#525 - Strawberry Jell-O Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

Crust: 1 cup Bisquick, 3 TBSP hot water, 2 TBSP softened butter
Filling: 3/4 cup white sugar, 1 1/2 cups water, 2 TBSP cornstarch, 1 - 3oz. box strawberry Jell-O, 4 cups sliced strawberries (washed, stemmed and drained)
Cool Whip (optional)

In a bowl add bisquick and butter--mix with your hands until it gets crumbly. Add the 3 TBSP hot water and stir with a spoon. Pour batter into a greased 9" pie plate and use your hands and the back of a spoon to smooth it evenly around the inside of the pie plate and up the sides. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely. In a saucepan over medium heat add the cornstarch with a little bit of the 1 1/2 cups water and stir so it doesn't get lumpy--add the remaining water, white sugar--stir constantly and bring to a boil. Once it's boiling cook it for 2 minutes while stirring. Remove from heat and add Jell-O mix--stir well until dissolved. Allow Jell-O mixture to cool to the touch. Fill the baked pie dough with the sliced strawberries (arrange them evenly on the bottom). Pour the Jell-O mixture over the strawberries. Refrigerate until firm. Top with Cool Whip for serving. Keep refrigerated.

#524 - Vanilla Pudding Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup Domino's dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 - 3oz. box Jell-O instant vanilla pudding
1 - 12oz. bag Nestle's chocolate bits

In a bowl add flour and baking soda--stir and set aside. In a mixer beat butter, white sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs, vanilla--beat. Add vanilla pudding mix and beat until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture--beat--makes a stiff batter. Remove from mixer and stir in chocolate chips using a wooden spoon. Drop by teaspoonsful on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

#523 - Italian Sausage Entree

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. Italian sausage (your choice of spiciness, flavor, etc.)
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 orange pepper
canola oil
1 envelope Spatini spaghetti sauce mix (NOTE: Spatini has been discontinued and has now been replaced with Lawry's Original Style Spaghetti Sauce--you can see it here http://www.lawrys.com/main/product.aspx?ProductId=127 )
1 small can Hunt's tomato paste
1 large onion
3/4 cup water
oregano
garlic
salt

In a large pot add water and a pinch of salt--bring water to a boil, then boil sausage for about 30 minutes (after about 10 minutes, carefully poke holes in the sausage with a large cooking fork to make the fat boil out--pierce with a fork to check tenderness after 30 minutes). Wash and chop the onion and peppers. On a separate burner add canola oil to a skillet and sautee the chopped peppers and onions. Once they are tender add the Spatini, tomato paste, water, oregano, and garlic. Stir and taste--if you like the sauce a little sweeter add a little white sugar at a time until you get the flavor you desire. Drain sausage, cut into bite sized pieces and add the sausage pieces to the onions and peppers--stir and heat until you are ready to serve.

#522 - Peanut Butter Brownies

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup Jif creamy peanut butter
2/3 cup softened butter
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 1/4 cups Domino's dark brown sugar

In a bowl add flour, salt and baking powder--stir and set aside. In a mixer add butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and eggs--beat. Add peanut butter, vanilla--beat until creamy. Add flour mixture slowly and beat. Pour batter in a greased 9 x 13 x 2 cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-33 minutes.

#521 - Blueberry Pie

(crust by Harriet Weaver; blueberry pie by Shirley McNevich)

Pie crust:
5 cups flour
2 cups Crisco (generous, heaping)
1/2 stick of margarine or butter
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Arm & Hammer baking soda
1 egg
1 TBSP cider vinegar
Filling: 1 - 21oz. Musselman's OR Lucky Leaf blueberry pie filling
Crumbs: 1/2 cup white sugar, 3/4 cup flour, 1/3 cup butter

Using your hands or a pastry blender, mix flour, crisco, margarine, salt, and baking soda until it's crumbly. Set aside. In a measuring cup, add egg and vinegar and beat with a fork. Add water until the egg mixture and the water meet the 1 cup line on your measuring cup. Beat with a fork. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix everything with hands until you can form a ball. Roll out the dough.

Spray a 10" pie plate with Pam cooking spray. Roll out one crust and place in pie plate. Spray the dough (inside and edges) with Pam cooking spray. Pour blueberry pie filling into the crust, then place second pie dough on top and flute the edges (wet edges of each crust lightly with water OR Pam before fluting edges). Poke holes all over top crust using a knife to vent and sprinkle a little white sugar over the top crust. OPTIONAL: instead of adding top pie crust, in a bowl add the white sugar, flour, and butter--mix with your hands to make crumbs, then sprinkle crumb mixture evenly on top of blueberry pie filling. Place pie plate on a cookie sheet to catch any drips while baking, and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until crust or crumbs are browned lightly.

