Honey Glazed Carrots

We discovered a new recipe for our Christmas Dinner and will now be on every special family dinner menu!

Ingredients

16 ounces carrots, regular or baby
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
1 tsp dill
Pinch of thyme
Dash of Love

Directions

Microwave carrots for 5 minutes or boil in sauce pan for 10 minutes. Drain water.
In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots, honey, brown sugar, dill and thyme. Toss gently to coat carrots. Cook until carrots are tender, stirring occasionally. We doubled this recipe for our family gathering.

Cutout Cookies

This is our tried and true Cutout Cookie Recipe. Easy to mix, easy to handle and doesn't lose its shape when baking.

Ingredients 

1 cup margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
3-1/2 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch of Love

Directions

Cream margarine and vanilla with mixer. Add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beat continuously. In a separate bowl sift flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tarter together. Add the dry ingredients gradually, mixing on low speed.
Divide into 4 parts. Shape into a disk, wrap dough in plastic or wax paper and chill 3-4 hours.

On floured surface roll dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut shapes (don't forget to dip the cutter in flour so it doesn't stick).
Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 for 6-8 minutes. Cool 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.

Icing

4 cups powdered sugar

4 TBSP milk

2 TBSP Karo

Food coloring

Mix well. Add enough milk to make spreadable, a little runny. Divide into bowls, add coloring. Apply with small knife or place in small squeeze bottles with fine tips.  To layer icing when decorating, allow first layer to set (dry) before adding next color.

We usually double this recipe and make a couple batches!

Holiday Cookies 2015

I was on my own this year now that Katie moved on campus and everyone else is working. So I began mixing and refrigerating cookies, cleaned up, then baked a batch whenever I had time. Very stress-free this year!

Pecan Pie Bars and Coconut Dream Bars

Chocolate Cookies

Enjoy this moist Chocolate Cookie that tastes like a brownie! Try adding walnuts, mini marshmallows or mint chips.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
12 ounce bag chocolate chips
1-1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of Love

Directions

In a sauce pan on medium heat melt butter and chocolate chips. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
In a mixing bowl beat brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. Turn mixer to medium speed and slowly add melted chocolate.
Add the remaining dry ingredients gradually mixing on low speed.

Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven 325.
Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop 1 Tablespoon of cookie dough, placing an inch apart. Bake 15 minutes, cool 5 minutes then remove cookies to cooling rack. Makes about 5 dozen.

Pork and Sauerkraut

This is a special recipe by my late mother in-law, Aggie Dye. Richard and I have tweaked the recipe and I believe the secret is to let it slow cook all day. Another secret is using brown sugar and a can of tomatoes which turns it to this gorgeous golden color!

1 - 2 lbs pork roast

1 pkg smoked sausage, cut into 3 inch links
1 pkg Hungarian and/or hot sausage, optional
2 lb pkg sauerkraut (not canned)
1 onion, cut in wedges
mild yellow banana pepper, optional
1-14 oz can diced tomatoes
3 TBSP brown sugar
Sprinkle with Love

Place pork roast in bottom of crock pot. Sprinkle with pepper.  Place the following items in this order: onion, banana pepper, 1/2 kraut, links of sausage, remaining kraut, brown sugar, stewed tomatoes. Do not stir. cook on high for 5 - 7 hours, until pork is fork tender.

LEFT OVER PORK
We shred pork, stir in lots of BBQ sauce for sandwiches. The flavor of the marinaded pork roast is awesome!

Sweet Baby Ray's Crockpot Chicken

Richard shared this recipe with our band camp cooks and the kids thought it was awesome! They'll probably keep it on the menu for years to come!

4-6 chicken breasts
1 bottle Sweet Baby Ray's sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
Dash of Love

Mix together everything but the chicken.
Place chicken in the crockpot (frozen is okay)
Pour sauce mixture over chicken
Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.


Shake a lot of love on it before serving!

Freezer Meals

I've been pinning freezer meals on Pinterest for several months and now that school has started I decided to try it. First I had to talk Richard into the idea which wasn't hard at all. For years he has prepared meals for our family 90% of the time but now that he's working full-time and long hours I've been on my own in the kitchen. He was happy to help and feel needed in the kitchen again.

