Recipes of the Month

For the month of June
Easy Morning Cinnamon Bread
2 loaves frozen bread dough 1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup white sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon
In a greased 9x13" pan, cut up frozen dough into 1/2" pieces. Let them rise for 6-8 hours until they fill out to the edges.
Poke the risen bread with the handle of a wooden spoon - make lots of craters and holes in the bread. Pour heavy cream over this, then sprinkle on sugar mixed with cinnamon.
Bake immediately at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. So easy to make and So tasty!!!
Black Bean and Corn Salsa
2 cans corn - drained 2 cans black beans - rinsed and drained
2 cans rotelle tomatoes 2 tomatoes - cut up
1 green pepper - cut up 6-8 green onions - cut up
2-3 Tbsp. garlic about 1 cup of Italian dressing
Mix everything together and enjoy. Will last for quite a while in the refrigerator or you can even can the jars.

For the month of May
White Enchiladas
2 lbs. ground beef 1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 diced onion 1 - 6 oz. jar taco sauce
1 can green chilies
Sauce:
2 cans cream of mushroom soup 1 can water
1 can green chilies 1 - 12 oz. container sour cream
2-4 Tbsp. diced onions
Brown meat, add onions and chilies. Salt and pepper if desired. Add taco sauce and seasoning. Roll up into 16 tortillas (about 2 Tbsp. of mixture per tortilla) and put into two 8x10" baking dishes. Boil sauce ingredients together and simmer. Pour sauce over tortillas with 1-2 cups shredded cheese sprinkled over top and bake 15-30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Week of April 9th
Aunt Gail's Peek-A-Beans
1/2 pound bacon, cut into pieces 1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 lb. ground beef 1 16 oz. can pork and beans
1 medium onion, chopped 1 16 oz. can kidney beans
1 cup ketchup 1 16 oz. can butter beans or black beans
1/2 cup brown sugar
Brown backon. Add ground beef and onion. Drain. Add remaining ingredients, minus juice from kidney and butter beans. DO NOT throw juice away. Add enough of the reserved juice to keep mixture from sticking to the pan. Heat to boiling. Cover, let simmer 20-30 minutes. Add liquid as needed.
Aunt Gail's Honey Garlic Ribs
4 lbs. pork ribs 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup honey 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce 1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup distilled vinegar 1 tsp. garlic salt
Cut ribs into individual pieces. In a large bowl combine honey, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic cloves, brown sugar, and baking soda. Mixture will foam. Add ribs and coat them with the sauce. Cover a baking sheet with foil and place ribs meat side down on pan. Cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake at 375 degrees for one hour, turning every 20 minutes.
My Chocolate Caramel Bars
1 pkg. yellow or white cake mix 1 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup oil 1/2 cup butter
2 eggs 32 vanilla caramels, unwrapped
1 (12 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips 1 (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9" pan with aluminum foil. Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oil and eggs; blend well. Stir in chocolate chops and vanilla chips. Press half of mixture in bottom of greased pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, combine butter, caramels, and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over medium-low heat until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth, stirring occasionally. Slowly pour caramel mixture evenly over partially baked crust. Top with remaining cake mixture. Bake an additional 18-22 minutes or until top is set and edges are deep golden brown. Cool 20 minutes. Run knife around outer edges to loosen. Cool 40 minutes. Refrigerate 1 hour. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.
*You can add other things besides chocolate chips. This recipe is also good with toffee bits or peanut butter chips. Might also try walnuts.
Week of April 2ndCrispy Oriental Green Salad
1/2 cup butter
2T sugar
1/2 c sunflower seeds
1-3 oz pkg slivered almonds
2-3oz broken ramen noodles
Melt butter in skillet, add rest until lightly browned, cool.

2lbs. bok choy, chopped
4 green onions

Dressing:
3/4 c. vegetbale oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. sugar
2 T soy sauce
Mix

Combine all ingredients one hour before serving.
Aunt Raylene’s Salsa
12 cups tomatoes diced (not peeled) 1 cup green peppers
2 cups onions, diced 3 jalapeno peppers
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste (optional)
Put tomatoes in a pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook at a low boil for an hour or until they have cooked down.
Seasonings:
1/3 cup vinegar ½ tsp. basil leaves
½ tsp. cayenne pepper ½ tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. crushed red pepper 1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. black pepper ½ tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. salt ½ tsp. garlic powder
Add seasonings and simmer at a low boil for ½ hour. Add onions and peppers and simmer 15 minutes, add tomato paste and simmer 15 more minutes. Process 15 minutes in a hot water bath.
*This is one of the easiest salsas that I’ve made – I love the fact that I don’t have to peel the tomatoes. I highly recommend using the tomato paste because it helps to thicken the salsa.
Fruit Slush
1 (46 oz.) can unsweetened pineapple juice 1 (10 oz.) bag frozen strawberries
1 (12 oz.) frozen orange juice 2 pkg. strawberry Kool-Aid
1 (12 oz.) frozen lemonade 1 ½ cups sugar
1 (16 oz.) can crushed pineapple 3 quarts water
Mix all together. Put in freezer and stir occasionally. Serve with 7-Up or Sprite. Also good with a little rum or vodka.