#520 - Cherry Pie

(crust by Harriet Weaver; cherry pie by Shirley McNevich)

Pie crust:
5 cups flour
2 cups Crisco (generous, heaping)
1/2 stick of margarine or butter
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Arm & Hammer baking soda
1 egg
1 TBSP cider vinegar
Filling: 1 - 21oz. Musselman's OR Lucky Leaf cherry pie filling
Crumbs: 1/2 cup white sugar, 3/4 cup flour, 1/3 cup butter

Using your hands or a pastry blender, mix flour, crisco, margarine, salt, and baking soda until it's crumbly. Set aside. In a measuring cup, add egg and vinegar and beat with a fork. Add water until the egg mixture and the water meet the 1 cup line on your measuring cup. Beat with a fork. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix everything with hands until you can form a ball. Roll out the dough.

Spray a 10" pie plate with Pam cooking spray. Roll out one crust and place in pie plate. Spray the dough (inside and edges) with Pam cooking spray. Pour cherry pie filling into the crust, then place second pie dough on top and flute the edges (wet edges of each crust lightly with water OR Pam before fluting edges). Poke holes all over top crust using a knife to vent and sprinkle a little white sugar over the top crust. OPTIONAL: instead of adding top pie crust, in a bowl add the white sugar, flour, and butter--mix with your hands to make crumbs, then sprinkle crumb mixture evenly on top of cherry pie filling. Place pie plate on a cookie sheet to catch any drips while baking, and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until crust or crumbs are browned lightly.

#519 - Pumpkin Crunch

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
1 - 15oz. can Libby's canned pumpkin
1 - 12oz. can Carnation evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup melted butter
1 - 8oz. Cool Whip (thawed)

In a large bowl add eggs--beat with a fork. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, white sugar, cinnamon, and salt to the eggs--mix with a spoon until thoroughly mixed. Pour this mixture into a greased 9 x 13 x 2 cake pan and sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin batter. Spread chopped pecans over the top. Drizzle the melted butter over the pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown. When completely cool, spread Cool Whip over the top and refrigerate overnight.

#518 - Lemon Delight

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups flour
2 sticks Parkay margarine (melted)
1 cup chopped nuts
2 - 8oz. Philly cream cheese
2 cups Domino's powdered sugar
2 - 3.5oz. boxes Jell-O lemon instant pudding
3 cups milk
1 - 8oz. Cool Whip (thawed)

In a bowl add flour, melted Parkay and nuts--stir together with a fork. Grease a 9 x 13 x 2" cake pan and press the nut mixture all over the bottom of the cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool. In a mixer beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and spread cream cheese mixture on cooled crust. In a mixer beat pudding mixes and milk and spread pudding mixture on top of cream cheese mixture. Spread Cool Whip over the top. Chill overnight.

#517 - Zucchini Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups Bisquick
4-5 zucchinis (thinly sliced or diced--your preference)
4 TBSP butter
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped onions (your preference)
2 cups shredded Sargento's mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. oregano
5 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
2 TBSP fresh Parmesan cheese
tomato slices (optional)

In a large bowl add Bisquick and butter--stir. Add zucchini, onion, mozzarella cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano--mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Scoop batter into a 13 x 9 cake pan and set aside. In a bowl, beat eggs with a fork and add the canola oil and mix. Drizzle egg mixture evenly over the top of the batter in the cake pan. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Optional--place tomato slices on top before baking if you wish.

#516 - Peach Muffins

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 - 15oz. can sliced peaches (drained and chopped into small pieces)

In a bowl add flour, white sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon--stir. In a separate bowl add eggs, canola oil and vanilla--beat then stir. Pour egg mixture into dry ingredients and stir just until moistened (makes a thick batter). Fold the peach pieces into the batter. Fill muffin tins with cupcake liners, then spoon batter into each one to 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool in muffin tins for 5 minutes before removing.

#515 - Peanut Butter Frosting

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups Domino's powdered sugar
1 egg white
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP vanilla
2 TBSP flour
1 TBSP milk
4 heaping TBSP Jif peanut butter

In a mixer beat egg white and 1 cup of the powdered sugar for one minute. Add Crisco, butter, vanilla, flour and milk--beat well. Add the second cup of powdered sugar and beat. Add peanut butter and beat until light and fluffy.

#514 - Sponge Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

7 eggs whites
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla
7 egg yolks
1 cup white sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder

In a mixer beat egg whites until they foam--add 1 cup white sugar, cream of tartar and vanilla--beat and set aside. In a separate mixer bowl beat egg yolks, 1 cup white sugar, salt, warm water, warm milk, baking powder--add flour slowly and beat. Pour the second batter over the first batter and fold together with a wooden spoon. Pour the combined batter into a greased angelfood cake pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Test with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and turn upside down on a cutting board and let it cool. When cool turn rightside up and use a tableknife to go around the edges, then turn upside down again on a plate. Frost with your favorite frosting.

