Ricotta Cake

My friend, Mary Busha, shares this recipe today. She says it's "Yummy!"

Ricotta Cake

Yellow cake mix
4 eggs
¾ c. sugar
2 lbs. ricotta cheese
2 t. vanilla

Mix all together, but don’t over mix. Cake is supposed to be dense.
Bake in 9x13 pan (coated with non-stick spray) at 350 degrees for one hour.
Top pieces with whipped cream and your favorite berries!

Homemade Granola

I spotted this recipe that Trish Berg posted today on Facebook. Does this ever sound yummy! I'm always looking for healthy snacks. Thanks, Trish, for allowing me to share the recipe.

Easy Homemade Granola

Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup peanuts
1/3 cup cashews
1/3 cup craisins (or raisins)

Directions:
1. In coated (or paper lined) baking dish, pour oats and nuts. Drizzle with honey, sprinkle on cinnamon, salt, brown sugar and vanilla.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, stirring several times.
3. Remove from oven and let cool. Toss in craisins. Store in air tight container.

The Potluck Club Cookbook - Corn Pudding, Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Many years ago, I sang in a quartet that traveled the tri-state in my area of the country. We sang for a lot of homecomings and 'dinners on the ground.' I always looked forward to these outings for the fun and the food. Scrumptious food and lots of it weighed down the folding tables brought out for the occasion. One time I enjoyed a dessert so much, I tracked down the cook to get the recipe.

When I read The Potluck Club Cookbook, it brought back so many of those good memories. In the preface of the book, Linda and Evan have listed a while list of ways to host a potluck dinner like a Salad Potluck or a Brunch Potluck.

The recipes are simple and for the most part use a few readily available ingredients. If you're a Julia Child wannabe, you may think this book too elementary, but for those of us who cook on the run and want basic recipes to fix in a hurry, grab a copy of this book. Make your own 'potluck' memories!

Available September 2009 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Here are a couple examples of recipes in the book.

Corn Pudding au Gratin

1 (15 oz) can creamed corn
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup diced cheese
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. margarine
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup buttered bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine corn, flour, cheese and pepper; mix well. Add melted margarine and well-beaten eggs. Warm milk and add to mixture. Pour into 1 ½ quart casserole pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook in oven until pudding begins to set, then sprinkle buttered bread crumbs over the top and reduce heat to 325 and bake until firm. If bread crumbs are not sufficiently brown when pudding is firm, turn to broil briefly. Cooking time is about 30 – 40 minutes.

Eva: “This recipe reheats nicely.” (Page 169)

Linda’s Chicken Tortilla Casserole

2 ½ Tbsp. chopped onions
¼ cup butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1 ½ cups milk
¾ cup chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. jalapeno peppers
1 ½ cups chopped canned tomatoes (stewed)
3 cups cubed chicken, cooked
½ cup shredded cheese
12 tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips

Sauté onions in butter, then add flour and cook until mixture is bubbly. Stir in milk and broth gradually. Stir in salt, peppers, and tomatoes.

In casserole dish, layer chicken, cheese, then strips of tortillas. Pour sauce over layers then sprinkle casserole with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve hot. Serves 6-8.

Linda: “You can’t go wrong with this tasty dish. It’s a potluck crowd favorite.” (Page 130)

Product Details:
Paperback: 181 pages
Publisher: Revell; 1 edition (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800733495
ISBN-13: 978-0800733490

Brain Stimulator and Cancer Killer?

Something different today!

Dr. Chauncey Crandall was on the 700 Club touting the spiritual and physical benefits of fasting. Since I'm hypoglycemic, I've never fasted, but the good doctor almost has me convinced that not only would it not harm me, but it would help me tremendously. He mentioned that fasting helps inflammation.

Here's a link to some recipes Dr. Crandall recommends with names like Brain Stimulator, Cancer Killer, and Garlic Breath Delight. lol!

Click HERE.

