Peppermint Cookies

My Mother-In-Law's Kitchen

Since I met my amazing husband, and subsequently his fabulous mother, I have been wanting to write a whole series of posts entitled "My Mother-In-Law's Kitchen." Why you ask? Simple...her food is delicious (both my husband and I love it), many of her recipe's are heirloom recipes I want to treasure and pass on, and she is an amazing person I love getting to spend time with. Especially in the kitchen!

Finally after nearly three years of marriage (and a new amazing camera from my awesome husband) I have gotten a few recipes on camera, and I hope to get many more in the years to come. 

I hope you enjoy these amazing recipes as much as we do! With love from my Mother-In-Law Linda's Kitchen xxxooo

When the recipe card looks like this you know the cookies are good!

2 cups sugar

1 cup lard (yes lard! - but don't shy away these are fabulous)!

1 cup buttermilk

3 eggs

1 tsp peppermint extract

4 tsp baking soda

6 cups flour

Cream together the sugar and lard.

Add buttermilk (it will appear lumpy)

Add eggs, peppermint and baking soda.

Mix thoroughly.

Add 6 cups of flour to the wet mixture one cup at a time. 

  

 Cover and refrigerate.  

 Roll out dough, sprinkle with sugar, and cut into your favorite shapes.

Bake at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until lightly brown on the bottom. Cool cookies on a wire or wooden rack.

Frosting:

1 bag powdered sugar

Milk

Peppermint extract

Food coloring

Mix powdered sugar, 1-2 tablespoons milk, and 1-2 tablespoons extract. Add food coloring to your desired color. Drizzle over cookies.

 Allow frosting to dry before storing in zip lock bags or storage containers. 

These can be made in advance and placed in the freezer. Just remove and bring to room temp before serving. Delicious!

Mashed Potatoes ala Norma

5 large potatoes peeled

1 garlic clove, split

2 egg yolks

fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup butter

1 cup hot milk

4 slices Italian salami, diced

1/4 pound mozzarella cheese diced

2 tbsp heavy cream

2 tbsp grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Cover potatoes and garlic with boiling salted water and cook through. Preheat broiler. Drain potatoes and garlic and mash with butter and milk. Beat in egg yolks (make sure egg yolks are not cold have them on the counter to come to temp while potatoes are boiling to prevent scrambling). Mix in diced salami and mozzarella and then place in a buttered oven safe dish. Spoon cream over the top, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and place in the broiler 8 inches from the heat. Cook slowly until light brown crust appears. Serve warm and enjoy!

Cold and Flu

Having to combat the common cold and the flu this year more than usual? OR does this season always seem to hit your house harder than others? Check out this article I just came across...it has some interesting information on some habits we don't normally associate with cold and flu season!

http://health.yahoo.net/articles/healthcare/photos/surprising-signs-weak-immune-system#0

My Dad and his cancer fight

My Dad (Greg Stringham) is battling cancer and is in need payers prayers and support.  I'm hoping the news reaches as many people as possible.  It sure has in his home town.  He's made the paper!  You can check out the link here and see a great picture of him too:

http://www.torringtontelegram.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=11689&page=34

People are noticing the frustrations of having a life threatening condition and no means to treat it near your home or with out financial help. Dad is hoping to gain finding to begin a foundation to support not just his own needs, but those of others, because he can't possibly be alone in this very expensive fight for his life.

While we wait to see if a foundation can be started, Dad is still fighting his own fight.  His closest friends and family have signed his guest book on his Caring Bridge site to encourage him.   If you haven't, please do and if you can, donate or "make a tribute" to help his $4000.00 per month fees.  They accept any amount and it is-to my knowledge-tax deductible.  Here's his page and you can get updates on his progress and can send encouragement at anytime!

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/gregorystringham

Thanks!

~Carrie

Household tip for the day:

Keep your headlights clear with car wax! Just wipe ordinary car wax on 
your headlights. It contains special water repellents that will prevent 
that messy mixture from accumulating on your lights - lasts 6 weeks.

Tips for Weight Maintenance

Do Not Skip Breakfast

Skipping meals to eliminate calories? It seems like a simple concept; however, the repercussions of skipping a meal far out weigh the advantages of eliminating those calories. Skipping breakfast leads to intense hunger, making it difficult to make wise food choices. The result? Bad habits develop, such as eating convenient high-calorie snacks and meals.