I learn a couple things.
1. Purchase your ingredients the day before you make the meals. We shopped at Sam's club at noon and didn't really begin until Saturday afternoon We were so exhausted by evening that we quit and had to get everything out to finish on Sunday.
2. Plan on making recipes with just one type of meat. We were working with chicken and ground beef.

5 Quart bags Spaghetti Sauce
The first thing were did on Saturday was put on a crockpot of Almost Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with 3 pounds of ground beef browned with chopped onion, 124 oz Ragu, 4 small cans mushrooms, italian seasoning, brown sugar.

Not pictured is 2 Sloppy Joe Meals with 2 pounds of ground beef, 2 cans Manwich. So we actually made 19 meals!

3 Stuffed Pepper Meals
We cut the tops off 12 green peppers and diced the tops to put in the rice mixture with 2 pounds ground beef, 4 cups rice/water cooked (made about 8 servings), onion, garlic, cumin, italian seasoning, a large can tomato sauce. Stuffed each pepper then placed on a cookie sheet and froze for a few hours before bagging. The extra rice mixture was placed at the bottom of each bag. 1 small can of tomato sauce will be place on top of peppers when we cook in the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours.

2 Baby Ray Chicken BBQ Meals
On Sunday we cut the tops off of 8 chicken breasts so we had about 3 ounce portions, then used the bottom pieces to cut into strips for the other recipes. Added 2 bottles of Baby Ray BBQ Sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes and garlic powder.

2 Chicken Fajita Meals
We sliced red, yellow, orange and green pepper, 1 large onion with 3 pound of chicken strips, 2 cans tomatoes with chilies and seasoning.

1 Chicken Parmesan Meal
1 pound of chicken strips, seasoning, 1 can Italian diced tomatoes

1 Chicken Pot Pie Meal
1 pound of cubed chicken, 1 bag Campbell's Chicken Pot Pie sauce, 1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables.

3 Meat-loaves
3 pounds ground beef, 1 large onion diced, 3/4 cup milk, 1 egg, 1 sleeve saltine crackers, salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, half of a large can tomato sauce. We baked one meatloaf for dinner. I was too exhausted to make anything else!

This should help us for the next few weeks. I just don't know what to put in the crockpot tomorrow!

Veggie Dill Dip

We've been making this veggie dip for family gatherings and parties for over 30 years. Today I mixed up a bowl and will take a tiny container to work each day this week along with some beautiful
veggies. Looking forward to lunch tomorrow!

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1/2 cup Ranch Dressing
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp dill weed
a pinch of love

Mix and refrigerate.

Freezing Corn

There is nothing like having fresh corn in the middle of winter and for as long as I can remember it's been a tradition in our family. Recently my father told me that when he was a boy they didn't have electricity so his mother would dry the corn and store it for the winter.  Before cooking the corn she would place it in a pan of water for a few hours to hydrate. Eventually, my grandparents got electricity but didn't have a refrigerator with a freezer large enough to store processed food.
When I was a child my father usually had a garden and would grow and freeze the corn. Sometimes he would purchase corn from local farmers and that's what I started doing when my children were small. There were times when we processed 7 dozen and would then share with our family.

A couple weeks ago I purchased 2 dozen ears of corn and ended up with 6 bags. That will be enough for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinner!

All you need is corn, a large pan, sharp knife, a butter knife and zip-lock freezer bags.

1. Husk and then rinse the silk off the corn.
2. Place a few ears in boiling water.
3. Bring back to boil for 10-12 minutes.
4. Remove from water and cool.
5. Repeat using the same pan of water.
6. Slice the kernels into a pan (I found the bundt pan idea on Pinterest).
7. With a butter knife scrape off the remaining corn.













8. Stir to break up corn.
9. Spoon into freezer bags.
10. Label and date with permanent marker

To Prepare
1. Thaw a bag of corn. NEVER microwave food in a plastic bag!
2. Place corn in a microwave safe dish or skillet.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add a tbsp of butter and a pinch of love.
4. Heat and eat!

