#3338 - Sweet Chocolate Cake

(by Aunt Eileeen [Knouse] Carter)

1 cup white sugar
1 cup Domino's dark brown sugar
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 square of Baker's German Sweet Chocolate--dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups CAKE flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Sift the flour into a bowl, then sift the same flour THREE more times. In a mixer add white sugar, brown sugar and Crisco--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add buttermilk--beat. Add baking soda, vanilla and salt--beat. Add boiling water/chocolate mixture--beat. Slowly add sifted cake flour--beat. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool completely. Frost as desired.

#3337 - Easy Chicken Pot Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 10.75oz. can Campbell's cream of chicken soup
1 - 10oz. bag frozen mixed vegetables (thawed and drained)
1 cup cooked chicken pieces (bite sized)
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup Bisquick

In a 9" greased pie plate add the cream of chicken soup, drained mixed vegetables and chicken pieces--stir carefully with a spoon until mixed. In a bowl add milk, egg and Bisquick--mix until batter forms. Spread the batter evenly over the top of the chicken mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let is sit for a few minutes before cutting and serving.

#3336 - Coconut Buttermilk Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 unbaked pie crust dough
1/4 cup softened butter
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
4oz. Baker's angelflake coconut

Grease a pie plate, insert the pie dough, flute the edges of the pie dough and spray the inside of the pie dough with Pam. In a mixer add butter and white sugar--beat. Add buttermilk--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add salt and vanilla--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add coconut--stir until mixed. Pour batter into prepared pie dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until set. If you don't want the exposed crust to get too brown, cover the edges of the pie with foil before baking and remove this foil during the last 10-12 minutes of baking.

#3335 - Beer Battered Onion Rings

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 really large onions
1 cup flour
1 tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 cup of beer
canola oil for frying

Wash and peel onions, then slice them and separate them into rings. In a bowl add flour, paprika, salt and black pepper--whisk to mix. Add beer--stir with a whisk until mixed and all beer foam is gone. Fill a cast iron skillet with an inch or two of canola oil--turn heat to medium and heat the oil until very hot. Dip one onion ring into the batter at a time, let excess batter drip off, then place it into the hot oil. If the oil doesn't sizzle when you place the onion ring in the oil, your oil is not hot enough. Repeat with more onion rings (you can do a few onion rings at a time as long as they are not touching each other). Cook onion rings until bottoms are browned and crispy, then flip them using tongs and cook until other side is also browned and crispy. Remove them from the oil and place them on paper towels to soak up extra grease. Repeat with remaining onion rings.

#3334 - Holiday Mints

(by Shirley McNevich)

8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
2lbs. Domino's powdered sugar
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. spearmint oil OR peppermint oil
green food coloring
red food coloring

Sift both boxes of powdered sugar evenly into two separate bowls (1lb. of sifted powdered sugar in each bowl). In a mixer add 1/2 of the cream cheese--beat until smooth. Slowly add 1 bowl of powdered sugar, a few drops of green food coloring and 1/4 tsp. spearmint oil while beating, and continue until all powdered sugar is added. Place green dough on your counter and knead it until smooth in texture. Measure 1/2 tsp. of the green dough, roll it into a ball, place it on a wax lined cookie sheet and press it down lightly with the tines of a fork. Continue until green dough is used up. In a mixer add the remaining 1/2 of the cream cheese--beat until smooth. Slowly add the remaining bowl of powdered sugar, a few drops of red food coloring, and 1/4 tsp. spearmint oil while beating, and continue until all powdered sugar is added. Place red dough on your counter and knead it until smooth in texture. Measure 1/2 tsp. of the red dough, roll it into a ball, place it on a wax lined cookie sheet and press it down lightly with the tines of a fork. Continue until red dough is used up.

