#26 Macaroni and Cheese

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups milk
8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated (or more if you like it cheesier)
1 package elbow macaroni (either large or small) cooked as per package instructions

Start the water for the macaroni.
Melt butter in a saucepan. When it starts to bubble add flour, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir constantly until it bubbles. Add the milk and stir frequently until it thickens and boils. Boil one minute, then gradually stir in half of the grated cheese. By now the pasta should be cooked. Put the pasta into a casserole dish, pour sauce over pasta and stir it in. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes.

You can add chopped bits of ham if you have some. MMMMmmmm.

#25 Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup noodles (or 1/2 cup rice)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients, except the noodles and chicken, in a stockpot. Bring to boil and reduce heat; simmer for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender. I also added a bay leaf in this part. Add chicken and noodles and cook 7-10 minutes uncovered, or until chicken is heated through and the noodles are cooked.

This was an extremely easy cool weather dinner. I did have to add extra broth but I really wanted a brothy soup.

#24 White Chili

This could be either for the slow cooker or the stove.

Ingredients:

6 skinless chicken thighs (or 2 cups cooked cubed chicken breasts; stovetop method)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 3/4 chicken broth (or 3 cups chicken broth; stovetop method)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper sauce (I omitted this because I did not have it)
2 cans great northern beans (I used 1 can Great Northern & 1 can white navy beans)
1 can white, whole corn (I used yellow because I could not find white)
3 tablespoons lime juice (2 tablespoons; stovetop method)
2 tablespoons fres chopped cilantro

Directions (slow cooker):

Remove excess fat from chicken. In 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix onion, garlic, broth, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper sauce. Add chicken. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 to 5 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker. Use 2 forks to remove bones and shred chicken into pieces. Discard bones; return chicken to slow cooker. Stir in beans, corn, lime juice and cilantro. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 15 to 20 minutes or until beans and corn are hot.

Directions (stovetop):

Using 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil cook onions and garlic over medium heat until tender. Add remaining ingredients except the cooked chicken. Heat to a boil, lower temperature and simmer for 20 minutes (I simmered for about an hour to thicken it, I guess you could use less chicken broth?) Add chicken and heat through.

Serve topped with green onions (I use chives since I have them fresh), shredded cheese and sour cream if you want to. I also ate mine with tortilla chips.

This was a very easy dinner. I just boiled the chicken while I got everything else prepared and simmered.

#23 Easy Roast

This is an easy slow cooker roast. You can add or change some ingredients to fit your tastes.

Ingredients:
1 3-5lb roast
1 packet onion soup mix
1 or 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
carrots (either baby or cut up regular)
potatoes (also cut into pieces)

Directions:
Put all the ingredients into your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Last time we omitted the potatoes and made mashed potatoes instead. I like that better than the potatoes cooked with the roast. Mushrooms are also good in it too (either fresh or canned should work).

I usually start it before work and let it cook all day. We eat pretty late so I am going to start turning it down at lunch time to warm so it will be moister.

#22 Coconut Banana Bread

2 1/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tblsp) butter, softened
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 c. mashed overripe bananas (about 3 large or 4 medium)
3 tblsp sour cream (I used reduced-fat)
1 c. sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted (see below)
1 c. chocolate chips

Put a rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 350. Generously butter two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pans and dust with flour.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Toast coconut by heating in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, stirring constantly until light golden brown. Set aside.

Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. reduce speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, bananas, and sour cream, beating until just combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, beating until just combined. Stir in coconut and chocolate chips.

Divide batter between loaf pans. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes.

We had all these bananas turning black on our kitchen counter, and Steve asked if I'd make banana bread. Recipe adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook. It called for macadamia nuts and lemon zest, neither of which I had, as well as unsalted butter. Steve's mom loves chocolate chips in her banana bread and since one loaf was for her, I threw them in. It sounded weird the first time I heard of it, but hey, chocolate anything is good with me! Steve wasn't so sure about the toasted coconut at first, but then he liked it. I think it would be good with macadamias, if you had them, or pecans, also toasted.

#21 Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

Lettuce or bag of mixed salad greens
Cooked & Cubed Chicken
Black Olives (sliced)
Mandarin Oranges
Cucumber (chopped)
Carrots (chopped)
Cheese (Cubed)
Crutons
Celery (chopped)
Salt & Pepper
Your choice of salad dressing

Directions:

This is a really easy one. I used leftover chicken from a lemon chicken dinner. You could boil the chicken until it is cooked through. I also like my chicken cold on the salad but you could definitely use warm chicken.

