Cranberry Relish

Thanksgiving day is almost here.....I am lazy when it comes to this recipe...Just open a can of whole cranberry sauce, add a jar of orange marmalade, and stir it together. No fuss, quick and easy...you can add some chopped pecans to it as well...what is left over makes great topping for hot biscuits in the morning...

Corn Tortilla and Mixed Bean Lasagna

CORN TORTILLA AND MIXED BEAN LASAGNA

Start to finish: 1 hour 5 minutes (30 minutes active). Servings: 8

ingredients

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, chopped (2 cups)

2 medium bell peppers, cored and chopped

2 tablespoons minced garlic

- 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

- 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

- 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (with juice)

- 4-ounce can mild or hot chopped green chilies

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

12 white corn tortillas

2 cups grated reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese

directions

1 Heat the oven to 350 F.

2 Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions, bell peppers and garlic. Saute until the vegetables are soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in both beans, tomatoes, chilies and spices. Heat and set aside.

3 In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (or other 3-quart shallow baking dish) spread 1/2 cup of bean mixture. Arrange 6 of the tortillas over the bean mixture, overlapping them slightly and having them come about 1 inch up the sides of the dish.

4 Spread half of the remaining bean mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese, then arrange the remaining 6 tortillas on top. Cover with the remaining bean mixture.

5 Coat one side of a piece of foil with cooking spray, then tightly cover the dish. Bake until the lasagna is bubbling and heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 5 minutes more, or until the cheeses is melted

Grape Trifle

My cousin David sent me this recipe . I know how good this is, as it is served often at our third Sunday dinners at church. I prefer to use the red grapes in it, as it seems to be sweeter. I just love red grapes. I also use them in chicken salad, but anyway, here it is, and it is a blue winner. I have recently discovered seedless black grapes which are really wonderful......


Grape Trifle

Cream together:



1 cup sour cream (I prefer reduced fat.)

8-ounce cream cheese (ditto)

½ cup sugar or Splenda

1 tsp. vanilla

Fold in 4 cups washed and dried grapes, removed from the stems. Spread in 8x8" dish.

For topping, grind 1 cup of pecans to fine crumbs. Mix with ¾ cup brown sugar. Spread over grape mixture and refrigerate. Can be doubled for use in a 13x9" dish.
I sometimes sprinkle about a Tablespoon of cinnamon sugar over this as well, this
is such a great dish.Sometimes, I just chop the pecans. Luckily, we have our pecan trees. I love the native ones the best, tiny, but so tasty.

Pumpkins

Pumpkin Recipes

I love pumpkins...I have to smile every time I look across the street at my pumpkin on a table, so big and orange in color...

Years ago my father wrote a song for me...I wish I had listened more carefully... I can remember some of the words. He was a western singer and guitar player, his band went all over Arizona playing, and he wrote a song for me...some of the words I can remember were:

Daddy's Little Punkin'
Time to go to sleep,
Close your eyes,
And sleep and dream in Peace.
Sadly, that is all that I can remember to the song...My Mom can't remember all the words either.


I have been thinking about Pumpkin Recipes, and hope this will be good for cold fall days...

Pumpkin Fudge
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 Tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 (12 oz) package white chocolate morsels
1 (7 oz) jar marshmellow creme
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir together the first six ingredients in a 3 1/2 quartsaucepan over medium high heat, cook and stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil.Cook stirring constantly until candy thermometerreads 234 degrees (soft ball stage) or for about12 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir in remainingingredients until well blended. Pour into a greasedaluminum foil-lined pan (9 inch square) and let itstand 2 hours or until completely cool. Cut fudge intosquares...makes about three pounds.
-----------
Pumpkin Pie Dip
1 (8 oz) package of Cream Cheese, softened
2 cups Powdered Sugar
1 (15 oz) can of Pumpkin Pie Filling
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1` teaspoon ground ginger

Beat Cream Cheese and sugar at medium speed with electric mixer until
smooth. Add pie filling, cinnamon, and ginger, Beat well. Cover and chill
for 8 hours. Serve with gingersnaps, sliced apples, and sliced pears.
You can make the bowl look pretty by putting in some cinnamon sticks and sprinkling a little cinnamon on top of the mixture.
-------------
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
2 cups of fresh Pumpkin Seeds
2 Tablespoons ground Rosemary (dried)
2 Tablespoons Oilve Oil
1 Tablespoons coarse ground Sea Salt
Rinse pumpkin seeds in water and drain on paper towels. Toss
with remaining ingredients and spread on a baking sheet. Bake
at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes until crisp. Cool and store
in an airtight container. Makes 2 cups.

------And my favorite pumpkin recipe.........

Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
4 oz. (1/2 of an 8 oz. pkg) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 TBSP Milk
1 TBSP Sugar
1 Tub (8 oz) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed and divided
1 Honey Maid Graham Pie Crust (6 oz)
1 Cup Milk
1 can (16 oz) Pumpkin
2 Pkg (4 serving size each) Jello Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding and Pie Filling
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
Mix Cream Cheese, 1 TBSP milk and sugar in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended.
Gently stir in 1/2 of the whipped topping. Spread into the crust.
Pour 1 cup milk into large bowl. Add Pumpkin,pudding mixes and spices. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended (Mixture will be thick)
Spread over the cream cheese layer.Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Garnish with remaining whipped topping. Store any left over pie in the refrigerator.

Appetizers

Jalapeno Ham Spread

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 can (5 oz.) canned chunk ham, drained
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup (4 oz.) grated Cheddar cheese
1 TBSP dried parsley flakes
1-2 TBSP finely chopped pickled jalapeno
2 TBSP minced onion
1TBSP spicy brown mustard

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Blend smooth with electric
mixer. Serve with assorted crackers or breads.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chicken Cheese Ball

1 can (5 oz.) chunk chicken, drained
1 envelope (.4 oz.) original Ranch salad dressing mix
2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup chopped pecans
Combine all ingredients in bowl except pecans and blend well
with electric mixer. Mix well. Shape into a ball and roll in pecans.
Cover and refrigerate. Serve with crackers or bread.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cheese Ball

12 0z. cream cheese
4 oz. grated cheddar cheese
4 1/2 oz. can of crushed pineapple
1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper (mixed red and green is pretty)
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 1/2 TBSP grated onion
Dash of Parsley and Dash of Paprika
Mix all together and form into a ball. Roll in chopped pecans and dried
Parsley flakes. Wrap in foil and refrigerate. Serve with crackers.
----------------
Christmas Appetizers
Cube chicken breasts into small squares. Wrap with a piece of bacon and
secure with a toothpick. Roll in a mixture of 2/3 cup of brown sugar and
2 TBSP Chili Powder. Bake at 250 degrees on a cookie sheet until the
chicken is baked and the bacon crispy. YUMMY!
Also:
Tater tots wrapped with bacon, secure with toothpick, and bake in oven on
a cookie sheet till bacon is crisp at 250 degrees.
______________________________
Bacon Roll-Ups

1/4 cup butter or margerine
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups packaged herb-seasoned stuffing mix
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup hot or mild, bulk pork sausage
1/2 to 3/4 lb. sliced bacon

Melt butter in water in saucepan. Remove from heat; stir into stuffing mix and add
egg and sausage. Blend thoroughly. Chill about an hour for easier handling. Shape
into small oblongs about the size of pecans. Cut bacon strips into thirds and wrap
once piece around stuffing mixture and secure with a toothpick. Place on rack in
shallow pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes, or until brown and crisp.
Turn halfway point in the baking. Drain on paper towel and serve hot. These may
be made the day before baking; also freeze well before baking. Makes about 36
appetizers.

My Favorite Recipes in Poem and Story

CHRISTMAS PEANUT BRITTLE

When it is Christmas candy time,
or any time of year,
This peanut brittle recipe
Becomes especially dear.
You add to one large cooking pan
Two cups of sugar if you please--
One cup white syrup, 1/2 cup of water too
And blend with gentle ease.

A dash of table salt,
When it is added too,
Will mean that you have reached the point
When you must cook the brew.
So cook it to the soft crack stage
And when it's time to add
Two tablespoons of butter
And the peanuts to your pan.

It takes one pound of peanuts
That you've purchased in the shell (2 cups raw)
And shucked yourself ahead of time
To make this turn out well.
With all the ingredients in the pan
You cook until it's brown,
And take your pan from off the stove---
Your candy's almost done.

Stir in one TBSP soda and one teaspoon vanilla,
Pour on a buttered sheet,
And let it harden as it will.
Then break in chunks your treat.
The rest comes very naturally
Just eat to suit your will,
And have a Happy Holiday
That's peanut brittle filled.

Myrna Skousen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DOUGHNUTS

One cup of sugar, one cup of milk,
Two eggs beaten fine as silk,
Salt and Nutmeg (lemon will do)
Of baking powder, teaspoons two,
Lightly stir the flour in,
Roll on pie board, not too thin;
Cut in diamonds, twists or rings,
Drop with care the doughy things
Into fat that briskly swells
Evenly the spongy cells;
Watch with care the time for turning,
Fry them brown just short of burning,
Roll in sugar, serve when cool.
Price....a Quarter, for this rule.

