BLUEBERRY CREAM CHEESE BUTTER CAKE

1 box Lemon  Cake Mix

3 eggs

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 1/2 sticks butter or margarine, melted

3.5 ounce box Vanilla Instant Pudding and Pie Filling

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup water

1 cup fresh blueberries                      

1 cup walnut pieces                                           

 

In a mixing bowl combine cake mix, pudding mix, and eggs. Mix
well with mixer.  Add milk and melted margarine, cream cheese and water
and continue mixing.  Batter will be thick. Fold in blueberries and
walnut pieces. Spray your cake pan well. Cook in preheated 350 degrees
oven for 55 to 60 minutes until center is cooked.  Let stand for 15 to
20 minutes before removing from pan. 

Glaze:

 1/2 cup lemon juice

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups (more or less) confectionery sugar

 Mix ingredients in a small pan over low heat on the stove

stirring with a whisk until melts and desired consistency.  Punch holes
in cake with toothpick and pour glaze over cake. Use any remaining glaze
to pour over individual pieces.

 

Enjoy

Cherry Balls

3 cups coconut
3 cups icing sugar
1 cup melted marg.
Mix all together and roll cherries in mixture and then graham cracker crumbs.

SOFT GINGER COOKIES

2 1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses
2 Tbsp. sugar


Here's How...


1. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.  Set aside.  In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter for 30 seconds.  Add 1 c. sugar.  Beat until fluffy.


2.  Add egg and molasses - beat well.  Add half the flour mixture at a time and beat until just combined.  


3.  Shape into 1" balls.  Roll in 2 Tbsp. sugar.  Place on un-greased cookie sheets or baking stone 2" apart.  Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until light brown and puffed.  Let cool for 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks or plate to finish cooling.


Makes about 36 cookies.

Candied Citrus Peel

Ingredients
2 grapefruits
3 oranges
4 lemons
1 1/2 cups sugar
Directions

With a sharp paring knife, slice off ends of grapefruits, oranges, or lemons. Following curve of fruit, cut away outermost peel, leaving most of the white pith on fruit. Slice peel lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips.

In a medium pot of boiling water, cook peel until tender, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer peel to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet; spread in a single layer to dry slightly, about 15 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a boil over high, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add peel and boil until it turns translucent and syrup thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer peel to wire rack, separating the pieces as needed.

Let peel dry 1 hour. Toss with 1/2 cup sugar to coat.

Zucchini Bread

2 cups sugar                                                    
1 cup oil                                                          
3 eggs                                                              
2 cups raw grated Zucchini, unpeeled            
2 t. cinnamon                                                  
3 t. vanilla

2 cups flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 cup nuts

Blend sugar and oil: add eggs and vanilla,
then zucchini, cinnamon and sifted dry ingredients.
Add nut last.
Grease and flour 2 large loaf pans.
Bake at 325-350 for 1 hour.

Slow Cooker Lasagna

1 lb. ground turkey or hamburger
Italian seasoning

Cook your turkey/hamburger with the Italian seasoning and set aside.

1 4-oz. can mushrooms
1 15-oz. container ricotta (I would only use half of this next time)
1 pkg part-skim shredded mozarrella cheese
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/3 c. water
Some lasagna noodles.

Spray the cooker with Pam. Mix 1/3 c. water with jar of spaghetti sauce.
Layer four noodles, half the turkey/hamburger, mushrooms, half the spaghetti sauce, the ricotta, and half the mozzarrella. Repeat with the other half of half the turkey/hamburger, mushrooms, half the spaghetti sauce and half the mozzarrella.
Turn on HIGH for one hour.
Turn down to LOW for five hours.
Go do something constructive.
Turn off after hour six and enjoy.
It came out easily. I used a spatula to cut it into pieces like a pie.

