Homemade Egg Nog

Let's face it Egg Nog is NOT cheap by any means. Just a quart can run about the same as a gallon of milk some times. YIKES!

A poster on the Lots of Kids board posted their family recipe for Egg Nog which sounded super simple and way cheaper than the store bought stuff.


2 eggs, beaten well *suggestion: blend in a blender, or food processor to get it very well incorporated*
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp nutmeg, ground
2 1/3 cups milk
container of whipping cream (or make whip cream out of as you would normally)

Preparation:
Blend all ingredients together and serve chilled. fold in some whipped cream till the consistancy you like .

Make Your Own

I did not know that you could make your own Sweetened Condensed Milk!

It was brought up in the Fudge thread that you could make it and I did NOT know that!

It is yet another super simple recipe that you can do, especially if you are in a pinch and find you are out of it. Or do like others and just always make your own.


INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
3/4 cup boiling water
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup white sugar
2 2/3 cups nonfat dry milk powder


DIRECTIONS
Combine water, butter, sugar and milk powder in a blender and blend until thickened, 2 minutes. Store in refrigerator.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Delicious Fudge

Ok. I have to hand it to the ladies at the Large Family boards, because they really do know how to cut down on time and really make things super simple!

I don't normally make fudge because I always felt it was way to labor intensive! Then someone posted this super simple fudge recipe. I tried it tonight with some of the Andes Mint chips for some minty fudge and it was delicious. My husband was shocked at how fast I made it too, LOL!

Seriously you have go to try this one and add it to your holiday baking list.


Chocolate Fudge

1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 C chocolate chips
4 Tb butter

Put all ingredients into a bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir well. Microwave again for another 30 seconds and stir again. If it is not thuroughly melted at this point then nuke for 20 second intervals, stirring inbetween until completely melted and mixed.

Pour into an 8x8 greased or lined pan.

Chill until set.

Cut and serve.

*You can add nuts, crushed up candy canes, mint extract, orange extract, flavored extracts of any kind, whatever you like. Try making two layer fudge with peanut butter fudge!


Peanut Butter Fudge
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 C white baking chips
1/2 c peanut butter
1tsp vanilla

Prepare the same way as above.

Minty Chocolate Fudge

1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 C chocolate chips
1 C Mint Chips
4 Tb butter

Prepare as above, but pour only half of the mixture into the pan then add a layer of the left over mint chips and then pour the rest of the mix on top. (This is what I did for the Andes mint fudge and it was delicious!)

Other ideas:
Cherry flavoring with some chopped up dried cherried added.
Orange extract or flavoring and add dried citrus with some chopped walnuts.
Raisins with peanuts for a Chunky Candy Bar effect.

Be creative and share the fun this holiday season.

Thanks to JoyofSix for this wonderful recipe!

Parker House Rolls

Makes 3 dozen

• 1/2 cup melted (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more melted butter for brushing bowl
• 1 1/2 cups warm (115 degrees) milk
• 2 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

Directions

1. Brush a large bowl with butter; set aside. In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over 1/4 cup milk. Let stand until soft, about 5 minutes. In another large bowl, combine butter, sugar, salt, remaining 1 1/4 cups milk, and egg. Whisk to combine. Whisk in yeast mixture.


2. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, until you have a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. Place in prepared bowl, turning to coat with butter. Cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.


3. Punch down dough. Cut into 2 pieces. Invert bowl over dough, and let rest for 10 minutes. Working with one piece at a time, on a lightly floured surface, roll into a 12-inch square, about 1/3-inch thick. Cut into six 2-by-12-inch strips. Cut each strip into three 4-by-2-inch rectangles.


4. Brush rectangles with butter. Using the handle of a butter knife, crease rectangles slightly off center. Fold at crease. Arrange in rows, slightly overlapping, on buttered baking sheet, with shorter side facing down. Allow at least 1/4-inch of space between rows. Cover and let stand until doubled in bulk, 20 to 30 minutes.


5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush rolls with melted butter. Transfer to oven and bake until golden, about 17 minutes, if baking a single strip, about 25 minutes if baking 3 strips at a time (1/4 sheet pan). Remove from oven and brush once more with melted butter.


6. For freezing: shape rolls; arrange in same manner on parchment lined baking sheet. Transfer to freezer until frozen. Transfer to freezer bags. When ready to bake remove from freezer, arrange on buttered baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until defrosted, and doubled in bulk about 2 1/2 hours. Cook according to step 5, above.

Orange Cranberry Sauce

Growing up I never really cared for the gelatinous canned looking mass of supposed "cranberry sauce" that was sitting on the table during Thanksgiving. It did not taste anything like the jello it looked like.

But as I got older I thought I'd try some cranberry sauces, but homemade. My first homemade cranberry sauce was a bitter disaster. Blech. The Food Network recipes weren't completely working for me and I could never get it sweet enough. It seemed like a waste of sugar to me.

So I tossed the idea out the window.

Then a few Thanksgivings back I saw a recipe I think from Paula Dean that used canned whole cranberry sauce. At first I was amazed that canned cranberry sauce could have the berries in them too! LOL

So I tried the recipe and we fell in love with cranberry sauce for the first time ever!

I've tweaked it and modified it to our likings but it really is a great addition to the Thanksgiving table, when it tastes good.

Semi-Homemade Cranberry Sauce

*For best results make one day a head so it can marinate.*

1 can Whole Cranberry Sauce.
1 Large Orange (seedless preferablely)
¼ C finely chopped Walnuts *optional*
1 tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp ground clove


In a bowl empty the can of cranberry sauce. Break up with a fork.

