Warm Olive Dip

This warm and creamy dip would be a spinoff of Applebee's popular spinach artichoke dip, but it has probably been around much longer than Applebees.

I don't know exactly how old this recipe is, but it was given to me by my high school art teacher after she prepared it for a snack for art club one day.  I've been out of high school for 25 years now, so it is at least that old.  And yet, I remember eating it that first time like it was just yesterday.

It features artichoke hearts and green olives - both favorites of mine - settling them into a creamy cheesy base that satisfies most any snack attack.  Serve it up on crackers, tortilla chips, or toast triangles at your next party or keep it all to yourself while watching a favorite ball game, rerun, or movie.  It is definitely not low calorie, so plan on working it off with some exercise the next day.  Everything comes with a price, yes?

Warm Olive Dip

1 1/4 cups real mayo
1 cup parmesan cheese, divided
1 jar plain artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup green olives, chopped  ( I like to use the garlic stuffed olives for this recipe, but any would work)
assorted crackers, tortilla chips, or toast triangles for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, combine the mayo and 3/4 cup parmesan cheese.  Add artichokes and olives, mix well.  Transfer to an ungreased 1 quart baking dish.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup parmesan cheese over top.  Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until bubbly.  Serve warm.

Just The Best Cookies

It's not just my opinion, the name of these cookies really is "Just The Best Cookies".  I don't know where my mom got this recipe, but I have loved them from the first time she ever made them.  I used to like to call them "Kitchen Sink Cookies", because they have everything in them but the kitchen sink.  That just makes them extra good. 

Feel free to substitute all kinds of different chips here for the chocolate or butterscotch.  Sometimes I like to trade peanut butter chips for the chocolate, or use walnuts instead of pecans.  If you really want to go crazy, omit the chips altogether and add in an equal amount of your favorite dried fruit bits.  I think apricots and pineapple go especially well with the coconut and pecans.

However you make them, I'm pretty sure they will be a hit.  This recipe makes an extra big batch, so its perfect for a potluck, bake sale, or cookie exchange.

Just The Best Cookies

3 1/2 Cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup cooking oil
1 Cup butter, softened
1 Cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 Cups crushed corn flakes
1 Cup rolled oats
1/2 Cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
6 oz. chocolate chips
6 oz. butterscotch chips
powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In medium bowl, combine flour, soda, and salt; set aside.  In large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugars; beat until light and fluffy.  Add egg and beat until combined.  Stir in oil and vanilla.  Stir in flour mixture.  Fold in cornflakes, oats, coconut, pecans and chips.  Shape into balls the size of a walnut.  Place 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten with a fork dipped in water, making a criss-cross pattern on top of each cookie.  Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until lightly golden.  Let stand on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool.  Dust with a very light coat of powdered sugar, if desired.

Garlic Chicken Pasta

I made this for dinner tonight, even though I didn't want it.  I didn't want it because I wanted Chicken Scampi from Olive Garden.  But since the closest Olive Garden is over 2 hours away, and there was no way I was going to make it there in time for dinner, I had to make something that was not nearly the same, but was close enough to satisfy my craving.

This is a simple pasta dish.  Few ingredients, done in the time it takes the pasta to boil, it was a winner for a busy weeknight.  If I would have had some parmesan cheese, I would have grated a fair amount over the finished dish, and it would have been awesome.

Garlic Chicken Pasta

1 lb chicken tenders, cut into chunks
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz angel hair or thin spaghetti
2 tbsp butter

In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat olive oil and add garlic.  Cook and stir 1 minute.  Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 6 - 8 minutes.  Remove from heat and keep warm.

When pasta is cooked, drain well.  Add butter to pasta pot and add pasta back into pot.  Stir to coat with butter.  Add garlic chicken to pot and toss together.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Wish that you were at Olive Garden eating Chicken Scampi, then decide to be thankful that you have a warm tasty dinner to enjoy at home.

