#719 - Caramel Turtles

(by Shirley McNevich)

Caramel: 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup packed Domino's dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup King Syrup molasses, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup butter, 1 tsp. vanilla

Other: 6oz. pecan pecan halves, 2 - 4oz. bars German sweet chocolate

Butter an 8 x 8 baking pan. In a heavy saucepan over low heat add white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, heavy cream, milk and butter--cook and stir with a wooden spoon until both sugars dissolve. Turn heat up to medium and cook/stir until candy thermometer is 244 degrees (if you don't have a candy thermometer drop a teaspoonful into a glass of cold water--if it forms a hard ball it's ready, if not cook longer and retest). Remove from heat and add vanilla--stir. Pour caramel mixture into the buttered pan and let it sit for 30 minutes. Use a sharp knife to cut the caramel into about 26 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place it on a saran wrap covered cookie sheet about 1" apart. Press 4 pecans onto each caramel in a cross (like a clockface--12, 3, 6 and 9) so one end of each pecan is in the middle of the caramel and the other end is hanging off of the edge). Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Spoon 1 tsp. of melted chocolate over the top of each turtle. Refrigerate to allow chocolate to harden.

#718 - Frosted Flake Squares

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 7oz. jar Fluff marshmallow
1/4 cup Parkay margarine
1/3 cup Jif peanut butter
7 1/2 cups Frosted Flakes cereal

In a large microwave safe bowl add Parkay and marshmallow--microwave on high for 1 minute and stir. Microwave 30 seconds more and stir--continue in 30 second increments until it's smooth when you stir it. Remove from microwave and add peanut butter--stir until smooth. Add the Frosted Flakes and stir until coated. Grease a 9 x 13 cake pan. Spread entire mixture into the cake pan and press it down with a spoon. Let it cool. When cooled and firm, cut into squares.

#717 - Boiled and Grilled BBQ Chicken

(by Shirley McNevich)

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
12 TBSP honey
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. chives
1 tsp. salt + 1/2 tsp. salt

In a bowl add the pepper, red pepper, garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. salt and chives--stir and save for grilling. Bring enough water to a boil with 1 tsp. salt to fit all of the chicken breasts. Boil the chicken in the boiling water for a few minutes to cook the insides of the chicken. Place chicken breasts on your BBQ grill (medium heat). Spread the BBQ sauce and honey on the top side, then sprinkle with the spice mixture you made earlier. Cook for five minutes on this side, then turn the chicken pieces. Spread the BBQ sauce and honey on the top side again and sprinkle with your spice mixture. Cook for 5 minutes on this side also. When you think the chicken is ready, use a knife to cut and check the center of each piece--if it's pink it's not ready yet--cook longer.

#716 - Coca Cola Baked Beans

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 - 16oz. cans great northern beans (drained)
1/2 can Coca Cola
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup Domino's dark brown sugar
1 TBSP French's mustard
1/4 cup Heinz ketchup
6 bacon strips

In a greased skillet cook the bacon strips, chopped onions and chopped green peppers until bacon is browned--drain off the fat and break bacon into small bite sized pieces. In a bowl add the coca cola, brown sugar, mustard and ketchup--stir. Add the bacon/chopped onions/chopped green peppers to the coca cola mixture--stir well. Add the drained great northern beans--stir to mix. Pour entire mixture into a casserole dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until bubbling hot.

#715 - White Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 lb. of white chocolate (NOT baking chips)
8oz. Jif smooth peanut butter
1 cup chopped pecans
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Cut the white chocolate into small pieces and place pieces in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high until melted. Remove from microwave and add the peanut butter, chopped pecans, salt and vanilla--stir well. Pour batter into a greased fudge pan and let it cool. Once cooled, cut into bite sized squares.

#714 - White Chocolate Chip Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed Domino's dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups Hershey's cocoa
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups (or more) white chocolate chips

In a mixer add the butter, brown sugar and white sugar--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add cocoa and baking soda--beat. Slowly add flour--beat (continue by hand if it gets too stiff for the mixer). Remove bowl from mixer and add the white chocolate chips--stir with a wooden spoon. Drop by teaspoonsful on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes (if you overbake them, they will be crisp; if you bake them just 8 minutes they will be more chewy). Do not remove cookies from baking sheets until they have cooled at least 5 minutes. Place on paper towels to continue cooling.

#713- Homemade Bagels

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 TBSP dry yeast
2 TBSP white sugar
2 TBSP salt
4 cups flour
1 TBSP vegetable oil
cornmeal
sesame seeds or poppy seeds
2 TBSP molasses

In a bowl add the warm water, yeast and 1 tsp. of the white sugar and let it sit for 10 minutes after mixed. In a separate bowl add the rest of the white sugar, salt and 2 cups of the flour. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture--mix with your hands. Add the rest of the flour and mix with your hands. Knead the dough for a few minutes with your hands. Oil a bowl, set the dough ball in the bottom, cover it with a dish towel and let it rise for 1 hour (dough should be doubled in size). Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a few quarts of water to a slight boil and add the 2 TBSP of molasses. Turn heat back to medium so water stays hot but is no longer in a rolling boil. Divide the dough into 16 dough balls and then let them sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle alot of cornmeal on cookie sheets. Shape each dough ball into a bagel shape (punch a small hole in the center with your finger). Once you've shaped all the bagels, place 4 at a time into the hot water for 30 seconds, then gently turn each and boil them on the other side for 30 seconds. Place boiled bagels on to the cornmeal powdered baking sheets and continue until all of the bagels have been boiled on both sides. Sprinkle either the sesame seeds or the poppy seeds on top of the bagels. Place the cookie sheets with the bagels into the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes
or until light brown. Cool on baking racks.

