Spicy Shredded Beef

This is a great recipe for sandwiches, tacos, burritos, etc. We like it best on sandwiches. It's spicy and delicious!

1 chuck tender roast (or any other beef roast)

1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

1 jar sliced pepperoncini

1 c. water

Brown the roast on all sides in a pan, then move the roast to a roasting pan or baking dish. Pour the packet of Italian dressing mix over the top of the roast, then cover with half the jar of the pepperoncini and juices. Add water and cover roast with foil. Bake at 200 degrees for eight hours. This can be done all day or overnight. A crockpot works well, too. Shred the cooked roast with two forks and mix around in the juices and peppers. Serve on toasted rolls or in tacos.

Candy Cane Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

Mix well the shortening and butter, sugar, egg, almond and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt and add to shortening mixture. Divide dough in half.

Blend red food coloring into one half. Roll 1 teaspoon of the red dough and 1 teaspoon of the white dough on lightly floured board into 4 inch strips. Place strips side by side and press lightly together and twist like a rope. Curve top of rope down to look like the handle of a candy cane.

Bake 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove while still warm. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup crushed peppermint stick candy and 1/2 cup sugar (optional).

*These may not be super easy but would be great if you are having a holiday party.

Candied Yams

Here is the recipe I'm using for Robby's family of at least 40 for Thanksgiving.

~
INGREDIENTS
1 (29 ounce) can sweet potatoes
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Place sweet potatoes in a medium baking dish. Distribute butter pieces evenly over the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Layer with miniature marshmallows.

Cover and bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender and marshmallows have melted.

PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 25 Min
READY IN 40 Min
~
I'm also in charge of two different types of Jello and a pie. Easy Jello recipes would be appreciated. Thanks!

Jiffy Muffin Mix

"Quality and Value since 1930"

And it looks like that is how old this box is but it's actually good! It only costs about 50 cents per box and they give other recipes on the side.

They have a good variety including Raspberry and Blueberry and make easy and wonderful Sunday muffins.

Try 'em out! You won't regret it!

~

1 pkg. Jiffy Muffin Mix

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease muffin pans or use paper baking cups.

Blend ingredients. Batter will be slightly lumpy.

Fill muffin cups 1/2 full.

Bake 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 6 muffins per box.

Cool and serve. Yummy!

Italian Chicken and Egg Noodles

OK. So this one didn't look so great. But apparently SOMEONE liked it!

Itailian Chicken and Egg Noodles (for 2)

2 Chicken Breast cubed

1 bottle (small) of Itailian Dressing

1 red bell pepper

1/2 bag egg noodles

Start cooking your chicken in a skillet with a little oil until the outside isn't pink. Then add about 1/2 a bottle of Itailian chicken (more if you want more) and let it cook at medium heat for about 15-20 mins. Cook as many egg noodles as you would like to eat. Follow the recipe on the bag. Add sliced red bell peppers the last 5-10 mins to your chicken. Place egg noodles on your plate and then scoop the chicken and bell peppers on top. Sometimes I will also throw corn on top of that. Serve while hot!!

Hawaiian Chicken

This sounded easy. The e-mail I got was one of those recipe club deals. Anyone interested in receiving it? Let me know. Hawaiian Chicken

Ingredients:

boneless skinless chicken breast per person 1 slice of ham per chicken breast 1 slice of swiss cheese per chicken breast 1 ring of pineapple per chicken breast rice

Directions:

bake chicken breast until done. Remove from oven and place a slice of ham on top. Top the ham with the ring of pineapple and then the slice of swiss cheese. Replace in oven until cheese melts and ham and pineapple are hot. Some top with a cherry--I don't like them so I don't bother. Serve on sticky rice or whatever. Really good. Aloha

Mexican Soup

I just got these recipes in an e-mail and decided to share.

Mexican Soup

1 roasted Chicken carcus and chicken (leftovers)

1 can black beans

1 can pinto beans

1 medium onion chopped

1 large can chopped tomatoes

1 can green chilies

1 cup frozen white sweet corn

½ cup rice

1 Tblsp ground cumin

Salt and pepper

1 Tblsp chicken soup base

Boil chicken carcus in water to cover for 1-1/2 hours; remove from heat, remove bones

And strain broth.

Sauté chopped onion until transparent

Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes minimum.

Season to taste.

