Sweet Potato Casserole

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
.
Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans
PREPARATION:
Combine first 6 ingredients. Pour into a buttered 1 1/2 to 2-quart casserole dish. Mix remaining ingredients together and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and browned.Serves 6 to 8.

Delicious!!!

SPINACH SALAD WITH STRAWBERRIES

I LOVE this salad! It is a great summer salad!

1 lb. spinach, fresh
1 pt. strawberries, fresh, hulled and halved

SALAD DRESSING:

1/2 c. sugar
2 tbsp. sesame seeds
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp. onion, minced
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. cider vinegar
Feta Cheese

Remove stems from spinach; wash leaves thoroughly and pat dry. Tear into bite-size pieces. Combine spinach and strawberries in a large salad bowl; gently toss with salad dressing. Sprinkle a little feta cheese if you like it! It adds a plus to the taste! Serve immediately.

Ice Cream Casserole

2 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup coconut
1 cup almonds (slivered or chopped)
1 cube butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ gallon Vanilla Ice Cream, softened (let it sit out while you make the mixture)

Melt butter. Add brown sugar and mix. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except for the ice cream, and mix. Pour half of mixture into a 9 x 13 dish. Spread ice cream evenly on top. Sprinkle remaining mixture on top of ice cream. Freeze.

Can be cut into squares and served with chocolate syrup, or raspberry sauce.

Tip: To make it super simple, you can just serve ice cream with the mixture sprinkled on top.

Cabbage Rolls

12 cabbage leaves [cover cabbage leaves with boiling water and let stand about 10 minutes or until leaves are limp, remove, drain, peal]

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
½ cub uncooked instant rice [or 1 cup cooked regular rice]
½ cup tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1 medium onion, chopped [about ½ cup]
1 can [4 oz] mushroom stems & pieces undrained [if you like]
[I sometimes throw in cracker crumbs or oatmeal to give better consistency]
Mix above, about 1/3 cup in ball & place at stem end of leaf, roll & tuck in leaf.
Place cabbage rolls seam sides down in baking dish or crock pot.

½ bottle small tomato sauce
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp lemon juice
1 tb cornstarch
1 tb water
Mix sauce and pour over cabbage rolls, cover, bake 45 minutes or until meat mixture is done.
OR YOU CAN PUT THIS IN YOUR CROCKPOT and let it simmer on low all day, with a
delicious meal when you get home…my favorite way of doing it.

Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup crushed graham crackers
1 cup butter
3+ cups confectioners sugar
melting chocolate

Method:
Mix together the graham crackers, butter and peanut butter. Slowly add in the sugar until the mixture is no longer sticky to the touch. Shape into desired size balls.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Dip peanut butter balls into warm melted chocolate. Decorate as desired.

Crispy Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Our new family favorite!

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup crushed cornflakes cereal or rice krispies
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cups flaked coconut
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder; stir into the creamed mixture. Add the oatmeal, cereal and coconut and mix until combined.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, or use cookie scoop onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (I prefer to use). Flatten dough (I just use the palm of my hand). Cookies should be about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cookies should be light brown at the edges and on the bottom. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

While cookies are baking, melt high quality dark chocolate. When cookies are cooled, dip half of cookie in melted chocolate. Let harden. Great to bring to a party when you want a "fancy" cookie.

Brownie Cookies

Brownie Cookies
(Original recipe and picture by Lindsey Johnson)

14 Tbsp. butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1-2 tsp. vanilla extract

Whisk together:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place butter and unsweetened chocolate in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for several minutes on 50% power until melted. Whisk to combine. Add the brown sugar and the cocoa powder. Whisk well until smooth. Let the mixture cool slightly. Add egg and egg yolk, whisking well again. Add the vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients a little at a time and whisk well between additions. (You may need to switch to a wooden spoon towards the end. Add the chocolate chips

Use a small ice cream scoop (1 Tbsp. size) or two spoons to drop tablespoon size balls of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake cookies for about 8-9 minutes. (Check a little before just to make sure...) The cookies will look dry on top, but will be soft in the middle.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet and then remove to a cooling rack to let the chocolate chips set before storing.

Makes about 3 dozen.