#3333 - Sweet and Sour Green Beans

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 - 15oz. can green beans (drained but save the liquid)
6 slices bacon (chopped before cooking)
1/2 to 1 cup chopped onions
1 TBSP flour
1/4 cup cider vinegar (more if necessary)
2 TBSP white sugar (more if necessary)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. pepper
fresh grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Drain the green beans and save 3/4 cup of the juice. In a skillet over medium heat add bacon pieces--cook/stir until browned. Add chopped onions--cook/stir with the bacon until onions are tender. Add flour--stir, then cook 2 minutes longer. Add cider vinegar and 3/4 cup of the green beans juice--stir. Add white sugar, salt and pepper--stir, then bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat back to low and add the drained green beans--cook/stir until green beans are hot. Taste--if too sour add a little more white sugar and stir again. If too sweet, add a little more cider vinegar and stir again. Place mixture in a serving bowl and top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese (optional).

#3332 - Seasoned Potato Skins

(by Shirley McNevich)

6 red potatoes OR other baking potatoes
2 TBSP butter (melted)
Lowry's seasoned salt (to your taste)
fresh grated Parmesan cheese (as much as you wish)
shredded cheddar cheese (as much as you wish)
6 bacon strips (cooked and crumbled)
1 pint Breakstone's sour cream
chopped chives for topping (optional)

Cut a slit into each potato and bake them until tender, then let them cool for 1 hour. Slice each potato in half and scoop out some of the potato flesh (you can save the flesh for something else or discard it). Brush the melted butter all over the insides and outsides of the potato skins (don't be stingy), sprinkle seasoning salt and grated Parmesan cheese on the insides of the potato skins and place them on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until hot and crispy. Remove from oven and generously put crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar cheese in each skin. Return to oven and bake a few minutes longer until cheese is melted. When ready to serve, place a spoonful of sour cream on top of each potato skin and sprinkle chopped chives over the sour cream.

#3331 - Sharp Cheese Potato Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

6 medium red potatoes
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt + 1 tsp. salt
1 cup grated sharp cheese + extra for topping (buy the sharpest cheese you can find)
fresh ground black pepper (to your taste)

Wash and peel the potatoes, place them in a pot, cover them with water and add 1 tsp. salt--cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes (do NOT rinse them) and let them cool so you can handle them. Thinly slice the potatoes and place them in a greased casserole dish. In a skillet over low heat add butter--melt. Add flour--cook/stir until mixture bubbles. Turn heat up a bit--add milk and cook/stir until mixture thickens. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and grated sharp cheese--cook/stir until cheese melts and you have a thick cheese sauce. Slowly pour the cheese sauce over the top of the potatoes in the casserole dish. Sprinkle fresh ground black pepper over the top of the mixture (if you wish). Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, remove from oven, sprinkle more grated cheese all over the top, return to oven and bake until cheese is melted and mixture is heated through.

#3330 - Fresh Orange Juice Punch

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 quart fresh squeezed orange juice (cold)
3 quarts red Hawaiian punch (cold)
2 oranges (sliced; seeds removed)
1 jar maraschino cherries (drained but save the juice; slice drained cherries in half)

In a large punch bowl add cold orange juice, drained maraschino cherry juice and Hawaiian punch--stir to mix. Float the orange slices and drained cherries on the top of the punch (cherries will sink so stir before dipping and serving). Add ice as needed.

#3329 - Candy Cane Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup softened butter
1 tsp. salt
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. peppermint extract
red food coloring
3 1/2 cups flour
unwrapped candy canes (as needed)

Place one unwrapped candy cane in a heavy duty Ziploc bag and close the bag. Lightly tap the candy cane from the outside of the bag using a hammer, and continue until candy cane is broken into very small pieces. In a mixer add softened butter and white sugar--beat. Add eggs and vanilla--beat. Add peppermint extract and salt--beat. Add one drop of red food coloring at a time and beat--only add food coloring until batter is the color you desire. Slowly add flour--beat. Drop batter by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets (or use a cookie gun). Sprinkle some crushed candy cane pieces on top of each cookie. If you have trouble with the candy cane pieces falling off, lightly press them into the top of each cookie using your finger. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

