Kristin's Cookies

‎1 box devils food cake
1/2 cup oil
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup chocloate chips (I do half white and half chocolate if I have them...)
Roll in balls and in powdered sugar and bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes depending on the oven. I do mine for 9 and then let them cool on the pan while the next pan bakes (About 9 minutes)

Aunt Laurel's Calico Beans

Hands down my favorite beans for a BBQ! Super easy and VERY YUMMY!

1 lb lean hamburger
1/2 lb bacon- fried and crumbled
1 cup onion

Mix in separate bowl:
1/2 cup ketchup
1 Tablespoon mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons vinegar

Put in crockpot:
2 cans pork and beans
1 can lima or butter beans
1 can kidney beans
drain some of the liquid out of each can

Add meat mixture to beans and pour sauce over top. Cook 4-6 hours on low or 1 1/2-2 hours on 300 degrees.

Breakfast Casserole

1 pound breakfast sausage
3 cups frozen shredded hashbrown potatoes
1/4 cup butter, melted
12 ounce mild cheddar cheese, shredded
1 onion, diced
1 (16 ounce) container cottage cheese
6 jumbo eggs

Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan. Cook sausage in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until evenly browned. Drain, crumble and set aside.

In the prepared baking dish, stir together the shredded potatoes and butter. Line the bottom and sides of the baking dish with the mixture. In a bowl, mix together the sausage, cheddar cheese, onion, cottage cheese, and eggs. Pour over the potato mixture.

Bake 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Tomato Cucumber Salad

1 pint Grape tomatoes, halved
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 Tablespoons fresh basil, coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, gently toss together the tomatoes, cucumber, feta, and basil. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad; toss to coat. Refrigerate any leftovers. Serves 6 to 8 as a side.

7 up Grilled chicken

1 cup of soy sauce
1 cup of 7 up
1 cup of veg. oil
1 Tablespoon pepper
2 Tablespoons garlic
1 Tablespoon horseradish (yuck but good)
Marinate chicken tenders and grill. Yummy!

Chicken Jerusalem

6 chicken breasts
1/2 c swiss cheese, grated
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c crushed ritz crackers
1/4 c grape juice, white!
2 c sour cream

Create sauce by mixing soup, sour cream, cheese and white grape juice. Spray 9 x 13 pan with pam. Put chicken in pan and pour sauce over it. Sprinkle with ritz crackers and cover with foil - bake at 350 for 1 hr. Remove foil for last 5 min to brown.

Butter Yummy Bars

1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup margarine, melted
4 eggs divided
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
1 16 ounce confectioners sugar...less 5 tbps
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I omit this)

Mix together pound cake mix, melted margarine, and 2 eggs well beaten. Beat ingredients well and pour into greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Combine cream cheese, confectioners sugar, vanilla and 2 eggs. Beat well and spread over the first mixture in pan. Sprinkle the 4 tablespoons of confectioners sugar and pecans over the top layer. Bake at 350 for 45 min. Let cool completely. Even better the next day.

Crispy Parmesan and Garlic Chicken

Crispy Parmesan and Garlic Chicken
Time: 10 minutes hands on + 4-12 hours marinating + 30 minutes baking
Yield: 7 servings
Recipe adapted from Kalyns Kitchen

5 large chicken breasts
1 T minced garlic (I used the bottled variety)
1/3 C olive oil
3/4 t poultry seasoning
3/4 C panko bread crumbs (Italian Bread Crumbs would also be fine)
3/4 C Parmesan cheese (the kind in the green bottle)
Spaghetti Noodles
Spaghetti Sauce of your choice

1. Pour 1 T garlic, 1/3 C olive oil and 3/4 t poultry seasoning into a small sauce pan. Warm it over medium heat for 1 minute.
2. With a sharp pair of kitchen scissors cut each chicken breast in half. Then, with a sharp knife cut a couple of long slits in the top of each chicken piece. Be careful not to cut all the way through. You just want a few slits here and there to allow the marinade to soak in.
3. Toss your chicken into a ziploc bag and pour the warm marinate over the top of it.
4. Seal your bag up carefully and tip it upside down to allow the marinate to run throughout the bag. Put it in your fridge and let it hang out there for at least 4 hours, and up to 24. Then go wrap some presents or bake something or hit the store for some stocking stuffers, will ya?
5. When you are ready to bake (and eat....:) preheat your oven to 425 and take your chicken out of the fridge.
6. Pour 3/4 C panko bread crumbs and 3/4 C parmesan cheese into a loaf pan. Smash them together with a fork to combine.
7. Dip each piece of chicken into the cheese and bread crumb mixture. Press it into the chicken with your fingers.
8. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray.
9. Bake your chicken for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
10. Serve with spaghetti sauce and spaghetti noodles. This chicken is also wonderful the next day, heated in the microwave and then tossed with salad greens and Olive Garden Dressing.