Eating breakfast jump starts your metabolism; so, you start burning calories earlier in the day. If you skip breakfast (or any meal), you are denying your body the calories it needs to function properly. The body is thrown into a "survival mode," which slows the metabolism, resulting in the storage of remaining energy as fat. Research also shows that skipping breakfast lowers mental performance in both youth and adults.

Eat Throughout The Day

Eating 4-6 smaller meals throughout the day, rather than 3 large meals, will prevent your metabolism from shutting down. The longer you go between meals the more your metabolism will slow down in order to conserve energy.

Drink Water

Water is the body's most important nutrient. If the body is lacking in water, the metabolic rate will be slowed. The liver will begin to retain water rather than burn fat.

Replace Fat With Muscle

Muscle burns more calories than fat. We are able to maintain our weight more easily if we replace fat with muscle. Exercise using light weights to tone and firm muscle.

Aerobic Exercise

Whether you walk, skip, jog, or dance, aerobic exercise burns calories. Although cleaning your house and walking the aisles of the grocery store counts, sustained activity that raises your heart rate will burn the most calories.

Progressive Exercise

An exercise program must be progressive in order to be productive. Providing a challenge for your body is what forces your body to make changes and improvements. For example, if you use a treadmill for 30 minutes/3 days a week, it is beneficial to challenge your body by increasing the time, resistance, and/or frequency that you use the treadmill.

Age And Metabolism

It is a fact: As we age our metabolic rate slows down, and our muscle transforms into fat more readily than when we were younger. To manage your weight as you age, you must either adjust your calorie intake or increase your physical activity level to burn more calories. Physical activity will also keep muscles toned and will slow the process of muscle turning to "flab."

Match Eating To Activity Level

The amount of calories you consume on any given day should coincide with how active you are on that same day. Lower your intake of calories if you lead a sedentary lifestyle. Before you try to burn off existing fat, you must first stop storing new fat.

Information from:

http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--1350/metabolism-and-weight-management.asp

Tip of the day: Keeping Rice Grains Separate

Rice grains will stay separate and white if you add a teaspoon of lemon to the water for each quart made.

JAILHOUSE POTATO-CINNAMON ROLLS

 I found this on The Recipe Link and have to try it:

"Years ago, a close relative sent me a newspaper recipe clipping for potato dinner rolls that were popular with the inmates at Jefferson County Jail. I transformed the recipe into these potato-cinnamon rolls and named them accordingly."

FOR THE DOUGH:
2 medium russet potatoes
1 ounce active dry yeast (4 packets)*
3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons salt
9 cups unbleached flour

FOR THE FILLING:
4 cups pecans
4 cups firmly packed golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE ICING:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

TO PREPARE THE DOUGH:
Fill a large saucepan three-quarters full with water and set on high heat to boil. Peel and quarter the potatoes. Add the potatoes to the water and bring to a second boil. Decrease the heat to medium until the potatoes are simmering. Cook the potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the potatoes, reserving 3 cups of the cooking water. Set the potato water aside to cool, until it registers 110 to 115 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

In a large bowl, mash the potatoes - you will have 1 1/2 to 2 cups worth - by hand or using a mixer on medium speed.

In a medium bowl, mix the reserved cooled potato water, yeast, and the 1 teaspoon of sugar. Stir until the yeast has dissolved. Let the mixture rest until foamy, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the potatoes, 1 cup sugar, melted butter, eggs, salt, and yeast–potato water. Add the flour in 3-cup increments and stir with a spoon until the flour is incorporated. Place the dough in a large greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Leaving the dough in the bowl, punch it down until it deflates (1 or 2 punches with your fist will do). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

At this point the dough can be refrigerated until the next day.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Arrange the pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Coarsely chop the pecans.

Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

TO SHAPE AND BAKE THE ROLLS:
Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it in half. On a clean, floured surface, roll each half into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Spread each rectangle with half of the melted butter. Cover each buttered rectangle with half of the brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle the dough with an even layer of pecans.

Generously grease two (9 by 13-inch) disposable pans with butter.

Carefully roll up each rectangle, starting on 1 long side of the dough. Using a very sharp serrated knife, cut each roll crosswise in 2-inch slices. Place the slices, cut side down, in the pans, spacing the rolls about 1 inch apart so they have room to expand. Make sure the end flap of each roll is set snugly against a side of the pan, so it does not unravel while rising. Put 8 rolls in each pan.

