Egg Brunch Bake

This is another very old recipe that I got from a friend. It is a good way to use up bread and eggs that need to be used up quickly.

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1 loaf sliced bread, white or wheat bread
butter, softened
12-15 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dry mustard
chopped ham
1 (8 oz.) package shredded cheddar cheese, may use more if desired


1. Remove the crusts from the bread and butter both sides. Place one layer of bread slices in a greased 9 x 13" pan. Beat eggs and milk together, and add salt, pepper, and dry mustard, set aside.

2. Sprinkle ham and cheese over the bread in pan. Place another layer of bread on top of the ham and cheese. Pour egg mixture over all.

3. Cover pan with foil and chill overnight in the refrigerator, or at least 8 hours. Bake, uncovered, in a 275 degree for 1 hour and 10 minutes, until bread is puffy and golden brown. Increase the oven temperature, if it is not browning up. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

M & Ms Bars

I got this recipe many years ago from a friend. These are very good.

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1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup plain M & Ms

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Beat in the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix just until combined. Spread in a greased and floured 9 x 13" pan and sprinkle on the M & Ms, then bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. 

Chocolate Peanut Buddy Bars

I got this recipe years ago from the back of a package of milk chocolate chips. They are surprisingly very good, though I haven't made them in many years. They are a soft bar, and if I remember right, remind me of a toffee bar, as there is no leavening in them. You can find the recipe online at VeryBestBaking.

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FOR THE BARS
Cream:
1 cup peanut butter
6 tbsp (3/4 of a stick) butter, softened

Add:
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Add:
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt

Stir in:
1 cup milk chocolate chips

FOR THE TOPPING
1 cup milk chocolate chips


Spread dough in an ungreased 9 x 13" pan. Bake 350 degrees 25-30 minutes or until edges are browned. Sprinkle on the 1 cup of chocolate chips as soon as they are removed from the oven. Let stand for 2 minutes, and spread when melted. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Indoor S'Mores (Golden Grahams Cereal Recipe)

Have you ever made these quick and easy treats? They are very good. Try them, if you haven't before, or make them again if it's been a while. You can find the recipe online here.

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8 cups Golden Grahams cereal
5 cups mini marshmallows
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup light corn syrup
5 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup additional mini marshmallows, if desired

1. In a large bowl, measure the cereal. Butter a 9 x 13" pan. In another large bowl, microwave 5 cups of mini marshmallows, the chocolate chips, corn syrup and butter uncovered about 2-3 minutes, or until melted, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Stir in the vanilla.

2. Pour chocolate mixture over the cereal and toss until completely covered. Stir in 1 cup marshmallows, if desired.

3. Press into the prepared pan using the back of a buttered spoon. Let stand for at least 1 hour before cutting into bars. These may be refrigerated if you prefer a firmer bar. 

Cherry Pastry

I got this recipe years ago from a lady at work. I haven't made it in many years, but I noted the recipe card that this is very good. It is a very simple dessert that you can even serve as a breakfast cake. You can also make this with an apple or blueberry pie filling. For that matter, you could even use lemon pie filling.

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1 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 can cherry pie filling, or any desired flavor

Glaze
4 tbsp butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tbsp milk or water
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix together until smooth.


Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well mixed. Add the flour and baking powder, and beat just until combined. Spread half of the batter in a greased 9 x 13" pan. Spoon pie filling over on top. Drop remaining batter by spoonfuls and spread gently. You do not have to completely cover the pie filling. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Drizzle with glaze while warm (you may not need to use all of the glaze).

Country Apple Coffee Cake

This recipe can be found on the Pillsbury.com website. It is very easy to make, and very tasty. You can use blueberries in place of the apples, if you wish.

