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!

Curry Chicken Pineapple Salad

This is a nutritious summer salad. Not a lot of calories (if you use lo-or-no fat mayo) and refreshing. I used mango-peach jam instead of chutney, no-fat mayo and Kirkland's white meat chicken in the can. This salad would be good served on croissants. Yum!




Curry Chicken Pineapple Salad

2 c. mayo
2 T. lemon juice
2 1/2 T. soy sauce
1 T. curry powder
1 T. chutney (peach or mango)
1 bunch green onions (sliced fine)
3 c. diced chicken (white meat)
1 1/2 c. chopped celery
6 oz. can sliced water chestnuts (drained)
2 c. seedless grapes
1 lb. can pineapple chunks (well drained)
1/2 c. slivered almonds (toasted)

Combine first six ingredients.
Toss with the rest.
Refrigerate.
Serve.

latest creations

homemade wheat tortillas- i used these to make my chicken enchiladas, they weren't that good. next time i'll just try them with plain white flour

texas sheetcake

hootenanny in my new le creuset

yorkshire puddings-served with roast and homemade gravy over top and potatoes and carrots

grilled asian chicken thighs with rice and nori wrappers

Custom tortillas

playing with phone app mypaint2:

Moongate

here with clay, Jenna, curt. This is satay beef.

thanksgiving eats

i forgot about this picture until today. this is the rolls and blueberry pie i made for thanksgiving at the fishers. both were really good! if you want recipes let me know.

Recipe first tried at Anthony and Candice's

This is a recipe I made after first eating it at Anthony and Candice's. It's a yummy variation of the old stand-by potato casserole served at potluck dinners for the past, say 40 years ago. I guess this is like the one they serve at Cracker Barrel. Thanks for telling me how to find it, Candice.

Southern Hash Brown Casserole Recipe

1 bag of frozen hash brown potatoes (2 lbs)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup melted butter
1 ½ tsp salt
1 small onion (chopped)
1 can 10 ¾ oz cream soup (cream of chicken or mushroom)
1 cup sour cream
2 cups crushed Corn Flakes
¼ cup melted butter
Directions:

Thaw hash browns.
Mix hash browns, cheddar cheese, ½ cup melted butter, salt, onion, soup, and sour cream.
Spray 9 x 13 pan with Pam.
Pour mixture into pan and spread evenly. Do not pack tightly.
In a small bowl, mix Corn Flakes and ¼ cup melted butter. Sprinkle on casserole.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until lightly brown.

(It might be a good idea to avoid getting on the scales for a couple of days after eating this.)

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

I made these yummy pumpkin bars for a "Just for Fun" gathering (of friends) from Church. I also made taco soup, rolls and tossed salad. Everyone liked it. This is an easy seasonal recipe and takes about 15 minutes to prepare (before baking). Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

1 pkg. white or yellow cake mix
3 eggs
2 TB melted margarine
4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
(2 ½ cinnamon 1 ginger, ½ cloves)
1 8oz. package softened cream cheese
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 16 oz. can pumpkin
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

Combine cake mix, 1 egg, margarine, 2 tsp. of spices. Mix on low speed until crumbly. Press into bottom of 15” x 10” jelly roll pan. Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, 2 eggs, pumpkin and remaining 2 tsp. spices and salt. Mix well and pour over crust. Sprinkle with nuts.

Bake 30 - 35 minutes on 350 degrees.
Cook, chill and cut into squares.
Store in refrigerator.

Note: 9” x 13” cake pan may be used, but baking time is increased by 20 - 25 minutes until knife comes out clean. Crust will be thicker.

Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
2 c. roasted corn (approx. 3 cobs)
6 shitake mushrooms, stems removed and julienned
1 leek, top and bottom removed and sliced thin
1 shallot, diced
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 qt chicken broth
2 c. potatoes, cooked and chopped
2 c. heavy cream
1 red bell pepper, roasted and diced
salt
pepper

To roast corn, peel back husks, remove silk. Lightly coat with softened butter, salt and pepper. Rewrap husk around cob and tie with twine. Bake at 400 F for 8-10 minutes. Let cool completely before removing husks. Cut corn from cob.
To roast bell pepper, cut in half and remove seeds. Coat with olive oil. Broil for 5-10 minutes on highest rack setting, until skins are almost completely black and blistered. Allow to cool completely, peel off blackened skin and dice.

Melt butter in large soup pot over medium heat. Saute shallot, mushrooms, and leeks until softened. Sprinkle in flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add corn, bell pepper, and cream. Cook until hot. Add salt and pepper as desired. Serve.

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lasagna

I made lasagna on Sunday and forgot to take a picture, but this is a picture from the website I use to find recipes. Anyways, it was so easy to make and it was soooo delicious! If you want to try go to allrecipes.com and look up bob's awesome lasagna. Other successes in the kitchen this week have been: french baguette, cinnamon rolls (a favorite in our house), and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

Clay's cookin'

Unfortunately I didn't take pics of the tacos, probably because they
were so good. Jenna's the expert. She toasted the shells in the oven,
which I would highly recommend to any other taco makers.

ribs

I made ribs last Sunday for dinner. They took a few hours but turned out really good. I also made garlic red potatoes and cornbread and corn. The potatoes were really good as well.

i forget what these are called...but they were good!

these are a mexican inspired appetizer i tried out one day. you take a tortilla and cut circles out of it using a cookie cutter. then you put those in a muffin pan so they kind of make a small cup and then you put whatever you want in them. i did some refried beans, cheese, and olives. i think you bake them at like 400 or 450 for 5 minutes, let them cool a minute and then eat. we had ours with sour cream and salsa. they turned out sooo good i thought! the tortillas got kind of crispy, exactly what i was looking for.

fruit salad

Just made this fruit salad. Kiwis, strawberries and mangos ... tasty combo. It's been a while since I've combined fruit.