(At this point the rolls can be tightly covered in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil and frozen up to 3 weeks. Defrost the rolls in the refrigerator overnight or for 1 hour at room temperature and continue following the directions from this point.)

Set the rolls in a warm, draft-free place and let them rise until they get puffy, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light brown.

TO MAKE THE ICING:
Combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Spread the icing on top of the rolls while they are still warm.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

RATHER SWEET VARIATION:

FOR ORANGE-POTATO ROLLS:
Prepare the dough as directed. For the filling, substitute 4 cups granulated sugar for the brown sugar, omit the cinnamon, and stir in 2 tablespoons grated orange zest. For the icing, substitute 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice for the milk, and substitute 1 tablespoon grated orange zest for the vanilla.

*TIP: Is it dead or alive? Mixing the yeast with water and sugar and waiting a few minutes to see if it will foam tells you whether the yeast is viable. If it doesn't foam, the yeast is dead and your rolls won't rise. Throw the mixture away and start again with a new batch of yeast. By "proofing," or testing, the yeast's viability, you avoid wasting a whole batch of dough and a whole lot of time.

Makes 24 large rolls
Source: The Pastry Queen: Royally Good Recipes from the Texas Hill Country's Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe by Rebecca Rather with Alison Oresman

Quick-peel a Potato

Tip of the day: The power of the potato

Ever put too much salt in a soup?  Slice a raw potato and toss it in.  It absorbs a lot of the salt and you can easily remove it later.

If your hands get stained by carrots or tomatoes or greens, rub them with a raw, cut potato to get the stain off!

Water from boiled potatoes helps clean silver.

To easily peel a potato, boil the whole thing and let it sit in cold water for 5 seconds.  Wring it with your hands and it should come right off!
I'll post a tutorial next and i think your mind will be blown... besides, I love the background music!  :)

Pear Mice

Vanilla Snowmen

It is something to do with the kids when they want to be out building a snowman and it is too cold or they are sick or, like here in Utah, when the inversion makes the air quality awful.

Basically, you use vanilla ice cream for snow and  add goodies to make the face and body.

I started with a light dusting of coconut for "snow" covered ground:

Next, I made a plate of leftover Christmas candy:

Then I scooped 2-3 balls of vanilla ice cream and let them build:

Tip for the day: how to avoid spoiled veggies in the fridge

Line the bottom of your vegetable drawer in your fridge with paper towels to help absorb some of that nasty moisture that makes your produce rot faster.  Then if you do leave it in there until it is unrecognizable, just lift the paper towel out and wipe the little bit that's left out.

Fancy Grilled Cheese

Trying to diet is killing me.  I justified indulging in some buttery carbs by watching my portions and adding in a healthy sized meat and veggie serving... don't you judge me. ;)

2 slices 98 calorie bread
Butter --I still won't go margarine
Cheddar
Sliced Avacado, tomato, and lettuce
provalone

Arrange so you have one kind of cheese on each slice of lightly buttered bread and the meat and veggies in between.  Cook on medium heat in a skillet until both sides are golden brown.

I had something similar at Cubby's.  They have cranberries on theirs. SO GOOD.

Turkey Parmesan Muffins

I saw something similar a while back online, but I couldn't find it, so I improvised. It was really good!

Grease medium sized muffin tin
Preheat oven to 350

In a mixing bowl combine 1.5 lbs ground Turkey, 1 egg, 1 egg white, 3T Italian seasoning, 2 tsp crushed Garlic, 1/2 C bread crumbs, 1/2 C Parmesan cheese (grated) --don't over mix.

scoop into muffin tin 3/4 full in each section.  Top with a layer of spaghetti sauce and Mozzarella.

Bake for 20 min.

makes 8 medium sized muffins

Turkey Avocado BLT

There is some sort of sacred union in this sandwich.  If you don't want to cook the bacon, you can pay a little extra for the precooked and nuke it.

2 slices of bread
1 slice provolone cheese
sliced avocado to make a layer
Lean deli turkey
2 slices of crispy bacon
Lettuce
sliced tomato
your choice of Mayo, Miracle Whip OR ranch dressing
mustard

Layer, toast if desired and eat!