Cut the orange in half. Take one half of the orange and squeeze all of the juice you can from it into the cranberry sauce. Take the other half and cut off all of the rind. Don't peel it because you want to get to all of the juice pouches you can. Once the rind is cut off chop the orange into small pieces and add to the cranberry sauce mix.

Add the finely chopped walnuts, cinnamon, ground cloves, and the pinch of ginger. (You can add more or less of the spices you want to taste)

Mix together well.

Cover and chill for 6-12 hours (18-24 hours is best) so the sauce can marinate and absorbe all of the flavors.

Remove from fridge and either let it reach room temp or serve chilled with your Thanksgiving dinner.

Yummy!

Delicious Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough

2.5 c. warm water
2 TBS. Sugar
2 TBS. Yeast
2 tsp. salt
5 TBS. butter or margarine
6.5 c. flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix water, sugar and yeast, let rise 15 min. (I usually put it in a stainless steel bowl and put in on the center of the stove, because it's getting warm and it helps it rise faster). In a large bowl mix flour, butter, and salt. Then add yeast mixture, and knead until dough is soft. I usually add about 2 TBS. of olive oil to the bowl, or you can use any other kind of oil, this helps it from ticking to the bowl. Let it rise in a warm area until really light.

This is a GREAT basic dough for bread, pizza crust, cinnamon rolls or dinner rolls.

Bake for 15-20 min.at 400º for crusts & rolls

For Bread bake for 30 min. at 350º degrees.

Cinnamon Roll Fillings

1C Brown Sugar
5Tbsp Cinnamon
1 stick butter

Remove the margarine from the refrigerator once you've started the dough cycle and allow it to reach room temperature. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon.

After the dough cycle has completed, roll and stretch the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 15" by 24" (38 cm by 61 cm) rectangle.

Mark off 1" along the 24" edge of the dough, closest to you. You will not spread any Margarine or Sugar-Cinnamon mixture on this edge so that you can seal the roll. Spread the softened Margarine over the dough with a rubber spatula and then evenly distribute the Sugar and Cinnamon mixture. Be careful to leave your 1" edge clean. As a final step, use your rolling pin to lightly roll the Sugar and Cinnamon mixture.

Starting at the far edge of the dough, roll it up tightly. Begin at the far edge and roll up the dough toward the 1" clean edge. The clean 1" edge is used to seal the finished roll. Trim the left and right ends of the roll. The result will be a 24" roll. Trim off the left and right ends of the roll so that you have a flush end at each end of the roll. Then mark the roll every 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm). Cut the roll into 1 1/2" long portions. This may be done with a knife, as they do at the store. However we've found it easier to use dental floss. (We use cinnamon flavored dental floss just for dramatic effect!) Cut the roll by placing the thread under the roll at your mark, crisscross over and pull it to cut. You should get 15 rolls.

Line your baking pans with parchment paper. Place 5 rolls into 8" square baking pans 1" apart. (One roll in each corner, and one in the center.) Cover with a lint free cloth and let rise in a warm, draft free place until almost double, approximately 1 hour. After rising, rolls should be touching each other and the sides of the pan. This is important for best results. This gives the resulting rolls the soft, moist outer edge that most people prefer.

After rising, bake in a convection oven at 310°F for 15 minutes. If you are using a conventional oven, bake at 335°F for 20 minutes. The resulting rolls should be only lightly browned. We bake only one 8 inch square pan of rolls at a time to obtain uniform results.

Cream Cheese Frosting
4oz Cream Cheese - room temp
1 stick butter - room temp
1¾C Confectioners Sugar
1tsp Vanilla (preferably Alcohol Free)
1/8 tsp lemon flavoring (preferably Alcohol Free)

in a bowl cream together cream cheese and butter for 6 mins. Add 1 Cup of the powdered sugar and mix for another minute. Add the remaining sugar and again min for 1 minute. Lastly add the flavorings and again mix for 1 minute.

Transfer the finished frosting to a convenient covered container and refrigerate it. Once the rolls are finished baking, frost them while they're still very warm and serve them immediately. Yum, yum!

Our Family's Rich Hot Chocolate Mix

Last year I found these wonderful tupperware like bins at Wal-Mart, and while I wish they were twice the size, they do well for most of my bulk foods; like Oatmeal, sugar, flour, rice, and more. This bin holds about 15-20 lbs of sugar or flour and this recipe pretty much fills this bin. But it is worth it in the end

BEST Hot Chocolate Mix
40.7oz/2.54lbs Can of Nesquick - (72 serving can)

58oz/2lbs Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix in a can

22oz/1.6lbs Non Dairy Powdered Creamer

16oz Hershey's Baking Cocoa - Natural Unsweetened

2 - 11.5oz pkg Ghiradelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

Mix together in a large bin (I also have used a 3gal bucket), until well blended and incorporated. You do this by sealing the lid and then rocking the bin back and forth and side to side until you can no longer see the layers. I usually do this in front of the TV for a good 20 minutes or so.










*Yes I know *well* is misspelled as *will*.Deal with it. :D*

We mix this together at the beginning of the season and - YUM! We just love this!

Once mixed
¼ Cup scoop for 8oz. of liquids (hot water or milk)
½ Cup scoop for 16oz of liquids




Okay! So, once you have the mix set this is how you make a mug of Hot Cocoa. In our house we have HUGE mugs and normal mugs. I'll show you how to prepare both.



In either mug, fill 3/4 full of water and microwave on HIGH for a good 3-4 minutes. You want the water as hot as you can get it to help melt the chocolate bits.


*I actually no longer add the Hershey Syrup, it is just optional now.*
In the normal mug add about 1½ scoops of the Hot Cocoa Mix, you of course can add more or less to it.

