vegetable broth
2 (15 oz.) cans red kidney beans, drained
2 (15 oz.) cans small white beans or great nothern beans, drained
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
1/2 cup carrot, julienned or shredded
2 T. fresh minced parsley
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
3 cups hot water
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup small shell pasta

Heat olive oil over medium heat in large pot. Saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zuchinni for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add vegetable broth, drained tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, carrot, hot water, and spices.

Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook for another 20 minutes or until desired consistency.