I served this with a green salad.  Garlic bread would have been a great addition as well.

Homemade Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Fries

I shop for groceries once a week.  It is one of my favorite things to do.  On Thursday I get the paper with all the store ads.  I sit down and see what is on sale, then I check what coupons I can print that go with sale items.  I go to 3 different grocery stores each week, plus Walmart if we need other supplies.  I try to only buy sale items at each store, and usually I'm pretty successful. 

The other day one of the stores had pork cube steak on sale.  I knew immediately that I would bring it home and make tenderloins out of it.  They had been tenderized at the store, but I went ahead and pounded them out, because we like them a little thinner. 

I had half of a baked sweet potato left from earlier, so I made sweet potato fries to go with the sandwich.

Everyone said it was a favorite, and would like to have them again soon.

Homemade Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Fries

3 pc pork cube steak, pounded as thin as you like into tenderloins
1 Cup flour
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 Cup crushed dry bread crumbs
Oil for frying

1/2 baked sweet potato, peeled and cut into fries

Place flour in a ziplock bag.  In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and milk together.  Place bread crumbs on a plate or in a shallow bowl.  Heat 1 inch of oil in a pot over high until hot but not smoking.

Shake each tenderloin in the flour, then dip in egg mixture and let excess drip off.  Dredge in bread crumbs, then place in hot oil.  Cook 4 minutes, then turn once and cook another 4 minutes, or until dark golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.

Shake sweet potatoes in flour to coat, then place in oil.  Cook, turning until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.

Buster Dessert

My mother-in-law's family has a reunion every year.  One year they decided to put together a family cookbook.  They ask every member of the family to copy favorite recipes and send them in.  The recipes were photo copied and put into binders that were sent to whoever wanted one.  The book also included a fairly extensive family history.  For only $10 per book, we have access to a whole family's treasury of recipes.

On each page there is a space for memories about the recipe.  On the entry for Buster Dessert, which was my mother-in-law's recipe, it told how this was one of her special recipes.  Funny, I knew her for over 20 years and I never remember her making this.  It sounds like a perfect treat, so I'll be trying it sometime soon.

Buster Dessert

1 bag Oreo cookies
1/2 Cup melted butter
1/2 Gallon vanilla ice cream
1 1/2 cups Spanish peanuts
2 Cups powdered sugar
1 can evaporated milk
2/3 Cup chocolate chips
1/2 Cup butter

Crush Oreos.  Mix in melted butter, press into a 9x13 pan.  Chill 1 hour.  Cut ice cream into four equal pieces and place them side by side on top of Oreos in pan.  Pour peanuts evenly over ice cream and press them lightly into ice cream.  Cover and freeze. 

Mix powdered sugar, evaporated milk, chocolate chips and 1/2 cup butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil 8 minutes.  Cool to room temperature.  Pour evenly over ice cream and freeze.

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

I don't know how much this sandwich has in common with the authentic Philly cheesesteak you get in The City of Brotherly Love, but I do know my family shows me a lot of love whenever I serve it up at home.  There aren't very many dishes that bring smiles from every family member, this is one of them.

You can't please all the people all the time, but you can please a whole lot of them with this sandwich.

Feel free to play with the ingredients; sub a different cut of beef if it's on sale, or switch up your favorite cheese if you want.

No matter how you serve it up, I hope it brings as many smiles to your table as it does to mine.

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

1 pound thinly sliced top round steak
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 small green onion, seeded and thinly sliced
8 oz. sliced mozzarella cheese
6 hoagie buns
1/2 stick butter,softened

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Place slices of meat, a couple of slices at a time, in the pan and cook, turning once, until cooked through, about 3 minutes.  Remove to a plate and keep warm.  When all the meat is cooked, add 2 tbsp butter to the skillet and let it melt.  Add the sliced onion and green peppers.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.  Heat a clean skillet over medium heat.  Lightly butter both sides of hoagie buns and place them in skillet, butter side down.  Cook until lightly toasted.  Remove from skillet and immediately top each half of bun with a slice of cheese.  Place bottom of bun on plate.  Top with 1 or 2 slices of meat, about 1/2 cup of peppers and onions, and a top bun.  Serve immediately.