Vegetable Soup

Whenever I have left over roast beef I freeze it for soup. It might be summer  but with air conditioning it's usually comfortable enough to enjoy a bowl of soup. Today I used 2 of our own tomatoes and that made it even more special!

Ingredients:

Left over roast beef, cut into bite-size pieces

1 can beef broth
1 can vegetable broth

2 cups tomato juice

2 cups water

Carrots

Onion

Cabbage, chopped (optional)
Potato, diced (optional)

1 can whole corn

1 can green beans

1 can diced tomatoes (or fresh, diced)

1 cup frozen peas
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 clove garlic
squirt of Worchestershire

salt & pepper to taste
a pinch of love

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT canned vegetables in a large stock pot. Simmer for an half an hour then add canned vegetables. Continue simmering 1 or more hours.

Zucchini Bread

Happy Belated Zucchini Day (was Saturday, August 8th)!  My father brought over a huge zucchini and we all made bets on its size. I think Katie won guessing 17 inches! I decided to make this super moist Zucchini Bread and everyone raved about it! Notice how it sparkles on top? I sprinkled with coarse decorating sugar before baking for a delicate, crunchy texture!

First, we cut the zucchini into 3 sections, then quartered each section and sliced off the seed section so each piece could be shredded in the food processor or use a standard hand grater. This recipe takes 3 cups and I had so much left over that I froze 2 other bags with 3 cups each! I'll be trying other recipes in the future.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1-1/4 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 tsp vanilla
3 cups shredded zucchini
a dash of love

Combine the first 6 dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
Beat the eggs, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla together. Add the dry ingredients gradually until well mixed. Add the shredded zucchini, stir well.
Don't forget the love!

Pour into 2 medium bread pans coated with non-stick cooking spray.

Optional: Sprinkle coarse sugar on
top.
Bake 50 - 60 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pans and place on cooling racks.

Fresh Salsa

There's nothing like taking fresh ingredients and making a big bowl of Festive Fresh Salsa! This week I used my first ripe tomatoes and fresh corn right off the cob! Part of this recipe comes from a good friend and then I played around with the rest. You'll never want store bought salsa again!

1 15oz can black beans (rinse and drain)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies (mild or hot)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 cup fresh corn kernels (or 1 can)
1/2 purple onion, chopped
2 TBSP fresh cilantro, chopped
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 TBSP lime juice (takes 2 limes)
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and chill to enhance the flavor.

Swiss Roll Cake

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup shortening
1 - 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 - 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 - 1/4 cup buttermilk

Line 2 greased 9 inch round baking pans with waxed paper; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk; mix well.
Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Oven Baked Chicken Fajita

This has become a family favorite and you won't believe how tender the chicken is when baked in the oven. We enjoy this so often that I made a large batch of the seasoning mix (See recipe below) and add 2 - 4 Tablespoons when preparing this dish!

Kathleen Scallon

Follow · December 25, 2013 

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Ingredients:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
*
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp seasoned salt

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel)
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips

Fresh Green Beans

Don't you love buying fresh fruits and vegetables during the summer? I remember sitting on the porch with Gramsy helping her snap a big bowl of fresh green beans, getting into a rhythm of snapping the tops and then in half. If you visit farmer's markets be sure to ask if the produce is freshly picked so you can hear the green beans snap instead of bending like a wet noodle!

I discovered the secret to making the best green beans from one of our band moms a few years ago. 
She uses ham bouillon.

To prepare, just snap off the tops of beans and rinse well. If they seem too long then snap them in half or thirds. You'll have to estimate how much to cook for the meal and store the rest in a plastic bag and refrigerate.

Fill half of a large pan with water. Bring the beans, a sliced onion, 4-6 red skinned potatoes and some pieces of ham to a simmer and cook until beans and potatoes are done. Add pepper if you'd like and don't forget the love.