Cheesy Potato Casserole

32 oz frozen hash browns
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup melted butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8 oz tub of sour cream
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: 1 cup crushed corn flakes or potato chips

Mix onion, soup, sour cream, and cheese in bowl. Place potatoes in 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour melted button on top. Then stir in mixture of remaining items. Sprinkle corn flakes or potato chips on top. Bake uncovered @ 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

For more delicious recipes like this one, visit Tammy at Cookin' at Home - Free Homestyle Recipes OR go to the forums on CWAHM.com where Tammy is the moderator. Click HERE.

Brownie Truffles

Another great recipe from my friend, Carrie. Does she know I like chocolate or what?

BROWNIE TRUFFLES

Forget the mixing and the melting, everyone – just add water to a package of fudge brownie mix, scoop into balls, roll in assorted coatings…. and chill!

This is great for kids to make and the perfect party dessert – your guests will love them.
My husband even goes into the kitchen and whips up a batch of these.

1 Box (21.3 ounce) of Betty Crocker chocolate brownie mix (with chocolate syrup pouch)
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons Karo light color corn syrup
Coatings – such as sweet coconut, toasted almond slivers, colored sprinkles, toffee bits, etc.

In a large bowl, stir together dry brownie mix, chocolate syrup from pouch, water, and corn syrup until well mixed.

Pour each desired coating into separate dishes or pie plates. Scoop up 1 tablespoon (or 1 heaping teaspoon from your flatware service) of brownie mixture, using slightly wet hands. Shape mixture into smooth ball and roll into desired coating to cover entire ball. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat to make 28 truffles, rinsing hands when mixture becomes too sticky to roll. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

I’ve also stirred the nuts in the mixture, and then rolled in coconut or powdered sugar, sugar sprinkles, etc. This one is easy to adapt to your preferences.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

NOTE: To store the truffles, layer between waxed paper in an airtight container. Store for 3 to 4 days at room temperature, 1 week in the refrigerator, or up to 3 months in the freezer. Ha!

Donna's Sweet Potato Casserole

Just in time for Thanksgiving! The dish most requested by my sister-in-law, Shirley, this concoction is more like a dessert than a vegetable. Don't even think about calories or cholesterol. Serve hot. Enjoy.

3 C. Sweet Potatoes
1 C. Dark Brown Sugar
2 Eggs, beaten (It is possible to use EggBeaters.)
1/2 Stick margarine, melted (1/4 C.)
1/2 C. Milk (I've even used Vanilla Creamer. Yummy!)

Mash potatoes. Stir in sugar, margarine, eggs, and milk. Pour in baking dish.

Topping:

1 C. Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 C. Flour
1 C. Chopped Pecans (If you've bought whole pecans, keep out a few for garnish.)
1 Stick Margarine (1/2 C.)

Mix topping ingredients. Spread on top of potatoes. Garnish with whole pecans. Bake in 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes until heated through and topping is golden brown. To me it's best when the top is nice and crunchy!

*I got an email from someone who'd tried my recipe, and loved it! The only thing - the center wasn't quite done in 30 minutes. I make mine in a fairly large baking dish, because I like for the topping to be spread out (and sometimes I make extra, too!), so if you're using a deeper baking dish, you might want to leave it in the oven for about 40 minutes. Just watch to make sure the topping isn't burning. If it's browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.

Donna's Chicken Chili

I entered the Chili Cook Off at church today. I don't eat beef, so I made this up as I went today. I figured making chili with chicken would put me out of the competition, but to my great surprise, I won! I received a beautiful picture and a gift certificate from our local Family Bookstore. Fun!

Here's the recipe - more or less. Like I said, I throw in this and that. Hope you enjoy it!

Donna's Chicken Chili

Olive oil – about 2 tbsp.
3 lg. cans chicken breast, drained
1 sm. chopped onion
Garlic powder

2 lg. cans Northern beans, drained
1 sm. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white corn, drained
1 can yellow corn, drained
2 lg. cans Chicken Broth
1 can green chilies
2 cans chopped tomato chunks

1 pkg. Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cinnamon


In large kettle, sauté onion sprinkled with garlic powder. Add chicken breast to brown, breaking it into small pieces. Add rest of ingredients. Bring to boil. Simmer until thickened.