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Coffee Cake
2 tbsp butter, softened, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled apples, divided
1 (10-oz) can refrigerated flaky biscuits
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Glaze
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

To Make the Coffee Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using 1 tbsp of the butter, and grease a 9" round cake pan or 8" square baking pan. Spread with 1 cup of the chopped apples in bottom of the pan. Separate the biscuits and cut each into quarters. Arrange the biscuit pieces points up over the apples. Top with the remaining chopped apples.

2. In another bowl, combine the remaining 1 tbsp butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, corn syrup, and egg. Using an electric mixer, beat for 2-3 minutes or until the sugar is partially dissolved. Stir in the pecans and spoon over the apples and biscuit pieces.

3. Bake 350 degrees for 25-45 minutes, or until a deep golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes.

To Make the Glaze
Blend all of the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and drizzle over the warm coffee cake.

Serve the cake warm or cooled. Store the remaining coffee cake in the refrigerator. 

White Chocolate Lemon-Lime Bread

This recipe was found on the Lil' Luna cooking blog.

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1 box Lemon cake mix
2 small boxes instant White Chocolate pudding mixes
4 eggs
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
zest of 1 lemon

Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
juice of 1 lime
zest of 1 lime
add additional fresh lime juice, if needed

Mix the glaze ingredients together while cakes are baking. Add the additional lime juice if the glaze is too thick.


Mix together the cake mix, pudding mixes, oil, and eggs and beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix in by hand, until well combined. Pour into 1-2 greased 9 x 5" loaf pans. Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until cake tests done by inserting a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan(s) for 10 minutes, then remove to cool on a wire rack. Poke holes in the top of the cake and drizzle with glaze.
Cool thoroughly. 

Banana Bread

I got this recipe a few years ago from a friend at work. It is very good.

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1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
3 large or 4 small bananas, well mashed
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, sour cream, and eggs and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the mashed bananas and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add to the creamed mixture and beat until well combined. Pour into a greased 9 x 5" loaf pan and bake 300 degrees for 1 hour plus 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Velvety Chocolate Sauce

An old recipe that I came across, and I thought I'd share it with you.

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1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

3 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup evaporated milk

In a saucepan, combine the corn syrup, sugar, and water and cook to the softball stage (236 degrees). Remove from heat and add the chocolate, stirring until the chocolate has melted. Add the vanilla and lix well. Slowly add the evaporated milk, and mix thoroughly. Let cool. Store in the refrigerator. 

Makes 3 1/2 cups

Breakfast Sausage Bake

This is a recipe that I got from my sister-in-law, years ago. It's so old, that the salad croutons the recipe calls for, are no longer made in boxes. You can easily substitute whatever salad crouton that is available in your area. I'm making a guess on the size bag, since I never wrote down the size box at the time - but if I had to guess on the size, I would say they came in 6 ounce boxes. Doing a Google image search, I find that the bags are 5 1/2 ounce bags, so I say, close enough.

This is a recipe that needs to be made ahead of time, since it needs to sit for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator before baking. The original recipe does not call for browning the sausage first, and I never did, but it still came out just fine. If you want to brown the sausage first so that you can drain any grease that might accumulate, please feel free to do so. You could easily substitute chopped up ham, if you would prefer. 

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1 and 1/2 bags of Brownberry seasoned salad croutons (Approximately 5 1/2 oz. bags each)*

1 16 oz. roll regular Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage**

12 eggs ( This also works well using 8-10 eggs, if needed)

1 cup milk

1 tsp dry mustard

1 (8 oz.) bag shredded Cheddar cheese (2 cups)

Grease a 9 x 13" baking pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with the croutons. Take the raw sausage and break it up, spreading evenly over the croutons. (See note below**) Sprinkle cheese over the sausage. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, and dry mustard. Pour over all in the baking pan. Cover, and allow to chill in the refrigerator overnight, or at least several hours to allow the egg mixture to soak into the croutons. Bake in a preheated oven 350 degrees, for 40-45 minutes, until puffy and browned well.

