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Recipes

Family recipes are the best, I came from a family where my mom and grandmothers were wonderful cooks, so of course, I love to cook and I am lucky to have someone who loves to cook with me.  Here you will find some of our favorite recipes---from our family collection as well as some of our own.

Italian Cream Cake

Holidays would not bee the same if it was not for this cake!  My mom has made this for years.

1 cup butter, softened
5 egg yolks
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
5 egg whites
2 cups sugar (mom always uses Imperial sugar--especially during the holidays!)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup flaked coconut
ICING:
 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 1/2 confections sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 chopped walnuts

Cream together butter, egg yolks and sugar.  Mix together the dry ingredients--Flour and baking soda.  Alternately mix flour mixture and buttermilk. Mix in 1 cup each of walnuts and coconut.  Beat egg whites;  fold into the cake batter.


Pour the cake batter into 3 prepared 9" round pans. (we prepare them with Bakers Joy).  Bake for 20-25 minutes in a preheated 350* oven.


CREAM CHEESE ICING

Cream together the cream cheese and butter.  Add vanilla.  Gradually beat in the confections sugar. (if icing is a little to thick add a little milk until desired consistency.)  Spread on cooled cake.  Top cake with walnuts and can also top with some coconut if you would like.



I absolutely love this Quiche!  When I make it, I have always served it for dinner.


Quiche


4 eggs, whisked
1 cup milk
1 tbsp magarine
cooked meat, I always use about 4 slices of bacon, crumbled can also use ham or sausage
1/4 cup each of diced onion and green pepper
8 oz cream cheese, softened
refrigerated pie crust

Melt cream cheese in the milk on medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the eggs.  Stir in veggies and meat and pour into the pie crust. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.  I serve this with maple sausage links and hashbrowns.




Jalapeno Chicken Poppers----great appetizer.

1- 16oz  package bacon
1 lb chicken breast
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1 large can whole jalapenos

Slice jalapenos in half lengthwise. Fill with cream cheese and place a piece of chicken on top of cream cheese about the size of the pepper. Wrap with a slice of bacon, secure with tooth picks. Place on grill, once the bacon is browned will be done.  Enjoy!


Hershey Cake

This is another recipe that we have during the holidays!  My mom has had this recipe for years and its been a family favorite ever since.

2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour
4 eggs
5 full size Hershey Bars

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, beat well after each.  Mix together the flour and the baking soda. Add the dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk to the wet ingredients.  FOLD in the melted Hershey Bars.  Pour into a prepared bundt pan---spray well with Bakers Joy.  Bake in 350 oven for approximately 1 hour.  After comes out of the oven, turn on to serving platter and while still warm cover with foil to let cool!


MY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

This recipe is not very specific but is going to be the best chicken enchiladas that you have ever eaten!!!! Delicious!

Cream of Chicken soup
Cream of mushroom soup
Rotel tomatoes
Chicken bouillon
Sour cream----I usually use an 8 oz container of sour cream
How many cans that you need depends on the amount of sauce that you need; same for bouillon---1 rotel should be enough but whatever suits you is fine.
Corn tortillas, softened with oil, drained on paper towel.
Shredded cheese, I like cheddar but again, your choice and how much depends on how cheesy you like it! Don't forget to save some to go on the top.
Grilled chicken, shredded.....I season mine well with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Heat the soups with the bouillon, whisk in the sour cream and add the undrained rotel.  Set aside.
Fill the tortillas with the shredded chicken and cheese and roll.  Arrange in baking dish, pour sauce over, top with cheese and bake until hot and cheese is melted.


I love Duncan Hines, when I am using a boxed cake this is the ONLY brand I purchase! 

Duncan Hines Carrot Cheese Cake
Ingredients Baking Instructions

Carrot Cake:

  • 1 box Duncan Hines Classic Carrot Decadent Cake Mix
  • 1 cup hot tap water (for soaking carrots and raisins)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 8 1/2 oz can crushed pineapple, packed in juice, drained well, reserve juice
  • 1/2 cup coconut (optional)
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Cheese Cake Filling:

  • 2 (8oz) packages cream cheese
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs

Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 2 oz cream cheese (softened)
  • 1 tablespoon butter (softened)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 T pineapple juice
  1. Carrot Cake:

  2. Soak carrots and raisins in 1 cup HOT tap water, allow to stand for 5 mins. Drain and squeeze out excess water from carrots and raisins.
  3. In mixing bowl add dry mix, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup oil. Add well drained carrots, raisins and pineapple. Add coconut and walnuts. Mix well by hand. Spread 2 cups of carrot cake on bottom of a greased 9-9 1/2" springform pan. Reserve remaining carrot cake.
  4. Cheesecake:

  5. In large bowl beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in eggs.
  6. Spread 1/2 of the cheesecake batter on top of the carrot cake. Spoon on remaining carrot cake and top with remaining cheese cake batter. Do not marble with knife.
  7. Bake in a 350° preheated oven for 50-60 mins or until cake is set and cooked through.
  8. Cool to room temperature. When cake is cooled frost with Pineapple Cream Cheese frosting. Or top with Duncan Hines Cream Cheese Frosting. Refrigerate for 3 hours and serve chilled.
  9. Beat Cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and pineapple juice until smooth. Beat in powder sugar until smooth. Frost top of cheesecake.

