#1677 - Scratch Blueberry Banana Bread

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup Breakstone's sour cream
2 TBSP canola oil
2 beaten eggs
1 cup (or more) fresh blueberries (washed and drained)

In one bowl add flour, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt--stir. In a separate bowl add mashed bananas, beaten eggs, canola oil, sour cream--stir. Pour the flour mixture into the banana mixture--stir just until mixed. Add blueberries--stir just until mixed. Pour batter into a greased bread loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from loaf pan, then cool completely before cutting.

#1676 - Vanilla Peanut Butter Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 ready-made graham cracker pie crust (or make your own)
1 - 3.75oz. box Jell-O vanilla instant pudding mix
2 heaping TBSP Jif smooth peanut butter
whipped cream

Prepare the instant vanilla pudding according to box directions. Add peanut butter to the pudding--stir with a whisk until well blended. Pour the mixture into the graham cracker crust. Refrigerate until cold. Serve each piece of pie with whipped cream.

#1675 - Feta Cheese Pasta Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups uncooked spiral shaped pasta
1 cup fresh broccoli pieces
2/3 cup Italian salad dressing
1 cucumber (washed, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces)
1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
12 slices (or more) of pepperoni (cut into bite sized pieces)
4 slices (or more) hard salami (cut into bite sized pieces)
4 TBSP (or more) crumbled feta cheese
4 TBSP chopped black olives
2 tsp. Hidden Valley dry ranch salad dressing powder
1/2 tsp. celery seed (optional)

Cook pasta according to box directions--drain but do not rinse. In a large bowl add Italian dressing and dry ranch dressing mix--stir. Add cucumbers, broccoli pieces, red bell peppers, pepperoni pieces, hard salami pieces, broccoli pieces, feta cheese, chopped olives, and celery seed--stir. Add drained pasta--toss to coat. Refrigerate until cold.

#1674 - Minestrone Soup

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 carrots (washed, peeled and cut into coin shaped pieces)
1 cup chopped cabbage
1 rib of celery (sliced)
1 onion (chopped)
1 clove of garlic (minced)
2 tsp. canola oil
3 cups water
1 - 14.5oz. Italian diced tomatoes (do NOT drain)
3 beef bouillon cubes
1 cup chopped spinach
2/3 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1/2 tsp. pepper

Cook macaroni according to box directions--drain but do not rinse. In large saucepan add carrots, cabbage, celery, onions, minced garlic, canola oil and 1 of the cups of water--cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the other 2 cups of water, diced tomatoes and their juice, and the bouillon cubes--stir and cook while bringing to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer--simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add spinach, pepper and drained macaroni--stir and cook until macaroni is hot.

#1673 - Hot Dog Appetizers

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 8oz. currant flavored jelly
1 - 8oz. jar spicy brown mustard
1 to 1 1/2 pounds good quality hot dogs (thawed and cut into bite sized pieces)

In a saucepan over medium heat add jelly and mustard--cook and stir until it gets almost clear in color. Remove from heat. Spray a casserole dish with Pam--add the hot dog pieces. Pour the mustard mixture over the hot dog pieces. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from oven, stick each hot dog piece with a toothpick and place them on a serving dish. Serve immediately.

#1672 - Sweet Chocolate Frosting/Icing

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 14oz. can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated)
1 TBSP warm tap water
1/8 tsp. salt
2 squares Baker's UNSWEETENED baking chocolate
1 tsp. vanilla

Use a double boiler. Once water in bottom pan is boiling add condensed milk, water, salt and baking chocolate to the top pan--stir and KEEP STIRRING until it melts. As soon as it gets thick, remove from heat and add vanilla--stir. Use as frosting for a 9 x 13 cake or a sheet cake--does not work well with layered cakes.

#1671 - French Rhubarb Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 beaten egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 TBSP flour
1 cup white sugar
2 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
1 unbaked pie crust dough
Topping: 3/4 cup flour; 1/3 cup softened butter; 1/4 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)

Spray a pie plate with Pam--add unbaked pie crust dough. Flute the edges of the pie dough and spray the inside of the pie dough with Pam. In a bowl add white sugar and 2 TBSP flour--stir. Add beaten egg and vanilla--stir. Add diced rhubarb--stir. Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie dough. In a bowl add 3/4 cup flour, butter and brown sugar--mix with a fork or a pastry blender to make crumbs. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the rhubarb mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then without opening the oven door reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30-40 minutes longer.