In the HUGE mug we use between 3-4 scoops depending on the chocolate mood I am in. Normally it's 4 scoops, which is, yes, 1C of the mix. - mind you the mug is 4 times the size of the smaller mug.

Now mix well, making sure the chocolate bits are melted as well as possible.

Then add in some Chocolate Syrup, to taste. It's not measured out so add as much or as little as you'd like. This is to help sweeten the bitterness of the baking cocoa and the bittersweet chocolate bits.



Now add in the milk to top off the mug, and stir again. This adds to the richness, and the creaminess as well as helps to cool it off enough to get to drinking! If you want it warmer then you can always microwave it again for another 30seconds to 1 minute.

I KNOW this is NOT a cheap mixture to make. I certainly wasn't going for cost effectiveness when I set out to make this mix. I was going for a perfectly rich and tantalizing mug of cocoa. It is one of my favorite winter drinks and those childhood packets never did anything for me. It always took at least 2-3 to get the richness I was looking for.

Even still a bin like this can last about 2-3 months, unless it's been really cold out.

Check out how to use this mix for an EXCELLENT Starbucks copycat Double Chocolately Chip Frappe!!

Cream Spaghetti Squash Casserole

This one really caught my eye, while I was surfing some recipe blogs. It looks and sounds delicious! Plus the upside is that it's healthier than plain ol' pasta!

I found it on Tammy's Recipes

Cream Spaghetti Squash Casserole

A cheesy, creamy layer of spaghetti squash topped with a flavorful spaghetti sauce with meat for a delicious baked casserole!

Yield:
16 servings

Ingredients:
2 medium-large spaghetti squashes (about 6 [packed] cups of cooked squash all together)
2 tablespoons butter
1 small-medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
8 ounces (2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 ounces (1/4 cup) shredded cheddar cheese, optional
8-12 ounces (about 1 1/4 to 2 cups) cooked ground beef
4 cups spaghetti sauce (can use a 26 ounce jar or a quart of homemade)
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Instructions:
1. In a large stock pot, put about 2-3 inches of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Wash outside of squash, cut squash in half and place in the stock pot of boiling water, flesh side down. Cover and boil for 15-20 minutes, until squash is tender.

2. Drain squash. Holding halves with a potholder, use a fork to scoop out the stringy "spaghetti". Set aside.

3. In a large stock pot or saute pan, melt butter. Add onions, garlic, and bell peppers and saute until tender. Add squash and cook and stir until heated through.

4. In a separate saucepan on low heat, melt the cream cheese. Add the sour cream, salt, pepper, and parsley flakes, stirring to make a smooth white sauce.

5. Stir the white sauce into the cooked squash mixture.

6. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread the white squash mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Spread about 1 1/2 cups of the shredded mozzarella cheese over the squash.

7. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, spaghetti sauce, sugar, and Italian seasoning. Spread over the layer of shredded cheese. Top with the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese (if using). Sprinkle with dried basil or oregano flakes for garnish if desired.

8. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees (325 for glass dish) for 30-40 minutes, until casserole is hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly (10-15 minutes) before serving.

Yummy Acorn Squash Recipe

I love browsing for new recipes, like I've said before, and today I came across this little delight that just may end up as our new Thanksgiving SideDish this year.


Super simple and it looks divine. Don't you think?

She shows a pictured step by step process for even easier directions.

Delicious Baked Acorn Squash

Acorn Squash
Kosher Salt
Butter
Brown Sugar
Pure Maple Syrup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Half each squash, then scrape out the seeds and stringy membranes.
Sprinkle each half with salt.

Add a generous tablespoon of butter to the center of each squash.
Add 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons brown sugar.

Drizzle squash with maple syrup.

Pour 2 cups water in the bottom of the baking pan.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 30-45 minutes, or until squash is golden brown. In the last 5 minutes of baking, turn on the broiler and allow tops to get a little more brown and the butter/sugar mixture to bubble.

Serve on a platter and share with Aunt Winifred.

Candy Corn Cookies

Ok, again I LOVE baking and I love finding super simple easy recipes that are fun and inventive!

Well today through Tip Junkie I found yet another wonderfully fun and easy cookie recipe on Tidymom that are just perfect for Halloween!

CANDY CORN COOKIES

Refridgerator Sugar Cookie Dough
Orange Food Coloring (*or red and yellow)
Bakers Bittersweet Chocolate
Bakers White Chocolate

Take refrigerated cookie dough (I used 2 rolls and got about 30 cookies) add orange food coloring (*or red and yellow to make orange) Knead the dough until orange. Roll dough and cut cookies with candy corn cookie cutter (or you can use a triangle cookie cutter). Bake for 10 mins. Let cool. Dip bottom of cooled cookie in melted Baker's chocolate, and dip top end in melted white Baker's Chocolate. Freeze for 5 mins. to set.

~ENJOY!~

I'm sure you could even replace the store bought sugar cookie dough with your favorite recipe as well.

Talk about easy and FUN!

I am hoping I'll get around to making some of these this week. I may make them for the Halloween party. That would be really fun!

Laundry Soap Recipe - Tip of the Week

Tip of the Week

Again not all recipes are edible.

When I saw the Duggar family on the Discovery Channel I was hooked. That was a good 4 kids ago for her I think now, LOL Some of my online friends post on the same message board as Michelle so we usually get the scoop on when they are expecting again.

So any ways, their lastest episode showed how they save money with such a LARGE family. They shop at Aldi for their food, they use thrift shops for clothes and shoes, and they do their own hair. But the one that caught my attention was that they make their own laundry soap for a fraction of the cost of the store brands.