Mom's Best Peach Cobbler

Mom has been making this Peach Cobbler for year!  It is the best warm with vanilla ice cream and believe me this does not last long.  Once someone cuts into, it is gone! John had it for the first time this week---needless to say we actually fixed 2 in the last couple of days and they didn't have  chance :)  I wrote the recipe down while mom made the second batch....she fixes it by memory.

1 1/2 sticks butter
Mom made this in a 9 inch dish. Place butter in the dish  and melt in 350* oven.
While butter is melting, in a bowl mix together 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 Tablespoon baking powder and stir together with fork or whisk.


When butter is melted remove from oven.

To the dry ingredients add 3/4 cup milk and mix together.  Pour into the dish over the melted butter. On top of this you will pour your large can of sliced peaches in heavy syrup. DO NOT STIR.  (If your peaches are not sweet enough for you, you can also add a little more sugar to them before adding them to the cobbler---maybe a little cinnamon too.)

Bake the cobbler at 350* for approximately 45 minutes until golden brown .  Should have a nice little crust on top.


BANANA SPLIT CAKE

This is a very rich dessert....worth it though :)

3 sticks butter, softened
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted (I always take a whisk to mine and stir it)
1 16oz bowl of cool whip (thawed)
Large can crushed pineapple, drained
2 eggs
approximately 5 ripe bananas
chopped nuts
Maraschino cherries, drained

Melt 1 stick of butter, combine with graham cracker crumbs. press into the bottom of a 13x9x2 baking dish. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes.

Cream together remaining butter and eggs, gradually add powdered sugar (yes there are raw eggs---I have always had it with the eggs but next time I try it I am going to see how it holds up without the eggs).  Beat until thick   Spread over the graham cracker crust...spread out, on top of this mixture you will add the sliced bananas, next spread the crushed pineapple over the bananas. Next top with cool whip.  Top cool whip with chopped nuts and Maraschino cherries.  Chill several hours before serving.


These sound great for school lunches and after school snacks!  


Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares


Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
24 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate
10.5-ounce bag mini marshmallows
12-ounce bag peanut butter chips

Ingredients
Combine butter, peanut butter and chocolate in a double boiler (or, if you’re cheap like me, in a bowl atop a pot full of simmering water).

Step 1
Stir mixture just until smooth and remove from heat.

Step 2
Stir in 4 cups of mini marshmallows, followed by 1 cup of peanut butter chips. Working quickly so the chips don’t completely melt, spread mixture into a buttered 9×13-inch baking dish.

Step 3
Scatter remaining peanut butter chips and marshmallows across the top and lightly press them into the surface to set.

Step 4
Cool in refrigerator before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Yum!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares
Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
24 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate
10.5-ounce bag mini marshmallows
12-ounce bag peanut butter chips
Directions
Combine butter, peanut butter and chocolate in a double boiler, stirring just until smooth. Remove mixture from heat. Stir in 4 cups of mini marshmallows, followed by 1 cup of peanut butter chips. Working quickly so the chips don’t completely melt, spread mixture into a buttered 9×13-inch baking dish. Scatter remaining peanut butter chips and marshmallows across the top and lightly press them into the surface to set. Cool in refrigerator before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Makes approximately 40 squares.

COOKING WITH KIDS!
I found this at campbells.com----Anything to get my son at the dining table.....he would prefer to set in front of the tv to eat----I am trying to break him of that, before I know it he will be grown and I do not want to miss any moment of the little him!

What do you get when you combine some family favorite dinners along with a few fun activities? A great opportunity to start building lasting memories. Here are few memory-making ideas you can serve up along with your great dinners.
  1. Eat dinner together at the table as much as possible. Not only is it a good time for family bonding, but this conversational period actually promotes good digestion.
  2. Every other month, go formal. Break out the good china and glassware (don't forget the candles!), and have one of the kids set a formal table. Besides being fun, it's a good way to learn which side of the plate the fork goes on and what all those different glasses are for. This is also a perfect time to teach manners and etiquette. Don't worry about making fancy, unfamiliar food for these affairs—the family favorites work just fine here.
  3. Rainy or snowy days are perfect times for an indoor picnic. Spread a blanket on the living room floor and, if you have a fireplace, build a fire for atmosphere. If you get stuck on menu ideas, winter barbecues are always different, fun and, of course, great tasting. How can you beat BBQ chicken and potato salad anytime of the year?
  4. Nothing boosts a child's self esteem more than a sense of accomplishment and spending time with a grownup in the kitchen. Share the cooking with one of the kids.
    • Four- to eight-year-olds can add premeasured ingredients to a bowl and stir them together (great for developing hand-eye coordination) or wash vegetables in the sink and place in a colander (encourages cleanliness). If you're making meatloaf or meatballs, measure all the ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag, seal the bag closed, and have the kids “mold” and massage the mixture until incorporated.
    • Older kids can help with rolling out dough (good for dexterity), measuring ingredients (extra math tutoring!), and planning menus. And if your teenager shows an interest in cooking, give them responsibility for a portion of the meal or even the entire dinner itself—casseroles are a perfect place to start. It's a wonderful way for them to start developing kitchen skills that they'll use for years to come.





































































































































Tiger Cub

Tiger Cub

Sean

Sean
First day of practice

Mom

Mom
Mom making her peach cobbler.


Moms Peach Cobbler