Dawn and Dana's Jalapeno Corn Dip

Dawn and Dana's Jalapeno Corn Dip

8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. milk
Dash garlic salt
Jalapenos (to taste)
2 cans white corn (drained)

Heat oven to 350.
In medium sauce pan, combine cream cheese, milk, butter and garlic salt til creamy.
Remove from heat.
Add corn and jalapenos.
Transfer to baking dish.
Bake for 20-30 minutes.
Stir before serving.

This dip is so good . . . makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

Anthony's Guacamole

Ask anyone who's tried it . . . this stuff is addictive. In Anthony's own words: 

"I don't really follow an exact recipe, but here are the ingredients and general guidelines.

First - make Pico de Gallo

Tomatoes (I usually use roma tomatoes, but I think any would do), white onion, cilantro - sprinkle salt.  Tomato is the primary ingredient here, add as much/little onion and cilantro as your taste buds like relative to tomatoes.

Second - 

Avocado - about 50% of your total recipe should be avocado, so if I use 2 small tomatoes, I'd do 4 small avocados.  If I use 2 large tomatoes, I'd use 4 large avocados - you get my drift.  Cut them in half and spoon out the middle - don't chop up or mash.

Third - heat

The last time I made guac I used one whole serrano pepper that was about 5" long finely chopped up.  If you want it hotter or cooler, add more or less serrano pepper.  

Put your pico, avocado, and peppers into a glass bowl.  sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper over the top.  Squeeze a fresh whole lime over the top as well - this tastes really good and helps preserve the avocado from turning brown.  If you make a lot of guac, you may want more lime juice.

With a sharp knife, mix your guac by cutting through it.  You want your avocado to get cut into little chunks, but there is no need to make it a paste.  Once your avocado is cut enough, you can go to mixing with a spoon.  Add salt and pepper until it tastes amazing.  It usually does not take very much.  :)

I think that is about it.  :)

shopping list:

4 avocados

2 tomatoes

1 white onion

1 bunch cilantro

1-2 serrano peppers

1 lime

salt

pepper

Corn Pudding

Corn Pudding
This is easy and yummy, especially in the fall.

1 c. sour cream
1 - 14 oz. can corn, drained
1 - 14 oz. can creamed corn
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1/4 t. cayenne
1/4 t. paprika

Preheat oven to 350. Mix first 7 ingredients and pour into buttered 9" square baking dish.
Sprinkle with paprika.
Bake one hour.
Serve hot or warm.
Optional: Serve with a drizzle of hot maple syrup.

Grandma Thomas's Chocolate Zucchini Cake

If anyone can claim a recipe as her own, it's Grandma Thomas, who baked this cake for nearly every visit to or from her six children and 25 grandchildren.  It's easy, delicious, and doesn't require frosting.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray bottom of 9x13" pan with Pam and dust with flour.
Cream together (in a mixer if you have one):
1/2 c. soft butter (or margarine)
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla

Alternately add the following wet ingredients with the dry:
1 /2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 sour milk (add a few drops of lemon juice to the milk to make it sour)
2 1/2 c. flour

5 T. cocoa

1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1 t. soda

Add last:
2 c. grated zucchini

Pour batter into pan and level batter with a spatula.
Sprinkle with:

chocolate chips to taste (more is better) and
chopped nuts (optional).

Bake 40-45 minutes until done.  Check in center with toothpick, and don't leave it in too long!

*A tip:  Grandma Thomas always grew her own zucchini, grated it and froze it in pint-size cottage cheese cartons for use later.  I think that's why hers was always the best.  If you don't save your cottage cheese cartons, you're probably out of luck for the cake turning out as well as hers.  Oh, well.  Store-bought zucchini also works or use applesauce instead of zucchini.  :-)

Italian Spaghetti Sauce

This favorite recipe was given to me by Judy Fisher, given to her by Julie Coles.

2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
2 cans (15 oz) tomato sauce
2 cans (12 oz) tomato paste
1 can (7.5 oz) pitted ripe olives - drained and sliced
2 envelopes (1.5 oz) spaghetti sauce w / mushrooms mix
3 c. water
1 t. oregano
1 T. sugar
2 cloves crushed garlic

Brown beef, drain.
Add onion and pepper, stir until onions are translucent.
Add other ingredients.  Simmer 1.5 hours OR cook in crock pot on low for (about) 4 hours.

*Recipe can be divided into smaller portions and frozen for later.

Best Ever Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

I found this recipe on the Internet and baked it in three round pans. I added a few drops of lemon juice to the milk to sub for buttermilk and left out the step about putting the cake in the freezer for 45 minutes. Also, added 1 tsp. banana flavoring to the icing and coated the cake with coconut all around and on top.

Cherry Fluff

I took dinner over to Janette and Brandan tonight and got to hold Cohen while they were eating. He was awake, and I taught him how to do "Explosion" arm styling which will come in handy when he learns how to do the Viennese Waltz. B & J liked the dessert. It's easy and would be less calories if the Lite version of the ingredients is used. Here's the recipe:

Cherry Fluff

Cool Whip (medium carton), thawed
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 can Wilderness cherry pie filling
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple (drained)
2-3 c. miniature marshmallows

Mix ingredients, refrigerate, serve. You can serve before refrigerating, but be sure to refrigerate after serving if there are any leftovers!