I poured half the soup (this recipe makes a lot) into a crockpot set on 'low,' and added a can of southwestern cheddar cheese soup for extra thickness, but it's really good either way. I didn't add extra salt, so you may need to add salt to taste.

Sprinkle each serving with Taco Cheese and, if desired, a dollop of sour cream. Really good with lime tortilla chips on the side!

Update: My son tried some today and loved it. His only suggestion - add some cayenne pepper if you want a little kick!

Sweet & Salties

If there's anything I like almost as much as dark chocolate, it's chocolate with something salty. Carrie sent me this recipe. Yum!

Recipe:

Line a cookie sheet with greased aluminum foil.

Bring to a boil in a saucepan and simmer for five minutes:

1 C. Butter
1 C. Dark Brown Sugar

On cookie sheet layer:

Saltines - enough to cover, close together.

Pour the butter/brown sugar mixgture over the crackers and bake at 350 degrees for 6 to 10 minutes (depending on your oven -- watch it).

Remove and immediately pour over the crackers:

1 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips (my preference is Nestle's), spreading them as they melt.

Sprinkle with:

1/2 of a 12 oz. bag of brickle bits (chopped nuts work great, too).

Cool to room temperature, and then chill in the refrigerator. If they stay in the refrigerator long enough to harden, break them into pieces like peantut brittle. Enjoy!

Note from Carrie: You can also mix peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. In fact, any chip mixture that strikes your fancy works well.

Thanks so much, Carrie! Can't wait to try this.

Microwave Fudge

I can hardly believe I didn't have a chocolate recipe on the blog! What was I thinking? For a delicious treat that's fast and easy, use your microwave to make fudge.

1 lb. powdered sugar (1 small box)
1/2 c. cocoa
1/4 c. milk
1 stick butter (I use Parkay.)

1 tbsp. vanilla (real, no fake!)
1/2 c. chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

In microwaveable bowl (glass is good), blend sugar and cocoa. I make a well in the middle and add milk and butter. Cook 2-3 minutes in microwave. Stir til moist.

Now quick! Add vanilla and nuts and mix and a pinch of salt if you want. Pour into a greased dish (8 in. pan or even a pie pan) and refrigerate 1 hour - or as long as you can stand it.

I'd say to keep it in the fridge because it's a soft fudge, but who has leftovers?

Spinach and Artichoke Baked French Bread

I saw this on the recipe forum on CWAHM.com (Christian Work at Home Moms), and thought it sounded scrumptious. Tammy Embrich gave me permission to share it with you. Enjoy!

12 oz bag fresh spinach, stems removed, cut in a wide chiffonade
14 to 16 oz can artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
2 cups mayonnaise
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 loaf French Bread

Cut the artichoke into small pieces and add to the spinach. Next add the mayo. and cheese, and mix these with a spoon until equally blended. Cut the French bread diagonally into 1 inch slices and top with mixture.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 until slightly browned on top (10 to 15 minutes). This also can be baked without the bread and served as a warm dip.

Tammy owns and operates two work at home websites, a work at home forum, a recipe site and three blogs. She offers free work at home job leads for the job seeker, business work at home articles, tips, and more. You can visit Tammy at http://www.onestopwebemployment.com and http://www.cookin-at-home.com

Banana Wheat Bread - Breadmaker Recipe

Recently, we ate at a local Penn Station. I ordered a Reuben made with turkey instead of corned beef - delicious! Afterwards we went to the Salvation Army Store next door, and I found a Regal Breadmaker Machine for $3.99! Since then, I've made lots of bread, experimenting with recipes. Tons of fun! Here's what I made last night:

Banana Wheat Bread

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 egg (I used 1/4 cup EggBeaters)
1/4 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 bananas, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Kroger bread machine yeast
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

On my machine, I used the 'Wheat' setting with 'Light' crust. Enjoy!

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. - Jesus Christ (John 6:51)

Pepper & Salmon Soup

A recipe from the files of Alyice Edrich, The Dabbling Mum! I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it sounds wonderful. Alyice says the soup has a real peppery kick, but you can’t stop eating it. If you try it, please drop back by and let me know.