Deviled Chicken

Today's recipe is one of those that didn't even sound good to me when I first saw it in the cookbook (Land O Lakes Treasury of Country Recipes, published 1992, page 13). When I read the ingredients, my first inclination was to turn the page and keep on reading.  However, I was sitting with my lunch buddies at the time, and one of them made me go back to this recipe.  She was so intrigued by it that I told her I would whip some up that night and bring it in for our lunch the next day.  I was expecting to be able to make fun of her for requesting this recipe, thinking no one would like it, especially me.

My first clue that I was wrong about this recipe was that I had all the ingredients on hand at home when I went to make it that night.  A recipe so non-fussy as to allow me to skip a special trip to the store is always looked upon favorably in my eyes.  The clincher was that I had to stop myself from eating it all that night, so I could take it to the judges at the lunch table the next day.

There really isn't anything earth-shattering about this recipe.  It is just good old fashioned American food.  Quick to put together and easily doubled or tripled, it serves as a great appetizer or potluck dish.  It is just as tasty topping a Ritz cracker as it is spread across the fancy rye cocktail bread that the recipe calls for.

Because I have such a large library of appetizer recipes that my family loves, I don't turn to this one as often as I could, but I sure am glad my friend insisted I take a second look!

Deviled Chicken

2 Cups cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 Cup mayonnaise
5 tbsp butter or margarine, melted, DIVIDED
2 tbsp country style Dijon mustard
a pinch of cayanne pepper
1 Cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 Cup chopped fresh parsley
1 loaf of rye cocktail bread

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  In medium bowl, stir together chicken, mayonnaise, 3 tbsp of the butter, mustard and cayenne.  Spread into a 9" glass pie plate.  In small bowl, stir together bread crumbs, parsley, and remaining 2 tbsp butter.  Sprinkle bread crumbs over top of chicken mixture.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and heated through.  Serve spread on cocktail bread.

Scripture Cake

One of my regrets in life is that I didn't have a chance to get to know my husband's extended family.  We lived in the same town as both of our parents, but his extended family lived in other states across the country, and we just didn't see them often.

I only met his maternal grandmother once.  Apparently she was quite a character.  In a good way.  We have a quilt she made that won a ribbon at a county fair.  She was quite a cook, and like to write poetry too.

When my mother in law passed, my father in law gave me all of her cookbooks and recipes.  That in itself was a treasure, but buried in that pile of cookbooks was Grandma's Farm Ledger Cookbook.  It was a plain ledger that she used to keep track of household expenses.  But she also wrote down her poems, stories, lists and recipes.  It was the most interesting personal journal I've ever had the pleasure to read.

I didn't feel that it belonged to me, however.  My mother in law had several siblings, and I felt that I owed it to them to return it.  As much as I loved that book, I was sure that those siblings would want such a great piece from their mother's kitchen.  Before I returned it, though, I went through and copied as many of her poems, stories and recipes as I could.

Even though I didn't get to know Grandma personally, I feel like I know her better now that I have had the opportunity to read through her farm ledger cookbook.

This recipe is one that came out of Grandma Gore's cookbook.

Scripture Cake

4 1/2 Cups of 1 Kings 4:22
1 Cup of Judges 5:25
2 Cups of Jeremiah 6:20
2 Cups of 1 Samuel 30:12
2 Cups of Nahum 3:12
2 Cups of Numbers 17:8
2 Tbsp of 1 Samuel 14:25
1 tsp of Leviticus 2:13
6 of Jeremiah 17:11
1/2 tsp of Judges 4:19
2 tsp of Amos 4:5
2 tsp of 2 Chronicles 9:9

Ingredients are found entirely in the Old Testament.  Look up each scripture to understand what ingredients to use.  Mix as for any fruit cake.  Bake slowly in a moderate (375 degree) oven until done.