I of course HAD to look this up. What large family doesn't need to save money?! What large family doesn't do a TON of laundry on a daily basis?!

Thankfully they posted the recipe! They even posted a recipe for fabric softener as well as a tip for making fabric softener last longer, which I love!

http://www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html

TIPS FOR LAUNDRY SOAP: We use Fels-Naptha bar soap in the homemade soap recipes, but you can use Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile or Zote bars. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps. We buy Fels-Naptha by the case from our local grocer or online. Washing Soda and Borax can normally be found on the laundry or cleaning aisle. Recipe cost approx. $2.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value

4 Cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 5 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)



Powdered Laundry Detergent- Top load machine

1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax

-Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)


Inexpensive Fabric Softener Recipes

Recipe #1
1 Cup White Vinegar
Add vinegar to rinse cycle. Works great. Removes residue and odors. Also helps to keep washing machine and hoses fresh and clean too.

Recipe #2 (I love this idea)
1 Container of Name Brand Fabric Softener
4 Inexpensive sponges, cut in half

Pour entire container of softener into a 5 gallon bucket. Fill empty softener container with water twice. (2 parts water to 1 part softener) Add sponges to softener/water mixture. When ready to use wring out extra mixture from one sponge and add to the dryer as you would a dryer sheet.

Croissant Chicken Casserole

This is another family favorite of ours. It's a variation of the Pampered Chef recipe Turkey Cranberry Wreath .

For our large family the wreath was impractical for us. We used to do the wreath until it no longer suited our family size. It was definitely fun and decorative. But again impractical.

So this is how we make our Croissant Chicken Casserole:

*Mind you we normally have our chicken pre cooked, chopped, and frozen for easy prep. If you don't have this step done then you'll need to cook and chop your chicken.*


2 pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls
1 C. Real mayonnaise (or enough to keep mixture moistened)
1T. honey
2T. mustard
½ tsp. coarsely ground pepper
4-5 large chicken breasts cooked & chopped (you can use leftover Turkey for this too)
3 stalks celery, minced (I use my food chopper, or food processor)
3 T. parsley
3/4C. craisins
2C. Favorite shredded cheese
½ C. walnuts, chopped finely

In a greased or lined 9x13 baking dish unroll one package of the crescent rolls. Don't worry about gaps, just make sure it's fairly flat and fully unrolled.

Chop/mince with either a hand food chopper or a food processor the chicken, celery, and the walnuts. Do each ingredient seperately and add them to a medium sized bowl.

Add the rest of the ingredients (except the crescent rolls) and mix well. If themixture seems too dry add a little more mayo.

Once everything is mixed well, spread it ontop of the layer of crescent rolls in the pan. Smooth out.

Unroll the second crescent rolls ontop of the mixture, again not worrying about the gaps.

Bake at 350º for 35-40 mins. Cool and serve.

Seriously there is always a demand for seconds. This is my husband's ultimate FAVORITE dish, as well as the kids.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream:
4 sticks of butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs

Add:
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
6 cups of flour



Stir in 4 cups of chocolate chips (I like to do half milk, half semi-sweet). Using a 1/4 c. measuring cup to scoop out the dough, cook 6-8 on a sheet, 350 degrees, for about 12 minutes. You don't want these cookies to brown at all - take them out when they look just barely done and let them sit on the tray for a couple minutes.


The recipe makes 36 huMUNGous cookies or 70 normal-sized ones. (I once made over 100 bite-sized ones for a party.) It can be halved; to half an egg, simply mix it up in a bowl and measure out two tablespoons. Still, I recommend making the full batch. They freeze excellently.

These come from Rebecca Watson The Misplaced America's

Tie Dye Cookies

So in my other blog I posted about the rainbow cookies. Well I finally got around to making them but we used different colors. They were the colors the kids wanted to use. Purple (Sariah), Blue (Mason), Pink (Rachel), & Green (Liam).

I tried to make the cookies using the snake method, but it was becoming too time consuming.

So I reverted to the ball and press method, and decided to call them Tie Dye Cookies instead, because of the effects it made with the cookies.

The dough really does work like play dough, only a tad more breakable. The cookies taste kind of like the butter cream cookies I make but softer. So they were goo but needed some icing I thought.

Later on in the night I whipped up some butter cream icing and iced most of them and they were a lot better. Down side was covering up the tops of the cookies, since they were so beautiful. I think if I were to do this for a party or to give to someone, I'd be sure to ice the bottoms and also add colored sugar sprinkles to the bottom of the icing too so that way you could display the pretty Tie Dye Tops without having the icing get all over the place.

As for ease? The ball and press was a LOT easier for the kids too. They all had fun rolling and pressing them out too.

Jaylen the cookie monster!

The kids enjoying their cookies!

They're GREAT!

Who liked the cookies? "Meeeeeeeeeee!"

Making some silly faces!

Jaylen - "I'm living in a crazy house!"

Fresh Pumpkin

I've always wanted to know how to make pumpkin pie without having to use a can opener.

Now I know!

Thanks to Cooking with Anne

Tip of the Week

This tip came from a friend of mine over 10 years ago. She has/had (many have grown and moved on and married, etc) a large family and like most large families we buy in BULK!

I too buy in bulk especially meats and even milk when it is on sale.

So what do I do with ALL of the ground beef, ground turkey, chicken, or sausage? It certainly doesn't keep well in the fridge and it would take up WAY too much room, too. Freezing right after you get it home isn't practical either.

Well I have a MEAT COOKING DAY!

Like this past Sunday when I had 15 pounds of ground hamburger I had just bought, I cooked all of it! I then place it into freezer bags and frOze them. I make sure I portion it out for meals too, so all I have to do is take it out of the freezer nuke it on high for 2½ minutes and add it to whatever recipe I need it for!