Place the lettuce or salad greens on the plates. Layer the remaining ingredients except the salt, pepper and salad dressing. I usually put the crutons and oranges on last. In the past I have used the crunchy asian noodles (I don't know what they are called) instead of the crutons, I think they are healthier for you and have less calories and salt.

Serve with salad dressing and salt & pepper to taste. That is a very simple and refreshing summer meal!!

#20 Strawberry Sorbet

Ingredients:

1 lb strawberries
1/4 cup orange or apple juice
~1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

Layout some plastic wrap on a cookie sheet. Slice the strawberries into about 1/4" to 1/2" pieces and put on cookie sheet. Cover with another layer of plastic wrap and seal the edges. Put the cookie sheet in the freezer. When the strawberries are frozen pull them out and put them in a food processor or a blender. Add the juice to the stawberries. Blend until smooth. Add the sugar and blend until thoroughly mixed (you can add more or less sugar to your taste). I also added a few splashes of milk to make it a little creamier. You can either serve it right away or put it in a container, put it back in the freezer and serve later. After you have refrozen it, make sure to leave it out about 10-15 minutes to let it thaw a bit.

I think if you add enough milk it gets to be more like Sherbert rather than Sorbet.

This is an easy recipe for ice cream without the ice cream maker!

#19 CeeBees (No-Bake Cookies)

2 c. sugar
4 tblsp dry unsweetened cocoa
8 tblsp butter or margarine
1/2 c. milk
Pinch of salt
1/2 c. peanut butter, smooth or chunky
3 c. oatmeal, uncooked
1 tsp vanilla
1. Combine sugar, cocoa, butter, milk, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. A little more isn't the end of the world. Remove from heat.
2. Add peanut butter and stir well until it melts in. Add vanilla and oatmeal and mix well.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet or wax paper. Cookies will firm up as they cool. Makes 3-4 dozen, depending on size. Recipe can easily be halved.

I've been making these since my kids were little and they love them. They called them Chocolate Blobs, which got shortened to CeeBees. Great for summer when you've in the mood for something sweet but can't stand the thought of turning on the oven to bake "real" cookies.

spinach strawberry salad

We made the spinach strawberry salad when Kim came down for Father's Day. Yum!

#18 Apple Butter

This is a combination of 2 recipes.

Ingredients:

12-15 large cooking apples, cored and chopped into small bits (~14 cups)
~3 cups apple cider or juice
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves


Directions:

Combine the apples, cider and sugar in a slow cooker. Cover and Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 4 hours. Remove apples/cider mixture into a blender (or food processor) and blend until smooth. Add the spices and return to slow cooker and cook on low for another hour or until the desired consistency (for a thicker butter leave the lid off in this section).

Now it is ready to be canned. I am still working on my expertize in this area so here is a copy of instructions from the recipe I used:

"Here is the canning part: Spoon apple butter into hot, sterilized canning jars (pint or half-pint do nicely). Leave 1/4 inch head-space. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Place in a boiling-water canner for 5 to 10 minutes (5 minutes for half-pints, 10 minutes for full pints from the time the water begins to boil). Carefully take jars from canner and allow them to cool on racks. The result is about 4 pints. So double up on recipe for bigger batches!"
*Remember that for higher elevations you need to have the jars in the water bath for longer.

**It is best to use tart apples, like macintosh. I use the ones from my tree in my backyard. I also broke my blender after the first batch so the second time I used the food processor and it was not nearly as smooth as the blender!! If you need to borrow canning equipmemt or you just want to get together for a Can-a-thon let me know!!!

5 layer cake

Here is a picture of the inside of the 5 layer cake, sorry it took so long to get it posted.

#17 Snicker Doodles

Blend together:

1 cup soft shortening

1-1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

Stir in 2-3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt.

Chill together and roll into balls. Roll in a mixture of:

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes.

#16 Alfredo Asparagus

I came up with this recipe while attempting to make a pesto dinner. I could not find the basil to make the pesto or a premade substitute so I opted for Alfredo sauce instead.

Ingredients:
1 lb asparagus, chopped into 1-2 inch pieces
1 med. onion, chopped
Butter or olive oil for sauting
1 pkg alfredo mix
shredded mozzarela (optional)
pasta

Directions:

Cook pasta (I used rigatoni).

Saute the onion over med-high heat until it just starts to brown on edges (adding some salt is supposed to help carmelized the onions). Add the asparagus. Cook until the asparagus is tender-crisp. About halfway through I added some pepper and a little more salt.

When there is only a few minutes left make the alfedo sauce. It is really easy. Melt 2 Tbls butter. Add 3/4 cup milk. Bring to a boil and add the alfredo mix. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes (or until it thickens). If you choose you can make your own alfredo sauce from scratch (Betty Crocker has a good one, I like the lower fat version) but I did not want to take the time or cost of the cheese.