#1670 - Cream Cheese Peanut Butter Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 Keebler ready-made graham cracker pie crust (or make your own)
1 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
1 cup Jif peanut butter (creamy)
1 cup white sugar
1 TBSP softened butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup heavy whipping cream

In a mixer add whipping cream--beat until fluffy and set aside. In a mixer add cream cheese, peanut butter, white sugar, vanilla and butter--beat until smooth. Remove bowl from mixer--add the whipped cream and stir until mixed. Pour the batter into the graham cracker crust. Refrigerate until cold.

#1669 - Homemade Fruit Punch

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 qts. Hawaiian punch (cold)
1 qt. Dole pineapple juice (cold)
1 1/2 qts. lemonade OR no pulp orange juice (cold)
1 qt. 7UP (or more if you wish--cold)

In a punch bowl add Hawaiian punch, pineapple juice, lemonade OR orange juice--stir. Slowly add 7UP--stir. Add ice as needed.

#1668 - Dill Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 cups sweet peas (cooked in water with 1 tsp. salt, cooled, drained, and placed on paper towels in a single layer to dry)
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup Breakstone's sour cream
2 TBSP horseradish (well drained)
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 TBSP dried dill weed
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Cook and drain sweet peas as directed above. In a bowl add mayo, sour cream, horseradish, mustard, dill weed and pepper--stir until mixed. Add dried sweet peas--toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

#1667 - Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup Smucker's natural peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 beaten egg
white sugar (for dipping your fork)

In a bowl add natural peanut butter and beaten egg--stir until mixed. Add 3/4 cup white sugar--stir until mixed. Let the dough sit for 10 minutes. Shape the batter into quarter or walnut-sized balls. Place balls on to greased cookie sheets. Dip a fork in white sugar and make criss cross patterns on the top of each dough ball. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until browned. Let the hot cookies sit for a few minutes before removing from the cookie sheets.

#1666 - Orange Creamsicle Punch

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 14oz. can Eagle brand condensed milk (room temperature)
1 - 46oz. can Dole pineapple juice (cold)
1 - 2 liter Sunkist orange soda (cold)
1 quart good quality orange sherbet (more if you wish)

Don't mix ingredients until you are ready to serve. In a punch bowl add condensed milk. Slowly add the pineapple juice--stir as you pour to make sure the condensed milk and pineapple juice are well mixed. Slowly add the orange soda--stir. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop balls of orange sherbet into the punch--stir slightly. Serve immediately.

#1665 - Citrus Chicken

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup orange juice
2 TBSP water
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian salad dressing mix
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

In a bowl add canola oil, orange juice, water and Good Seasons mix--stir and set aside. Poke chicken breasts (both sides) with a fork, then salt and pepper each chicken breast to your taste. Place chicken breasts one at a time into a Ziploc bag, pouring 1/4 of the orange juice mixture on top of each chicken breast. Get the air out of the bag and seal the bag. Place the bag in the refrigerator a few hours or overnight. Remove chicken from bag and grill chicken on your barbeque grill--cook until no longer pink inside. For safety, do not use the extra dressing in the bag--discard it as soon as you take the chicken out of the bag.

#1664 - Lime Frosting/Icing

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups Domino's powdered sugar
1 to 2 TBSP milk
1 fresh lime
3 TBSP softened butter OR Parkay margarine

Peel and squeeze the lime--save the lime juice. Grate the outside of the lime rind (zest)--grate until you have 1/2 tsp. of lime zest. In a mixer add softened butter, 1 TBSP fresh lime juice and 1/2 tsp. lime zest--beat. Slowly add powdered sugar--beat. Slowly add milk--beat. Taste--if you want more lime flavor, add a bit more lime juice and beat again. If frosting is too runny, add a little more powdered sugar. If frosting is too thick, add a little more milk. If you need more frosting, double the recipe.