#513 - Crispy Chocolate Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups Kellogg's rice krispies cereal
1 - 6oz. Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate morsels

In a bowl add flour, baking soda, salt--stir and set aside. In a mixer beat butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla--beat. Add flour mixture--beat. Remove from mixer and use a wooden spoon to stir the chocolate bits and rice krispies into the batter. Drop by teaspoonsful on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

#512 - Glazed Strawberry Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - ready-made Keebler graham cracker pie crust
1 cup water
1/4 cup strawberry jelly
1/4 cup of a small box of strawberry Jell-O mix (it won't take the whole box, just 1/4 cup)
2 - 3oz. Philly cream cheese
1 TBSP white sugar
2 TBSP orange juice
1 quart of fresh whole strawberries (washed, stemmed, and drained)
1 - 8oz. Cool Whip

In a saucepan, heat the cup of water until boiling, then stir in the 1/4 cup Jell-O mix and the strawberry jelly--stir until dissolved. Place ice cubes in a large bowl and set the saucepan in the ice until mixture is room temperature. Wipe the bottom of the saucepan with a towel and place saucepan in refrigerator until mixture starts to gel. In a mixer beat cream cheese, white sugar and orange juice until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly on the bottom of the graham cracker crust. Evenly arrange the strawberries on the cream cheese mixture (bottom end of strawberries up). Remove the glaze from the refrigerator and spoon over the strawberries. Chill at least a few hours, then spread Cool Whip over the top. Refrigerate overnight.

#511 - BBQ Chicken and Rice

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 1/2 lbs. chicken pieces
2 TBSP canola oil
1 1/4 cups Kraft BBQ sauce
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups original Minute Rice
1 cup whole kernel canned sweet corn
chopped green and red peppers (optional)

In a large skillet add canola oil and brown chicken on both sides. After the chicken is browned, drain off the oil but keep chicken in the skillet--add BBQ sauce and water--stir. Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes or until tender (turn pieces once or twice while they are cooking). Add the rice, corn and peppers (optional)--put lid back on, turn heat to low and cook for 5 minutes or until hot.

#510 - Chocolate Peanut Butter Drop Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 sticks softened butter
1 cup Jif creamy peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup Domino's dark brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate bits
1 cup Quick Quaker oats

In a bowl add flour and baking soda--stir and set aside. In a mixer add butter, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs--beat. Add vanilla and peanut butter--beat. Slowly add flour mixture--beat. Add oats and beat. Remove from mixer and stir in chocolate bits. Drop by teaspoonsful on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes (until light brown). After removing from oven, let them stand a few minutes before removing from cookie sheets.

#509 - Raisin Pie

(by Phyllis [Neff] Moyer - friend)

2 - 9" unbaked pie crust doughs
2 cups Sunmaid raisins
1 cup white sugar
2 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 TBSP butter
3 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon extract
2 TBSP cornstarch
3 TBSP water

In a saucepan add raisins, white sugar, water, salt, butter, lemon juice, and lemon extract--stir and bring to a boil, then boil for 5 minutes--do NOT drain. While raisins are cooking use a cup to dissolve cornstarch in 3 TBSP cold water--stir until dissolved. Add the cornstarch mixture to the raisin mixture on the stovetop after the raisins have cooked for the 5 minutes--stir and cook 3 minutes longer. Spray pie plate with Pam, place pie dough in pie plate, spray inside of pie dough with Pam, and pour raisin mixture into the pie dough. Place second pie dough on top and seal (pinch the two crusts all the way around--if you didn't spray with Pam, you will need to use water to seal the edges). Flute the edges of the top pie dough. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes.

#508 - Homemade Raisin Bread

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup raisins (put them in saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil then cook them for 5 minutes, and drain them)
1 egg
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup milk

In a large bowl add flour, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon--stir until mixed. Use a spoon to make a well (hole) in the center of the flour mixture--set aside. In a separate bowl beat the egg until frothy. Add the melted butter, raisins and milk to the egg mixture--stir until mixed and pour this mixture into the flour well (hole). Use a wooden spoon to mix everything just until mixed and wet. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes to an hour. Test with a toothpick for doneness.

#507 - Italian Fried Chicken

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 1/2 pounds raw chicken pieces
1/2 cup flour
2 beaten eggs
1 envelope Spatini spaghetti sauce mix (NOTE: Spatini has been discontinued and has now been replaced with Lawry's Original Style Spaghetti Sauce--you can see it here http://www.lawrys.com/main/product.aspx?ProductId=127 )
2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
2 TBSP chopped parsley
canola oil for frying

Put the flour in a bowl or plastic bag. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and set aside. In a third bowl, mix Spatini sauce, bread crumbs and parsley. Dip each chicken piece in water, then coat in flour, then dip in eggs, then coat with Spatini mixture. Pour 1/4" canola oil in a skillet and turn stovetop heat on medium. When hot, brown each chicken piece on both sides. After both sides are browned, place a lid on the skillet, turn heat back to low and simmer for 20 minutes (turn pieces occasionally). Remove the lid and cook an additional 10 minutes (turn pieces occasionally).

#506 - Pineapple Delight

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup milk
1 - 8oz. can Dole crushed pineapple (drained--throw juice away)
1 - 8oz. Philly cream cheese
1 - 3oz. package French vanilla instant Jell-O pudding mix
1 jar maraschino cherries (drained--throw juice away)

In a mixer add 1/4 cup milk and cream cheese--beat until creamy. Add the rest of the milk (3/4 cup) and the pudding mix--beat 1 minute until well mixed. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in the crushed pineapple with a spoon. Pour mixture into a serving dish and top with drained cherries for decoration. Refrigerate well before serving.