It also makes clean up easier. Instead of cleaning out a greasy pan several times over. I only have one pan/pot to clean a month! (you know what I mean)

Today I used it for Taco Soup.

It cuts my daily cooking down a lot! No more thawing, cooking, draining, and then cooking the recipe.

I even cook my chicken ahead of time too. And with my food chopper I chop it all up and portion it out into freezer bags and freeze it as well. Makes my chicken recipes a breeze! Chicken Enchiladas are done in a matter of mintutes! They are literally ready for the oven in no time!

Tater Tot Casserole

This is a new recipe I tried. Kind of "invented" if you will. I know there are many recipes for tater Tot Casserole but I used what I had on hand and it turned out great. The kids LOVED it!

2-3 packages of ground Sausage cooked and drained
2 bags of Tater tots

3 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 Cups of Milk
2 Cups of Shredded Cheese

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Cook and drain sausage and put into bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Add the tater tots on top of the sausage.

In a bowl mix the soup and milk together until it is blended well. Stir in the cheese and then pour on top of the sausage and tater tots as evenly as possible.

Sprinkle with some salt and pepper.

Next take a spoon or spatula and mix everything as well as possible while in the baking dish.

Bake at 350º for 50 minutes.

This was really good.
I'm thinking next time I may add some spinach to the mix to make it more healthy, but we did also have some Green Beans and Salad on the side.

Cinnamon Dough

*Okay this is not an edible dough but a craft dough that smells DIVINE! I had a friend use this dough to make a craft with ginger bread people cut outs and she decorated them in fabric and added them to a wreath. The scent of apple & cinnamon lasted all season. This would be perfect for some easy tree ornaments that kids could cut out and make.

1 cup ground cinnamon
1 tbls. ground nutmeg (optional)
1 tbls. ground cloves (optional)
3/4 cup apple sauce
2 tbls. tacky glue

Combine dry ingredients, add applesauce and glue.

Mix until well blended.

Work mixture in hands for 2 or 3 minutes to form a ball.

Knead on cinnamon sprinkled surface until it holds together well.

Cut out ornaments, use a straw to put a hole for hanging.

Dry on wax paper, turning periodically so cutouts stay flat and do not dry unevenly. Refrigerate any unused portion in a sealed container.

Broccoli & Cheese Crock Pot Soup

3Cans Cream of Celery
3 Cans Cream of Broccoli
1Can Evaporated Milk
2Cans Water (use one of the soup cans)
1lb Velveeta Cheese
1Bag Frozen Chopped Broccoli

In crock pot mix soup, milk & water

Heat on low until hot throughout 2-3hrs

Add cheese & broccoli Heat another 1-2 hours Until cheese is melted and broccoli is cooked.
*Stir often

Super Easy Potato Soup Recipe

I cook it the night before and then put it in a crock-pot for the luncheon. You can also top it with baked potato goodies like bacon pieces, cheese and chives. This is easily doubled. When I double it though, I usually still use just one can of evaporated milk.

2 (32 ounce) bag southern style hash browns (these are the small cubes)
1 onion, chopped (to taste)
1 (13 ounce) can evaporated milk (can use fat free)
1 cup Parkay margarine
salt and pepper (to taste)
water

Put frozen potatoes in crock pot.

Fill with water just to the top of the potatoes.

Add milk, margarine, evaporated, milk and some salt and pepper.

Cook high 2 hours or until potatoes are turoughly cooked, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer until potatoes are soft and ingredients are well blended (about 30-40 minutes), stir occasionally.
If it is not the desired consistency, a thick creamy soup, you can mix a little potato flakes it in to the soup.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Potato Soup Recipe

Don't let the sparse ingredient list fool you. This is a recipe that's so easy to make, yet so delicious, that everyone inhales it.



1 large potato, per person
1/4 cup chopped celery, per person (include leaves)
1/4 cup chopped onion, per person
1/4-1/2 cup milk or half-and-half or cream
salt and pepper, to taste
Peel and cube potatoes.


Put in a saucepan along with the onions and celery.


Add water, but don't quite cover the vegetables.


Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are very tender.


Using a potato masher, coarsely crush the potatoes, but don't mash them--you want chunks left.
Add enough milk or cream to thin to desired thickness and add salt& pepper to taste.
(It will take a lot of salt!).

Empanada Dough

2 Cups Flour
½ Cup Lard
2½ Tbsp Butter
½ tsp Salt
½ Cup Ice Water -Apx

Mix together, roll out and cut into circles. We use an Empanada cutter and crimper, but you can use a cookie cutter and a fork.

Use your favorite filling.

Ours is:

Ground beef cooked and drained. mixed with some cooked rice and some Goya seasoning, and drained diced tomatoes.

Cheese Fondue

¼C Butter
¼C Flour
½tsp Salt
¼tsp Pepper
¼tsp Dry Mustard
1½C Milk
2C Shredded Cheese

Slowly melt together

Serve with breads, or fruit in a fondue pot.

Super Easy Tuna Casserole

We have a large family so this is how we make it.

6 boxes Mac & Cheese
3 sticks butter
1 Cup Milk
3 Cups Shredded Cheese
1 Family Package of Tuna
2 Cans Peas
1 Can Carrots
3 Tbsp Dill Weed

Boil water and cook the macaroni. Drain water when done.

Place the butter in the bottom of the pot before placing the drained macaroni back into it. This facilitates the melting process.

Stir until the butter is fully melted. Add tteh packets of powdered cheese and mix as well as possible before adding the milk. Continue stiring until the cheese powder is well dissolved. You can add more milk if you need to.