Combine the sauce and the pasta. Put in a bowl and then place the Aparagus/Onions on top. Sprinkle with a little mozzarela and serve immediately.

**The next time I make this I will probably add fresh mushrooms.

#15 Swedish Coffee Bread

This one requires a bread maker but I am sure there is a way to do it without if you don't have one, I am not that bread savy so you will have to work it out yourself.

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk (save the white for later)
2 tablespoons softened butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope active dry yeast (I think that is ~2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 teaspoons ground cardamom ( I did not have this and used 2 teaspoons of cinnamon)

2 egg whites, slightly beaten (I just used the one from above and that was plenty)
pearl sugar (I used the raw cane sugar but you can use regular white sugar too)

Directions:

Place ingredients in the pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer (I always put the liquids and the butter or oil and the sugar in first, then the flour and the ssalt and the other spices. Finally make a little depression in the flour and put the yeast in it.

Select the dough cycle; press Start.

When the machine is done (I believe it kneads for 30 minutes and rises for 1 hour), divide the dough into three equal portions. Roll each out into a rope about 12 to 14 inches long. Lay the three side by side and braid them together. Tuck the ends underneath and place on a greased baking sheet, cover loosely with a towel and allow to rise until double in size (I think it is another 45 minutes to 1 hour).

Preheat the oven to 375

Brush the braid with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Trust me you will know when it is ready, it becomes a beautiful brown!

***Make sure to add the yeast, I know from personal experience:) Also, by adding the cinnamon instead of cardamom it tastes a lot like the cinnamon burst bread at Great Harvest. It is a delicious bread!!!!

#14 Last Minute Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 package frozen or refrigerated cheese ravioli
1 10oz package chopped frozen spinach (thawed and excess water squeezed dry)
1 8oz bag shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Cook ravioli according to package. Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 pan (I use an 9x9, I like it better). Cover with a single layer of ravioli. Top with half the spinach, half the mozzarella and a third of the sauce. Repeat with another layer of ravioli, the remaining spinach and mozzerella and half the sauce. Top with another layer of ravioli and the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.

Makes 6 servings
385 calories per serving.
From Real Simple 2002

#13 Bacon Roly Poly

This is a British recipe, great during war time when you have a little bit of meat to go around a whole family. It will work best (so I'm told) using the regular, fatty American bacon. Which is known here as "streaky bacon". I appologize if anything is a bit vague, but that's how the recipe was given to me. My mother-in-law doesn't actually use a recipe for this, she just makes it.

8 oz self-rising flour
2 oz suet (shortening should work)
2 oz margarine
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
warm water
bacon
chopped onions (if desired)

Rub together flour, suet, and margarine with fingers. (I find a pastry cutter works as well.) Mix together salt and pepper, egg, and enough water to make a dough. It will look like biscuit dough. Roll out dough into a rectangle. Lay on enough bacon strips to cover the rectangle and sprinkle on chopped onions. Roll up dough and bacon (like a swiss roll). Wrap roll in loosely aluminum foil, leaving room for a small amount of rising. Put package in roasting pan and add about 1/4 inch of water to the pan. Bake at 425 F for 2 hours. Check water level halfway through baking.

#12 Strawberry Spinach Salad

1/2 c. sugar (for Easter dinner I used organic sugar cane)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp poppy seeds
1/8 c. finely sliced purple onion
1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. vinegar

mix all of the above together and refrigerate.

bunch of fresh baby spinach
sliced strawberries

prepare the above and pour the dressing over the salad and serve immediately!

# 11 Taco Casserole

1 8 0z. package cornbread stuffing mix
1 14 3/4 oz. can cream-style corn
1 c. water, divided
cooking spray
1 1/2 lbs. ground sirloin
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained
1 envelope taco seasoning (I used the spicy one)
2/3 c. salsa
1 8 oz. package reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

1. Combine stuffing mix, corn, and 1/2 c. water; stir well. Press into a 13 x 9 pan coated with cooking spray. Bale at 375 for 10 minutes. Set aside.
2. Cook meat and onions in large non-stick skillet over medium high heat until meat is browned, stirring to crumble meat. Drain well; return to pan. Add remaining 1/2 c. water, beans, salsa, and taco seasoning, stir well. Spoon meat mixture over stuffing mixture; top with cheese.
Cover and bake at 375 for 20 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Cut into squares. Yield: 8 servings, 9 points each if you are doing Weight Watchers.

Even the non-Weight Watchers in the family love this. Top with sour cream (fat-free or low fat) and additional salsa. You can make it as mild or spicy as you like, depending on the salsa and taco seasoning you use.

