#1139 - Christmas Cake

(by Ella [Bennett] McCoy)

2 cups Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
2 cups seedless raisins
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup Crisco shortening
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda + 1 TBSP water
3 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup chopped nuts
3/4 cup Baker's angelflake coconut
green and red holiday sugar sprinkles

In a saucepan over medium heat add brown sugar, seedless raisins, boiling water, Crisco, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt--stir and bring to a boil, then boil for 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat. In a cup add baking soda and 1 TBSP water--stir until dissolved. Add baking soda mixture to brown sugar mixture--stir. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then add flour, chopped nuts and coconut--stir. Pour batter into a greased and floured tube cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let cake cool slightly, then loosen the edges and flip cake upside down on to a cake plate. Glaze as desired, then sprinkle glaze with red and green holiday sugar sprinkles. Keep covered with foil. It gets better as it ages.

#1138 - Nachos and Black Beans

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 bag Tostitos scoops nacho chips
1 - 16oz. can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 jar mild, medium or hot salsa dip
1 - 10oz. package frozen whole kernel corn (thawed)
4 green onions (chopped)
2 cups shredded cheese of your choice
1 chopped tomato

Spread nacho chips in a single layer on cookie sheets. In a bowl add beans, corn, salsa and green onions--stir. Use a spoon to put some of the bean mixture on each individual nacho chip. Sprinkle shredded cheese on each of the nacho chips. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese melts. Remove from oven and sprinkle a few chopped tomatoes on top of each nacho chip (on top of the melted cheese).

#1137 - Turkey and Green Beans

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 10.75oz. can Campbell's cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. onion flakes
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1 cup diced turkey breast OR chicken breast
1 cup diced carrots (cooked and drained)
1 cup green beans (cooked and drained)
1 tsp. salt
2 cups dry egg noodles (cooked according to package directions)

In a saucepan over medium heat add carrot pieces and cover with water--add 1/2 tsp. salt and stir. Cook until tender, then drain and set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat add green beans and cover with water--add 1/2 tsp. salt and cook until tender, then drain and set aside. Cook egg noodles according to package directions--drain and set aside--do NOT rinse with cold water. In a large greased skillet add cream of chicken soup, shredded cheddar cheese, onion flakes and parsley flakes--stir and cook over medium heat until the cheese is melted. Add the turkey or chicken pieces, cooked carrots, and cooked green beans--turn heat back to simmer and cook/stir until hot. Put some noodles on each plate and top with the turkey/chicken mixture.

#1136 - Easy Blueberry Cobbler

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 to 6 pints fresh or frozen blueberries (thawed)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup flour
Crumbs: 2 sticks softened butter; 2 cups Domino's dark brown sugar; 1 tsp. cinnamon (OPTIONAL); 1 cup flour; 1 cup Quaker quick oats

Wash and rinse blueberries--they should still be slightly wet. In a large bowl add blueberries, white sugar and 1/2 cup flour--carefully mix with a spoon so blueberries get covered, then let them sit 15 minutes. Butter a 9 x 13 glass cake dish. Spread the blueberries evenly on the bottom of the buttered dish. In a separate bowl add brown sugar and softened butter--stir with a spoon until mixed. Add cinnamon, 1 cup flour and quick oats to the brown sugar mixture--use your hands to mix it into crumbs. Use your hands to sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly on top of the blueberries. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until lightly browned.

#1135 - Cream Cheese Carrots

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 lbs. carrots
2 cubes of chicken bouillon (2 tsp.)
1 - 8oz. Velveeta cheese (cubed)
2 TBSP butter
1 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (cubed)
4 chopped green onions OR 1/2 of a medium onion (chopped)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt

Wash and peel carrots--cut carrots into coin shaped pieces. In a saucepan over medium heat add an inch of water--add carrots and chicken bouillon and bring to a boil while stirring. Cover and cook until the carrots are slightly tender. Drain the carrots--set aside. In a separate saucepan over low heat add butter, cubed Velveeta--cook and stir until melted and smooth. Add cream cheese cubes, chopped onions, salt and pepper--stir. Cook until melted and smooth. Add the drained carrots to the cream cheese mixture--stir. Pour entire mixture into a 2 qt. greased casserole. Cover the casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until hot enough to serve.