Week of March 26th
THE BEST LASAGNA EVER!!
2 lbs. ground hamburger Velveeta Cheese
1 can tomato soup 1 small can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning garlic powder/salt to taste
10 lasagna noodles, cooked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown hamburger; drain off fat. Add soup, sauce, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder/salt. You might need to add a little water if sauce is too thick. Heat until warm. Spray a 9x13" pan with non-stick cooking spray. Begin to layer ingredients: 4 lasagna noodles, sauce, cheese (usually 5-6 slices per layer); next 2 layers use 3 lasagna noodles. Cover with tin-foil; cook for 30 minutes. Remove tin-foil and cook an additional 10-15 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes and enjoy!!
**You could also do Mozzarella and Velveeta if you wanted a little different flavor.

Corn Bread
1 cup corn bread 1 tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. baking powder 1 egg
Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Combine milk, oil, and egg. Mix well. Pour into a greased 8" square pan. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm. For muffins: bake in oven for 15 minutes.
*This is excellent with just butter or for something different pour maple syrup over the top!

Week of March 19th
Stuffed French Loaf
1 loaf French bread 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, divided
8 oz. spicy pork sausage 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup olive oil
1 egg 1 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. parsley
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice bread in half lengthwise and slightly hollow out each half, leaving a 1/2" thick layer of bread. Place bread crumbs in a blender or food processor and process for 15-20 seconds or until finely chopped. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a heavy skillet over medium heat until meat is brown; drain. In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, meat mixture, egg, parsley, and 1 tsp. mustard; set aside. Using a blender or food processor, process cheese, olive oil, remaining 2 tsp. mustard, and pepper until mixture forms a paste, about 1 minute. Spread cheese mixture evenly over inside of each bread half. Spoon meat mixture into the cavity of each bread half. Place bread halves together. Wrap loaf in foil. Bake 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Cut into 1" slices.
Taco Salad
1 medium head of lettuce, chopped 1 small onion
1 pound hamburger 4 tomatoes, diced
8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated 1 pkg. taco chips
1 pkg. taco seasoning
Sauce:
8 oz. 1000 Island dressing 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1/3 cup sugar 1 Tbsp. taco sauce
Brown hamburger. Add toaco seasoning, reserving 1 Tbsp. for the sauce. Using a large salad bowl, layer the ingredients, starting with lettuce and ending with cheese. Exclude taco chips until sauce is added just before serving. Cover and refrigerate. Right before serving add sauce and taco chips.
Pudding Cake
1 pkg. yellow or white cake mix 1 cup powdered sugar
1 small pkg. instant pudding,
chocolate 1 small tub of Cool Whip
1 Hershey's chocolate bar
Prepare cake according to package directions for a 9x13" pan. Remove cake from oven and let cool. Prepare pudding mix according to package directions. Let pudding slightly thicken. Pour pudding over cooled cake. Spread Cool Whip on top of pudding. Chop chocolate bar into thin pieces and sprinkle over top of Cool Whip. Refrigerate cake for at least one hour before serving.
*This recipe is fun to experiment with - try different flavors of cake and pudding. Pistachio pudding works well!

Week of March 12th
Fettucine Alfredo
1 lb. cooked fettuccine noodles
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (not powdered)
1 can evaporated skim milk
1 Tbsp. parsley
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
Melt butter; add skim mlk, cheese, salt, parsley, and garlic powder. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Top with freshly ground pepper.
Trudy’s Shrimp Scampi
2 1/2 lbs. large shrimp
1 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. parsley
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. basil
3/4 tsp. garlic
1/2 tsp. oregano
Place all ingredients except shrimp in a large skillet - heat on med-high heat. Once butter is melted add shrimp. Cook until they turn pink.
Garlic Monkey Bread
1 loaf frozen bread dough
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried parsley
Cut partially thawed bread dough into 20-30 small pieces. Mix remaining ingredients. Dip the pieces of dough into the mixture. Put pieces of dough into a round tube pan; let rise until doubled in bulk. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25-35 minutes.
Berried Delight (from Kacey)
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 1/2 cups Cool Whip
1/2 cup sugar
2 pints strawberries, hulled and halved
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 pkgs. Instant Vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups cold milk
2 Tbsp. milk
Combine crumbs, 1/4 cup of sugar and melted butter. Press firmly into bottom of a 13x9" pan. Chill. Beat cream cheese with 1/4 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp. of milk until smooth. Fold in half of Cool Whip. Spread over crust. Arrange strawberries in even layer. Using 3 1/2 cups cold milk, prepare pudding as directed on package. Pour over berries. Chill several hours or overnight. Before serving, spread remaining Cool Whip over pudding. Garnish with strawberries.
Week of March 5th
Weeknight Chicken Cordon Bleu
Prep: 15 min Cook: 25 min Makes: 6 servings
1/3 cup milk 2 slices Swiss cheese
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs 2 tsp. vegetable oil
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – pounded to ¼” thickness
1/3 can cream of chicken soup salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. and 2 tsp. heavy cream 2 sliced cooked ham