Apple Crumble Pie

Tommy came home from Scout camp with 2 bags of Granny Smith apples so Richard dusted off our hand crank apple peeler. I had every intention of making an apple pie but was having family over and needed something bigger.  A crisp goes a long way so I combined the two and decided to try this Apple Crumble Pie and it was amazing! I originally made this in a 9x13 glass pan with dough for 2 pie shells on the bottom and increased the apple filling recipe by half. This is the reduced recipe for one Apple Crumble Pie.

You'll need 1 pie shell. I stand by my Never Fail Pie Crust recipe or you can use a store bought crust.

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1-1/4 cup shortening

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup cold water

1 TBSP vinegar

Mandarin Orange Salad

This is not your Mama's recipe so you won't find marshmallows or coconut in this Mandarin Orange Salad. It's a creamy dessert that will become your family's favorite.

3 cups water

1 - 3 oz. pkg orange gelatin

1 - 3 oz pkg. instant vanilla pudding

1 - 3 oz. pkg tapioca pudding mix

1 - 15 oz can mandarin oranges, drained

1 - 15 oz can crushed pineapple, drained

1 - 8 oz carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 - 2 TBSP of love

1. Open packages of pudding and pour into a small bowl so it's ready to use. 
2. In saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. 
3. Whisk in gelatin and pudding mixes.  
4. Return to a boil, stirring constantly, boil for 1 minute. I repeat, don't set the timer UNTIL the mixture comes to a full, rolling boil.  
5. Remove from heat and cool completely. I like to pour the mixture in a bowl so it cools a little quicker.

Easy Fruit Crisp

If you need a quick homemade dessert just throw together a few ingredients for the top and bottom layer with a can of fruit pie filling for this Easy Fruit Crisp.

1 cup quick oats

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1 stick margarine

1 can fruit pie filling

Mix oats, flour and brown sugar in bowl.  Melt margarine and add to the mixture.  Use half of this mixture to press in bottom of a square pan.

Pour pie filling over oats.  Top with remaining oat mixture.  Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes.

Broccoli Salad

Make this popular summer Broccoli Salad with Marzetti's Slaw Dressing instead of the sauce recipe below.  It's so quick and refreshing!

2-3 bunches broccoli

1 med. red onion

1/2 cup raisins or grapes

8 slices bacon, fried, crumbled

Dash of love

SAUCE: 
1 cup Marzetti's Slaw Dressing
or

1 cup mayonnaise                           

1/2 cup sugar

2 TBSP vinegar

Pour 1 cup of  Marzetti's Slaw Dressing and combine with all ingredients. Don't forget the love. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.  

Banana Nut Bread

Whenever I have a 3 or 4 ripe bananas I like to make this recipe for my family.

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter milk

1 tsp baking soda

2-1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 or 4 bananas, mashed with a pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped nuts
sprinkle love on top

Mix ingredients in the order listed.  Pour into 2 medium greased bread pans.  Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes. 

Roasted Veggies with Sausage

I made this dish a few weeks ago using yellow Yukon potatoes. The leftover potatoes still tasted fresh days later. You can use any kind of sausage and choose the vegetable combination your family likes. My son likes this vegetable combination. My daughter likes yellow squash, zucchini, mushrooms, red pepper. When they're both home I throw these combinations together!

You should try roasting your vegetables instead of boiling or microwaving, without the sausage and potatoes. This gives it a whole new flavor! I've tried roasting cabbage with the other veggies. The only thing we wouldn't add is celery. Reduce baking time to 20-30 minutes. Bake until fork-tender.

Crumb Cake

Crumb Cake goes back in my family as far as I can remember. Every year when my mother asked what I wanted for my birthday dinner it was always the same, "Spaghetti and Crumb Cake".  My father has been requesting a Birthday Crumb Cake for several years now and Saturday I tweaked our family recipe, only adding to the heavenly taste!  Happy Birthday Daddy!

2 c sugar

2 c flour

1 c shortening

Mix these 3 ingredients until it becomes course crumbs. Remove 1 cup and set aside for topping.

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Add 2 eggs and beat until smooth.

