Dessert Cheeseball

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
2-8oz packages of cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Beat these ingredients until fluffy.

Then add:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar

Beat until combined.

Stir in 1 1/2 cups mini semi sweet chocolate chips.

Cover and refrigerate for two hours.  Remove dough, shape into a big ball and refrigerate for another hour.  Roll ball in two cups chopped pecans just before serving.  Serve with graham cracker sticks.

Chili Lime Shrimp Sandwich

Serves four

Ingredients
1 pound cooked jumbo shrimp, cleaned and cut into large pieces
½ cup plain yogurt or mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 jalapeno, diced small (optional)
2 scallions or green onions, chopped
Juice of 2 limes
2 pita breads, each cut in half or baguette slices for smaller bites
2 cups shredded romaine

Step 1 – Season shrimp with salt and pepper.
Step 2 – Mix mayonnaise/yogurt with lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder, jalapeno (if wanted) and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Step 3 – Add the shrimp and toss with dressing.
Step 4 – Stuff each piece of pita with ¼ of the shrimp and romaine. Or serve on baguette slices.

Salad - blue cheese, pear and walnut

Ingredients:

Romaine lettuce, shredded

Walnuts coarsely chopped

Canned pears, coarsely chopped

Blue cheese crumbles (optional)

Blue cheese dressing

Carrots shreds deep fried

Frying carrot shreds - Add a small amount of carrot shreds to hot oil. The oil will bubble up and overflow the pan if too many are added at one time. Once the oil starts to reduce, you can add more handfuls. Carrots will reduce by two-thirds while frying. Cook till they are a medium brown so they are crispy when they cool. Drain on paper towel.

Layer salad as follows:

* lettuce

* pear pieces

* walnut pieces

* blue cheese crumbles (optional)

* blue cheese dressing

* crispy fried carrot shreds on the very top

Eggs Benedict Crepes

4 eggs

4 slices of ham

1 cup of shredded Swiss cheese

4 crepes already made

Hollandaise sauce (Knorr mix)

salt and pepper to taste

Make your Hollandaise sauce. Keep it warm by putting the lid on it.

Poach eggs by pouring each one into a skillet filled with simmering water (brought to a boil and then reduced to a simmer). Do this slowly by first breaking each egg into a small, tempered bowl and slowly pouring the egg into the simmering water. Swirl the egg white with a fork over the yolk so that it doesn't float away. Once all of the eggs are placed in the water, let simmer for 5 minutes, or until yolks are cooked to your preference.

Assemble crepes: Lay each crepe flat. Sprinkle half of the crepe with cheese and follow with a slice of ham. Fold over the other half. Place in a greased skillet over medium heat until cheese starts to melt. Flip over and warm the other side. It will get a slightly crisp crust. Transfer to serving plate and fold again, into quarters.

Place the poached egg on top of the folded crepe. Spoon Hollandaise sauce over the top and serve.

Variation: If you don't want to make crepes, you can serve the eggs over toasted English muffins.

Crepes

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup flour

3 large eggs

1 cup milk

½ cup warm water

3 tablespoons melted butter, cooled

1 pinch salt

Place sugar, flour, salt, eggs and milk in a large bowl. Mix together using a whisk. Whisk in warm water. Add melted butter and whisk again. Strain batter through a sieve.

Lightly coat frying pan with Pam. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, pour in ¼ cup of batter. Tilt pan and rotate, causing batter to cover bottom of pan. (Do this quickly as the batter cooks quickly). Cook 1 minute or less, till crepe is browning on edges. Flip and cook another 30 seconds. Lift off and stack crepes on a plate.

Clam Chowder

51 oz chopped can of clams and juice (from Costco)

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 large onion

8-10 raw potatoes (cubed bite size)

1 cup flour

2 cups cream

1/4 cup bacon bits

Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and dice onion and potatoes, keeping them separate.

Melt the butter in a stockpot. Add the diced onions and saute until translucent.

Add 1 cup of water, then raw, diced potatoes. Add up to 1 more cup of water if necessary.

Bring potatoes to a gentle boil and cook until almost done, still a little firm.

While potatoes are cooking, drain the clams over a bowl and save the juice. Whisk the flour into the juice until their are no lumps. You can add some salt and pepper also.

When the potatoes are cooked, add the clam juice and flour mixture to the pot. Stir well and let cook 5 minutes or so, until thickened and there is no flour taste. Turn the heat to low and add the cream, clams and bacon. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Simmer on low heat, stirring a lot to prevent scorching. Take off the heat and serve. Also great to let the soup cool, refrigerate and serve the next day to allow the flavors to meld.

When reheating, if the soup is too thick, add a little water or milk to it.

Melt in Your Mouth Shortbread

3 1/4 cups flour

1/2 Cup corn starch

1 cup powdered sugar

1 pound butter

1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring

 

Beat together powdered sugar and butter until creamy and light. Mix in flavoring. Sift flour and cornstarch together. Slowly add flour mixture to creamed sugar and butter.  Drop onto a cookie sheet. These are also excellent for a cookie press.  Bake at 325 Degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies are just starting to get pale brown at the edge. Let cookies rest for another two minutes after removing from the oven then place on racks to cool completely.

 

to fancy up these cookies you can put sprinkles or finely chopped nuts on them before they are baked. You can drizzle or dip in melted chocolate after they are baked. You can also add food coloring to batter if you want colored cookies.

 

note: because this dough is whipped and contains lots of butter, handle with utensils, not hands, or the dough gets thick and gluey.