Recipe from an old WW cookbook called Fast & Easy.

#10 Pesto Pasta with Shrimp & Asparagus

Pesto Pasta w/ Shrimp & Asparagus

16 0z of your favorite cooked pasta

1/2 pound deveined large shrimp
2 tbl melted butter

1 lb fresh asparagus
1 tbl olive oil

1 c. fresh basil leaves
2 tbl toasted pine nuts
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp fresh minced garlic
4 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt

1- bake shrimp & butter in oven at 350 for about 15 minutes or until done. remove from oven and set aside.
2- saute asparagus in olive oil to your likening ( i like about 15 minutes) and set aside.
3- using a blender or food processor, blend all remaing ingredients and set aside.
4- in large mixing bowl mix the asparagus and pesto sauce. Add pasta and mix well. Serve pasta & asparagus and top with buttery shrimp. MMMMMMM........

#9 Steak & Mushroom Wraps

Ingredients:
1 lb. Cheap Steak, cut into chunks
1 pkg fresh Mushrooms, sliced
4 cups Spinach
1 med. Onion, chopped
1 can drained, rinsed Black Beans (I use low-sodium)
Tortillas
Mozzarella

Directions:
In a skillet, cook meat until done. Add Onion just before the meat is done. Then add the Mushrooms. After a minute or two add in the Black Beans (they really only need to be warmed up). Cook until the Mushrooms are a tiny bit crispier than you like. Then add the Spinach. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the spinach is wilty but not mushy. Serve in a tortilla and top with Mozzarella.

Notes:
The recipe doesn't say to use any spices but I suggest you do. It is a little bland otherwise. I heard it is good to put salt in with the onions to help them carmalize. I also suggest some pepper. I think I will put some parsley and maybe some cilantro next time.

The original recipe does not call for Steak but it is really good with it!!

#8 Tasty Pork Ribs

8 bone-in country-style pork ribs (the big ones!)
1 cup ketchup
1 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place ribs in a 5-qt. slow cooker, Combine remaining incredients; pour over ribs. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until meat is tender. Yield: 8 servings.

**I let it cook longer and the meat was falling off the bones tender. It was very good, and Paul requested I make it again. Probably tomorrow.

From Taste of Home magazine Feb/March 2008

#7 Apple Cake

I clipped this recipe out of the Salt Lake Tribune years ago. One of my favorite cakes!

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups grated,pared apples
1 cup chopped nuts
4 teaspoons cinnamon
4 teaspoons brown sugar

Beat eggs until thick. Gradually add sugar and oil, beat until thoroughly blended. Add flour, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Fold in apples and nuts.

Mix cinnamon and brown sugar together in a small bowl.

Spread a third of the batter in a greased angel food or bundt pan. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon mixture. Spread another third of the batter, and then sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture. Spread the remaining batter into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool before removing from pan.

Birthday Cake

I decided that I wanted to make a 5-Layer cake for my mom's and my birthdays. I just used two boxed cakes but it turned out delicious!!!

#6 Sweet & Sour Tofu Stir Fry

Two post in one day, how amazing!!! I know what you are thinking, "Tofu, Yuck!!!" Trust me. Matt is a meat guy but he loved it! Please just give it a try.

Ingredients:

3 oz pineapple juice
2 T soy sauce
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 pkg Extra Firm, water packed Tofu
1 cup whole wheat flour (can substitute bread crumbs)
garlic salt & season-all to taste
1 pkg frozen stir fry veggies
cooked brown/white rice

Directions:

Tofu:
**1 pkg Extra Firm, water packed Tofu**
Freeze the tofu overnight. Then thaw it during the day or in a bowl of warm water. Then squeeze as much water out of it as possible. Break it into bite sized pieces.

Freezing is extremely important because it changes the texture of the tofu so when you squeeze the water out it doesn't mush.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the sauce, combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, sugar and ketchup together(a whisk or a fork work really well) and set aside.

Combine seasonings and flour. Coat the tofu chunks in the flour mixture and cook in hot oil in a skillet (medium-high heat). Make sure the tofu is crisy on all sides; it was hard to tell because it did not brown quite like chicken does so I tested it with my finger.

Put the breaded tofu chunks into a casserole dish. Cover with sauce and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes. Periodically during the baking time spoon the sauce over the tofu. Unlike chicken, you don't have to cook it through, just get the sauce hot and bubbling.

Cook the stir fry veggies according to the package. Or I just used my colander and steamed them to keep all the good nutritional stuff and to keep them crunchy.

To serve put rice in bowls (or on plates) and cover with veggies, then add the tofu. Spoon the excess sauce on top.

