#2633 - Sausage and Corn Chowder

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups milk
1 - 14oz. can DelMonte cream style corn
1 cup smoked sausage pieces
1lb. red potatoes (washed, peeled and diced)
1 - 15oz. can DelMonte whole kernel corn (drained)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cut sausage into coin shaped pieces, then cut each coin shaped piece into quarters. Add sausage pieces to a measuring cup until you have 1 cup (more if you wish). In a skillet over medium heat add sausage pieces--cook/stir until sausage is browned. In a pot add the diced potatoes and 1 tsp. salt--cover with water, bring to a boil, then cook diced potatoes until tender. Drain the potatoes but do not rinse them. In a Dutch oven add milk and cream style corn--stir. Add cooked sausage, cooked potatoes and whole kernel corn--stir until mixed. Turn heat to medium--cook/stir until mixture is hot. Add shredded cheese--stir until melted.

#2632 - Glazed Sugar Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
Glaze: 3 or 4 tsp. milk; 1 tsp. vanilla; 1 cup Domino's powdered sugar

In a mixer add butter and white sugar--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and 2 tsp. vanilla--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Cover and chill dough overnight. The next day, shape dough into 1" balls and place on greased cookie sheets. Flatten cookies with the greased bottom of a drinking glass. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool completely. Glaze--in a bowl add powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla and 3 tsp. milk--stir well. If glaze is too thick add one more tsp. of milk--stir. Glaze the cooled cookies.

#2631 - Pecan Sandies

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 sticks softened butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 TBSP vanilla
1 TBSP water
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 cups toasted pecans (chopped)

In a mixer add butter and white sugar--beat. Add eggs, vanilla and water--beat. Add salt and baking soda--beat. Add chopped pecans--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Rolls the dough into 1" balls and place them on greased cookie sheets. Grease the bottom of a drinking glass and use the bottom of the glass to flatten each dough ball. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

#2630 - Bacon Mashed Potatoes

(by Shirley McNevich)

8 slices cooked bacon (save the grease)
2 TBSP bacon grease
4 lbs. red potatoes
1 cup milk
2 TBSP softened butter
2 TBSP chives
salt and pepper

Fry the bacon in a skillet--save 2 TBSP of the bacon grease. Place the bacon on paper towels to soak up any extra grease, then crumble the bacon. Wash the potatoes but do not peel them. Cut each potato into quarters. In a Dutch oven add the potato quarters--cover them with water and add 1 tsp. salt. Over medium heat bring to a boil--cook potatoes until fork tender, then drain the potatoes. In a large bowl add potatoes--mash with a potato masher (the skins should start breaking into smaller pieces). Add milk, butter and reserved 2 TBSP bacon grease--continue mashing with a potato masher until well mixed. Add chives, crumbled bacon and salt/pepper to your taste--stir well. If you wish, fry extra bacon and crumble it over the top of the mashed potatoes before serving.

#2629 - Caramel Apple Squares

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup Quaker quick oats
1/2 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup cold butter
1 cup chopped walnuts
20 Kraft caramels (unwrapped)
1 - 14oz. can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated)
1 - 21oz. can apple pie filling

In bowl add flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and butter--mix with a pastry blender to make crumbs. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture--set aside. Press the rest of the crumbs on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Add chopped walnuts to the reserved 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture--stir to mix. In a saucepan over low heat add condensed milk and unwrapped caramels--cook/stir over low heat until smooth. Spread the apple pie filling over the baked crust. Drizzle the caramel mixture over the apple pie filling. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the caramel. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until set. Cool completely. Cut into bars or squares.

#2628 - Black and White Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

Batter: 2 sticks softened butter; 1 3/4 cups white sugar; 4 eggs; 1 cup milk; 1 tsp. vanilla; 2 1/2 cups CAKE FLOUR; 2 1/2 cups regular flour; 1 tsp. baking powder

Frosting: 4 cups Domino's powdered sugar; 1/3 cup boiling water; 1 square Baker's bittersweet baking chocolate (melted according to box directions)

In a mixer add butter and white sugar--beat. Add eggs, milk and vanilla--beat. Add baking powder--beat. Slowly add cake flour and regular flour--beat. Form dough into walnut sized balls and place them on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cool completely. Frosting: in a mixer add powdered sugar and add 1 TBSP boiling water at a time--beat. Repeat adding water as necessary until frosting is spreadable. Place half of the frosting into each of two bowls. Add the melted chocolate to one of the bowls of frosting--stir well. Frost half of each cookie with the white frosting and the other half of each cookie with the chocolate frosting.