#712 - String Bean Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 1/2 cups frozen French cut green beans
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
6 cooked pieces of bacon (crumbled)

Cook green beans, then drain them and let them cool. In a bowl add cooled green beans, canola oil, vinegar, and salt/pepper to your taste. Serve on top of your normal salad greens, then sprinkle crumbled bacon on the top.

#711 - Vanilla Brownies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup butter
1 - 10oz. bag white chocolate baking chips
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups Domino's powdered sugar
2 1/2 TBSP softened butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 TBSP milk

Grease and flour a 9 x 13 cake pan--set aside. In a saucepan over low heat stir and melt the butter and white chocolate. Remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly. In a bowl add the white sugar, salt, chopped nuts, 1 tsp. vanilla, and eggs--beat then stir. Add the white chocolate
mixture to the egg mixture--stir. Add flour--stir until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Glaze: in a bowl add powdered sugar, butter, 1 tsp. vanilla and milk--stir until smooth. Spread the glaze over the top of the brownies before cutting.

#710 - Caramel Popcorn Crunch

(by Shirley McNevich)

10 cups plain popped popcorn
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup Domino's dark brown sugar
1/4 cup King syrup molasses
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place popcorn and pecans in a Dutch oven--place them in preheated oven. In a saucepan over medium heat add butter, brown sugar, molasses and salt--stir and cook until brown sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil--test the mixture by dropping a teaspoonful into a glass of cold water. If it makes a cracking noise, it's ready (if not cook longer and retest--if you have a candy thermometer it should be 248 degrees). Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. Remove popcorn/nuts from oven and pour hot candy mixture over the top--stir gently to coat. Return the whole mixture to the oven and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven, let it cool, and keep in an airtight container.

#709 - Popcorn Balls

(by Aunt Hazel [Haupt] Herman)

8 cups of popped plain popcorn (not buttered)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup King syrup molasses
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. cider vinegar
2 TBSP butter + 2 TBSP butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Put popped popcorn in a large glass bowl--set aside. In a skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat add white sugar, King syrup, water, vinegar, 2 TBSP butter--bring to a boil but do NOT stir. Once boiling cook about 15 minutes and then test--drop a teaspoon full into a glass of water. If it forms a soft ball it's ready. If it's runny it's not ready--cook longer. When it's ready remove from heat, add the vanilla and stir. Pour the candy mixture over the popped popcorn--stir with a wooden spoon until coated. Use the extra 2 TBSP butter to butter your hands--take out a handful of the popcorn mixture at a time and form into balls. Set each formed ball on saran wrap covered cookie sheets to cool. Wrap in colored cellophane once they have cooled.

#708 - Ambrosia Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

Crust: 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup chopped pecans, 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup Domino's powdered sugar
Filling: 1 - 110z. can mandarin orange segments (drained), 1 cup Baker's angelflake coconut, 1 can Betty Crocker vanilla pudding, toasted Baker's angelflake coconut for sprinkling

In a bowl add flour, chopped pecans, butter, powdered sugar--mix with your hands to form dough. Press dough into a greased 9" pie dish (bottom and sides). Bake crust at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Cool the pie crust. Filling: in a bowl add mandarin oranges, 1 cup coconut, and 1 1/2 cups of pudding from the can--stir. Pour this mixture into the crust. Chill at least 4 hours. Remove from refrigerator and spread the remaining pudding on top. Toast 1/2 cup of coconut and sprinkle on top. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

#707 - Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 ready made graham cracker pie crust
12oz. softened Philadelphia cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup Libby's canned pumpkin
2 eggs
Cool Whip

In a mixer add cream cheese, white sugar, pumpkin pie spice--beat on medium speed. Add eggs--beat. Add pumpkin--beat well. Pour batter into the ready made graham cracker crust (be sure to remove the plastic insert but leave the graham cracker crust in its foil tin). Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight. Keep refrigerated. Serve with Cool Whip. Use the removed plastic insert upside down to cover the pie.

#706 - Easy Cherry Cheesecake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
2 TBSP canola oil
2 - 8oz. packages Philadelphia cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
3 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1 large can cherry pie filling

Remove 1 cup of the dry cake mix and set it aside. In a bowl, beat one of the eggs and the canola oil--beat with a fork. Add the remaining cake mix left in the box to the egg mixture--mix well. Press this mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 greased cake pan. In a mixer add cream cheese and white sugar--beat. Add the 3 remaining eggs--beat. Add the 1 cup of dry cake mix that you had set aside earlier--beat on medium until well mixed. Turn mixer on low speed and add the milk, lemon juice, and vanilla--beat until smooth. Pour batter on top of the pressed mixture in the cake pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 45-55 minutes. Once cake has cooled, spoon cherry pie filling on the top and refrigerate.