PS.  I understand these directions are not very clear.  Apparently when this was written, the original author felt that anyone would understand how to mix and how long to bake this cake.  I left it as is because I want to preserve the historical integrity of the recipe.  There is one footnote to this recipe in the original cookbook.  It is as follows:

Ingredients in above order are:  flour, butter, sugar, raisins, figs, almonds, honey, salt, eggs, milk, leaven (baking powder), spice.

Good luck if you try this cake.  I think it would be fun to try as a kitchen project with kids, grandkids, or a Sunday School or Youth Group class.

Granny's Rolls

When I was first married, I made sure to go through my grandmother's recipe files and copy all of my favorite dishes she made.  I wanted to be able to cook those same dishes for my family.

Over the years I have spent a lot of time cooking, but not a lot of time cooking from her recipe files.  It seems that I could never make things taste as good as she did.  It could be that her vast cooking experience produced better results than my young efforts could.  It is also possible that she never followed a recipe exactly, so she had secrets that her recipes didn't reveal.  I also believe her cooking tasted better because of the fond memories I had of eating meals at her table, those memories affecting my ability to appreciate my own cooking.

Whatever the reason, I still don't cook much from her files.  I do want to preserve those files for my kids, so they can know something about the lady who died before they could get to know her.  Maybe their efforts at reproducing her recipes will be more satisfying than mine.

It is in that spirit that I offer her recipe for dinner rolls.  These were on her table for every holiday dinner.

Granny's Rolls

2 Cups water
1 stick butter
1 package yeast
1/2 Cup sugar
2 eggs
6 Cups flour, divided

Combine water and butter, heat to boiling to melt butter.  Dissolve yeast in 1 cup of the water mixture and add sugar.  Cool.  Add rest of water mixture to yeast mixture.  Add eggs and 2 cups flour.  Beat until well combined.  Let stand 1 hour.  Add rest of flour (4 cups) and mix well.  Oil a large bowl and put dough in bowl, turning once to coat.  Cover and let rise until double in size.  Punch down and let rise until again double in size.  Punch down.  Pinch off blobs of dough about 2 inches around and place side by side in a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven until golden brown.  As soon as you bring out of oven, run a stick of chilled butter over the tops of the rolls until slathered with butter.  Serve with extra butter.

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

Today is cool and drizzly outside, the perfect fall weather to turn on the oven.

What better reason to turn on the oven than for these soft and chewy oatmeal cookies that are stuffed with plump juice raisins.

This recipe comes from a cookbook called "Land O Lakes Treasury of Country Recipes"(page 485), published in 1992.  This is one of my very favorite cookbooks.  It is a large hardback book filled with delicious recipes and gorgeous pictures.  It has everything from appetizers to main dishes to desserts.  Everything I've ever made from this book has turned out well.

Oatmeal raisin are my favorite kind of cookie, a taste I shared with my mother-in-law.  I used to make these for her when I wanted to tell her how much I loved her.  She's been gone many years now, but I still think of her every time I make them.  Here's to you, Shirley!

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookeis

3 Cups quick cooking oats
2 Cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 Cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 Cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Cups raisins*

Heat oven to 375 F.  In large mixer bowl combine all ingredients except flour and raisins.  Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (1 to 2 min.)  Add flour; continue beating until well mixed (1 to 2 min.)  By hand, stir in raisins.  Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased cookies sheets.  Bake for 8 to 10 min. or until edges are lightly browned.

*I always soften my raisins before I use them in a recipe.  I like them big and plump, and softening them makes it happen.  I put raisins in a small sauce pan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil on the stove over medium heat.  Turn off heat and let cool to room temperature.  Drain well and use in recipe.

Cherry Chip Cookies

These unusual and very delicious cookies remind me of my Dad.  They are his favorite, and my mom would bake them for him often.