1 # salmon filets, skinned and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Tb extra virgin olive oil
2 C mushrooms, chopped
1 C onions, chopped
1/2 C orange bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 C celery, chopped
3 C russet potatoes, peeled & cubed
32 oz. chicken broth, low sodium
2 C water, plus 2 Tb
1 tsp dill weed
2 Tb fish sauce
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 Tb black pepper (use 1 tsp if you don’t want it real peppery)
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 C milk
1/2 C heavy cream
1 Tb cornstarch

Directions:

Heat oil in saucepan over medium-low heat.
When oil is hot, add onions and bell peppers.
Sauté for 4 minutes, stirring continually.
In a large soup pot mix together broth, water, fish sauce, celery salt, sea salt, black pepper, dill weed, onions, bell peppers, and raw veggies.
Cook over medium-high heat until potatoes are tender, about 60 minutes.
In a separate skillet, pan-sear salmon for five minutes and set aside.
When potatoes are done, add salmon to soup pot, lower heat to medium-low, and cook for another 5 minutes or until salmon is cooked through.
Mix cornstarch and 2 Tb warm water together until smooth and liquidy.
Add cornstarch mixture to soup and blend well.
Add cream, milk, and lemon juice. Cook for another 3 minutes.
Serve with warm, toasted, buttered bread. (Nico suggests Hawaiian bread.)

Optional:
Add 1 C fresh green beans, cut into thirds.

About The Cook:
Alyice Edrich is a work-at-home mom with an award winning online magazine. Visit her website, http://thedabblingmum.com/, to learn how you can earn a living working from home, too. Or stop by her personal blog, http://alyiceedrich.com/, to learn more about life on the prairie.

Donna's Dill Dip

Wonderful to dip potato chips, chicken strips, or potato skins.

1/2 C. Sour Cream
1/2 C. Mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dill Weed
1 Tbsp. Dill Pickle Juice
Dill Pickles - chopped finely

Mix all ingredients.

I usually have to double or even triple this to have enough! As the flavors blend, it tastes even better. Sometimes I add some garlic or onion powder, too, and I always use Claussen Pickles.

Enjoy!

Pineapple Dream Cake

This is a light, yummy dessert perfect for summer.

Bake according to directions in a 13 x 9 inch pan (I use a larger broiler pan, so the cake's spread out more.):

1 Yellow Cake Mix

Poke holes in baked cake with toothpick or a fork. Pour over the cake:

1 Can Crushed Pineapple in Juice (More if you really like pineapple.)

Whip:

1 8-oz. pkg. Cream Cheese, softened (I've tried the lowfat, and it will do.)
1 Large Pkg. Instant Vanilla Pudding
2 C. Milk

Pour over pineapple.

Pour over all:

1 Large Tub of Cool Whip

This cake is best when made and refrigerated overnight. Some recipes call for nuts on top, but I prefer it without. I think it's called 'Dream Cake' because the original recipe called for Dream Whip, but I have to say using Cool Whip is a whole lot easier!

I haven't tried yet, but one of these days, I'm going to mix it up a bit, and try some new combinations for this such as, using chocolate cake mix, cherry pie filling, and chocolate pudding. Or how about orange cake mix, mandarin oranges, and vanilla pudding?

Anyone else got an idea? Leave a comment!

Topsy Turvy Links!

I find it amusing how people find this recipe site. Several people have stopped by looking for a Topsy Turvy Cake. For fun, I looked it up, and found there's a cake pan called the Topsy Turvy Cake Pan by Wilton.



I found another book called Topsy Turvy Optical Illusions. Looks like a fun book!



My son and I have been hooked on Nintendo games in the past. Here's a game featuring Yoshi.



Apparently, a lot of you are looking for Topsy Turvy Dolls. I found a site where they can be purchased. Click HERE.

AND for those who don't want to spend that much, I found an HGTV site that has sewing instructions for making your own! Click HERE.