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Spinach Noodle Casserole

With Katie away at camp and Tommy working evenings Richard asked if I'd make some of the things our kids don't like and Spinach Noodles with Tuna is one of them. I tweaked it a little and made less but by adding Colby cheese, sour cream and cream of chicken soup instead of cream of mushroom it had a much milder taste. I also added chicken broth and the noodles continued to cook in the oven, absorbing all of the beautiful flavors. Here is the revised recipe. Enjoy!

Chewy Honey Granola

I have a habit of eating yogurt with granola for lunch practically every day and enjoy my homemade Chewy Honey Granola better than the crunchy store brands. This is a great recipe and makes a large batch.

Add the following into a large bowl:

2 cups dry rolled oats

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup whole almonds

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup peanuts

1 cup dried cranberries (or other dried berries)

1 cup coconut (optional)

1/4 cup ground flax seed (optional)

Heat the following first 4 ingredients in a small sauce pan. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and almond extract and stir.

Macaroni Salad

This post was first published in 2012. So far July has been pretty mild this year - knock on wood!

Today is National Macaroni Day and since the temperature is suppose to reach 100 here in Northeast Ohio I thought I'd make Macaroni Salad. I got this recipe from Mrs. Beorn when she served this salad at her son's Eagle Scout reception. It's so easy and the slaw dressing gives it that sweet tangy flavor.

4 cups uncooked macaroni
1 jar Hartville Kitchen Slaw Dressing
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup diced red sweet pepper

West Virginia Chili Sauce

There are several toppings that make a perfect hot dog and depending on where you live there are traditional toppings in various regions.
When we visit my husband's family in West Virginia it's a tradition to get some hot dogs with chili sauce at one of many little shops in the area. When I lived in North Carolina I remember our club making and wrapping hot dogs with cole slaw to sell at the football games. So, when we got married we liked having both toppings available in addition to sweet relish and onions.

If you have a pound of ground beef, a can of tomato paste, a few seasonings and a little time you can make this outstanding chili sauce for your next cookout! My husband usually makes this but I tried it for the first time this week. I added the last 4 ingredients and the whole family loved it!

Raspberry Sauce

A fast and fresh dessert topping for a store bought angel food cake or individual short cakes.

1 small jar red raspberry jelly or jam
1 cup fresh raspberries
cake of your choice
Whipped cream
dash of love

Dissolve jelly in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Gently fold raspberries in sauce. Spoon over cake and top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with love. Serves 4.

New Cream Cheese Dip

We always looked forward to Mom's dried beef 
Cream Cheese Ball for the holidays. Like any cheese ball  the cracker usually broke as we tried to spread the hard mixture. I thought it would be nice to make a creamier mixture to dip and scoop with a cracker instead. This is what I came up with and now it's a family favorite!

1- 8 ounce pack of cream cheese, room temperature

1 jar chipped beef, rinsed, pat dry

1 small onion, chopped

2 Tbsp Miracle Whip

2-4 squirts Worcestershire

1- Tbsp horseradish or 1/4 cup Woeber's Horseradish Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt 

Rinse the salt off the chipped beef and pat dry with a paper towel, then chop.  Using electric mixer combine cream cheese, Miracle Whip, Worcestershire, horseradish and sour cream until smooth. Add chopped beef and onion. Pour in a liberal amount of love. Mix well. Keep refrigerated until needed. Serve with crackers.

Soup for A Thousand

1 elephant, freshly butchered
2 bushels of potatoes
1 bushel of carrots
1/2 bushel onions
1/2 bushel celery
salt and pepper to taste

Chop elephant into bite sized pieces. Simmer for 24 hours in 5 gallons of beef broth.
Add diced vegetables one hour before serving.

If you have more than a thousand guests and need more soup, add a squirrel.

Submitted by Debbie Bishop

Chocolate Lasagna

This is a family favorite with a layer of that special center you find in a Dairy Queen ice cream cake!

1 package regular Oreo Cookies - about 36
6 TBSP butter, melted
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 TBSP milk
2 - 8 ounce tubs Cool Whip
2 - 3.9 ounce Chocolate Instant Pudding
3 and 1/4 cups cold milk
1 and 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
a pinch of love

Mom's Deviled Eggs

Mom makes the best deviled eggs... until this past Easter, when my father announced that mine are "better than your Mom's"! It took a lot of practice and patience because there was always something that didn't go right. Sometimes I couldn't peel the shells if my life depended on it. Other times I couldn't get all the lumps out of the filling. Often they were filled haphazardly or didn't have that tang. Finally, I got it right!