#2627 - Angelfood Cream Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 baked angelfood cake
1 - 14oz. can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated)
1 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 - 3oz. box Jell-O vanilla INSTANT pudding mix
2 cups heavy whipping cream (whipped according to package directions)
1 can Lucky Leaf cherry, strawberry or blueberry pie filling

After angelfood cake has been baked and removed from its pan, carefully use a large bread knife to slice horizontally through the whole middle of the cake (so you end up with two layers). Cut each layer into smaller square sized pieces and arrange half of them in the bottom of a 9 x 13 cake pan. In a mixer add condensed milk, water and vanilla--beat. Add pudding mix--beat well. Refrigerate the pudding mixture for 10 minutes, then remove it from the refrigerator and add the whipped whipping cream--stir to mix. Spread half of the pudding mixture over the cake pieces in the pan. Spread half of the pie filling over the cream mixture. Make another layer of cake slices on top of the pie filling. Spread the rest of the cream mixture over the cake slices. Spread the rest of the pie filling over the top. Refrigerate until cold.

#2626 - Chocolate Cake Flour Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 4oz. bar German sweet chocolate (baking chocolate)
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup softened butter
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (measure before sifting)
1 cup buttermilk

Break the baking chocolate into small pieces and drop them into the boiling water--stir until chocolate is melted, then set aside. In a mixer add butter and white sugar--beat. Add 4 egg yolks--beat. Add melted chocolate mixture and vanilla--beat. Add buttermilk--beat. Add salt and baking soda--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer. In another mixer bowl add 4 egg whites--beat until stiff. Add egg whites to batter--stir until mixed. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool completely. Frost as desired.

#2625 - Swiss Steak in a Bag

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 large plastic Reynolds oven bag (14" x 20")
2 TBSP flour
2 - 14.5oz. cans Italian stewed tomatoes
2 tsp. white sugar
1 tsp. French's yellow mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 lbs. boneless sirloin tip steak (1/2" thick)

Open the oven bag and put the flour in the oven bag--close the top and shake until the flour coats the inside of the bag. Place the oven bag into a large glass baking dish. In a bowl add both cans of tomatoes, white sugar, mustard, salt and pepper--stir until mixed. Pound the steak to 1/2" thickness or less if possible, then cut the steak into smaller pieces (your choice of size). Drop the steak pieces into the tomato mixture so that they are covered. Place foil over the top of the bowl and let the steaks sit in the tomato mixture for at least an hour. When ready to bake, carefully open the large oven bag and pour the steak and tomato mixture into the oven bag. Close the oven bag with the tie that comes with the bag. Use a sharp knife to cut a few slits in the top of the oven bag. Make sure the oven bag is sitting in the glass baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until steak is very tender.

#2624 - Buttery Pound Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups softened butter (NO substitutes)
3 cups white sugar
6 eggs
4 cups flour
3/4 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla

In a mixer add add butter and white sugar--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add milk and vanilla--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10" tube cake can. Bake the pound cake at 300 degrees for 1 hour 40 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool for 20 minutes, then loosen cake and invert it on to a cake plate. Cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

#2623 - Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

Topping: 1 1/4 cups Domino's dark brown sugar (packed); 3/4 cup flour; 1/2 cup cold butter (cut into small pieces); 2 tsp. cinnamon; 1 cup chopped walnuts

Batter: 3 1/4 cups flour; 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder; 3/4 tsp. baking soda; 1 1/2 sticks softened butter;
1 1/4 cups white sugar; 3 eggs; 2 tsp. vanilla; 1 - 16oz. tub plain yogurt; 2 granny smith apples (washed, peeled, cored and diced)

Grease and flour a bundt cake pan. In a bowl add brown sugar, 3/4 cup flour, cold butter pieces and cinnamon--mix with a pastry blender to make crumbs. Add chopped walnuts--stir and set aside. In a bowl add 3 1/4 cups flour, baking powder and baking soda--stir. In a mixer add softened butter and white sugar--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add vanilla and yogurt--beat. Slowly add flour mixture--beat just until mixed. Pour half of the batter into the prepared bundt cake pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the topping mixture over the batter. Spread all of the diced apples over the topping. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the topping mixture over the diced apples. Pour the rest of the batter over the top. Sprinkle the remaining topping over the batter. Use the back of a spoon to lightly press the topping mixture into the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool for 15 minutes, then loosen the cake and invert on to a cake plate. Cool completely before cutting.

#2622 - Chocolate Peanut Butter Grahams

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 bag Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate bits
1/2 bar paraffin wax
1 box good quality graham crackers
1 jar Jif peanut butter

Open the graham crackers and break them according to the smallest line scored on the graham crackers. Spread peanut butter on one graham cracker and cover it with another graham cracker. Repeat with as many graham crackers as you wish. In a double boiler add chocolate chips and paraffin wax--melt/stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Dip each graham cracker sandwich into the melted chocolate. Place them on wax paper to set.