This soup tastes better after it has set and flavors meld

Mexican Quiche

1 8 or 9 inch deep dish pastry crust

1-lb lean ground beef

3 large eggs, beaten

1 cup salsa

2 cups shredded cheese,

1 small onion, finely diced

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

salt to taste

sour cream

cilantro,

chopped diced tomatoes

black olives

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Add onion and cook until they are soft and translucent. Drain beef, stir in spices and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salsa. Add eggs. Fold in cheese and pour mixture into pastry crust. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges and top each wedge with a dollop of sour cream, cilantro, tomatoes, and black olives

I always use extra cheese in mine and eat it with extra salsa.

Super Easy Asian Stir Fry

I'm not much for measuring, but here's a rough estimate:

1 bottle Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small pcs
2 c. chopped broccoli (fresh is best)
1 c. thinly sliced carrots
1 pkg. sliced mushrooms

Start by steaming broccoli and carrots (this just speeds up the process). While they're steaming, sautee chicken and mushrooms in a small amount of canola oil until chicken is nearly cooked through. Add the dressing into the chicken/mushroom pan, anywhere from 1/2 to 3/4 of the bottle, depending on how saucy you like it. Bring to a simmer, then add in broccoli and carrots. Cover, reduce to low heat, simmer for about 10 minutes, until broccoli and carrots are tender.
Can be served over rice or pasta.

Tips: I added in a small amount of garlic powder, ginger, and cayenne for added flavor. Also, if you'd like a thicker sauce, mix up about 1/4 cup's worth of corn starch and water and mix in before covering. I also sprinkle Fresh Gourmet Garlic Ginger crunchy tortilla strips on the top--excellent. This is a super easy dish with lots of flavor and good-for-you stuff!

Substitutions: Beef can be used instead of chicken, or shrimp can be added to the chicken, or substituted. Just about any veggies can be added--fresh snap green beans, asparagus, green onions, red bell peppers, and so on!

Doctored Cupcakes

Credit for this recipe to my friend Polly, who, by the way, made me the best cupcakes EVER on my birthday a couple of weeks ago. For these yummy, easy cupcakes, skip the instructions on the cake box and use the following ingredients:

1 white cake mix

1 C. whole milk

1 stick butter (melted)

3 lg. eggs

2 tsp vanilla

Combine, mix on low 1 min, scrape sides of bowl, mix on medium 2 minutes. Use temps and times on cake mix box.

frosting:

3 C. salted butter

6-8 C. powdered sugar

vanilla to taste (around 4 tsp)

1-2 TB milk

whip it good. Makes a great, yummy, fluffy frosting!

Deluxe Scrambled Eggs

I just made these for myself (made it up as I went along) and they are super yummy! They're great as a "breakfast-for-dinner" entree, too. This is a single serving recipe, so adjust accordingly, depending on how many people you're feeding.

2 eggs, beaten (use 1 whole egg and 1 white)

1 slice pre-cooked bacon

1 TB julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes (the jarred kind)

1 TB grated pepper jack cheese (substitute cheddar if you don't like spicy)

1 tsp. light cream cheese

1 green onion, chopped (optional)

Spray small frying pan with non-stick spray. Crumble bacon and put in pan, cooking on about med/hi heat. Once bacon is sizzling, add in eggs, onion, and tomatoes. Cook until eggs are about 3/4 of the way done. Now add in cheeses and cook until eggs are done and cheese is melted. Put on a plate and salt/pepper to taste. Serve with a piece of whole wheat toast and it's divine!!

Pumpkin Waffles

Mix in a bowl:
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp coriander (optional)
¼ tsp salt

In a separate large bowl mix:
4 egg yolks –place egg whites in another bowl to beat in
1 cup pumpkin
¾ cup melted margarine
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 ½ cups milk

Beat 4 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix together. Fold in beaten egg whites. Bake in waffle iron until golden brown.

Serve with Buttermilk Syrup:
¼ cup butter
½ cup buttermilk (or use ½ tsp of lemon juice in ½ cup regular milk)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp Karo syrup

Bring to a boil, then take off heat. Add:

1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda

It will bubble up A LOT (so use a big pan.). Serve warm.

Easy Cheese Fondue (Crockpot)

Super easy, super fun dinner. A crowd favorite! Can cook on crockpot or on stove (just needs to be stirred). Definitely much less expensive than the Melting Pot!



Ingredients:
2 (10 3/4 oz) cans condensed cheese soup
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 tea lemon juice
2 T dired chopped chives (optional)

Combine all ingredients and cook on low until smooth. Optional: after it's all melted, transfer to pot or bowl and whisk in a little milk to smooth it out.