Easy Cherry Cake

The Chocolate Cherry Cake is a moist cake that melts in your mouth. And it's so easy! Just add 2 eggs and a can of cherry pie filling to a box of chocolate devils food cake mix.

Look what happens when you use a white cake mix! A beautiful shade of pink with small pieces of cherries and a slight almond aroma.

1 box white cake mix with pudding included
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp almond flavoring
1 can cherry pie filling
dash of love

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

This is the best and creamiest homemade Mac &
Cheese! The next time you need some comfort food, throw these ingredients in the crockpot and walk away!

2 cups Macaroni
4 ounces Monteray Jack Cheese
4 ounces Colby Cheese
4 ounces Velvetta
4 TBSP butter
1 cup milk
salt & pepper
dash of love

1. Cook the macaroni in boiling water according to directions. Drain.
2. Cube all cheese.
3. Spray Pam in crockpot. Place cooked macaroni, cubed cheese, milk, butter, salt, pepper and don't forget the love.
4. Cover and cook on low for 3 - 4 hours.

Making Pasta

My Mom called during the Holidays with a gift idea for myhusband - a pasta maker!  For over 26 years Richard has been one tough guy to find just the right gift. Last week we made spaghetti and were pleasantly surprised. It was easy and fun plus it tasted great and held up better than regular pasta for left overs.

Slow Cooked Creamy Garlic Chicken

I discovered an amazing sauce for chicken by accident. When I read the directions I knew my family would not be in favor of mixing the potatoes and green beans with the chicken. I knew how tender slow cooked chicken could be so I just poured this sauce over the boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the crockpot. Six hours later the house was filled with a delicious aroma. It was perfect with oven potatoes.

Later that week I made Chicken Noodle Soup with the left overs and my family wouldn't let me forget that it was the BEST batch of soup yet. This is the part I'm trying to re-create with Cambell's Oven Sauce.

Slow Cooked Cubed Steak

This is a great melt-in-your-mouth meal for a family crowd. Just make it and forget it.

2-3 pounds cubed steak
3 cups brown gravy or 1 pkg Southeastern Mills
1 can beef broth
1 TBSP butter per lb
1 TBSP olive oil per lb.
flour
pepper, garlic salt & love

1. Pour beef broth in bottom of crockpot.
2. Flour and season both sides of each cubed steak then brown in a hot skillet with oil/butter.
3. Next, layer pan-browned cubed steaks in crockpot.
4. Make gravy according to directions. Pour on top of meat.
5. Cook on LOW 4-6 hours.

New Family Tradition, Homemade Pizza

On a Friday night during winter break we decided to make pizza dough in our bread maker. It had been stored in the pantry for months and we were missing that fresh baked bread smell. It ended up being a fun family event as we created our very own pizzas with a whole array of toppings. It's Friday again and the pizza dough is mixing. This could be a family tradition for the New Year!

The dough will take about 1 & 1/2 hours in the bread maker. This is the recipe for our Oster 2 lb Expressbake.

Pizza Crust 
1 and 3/8 (1/4 plus 2 Tablespoons) cups warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoon active dry yeast
Sprinkle lots of love

Meals the Hickman Family Loves to Eat

Richard and I have cooked dinner and had a family meal almost every night for the past 26 years! It's been getting harder with Tommy in college and Katie's busy high school schedule but we still make an effort to be together. Once per week, when making a grocery list we check everyone's schedule and then plan accordingly. Over the years we've referred to a list of our favorite meals that I put in the front of our cookbook. I think it's time to update what we like now that the kids are older! Of course, we never forget to put love on everything we make!

Gramsy's Buttermilk Cookies

Almost Homemade Spanish Rice

Zatarain's Spanish  Rice with a can of diced tomatoes makes the best side dish with Fajitas.