I haven't made them for a while, because I have a hard time finding cherry chips anymore.  If I ever come across any I will definitely make these again.  I think they would be almost as good with cinnamon chips.  Of course you can substitute any chip your heart desires.

Cherry Chip Cookies

2 1/4 Cups flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 Cup butter, softened
1/2 Cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp almond extract
3/4 Cups corn flakes, crushed
6 oz. cherry chips

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees.  Sift flour and salt together, set aside.  Cream butter, sugar, egg yolk and almond extract.  Stir flour mixture into butter mixture.  Stir in corn flakes and chips.  Dough will be very stiff.  If necessary, knead dough to mix thoroughly.  Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 12 minutes.

Try not to eat the whole batch at once.

Apple Coffeecake

Every year, as soon as Labor Day has come and gone, I get into a mood to bake.  Casseroles, cookies, cakes, and other sweet goodies won't leave my mind until I get the oven going.

Thinking about that this morning reminded me of this apple coffeecake from the Pillsbury Complete Baking Book.  I found this recipe when I was single and would often bake evenings and weekends to stave off boredom.  I would take the fruit of my baking labor to work the next day so I wouldn't devour it all myself.

This coffeecake was always a hit.  It is reminiscent of cinnamon roll dough, but it is stuffed with sweet apple pie filling instead of cinnamon.  You could use any flavor pie filling you desire, I'm partial to cherry and blueberry as well.

I think it is best baked in a glass dish, because I always sense a metallic taste in a cake that has been baked in a metal pan.

Apple Coffeecake

2 1/2 to 3 Cups flour
1/4 Cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 Cup milk
1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup butter
2 eggs
1 (21 oz.) can apple pie filling, or other flavor of your choice

Glaze:
1/2 Cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
3 to 4 tsp milk

In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast; blend well.  In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup milk, water, and butter until very warm (120-130 degrees F).  Add warm liquid and eggs to flour mixture.  Blend at low speed until moistened; beat 3 minutes at medium speed.  By hand, stir in an additional 1 to 1 1/2 cups flour, to make a stiff batter.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a cloth towel.  Let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.

Generously grease a 9x13 glass baking dish.  Stir batter; spread 2/3 of batter into greased pan.  Spread apple filling over batter in pan.  Spoon remaining batter by tablespoonfuls randomly over filling.  Connect spoons of batter over top to form a lace pattern.  Cover; let rise in a warm place until light, 20 to 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Uncover dough.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly golden.  In small bowl, blend all glaze ingredients, adding enough milk for desired drizzling consistency.  Drizzle glaze over warm coffeecake.  Yields 15 servings.

Brownies From Scratch

Hello little cooking blog, I'm sorry to have ignored you for so many months.

I still believe this is a wonderful place to come for all kinds of recipes, and a place my kids can learn more about our family's cooking and eating history.

I have been making these brownies since I was a teenager.  The original recipe came from a magazine, I have no idea which one, it was just a torn piece of paper from a Hershey's Cocoa ad from long ago.

I started making them because I was young enough for my mom to think twice about me using a double boiler, and this recipe does not have you melting chocolate over the stove.  It is still a very chocolatey and moist brownie, but without the mess of chopping and melting chocolate.

I grew up making these, and now my kids have grown up making these, even my teenage son will pull out this recipe when he craves something sweet.

Brownies From Scratch

3/4 Cup Hersey's Cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
2/3 Cup oil, divided in half
1/2 Cup boiling water
2 Cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 Cup flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix cocoa and baking soda in a mixing bowl.  Blend in 1/3 cup of the oil.  Add boiling water and stir until thickened, about 1 minute.  Mix in sugar, eggs, rest of oil, and vanilla.  Add salt and flour and mix well.  Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 baking pan.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Do not over bake.

Butternut Squash Soup

Over Thanksgiving weekend, my daughter and I went with my parents to shop at a little Mennonite store located about an hour away from where we live.  We always like to go there to stock up on fabric, craft supplies, spices, and staples for our pantry.