* Note: These used to come in boxes but now they come in sealed bags. I 'm guessing they came in 6-oz boxes, but now come in 5 1/2 oz. bags. Use whatever is available to you. Feel free to use more than what is called for, if you seem to have too much egg mixture. The croutons should absorb whatever is there as it sits overnight in the refrigerator.

** Note: You may use without browning first, or you may brown is and drain any grease that accumulates. Either way, is just fine.

Jumble Cookies

Please refer to this post, and read where I mention chocolate chip cookies made with added Rice Krispies. You might think that is an odd thing to add to cookies, but they are very good. They turn out crispy and crunchy, if you happen to like crispy-crunchy cookies. They are a nice change from the regular chocolate chip cookie.

This recipe came from my mother, but I don't know where it originally came from. However, I did a search on Jumble Cookies, and found the exact same recipe on another cooking blog. If you just Google "Jumble Cookies History", it is interesting to read that they are centuries old, but they were made very differently from the recipe I'm posting here. At any rate, give them a try and let me know what you think.

This makes a small batch.

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1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups Rice Krispies cereal (Note: I wrote in the recipe card that 2 cups was too much, and to use 1 1/4 cups, instead.)

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanuts (Note: I have never added the peanuts, but you can leave out all together, or add raisins, or M & Ms, instead)

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Beat in the flour, baking soda, salt and Rice Krispies and mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Do not overbake. 

Lucky Friday's Carrot Cake

This recipe comes from an old cookbook I used to have: Farm Recipes & Food Secrets From the Norske Nook. It is an excellent carrot cake, very flavorful and moist. It has a delicious cream cheese frosting.

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3 cups grated carrots
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 heaping cups flour (I've used 2 level scoops, plus 2 tbsp flour)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13" pan.

2. Put the grated carrots, sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla in a large, deep bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until well combined. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir into the carrot mixture until blended.

3. Bake 350 degrees for 50 minutes, or until a finger pressed in the middle leaves no indentation. Cool thoroughly on a wire rack, and frost.


Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar

I like to cream the butter with an electric mixer first, so you are not left with any clumps of butter in the frosting. Add the softened cream cheese, and beat very well, until very smooth. Aded in the powdered sugar, in batches, beating well after each addition, until desired sweetness has been reached.

Note: You may add a little milk and vanilla extract, if desired. You wouldn't need that much milk, maybe a couple of tbsp, or more. Use 1/2 to 1 tsp vanilla extract for added flavor. Just be aware that by adding vanilla extract the frosting will not be as white, than if you do not add it. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yes, yet another recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Don't be surprised if at some point, I post another one, and another one. It's good to have choices, don't you think?

This makes me think of the time when I was a kid, my grandfather lived just down the road. He had a mighty sweet tooth, and I loved baking cookies for him. I had made a handwritten notebook of our favorite family recipes in a red folder, which included a few different versions of chocolate chip cookies. I wrote out the Nestle Toll House and the Hershey's recipes from the back of the packages of chocolate chips. What was interesting is that, because I come from a large family, I wrote the recipes out in columns for the recipe in single, doubled, tripled, and even the quadrupled recipes. If I was making some for my grandfather, I had to make some for us, too! My dad had a mighty sweet tooth, as well.

When I would ask my mother if I could bake my grandfather some chocolate chip cookies, I'd ask her "Should I make the Nestle Toll House recipe, or the Hershey's recipe?". We seemed to think we could taste the difference between the two. We also had a different versions of chocolate chip cookies that included oatmeal, and even one that included Rice Krispies, called Jumble Cookies, which actually, were quite good. (See recipe here.)

For the most part, I think that most chocolate chip cookies taste the same (unless of course, you get them from a bakery!); but you can find plenty of people online claiming that their recipe is indeed, THE best. It all seems to come down to whether you melt the butter or not, the ratio of granulated sugar to brown sugar, what type of flour you use, or whether you chill the dough for hours or not, etc. I've read somewhere that to make a truly good chocolate chip cookie, it needs both baking soda AND baking powder. That is the reason I am posting this recipe, because this one has both. In the end, I'll  let you be the judge on how good these cookies really are. 