Paula Deen's Rum Pound Cake

 

1 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
5 large eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup dark rum (you could probably replace with rum flavoring if you are opposed to spirits in your dessert, but I wouldn't know the replacement amounts, certainly not 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Rum Glaze

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup rum

Preheat oven to 325°F

Grease entire 12-cup tube pan and line bottom with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In a small bowl, combine milk, rum and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating well after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle evenly with chopped pecans. Bake 1 hour and 10-15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes clean. Pierce top of cake 8-10 times with a thin skewer. Pour Rum Glaze over hot cake. Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan, invert onto wire rack and let cool completely. Serve cake pecan side up. Rum Glaze:. In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

Italian Beef

1 3lb beef roast
1 cup water
1 t chopped garlic, or more if you love garlic like we do
½ medium onion, sliced thin
2 t Italian seasonings
1 t salt
½ t pepper
½ t sugar
1 jar (12 to 16 oz) greek pepperoncini’s

The night before you want to serve this meal place roast and water in crockpot and set on low.  In the morning there should be lots of juices.  Using 2 forks shred beef.  Add garlic, onion, seasonings and stir well.  Now add the pepperoncini’s and as much of the juice from the jar as you would like (according to your tastes).

Let this continue to cook on low for the remainder of the day.  Serve on toasted whole wheat hamburger buns or brown rice.

Eggnog Muffins/Bread

2 1/4  cups  all-purpose flour
1  cup  sugar
2  teaspoons  baking powder
1/2  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
2    eggs, lightly beaten
1  cup  dairy eggnog
1/2  cup  butter, melted
1  teaspoon  vanilla
1/2  teaspoon  rum extract
    Nutmeg-Streusel Topping
Directions Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease the cups of two 6-cup foil muffin pans or line with paper bake cups; set aside. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

In another bowl, combine eggs, eggnog, melted butter, vanilla, and rum extract. Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy.) Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full. Sprinkle with Nutmeg-Streusel Topping.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Wash and dry the foil muffin pans. Return muffins to muffin pans. Cover with plastic wrap.

Nutmeg-Streusel Topping: In a bowl, combine 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Using a pastry blender, cut in 2 tablespoons butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

I made a bread and cooked it at 350 degrees for 65 minutes

Carrot Coconut Bread

Sift together:
2 ½ cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt

Combine separately and then add:
3 beaten eggs
½ cup oil
½ cup milk
Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
Stir in:
2 cups shredded carrots
1-1/3 cups coconut
½ cup nuts

Turn into well greased and floured muffin tins or two loaf pans.
Bake 45 - 50 minutes at 350.

Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls

Yield: 8-12 large cinnamon rolls or 12-16 smaller rolls
Ingredients:
For the cinnamon rolls:
6½ tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
5½ tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. lemon zest
3½ cups bread flour
2 tsp. instant (rapid rise) yeast
1 cup plus 2-4 tbsp. whole milk or buttermilk, at room temperature

For the filling:
3 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
1½ cups fresh blueberries

For the glaze:
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
6-7 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. lemon zest

Directions:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the sugar, salt and butter on medium-high speed until smooth.  Mix in the egg and lemon zest until incorporated.  Mix in the flour, yeast and milk until a dough forms.  Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed, about 8 minutes until the dough is silky and supple, tacky but not sticky.  (You may need to add a little extra flour or liquid to achieve this texture.)  Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, turning once to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Mist a work surface with spray oil.  Roll it out into a rectangle with a rolling pin, lightly dusting the dough with flour if needed to keep it from sticking (about 12 x 14 inches for larger rolls or 9 x 18 inches for smaller rolls).  Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix to blend.  Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the surface of the dough.  Sprinkle the berries over the top evenly of the dough.  Starting with the wide edge, roll up the dough into a cigar-shaped log, creating a cinnamon sugar spiral as you roll.  Pinch the seam shut, and with the seam side down, slice the log into your desired number of rolls.  Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, placing the rolls about ½-1 inch apart.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 75-90 minutes, until the rolls have grown into each other and have nearly doubled in size.  At this point, the rolls can also be covered and retarded in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.  Pull the pan out of the refrigerator 3-4 hours before baking to let the dough proof.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let cool in the baking about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.  Whisk together the glaze ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth and then swirl over the top of the cinnamon rolls.  Let cool at least 15-20 minutes before serving.

