#2517 - Raisin Shortbread Bars

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup Domino's dark brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 cup chopped Diamond walnuts
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup Baker's angelflake coconut

In a saucepan over medium heat add raisins--cover them with water, bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes, then drain them. In a bowl add flour and white sugar--stir. Add butter--mix with a pastry blender to make crumbs. Press the crumb mixture into a greased 8 x 8 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until edges start to brown. In a mixer add eggs and brown sugar--beat. Add vanilla and baking soda--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add drained raisins, chopped walnuts and coconut--stir until mixed. Spoon the mixture over the hot crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until topping is set. Cool completely. Cut into bars or squares.

#2516 - Hot Fudge Peanut Butter Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 ready-made chocolate cookie crust
1 cup Jif creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
1 - 12oz. Cool Whip (thawed)
1 - 12oz. jar hot fudge ice cream topping
1 cup chopped peanuts

In a mixer add peanut butter, cream cheese and white sugar--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add 3 cups of Cool Whip--stir until mixed. Pour the mixture into the chocolate pie crust. Spread the fudge topping in a microwave safe bowl--microwave on high for 1 minute--stir until smooth. Spread the heated fudge topping over the top of the pie. Refrigerate until cold. When ready to serve spread remaining Cool Whip over the top of the pie. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the Cool Whip.

#2515 - Instant Baked Potato Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 - 12oz. cans Carnation evaporated milk (NOT condensed)
2 cups water
6 TBSP butter
2 cups Breakstone's sour cream
3 - 4.9oz. boxes Hungry Jack Cheddar and Bacon Potatoes (contains dehydrated potatoes and sauce mix)
1/2 cup chopped green onions OR 1/2 cup chopped chives
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a pot over medium heat add evaporated milk, water, butter, all of the dehydrated potatoes and all of the sauce mix--cook/stir just until boiling. Remove from heat--add sour cream and green onions or chives--stir until mixed. Spread the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, remove from oven, sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top, return to oven and bake 10 minutes longer.

#2514 - Applesauce Confetti Cake

(by cousin Tammy [Zimmerman] Chamberlin)

1 box Duncan Hines confetti cake mix
plain applesauce

Prepare confetti cake mix batter according to box directions BUT substitute the oil with the same amount of applesauce (for example, if it calls for 3/4 cup oil, substitute with 3/4 cup plain applesauce). Bake according to box directions. Frost as desired.

#2513 - Creamy Cheese Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

Crust: 1 1/2 cups crushed Kellogg's corn flakes cereal; 1/2 cup Parkay margarine (melted); 1/4 cup white sugar; 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

Batter: 2 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened); 2 eggs; 2 tsp. vanilla; 1/3 cup white sugar

Topping: 1 cup Breakstone's sour cream; 2 TBSP white sugar; 1 - 21oz. can cherry pie filling

Crust--in a bowl add crushed corn flakes, melted Parkay, 1/4 cup white sugar and cinnamon--mix well. Press the crust mixture into a 9" pie plate. Batter--in a mixer add cream cheese--beat. Add eggs, vanilla, 1/3 cup white sugar--beat until smooth. Pour the batter into the crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until set. Topping: in a bowl add sour cream and 2 TBSP white sugar--stir until mixed. When pie comes out of the oven, spread the sour cream mixture over the top. Return pie to oven and bake 5 minutes longer. Cool completely. Spread cherry pie filling over the top. Refrigerate until cold.

#2512 - Brown Sugar Coconut Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup Domino's dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 cups Baker's angelflake coconut
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

In a mixer add softened butter, brown sugar and white sugar--beat. Add egg--beat. Add vanilla, baking soda and salt--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add coconut--stir until mixed--dough will be very thick. Drop by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes. Cool completely. Optional: for more coconut flavor, substitute 1 tsp. McCormick coconut extract in place of the vanilla.

#2511 - Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes

(by Shirley McNevich)

6 TBSP Parkay margarine (melted)
1 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup Hershey's cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup butternilk
1 tsp. vanilla
Domino's powdered sugar for sprinkling (optional)

In a bowl add melted margarine and white sugar--stir to mix. In a separate bowl add flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt--stir. In a cup add buttermilk and vanilla--stir. Slowly alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture to the margarine mixture using a whisk--beat with the whisk until well blended. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners. Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Cool completely. Frost as desired OR sprinkle with powdered sugar.