There is an interesting video online that tests the recipes used by an "amateur chef" vs a "home cook", vs a "professional chef", or "expert" that are in the end, critiqued by a "food scientist". It is on the Epicurious YouTube channel. They test out other recipes in the same fashion. Check it out.

The comments below in red, are mine.

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1 cup butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 tsp vanilla    (Heck, why not use the whole tsp? :)
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter well. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Add one of the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add the other egg, and beat just until combined. 

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix gently, just until it is barely incorporated. Do not over mix, or you could toughen the cookies. (Note: this I have heard of before ... over mixing the flour can develop the gluten in the flour, resulting in dry cookies.) The dough should be moist still and should hold together.

4. Stir in the chocolate chips.

5. Drop about 2 tbsp of dough by spoonful, or roll into balls, placing them on the lined cookie sheets. Do not flatten them. Bake 350 degrees in the center of your oven, for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown. (Note: Up to 14 minutes seems like a long baking time. It might be best to test a couple out, first. I do know that if you bake your cookies too long, they will harden more after they've cooled. Therefore, is best to slightly under bake them, since they continue to bake after you've removed them from the oven and while they are slightly cooling on the cookie sheet.) 

6. Remove cookies from baking sheet and allow to cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

If you are so inclined, check out this tutorial to making the best chocolate chip cookies. I actually like her website. While you may not necessarily learn anything new from the tutorial, it is an interesting read.

The Ultimate Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookies by Tessa, from Handle the Heat cooking blog. She's got a lot of great-looking recipes there. Check out her site. 

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've made these years ago, and they were delicious, especially when warm out of the oven.

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1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups oatmeal, processed in a blender to a fine powder*
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 (12-oz) package semi sweet chocolate chips
half of a (7 oz.) Hershey's milk chocolate bar, grated

*Place the oatmeal in a blender and process to a fine powder. You may have to do this in more than one batch, so that it becomes a fine powder. Set aside.

Cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended. Add the oatmeal and mix well. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix into the dough, but do not overbeat. Stir in the chocolate chips and grated chocolate. Roll into balls and place 2" apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet, or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 375 degrees for 9-12 minutes. Do not overbake.

I have a note on the bottom of the recipe card that says that these tend to dry out quickly and to store the baked cookies in the freezer between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container. I still think that they have a great flavor, and that they are still worthwhile making.

Shanghai Pork Lo Mein

I found this recipe written out on a recipe card, but I don't remember doing so. I was able to find the recipe online here at Better Recipes. It sounds very good, and something I would like to try.

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8 oz dried somen noodles, fine egg noodles, ot angel hair pasta, cooked according to package directions

2 tsp vegetable oil

8 oz/ pork tenderloin, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4" thick

2 cups bok choy

3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup orange juice

3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 (11-oz) can mandarin oranges, drained

1. Cook noodles according to package directions, drain. 

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat (if necessary, add more oil during cooking). Add pork to the skillet; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add the bok choy; cook and stir about 2 minutes more or until pork is no longer pink and the bok choy is tender-crisp. 

3. Combine the broth, orange juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, and crushed red pepper flakes. Add to the skillet and bring to a boil. Add the noodles to the skillet mixture and toss, cooking for 1 minute, stirring occasionally Serve in bowls with the mandarin orange sections. 

Belgian Waffles

We had a belgian waffle maker when I was young, and I think this recipe was on the box. It makes the most delicious waffles. I don't have a belgian waffle maker, but would get one just to make these waffles again, they are that good.

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4 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp butter, melted
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk

Beat the egg yolks until very light. Add the vanilla and butter, mix well. In another bowl, combine the flour and salt, and add to the egg mixture along with the milk. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter. Bake batter in a belgian waffle maker according to manufacturer's directions. 

Basic Pot Roast

Another old recipe, that is excellent.

