Homemade Egg Noodles

1 beaten egg

3 T. milk

1 tsp. salt

1 cup flour

Add milk and salt to egg. Beat well. Add flour and mix well. Roll thin. Let sit for 15 minutes. Cut into long narrow strips. Let stand another 15 minutes then add to boiling liquid (such as chicken broth for chicken noodle soup) and cook until done.

Microwave Peanut Brittle

1 cup sugar

1/2 cupwhite Karo

1 dash salt

1 cup raw peanuts

1 T. butter

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoonvanilla

Line baking sheet with wax paper. Spray wax paper with Pam. Combine sugar, salt and syrup in a 3 qt. microwave safe glass bowl. Stir in peanuts and microwave on high until light brown (8-10 minutes) stirring at least 2 times during cooking. Remove from microwave and stir in remaining ingredients adding baking soda last (mix will be foamy). Stir quickly and pour onto wax paper. Spread thin for brittle candy. Cool and break into pieces.

"No Peekie" Beef Stew

1 1/2 lb. stew meat

5 cubed carrots

5 cubed potatoes

2 chopped onions

1 qt. tomatoes

1 cup water

2 T. Worchestershire sauce

3 T. instant tapioca

1 tsp. salt

dash pepper

Cover tightly and bake at 250 for 6 hours. Do not peek or stir.

Whole Grain Pancake Mix

4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

3 1/2 cups oatmeal

3 T. sugar

3 T. baking powder

1 T. salt

1 T. baking soda

1/2 cup canola oil

Grind oatmeal in blender until fine, but not a powder. Add dry ingredients. Mix on slow speed and drizzle oil in while mixer is running. Store in airtight container for 2 weeks or indefinite in fridge or freezer.

To make:

1 cup mix

1 cup butter milk (or 1/2 cup plain yogurt and 1/2 cup milk)

1 egg

1 T. orange juice (optional)

Let stand for 10-20 minutes. Will thicken as it stands. Makes 8-4" pancakes.

Wholewheat Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cube light margarine

1/2 cup applesauce

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2-2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups oatmeal

Cream sugars and butter. Add egg. Mix remaining ingredients. Add chocolate chips and/or raisins. Bake 375 for 10 minutes.

Easy Rocky Road Fudge

Put 2 cups mini marshmallows in freezer.

In a bowl:

1 stick butter

6 oz. chocolate chips (Nestles semi-sweet work best)

1 tsp. vanilla

chopped walnuts (optional)

Set aside. In saucepan combine:

3/4 cup evaporated milk

2 cups sugar

10 regular sized marshmallows (or 100 mini)

Bring to rolling boil on medium heat and boil 6 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour into bowl of chocolate chips, etc. and stir; then cool slightly. Stir in frozen marshmellows and pour into a foil-lined 8x8 pan. Let set in fridge overnight. Store in fridge. (Recipe can be doubled.)

Bird's Nest Cookies (aka M&M cookies)

1 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, separated

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

finely chopped nuts

M&M peanut candies

vanilla frosting

Cream butter and sugar: add egg yolks one at a time. Add vanilla, blend well. Add flour and salt and blend well. Chill for 1 hour. Roll into walnut sized balls. Roll in slightly beaten egg whites and then chopped nuts. Bake 350 for 5 minutes. Press thumbprint into each one and bake 5 more minutes. Cool. Spread a little frosting into center and top with one candy.

Alternate option: Fill thumbprint with jam.

Chocolate Waffle Cookies

1 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

4 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup cocoa

2 cups flour

2 tsp. vanilla

Beat butter, sugar and eggs. Add cocoa, flour and vanilla. Drop by spoonfuls on hot waffle iron, sprayed with Pam. Close and bake for one minute. Frost with chocolate frosting.

Chocolate Frosting for Waffle Cookies

1 lb. powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4-1/2 cup cocoa

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 cup milk

Combine until smooth. Sprinkle with sprinkles of your choice (chocolate sprinkles, crushed candy cane, etc.).

Best Sugar Cookies Ever

1 c. butter

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. lemon flavoring

1/4 cup milk

4 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Mix butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs, and other liquids. In seperate bowl mix dry ingredients together and stir into wet mixture slowly, mixing well. Roll cookie dough out on floured surface until about 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes or until edges just start to brown. Cool and frost (adding almond flavoring with the vanilla in the frosting).

Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. olive oil
6 T. bread crumbs (whole wheat if you can find it)
2 T. panko
2 T. grated parmesan cheese
Olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 425. Spray baking sheet.

Put olive oil in one bowl. Mix bread crumbs, panko and parmesan in another bowl.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and put in bowl with oil. Mix so all chicken pieces are coated with oil. Put a few pieces at a time into the bread crumb mixture and then onto the baking sheet. Lightly spray with Pam and bake for 8-10 minutes. Turn over and bake til done, about another 4-5 minutes.

Grandma Orr's Date Squares

Crust:

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup shortening

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup sour milk

Mix sugar, flour, rolled oats and salt together. Cut in shortening with pastry blender. Dissolve baking soda in milk and add to flour mixture. Spread half of mixture into a 9x13 pan. Save the rest of the dough for the top.

