Peppermint Bark

This is so easy and looks great on a big Christmas cookie tray.

(1) one box candy canes, unwrapped and crushed coarsely
(2) two 12 oz bags Nestle White Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup Nestle Semi Sweet chocolate chips

Line baking sheet with wax paper. Spread crushed candy canes on paper.

Melt white chocolate chips until smooth and pour over candy canes, spreading evenly. Cool completely in refrigerator.

Melt chocolate chips and drizzle over white chocolate. Refrigerate until hard. Break bark into small pieces.

Chili

I've been craving chili lately so I made a pot yesterday. I got this recipe from my high school boyfriend's mother. She was the sweetest lady. She told me when she first got married (50-60 something years ago), she didn't know how to cook. So every day, she would go to her friend's upstairs apartment and say, "What are you making for dinner tonight?" The friend would tell her what she was making and Mrs. Homza would write it down and make it for her husband, too. This chili recipe is one of her recipes with a few modifications I've fiddled with since I started making it almost 30 years ago! Upon reading the recipe, you might think it looks boring but everyone who has ever tried it claims it's the best chili ever. (see funny note below)

I serve it with shredded cheese and crushed tortillas on top (or oyster crackers). I also like to make this delicious cornbread with it. I like honey butter for the cornbread (equal parts butter and honey blended together.) This chili has a bit of a bite to it but is not crazy spicy.

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 large sweet onion, chopped coarsely
1 green pepper, chopped coarsely

2 cans condensed tomato soup
1/2 can water (may need to add more as it simmers)
1 can chopped tomatoes, with liquid
1 can kidney or pinto beans, drained and rinsed (I don't like a lot of beans; feel free to use two cans if you do)
1/4 cup chili powder (yes I do mean 1/4 CUP)
1 t cumin
1 t black pepper
salt to taste (be sure to check whether it needs salt before adding. the condensed soup and beans add a lot of salt to the recipe)

Brown ground beef with onions and peppers. Drain off fat. You may rinse at this point to remove excess fat, if desired (I don't bother.) Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer for 1-2 hours. Taste and add additional spices if necessary. If chili gets too thick, stir in water.

I have tried this recipe in the crockpot and don't care for the results. It thickens up on the stovetop but it gets more liquidy in the crockpot due to the nature of crockpot cooking.

Funny Note: I started making this chili when I was in high school and my family loved it and requested it often. After I got married, I had my brother and his new girlfriend over for drinks and munchies. I made a quick dip that included a bar of cream cheese, a can of chili and shredded pepper jack cheese (bake at 325 for 20 minutes, serve with tortillas). My brother's new girlfriend saw the empty chili can in the trashcan and said, "Ken, THIS is your sister's famous chili that everyone talks about?" LOL.

Apple Cake with Vanilla Caramel Sauce

2 cups chopped, peeled apples
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

1 egg
1/4 oil
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour square pan or single layer round cake pan.

Sift dry ingredients over apples and nuts in large bowl. Stir until well coated.

Whisk together egg, oil and vanilla. Gently stir into apple mixture until well mixed. Mixture is very thick - doesn't resemble "typical" cake batter.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Cool slightly and serve with vanilla caramel sauce.

Vanilla Caramel Sauce
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/2 cup cream
1 t vanilla

Melt butter. Whisk in brown sugar and cinnamon; stir until sugar is melted. Whisk in cream and stir until bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.

Easy Sloppy Joes

This is a favorite at our house and is so easy to make!

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onions (or 2T dehydrated onions)
1 cup barbecue sauce (I use Montgomery Inn brand)
1 T mustard

hamburger buns

Brown ground beef and onions together until cooked. Drain off grease.

Add sauce and mustard and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve on buns.

Best Ever Macaroni & Cheese

This stuff is incredible. You can feel your arteries harden and your thighs widening with every bite. But so worth it!!

Rich Macaroni and Cheese

1 lb penne

6 T butter

6 T flour

4 c milk

1 cup mozzarella

1 c parmesan

3 c cheddar (reserve 1 cup for topping)

½ c Monterey jack

1 c Velveeta

(note: may substitute other kinds of cheese but do use at least half cheddar. I have also used gruyere, havarti, swiss, etc.)

2 t Worcestershire

2 t mustard

2 t hot sauce

Grease 4 quart casserole. Cook penne. Melt butter; whisk in flour. Add milk and cook, stirring until thickened. Sir in cheeses; add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and mustard. Mix pasta with sauce. Top with remaining cheddar. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

I usually make this in two pans and stick one in the freezer (before baking)

Strawberry Cream Pie

This recipe came from last month's Domino magazin although I made some modifications. I brought it to book club last week and it was a hit. Very flavorful but light. I'll be making it again soon!

Strawberry Cream Pie

2 lb strawberries, reserve 3 for garnish, hull the rest
3 T lemon juice
1 ¼ cup milk
6 T Cornstarch
¾ c. sugar

Graham cracker pie shell (the bigger one)

2 cups whipping cream
2 T confectioner sugar

Puree the strawberries (not the reserved ones!) in a blender or food processor with the lemon juice. Combine cold milk, cornstarch and sugar in saucepan. Whisk until well blended and sugar is dissolved. Stir in pureed strawberries. Cook over med-high heat for 6-7 minutes until bubbly and thick. Pour into pie shell and let cool completely on counter. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, whip cream with sugar until stiff. Spread over pie and garnish with remaining strawberries (you can slice them or chop them, whatever you feel like.) Be sure to keep refrigerated until serving. It gets soft quickly.

Granola

This is one of my favorite breakfasts - Berries with yogurt and granola. And when the granola is homemade granola, it's THE BEST! My friend gave me the recipe but I think it originally came from Better Homes and Gardens. The ingredients can be modified to suit your tastes.

Homemade Granola

(Better Homes & Gardens 5/92)

2 ½ cups rolled oats

1 cup coconut

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

¼ cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup sliced almonds

¼ cup butter/margarine

¼ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup honey

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 t. cinnamon

½ cup toasted wheat germ

1 cup raisins (or dried cranberries)

Preheat oven to 300.

Add oatmeal, coconut, seeds, nuts to greased roasting pan (I do not grease the pan.)

Bake 20 minutes, stirring several times.

In small sauce pan combine butter, brown sugar, cinnamon & honey until melted.

Add vanilla.

Increase oven temperature to 350

Add wheat germ to oatmeal mixture.

Pour sugar mixture over oatmeal mixture and stir until mixed.

Bake 5 minutes more.

Add raisins, mix and press into pan with spatula.

Bake 5 – 10 minutes.

Remove to wire rack and cool completely. (I pour onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper to cool.)

Nutritional Information for ½ cup serving:

233 calories

11 grams fat

0 mg cholesterol

5 grams protein

32 grams carbohydrate

1 g. fiber

55 mg sodium

RDA 12% iron
20% thiamin