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1 - 2 tbsp oil
3 - 3 1/2 pound chuck roast
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1-2 tsp beef bouillon granules
1 medium onion, sliced
3 stalks celery, cut into pieces
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups hot water
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into pieces
4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven, and brown the meat on all sides. Add the salt, pepper, bouillon, onion, celery, bay leaf, and water. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 2 - 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. Add the remaining vegetables and simmer for another 40 minutes, or until tender.

Remove meat to a platter and put the vegetables around on the sides. If desired, skim off the fat and then make a out of the juices by combining the flour and water. Bring the juices to and stir in the flour mixture. Boil for 1 minute until thickened, stirring constantly. Add additional beef bouillon, if you need a more beefy flavor. Serve gravy over the meat and vegetables. 

Italian Meatballs

I used to make these years ago, and they are extremely good. Serve them with a marinara sauce over hot, cooked pasta.

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1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
garlic salt, to taste
1 tsp dried oregano flakes
1 tsp dried basil flakes
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the above together and form into small meatballs, the size of a walnut. Brown the meatballs on cookie sheets in the oven, 350 degrees, for 20 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle. Drain on paper towels.

Heat up a marinara sauce in a saucepan and simmer in the sauce, covered, for 20-30 minutes. Serve over hot cooked pasta.

Crockpot Ham with Brown Sugar and Pineapple Glaze

Another recipe for Ham in a crockpot. Again, I have not made this, but it sounds fantastic.

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4-5 pound boneless ham, scored if desired
2 cups brown sugar
15-oz can pineapple in juice, undrained (use whatever type of pineapple you desire)
1/2 cup water

Place ham in the crockpot. Combine the brown sugar, pineapple, and water and pour over the top of the ham. Cover and cook on HIGH for 6-7 hours or on LOW for 3-4 hours. Remove ham from crockpot and let sit for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with any reserved juices there may be in the bottom of the crockpot. 

Crockpot Ham with a Honey Glaze

I have a couple of recipes to make in the crockpot that I will post. I've never made ham in the crockpot myself, but I have tried it, It is very tasty, and makes the house smell so good while it is cooking.

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4 pound ham
1 (12-oz.) can 7-Up or Ginger Ale soda

Glaze
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp of the drippings from the ham

Place the ham and soda in the crockpot on a rack, if you have one. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. 30 minutes before end of cooking time, combine the honey, dry mustard, ground cloves and cinnamon and the 3 tbsp drippings from the bottom of the crock pot and drizzle over the ham. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove ham from crockpot and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes. Thinly slice the ham and serve with the glaze and juices if there are any remaining in the bottom of the crock pot.

Apple Pie sweet Bread

This is another recipe that I used to make frequently when I was in my 20s and also when my kids were little. It is so good! You can use Rhodes frozen bread dough, either the white bread or the sweet bread dough.

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Bread
1-2 loaves Rhodes frozen white bread dough, or sweet dough, thawed for 1 1/2 to 2 hours
1-2 cans apple pie filling (Sweeten with granulated sugar, if desired)
butter
granulated sugar

Frosting
powdered sugar
butter, softened
milk
vanilla extract



1. Roll out one of the loaves and place on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Top with the cherry pie filling

2. At this point, you may either roll up jelly-roll fashion, or top with another rolled out loaf of bread.

3. Butter top of bread dough and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

4. Bake 350 degrees until dough has baked through.

5. Make a very thick frosting with some powdered sugar, softened butter, and a little milk. Add the vanilla extract and mix in. Spread over the top of the bread while bread is still warm. Decorate with maraschino cherries. Let cool for one hour before cutting.

Pizza Bread

I used to make this all of the time when I was in my 20s, taking it to all sorts of gatherings. It always went over very well, and people always requested the recipe. This can be made from Pillsbury canned pizza crust or a loaf of Rhodes frozen pizza dough that has been thawed.