Leftover Pot Roast Fajitas

Pot roast is on my top five comfort foods.  It makes me think of home.  We do a large roast, and then use leftovers for stew, sandwiches and soups.  Yet, things can get tired after a while.  I decided to stir things up yesterday (literally as you can see) and make our leftovers more exciting.

Not everyone serves a family of eight, so I calculated the ingredients for 2 fajitas per person.  Just multiply by the number of people served.

*1 T Olive Oil
*1 cup (per person) of leftover pot roast pulled apart or cut up
*taco/fajita seasonings to taste
*1/4 bell pepper (per person) cut up
*3 cherry tomatoes
*1 T minced onion
*Favorite shredded cheese to taste
*2 tortillas (I used wheat, but any kind will do.)

 I hate dry fajitas.  If you need more oil or a bit of water while heating the meat up, go for it.
Combine all ingredients and heat. I add the peppers and tomatoes last to avoid mushy veggies.

Place on tortillas in a line, add any extra cheese you'd like and roll.

MMMMMMM.....!

Cranberry Nut Bread

 This recipe came from my Mom- I have no idea where she got it, but we've had it around for years!

1 beaten egg

2 tbs melted shortening (I usually forget to add this, oops!)

1/2 cup prepared orange juice

2 tbs hot water

 

Add dry ingredients

 

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

 

Mix well, then fold in

 

1/2 cup walnuts

1 cup raw cranberries, cut in half (hint: it is easier to slice them if they have been in the freezer for a while)

 

Dough will be thick and kind of sticky.

 

Pour in greased and floured pan (about 2/3 full)

Bake at 325 for about 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean

Apple Cinnamon and Salt Dough Ornaments

The kids had a blast making these for presents this year. The different doughs work great on their own, but we combined on a few and they turned out great!

Apple Cinnamon dough:

1 C. ground Cinnamon
1 C. Apple Sauce

stir until it is combined thoroughly and roll out.  use cookie cutters and any sort of ribbon or ornament hanger and let dry for a few hours.  Voila!

Salt Dough:

1 C. Salt
2 C. Flour
3/4 C. luke warm water.

Let the kiddos really get ooey and gooey blending this one up.  Same as before, mix it up, roll it out and cookie cut.

Penguin Party!

We "invited" some penguins to our holiday dinner this year!

(olives, cream cheese, carrot)

My apologies

While I haven't stopped creating and stuffing my face with tasty vittles, I have been so busy, I haven't blogged a bit on any of my blogs!  Ah, well.  C'est la vie!   At least we've been with good friends and family.

Come January hopefully you'll see a lot more of the good stuff and maybe a new Vlog ala Madame Lexi and myself.  In the mean time, Happy Holidays! 

Kansas Dirt Cake

I've been wanting to try this for a while and finally found the recipe and a dozen just like it on Cooks.com!  MMMM!

1 lg. pkg. Oreo's
1/2 c. butter
12 oz. Cool Whip
8 oz. cream cheese
3 c. milk
1 c. powdered sugar
2 (3 1/3 oz.) boxes instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp. vanilla

Scrape filling out of cookies and reserve. 

Crush cookies. 

Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth, add powdered sugar and cookie filling. 

Fold in Cool Whip. 

In separate bowl, mix pudding with milk and vanilla. 

Fold whipped cream mixture in pudding mixture. 

Pour over layer of cookie crumbs in 9 x 13 inch pan. 

Repeat with layers of cookies and cream. 

Refrigerate at least 45 minutes.

Easy Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken with Ham fried Rice

I love Pinterest!

One of my latest finds is this tasty meal found HERE.  It is easy, light and filling and my kids vaccuum it down knowing there is plenty more.  I'm adding this to the label "under $10" because we had every indgredient but the chicken on hand which cost me six dollars to feed 8.

The chicken coating:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts (I used the stir fry cut packages)

salt + pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

The sweet and sour sauce:

3/4 cup sugar

4 tbs ketchup

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

This is about half way done in the oven.  My fully finished golden brown version had a corrupted file.

Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes

Fried Rice : This is so dang easy and it tastes just like restaurant ham fried rice.   

3 cups cooked white rice (day old or leftover rice works best!)

3 tbs sesame oil

1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)

1 small onion, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup soy sauce

(I added ham)

On medium high heat, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the peas/carrots mix, onion and garlic. Stir fry until tender. Lower the heat to medium low and push the mixture off to one side, then pour your eggs on the other side of skillet and stir fry until scrambled. Now add the rice and soy sauce and blend all together well. Stir fry until thoroughly heated!

