Chocolate Pudding Dessert

This is a really yummy and pretty dessert. I love to make it for ward functions.

1 c. flour
1 c. pecans/chopped almonds (I prefer the pecans)
1 8 oz. pkg. of Cool Whip
1 large pkg. instant chocolate pudding
1 c. powdered sugar
1 large pkg. instant vanilla pudding
3 c. cold milk
1 grated Hershey’s chocolate bar
½ c. butter
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

Mix flour, butter, and nuts till crumb-like. Press into bottom of 9 X 13” pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Cool.

Mix cream cheese, sugar, and ½ pkg. Cool Whip. Spread over crust.

Mix vanilla and chocolate pudding with milk until smooth (follow pkg. directions on pudding box). Pour over crust and add remainder of Cool Whip on top. Top with grated Hershey’s bar. Chill and serve!

Butterscotch Haystacks

Scott is really not a fan of these, but anything butterscotch tastes yummy to me!

½ c. peanut butter
6 oz. butterscotch morsels
3 oz. chow mien noodles
2 c. miniature marshmallows

Melt butterscotch morsels over double broiler. Once morsels are mostly melted, add peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Cool mixture so the marshmallows won’t melt in the mixture. Add marshmallows and chow mien noodles. Drop mixture into small rounds on wax paper and let dry. Serve when set. Makes 1½ dozen.

Fruit Pizza

I think this might be a Pampered Chef recipe, but I'm not sure. It's a perfect summer treat!

Sugar Cookie Crust:
1 c. butter softened
1 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
2½ c. flour
2½ tsp. baking soda
2½ tsp. cream of tartar
½ tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. almond extract

Filling/Frosting:
16 oz. cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Fruit:
Peaches
Strawberries
Kiwi
Bananas
Mandarine oranges
Any other berry (blueberry, raspberry, etc)

Orange Sauce:
½ c. sugar
1 c. orange juice
¼ c. lemon juice
¼ tsp. grated orange peel

Combine all ingredients for sugar cookie crust. Flour hands and divide dough in half. Pat dough onto 2 lightly greased pizza pans/stones. Cook at 375 degrees for 12 minutes, or until cooked. Let cool.

Mix all ingredients for filling/frosting. Spread over cooled crust.

Chop up desired fruit (remember to make it colorful)! Cover fruit on top of frosting. Combine ingredients for orange sauce, stirring in the lemon juice and grated orange peel very last. Drizzle orange sauce over fruit pizza.

Homemade Sloppy Joes

These are probably my favorite sloppy joes in the entire world! My sister won an award for them and it's so funny because the recipe is so simple. I bet you already have all the ingredients for these in your home right now. Yum!

(Hint: I like a little smokier taste so I go a little heavy on the Worcestershire sauce)

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium chopped onion
¾ c. ketchup
T Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 Tbsp. prepared mustard
2 Tbsp. butter

Brown meat and onions together. Drain fat. Combine remaining ingredients together in bowl. Add to the hamburger mixture. Simmer beef mixture. Serve on toasted hamburger buns. Serves 4 to 6.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

A good friend of mine brought this soup to me shortly after Garrett was born. It's a yummy one!

4 chicken breasts
4 tsp. chicken base (more/less to taste)
3 c. chicken stock
2 c. chopped carrots
1 c. chopped celery
¼ c. onion
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can evaporated milk
1 pkg. curly noodles

Boil chicken breasts until cooked. Cut up. Cook all veggies together. In a huge pot, mix everything together. Added cooked noodles just before serving.
*Cut recipe in half for smaller family*

Bacon Chestnut Tidbits

These make a really yummy and inexpensive appetizer! They remind me of our annual ward memorial day picnics that we had every year in Cincinnati.

1 lb. bacon (good quality)
2 cans whole water chestnuts
1 c. ketchup
½ c. sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut each raw bacon strip into four pieces. Wrap each piece of bacon around a water chestnut and secure with a toothpick. Place on a jelloy roll pan and bake for 10 minutes. Drain fat and place bacon-wrapped tidbits in casserole dish. Mix ketchup, sugar, and soy sauce and pour over top of tidbits, avoiding toothpick tops. Cover and bake for 15 minutes more. Serve warm on a platter. Makes approximately 72 pieces.

Royal Raspberry Cake

This is one of my favorite cakes. The consistency can change if you are not careful so stick to the recipe precisely.