#3328 - Cinnamon Oatmeal Nut Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup raisins
1 cup white sugar
1 cup Crisco shortening
3 eggs
2 cups flour
2 cups Quaker quick oats
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
6 TBSP leftover raisin water (explained below)
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Place raisins in a saucepan and cover them with water--bring them to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, cook the raisins for 5 minutes. Remove from heat--measure out 6 TBSP of the raisin water and save for later, then drain the rest of the water from the raisins. In a mixer add white sugar and Crisco--beat. Add eggs and reserved raisin water--beat. Add oats, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, allspice and ground cloves--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add drained raisins and chopped nuts--stir to mix. Drop batter by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Let them stand for 1 minute on the cookie sheets, then transfer them to paper towels using a spatula. Cool completely.

#3327 - Homemade Cracker Jacks

(by Shirley McNevich)

8 cups plain popped popcorn
1 cup roasted peanuts
3/4 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup butter
3 TBSP Kayro clear corn syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Grease a large jelly roll pan (pan with a lip on all sides) with Pam. Spread the popped popcorn evenly over the pan. Sprinkle the peanuts evenly over the popcorn. In a cast iron skillet add brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt--cook/stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Once butter is all melted, cook for 3 minutes WITHOUT STIRRING. Remove from heat--add baking soda and vanilla--stir briskly until mixed. Pour the hot mixture evenly over the popcorn (it's ok if you don't coat every single piece of popcorn). Use a greased spatula to gently mix the popcorn mixture, then spread it out again evenly in the pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool completely. Break into pieces.

#3326 - Chewy Marshmallow Bars

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup butter (melted)
3 cups mini marshmallows
1 - 6oz. bag Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate bits
1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
3 cups Cheerios cereal
1 can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated)

Pour the melted butter into a 9 x 13 cake pan and shake pan back and forth to spread the melted butter evenly. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the top of the butter. Sprinkle the marshmallows evenly over the cake mix. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the marshmallows. Sprinkle the Cheerios evenly over the chocolate chips. Carefully pour the condensed milk evenly over the whole top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. Cut into bars or squares.

#3325 - Homemade Soft Pretzels

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 envelope of yeast
1/4 cup warm water + 1 cup warm water + 4 cups water
a pinch of white sugar
2 tsp. salt
4-5 cups flour
softened butter (as needed)
4 tsp. baking soda
coarse salt for sprinkling

In a small bowl add the yeast and 1/4 cup warm water--stir to mix. In a separate small bowl add a pinch of white sugar and 1 cup warm water--stir to mix. In a large bowl add the yeast mixture, 2 tsp. salt and the white sugar mixture--stir to mix. Start out by adding 4 cups flour--mix to make dough. If dough is not stiff, add more flour and mix the dough until the dough is stiff. Put the dough on a floured counter and knead the dough for at least 10 minutes so that the dough is elastic. Place the dough in a bowl and spread the whole top of the dough with softened butter. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough raise for 45 minutes or until dough is doubled in size. Shape dough into 1/2" thick ropes and shape them into pretzel twists. In a saucepan add 4 cups water and the baking soda--bring to a boil. Carefully drop one pretzel dough into the boiling water at a time and boil it for 1 minute or until it floats to the surface. Use a slotted spoon to remove it, drain it as much as possible and place it on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with all pretzel doughs, making sure that pretzel doughs don't touch each other on the cookie sheets. Sprinkle coarse salt on the pretzel doughs (if coarse salt doesn't stick well, use your finger to spread a little water over the tops of the pretzel doughs). Bake at 475 degrees for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

#3324 - Sweet and Sour Lettuce

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 head of lettuce (torn into salad sized pieces)
1 pint mayo
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
6 hard boiled eggs (peeled and chopped)

In a large bowl add mayo, white sugar, cider vinegar and chopped eggs--stir to mix. Taste--if too sour add more white sugar and stir again; if too sweet add more cider vinegar and stir again. Add lettuce pieces--toss to coat. Serve as a salad.