                       

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There are no real measurements to this recipe. You just use as much of each as you desire, as though you are making a pizza.

Ingredients:
2 cans Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust
Italian tomatoes, drained and chopped or you may use Ragu pizza sauce, instead
Italian seasoning
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Parmesan Cheese, grated
Pepperoni slices
Italian sausage, browned and drained

Roll out one can of the refrigerated pizza dough and place on a large jelly roll pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Spread a thin layer of tomatoes over the crust. (You may use pizza sauce instead, if desired.) Sprinkle on Italian seasoning. Layer on the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Layer with pepperoni and/or browned sausage.

Roll out another can of the pizza dough and place on top of the other. On top of that, spread with a generous amount of tomatoes or pizza sauce, cheeses and pepperoni and/or sausage.

Bake 350 degrees until cheese has melted and the bottom crust has browned on the bottom. Cut into squares.

Alternate crust 
If you wish to use the Rhodes frozen pizza dough, thaw out and then allow the 1-2 loaves of dough to rise until doubled. Top the dough as directed above with the pizza ingredients. You may either roll the dough up jelly-roll fashion or top with with another loaf of dough that has been rolled out. If using two loaves of Rhodes dough, top with tomatoes or pizza sauce, cheeses and meats as directed above.

Allow dough to rise a second time, and bake as directed above. You may need to increase the oven temperature to ensure the bottom dough has baked through.

When done baking, cut into squares. Serve warm, but this is even good served cold.

Chocolate Pie Deluxe

This recipe comes from a very old Betty Crocker baking cookbook. It is a nice alternative to French Silk Pie.

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Crust
one 8 or 9 inch baked pie shell, baked and cooled

Filling
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows (or 16 large)
1/2 cup milk
1 (8 oz.) milk chocolate bar, broken into small pieces
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

Topping (Optional)
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped until stiff peaks form
1(8 oz) chocolate bar, the sides shaved with a vegetable peeler to form chocolate curls

In a heavy saucepan, heat the marshmallows, milk, and chocolate bar until melted and smooth. Chill this mixture until, stirring occasionally until it mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon. Whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture and pour into the pie shell, chilling for at least 8 hours. Serve with the additional whipped cream, if desired.

Lemon Dessert

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1 small store-bought Angel Food cake, sliced into 1/2' slices
juice of 3 lemons
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint heavy whipping cream, whipped until stiff peaks form
a few drops yellow food coloring, optional
thinly sliced almonds, optional
shredded coconut, optional


1. Combine the fresh lemon juice, sugar, and sweetened condensed milk.

2. Fold the lemon mixture into the whipped cream and mix until smooth. If desired, you may add a few drops of food coloring to this mixture to make more yellow.

3. Place half of the cake slices into a 9x13" pan and spread half of the whipped cream mixture on top of the cake. Top with the remaining cake slices, then the remaining whipped cream.

4. If desired, you may top the dessert with shredded coconut and/or sliced almonds. Chill several hours to soften the cake before serving. 

Chocolate Mousse Brownies (Moonies)

I just found this recipe on Pinterest. The recipe can be found on Imperial Sugar. The recipe originated on Dinners and Desserts cooking blog. They look delicious! Go and check out the post on the Dinners and Desserts blog.


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Brownies
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup extra fine granulated sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup all purpose flour*
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Mousse
3/4 cup mini marshmallows
4 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream

*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill the measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into the flour will firmly pack the flour, resulting in too much flour required for the recipe.


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8" square baking pan.

2. In a bowl, combine the melted chocolate with vegetable oil. Add the sugar and eggs. Mix until well combined. Stir in the flour, salt, and baking powder.

3. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Removed from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

4. To prepare the chocolate mousse, heat the marshmallows, chocolate chips, and milk in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

5. Once the chocolate has cooled, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Slowly add in the cooled chocolate mixture until well combined and stiff peaks form.