While we were there, my daughter picked up a butternut squash for me.  She knew I would make soup with it, and today was the perfect day to turn that squash into a steaming bowl of goodness.  I am writing this recipe as vegan, but you could just as easily use chicken stock and regular milk if you desire.  I sprinkled a little smoked paprika on top for color and flavor; you could leave it plain, or top with toasted pepitas, which I would have done had I had any in the house.

1 small butternut squash, about 7 oz
1 can vegetable stock, 2 cups
1/2 medium onion, peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 cup coconut milk

Peel, seed, and cube squash.  Place it in medium saucepan with onion, garlic, and stock.

Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until squash is very tender, about 30 minutes. 

Using a stick blender, blend squash until very smooth.  Add 1 cup coconut milk and stir until creamy. 

Top with a dash of smoked paprika or a tablespoon of pepitas.

Serves 2 for appetizer, or 1 for meal

Caramel Apple Crisp

This is a recipe that I just made up.  I had some apples that were needing to be used.  We were not eating them fresh, so I thought I would put them into a crisp to see if I could tempt my family to eat them.

As I opened the fridge to get a drink of water, I spied the partial jar of caramel ice cream topping we had left from a recent ice cream party.  I grabbed it on a whim and decided to add it to my crisp.  I took it to church this morning, and many people gave rave reviews to this new crisp.


8 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 jar caramel ice cream topping
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
2 sticks butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Toss sliced apples with lemon juice, spread out into a 1 quart casserole dish.

Drizzle caramel ice cream topping over apples evenly.

 In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, flour, salt, and pumpkin pie spice, mix well.

Pour melted butter over oat mixture and mix well, until all ingredients are wet.  Sprinkle oat mixture over apples evenly.

Bake, uncovered, about an hour, until top is evenly browned, and apples are tender.  You can serve hot with ice cream on top, or at room temperature with a dollop of Cool Whip.

Serves 12

Nedra's Cheesecake

Since I bragged yesterday about getting to choose between 2 great desserts on Nedra's Christmas table, I thought I had better share the second one with you today.  That way you can make both for your upcoming holiday feast, and face your own grueling decision about which one to eat.  My bet is that you will take some of both.

This is not what one normally thinks of when thinking of cheesecake, but that is not a bad thing at all.  This cheesecake is tall, airy and light, with a faint lemon note that is fabulously refreshing.  Simplicity at its finest.

1 small box lemon jello
1 cup boiling water
juice of 1 lemon
1 8oz package of cream cheese, brought to room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tall can Milnot (evaporated milk), chilled
1 box of graham crackers
1 stick butter, melted

Using food processor, crush graham crackers into fine crumbs.  Pour into a mixing bowl.  Add melted butter and stir until all crumbs are moistened.  Reserve 1/2 cup crumbs.  Press remaining crumbs into 9x13 baking pan.  Set aside.

Dissolve jello in boiling water.  Add lemon juice and cool.  In mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese with sugar and vanilla.  In separate bowl, whip Milnot until it stands in peaks. In a large mixing bowl, Mix jello, cream cheese, and whipped milk, stirring well.  Pour into prepared pan.  Sprinkle reserved crumbs evenly over top.  Chill several hours.  Serves 16.

Nedra's Lemon Cake

Today's recipe comes from my aunt's sister-in-law.  Though she is not my blood relative, she was frequently at family dinners, and we always spent part of Christmas Day with the extended family at her house.

I have wonderful memories of sitting at the big table with the adults, as she didn't pawn the kids off at a side table.  I always felt so grown up eating at her house.   Another big plus was that she had an awesome aluminum pitcher and a set of those bright, solid color aluminum tumblers to drink out of; and instead of coasters, she had little socks that you slipped onto the bottom of the glasses so they didn't sweat on her table.  It's funny the weird things you remember from childhood!