Add the cheese, tuna, drained peas, drained carrots and dill. Mix well.

Now you can serve it as is or you can transfer to a 9x13 baking dish top with bread crumbs mixed with some butter and bake at 350º for 20 mins.

We done it both ways and both are delicious. It depends on how fast of a dinner we want. :D

Mexican Casserole

1bag Tortilla Chips
2Can Cram of Chicken
1 Can Chilli (No beans)
1- 8oz Bottle of Taco Sauce - Mild
1 Soup Can of Milk
2 Cup Shredded Cheese

-Crush chiups into bottom of 9x13 pan

-Mix soup, chilli, taco sauce, & milk

- Pour over chips

-Top with cheese

-Bake 350ºF for 30mins

Creamy Chicken Crock Pot

4 Chicken Breasts - Cooked and shredded

¼C Melted Butter
2 Packets Ranch Dressing
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
8oz Cream Cheese Cubed
½C Chicken Broth
½ Onion Chopped
1 Bag frozen mixed Veggies

Combine in Crock Pot

Cook:
High 1hr
Low 2hr

Serve on noodles or rice

My sister Pam made this once when she had us over for dinner, and it was awesome!

Chicken Enchilada Dip

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (8 oz. ) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayo
1 (8oz.) package shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chile peppers
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
Preheat oven to 350.

Place chicken breast halves on a medium baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated oven 20 minutes, or until no longer pink. Remove from heat, cool, and shred.

Place shredded chicken in a medium bowl, and mix in cream cheese, mayo, cheese, green chiles, and jalapeno. Transfer the chicken mixture to a medium baking dish.

Bake uncovered in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

I got this one from my friend Amy Carr. She made it for a HS Teacher's Resource Meeting and it was awesome!

Quick & Easy Chicken Enchiladas

2-3 pkg Flour Tortillas (or whole wheat)
4 bonelss chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1- 12oz container Sour Cream
1 sm can diced chili peppers
1pkg Shredded Cheese

Mix chicken, soup, sour cream, chili peppers, and about 1C of the shredded cheese together. Add some milk to mixture to thin it out a little if needed.

In a 9x13 pan add a thin layer of the mixture to the bottom, then layer with the tortillas.

Add mixture
Cheese
Tortilla
Mixture
Cheese
Tortilla

Until mixture is gone, topping with a layer of tortilla and finally shredded cheese.

Bake at 350ºF for 40mins

Swedish Meatballs (Crock Pot)

1 C Flour
2tsp Salt
4tsp Paprika
1tsp Pepper
9C Boiling Water
2C Sour Cream

Mix dry ingredients together.
Reserve 2 cup of water while boiling the other 6.
With the 2 cups of cold water SLOWLY mix with the flour mixture until well incorporated. Whisk well.
Once the rest of the water is boiling then add the wet flour mix to the boiling water stiring constantly.

Pour the mixture into your crock pot and add 2pkg Frozen meatballs heat thoroughly for about 4hrs on low. 20 mins before serving add the sour cream. Heat for another 20 mins.

Serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

Taco Soup

3 lbs Cooked & drained Ground Beef
3 cans Kidney Beans drained
2 cans Drained Diced Tomatoes
4(8oz) cans Tomato Sauce
1-2 packets Taco Seasoning (depends on your taste)
1 Can Corn

Cook until heated either on stove or in a crock pot - on low for 4 hours, high for 2 hours

Top with:
Sour Cream
Shredded Cheese
Corn Chips
Green Onions

Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle

1 pkg (18 1/4 oz) chocolate cake mix
1 pkg (10 oz) peanut butter chips
4 1/4 c cold milk, divided
2 pkg (5.9 oz each) instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 c whipping cream
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 carton (12 oz) Cool Whip (I only use 8 oz.)
4 crushed Butterfinger candy bars OR 4 pkg Reese's Peanut Butter cups cut up OR 1 - 1 1/2 c chocolate chips

Prepare cake mix according to pkg directions. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 13x9" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 min or til toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool.

While cake is cooling, beat together 4 c milk and chocolate pudding mix. Place in refrigerator to set.

Also while cake is cooling, combine peanut butter chips, 1/4 c milk, and cream in heavy saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat til chips are melted. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature.

When cake is cool, cut cake into bite-size pieces.

Layer into large trifle bowl or large bowl half of the cake (I use about 1/3.), half of the peanut butter sauce, half of the pudding (I use about 1/3.), half of the Cool Whip (I use 4 oz.), and half the candy bar pieces or chocolate chips; repeat layers.* Cover and refrigerate atleast 3 hrs before serving.

Makes 12-15 servings.

Death By Chocolate Trifle

Prepapred Brownie mix (mixed and baked as directed)
Chocolate Pudding (home made or store bought)
Chocolate Cool Whip - 2 containers
Favorite Chocolate Candy Bar mini's

Crush candy bars into bits or cut up.
Mix pudding and cool whip
Crumble prepared brownies

In a Trifoil Dish Layer the following
Brownie
Pudding
Candy

Repeat until all gone

Top with cool whip
Drizzle with Chocolate Syrup

Hot Fudge Sauce

1C Butter
1/3 C unsweetened Cocoa Powder
3C white sugar
12oz Can Evaporated Milk


Bring ingredients to a boil in a sauce pan for about 7mins

Remove from heat and add 1tsp Vanilla

Mix well with beaters and pour in blender for 2-4 mins.

Serve immediately or chill in fridge.

