Granola

This is a recipe that came from a Cascade/Frebreeze/Dawn advertisement.  It’s my favorite granola recipe!  We like it with milk (like cereal).  In my opinion it’s best with vanilla yogurt.  Yum!

3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

¼ cup canola oil

¼ cup honey

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups stir-ins (dried fruit & nuts—I used 1 cup walnuts and 1 cup dried cranberries)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray (you can do neither but some of the oats will stick to the bottom).  Stir together oil, honey, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.  Pour over oatmeal and stir to coat.  Stir in the nuts if desired (I did because I wanted the walnuts to be toasted).  Spread mixture onto baking sheet.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until golden brown.

Let cool completely.  Stir in fruit (and nuts if you didn’t add them prior to baking).  Transfer to an air tight container.

German Apple Cake

This is my friend Kim Busby’s cake recipe (well, her mom's actually). It’s one of those extra-special kind of cakes. Delicious and EASY! It really doesn’t matter what kind of apples you use…red delicious, gayla, etc. It's great with or without the nuts (my picture is without the nuts).

3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
¾ cup chopped walnuts
4 cups apple slices (about 4-5 apples)
Greased and floured 9x13. 350 for 1 hour.

Beat the eggs and oil (you can use a spoon or fork). Add sugar and vanilla, beating well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, walnuts, and apple slices. Stir to combine. The batter is pretty thick. Pour into a greased and floured 9X13 pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Icing:
3 tablespoons butter softened
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups powdered sugar

Mix well. Spread on the cake while still warm. Cool. Store in refrigerator.

Good warm but really yummy cold!

Ham and Potato Casserole

One of the nice things about being sick is that my mom usually cooks something for my family and I. This weekend I was terribly sick and my mom made this casserole for us. It was soooooooo yummy! She was sweet enough to give me the recipe to share with you all. Enjoy!

Peel and slice 4 good-sized potatoes
Use cooked ham and slice or chunk (apprx. 2 cups?)
Layer in a casserole dish (2-3 qt)
Top with dried or real onion
Salt & pepper to taste
I use a bit of dried parsley
Take 1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup & stir in 1/2 cup of milk
Pour over ham and potatoes
Cover & bake at about 400 to 425 degrees for about 30 or 45 minutes (when the potatoes are tender)
Add 1 cup shredded cheese to top, return to oven to melt if needed

Wedding Punch

This came from a dear friend from church years ago. It's probably the best punch recipe I've ever had. I usually use peach jello but you can use whatever you want. Of course you can use it for occasions other than weddings.

Serves approximately 40 4 oz. cups

1 family size jello (whatever color needed)
4 cups boiling water
2 cups sugar
46 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice
8 oz. lemon juice (bottled)
1 tablespoon almond extract (key ingredient!)
4 cups cold water

Melt the jello in the boiling water, stir in sugar until melted. Add the remaining ingredients. Freeze (I usually use a washed out milk container). Thaw 5 hours before serving time. Add 1 qt (liter) cold gingerale when serving. This is meant to be a bit slushy.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I've tried. It's great with M&Ms as well. Cheryl Doggett (my mom worked with her in CA) gave me the recipe when she saw me post on FaceBook that I was hunting a good one. So, thanks to Cheryl, I stopped looking for the "perfect" chocolate chip cookie recipe because she had sent it to me!

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted (I use Imperial margarine, which makes them softer)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups chocolate chips

Mix together dry ingredients; set aside.

Cream together, melted butter, brown and white sugar, until well blended.

Beat in the vanilla, egg and egg yolk until light and creamy.

Mix in dry ingredients until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.

Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour (I do not usually do this). When it's time preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Drop cookie dough using a tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before placing on wire racks to cool completely.

Lady Brownies (plus Cream Cheese Brownie Recipe)

These are adapted from a Paula Deen recipe. It's my favorite brownie recipe! It's super easy and makes a 9x13 pan FULL! It uses cocoa (which I have on hand) and not chocolate (which I never seem to have). Also, it uses oil instead of butter. Now I realize they're not "healthy" but it makes me feel a teeny tiny bit better that I'm using canola oil instead of butter. LOL Also, you don't have to pull your mixer out--just stir and go!

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cocoa

Stir together in a mixing bowl.

4 eggs
1 cup oil (I use canola)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir into dry mixture. You can mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl but you don't have to. Just be sure to mix the ingredients really well.

Optional:

Add 1 cup chopped nuts

Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven. Bake for 25-35 minutes. 25 minutes for very fudgy brownies; 35 for more cake-like brownies. The center will be a little "jiggly" when done.

Note: Use self-rising flour instead of the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Cream Cheese Brownies:

1 stick butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon flour

Beat together the butter and cream cheese. Add sugar, eggs and flour. Beat until well blended. Pour over brownie mixture in pan. Use a butte knife to swirl into the brownie mixture. Bake as described above.

I admit I haven't made the cream cheese part but I have a friend that has and she said they're really yummy.

Stuffed Shells

This is a recipe from my friend Ashley Standridge. She brought this to us after Carrie was born. It's absolutely delicious and it goes a long way. See her note below.

1 box jumbo shells
1 1/2 pds ground beef
2 t. oregano
2 t. basil
1 egg
2 cups mozzarella
1 lb. cottage cheese
2 T. sugar
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Brown beef and drain. Cook shells according to package directions. Mix together cottage cheese, cheese, sugar, spices, eggs and beef. Pour a layer of spaghetti sauce in bottom of 9X13 pan. Stuff the shells with mixture and place in pan. Pouring remaining spaghetti sauce over stuffed shells. Bake covered at 350 for about 1 hour.

NOTE: this can be frozen before cooking. And I've wanted to try it not stuffed in a shell, but maybe mixed all together with a different type of pasta (penne, ziti, rotini). The stuffing can get somewhat time consuming, and I think it would be just as good all mixed together with a different noodle :) ENJOY!