Anyway, it was always hard to choose between her light and airy cheesecake and this fruity lemon cake.  Most of the time I'd go ahead and have some of each!

1 yellow cake mix

1 small box lemon instant pudding

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup water

4 eggs

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9x13 inch cake pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, instant pudding, oil, water, and eggs.  Beat with electric mixer on low until cake mix is moistened, then beat on medium speed for 3 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as necessary.

Pour cake batter into prepared pan, bake for 30-40 minutes, until toothpick inserted near center of cake comes out clean.

While cake is baking, in another mixing bowl, combine lemon juice, powdered sugar, water and melted butter, mix well.  Warm this mixture in the microwave for 1 minute.  Pour over warm cake.  Cool.  Serves 16.

Taco Soup

Occasionally, all it takes is one time making a recipe for it to become a favorite.  So it was with me and this recipe.  I don't remember how old I was, or for what reason my mom made this soup when I was growing up, but I loved it at first bite!  It's reminiscent of chili, but with taco spices and added ingredients that are delightfully different.  Delicious!

1/1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 14oz cans stewed tomatoes
1 14oz can hominy, drained and rinsed
1 15oz can chili beans
1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch dry ranch dressing mix
1 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 envelope taco seasoning mix

In a large pot or dutch oven, cook beef and onion, stirring occasionally to break up meat, until meat is brown and no longer pink.  Drain fat and return meat to pot.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, Fritos, black olives, jalapenos, and/or any other taco topping you enjoy.  Serves 6.

Potato Casserole

My son reminded me last night that Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away.  I love this time of year because it is finally cool enough that I want to turn on the oven to prepare some good old family recipes we all love.

Many years ago, my mom started fixing potato casserole instead of mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving.  That dish has always been my favorite part of the meal so that now it just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without potato casserole.

I know this is a common recipe that you can get anywhere.  But to me it means family, celebration, and love.

My daughter loves to smear it on a hot roll and top it with a slice ham for a delicious little sandwich.  I just might try that this year myself!

1 32oz bag frozen plain hash brown potatoes
1 small white or yellow onion, grated
1 tsp garlic powder
1 16oz bag shredded cheddar cheese
1 16oz carton sour cream
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
4 cups cornflakes, crushed
1 stick butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine hash browns, onion, garlic powder, cheese, sour cream, and soups, mix well.  Pour into a greased 9x13 casserole dish, smooth top evenly.  

In another mixing bowl, melt butter in the microwave.  Add cornflake to butter and mix well.  Sprinkle corn flakes evenly on top of casserole.

Bake, uncovered, 60 to 75 minutes, until potatoes are tender and top is nicely browned.  If top browns too fast, cover casserole with aluminum foil.  Serve hot.

All Purpose Fish Seasoning

Fish is a good choice for a healthy dinner.  This seasoning will make it a delicious choice too.  There is nothing special about this combination of spices, but they work magic together to enhance what would be a bland piece of fish otherwise.

My favorite preparation is with tilapia, but it would work well with any type of fish.  Experiment with it and come up with your own creative uses.

Fish Seasoning:

Mix equal parts of the following spices:

garlic powder
dried cilantro
dried basil
dried thyme
paprika
pepper
salt (optional)


Mix well, store in a labeled air-tight container.  Will stay fresh for 6 months, but I bet it won't last that long.


Here is how I use this seasoning most often:

4 Tilapia fillets, frozen or thawed
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp fish seasoning


Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.  Place fish flat side up in pan.  Evenly divide seasoning and sprinkle over fillets.  Cover and cook for 3 minutes if thawed, 5 minutes if frozen.  You want to give the fillets a nicely browned crust.  Flip fillets, leave uncovered, and cook another 3 minutes.  Remove to plates and serve immediately.  I like to serve wild rice pilaf and 2 vegetables, such as steamed broccoli and cauliflower.


I love this so much I could eat it every night for a very long time without tiring of it.  It is just plain good!