$100 pecan cookies

1 cup shortening (butter-flavored Crisco is best)
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups cornflakes
2 cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With an electric mixer in a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and butter, then add confectioners' sugar. Mix in vanilla and beat in flour gradually. At this point, the dough may not hold together. That's OK.
By hand with a wooden spoon, stir in cornflakes and pecans. (The dough will be very stiff, so this won't be easy.) Roll large teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, mashing the dough together but being careful to not crush the cornflakes any more than necessary.
Place on ungreased cookie sheets 1 inch apart and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until slightly brown. Remove from oven and transfer to cooling racks.

Turkey -n- Biscuits

2 cups cooked turkey
3 cups turkey broth
4 medium potatoes, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 cups frozen peas
2 T. corn starch
1/3 cup water
sea salt
Stir together the corn starch and water in a glass or a jar until arrowroot powder is dissolved.  In a large pot, bring the broth to a boil.  Stir corn starch  and water mixture into the broth.  Continue to stir until broth thickens.  Add turkey, potatoes, carrots and peas.  Salt liberally.  Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and cook vegetables until they are tender.  Pour into a casserole dish.  Top with whole wheat sourdough biscuits rolled very thin.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 –30 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

Chocolate Almond Coffee Creamer

14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp almond extract

Put all ingredients into clean quart jar with tight seal. Shake to combine and store in refrigerator.
Will keep for up to 2 weeks.  No more expensive flavored coffee creamers with unrecognizable ingredients!  You can make your own at home... and it's yummy!

Killer Kahlua Brownies

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons Kahlua
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces (about 1/3 cup) white chocolate chips
6 ounces (about 1 cup) bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together cocoa and baking soda - whisk in 3 tablespoons butter, whisk in boiling water and Kahlua. Whisk in sugar, egg and remaining butter until smooth and combined.

Add flour and salt into the bowl, stirring just until combined. Fold in white and bittersweet chocolate chips. Scoop batter into an 8" square baking pan coated with cooking spray, then spread the top smooth with an off-set spatula. Place into the oven and bake until the brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan or a toothpick placed in between the center and the edge comes out with a few moist, fudgy crumbs attached, about 26 to 30 minutes. Remove and allow brownies to cool completely before cutting.

Makes about 9 to 12 brownies.

Blueberry Oatmeal Squares

 (Adapted from Canadian Living)

For the filling

3 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

For the crust and topping

2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh grated orange zest
3/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted cold butter, cut into cubes

To prepare the filling

In a medium saucepan, add blueberries, sugar and juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Whisk into the blueberry mixture and bring back to a boil - cook, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and place mixture into a medium bowl - place plastic wrap directly on surface and place into the refrigerator until it has cooled, about 1 to 2 hours.

To prepare the crust and topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, whisk together oats, flour, sugar, orange rind and salt. Add butter cubes and using a pastry blender, cut butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Scoop half of the mixture into an 8" square baking pan coated with cooking spray - press mixture down to form an even layer. Remove blueberry filling from the refrigerator and spread over the top. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture, pressing lightly to adhere.

Place pan into the oven and bake until the top is lightly golden, about 45 minutes. Remove and place onto a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Makes about 16 servings.

Sweet Chili Salad Dressing

1/3 c sweet chili sauce (look for it in the Asian food section)
3/4 c mayo
milk to thin
1/2 t fresh ground black pepper
1/4 c grated parmesan
1 t onion powder or grated onion (yes grate the onion, and make sure to do it over the bowl so you catch the juices)
1 t granulated garlic or 2 cloves grated garlic (same as the onion folks)
Whisk this all together until it is well blended, and use the milk to thin to your desired consistency. 

This stuff only gets better with time, developing a great bite by the next morning. Make sure to refrigerate!