#1134 - Vanilla Whooppee Pies

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 cups flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Parkay margarine
1 or 2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk
1 egg
Filling: 2 egg whites; 2 tsp. vanilla; 4 TBSP flour; 2 TBSP milk; 1 1/2 cups Crisco shortening; 1 lb. Domino's powdered sugar

In a mixer add margarine and white sugar--beat. Add 1 egg and vanilla--beat. Add baking powder, salt and milk--beat. Add flour--beat. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet about an inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Let them cool before icing. Frosting: in a mixer add egg whites--beat until stiff. Add vanilla, flour, milk--beat. Add Crisco--beat. Slowly add powdered sugar--beat until smooth and fluffy. When cookies are cool, spread icing on one cookie (bottom side) and then top with another cookie (bottom side facing icing). You can freeze them by wrapping each pie in saran wrap and placing in a container.

#1133 - Caramel Frosting/Icing

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 stick butter
2 cups Domino's dark brown sugar
3 heaping TBSP flour
2/3 cup Carnation evaporated milk (NOT CONDENSED)
1 or 2 tsp. vanilla

In a saucepan over low heat add butter--melt the butter and stir. Add brown sugar and flour--stir. Add evaporated milk--stir. Turn heat to medium and while stirring, bring to a boil--once boiling, keep boiling and stirring until the mixture gets thick. Remove saucepan from heat--let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, add vanilla and stir.

#1132 - Homemade Granola Bars

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup granola
1 cup Quaker quick oats
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup raisins OR dried fruit of your choice (strawberries, pineapple, etc.)
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

In a bowl add granola, oats, chopped nuts, flour and raisins OR dried fruit--stir. In a mug add egg--beat with a fork. Add beaten egg, honey, canola oil, brown sugar and cinnamon to the granola mixture--stir until mixed. Press mixture into a greased 8 x 8 baking pan (use the back of a spoon to press the mixture and even it out). Bake at 325 degrees for 30-36 minutes. Cool completely, then cut into bars.

#1131 - Leftover Turkey and Pasta

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 cups dry egg noodles
1 - 10.75oz. can Campbell's cream of chicken soup (condensed)
1/2 cup milk
1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups cubed leftover Thanksgiving turkey

Cook egg noodles according to bag directions--drain. In a saucepan over low heat add cream of chicken soup, milk, Parmesan cheese, pepper--stir until mixed. Add cubed turkey--stir. Add noodles--stir. Cook on medium heat until hot enough to serve.

#1130 - No Fail Peanut Butter Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup Jif peanut butter
1 cup white sugar + extra for dipping
1 beaten egg

In a bowl add egg--beat with a fork. Add white sugar--stir. Add peanut butter--stir until mixed. Make walnut sized balls from the dough--place cookie balls on greased cookie sheets. Dip a fork in a small bowl filled with white sugar--flatten each cookie to 1/2" thick with the fork and make a criss cross pattern on top of each cookie with the back of the fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes. Let them cool COMPLETELY on the cookie sheets before removing.

#1129 - Frosted Ginger Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup softened butter
1 egg
1/2 cup Brer Rabbit green label baking molasses
1/2 cup water
2 cups flour
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Frosting: 1/4 cup softened butter; 2 cups Domino's powdered sugar; 2 tsp. vanilla; 1 TBSP milk

In a mixer add 1/3 cup butter and white sugar--beat. Add egg--beat. Add ginger, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, ground cloves, cinnamon--beat. Add molasses--beat. Add water--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Cover the bowl with Saran Wrap and refrigerate the batter for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove from refrigerator and uncover. Drop batter by rounded teaspoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Remove cookies immediately from cookie sheets to cool. Frosting: in a mixer add 1/4 cup butter and powdered sugar--beat. Add vanilla and milk--beat. Frost the tops of the cookies.

#1128 - Crushed Pretzel Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups crushed thin salted pretzels
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter (melted)
2 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
1 or 2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup Breakstone's sour cream
1 - 8oz. Cool Whip (thawed)
1 can pie filling (your choice of flavor)

In a Ziploc bag add pretzels--close the bagtight, then crush the pretzels using your hands on the outside of the bag--crush them to coarse consistency. Dump crushed pretzels into a measuring cup--continue until you have 2 cups crushed pretzels. In a bowl add crushed pretzels, 1/3 cup white sugar and melted butter--mix with a spoon. Press pretzel mixture into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 cake pan to make the crust--press with the back of a spoon. Bake the crust at 400 degrees for 8 minutes--set aside to cool completely. In a mixer add cream cheese, 1/2 cup white sugar and vanilla--beat until smooth. Add sour cream--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add thawed Cool Whip--stir with a spoon until mixed. When crust is completely cooled spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the pretzel crust. Refrigerate overnight. The next day (when ready to serve) spread pie filling (your choice of flavor) evenly on top of cream cheese mixture.

