Yummy Peanut Buttery

Mini Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

This one came from a neighbor. She gave it to me at my bridal shower. You'll need a bag of Reeses Mini Peanut Butter Cups for the final step.

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup of butter softened

Cream together and then blend in:

1/2 cup of peanut butter

2 tablespoons of milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 egg

Stir in:

1 3/4 cups of flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Bake in a mini muffin pan or a regular muffin pan. Line the pan with muffin liners or spray well with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes. Immediately after removing from oven press an unwrapped mini peanut butter cup in the middle of each cookie.

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Beat in a large mixing bowl until creamy:

1 1/4 cup of peanut butter

3/4 cup of butter

Gradually beat in:

1 cup of powdered sugar

Then with hands or a wooden spoon mix in:

1 more cup of powdered sugar

3 cups of graham cracker crumbs

Press evenly into a prepared pan. It helps if you use wax paper to press it in.

Melt:

3/4 cup of peanut butter

12 oz package of Chocolate chips

You can take 1/2 a cup of the chocolate chips-- before you melt them-- and add it to the crust. The recipe says to do it, and you would do it before you press it into the pan, but I personally prefer the crust without the chocolate chips.

Pour the melted mixture on top of the crust and then place in the fridge for at least an hour.

Grandma's Sugar Cookies

I got this recipe from my Grandma Andreason. It's great when you want a sugar cookie, but you don't want to pull out the cookie cutters and the frosting.

2/3 cup of shortening

3/4 cup of sugar

Cream together then add:

1 egg

Then sift together in a seperate bowl:

1 1/2 cups of flour

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt

Add above mixture alternately with:

4 teaspoons of milk

Then add:

1 teaspoon of vanilla

roll into balls and place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Taco Soup

A family favorite from my mom's friend.

1-2 lbs of hamburger

1 onion chopped

Brown hamburger with onion and some salt and pepper. Set aside.

1 can of pinto beans

1 can of white or northern beans

Drain and combine in a big pot with the hamburger and onion.

Then add:

3 small cans of diced green chilis (the smallest cans you can find)

1 can of black beans

1 can of red kidney beans

1 can of hominy (usually found by the canned corn)

2 quarts of stewed tomatoes

Don't drain. Combine with above ingredients

Then add:

1 package of ranch dressing mix

1 1/2 packages of taco seasoning

Cook for 20 minutes, or so, then serve over sliced jack cheese and some sour cream on top. We like to have tortilla chips to dip in it as well.

Wok-ing Ramen!

Last night I made a delicious meal. Here's what I used:

1 pound of diced steak

1-2 tablespoons of oil

Montreal Steak Seasoning.

Garlic Salt

1/2 of a white or yellow onion

1 tablespoon of butter

2 packs of Beef Ramen

And here's what I did:

First I put the meat and oil in the wok and cooked the meat. I flavored it with the Montreal Steak Seasoning and garlic salt. I set it aside. I started boiling water for the Ramen. Then I chopped up the onion and put it in the wok. I put the Ramen noodles in the boiling water and put the flavor packets in the wok with the meat and the onion. Then I put the butter in the wok along with the fully cooked Ramen and cooked everything together. I served it with some broccoli. It was delicious!

*If you just cook the meat with the seasoning, garlic salt and some onion and put it on some salad. That was delicious too!

Buttermilk Syrup

If you don't read this blog you are totally missing out right now. This syrup is fantastically super delicious. It joined my family, along with my sister in law, last year. And we've been addicted ever since.

1/2 lb of butter

1 cup of Sugar

1 cup of buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon of Baking Soda

1 teaspoon of Vanilla

Melt butter, sugar and buttermilk together. Add Baking Soda and vanilla. Serve over your favorite breakfast item, or just eat it by the spoonful.

Enchilada's

This first Recipe came from my mom.

Enchilada's with Red Sauce

1 big can of Enchilada Sauce (I'm guessing it would be a 30 oz can)

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 can of black beans

1-2 chicken breasts (or a can of chicken)

Tortilla's

Cheese

Mix the enchilada sauce and the can of cream of chicken soup together and set aside. In a separate bowl mix black beans, cheese, chicken, a little of the sauce mixture and whatever else you would like to put in (we've put in onions, rice, corn and my mom has even used green beans). Pour a little sauce into the bottom of your baking pan- just enough to cover the bottom. Then place the tortillas in the pan. If you use flour tortilla's bend in half and place in the pan with the top open, place the bean and chicken mixture inside and roll them. If you use corn tortilla's layer the bottom with 4 or 5 tortilla shells, spread the bean and chicken mixture on top and then top off with 4 or 5 more tortilla shells. Cover with the rest of the enchilada sauce and put cheese on top. Then cook in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling.

This recipe is one I made up.

Cheesy Enchilada's

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 8 oz package of cream cheese

1 cup of sour cream

1 small can of diced green chili's

1 tablespoon of salsa

1 can of black beans

1-2 chicken breasts (or 1 can of chicken)

Cheese

Tortilla's

Mix together the can of chicken soup, cream cheese, sour cream, diced chili's, salsa and cheese- however much you prefer. Set aside. In a separate bowl mix black beans, cheese, chicken, a little of the sauce mixture and whatever else you would like to put in (we've put in onions, rice, corn and my mom has even used green beans). Pour a little sauce into the bottom of your baking pan- just enough to cover the bottom. Then place the tortillas in the pan. If you use flour tortilla's bend in half and place in the pan with the top open, place the bean and chicken mixture inside and roll them. If you use corn tortilla's layer the bottom with 4 or 5 tortilla shells, spread the bean and chicken mixture on top and then top off with 4 or 5 more tortilla shells. Cover with the rest of the enchilada sauce and put cheese on top. Then cook in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling.

*I made it with corn tortilla's, which my husband liked, but I think I would prefer flour.

Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving this year I offered to make the mashed potatoes,- an annual for me- the yams and an eggnog cake. Everything turned out yummy so I thought I'd share my recipe's here.

Mashed Potatoes

Peel 4 to 6 medium to large potatoes. Then cut into four sections. Place them in a pot and cover with water. Add salt.

Take a head of cauliflower and cut it into for sections. Place it in a pot and cover with water. Add salt

For both potatoes and cauliflower:

Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes pierce with a fork to see if they are tender. If so strain water and place potatoes and cauliflower together in a bowl.

Add 1/2 cup of butter and mash. Then add milk and chicken broth- or water or all milk- until it reaches desired consistency.

*Instead of milk I used heavy whipping cream. It was a special occasion after all.

Yams

This year I didn't use the canned yams. I was a little nervous but they ended up being really good.

Peel 4 to 8 medium to large yams. Cut too desired size. Place in a pot and cover with water. Add salt and a tablespoon of sugar or sweetener. Bring to a boil then turn heat to medium and let cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes pierce with a fork to see if they are tender. If so strain water and place yams in a casserole dish.

Sprinkle brown sugar on top and add some pats of butter. Bake at 350 degrees until butter is melted. Top with marshmallows and place back in the oven, uncovered, until tops of marshmallows are brown.

Eggnog Cake

Take a yellow cake mix and follow the mixing directions on the box, except replace the water with eggnog. Add some nutmeg and cinnamon to taste. Bake as box directs.

Frosting

1/2 cup of cream cheese

1/2 cup of eggnog

1/2 cup of butter

1 tablespoon of vanilla

2 and 3/4 cups of powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients together. If frosting is not thick enough add more powdered sugar.

*I made a layered circle cake, but I think I'll try it again and bake it as a sheet cake and serve the frosting on the side.