Ideas for fondue items:
-Breads (varying kinds)
-Grape or cherry tomatoes
-Baby carrots
-Baby corn
-Apples
-Li'l Smokies
-Ham cubes
-Broccoli
-Cauliflower
-Cooked shrimp
-Anything else you think would be good with cheese!

Mom's Quick and Easy Pancakes

I don't know whose Mom's pancakes these are, but I'm grateful to her for this recipe! I was never a plain pancake fan until now. (Of course I'm a fan of my dad's whole wheat blender pancakes and MDB sourdough, but those were the exception.)

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 T baking powder
2 T sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 T melted butter
1 cup milk
1 egg

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and liquids in another. Gradually pour and mix dry ingredients into liquids (or vice-versa, doesn't matter). Cook 'em up and enjoy!

Kidney Beans and Corn

This is actually really good and suprisingly flavorful. It's super easy to throw together. If you don't have onions or bell peppers, it's probably not a bit deal either. Serve it by itself or with rice.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ready In: 45 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 T cumin

1 tea ground dry mustard

Ground cayenne pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

1 (16 oz) can kidney beans, with liquid

1 (15.25 oz) can whole kernal corn, with liquid

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over mdium-high heat and cook garlic and onion until onion is tender.

2. Stir in the green bell pepper and cook until tender but firm.

3. Season with cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.

4. Stir the kidney beans with liquid and corn with liquid into the skillet.

5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and continue cookeing 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Serve immediately.

Aaahh! Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS

2 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
1 (5.5 ounce) package au gratin instant potato mix
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

In a large saucepan or pot, combine potatoes, au gratin potato mix, chicken broth and water. Add more water to cover if necessary. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in cream and heat through. Serve.

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 50 Min

Ready In: 1 Hr

Serves 6

~

I haven't made this, either. I like to add recipes here to motivate myself to make them and this has minimal ingrediants and I LOVE potato soup in the wintertime.

However, it is physically impossible to enjoy warm soup at this point in stupid Arizona (sorry to those who are devoted members). But it is November 3rd and it's about time to move on to lower temperatures than 90 degrees, for cryin out loud.

If anyone happens to make this, please let me know how it turns out. I really want to enjoy this wonderment.

Scones

Everyone I've made these for have really enjoyed them. They're especially delicious because they're baked and not fried!

1 cup light sour cream
1 tsp baking soda
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup light cream cheese
1 egg

1. In a small bowl, mix sour cream and baking soda. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease large baking sheet.
3. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, & salt. Cut in butter and cream cheese.
4. Stir in the sour cream mixture & egg into the flour mixture until just moistened.
5. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface & knead briefly.
6. Roll or pat dough into 3/4 inch thick, round circle.
7. Cut into 12 pie shaped wedges & place 1-2 inches apart on baking sheet.
8. Bake 15-18 minutes in oven till golden on bottoms.
9. Enjoy by cutting in half, spreading butter and topping with cinnamon sugar, or honey, or jam, or any delicious topping! We've found that they are best when eaten warm - whether that's straight out of the oven or reheated in the microwave.

Hawaiian Haystacks

This recipe is a favorite in our home. It's quick, simple and delicious any time of year.

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
1 can milk
salt and pepper to taste

Shred cooked chicken breasts (I usually boil the chicken) and add to the soup in a sauce pan. Heat over medium heat, adding milk until mixture becomes a gravy-like consistency and is heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve this gravy over white rice. Top with any of the following:

Shredded cheese
Pineapple tidbits
Celery
Green onions
Coconut
Tomatoes
Chinese noodles
Slivered almonds

The Best Sugar Cookies

These cookies are perfect for holiday decorating! You can't taste the sour cream at all (I was worried about that initially). This is my new favorite recipe for sugar cookies.


Cookies:

1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. dairy sour cream
3-1/4 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt


Combine first 5 ingredients in mixing bowl and beat 2 minutes. In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt, then add to the other ingredients in mixing bowl. Refrigerate, covered, for at least one hour. Roll out 1/4" to 1/2" thick and cut with cookie cutters as desired. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and leave on baking sheet 2 minutes before moving them to cool on a wire rack.


Frosting:
3 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. butter, softened
1-1/2 t. vanilla
1-2 T. milk


Mix together powdered sugar and butter with electric mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk. Continue to add milk until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Color as desired for decorating.