#705 - Alfredo Pasta

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 stick butter
2 cups heavy cream
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
1 - 12oz. box fettuccine pasta
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan over medium heat melt butter. Add cream, garlic powder, and pepper--stir. Simmer and stir for 10-12 minutes or until it's thick. Cook fettucine pasta according to package directions--drain. Add Parmesan cheese to alfredo sauce and stir just before serving. Place pasta on a serving plate and top with the alfredo sauce. Serve with garlic bread.

#704 - Schnitz and Knepp

(by Grandma Pauline (Tharp) Herman)

1 - 3lb. ham end
2 quarts ham broth (you'll get this from cooking the ham)
4 cups dried apples (these are called "schnitz")
2 TBSP brown sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1 beaten egg
2 TBSP melted butter
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
milk, enough to make the dumplings ("knepp") stiff

Wash the dried apples in cold water--place them in a bowl, cover them with cold water, place saran wrap on the top and let them sit on the counter overnight. Cook the ham end with water for about 3 hours until it's tender. Pour the ham broth into a large container. Measure out 8 cups (which makes 2 quarts) and pour it into a Dutch oven--if you don't have enough to make 8 cups use water as a substitute. Cut the ham into bite sized pieces and add to the broth in the Dutch oven. Drain the apples and add them to the ham/broth. Bring to a boil, then boil for 1 hour (stir every 15 minutes or so). While the ham/apple mixture is cooking, make the dumplings (knepp)--in a bowl add flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder--stir. Add the beaten egg-stir. Add melted butter--stir. Add enough milk to make the batter stiff. After the ham/apple mixture has boiled for an hour, add the brown sugar and stir. Drop tablespoonsful of the dumpling dough into the ham/apple mixture. Put a lid on the Dutch oven and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat (DO NOT take off the lid before the 15 minutes are up or the dumplings will fall and get heavy). Serve.

#703 - Egg Impossible Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup Bisquick
3 eggs
1 cup cooked turkey, ham or chicken (cut into bite sized pieces)
1/4 cup chopped red peppers
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a blender add milk, Bisquick and eggs--blend for 15 seconds. Grease a 9" deep pie plate. Arrange your choice of meat pieces on the bottom, and sprinkle the chopped red peppers and chopped onions on top of the meat. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Pour the Bisquick mixture on top of the peppers and onions. Place pie plate on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle the cheese on top, and return to oven until cheese melts.

#702 - Farmer's Quiche

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 pie crust dough (homemade or store bought)
1 deep pie plate
1 cup chopped cooked ham
1/4 cup chopped green peppers
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup frozen hash browns (NOT patties)
4 eggs
1/2 cup Eagle brand sweet condensed milk (NOT evaporated)

Spray the pie plate with Pam. Place pie dough in pie plate, spray the inside of the pie dough with Pam and flute the edges. Place the cooked ham pieces on the bottom, sprinkle chopped peppers and chopped onions on top of the ham, sprinkle the hash browns on top of the peppers and onions, then sprinkle the cheese on top of the hash browns. In a bowl add eggs and beat them with a fork. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Add the condensed milk to the eggs and beat with the fork. Pour egg mixture on top of the other ingredients in the pie plate. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

#701 - Chocolate Nut Bread

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups chopped Diamond walnuts
3 squares unsweetened baking chocolate (melted and cooled)
1 cup buttermilk
5 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Melt the baking chocolate in a microwave safe bowl according to package directions. In a mixer add butter and white sugar--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add vanilla, melted chocolate--beat. Add buttermilk--beat. Add baking soda and salt--beat. Add cake flour--beat until smooth. Remove from mixer and stir in the chopped walnuts. Pour into a greased bread loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Let it cool, then frost as desired.

#700 - Butterscotch Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
2/3 cup milk + 1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
Frosting: 2 cups Domino's dark brown sugar (packed), 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup Parkay margarine, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. vanilla

Sift the cake flour, 1 tsp. salt and baking powder into a bowl--set aside. In a mixer add Crisco, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, vanilla, 2/3 cup milk--beat. Add the dry ingredients that you sifted--beat until mixed, then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and the 1/3 cup milk--beat 2 minutes longer. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cake. Frosting: in a saucepan over low heat add the Parkay and melt it. Add the 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 cups brown sugar--stir. Add 1/2 cup milk--stir and put heat on medium. Bring to a full rolling boil while stirring. Once boiling, boil for 1 minute (or until 220 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat and beat with a spoon while it starts to cool. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and beat with a spoon. Continue beating until icing is no longer glossy and is thick enough to spread. You must beat it well to make it creamy. If it gets too thick, add 1 tsp. milk and beat. If frosting is too thin, add a little powdered sugar and beat.