Broccoli Salad

This recipe was served at a church function here. It is from my friend Raechele Garcia. It was delicious so enjoy!

Broccoli Salad

4 cups chopped fresh broccoli
2 cups raisins
1 cup chopped cashews
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup real bacon bits

Dressing:

1 cup Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip ( I used Mayo)
2 tablespoons vinegar (apple cider works great)
1/3 Cup sugar

1.Salad: Mix all ingredients together in lard bowl
2. Dressing: Mix all three ingredients together in a small bowl, blending well.
3. Pour dressing over veggies about 15 minutes before serving. Toss well to coat all over.

Makes 12 servings

**I used golden raisins because I like there flavor a bit more.

Brownie Cheesecake

Brownie Cheesecake

1 pkg (13 X9 pan size) Brownie Mix
4 pkg (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup granulate sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
3 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (approx. 180 degree C).
2. Line 13x9x2 pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan.
3. Spray with Cooking spray.
4. Prepare brownie batter as directed on package and then pour into prepared pan.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until top of brownie is shiny and center is almost set.
6. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
7. Add sour cream and mix well.
8. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended.
9. Pour over partially baked brownie batter in pan (filling will come almost to top of pan).
10. Bake 40 min. or until center is almost set.
11. Cool.
12. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Yummy Chicken Salad!!

Thanks to my friend Lisa for passing along this recipe. It was delicious!!

Easy Chicken Salad

cooked chicken (I use the kind in the can sometimes, about 3 cans, or you can cook it, 4 or 5 breasts?)
3 T dijon mustard
1 c. mayo
2 T. honey
salt & pepper
olives, sliced or chopped
celery (maybe 2 or 3 stalks)
green onions (5 or 6)
red seedless grapes (couple handfuls cut in half)

mix and serve on bread or crackers.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

I have a lot of peanut butter and jelly/jam in storage that needs to get used up, and I needed an idea. Someone told me about jam thumbprint cookies, so I tried a combo recipe. I used my regular peanut butter cookie recipe and then just added a few things.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 Cup shortening
1 Cup Peanut butter, creamy
1/4 Cup milk
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt

Granulated Sugar

Jam or Jelly of your choice

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F (or 191 degrees C).
2. In large bowl, cream sugars, shortening, and peanut butter together.
3. Add in eggs and vanilla, and cream well.
4. Add milk and mix well.
5. In separate bowl mix together flour, baking soda, and salt.
6. Slowly mix dry ingredients into peanut butter mixture.
7. Mix well until soft dough forms.
8. Roll dough into 1 inch balls.
9. Roll balls in granulated sugar until coated.
10. Place cookies about 1-2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
11. Bake in 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.
12. When done baking, remove cookies from oven.
13. With your finger make a depression in the middle of the cookie. (you may need to do this more than once to reach the depth you want)
14. Spoon your favorite jam or jelly into depression.
15. Place cookies on wire rack to cool.
16. Store in air tight container.

My kids loved these, and the make a good treat for school lunches.

Perfectly Easy Party Punch

I made this for several things this past week, and it is still yummy!

Perfectly Easy Party Punch

1 64 ounce container Cran-Raspberry juice
1 2 Litre bottle of Ginger Ale soda
1 package frozen raspberries

Mix juice and soda in punch bowl. Add frozen raspberries just before serving.

** Party Ice Cubes
Cran-Raspberry Juice
Frozen Raspberries
Fresh or frozen whole cranberries

Place one or two berries (you can mix them if you want) into ice cube tray.
Pour juice into ice cube tray.
Freeze.
Place in punch bowl just before serving.
(for an easier take just place berries in bottom of bunt cake pan and pour juice on top. Works easiest with silicone bunt cake pan).

Sausage and Potato Quesadilla

In an effort to be more "adventurous" with my culinary exploits, I thought I would try something new. I came across a quesadilla recipe, and tweaked it out for our family. Here is the recipe I ended up with.

Sausage and Potato Quesadilla

1/2 lb spicy pork sausage
2 cups mashed potatoes*
1 tsp crushed fresh garlic
1 tbsp dehydrated onion
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp butter
2 cups shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
12 flour tortillas, soft taco sized
cooking oil
salt
pepper

1. Brown sausage in medium frying pan, drain.
2. Mix mashed potatoes, sausage, herbs, and seasonings in large bowl.
3. On griddle (or large skillet), heat oil.
4. Place 2-3 tbsp of filling on middle of each tortilla.
5. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of cheese on top of filling.
6. Fold tortillas over filling, and place on griddle or pan.
7. Cook about 1 min on each side, or until tortillas are browned.
8. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

This was a super easy and quick meal to make. The kids even ate it! You can use a spicier sausage like chorizo if you want a more "authentic" experience.

You could even use this as an appetizer, just cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges, top with dollop of sour cream and garnish with sprig of fresh parsley or cilantro.

*For the mashed potatoes, I used normal white potatoes (about 3 medium sized). I cubed them, with skins still on, and boiled them for 15-20 min. I mashed them up and mixed in about 2 tbsp of butter and 2/3 C of milk. If you are in a hurry you could use instant mashed potatoes, just make sure that you use ones made from real potatoes.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Submitted by Lisa Terhune

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 box spice cake mix

1 15 oz. can pumpkin

1 pkg. chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients.
Bake 350 degrees for 20 min.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - Mrs. Fields Cookies

Submitted by Amy Shumway

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - Mrs. Fields Cookies

I lb butter (four cubes)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
6 cups regular oatmeal
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
chocolate chips (I prefer milk chocolate)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F (or 180 degrees C).
2. Cream butter and sugars in large bowl.
3. Mix in eggs and vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, mix oatmeal, flour, salt and baking soda.
5. Add egg and sugar mix to dry ingredients and mix well.
6. Stir in chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.
7. Spoon onto cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
8. Bake 8-10 minutes.
9. Cool on wire wrack.

Enjoy!

Soft Chocolate Cookies

Submitted by Katie Cunningham

Soft Chocolate Cookies

(From "The Essential Mormon Cookbook" by Julie Badger Jensen)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp almond or vanilla extract

2 (1-oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

1 cup sour cream

1 recipe Creamy Chocolate Frosting (see below)

40 pecan halves

1. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl; set aside.
   
2. In another bowl cream butter, brown sugar, eggs, almond or vanilla extract, cooled melted chocolate, and sour cream.
   
3. Stir in the flour mixture.
   
4. Mix well.
   
5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
   
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Cool.
   
7. Frost cookies with Creamy Chocolate Frosting and top each with a pecan half.
   

Makes 40 cookies.

Creamy Chocolate Frosting

2 (1-oz) squares unsweetened chocolate

2 Tbl butter

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup cream

1. melt chocolate in microwave at 20-second intervals just until melted.
   
2. Stir in butter.
   
3. Add powdered sugar and cream. Mix together.
   
4. Add more powdered sugar or cream if necessary for desired consistency.
   

Makes enough frosting to cover 4 dozen cookies.

Recipe Exchange Group

Our women's auxillary at our church here in Germany has started a recipe exchange group. I am putting together the recipes we share into a handy recipe booklet in June.

But, you don't have to wait! I am going to post the recipes I receive, with credit to those who submitted them.

Enjoy.