#1127 - Moving Day Cookies

(by Bernice Merrill - friend)

1 cup Parkay margarine
1 cup Domino's dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 or 2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups uncooked Quaker Quick oats oatmeal
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup mini chocolate chips

In a mixer add Parkay and brown sugar--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add vanilla--beat. Add baking soda and salt--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add oats, nuts and mini chocolate chips--stir with a wooden spoon until mixed. Drop by teaspoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 to 375 degrees for 9-12 minutes.

#1126 - Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

(by Bernice Merrill - friend)

1 cup mayo OR Miracle Whip
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 TBSP cider vinegar
1 TBSP poppy seeds

In a bowl OR a blender add mayo, white sugar, milk, cider vinegar and poppy seeds--stir/blend until mixed. Use as salad dressing.

#1125 - White Pecan Pie

(by Bernice Merrill - friend)

1 cup white (clear) Kayro corn syrup
1 cup Domino's dark brown sugar
3 eggs
1/3 tsp. salt
1/3 cup Parkay margarine
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 unbaked pie dough

In a mixer add eggs and brown sugar--beat. Add Parkay--beat. Add salt and vanilla--beat. Add corn syrup--beat until smooth. Remove bowl from mixer--add chopped pecans and stir with a spoon. Spray Pam on a 9" pie plate. Insert pie dough and spray the inside of the pie dough with Pam--flute the edges of the pie dough. Pour the batter into the pie dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes--test by inserting knife. If knife comes out clean, it's done.

#1124 - Glazed Ham Loaf

(by Bernice Merrill - friend)

1lb. ground ham
1lb. ground pork
2 beaten eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup cracker crumbs (more if needed)
Glaze: 1/4 cup cider vinegar; 3/4 cup pineapple juice; 1 tsp. French's mustard; 1 cup Domino's dark brown sugar

In a large bowl add ground ham and ground pork--mix with your hands. Add the eggs, milk, and cracker crumbs--mix with your hands until well mixed. Form the mixture into two loaves. Glaze: in a bowl add vinegar, pineapple juice, mustard and brown sugar--stir with a spoon until smooth. Place ham loaves into a greased casserole dish. Pour the glaze over the tops of the ham loaves. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-90 minutes. Every 20 minutes while baking, use a spoon to get syrup from the bottom of the casserole and drizzle it on the two ham loaves. When you think they are ready, slice through one loaf to see if the inside is hot.

#1123 - Cranberry Mousse

(by Bernice Merrill - friend)

1 cup Ocean Spray cranberry juice
1 - 16oz. can Ocean Spray cranberry sauce
1 - 3oz. box raspberry Jell-O
1/2 pint whipping cream

In a saucepan over medium heat add cranberry juice--bring it to a boil. Add the raspberry Jell-O powder to the heated cranberry juice--stir until dissolved. Remove saucepan from heat--add the cranberry sauce--stir until mixed. Let it cool to room temperature. In a mixer add the whipping cream--beat until stiff. Add whipped cream to the cranberry mixture--fold in using a spoon. Refrigerate until cold.

#1122 - Smooth Chocolate Glaze

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate chips (use milk chocolate chips for milk chocolate glaze; use butterscotch chips for butterscotch glaze; use white chocolate chips for white chocolate glaze)
4 TBSP butter
2 TBSP Kayro corn syrup

Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl--microwave according to bag directions. As soon as the chocolate has melted, add the butter and corn syrup--stir until smooth. Spread glaze on cookies, cakes, donuts, etc.

#1121 - Chocolate Buttermilk Sugar Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

3/4 cup softened butter OR 3/4 cup Crisco shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour (add 1/2 cup extra flour IF you want to make white sugar cookies rather than chocolate)
1 cup Hershey's cocoa (omit the cocoa if you want white cookies rather than chocolate)

In a mixer add butter (or shortening) and white sugar--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add buttermilk, baking soda, salt and vanilla--beat. Add cocoa (if making chocolate cookies)--beat. Add flour--beat--if too stiff for mixer continue using a wooden spoon. Cover the mixer bowl with Saran wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, drop by teaspoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes.

#1120 - Brown Sugar Cutout Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups butter (softened)
1 cup Domino's dark brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
6 cups flour

In a mixer add butter, brown sugar and white sugar--beat. Add eggs and vanilla--beat. Add baking soda and salt--beat. Add flour a cup at a time--beat--if it gets too stiff for your mixer remove the bowl from the mixer and continue with a wooden spoon. Cover the bowl with Saran wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, take out a softball sized amount of dough from the bowl (leave the rest in the refrigerator). Flour your counter, place dough ball on top of the flour, and flour the top of the dough ball. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to 1/4" thick. Use cookie cutters to cut your cookies. Place cookies on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-12 minutes. Cool completely, then frost as desired.