Cookie Wafer Dessert

1 package Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 8 oz carton whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

Whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks. Add softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla and mix together until smooth. Spread on one side of cookie, pressing the second cookie to the first to form a sandwich. Ice the outside of the second cookie, pressing a third cookie on the end and continue icing and stacking the cookie end on end, so they form a line. Use the remaining mixture to cover the outside of the cookie log. CUT AT A DIAGONAL to see the layers. Serve with berries.

Note: It takes two packages of Anna's Thins if you want to do another flavor other than chocolate. They have ginger, orange and cinnamon almond flavored cookies. They are flower shaped so it is harder to ice the outside and you may not use every cookie.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

3+9 inch baked pastry shell
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2/3 cup evaporated milk (1 5 fl oz can)
3 eggs, separated
1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin (1 15 oz can)
whipped cream for topping

In saucepan, combine gelatin, white sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and nutmeg. Stir in evaporated milk and beaten egg yolks. Cook- stirring over low heat until slightly thickened. Remove pan from heat. Add pumpkin. Chill, stirring occasionally until thickened. Beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add 1/4 cup white sugar. Continue to beat until stiff peaks. Fold egg mixture into pumpkin mixture. Spoon into cooked, baked pie shell. Chill until firm. Top with whipped cream and serve.

Seasoned Spread for Vegetables and Pasta

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix

Mix ingredients until well blended. Serve over hot cooked vegetables or pasta or rice.

Notes: Our chefs used Zesty Italian by Uncle Dan's, Mediterranean Garlic by Uncle Dan's and Bacon and Onion by Watkins. Recipe was halved and still made plenty.

Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps

also known as Chinese Tacos

1 large head iceberg lettuce - cored

2 cups mushrooms, cleaned and chopped small

1-1/2 pounds ground chicken

2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil

salt and pepper

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2- 1 inch ginger root finely chopped or grated

1 orange, zested

1 red bell pepper - diced or chopped small

1 6-8 ounce tin water chestnuts, drained and chopped small

3 scallions or 6 green onions, sliced or chopped small

3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce (Chinese BBQ sauce in Asian section)

Put lettuce in a bowl and cover with ice water. Place in fridge to crisp and cool. Add oil to pan and heat until HOT. (you want to cook fast and sear in flavor) You can use a wok or a big or skillet.

Add chicken to pan and sear by frying a couple minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add ginger and garlic and cook an additional minute. Grate zest into pan then add red pepper, water chestnuts and scallions or onions and continue cooking and another minute. Add Hoisin sauce and stir to coat evenly. Transfer to a serving dish.

Drain lettuce and place on a plate.

To eat, pile spoonfuls into lettuce leaves (large leaves will need to be ripped into 2 or 3 smaller pieces) and add more Hoisin sauce if you wish. Wrap (as best you can) and eat. You will need napkins, it is messy!

Double Chocolate Filled Strawberries

45 large fresh strawberries (2 pounds)
1/4 cup cream cheese
1 cup milk, divided
1 pkg white chocolate instant pudding
1 cup thawed cool whip
1 tsp lemon zest
1/8 cup chocolate chips

Cut the stems off the strawberries. Set the strawberries on a tray with the cut side down. Cut an "X" in the point part of each strawberry, gently spreading the opening so the strawberry has a flower look.

Whisk together cream cheese and 1/4 cup milk until well blended. Gradually add the remaining milk till well blended. Add the dry pudding mix. Beat two minutes. Fold in the cool whip and the lemon zest.

Spoon this mixture into a sealable plastic bag. Cut off a small corner of the plastic bag and pipe the filling into the center of each "X" on the strawberry.

Melt the chocolate chips for 30 seconds at a time in the microwave, stirring them in between. Put the melted chocolate in another sealable plastic bag. Cut off a very small corner and drizzle the chocolate over the strawberries.

Note: You can use vanilla or cheesecake flavored pudding. You can also use sugar free white chocolate pudding and sugar free cool whip.

The strawberries cannot be made more than an hour in advance. The filling starts liquefying.

Refried Beans

Cooked Pinto Beans (drained – flavored)
1/4 – 1/2 stick butter
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Salt
Milk

Drain most of the liquid off the beans. Put butter in a pan and melt it. Add beans and mash. Add a little milk. The beans should be a little runny. Season to taste. Stir while cooking until mix thickens to a consistency you like.

Crockpot Pinto Beans

2-3 1/2 cups of dried pinto beans
Onion (fresh, dried or powder- not onion salt)
Garlic (fresh, minced or powdered- not garlic salt)
Diced green chile (optional) (canned or fresh roasted)
Salt

Rinse beans and pick out any rocks or dark discolored beans. It is best to use beans no more than 1 year old. If they are older, they will take longer to cook. The older the bean, the longer the cooking time.

Put the beans in the crockpot and fill with water until about 1/2” from the top. You can now soak them overnight and then in the morning add onion, garlic and green chile- NOT SALT- and cook on high. Don’t take off the lid unless you have to add more water and then only add boiling water.

You can also turn them on low all night then turn the crockpot to high in the morning. Sometimes the beans will split when cooked this way.

If you like to serve pinto beans with the juice, leave it, if not, drain the beans.
When cooked, mix in salt, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste. Do not add salt before the beans are done cooking because it will make the skin on the beans tough. You may need more onion and garlic for a full flavor.

Note: 2 cups dried beans makes approx. 6 cups cooked.