Mom's Mud Pie

SIN-fully delicious!

1 box Blue Bunny chocolate ice cream (or whatever brand)
1 bottle Mrs. Richardson's Hot fudge sauce (yes, it HAS to be Mrs. Richardsons)
1 Oreo pie crust

(Allow two days before your event for making this pie, since it involves freezing layers. To make ice cream spreadable, I usually let it sit on the counter for about 20-30 minutes.)

Day 1: Spread ice cream in pie crust until half full and freeze until firm. Heat hot fudge in microwave until pourable and spread about half the bottle on ice cream layer. Your fudge layer should be solid (you don't want to skimp on the hot fudge - I like a thick layer which is about 2/3 of the bottle). Freeze overnight.
Day 2: Spread ice cream over the top of fudge layer until full. Ice cream can be mounded slightly. Freeze until firm. Serve with whipped topping for the full effect!

Butternut Squash Pie

Tastes just like pumpkin pie, but sweeter!

Total cook time: 50-55 mins

Ingredients:
1 pie crust
1 ¼ cup sugar
4 ½ tsp corn starch
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups mashed, cooked butternut squash
½ cup butter/margarine, softened
2 eggs
¼ cup water
3 tsp vanilla

In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, corn starch and cinnamon. Add squash, butter, eggs, water and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Pour into crust. Cover crust edges with tinfoil. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Remove foil. Bake another 35-40 minutes. Let cool one hour and serve with whipped topping.

Cookie Salad

1 sm pkg instant pudding
1 cup buttermilk
1 12 oz Cool Whip
Stir together until smooth.

Add:
1 quart strawberries, slice
2 cups seedless red and/or green grapes
2 bananas, sliced
2 golden delicious apples, diced
2 red delicious apples, diced
3 kiwis, diced

Stir until fruit is evenly coated. Crumble and mix in 1 frozen package striped shortbread cookies just before serving to avoid a soggy salad.

Super Quick BBQ Pork Chops

Ingredients:
4 bone-in or boneless pork chops, about 1 lb, ½" thick
2 tsp oil
½ cup BBQ sauce

Cook chops in hot oil in large skillet on med-high heat 4-5 minutes on each side. Pour BBQ sauce over chops; cover. Reduce heat to low. Cook 10 minutes or until cooked through.

Mandy's Favorite Chicken Casserole

6 cooked chicken breasts, diced
1 cup chopped celery
Spread in greased 9x13" dish

Mix together:
1 cup melted butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup
12 oz sour cream
Pour over chicken

Mix together:
2 rolls Ritz crackers, crushed
½ cup melted butter

Sprinkle mixture over top and bake at 350° for 30 mins.

Serve topped with La Choy Rice Noodles for extra crunch.

Mom's E-Z Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten
1 ½ cup milk
1 ½ cup flower
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt

Sift baking powder, sugar and salt together. Mix well with egg and milk. Cook on a hot platter and serve immediately.

Brown Sugar Bumps

Also known as Peanut Butter Princess Cookies...

Ingredients:
¼ cup butter or margarine melted
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup peanut butter
1 cup oatmeal

In medium bowl, mix brown sugar with butter. Add peanut butter and stir until smooth. Stir in oatmeal. Place small spoonfuls of mixture onto waxed paper. Let them set for 20 mins.*

*Sometimes I like to place spoonfuls on a paper plate and make stacks with waxed paper and keep them in the fridge. ☺

Grandma Johnson's Rolls

2 tbsp yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
Mix well, let set for 10 mins.

Add:
2 cups water
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp salt
9 cups flour

Mix well. Let raise 1 time. Knock down and put into rolls. Bake in greased pan 20 mins at 375°.

Grandma Johnson's Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies

Ingredients:
5 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 1/3 cup smashed bananas
2/3 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup shortening
1 1/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup nuts

In a small bowl, mix bananas, milk and vanilla. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix shortening, sugar and eggs. Sift flour, baking flour, baking soda and salt together. Add flour mixture and milk mixture alternately to banana mix. Add chocolate chips and nuts. Bake on a greased cookie sheet 10 minutes at 350°.

Jenny's Salad

This is Grandma Johnson's recipe...