Toffee Bran Bars

3/4 C all purpose flour
3/4 C 100% bran, divided
1 1/4 C firmly packed light brown sugar, divided
1/2 c. margarine, melted
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C flaked coconut, toasted
1/3 C walnuts

preheat to 350

in small bowl combine

-1/2 C bran
-1/2 C brown sugar
-Margarine

Press in bottom of 13x9x2in pan, bake 10 min and set aside.

 med-sized electric mixer beat these items at high speed until foamy:

-Remaining 1/4 C bran
-3/4 C brown sugar
-eggs
-baking powder
-Vanilla

Spread over prepared crust, bake additional 25 min, or until set.

Remove pan from oven, sprinkle with chocolate chips, let stand for 5 min

spread melted chips around gently before topping with coconut and walnuts in alternating diagonal strips over chocolate.

Cool completely, cut into bars.

Almond Cream Cheese Cookies

3 oz Cream Cheese (softened)
1 C butter softened
1 C sugar
1 egg yolk
1 Tbs Milk
1/8 tsp almond extract
2 1/2 C. sifted cake flour
1 C sliced almonds, toasted

Beat cream cheese with butter and sugar until fluffy.  Blend in egg yolk, milk, and almond extract.  Gradually stir in cake flour.  Gently stir in almonds. (dough will be sticky.)  Divide dough in half; place each cardon large sheet of waxed paper, shape into 12x1 in roll.  Refrigerate until very firm.

Preheat oven to 325.  Cut rolls into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 10-15 minutes or until edges are just starting to look golden.  THESE COOKIES SHOULD NOT BROWN.  Cool on wire racks.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Alternative to fried dough

I LOVE fried dough/western scones. I don't love the added oil, grease, splatters, calories, and using an entire bottle of oil I have to dispose of later.

My daughter and I, while preparing a favorite snack of fresh tortillas, decided to experiment a bit.

We liked it so much it was our breakfast this morning and was SO STINKING GOOD!
All you do is heat the uncooked tortillas on a clean dry skillet per directions on the package, butter them, and add your favorite scone toppings.

Lazy dessert...

This is best filed under things I threw together and didn't turn out half bad... :)

1 small bag frozen raspberries, dumped into a glass baking dish that has been sprayed with oil

1 chocolate cake mix, dumped directly on top of the raspberries

1 stick butter, cut into slices and put on top of the dry cake mix

Bake for about 1/2 an hour. You will see it bubbling slightly on the edges when it is done.

It looks like a big gooey mess, as you can see, but was actually pretty tasty. I let it cool for a little while, but served it while it was still warm. Goes great with vanilla ice cream too. Think cobblerish dump cake?

Lipton's white pizza dip

So good! So easy!  Think Really yummy Artichoke dip meets cheesy bread.

1 envelope Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Savory Herb with Garlic Soup Mix
1 container (16 oz.) sour cream
1 cup (8 oz.) ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (about 4 oz.)
1/4 cup (1 oz.) chopped pepperoni (optional)
1 loaf Italian or French bread, sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In shallow 1-quart casserole, combine Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Savory Herb with Garlic Soup Mix, sour cream, ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and pepperoni.   2. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.   3. Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve with bread.

CHEDDAR-POTATO-CARROT SOUP

CHEDDAR-POTATO-CARROT SOUP

6 TBSP butter or olive oil, or 50/50 of each

1 sm. onion, minced

Saute in a small skillet until translucent, more like sweating than sauteing.

Transfer to a big sauce or soup pot, & add:

6 C chicken broth & simmer for a bit.

Shred 8-10 carrots & 3 to 5 peeled potatoes. (I have used thawed hash browns, which work just as well.)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

2 drops Tabasco

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Simmer until veggies are tender.

Turn heat to low & add 2 C of 1/2 & 1/2 (can use fat free 1/2 & 1/2). 

Bring up to warm. TURN OFF HEAT!

Gently stir in one handful at the time, 2 - 3 C grated cheddar cheese, stirring in between til the cheese melts, otherwise your soup will "break".

Serve immediately!!!