#2510 - Basted Ham Loaf

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 lbs. ground ham
1 lb. fresh ground pork
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup crushed saltine crackers
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped parsley
Basting Sauce: 1/4 cup Domino's dark brown sugar; 1/3 cup cider vinegar; 1/3 cup water; 2 tsp. French's yellow mustard

In a bowl add eggs--beat. Add milk--beat. Add ham, pork, crushed crackers and chopped parsley--mix with your hands. Form the mixture into two loafs. In a separate bowl add brown sugar, cider vinegar, water and mustard--stir well to mix. Place ham loafs into two greased loaf pans. Spread half of the basting mixture over each ham loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour (basting with the hot basting sauce in the loaf pans every 20 minutes) or until heated through.

#2509 - Bacon Bread

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 loaf fresh Italian bread
1/2 lb. (or more) cooked bacon--crumbled
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese
butter or margarine

Slice Italian bread into pieces, and lightly butter each. Place them on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until edges or bread just start to brown. Remove from oven--sprinkle crumbled bacon on top of each slice. Spread shredded cheddar cheese over the bacon on each slice. Return to oven and bake just until cheese melts. If you prefer, skip the butter and lightly sprinkle olive oil on each piece of bread before baking the first time.

#2508 - Pumpkin Raisin Mufins

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups Libby's pumpkin
3 eggs
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup raisins
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground cloves
3 cups white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups flour

In a saucepan add raisins--cover them with water, bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes, then drain them. In a mixer add pumpkin, eggs, water and canola oil--beat on low speed for 1 minute. Add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ground cloves, white sugar, salt and flour--beat 3 minutes on medium speed. Remove from mixer--add drained raisins--stir just until mixed. Place cupcake liners in muffin tins--fill each 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 23-28 minutes. If you want the muffins higher, bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

#2507 - Peanut Butter Toffee Bars

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups softened butter
2 cups Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups chopped pecans
2 1/2 cups Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate bits
1/2 cup Nestle's peanut butter chips
1 tsp. Crisco shortening

In a mixer add butter and brown sugar--beat. Add egg, vanilla and salt--beat. Add flour slowly--beat. Remove bowl from mixer and add chopped pecans--stir to mix. Spread the batter on a greased 15" jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven--sprinkle chocolate bits over the top. Wait a few minutes until the chips melt, then use a greased spoon to gently smooth out the chocolate bits over the top. In a microwave safe bowl add peanut butter chips and Crisco--microwave on high in 10 second increments until melted, then stir until smooth. Drizzle the melted peanut butter mixture all over the top. Cool completely. Cut into bars or squares,

#2506 - Onion Sour Cream Dip

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix
1 - 16oz. Breakstone's sour cream
1 cup cooked chopped shrimp OR 1 cup flaked lump crab meat
3 TBSP chili sauce
1 TBSP horseradish sauce

In a bowl add sour cream, chili sauce and horseradish sauce--stir. Add soup mix--stir to mix. Add shrimp pieces or crab meat--stir until mixed. Refrigerate until cold. If using crab meat, use the dip quickly as it will spoil quickly even if refrigerated. Use dip with good quality crackers.

#2505 - Bacon Green Beans

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 package frozen green beans (cooked according to bag directions with 1 tsp. salt in water)
4 slices cooked bacon (crumbled)
1 cup (or more) shredded cheddar cheese
pepper (optional)

Prepare green beans according to bag directions with 1 tsp. salt in the water. When green beans are tender, remove from heat and drain. Grease a casserole dish and put drained green beans in the greased dish. Sprinkle green beans with pepper if desired. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese all over the top of the green beans. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon over the top. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese melts and green beans are hot.

#2504 - Buttery Red Potatoes

(by Shirley McNevich)

3-4 large red potatoes
1 or 2 TBSP butter OR Parkay margarine (melted)
salt
pepper
dried parsley flakes (optional)

Line a glass baking dish with foil and spray it with Pam. Wash the potatoes but do NOT peel them. Cut the potatoes (skins on ) into bite sized pieces or wedges and spread the potato pieces in the foil-lined baking dish. Carefully pour the melted butter/margarine over the potato pieces. Place another piece of foil over the top of the dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven, remove top foil and sprinkle salt/pepper over the potatoes to your taste. You can also sprinkle dried parsley flakes over the potatoes. Serve immediately, and use tongs to serve.