#1663 - Gumdrop Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup white sugar
1 cup of lard OR Crisco shortening
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup gum drop pieces (use a variety of colors/flavors or just your favorite--use a sharp knife to cut them into small pieces and measure after cutting)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

In a mixer add white sugar and lard/Crisco--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add vanilla, salt and baking soda--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add gum drop pieces and chopped nuts--stir until mixed. Drop by teaspoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

#1662 - Blueberry Frosting/Icing

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 21oz. can Lucky Leaf blueberry pie filling
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
pinch of salt
4 TBSP milk
1lb. sifted Domino's powdered sugar

In a mixer add pie filling and Crisco--beat on LOW until mixed. Add salt and milk--beat on LOW until mixed. Turn mixer on LOW, slowly add powdered sugar--keep beating until mixed. Once mixed, turn mixer speed on medium and beat for 3 minutes. If frosting is too thick, add a little more milk. If frosting is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. (Make sure you follow the LOW speed directions above--if the blueberry pie filling spills out of the mixer bowl it will stain whatever it hits).

#1661 - Chocolate Pixie Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter (melted)
4oz. Baker's unsweetened baking chocolate (melted according to package directions)
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
powdered sugar for rolling

In a mixer add melted butter, white sugar and melted chocolate--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add baking powder, salt--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add chopped walnuts and stir with a wooden spoon. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. The next day, form dough into quarter or walnut sized balls. Place some powdered sugar in a bowl--roll each dough ball in the powdered sugar. Place the sugared dough balls on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 325 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

#1660 - Turkey Macaroni Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups raw macaroni
1/2 lb. turkey (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 hard boiled eggs (peeled and chopped)
2 cups milk
2 - 10.75oz. cans Campbell's cream of chicken soup
3 to 4 slices buttered bread (cut into bite sized pieces)

In a bowl add macaroni, turkey, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped eggs--stir until mixed. In a separate bowl add milk and both cans of soup--stir. Pour the soup mixture into the macaroni mixture--stir. Pour the whole mixture into a greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish--salt and pepper the top to your taste. Cover the dish with foil and refrigerate overnight. The next day place the dish in a cold oven, turn oven to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the buttered bread pieces all over the top. Return to oven and bake for 30 minutes longer or until well heated.

#1659 - Coffee Cupcakes

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup Crisco shortening
1 beaten egg
1 1/2 TBSP Brer Rabbit baking molasses
1/2 cup buttermilk (OR 1/2 cup milk with 1 TBSP cider vinegar)
1/2 tsp. baking soda

In a bowl add flour, white sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and Crisco--mix with a fork or a pastry blender until it makes crumbs. Reserve 1/4 cup of the crumbs--set them aside for later. In a separate bowl add beaten egg, molasses, buttermilk and baking soda--mix with a fork. Pour the egg mixture into the crumb mixture (NOT the reserved crumbs)--stir with a wooden spoon just until mixed (it will be lumpy). Place cupcake liners into muffin tins--fill each 2/3 full with batter. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs over the top of each cupcake. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness.

#1658 - Mushroom Soup Chicken

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 to 4 lbs. boneless/skinless chicken breasts
salt
pepper
1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix
1 1/2 cups raw rice (NOT minute rice)
2 - 10.75oz. cans Campbell's cream of mushroom soup
2 cans of water (use empty soup can to measure)
paprika
parsley flakes

Salt and pepper both sides of each chicken breast (to your taste)--set aside. In a bowl add both cans of soup and the 2 cans of water--stir. In a separate bowl add dry onion soup mix and raw rice--stir. Grease a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Spread half of the mushroom soup mixture on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle half of the rice mixture evenly over the mushroom soup mixture. Place the chicken breasts evenly over the rice mixture--sprinkle paprika and parsley flakes over the top of the chicken (to your taste). Sprinkle the rest of the rice mixture over the chicken. Spread the rest of the mushroom soup mixture over the rice mixture. Place the dish on a cookie sheet to catch drips. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 90 minutes or until most of the soup mixture is absorbed.