Filling:

3/4-1 cup dates, cut up

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

Bring the filling ingredients to a boil and stir together over medium heat until it resembles jam. Pour date mixture on top of crust. As best as you can, roll out the remaining crust dough and place on top of date mixture. You may need to do some "piecing" as it is difficult to get a big enough piece to cover the entire 9x13 at once. Bake at 350 degrees until crust is golden brown. Cut in squares.

Sharon's Chocolate Mint Sandwich Cookies

3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

2 T. water

2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet)

2 eggs

2 1/2 cup flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sale

Andes mints

Melt butter, brown sugar and water in a large heavy saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate chips and stir in until partly melted. After chocolate chips have melted, pour into a large bowl and cool for 10 minutes.

With mixer add: eggs, flour, soda and salt. Beat in dry ingredients until just blended. Chill dough 1 hour or more. Preheat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheet. Teaspoon dough into balls. Bake 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and put 1/2 or a whole unwrapped Andes mint sandwich on top. Let soften/melt and swirl with the back of a spoon. Let cool. Makes about 80 cookies, depending on what size you make them.

Oreo Balls

1 pkg Oreo cookies

8 oz. cream cheese

1 pkg white almond bark

1 pkg chocolate almond bark

Using a blender or hand held mixer, mix Oreos and cream cheese together and roll into walnut sized balls. Chill for one hour.

Melt approximately 3/4 pkg of white almond bark. Stick a toothpick into an Oreo ball and dip it in the melted white almond bark. Allow to harden on wax paper (about 15 minutes). While waiting, melt about 1/4 pkg of chocolate almond bark.

When Oreo balls are no longer sticky to the touch, decorare with drizzles of chocolate and white almond bark. I just use a sandwich bag with a tiny hole cut inone corner to drizzle teh almond bark. Makes 25-35 walnut sized candies.

Sesame Chicken and Noodles

2 tsp. garlic
1/2 c. rice vinegar
1/2 c. soy sauce
2 tsp. Hoisin sauce
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 T. sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. ginger
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 T. peanut butter
2 T. hot water
5 chicken breasts, cut into long strips

Sesame Noodles:
Use half of the marinade above for noodles
12 oz. thin spaghetti or angel hair
green onion, thinly sliced
carrots, thinly sliced

Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl (you may need to microwave peanut butter to get it to stir in easily). Pour half of the marinade mixture into a Ziploc bag and add strips of chicken. Marinate for 2-8 hours. Reserve the other half of the marinade for the noodles. Grill chicken.

For the sesame noodles, cook noodles al dente, drain and pour into a bowl. Slice the green onions and carrots and add to the pasta with the reserved half recipe of marinade. Toss and serve with grilled chicken.  Serves 6.

Turkey Tacos

1 tsp. canola oil
1 onion, minced
2 T. chili powder
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. oregano
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. brown sugar
salt and pepper
8 taco shells, warmed OR
corn tortillas

Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat . Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, garlic, and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through, but still slightly pink, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in tortillas or taco shells with favorite toppings:  cheese, guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, etc

Peach Salsa

2 peaches, cored and diced
1 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced very finely
small handful of cilantro, chopped finely
pinch of coarse salt
juice of 1/2 lime

Mix ingredients, cover and refrigerate. Great on pork loin, fish tacos or eaten with tortilla chips.

Skillet Chili Mac

1 T. oil

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, minced

3/4 T. chili powder

1/2 T. cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 ½ cup water

1 ½ cup penne pasta

1 can diced green chiles, drained (optional)

½-1 cup shredded cheese, divided (I use half shredded parmesan and half cheddar)

Heat oil in skillet, add ground beef, onion, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Cook until ground beef is no longer pink. Drain off any excess grease. Add garlic and brown sugar and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce, water and pasta. Cover and simmer until pasta is done, about 12-15 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in half of cheese and chiles until cheese is melted and chiles are warmed through. Serve with additional cheese sprinkled on top.

Butterscotch Thins

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup chopped nuts

Cream butter, shortening and sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Add dry ingredients and stir until well blended.  Form into long rectangular rolls and wrap in wax paper.  Chill.  When ready to bake, remove from wax paper and slice thinly (1/4 inch).  Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.  Makes about 8 dozen.

Great Grandma's Pumpkin Pie

2 cups pureed pumpkin
2 T. flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/3 tsp. ginger
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. mace
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 cup milk
Mix well and pour into unbaked pie shells. Bake at 375 until knife inserted in center of pie comes out clean (about 50-55 minutes). May have to cover edges of crust with foil partway through baking so crust edges do not burn.

Asian Grilled Chicken

2 tsp garlic
1/2 c. rice vinegar
1/2 c. soy sauce
2 tsp. Hoisin Sauce
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 T. sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. ginger
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 T. peanut butter
2 T. hot water
5 chicken breasts, cut into long strips

Sesame Noodles:
use half of the marinade from above for noodles
12 oz. thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta
green onions, sliced
carrots, thinly sliced

Combine the marinade ingredients together in a bowl (you may need to heat the peanut butter in the microwave until it is soft enough to stir). Pour half of the marinade mixture into a Ziploc bag or tupperware and add chicken to it. Marinate for 2-8 hours. Grill chicken.

For the sesame noodles, cook the noodles until al dente, drain and pour into a bowl. Slice the green onions and carrots and add to the pasta. Pour the reserved marinade over the noodles and toss. Serve with grilled chicken.