Sugar Cookies

1C Brown Sugar
1C Sugar
1C Shortening
2 Eggs
1tsp Vanilla

Mix Well

3C Flour
Pinch Salt
2tsp Baking Soda
2tsp Cream of Tartar
Sift Dry together

Combine Wet and Dry, Mix well

Scoop and roll into balls and press with the bottom of a cup covered in sugar or colored sugar.

Bake 375ºF for 7-10mins

Cake Balls

Spice Cake Balls
1pkg Spice Cake mix (with recommended ingredients)
1 container Cream Cheese Frosting
1 pkg White Chocolate Chips (Or White Chocolate melts or Orange colored Chocolate Melts)
*½ tsp of oil


Prepare Cake mix as directed on package and bake.

Remove from oven when done and immediately crumble into bowl completely.

Add entire container of frosting and mix thoroughly well . Chill for 1 hour.

Line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper .

Scoop the cake mixture into the palm of your hand - about the size of a large walnut-- roll into balls and place on cookie sheet.

Place cake balls into refrigerator for 1 hour to chill.
Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave. If you are using a microwave you may want to add *½ tsp of oil to the mixture to help is stay smooth. Also be sure to melt in 10-15 second intervals, mixing in between heatings.

Using a fork or a skewer, dip spice balls into chocolate mixture and coat completely, then replace them back onto the cookie sheet.

When all of the balls are coated, replace the pan back into the refrigerator and chill until hardened.

Remove from fridge and enjoy!

Yummy! Try it when you can. It really is simple and delicious!

Other options would be:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Balls, with chocolate cake, milk chocolate icing and peanut butter chocolate coating.

Carrot Cake Balls, Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting, and white chocolate coating.

Lemon Cake Balls, With Lemon Cake, Lemon Frosting, and White Chocolate.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cake Balls, with strawberry cake, strawberry icing, and milk chocolate coating

German Chocolate Cake Balls - Devils food cake, German Icing, Milk or Dark chocolate coating.
You can get very creative with the combinations!

Quick Christmas Toffee Bark

1C Butter
1C Brown Sugar
1pkg Soda Crakers - aka Saltines
1C Chocolate Chips

Line Cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper, spray with cooking spray and line with saltines, completely covering the bottom of pan

Melt butter and brown sugar together and bring to a boil for about 5 mins, stirring constantly.
*It's done when a drop of mixture into a cup of water forms a ball and hardens.

Pour over crackers

Bake at 350ºF for 10min

Remove. While still warm sprinkle chocolate chips on top and spread when chocolate melts.

For added fun melt some white chocolate and drizzle on top of chocolate.

Cool completely in the fridge. Drop pan onto counter and break up the toffee. Store in a air tight container.

Pumpkin-Spiced Gingersnap Truffles

1¼ cups semisweet chocolate pieces
¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp. vanilla
½ cup whipping cream
¾ cup chopped gingersnaps (about 10 cookies)
1/3 cup finely crushed gingersnaps (about 7 cookies) and/or 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:
1. In medium bowl combine chocolate pieces, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla.

2. In medium microwave-safe bowl place whipping cream. Microwave on 100 percent power (high) for 70 seconds or until boiling (or place cream in saucepan and bring just to boiling. ) Pour cream over chocolate mixture. Let stand 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Stir in chopped gingersnaps. Cover; refrigerate 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until firm but soft enough to form into balls.

3. Place crushed gingersnaps and/or cocoa powder in small bowl(s). Using a small spoon, scoop 1-tablespoon portions of truffle mixture and shape into balls. Roll in crushed gingersnaps or cocoa powder to coat. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Store, covered, in refrigerator, up to 3 days.

Makes 20 to 25 truffles.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

29oz Pure Pumpkin
12oz Evaporated Milk
3 Eggs
1C Sugar
1tsp Salt
3tsp Cinnamon
1box Yellow Cake Mix
1C Chopped Pecans
¾C Melted Butter

Mix, Pumpkin, Milk, Eggs, Sugar, Salt and Cinnamon together.

Poor into a greased cake pan.

Sprinkle ckae mix ontop and cover with peacans.

Pour the melted butter over top

Bake 350ºF for 50mins

Pumpkin Spice Apple Dip

1 can (15oz) Canned Pumpkin
8oz Cream Cheese or Cream Cheese Alternative
2 Cups Confectioners Sugar
3 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1tsp Vanilla
½ tasp Ground Ginger * optional



Cream together the Cheese and Powdered Sugar.
Slowly add the Pumpkin, until blended well.
Add spices and vanilla, and beat until smooth.

Serve with sliced apples, pears or other fruits.

Chill remainder.

No Bake Mini Oreo Cheese Cakes

*Muffin Tin and Paper Liners

Oreo Cookies
1-8oz pkg Cream Cheese softened
½Cup Sugar
1-8oz Tub Cool Whip thawed

Line muffin tin with paper cups. Add an oreo cookie to each cup.

Mixcream cheese and sugar together until well blended.
Gently stir in cool Whip
Spoon mixture on top of each cookie until gone

Top with Crushed Oreos

Chill 1 hour before serving

No Bake Cookies

2C Sugar
½C Baking Cocoa
½C Milk
1stick butter
3C Quick oats
1tsp Vanilla
½C Peanut Butter

Bring to boil, Sugar, Cocoa, milk and Butter
Boil on high for 1-2 mins or until when a drop of mixture balls up in a glass of cold water.

Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla.
Add oats and mix well.

Drop spoonfuls onto a lined cookie sheet and chill for 10 mins.

For a quick fudge:
Omit the oats and add to an 8x8 greased pan. Cool completely and cut into cubes.

Gingerbread Dough

6C Flour
1¾C Sugar
2/3C Shortening
1Tblsp Cinnamon
1Tblsp Ground Ginger
2Tblsp Baking Powder
1¼tsp Salt
1tsp Vanilla Extract
1- 8oz Sour Cream
2 Eggs

Take 3½ Cups of Flour and add the rest of the ingredients, and mix well.