Broccoli Casserole

One of my favorite vegetables is broccoli. I buy the huge bags at Sam's Club, and periodically I steam a couple of cups, topping it with a little bit (well, I start out with a little bit!) of butter and salt. Lately I've discovered squeezing a bit of fresh lemon over the top really brings out the flavor. But when I'm fixing a big dinner, I make Broccoli Casserole - a much richer dish. As with all these recipes, forget counting the calories. If you're going to do that, steam it instead.

10 oz. pkg. chopped broccoli

Steam til done, but not overly so. Drain well.

Mix together*:

1/2 c. Mayonnaise
1/2 c. sharp Cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 egg, beaten
Dash of black pepper

Mix well with broccoli. Spoon into greased baking dish.

Mix:

1/2 c. crushed Saltines
2 tbsp. melted butter

Top broccoli with cracker mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until topping is golden.

*Sometimes I add about a 1/2 pkg. of onion soup mix to the mayonnaise mixture to make it really onion-y. Warms up well!

Thousand Island Dressing

Recently we ate at Bob Evans Restaurant. The people at the next table muttered and groused, so I tuned in to hear what upset them. Someone had ordered a salad with Thousand Island dressing, and when the new menu change went into effect, guess what had been eliminated?

It got me to thinking about how frequently I used to fix homemade Thousand Island dressing. Now I suppose Ranch has taken its place - or at least it did at Bob Evans!

1 C. Mayonnaise
1/4 C. Chili Sauce (Ketchup may be substituted - but only in a pinch.)
1/4 C. Sweet Pickle Relish
2 Hard-boiled Eggs, chopped
1/4 tsp. Onion Powder (Better with chopped green onions, but since my family won't eat onions, I've learned to adapt.)

Mix well. Refrigerate.

Options:

Chop and Add: Stuffed Olives (one of my favorites), green pepper, or onion.
Top with Paprika.

To read about the origin of Thousand Island dressing, click here.

Russian Teacakes

Every Christmas, my sister, Sherry, begs me to make these saying mine are simply the best. Well, she would say that. She's my sis! But I do agree - these are scrumptious. The powdered sugar melts in your mouth followed by the crunchiness of pecans and toasted cookie. The one thing I do a bit different from most is add almond extract. It gives the cookies a yummy sweetness I think you'll like. Once you bake these, be prepared to make more!

Mix thoroughly:

1 C. Soft Butter (or Margarine - I use Parkay.)
½ C. Confectioner's (powdered) Sugar
½ tsp. Vanilla Extract (pure - always use pure - it's worth it!)
½ tsp. Almond Extract (vital!)

Sift together and stir in:

2¼ C. Flour (all purpose)
¼ tsp. Salt

Mix in:

¾ c. Finely Chopped Nuts (I prefer pecans, but walnuts can be used if you prefer.)

Chill dough: Roll into 1" balls.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet. (Cookies do not spread)
Bake until set, but not brown at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
While still warm, roll in powdered sugar.
Roll in powdered sugar again.

(My sister drops them down in a baggie of powdered sugar and eats them straight out of the bag, but shhhh...., don't tell her I told!)

Donna's Stuffed Celery

Now isn't that a clever name?

Cut celery into pieces about 2-3 inches long. Soak in ice water to crisp.

Mix together:

One package Cream Cheese, softened
One Cup Miracle Whip (Must be Miracle Whip - NOT mayonnaise)
Chopped Walnuts (I like a lot of these!)

Dry celery well, fill with cream cheese mixture. Enjoy!

Frankfurter Fanfare

We don't call hot dogs frankfurters any more, but I like the alliteration. :)

Mix:

1 C. Grape Jelly (My favorite is Smucker's.)
1/2 c. French's Yellow Mustard

Heat in crockpot or fondue pot.

Add:

1 lb. Frankfurters cut into bite-size pieces.

Let simmer at least 1/2 hour.

These are simple, but a favorite around my house. If you like the sauce even sweeter, you can use honey mustard. I cut the hot dogs on the diagonal, but to tell you the truth, I don't think anyone notices! They're too busy eating them.