Caramels! Rich and Buttery

Time: 40 minutes plus about 1 hour to wrap
Yield: 1 jelly roll pan (about 130 caramels)
Recipe from Our Cooking Cafe

1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan.
2. Add your brown sugar. Stir it all around until it dissolves.
3. Add the sweetened condensed milk. Anyone every tried a little taste of sweetened condensed milk plain, in all it's glory? Wow. It will send shivers of joy down your spine, I tell you. It's one great taste of comfort and joy...comfort and joy.
4. And the corn syrup.
5. Now bring the mixture to a boil, while stirring. Stirring is key here. Don't stop stirring.
6. The mixture will need to boil for 20-30 minutes or until the temperature on your candy thermometer reads between 235-240. HOWEVER...I have found candy thermometers to be a bit sensitive and inaccurate at times. Most of the time when I make candy I don't even use one. There is a little trick I will show you.
Ice water is going to be your pal. When you are approaching 230 degrees on your candy thermometer, dip your spoon into the caramel, then into the ice water. Let it hang out for just about 10 seconds or so. Then press your finger into the caramel. If the candy holds the finger indentation....you are good to go! If not, cook for a bit longer.
7. Remove your caramel from the heat and add some vanilla. Stir until well combined.

8. Pour the caramel into a buttered jelly roll pan. Let the caramels cool and set. This should take about 30 minutes.
9. I like to cut them with a pizza wheel.
Scissors also work well.
10. Cut yourself up some wax paper and you are set to wrap your fabulous caramels...rich and buttery. You are going to make someone very happy with these! Happy Candy Making!

English Toffee- Lion House Recipe

Grease a jelly roll cookie pan before getting started
Boil on highest heat:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
5 teaspoons water
Stir constantly until golden brown (this is the hardest, most nerve-racking part to get the color just right -compare it to a brown paper sack, but I think I do mine a little lighter)
Remove from heat and add
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pour into jelly roll pan and spread to desired thickness (I use pretty much all of the pan)
Sprinkle chocolate chips over top. Spread around to melt.
If you live somewhere cold, you're in luck! Set this outside or in the garage to cool off. You get to eat yours sooner! If it's not freezing - I have been desparate and once it was cool enough, threw the pan in the freezer.
Then just break it into pieces and enjoy...and enjoy!

"Worm" Casserole

1 onion
1 pound hamburger
4 cups rice
4 cups water
1 can cream of chicken soup
¾ soup can of milk
Chow mein noodles

Brown and drain hamburger. Add milk and soup together until smooth. Place 1 cup rice in bottom of casserole dish. Put some hamburger on top of rice. Add some soup mixture over that. Put chow mein noodles on top and start layers over again. Bake in microwave for 8-10 minutes. You could put in a layer of cheese or green beans or both.

White Bean Chili

1 cup chopped onion
2 lbs. cooked chicken breast, diced
3 cans Northern white beans
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 small can green chilis
2 cans chicken broth
4 cups mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper
Garlic clove
Cheddar cheese (garnish)

Saute onions and green chilis in butter. Add diced chicken, chicken broth, beans, and spices. Simmer 2 hours. Before serving, add mozzarella and simmer till all cheese is melted. Sprinkle cheddar on if desired.

Tuna Casserole

Boil desired amount of noodles.
Drain.
Add ¼ cube butter, not margarine
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 oz. cream cheese (it’s a little tiny square one)
Peas
Tuna
Cheese
Potato chips

Susan's Chocolate Pie

My mom in laws specialty. Can also use milk chocolate chips.

1 cup sugar
½ cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups canned milk

Whisk together really well.

Put into microwave for 3 minutes. Take out and stir really well. Put back in microwave for 2 more minutes. Stir well again.

Add 3 eggs. Add 1 small package of chocolate chips. Mix well with beaters.

Add 2 Tablespoons butter, then put back in microwave for about 1 ½ minutes (until the eggs are cooked/done). Mix well with mixer and add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour into pie shell and let set. You can put pie in freezer to speed up the cooling process.

Summer's FABULOUS popcorn

1 cup brown sugar
1 cube butter
1 cup karo syrup
Pinch salt

Melt together 3-5 minutes on stove stirring often. Remove from heat and add 1 can sweetened condensed milk.