Knead in the rest of the 2½ Cups of Flour.

Wrap and refrigerate for about 2hours or overnight.

Roll out and cut on a floured surface. Use for a ginger bread house, or gingerbread people.

Bake 350ºF for 10min or until done.

Butter Cream Cookies and Icing

Buttercream Cookies

1 Cup Butter softened (or margarine)
1½ Cup Powdered (Confectioners) Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla

Mix together Butter, powdered sugar, egg, and vanilla.

2½ Cups flour
1tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cream of Tartar

In a smaller bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar.

Blend together the four mixture with the butter mixture.

Chill overnight (minimum of 2-3 hours)

Roll dough, and use cookie cutters.

Bake at 375º for 6-8 minutes or until the edges just start to prown.

Makes about 2-4 dozen depending on cookie sizes.

Butter Cream Icing

Equal Parts Shortening to Butter
Add Powdered Sugar to consistency
Pinch of salt
splash of Vanilla
Milk to thin or to consistency.

Eclair Cake

Bottom
1 Cup boiling water
1 Stick Butter (½ Cup)
1 Cup Flour
4 Eggs

Bring the water and butter to a boil in a 2 quart pot. Remove from heat and with a hand mixer add flour. Then beat each egg in one at a time.

Spread onto a large cookie sheet (17½ x 11½), do not grease. It may look like it won't cover but keep working it until it does. It will cover the bottom. It will puff up.

In a preheated 400º oven bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool completely!

Filling
8oz Softened Cream Cheese (room temp)
1 -6oz Pkg Instant Vanilla Pudding
1 -8oz Container of Cool Whip
3 Cups Milk
Hershey's Chocolate Syrup

Cream together cream cheese, pudding mix and milk until it starts to thicken.

Spread mixture to cooled Eclair Bottom.
Spread Cool Whip on top of filling.
Drizzle top with Chocolate Syrup.

Chill for at least 2 hours.

Slice and serve.

Peanut Butter Balls

1 Cup Softened Butter
1 Cup Peanut Butter (cheaper brands work the best for this)
1 lb Confectioners Sugar

Cream butter and peanut butter together. Add powdered sugar a little at a time. You may have to add more powdered sugar if your peanut butter is too creamy.

Chill overnight.

Form into about ½" - 1" balls.

Dip in favorite Chocolate. We prefer Merken's chocolate or Dove.

Meringue Cookies

3 Egg white room temp
1 Cup Sugar
¼ tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
¼ tsp Cream of Tartar

Pre Heat oven to 300º

Whip egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff.
Add sugar slowly, then add the salt and vanilla.

Line cookie sheet with a brown paper bag (or brown packaging paper) Cut down to a single panel.

Drop spoonfuls of meringue onto the paper. Or you can pipe it in small mounds.

* optional * Add a piece of walnut unto each cookie.

Bake at 300º for 12-15 minutes.

*** You must do this on a low humidity day and a dry household. Too much moisture in the air can make the cookies too soft.

I swear only my mother knows how to make these. I am just horrible at it.

Chocolate Mint Snow Top Cookies

1½ Cup Flour
1½ tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Salt

Combine in a small bowl and set aside.

1 -10oz Pkg Mint Chocolate Chips
¾ Stick Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1½ tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs
Powdered Sugar

In large bowl cream butter and sugar.

Melt 1 Cup of mint chocolate chips.

Add melted Chocolate to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix together. Add vanilla and eggs. Blend together.

Add flour mixture in 3 parts, mixing after each addition. Add remaining Chocolate Chips.

Wrap dough in plastic and freeze for 20 minutes.

Shape dough into balls and coat with powder sugar.

Bake for 10-12min at 350º

Church Windows

1 Stick of Butter
1 -12oz Pkg Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 -10oz Pkg Colored Marshmallows
Shredded Coconut

Melt Chocolate chips and butter together carefully.

Remove from heat and add marshmallows.

Place on Wax paper that is coated with the shredded coconut. Form into a log.

Chill 1 hour in fridge or 30min in freezer.

Peel paper off and slice.

**Coconut optional - You may also use finely chopped Cashews or a favorite nut.**

Caramel Brownies

1 Pkg Yellow Cake Mix
1/3 Cup Evaporated Milk
¼ Cup Melted Butter
1 -12oz Pkg Chocolate Chips
4-5 Caramel Wraps (Or 40-50 Kraft Caramels with 1/3 Cup Evaporated milk melted and mixed)

Mix cake with 1/3 Cup Evaporated milk and melted butter.
Press half of the mixture onto the bottom of a greased and floured 9x13 baking dish.
Bake at 350º for 6 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle choclate chips on the hot dough. As it melts spread chocolate. Add caramel on top of the chocolate. Add remaining dough on top of the caramel. (you may need to add some extra evaporated milk to thin the mixture a bit)

bake at 350º for 12-15 minutes.
Remove from oven and score before cooled.

Cool completely - at least 1½ hours before cutting completely.

7 Layer Cookies

In a 9x13 greased pan layer the following.

1 Cup of Graham Cracker Cumbs
1 Stick of melted butter
*blend together in bottom of pan slightly
1 -12oz Pkg Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 -12oz Pkg Butterscotch Chips
1 Cup Coconut
1 can Sweetend Condensed Milk
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts

Bake for 25-30 Minutes at 350º

Introduction

I've been finding more recipes that I have been trying out or just want to share so I thought I'd start up a family recipe blog for anyone interested in trying some of them out!

Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!