6. Spread chocolate mousse over the cooled brownies. Store in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving. Store remaining brownies in the refrigerator.

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Cookies

Update: I decided to bring this recipe, originally published on this blog in June of 2011, back to the forefront. I've intended to make these again, but this recipe is on my long list of things I want to make. In trying to find the original recipe, I found out that the website is no longer online, so the links do not work. I removed the hyperlinks, but left the original posting intact.

Printable Recipe


I browse a lot of cooking blogs and recently found this recipe on
Elle's New England Kitchen.  These cookies are very good!  They stay soft and still taste fresh, even a few days later!  I cut the recipe in half, and they still made quite a few cookies.  You mix together a mixture of butter, peanut butter, and honey that you then add to the cookie dough.

Note: The recipe calls for 4 oz. of honey in the peanut butter mixture, and I wasn't sure if it means by weight or by volume, and if it even makes a difference in the way you measure it out.  I will have to contact Elle and ask her.  I did measure it by weight and the peanut butter mixture seemed a little runny, but in the end, the cookies still tasted great.  However, they did seem a little on the thin side and I had to cool them completely on the cookie sheets before removing them.  Maybe next time I will use a measuring cup instead of weighing it, and see if that makes a difference.  Perhaps chilling the dough before baking will help, too.

I divided the dough in half and used Reeses Pieces in half, and milk chocolate chips in the other half.  These are definitely a new favorite!

See the original recipe here.


2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, room temp
1/4 cup shortening, room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Peanut butter mixture (see below)
1/2 (10 oz) bag Mini Reese's Pieces

Peanut Butter Mixture
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, room temp
2 tbsp honey

Mix together the peanut butter mixture and set aside.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the 3/4 cup of butter, shortening, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well after each one. Add the vanilla and the peanut butter mixture. Add the flour mixture in thirds and beat on low speed until mixed in.

Roll into large balls and bake 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, depending on the size of the ball of dough. Do not over bake.  Remove from oven when lightly golden brown.  They will set up nicely as they cool.  Cool a few minutes on the cookie sheets before removing to a cooling rack to cool thoroughly.  Store in an airtight container.

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

I used to make this frequently when my oldest son was young. He loved them and requested them frequently. It comes from an old Betty Crocker cookbook, so old that I can't find it online, anywhere.

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1/2 cup butter
1 (12-oz) package semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13" pan. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add 1 cup of the chocolate chips and melt over low heat, stirring constantly. Turn off the burner and stir in the sugar, flour, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Stir until well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips and then spread batter in the prepared pan.

Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely and then cut into bars. Store in a tightly-covered container.

Strawberry Cream Pie

This is a very old recipe. Other than a short baking time for the crust, this is a no-bake pie that is easy to make and tastes very good.

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Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup powdered sugar

6 tbsp butter, melted

Mix together the ingredients and press into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake 375 degrees for 7 minutes. Cool.

Pie Filling

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

dash nutmeg

1 cup fresh strawberry slices, divided

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Garnish (Optional)

Additional strawberry slices

Additional whipped cream

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg, mixing well until well combined. Mash 3/4 cup of the strawberry slices and stir into the cream cheese mixture. In another mixing bowl, beat together the whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form and fold into the cream cheese mixture. Fold in the remaining strawberry slices. Spoon mixture into the prepared pie crust and chill for several hours. If desired, serve with additional strawberry slices and whipped cream.

Orange Jello Salad

This is another recipe that is very old, coming from an old church cookbook. We used to make this frequently in my family, and it is very good. You can find similar recipes online. I can see this being made with other flavors of jello and sherbet, as well. You can add the mandarin oranges, or not. It's whatever your preference might be.

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2 (3-oz) packages orange jello
2 cups boiling water
1 pint orange sherbet, slightly softened
1 small can mandarin orange, drained
1 cup whipping cream, whipped (You could also use Cool Whip instead, if you want to lighten it up)

Dissolve the jello in the boiling water and as soon as the jello has dissolved, mix in the sherbet and chill until somewhat firm, but no too firm. Fold in the whipped cream and oranges and then chill until completely set. 