#2621 - Easy Peanut Butter Fudge

(by Sue Sheaffer - friend)

2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 1/3 cups Jif peanut butter
1 - 7oz. jar Fluff marshmallow cream

In a saucepan add white sugar and milk--cook/stir over medium low heat until it comes to a rolling boil. Once boiling, cook/stir for 3 minutes. Remove from heat--add peanut butter and marshmallow cream--stir until mixed and smooth. Pour mixture into an 8 x 8 foil lined pan. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Remove from refrigerator, dump out the fudge, peel off the foil and cut the fudge into squares.

#2620 - Strawberry Preserves Cheesecake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 TBSP white sugar
3 TBSP butter (melted)
3 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup strawberry preserves

In a bowl add graham cracker crumbs, 3 TBSP white sugar and melted butter--stir until mixed. Press the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9" springform cheesecake pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. In a mixer add cream cheese--beat. Add 3/4 cup white sugar and eggs--beat. Add vanilla--beat. Pour batter into baked crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then without opening the oven door reduce heat to 250 degrees. Bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely, then refrigerate until cold. Spread strawberry preserves over the top before serving.

#2619 - Nutty Chocolate Fudge

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate bits
1 cup Nestle's milk chocolate bits
1 - 14oz. can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated)
1 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp. vanilla

In a saucepan over low heat add all of the chocolate bits and condensed milk--cook/stir until melted. Remove from heat--add vanilla and chopped nuts--stir quickly. Pour mixture into a fudge lined 8" square pan. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Remove from rerigerator, remove fudge, peel off the foil and cut fudge into squares.

#2618 - Sweet Potato Spice Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
1 cup leftover candied sweet potatoes (mashed)
1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a saucepan add raisins--cover them with water, bring to a boil, cook them for 5 minutes, then drain the raisins. Prepare cake batter according to box directions. Add mashed sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie spice to the batter--beat well. Remove bowl from mixer--add drained raisins and chopped nuts--stir. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

#2617 - Pirate Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 sticks softened butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1 - 10oz. bag Nestle's Treasures semi-sweet chocolate baking pieces
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

In a bowl add flour, baking soda and salt--stir. In a mixer add butter, white sugar and brown sugar--beat. Add egg--beat. Add vanilla--beat. Slowly add flour mixture--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add treasures baking pieces and chopped nuts--stir with a wooden spoon. Drop by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool slightly before removing cookies from cookie sheets.

#2616 - Herb Chicken

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash lemon pepper seasoning
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
4 boneless/skinless chicken breast halves

In a bowl add salad dressing, oregano, lemon pepper and garlic powder--stir well. Use a pastry brush to brush the spice mixture on the tops of the chicken breasts. Place the chicken breasts (spice side up) on a grill--cook chicken breasts for 8-10 minutes, then turn the chicken breasts, brush the spice mixture generously over the chicken and grill for another 8-10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside.

#2615 - Apple Muffins

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup Quaker quick oats
1/3 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
2/3 cup apple juice
1/3 cup milk
1 beaten egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup + 1 TBSP Parkay margarine (melted)
1 1/2 large baking apples (washed, peeled, cored and chopped finely)

In a bowl add flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg--stir until mixed. Add the apple juice, milk and melted margarine--stir just until mixed. Add beaten egg, vanilla and chopped apples--stir just until mixed. Place cupcake liners into muffin tins--fill each 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 17-20 minutes.

#2614 - Blueberry Crunch Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup softened butter
1 3/4 cups white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 - 21oz. can Lucky Leaf blueberry pie filling
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Glaze Topping: 1 1/4 cups Domino's powdered sugar; 1 TBSP softened butter; 2-3 TBSP milk

In a mixer add 1 cup softened butter, white sugar and vanilla--beat. Add eggs--beat. In a bowl add flour, baking powder and salt--stir. Remove bowl from mixer--add flour mixture--stir with a wooden spoon. Spread half of the batter on a greased and floured 10 x 15 jelly roll pan. Open pie filling--add nutmeg to pie filling--stir well. Spread all of the blueberry filling over the batter in the jelly roll pan. Spoon the remaining batter all over the blueberry filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. While it's baking, in a bowl add powdered sugar, 1 TBSP softened butter and milk--stir until well mixed. If too thick add a little more milk. If too thin add a little more powdered sugar. Remove cake from oven and drizzle glaze all over the top. Cool completely.