Crust ingredients:
2 cups graham crackers, crushed
½ cup melted margarine
6 tbsp sugar

Cream cheese filling ingredients:
8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup sugar
9 oz carton Cool Whip

Jell-O layer ingredients:
6 oz pkg strawberry Jell-O*
2 cups water/pineapple juice mix
10 oz pkg frozen strawberries**
1 sm can crushed pineapple, drained

Mix graham crackers, melted margarine and sugar. Spread in 9x13" pan. Cool in fridge.

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and Cool Whip until smooth. Pour over crust and spread. Place back in fridge.

Bring water to a boil. Dissolve Jell-O. Add frozen fruit. Stir until thawed. Add crushed pineapple. Mix well. Pour over cream cheese mixture. Refridgerate 4 hours or until firm.

*Can also use raspberry Jell-O.

**Can also use raspberries. I've also tried this recipe with a package of frozen mixed berries and it was really good.

Love Family Carmel Corn

Cook time: approx 30 mins

Ingredients:
4 qts popcorn
1 cube butter/margarine
30 lg marshmallows
1 cup brown sugar
Dash of salt

Melt butter over low heat. Stir in marshmallows and brown sugar. Mix until smooth. Pour over popcorn in large mixing bowl. Add a dash of salt while mixing popcorn.

Great treat for a large group!

Mediterranean Chicken

Total cook time: 30 minutes
2-4 chicken breasts
3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup Balsamic or Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp. dried rosemary and/or oregano
1 Tsp. minced garlic
1 Tsp. minced onion
salt & pepper
1 loaf of bruschetta or focaccia bread

Combine oil, vinegar, and seasonings into a bowl and set aside. Pan grill chicken in large frying pan until lightly browned. Reduce heat and add oil mixture. Cover and simmer, turning chicken regularly, for 8-10 minutes.

Plate chicken and spoon oil mixture onto a plate. Add ground pepper and use for dipping bread. (Steamed zucchini goes really well with this.)

Navajo Tacos

Total cook time: 30-45 minutes
1 package of ground hamburger
1 large can of red kidney beans
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 can of tomato sauce
1 bag of Rhodes frozen rolls or 1 box of bread dough mix
4 cups of cooking oil (not olive oil!)
Your choice taco toppings: cheese, sour cream, salsa, lettuce, etc.

If using frozen rolls, thaw and let rise for approximately 5 hours ahead of time: Lay plastic wrap over a cookie sheet and coat with nonstick spray. Set out rolls onto plastic wrap far enough apart that they will not touch when fully risen. If using dough mix, prepare about 30 minutes before starting meat and oil.

Brown hamburger in a large frying pan. Drain kidney beans and put into a sauce pan to heat. Heat cooking oil in a large sauce pan. Combine tomato sauce and taco mix into the frying pan with browned hamburger. Add kidney beans and simmer on low.

Take risen one risen roll at a time and flatten into a 5-6 inch round. Using tongs, slide the dough into boiling oil and let cook for 30 seconds. Turn over in oil and cook another 30 seconds. Continue turning until fried dough is a light brown (the fried bread will get darker once you take it out to cool) and set on paper towels to drain off excess oil.

Top fried bread with meat mixture and taco toppings.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Total cook time: 1 hour
3 chicken breasts
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove galic, pressed
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup masa harina (corn flour)
3 cups water
1 cup enchilada sauce
16 oz. Velveeta
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
Garnish: shredded cheese, crumbled or shredded corn tortilla chips, pico de gallo

In a large pot, cook chicken breasts until browned and set aside to cool. In the same pot, saute onions and garlic for approximately 2 minutes or until onions begin to become translucent. Add chicken broth. In a medium bowl, combine masa harina with 2 cups of water and whisk until blended. Add masa mixture in pot of broth. Add remaining water, enchilada sauce, velveeta, and spices to pot and bring to a boil. Shred chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and add into pot. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until thick.

Serve in bowls or large cups, garnish with shredded cheese, pico de gallo, and top with tortilla chips.

Homemade Mac n Cheese

Cook time: 20 mins

This recipe actually comes from my mother-in-law's grandmother (but it's too tasty not to share!)

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked elbow (macaroni)
noodle
1 can tomato soup
1 cup medium or sharp cheddar cheese (cubed)

In a large sauce pan cook noodles as directed on the package. Drain. Replace on burner set to low-med heat. Pour tomato soup over noodles and stir. Mix in cubed cheese and stir until melted.

Serves 4