Strawberry Supreme Jello

This recipe comes from a very old cookbook. I haven't made it in years, but it is delicious.

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2 (3-oz) packages strawberry jello mix, divided
2 cups boiling water, divided
1 (10-oz) package frozen strawberries
1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

Dissolve 1 package jello in 1 cup boiling water and add the strawberries. Stir until thickened and pour into a pretty 5-cup glass bowl. Chill until almost set, but not completely firm.

Dissolve the 2nd package jello in the other cup of boiling water. Add the ice cream by spoonfuls, stirring until the ice cream has melted. Pour over jello mixture in bowl and then chill until firm. 

Rocky Road Fudge Bars

I've never made these, but they sound fantastic. The recipe can be found here on the Pillsbury.com website.

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BROWNIE BASE
1/2 cup butter
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, cut up
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup chopped nuts, optional

FILLING
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened and reserving 2 oz. for the frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped nuts, optional
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows

FROSTING
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
Reserved cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13" pan.

2. To make the brownies, in a large saucepan, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat, stirring until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the flour, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, eggs, and nuts. Mix well until smooth and spread in the prepared baking pan. Set aside.

3. To make the filling, in a small bowl, combine 6 oz. of the cream cheese, butter, sugar, flour, vanilla, and egg. Using an electric mixer, beat for 1 minute at medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Stir in nuts and spread over brownie base. Sprinkle evenly with the chocolate chips.

4. Bake 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle over the mini marshmallows. Return to the oven for 2 minutes. Remove from the oven.

5. Meanwhile, to make the frosting,  in a large saucepan, combine the butter, milk, unsweetened chocolate, and reserved cream cheese. Cook over low heat stirring until well blended. Remove from heat, and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.

6. Pour the frosting over the marshmallow layer immediately after removing pan from the oven, and lightly swirl with a knife to marbelize. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator.

Sheet Pan Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but I do plan on making it soon. It sounds so good ...

I found this recipe on the Jamie Cooks it Up blog. This sounds like a sweet and sour chicken sort of recipe that is baked on sheet pans and served with cooked, white rice.

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1 (20-oz) can pineapple chunks
1 red onion
2 green bell peppers
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3-4 tbsp olive oil
garlic salt
lemon pepper

SAUCE:
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch  (see note at the bottom)*
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp lemon pepper

cooked white rice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain the juice from a 20 oz can of pineapple chunks into a glass measuring cup and set aside. Chop the onion, and bell peppers into uniform 1-2" chunks. Cut the chicken breasts into 1" chunks. Place the chicken, onion, bell peppers, and pineapple chunks into a large bowl. Drizzle 3-4 tbsp olive oil over all, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with garlic salt and lemon pepper and stir to combine.

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or foil and spread out the mixture evenly between the two pans.Bake 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender-crisp.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Take the reserved pineapple juice (you should have about 1 cup of juice, adding enough water to equal 1 cup if you are short on the juice) and add to it the 1/4 cup water, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, chicken bouillon granules, sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch (see note)*, garlic powder, ground ginger, and lemon pepper. Whisk everything together to combine, making sure the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Pour the liquid into a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Allow mixture to boil for 2 minutes.

Pour 1/3 cup of the sauce over the chicken and vegetables over each pan, leaving 1/3 cup remaining to drizzle over individual servings. Stir the sauce into the chicken and vegetable to coat all. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the sauce bubbles up and becomes nice and sticky. Serve in individual bowls over cooked white rice and drizzle remaining sauce on top.

*Note*
In the sauce recipe, my advice is to stir the cornstarch into the sugar and brown sugar so that the cornstarch does not clump up. It might be okay without doing this, but it is easy for cornstarch to clump up, and by mixing it into something else first, such as the sugars, this might be less likely to happen.