Love this, with thanks to someone in Missouri who cared to share.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GRANDMA'S KITCHEN
The nicest place I've ever seen
Is Grandma's kitchen, nice and clean.
She lets me stay out there with her
And watch her measure, sift and stir.
And roll the pie dough out so thin
With her long, floury rolling pin.

I guess she likes us little chaps
For then she gives me all the scraps.
And I make cookies all my own
With lots of raisins sticking,
Or I can eat the batter raw;
I put big wads in either jaw-
It makes my face look, Oh ! So Fat !
And Grandma laughs at things like that.

No author listed, but a darling granny poem.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Twist optimist and pessimist, the difference is droll.
The optimist sees the doughnut, the pessimist sees the hole".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can sprinkle it with sugar, and bake it in the oven, but
a cow pie is still manure !




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Favorite Cookie Recipes

I think, of all my cookie recipes, this is my favorite. It is a Holiday Season favorite of ours, a Christmas Cookie made with dear memories of a precious patient.Her family would always bring us a big platter of these cookies during the Holiday Season. I always think of her, and it has been many years since her passing, as she would say,"My name was Carr and I married a Ford" and we would all laugh and eat cookies together.She was a special lady. Her daughter gave me the recipe many years ago as a gift, and I cherish it.This recipe was their grandmother's, so it is very, very old.

RAISIN FILLED COOKIES

Dough:

3 cups brown sugar

1 cup Crisco Shortening

2 eggs

1 cup milk

Cream together and add:

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 teaspoons Cream of Tartar

6 cups flour

Mix all together. This makes a lovely soft, brown dough. Refrigerate at least 30

minutes or more before rolling out. I roll out just small batches at a time.(This

also makes just wonderful, plain sugar cookies)

Filling:

1 box of raisins (I prefer the dark brown ones)

Cover with water and add sugar to taste, I like mine sweet. Simmer

till done, use flour to thicken. (Use a couple spoons of flour to make

a paste, drop in the hot raisins, and stir till nice and thick. Cool filling.

Cut out the rolled dough. I usually just use a glass, and dip the rim in

flour, then cut out my circles. Works great for a cookie pattern. Pinch

the edges of the cookie together after you put about a TBSP of filling

in it, use the amount you want, or use a fork and dip the tines in flour,

press all around the circle of the cookie if you want them to be fancy.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees

if the cookies seem too brown. I use Pam spray on my cookie sheets.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Pillowcase Cookies

The original recipe suggests the cookies be stored in a cloth bag to

"ripen". A pillowcase was used, and hence, the name.


1/2 cup dark molasses

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter or margerine

1/4 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon anise seed, crushed with a rolling pin

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 egg

4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Confectioner's Sugar

Combine molasses,corn syrup, brown sugar,butter (or margerine) in

a saucepan. Heat gently and stir until blended. Pour molasses mixture

into a large mixing bowl; let cool slightly. Stir in pepper,cloves, allspice,

cinnamon,anise, and salt. Beat egg well and add to the molasses mixture.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Gradually beat

sifted dry ingredients into molasses mixture. If dough becomes too stiff,

use hands to work in remaining dry ingredients. Cover the bowl and let the

dough stand overnight at room temperature. Roll the dough into balls the

size of marbles (or use your melon baller )to shape. Place on ungreased

baking sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes. Cool

slightly and roll cookies in confectioners sugar. Cookies should be kept

cool and dry to ripen for 2-3 weeks.

---------------------------------------

Special "K" Cookies

1 cup Karo (light)

1 cup sugar

Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add 1 1/2 cups (12 oz.) peanut

butter. Mix until smooth. Add 3 cups of Special K cereal. Mix well and

drop by TBSP onto wax paper. Let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Love these cookies. Corn flakes can also be used. Bet you can't eat just one !

You can also spray an 8x8 pan and put the cereal mixture in it and let it cool,

then cut into squares. So easy, and so good.

I love to make these cookies with Corn Flakes...use 4 cups.....I put a heaping TBSP in muffin tins, make perfect cookies, and so easy to use. Spray the muffin pan first with Pam. These cookies will be so creamy and so peanut buttery ! I have made several batches this week...you can't eat just one !

----------

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 1/2 cups flour

2 eggs

2 teaspoons buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup shortening,margerine, or butter

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

Mix flour, salt, baking soda,set aside.

Mix margerine, peanut butter, and both sugars.

Mix well and add eggs. Stir in the rest of the

ingredients. Drop dough on greased cookie

sheet, flatten with fork dipped in sugar. Bake

at 375 degrees for 5-10 minutes. If you want

bigger cookies, use 1 TBSP of dough.


These are really wonderful cookies. My renter,

Debbie Wilson, made them and shared the recipe.

It was her grandmother's recipe and it is a winner.