Mama Rox's Hungry Boy Casserole

1.5 ground beef, turkey or chicken

1 C sliced celery

1/2 C finely chopped onion

1/2 C finely chopped green pepper (or red or yellow or mixed)

1 clove garlic minced  (or equivalent in garlic powder)

Cook the above in a skillet over med heat until veggies are tender. Drain any excess fat, if any.

ADD:

3/4 C of water

6oz. can of tomato paste

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. paprika

Reserve 1 Cup to roll up in biscuits.

ADD:

1 med can undrained pork & beans

1 med can of un drained navy beans

1 med can of un drained beans of choice (i.e. lima, kidney, etc.)

Let simmer while preparing biscuits.

BISCUITS:

1.5 cups AP flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Mix to combine.

Cut in:

1/4 C butter

Add:

1/2 C milk or buttermilk

(option my aunt used was 1 to 2 drops of yellow food coloring in milk)

Mix dough & knead very lightly, & roll out to a 1/2" thick rectangle. Spread the 1 Cup of reserved sauce & roll up & slice like sweet rolls.

Put the meat & bean mix in a greased casserole, & lay the biscuit rolls on top. Bake @ 425 for 25 to 30 min, until biscuits are raised & golden.

Great served with a big green salad.

Liz's Jello Salad

1 (6 oz.) box lemon Jello
1/2 c. hot water
1 (8 oz.) carton whipped topping
3/4 c. grated Cheddar cheese
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, not drained
3/4 c. Miracle Whip salad dressing

 

Dissolve Jello in hot water. Mix in in all other ingredients. Pour into a baking dish or salad bowl. Chill until firm.

Teasdale's Rotini Salad

Generations have enjoyed this salad, from my husband's grandma who served it to her family, including her mother, on down to my own kiddos, and the only difference is the modern ingredients.  My father in law and now my hubby are the chefs and every family BBQ that is of note has Rotini salad.

2 large cucumbers peeled and chunked
2-3 roma tomatoes (depending on size) diced
1 box rotini (if it is a 1lb box use only 3/4 of the box) cooked according to directions on box
1 bottle of light Cheese Fantastico salad dressing
1 can sliced olives
1-2 table spoons of Salad supreme

Mix all together in a large bowl with a tight lid. 

Shake... a lot.

You can eat it right away, but it is so much better overnight.

Chicken Waldorf Salad Sandwich

Chicken Waldorf Salad Sandwich

Ingredients:
Chicken (1 can chunk chicken or 1-2 cups roughly chopped chicken left overs)
1 gala apple diced small
1 celery stock diced small
1-2 cups sliced red seedless grapes
Optional 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
Bread/Crusty Roll/Croissant

Dressing Ingredients: (these are guesstimates as I just added each to the bowl free handed)
1/4 cup mayo (what ever kind you like - lite/fat free/olive oil base/regular/miracle whip)
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup honey
palm full of poppy seeds
S&P to taste

Make dressing in a large bowl first. Whisk together all ingredients and set aside to marinade while getting the other ingred ready.
Chop chicken, apples, celery and grapes and toss in dressing. Check seasoning and adjust here if needed. Add walnuts directly before serving. This is great as a sandwich but it's also great as a regular salad.

Wandering Gypsy Girl Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients

1 leek sliced

1/4 sweet yellow onion sliced

1 small potato sliced

1-2 heads fresh or frozen broccoli (florets separated from the larger stock-discard large stock or hold aside for making vegetable stock later)

chicken or vegetable stock (enough to cover veggies)

1 stick butter

2-3 tbl flour

cheddar cheese shredded - to taste (at least 2-3 handfuls)

milk or cream 

S&P to taste

 Rinse leeks to remove grit (slice at about 1/2 way up the dark green stem). Remove broccoli florets if using fresh broccoli and slice onion and peeled potato.

 Add 3-4 pads butter to pot and saute broccoli, leeks, onions, and potato until onions are translucent. Season with S&P here.

 Add enough stock to cover the veggies.

 Cover with lid and simmer until broccoli, potatoes and leeks are soft.

 Transfer all but 2-3 tbls of liquid to the blender and pulse until smooth.

 Add flour to stock remaining in the pot and make a rue. Add milk in slowly creating a base for a cheese sauce.

 Add desire amount of cheese (I like a lot!).

 Add veggie puree back into pot with cheese sauce - combine and bring back up to temp.

Serve warm with crusty bread.