#2503 - Easy Peach Jam

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 1/4 lbs. fresh ripe peaches (washed, peeled, pitted, sliced and mashed with a potato masher)
5 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup Kayro lite corn syrup
1 tsp. ascorbic acid crystals
2 - 3oz. pouches liquid fruit pectin
1/3 cup lemon juice

Measure out 2 3/4 cups of the mashed peaches--pour them in a large bowl. Add white sugar--stir to mix. Add corn syrup and ascorbic acid crystals--stir well. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes. In a bowl add fruit pectin and lemon juice--stir well. Add pectin mixture to peach mixture--stir very hard for 3 minutes. Ladle the mixture into 1/2 pint plastic freezer containers (leaving 1/2" empty at the top). Press the lids on the containers. Let them sit on the counter overnight. Place 1 container in the refrigerator for use now--place the rest of them in the freezer. The jam in the refrigerator will last 3 weeks. The jam in the freezer will last 1 year. When the jam in the refrigerator runs out, take one out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator.

#2502 - Easy Strawberry Jam

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 quart ripe strawberries (washed, de-stemmed and crushed with a potato masher)
3 cups white sugar
1 cup Kayro lite corn syrup
2 - 3oz. pouches liquid fruit pectin
2 TBSP lemon juice

Measure out 1 3/4 cups of the mashed strawberries and put them in a large bowl. Add white sugar and corn syrup--stir to mix. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes. In a small bowl add both pouches of pectin and lemon juice--stir to mix. Add pectin mixture to strawberry mixture--stir hard for 3 minutes. Ladle the mixture into 1/2 pint plastic freezer containers (leaving 1/2" empty at the top). Press the lids on the containers. Let them sit on the counter overnight. Place 1 container in the refrigerator for use now--place the rest of them in the freezer. The jam in the refrigerator will last 3 weeks. The jam in the freezer will last 1 year. When the jam in the refrigerator runs out, take one out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator.

#2501 - Pecan Cream Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 9" deep dish pie crust dough
1 1/2 cups Kayro lite corn syrup
1 - 3oz. box Jell-O vanilla INSTANT pudding
3 eggs
2 1/2 TBSP butter (melted)
2 cups pecan halves

Grease a pie plate--insert the pie dough, spray the inside of the dough with Pam and flute the edges. In a mixer add eggs--beat. Add melted butter--beat. Add pudding mix--beat. Add corn syrup--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add pecan halves--stir to mix. Pour batter into the pie dough. Cover the edges of the dough with foil strips. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until center of pie is firm (remove foil strips 5 minutes before the pie is done).

#2500 - Fudge Brownie Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 9" pie crust dough
1 - 6oz. bag Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup softened butter
1 - 14oz. can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated)
1/2 cup Bisquick
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans

Spray a pie plate with Pam, insert the pie dough, spray the inside of the dough with Pam and flute the edges. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, turn heat back to 325 degrees. In a saucepan over low heat add butter and chocolate bits--stir until melted. In a mixer add melted chocolate mixture, eggs and vanilla--beat. Add Bisquick--beat. Add Eagle milk--beat. Add pecans--beat. Pour batter into partially baked crust. Cover the edges of the pie with strips of aluminum foil. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes, remove foil strips and bake 5 minutes longer. Cool completely. Keep refrigerated.

#2499 - Chocolate Coconut Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups Baker's angelflake coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 - 12oz. bag Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate bits
1 ready-made graham cracker crust (or make your own)
1 - 14oz. can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated)

In a bowl add coconut, chopped pecans, chocolate bits--stir. Pour the coconut mixture into the pie crust. Carefully pour the Eagle brand milk all over the coconut mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely. Keep refrigerated.

#2498 - Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup softened Philadelphia cream cheese
1/4 cup raspberry preserves (NOT jelly)

In a mixer add cream cheese--beat. Add raspberry preserves--beat until mixed, then beat for 3 minutes on high speed.