The following ingredients need to be at room temp.

1/3 c. butter
1 egg
1 c. milk

Combine the following three ingredients;

2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 T baking powder

1 c sugar
1 t vanilla
3 1/2 c. raspberries whole

Glaze:
1 1/2 c. confectioners sugar
2 T cream or milk
1 t melted butter
1 t vanilla


Cream softened butter with mixer, add sugar gradually, beating well after each addition until mixture is fluffy and light. Stir in egg; beat 1 min. combine milk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk and vanilla mixture, beating well after each addition.Spread cake batter in greased, floured 9x13 baking pan. Spread w/berries evenly over top of batter. Bake @350 for 30-35 min or until venter of cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool 5 min. Combine glaze ingredients; spread over cake leaving berries exposed. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Rolo Cookies

I got this recipe from Julie! It's very easy and the cookies are good!

1 German Chocolate Cake Mix

1 stick of butter/marg

1 egg

1 bag of Rolo's

*Mix the cake mix, butter, egg- will seem dry but keep mixing it until moist.

*Unwrap your rolo's- or have you kids do it!

*Wrap just enough dough around unwrapped rolo.

*Place on cookie sheet.

*Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. DON'T OVER BAKE!

Cream of Carrot Soup

This one of my favorite ways to get in my veggies for the day! I usually add a few extra carrots and celery. This is a great summer soup because it can be served warm or cold!

4 carrots, sliced (1 c.)

1 medium onion, sliced

1 stalk celery w/ leaves, sliced

1 1/2 c chicken stock

1 tsp salt

generous pinch of cayenne

1/2 c cooked rice

3/4 c cream

Place carrots, onion, celery and 1/2 c chicken stock in saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Transfer to blender/processor and add salt, cayenne and rice. Cover and turn on high. (For a chunkier soup blend on lower speed for less time.) Turn off and add remaining stock and cream. Blend again. Can be served warm or cold. Garnish with dried pimento.

Strawberry Lemon Shortcake

I got this recipe from that sweet cooking magazine Mom sends me! It was so good!

1 1/2 c sliced fresh strawberries

2 Tbls sugar

SHORTCAKE:

1 c all-purpose flour

2 Tbls sugar

3/4 tsp baking pwdr

1/8 tsp salt

2 Tbls cold butter

3 Tbls 2% milk

1 egg yolk, beaten

3/4 tsp grated lemon peel

LEMON BUTTER: (I omitted this part to save calories and instead used the lemon peel on top of the strawberries and whip cream at the end.)

1 Tbls butter, softened

1/4 tsp grated lemon peel

WHIPPED CREAM:

1/3 c heavy whipping cream

1 tsp sugar

In a small bowl, combine strawberries and sugar; cover and refrigerate until serving.

In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking pwdr and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine the milk, egg yolk and lemon peel; stir into crumb mixture until a soft sticky dough forms (dough will be sticky). (Mine was not. Oh, well- it still ended up tasting good!)

Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 10 times. Divide dough in half (I divided mine into thirds- you could probably divide it into fourths for a smaller serving). Gently pat or roll each half portion of dough into a 3/4-inch-thick circle. Place 2 in. apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack; cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine butter and lemon peel; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream until in begins to thicken. Add sugar; beat until stiff peaks form.

To assemble, split shortcakes in half. Place cake bottoms on dessert plates; spread with lemon butter, then top each with a fourth of the strawberries and whipped cream. Cover with shortcake top and remaining berries and cream.

Yield: 2 servings

Chicken Rice Dish

I started making this a couple of years ago. I triple the amount of lemon juice and double (or triple) the carrots.

Prep/Total Time: 25 minutes

2 c water

2 c cut fresh asparagus (1 inch diagonal cut pieces)

1 pkg (6 Oz) long grain and wild rice mix (I use Uncle Ben's)

1/4 c butter, divided (I use just only abt 3 Tbls)

3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch strips

1 t minced garlic

1/4 t salt

1 medium carrot, shredded

2 Tbls lemon juice (like I said, I use a lot more!)

1/2 t grated lemon peel

In a large saucepan, combine the water, asparagus, rice mix with contents of seasoning packet and 2 Tbls butter. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the chicken, garlic and salt in remaining butter until juices run clear. Add the carrot, lemon juice and lemon peel; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Stir into rice mixture.

Yield: 4 servings