I did not have a lot of sauce extra so you might want to double the sauce part. I don't like mine super saucy but Matt does so next time I will probably double it but only pour half the sauce on the tofu so it doesn't soggy.



This is a combination of about 3 different recipes. The tofu part is an anonymously post on the internet. I found once and the sauce comes from Peggy Pessetto.

#5 Ham & Potato Soup

Happy St. Patty's Day

We are going to try this for the first time tonight. I thought it sounded pretty St. Patricey. It also looks fast, easy and delicious!

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups peeled & diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 T chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
5 T butter
5 T all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Directions:

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham & water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt & pepper.

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4-5 minutes.

Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Info:

Makes 8 Servings.

196 Calories per serving, 10.4g fat, 30mg Cholesterol, 422mg Sodium, 19.9 total carbs, 6.1g protein.

This recipe came from Allrecipes.com.

#4 Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

1 tsp unflavored gelatin
1T cold water
1T boiling water
1/2 C Sugar
1/4 C Cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 C heavy cream (very cold!)

Directions:

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small bowl; stir and let stand 1 minute to soften. Add boiling water; stir until gelatin is completely dissolved (mixture must be clear) Stir together sugar and cocoa in small cold mixer bowl; add heavy cream and vanilla. Beat at a medium speed until stiff peaks form; pour in gelatin mixture and beat until well blended. Spoon into serving dishes. Chill about 1/2 hour. Makes 4 1/2 Cup servings.

Notes:

To double recipe use 1 envelope gelatin and double remaining ingredients.

Make sure the gelatin is COMPLETELY dissolved or your mousse will have a beady texture.

DO NOT over beat the heavy cream or it will not be as creamy (it gets more runny)



This recipe comes from Mom (Sylvia Lewis). And it is really easy and delicious!!! It is extremely rich so a small serving goes a long way! It is fabulous topped with raspberries.

#3 Mushroom Asparagus Quiche

1 tube (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
2 teaspoons prepared mustard (I used spicy brown)
1-1/2 lbs fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups (8 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (I used dried, and it worked just fine. Reduce the amount)
1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon each of garlic powder, dried basil, oregano and rubbed sage

Separate crescent dough into triangles; place in an ungreased 9-in pie plate with points toward the center. Press onto the bottom and sides; seal perforations. (I had to mush it into place, I used a 10-in glass pan) Spread with mustard; set aside.

In a large skillet, saute the asparagus, onion and mushrooms in butter until asparagus is tender-crisp. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients; stir in asparagus mixture. Pour into crust.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the edge comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 6-8 servings

NOTE: I used a little bit of chopped ham, and it turned out well. We have had it both ways and it was very good.

From Taste of Home Magazine Feb/Mar 2008 issue

Rum Cake

Rum cake for dessert tonight! Yum!

#2 Rum Cake

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 yellow cake mix (with pudding in the mix)
3 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup dark rum (can sub light rum if that is what you have on hand)

Grease a 10" tube or 12 cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts over the bottom of the pan. Mix remaining ingredients together. Pour batter over nuts. Bake one hour at 325 degrees. Cool and invert on serving plate.

Glaze
1 stick butter (don't sub margarine)
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark rum

Melt butter. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in rum.

Prick cake top and sides with a fork. Spoon and brush glaze evenly over the top and sides of cake. Allow the cake to absorb glaze. Repeat until all the glaze is used up.

This has been one of Paul's favorite cakes over the years. Especially good with whipped cream. Ok, I put whipped cream on all cakes. Reminds me of Sunday coffee time.

#1 Slow Cooker Tacos

This is a really easy and delicious taco recipe!

Ingredients:

1 Boneless chuck roast (4-4 1/2 lbs)
2 packets taco seasoning
1 medium onion sliced
Seasoned Salt to taste (optional)


Directions:

Place Roast in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with seasoning then add onion. Cover and cook on High for 4-6 hours or Low for 8-10 hours (I always use the Low temp. to prevent burning). Remove roast and shred with a fork. Return to slow cooker and stir in Seasoned Salt if you are using it. Serve in tacos, tortillas, on rolls or over rice.

I like to make them in soft tortillas with sour cream and salsa and cheese. Sometimes I make up a mix of black beans and rice to put in my tacos. Tomatoes and lettuce would be good too.

Per Serving:

341 Cal, 46 g protein, 6 g car, 0 g fiber, 13 g fat (5 g sat. fat), 34% cal from fat, 121 mg chol. 611 mg sodium.

Makes 8 servings

This recipe came from Woman's Day Magazine Vol. XVI, Nov. 2, 2006. It was a special Slow Cooker Edition.