Whew! Just got back from our trip, so I am digging an old recipe out of the box. I love this sweet recipe. I have taken it to baby showers and such and it has been a hit!

Strawberry Pizza

sugar cookie dough (that comes in a tube at the store)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 C powdered sugar
2 C sliced fresh strawberries

sauce:
1 C sugar
1/4 C cornstarch
2 C crushed strawberries

Spread sugar cookie dough onto a pizza pan for crust and bake as directed. It should start to become a little golden. I usually do a toothpick poke in the middle to make sure that it is cooked. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar and spread over the crust. Arrange fresh strawberry slices on top.
Bring sauce to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool slightly. Spoon over fresh strawberries and refrigerate.

King Ranch Chicken

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
10-12 small corn tortillas, torn into bite size pieces
1 small can of diced green chiles (opt.)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
about 1/2 C salsa
shredded cheese to top

Combine everything but the cheese in a 9 x 13 in. pan. Top with the shredded cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Hey, all you coconut lovers out there...

Look out Almond Joy... these are delicious! I like these better than the real Almond Joy candy bars! My mother-in-law has frozen them before too and said that they freeze great! Once again, the recipe is taken from a Taste of Home magazine.

Chocolate Coconut Candies

1 3/4 C confectioners sugar
1 3/4 C flaked coconut
1 C chopped almonds
1/2 C sweetened condensed milk
2 C (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 T shortening

In a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, coconut, almonds and milk. Shape into 1 in. balls. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip balls in the chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

Arepas

Since we saw an episode of "Throwdown" with Bobby Flay, Joe and I have been wanting to try arepas. I am sorry I do not know how to make a good picture, but I thought they tasted great! It is a mix of beef, fried plantains, and black bleans. It also calls for cotija cheese but I just didn't have it. They were really sweet and I think that the cotija would've balanced it out a little more since it is a salty cheese. I found a link to these recipes.... for the arepas: www.whats4eats.com/recipes/r_br_arepas.php and for the pabellon (beef): www.whats4eats.com/recipes/r_me_pabelloncriollo.php. As usual I made some alterations, like using a chuck roast instead. Try it...you might like it! Another blog that shows how she did them is: kingscrown.blogspot.com/2008/07/adventures-with-arepas.html. I found her site first but mostly stuck to the whats 4 eats website. P.S. I actually got my picky eater daughter to eat the fried plantains!

Dill Dip

Everyone may already know about this, but just in case here it is. It is wonderful with veggies or crackers!

Dill Dip

1 C sour cream
1 C mayonnaise
1 T dill
1/2 T seasoning salt
1 T parsley
1 T onion flakes

Mix all ingredients together. It tastes best after being refrigerated for a little while to allow the flavors to blend.

Cornbread

**Caution: If you are on a diet then this recipe is not for you. It is full of sweet buttery goodness! Recipe by: Sister Teshima

Cornbread

2 C Bisquick
1 C sugar
1/2 C cornmeal
1/2 t baking soda
2 eggs
1 C milk
2 sticks of butter

Mix above well. Melt 2 blocks of butter or margarine and add last to the batter. Pour into 9 x 13 pan or muffing tins. Bake for approximately 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

Won Ton Chicken Salad

This salad has the easiest and most delicious dressing. One of my favorite recipes I got from the mission field.

Won Ton Chicken Salad

Fry one pkg. wontons cut into thirds
Toast in the oven:
1/2 C sesame seeds (if not already toasted)
1/2 C almonds--slivered
1 head of lettuce (I usually use iceberg for this one)
Chop1 bunch of green onions
Cook 3-4 chicken breast, cut into small pieces

Dressing:
1/2 C oil
1/2 C rice vinegar
2 t salt
1/2 C sugar
1/2 t pepper

Combine ingredients, adding the fried wontons last. Add dressing just before serving.

What is a recipe blog without...dessert!

This is one of our favorites that never fails!

Caramel Brownies

1 bag (about 50-60 pieces) Kraft caramels
2/3 C of evaporated milk, divided
1 German chocolate cake mix
7 T margarine
1 C chocolate chips

Put caramels and 1/3 C evaporated milk in saucepan on medium heat to melt. Stir frequently until smooth. (Or melt it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, stirring every minute). Mix dry cake, melted margarine, 1/3 C milk together. This will be a stiff batter. Pat half of it into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and drizzle the caramel over that. Drop small pieces of remaining batter over the caramel. Bake again for another 18 minutes. Remove and cool. The caramel is more set up the cooler the brownies are.

* Tip: I usually get my caramel stuff unwrapped and ready to go first, and then melt my caramel while that first part is baking for the 7 minutes.

Sunday Morning Coffee Cake

One of our favorites, and something we make for Christmas morning each year. An old family recipe...

Sunday Morning Coffee Cake

1 Yellow cake mix
1 lg bog vanilla instant pudding
3/4 C hot water
4 eggs
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 t vanilla
1 C sour cream

Mix the above ingredients in order. In a separate bowl, mix:

1 C sugar
4 t cinnamon
1 C nuts

Layer batter and cinnamon mixture alternately starting with batter on the bottom and ending with cinnamon on top (batter, cinnamon mix, batter, cinnamon mix) in a greased and floured 9 x 13 in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour.

Bacon Tomato Grilled Cheese

8 slices sourdough bread
4 slices mozzarella cheese
2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
8 bacon strips, cooked
4 T sour cream
4T finely chopped onion
1/4 t dried oregano
4 slices cheddar cheese
2 T butter, softened

For each sandwich, top one slice of bread with one slice of mozzarella cheese, a fourth of the tomato slices, two bacon strips, 1 T sour cream, 1T onion, a pinch of oregano, one slice of cheddar cheese and another slice of bread. Spread outside of sandwiches with butter. On a hot griddle over medium heat, grill sandwiches for 3-4 minutes on each side or until lightly toasted.

*I usually mix the sour cream, onion, and oregano in a bowl and just spread it on after the bacon. This recipe was found in a Taste of Home magazine some years ago.

Sorry, macaroni

Just as a disclaimer: I don't have anything against macaroni and cheese. I actually like it. But I love trying out recipes and eating new foods. And for me... they beat macaroni, hands down, anyday.

Chicago-Style Pizza

Here is a favorite that I love to eat. It is flexible and you can alter it to use whatever toppings you want. I originally got it out of a magazine (Quick Cooking May/June 2004) where it used sausage but I usually substitute pepperoni. Also great when you saute peppers. It is great because you can make it your own way! I also usually buy 2 small cans of diced tomatoes instead of the large one and I buy them with the spices already in it to save time. Enjoy!



Chicago-Style Pan Pizza

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
2 C (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed (I've never put this in)
1/4 t garlic powder
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese


Press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 13 in x 9 in x 2 in baking dish.. In a large skillet, cook sausafe over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle over dough. Top with mozzarella cheese.

In a skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in oil until onion is tender. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, salt, fennel seed, and garlic powder. Spoon over mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Yield: 6 slices.