#3323 - Leftover Turkey Au Gratin

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 1/2 cups water
1 - 5oz. package Betty Crocker au gratin potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup milk
2 TBSP butter
salt and pepper (to your taste)
2 cups frozen peas (thawed)
2-3 cups cooked turkey pieces

In a skillet over medium heat add the water, contents of the au gratin potatoes mix, chopped onions, milk and butter--cook/stir until boiling. Turn heat back to simmer and cook for 13-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Taste--add salt and pepper as necessary. Add drained peas and turkey pieces--turn heat up a bit and cook/stir until turkey and peas are hot. Remove from heat and let the mixture thicken 2-3 minutes before stirring and serving.

#3322 - Dutch Oven Sausage Pasta

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 TBSP olive oil
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 onion (chopped)
1lb. Italian sausage (cut into thin coin shaped pieces)
2 cups chicken broth
1 - 15oz. can Italian style diced tomatoes
1/2 cup milk
8oz. raw spiral pasta
1 cup shredded cheese (your choice of type)
salt, pepper and oregano (to your taste)

In a Dutch oven over medium heat add olive oil, minced garlic, chopped onions and sausage pieces--cook/stir until sausage is browned. Slowly add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, milk and the raw pasta--stir until mixed. Add salt, pepper and oregano to your taste--cook/stir until boiling. Once boiling, turn heat back to simmer, put the lid on (tilted) and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until pasta is done to your liking. Remove from heat and remove the lid--sprinkle shredded cheese over the top. Place the lid back on for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

#3321 - Swiss Broccoli

(by Shirley McNevich)

8 cups frozen broccoli
1/2 cup butter
2 TBSP flour
1/2 of an onion (chopped)
1 1/4 cups milk
4 cups shredded Swiss cheese
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp. salt plus salt and pepper (to your taste)
crushed Ritz crackers (optional)

Cook broccoli according to box directions with 1 tsp. salt until tender--drain the broccoli. In a saucepan over medium heat add butter--melt. Add flour--cook/stir until smooth. Add chopped onions--stir. Slowly add milk while stirring--cook/stir until mixture is boiling, then cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat--add salt and pepper--stir well. Add shredded Swiss cheese and beaten eggs--stir well. In a bowl add drained broccoli and the cheese mixture--toss to coat. Pour the whole mixture into a greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until heated through. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving. Optional--sprinkle crushed Ritz crackers all over the top during the last 10 minutes of baking time.

#3320 - Bacon Corn

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. bacon
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
32oz. whole kernel corn (drained)
salt and pepper (to your taste)

Chop the raw bacon into bite sized pieces. In a cast iron skillet add the bacon pieces--cook/stir over medium heat until bacon is browned but still soft. Drain off the bacon grease but save the grease. Add the chopped onions and chopped peppers to the bacon--cook/stir whole mixture until onions and peppers are tender (stirring constantly). Turn heat back to low--add the drained corn--cook/stir until corn is hot and tender. Optional--add a tsp. or two of bacon grease and stir well. Add salt and pepper to your taste--stir well.

#3319 - Multi Potato Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 large sweet potato
3 red potatoes
3 russet potatoes
1 cup mayo
2 TBSP white sugar (more if you wish)
1 TBSP white vinegar (more if you wish)
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. dill weed
onion salt (optional--your choice of amount)

Wash, peel and cube the russet potatoes. Wash and cube the red potatoes (do NOT peel). Wash, peel and cube the russet potatoes. Place all of the potatoes and 1 tsp. salt in a pot--add enough water to cover all of the potatoes. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, turn heat back to low and cook until all potatoes are fork tender. Drain but do NOT rinse, then cool to room temperature. In a separate bowl add mayo, white sugar, dill weed and onion salt--stir until mixed. Taste--if you want it more sour, add more white vinegar and stir again. If you like it more sweet, add a little more white sugar and stir again. Add more salt if necessary--stir again. Pour the mayo mixture over the cooled potatoes--used a wooden spoon to toss/stir until potatoes are covered with the mayo mixture (it's ok if the sweet potato pieces don't hold up). Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight before serving.