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place milk and bread crumbs in two separate shallow bowls. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place one slice of ham and one slice of cheese on each piece of chicken; roll, and secure with toothpicks. Dip each chicken roll into milk, and then into breadcrumbs. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown rolled chicken on all sides. Arrange the chicken in a 9x13” baking dish. In a small saucepan over medium heat, blend soup and cream; season with salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
Cream Peas
1 can peas 1/3 cup cream, half & half, or milk
2/3 cup water (can just use water from peas) 2 Tbsp. All-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. butter
In a medium saucepan, combine peas, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, and then stir in butter. In a small bowl, whisk together cream, flour, and sugar. Stir mixture into peas. Cook over medium-high heat until thick and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
Deep-dish Brownies
Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 45 minutes Yield: 18 servings
¾ cup butter, melted ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ cups white sugar ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract ½ tsp. salt
3 eggs ¾ cup all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8" square pan. In a large bowl, blend melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Gradually blend into the egg mixture. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let brownies cool, then cut into squares.




Week of February 27th
World’s Best Waffles
Prep: 10 min Cook Time: 2 ½ - 4 min Serves: 6
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
2 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons white sugar
Preheat a lightly greased waffle iron.
In a large bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
In a medium bowl, beat together egg yolks, milk, vanilla, and vegetable oil. Blend into the flour mixture to form a batter.
In a medium bowl, whip egg whites with sugar until soft peaks form. Fold into the batter.
Spray waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray, or lightly brush with oil. Ladle the batter onto preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp (about 3 minutes). Serve immediately.

Shrimp Tetrazzini
Prep: 10 min Cook Time: 55 min Serves: 4
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1/2 - 1 lb. fully cooked shrimp
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 – 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (to taste)
1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 cups milk
1/4 cup sherry
1 (8 ounce) package spaghetti
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well.
2. Over a medium-low heat melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add onion to melted butter and stir until onion is soft. Add shrimp and mushrooms, cook for 5 minutes stirring often. Remove shrimp mixture from saucepan, place in a medium size bowl and set aside.
3. Remove saucepan from heat. Combine flour, mayonnaise, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, milk, and sherry in the saucepan. Mix well. Return the saucepan to the heat and cook until sauce thickens.
4. Pour sauce into the bowl containing the shrimp mixture. Add the spaghetti to the bowl and mix well.
5. Place all ingredients in a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish (baking pan). Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top of the mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.
**If you decided to make more spaghetti make sure that you also make more sauce. I also left out the mushrooms and it still turned out excellent!

Sesame Broccoli Salad
Prep: 15 min Cook Time: 10 min Serves: 8
· 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
· 1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
· 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
· 2 tablespoons soy sauce
· 2 tablespoons sesame oil
· 2 teaspoons white sugar
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Toast sesame seeds for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the seeds begin to turn golden brown. Set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook broccoli in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes, or until desired tenderness. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and sesame seeds. Pour over broccoli, and toss to coat.

Caramel Bars
Prep: 20 min Cook Time: 12 min Makes: about 24 bars
32 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
5 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt together the caramels and heavy cream, stirring occasionally until smooth.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir in the melted butter until well blended. Press Half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Reserve the rest.
Bake the crust for 8 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and sprinkle with chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour the caramel mixture over the top and then crumble the remaining crust mixture over everything.
Return to the oven and bake for an additional 12 minutes, or until the top is lightly toasted. Cut into squares while it is still warm.
**Might need to add about 1/4 cup more flour so make the dough a little more crumbly.


Week of February 20th
Giant Ginger Cookies
Prep: 20 minutes Bake: 11 minutes Oven: 350 Makes: about 24 cookies
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
4 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
½ cup molasses
¾ cup sugar

In a medium bowl stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the cups sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and molasses until combined. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour mixture.
Shape dough into 2" balls using a ¼ cup measure or scoop. Roll balls in the ¾ cup sugar. Place 2 ½" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake in a 350 oven for 11 to 13 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned and tops are puffed (do not over bake). Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
*Note: I usually shape dough into a 1" ball.