Mini Cheese Cakes

This dessert looks like you slaved for hours and really know what you are doing- but it is so easy you can fool everyone.

12 vanilla wafers
2- 8oz packages cream cheese
½ c sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
Line muffing pans with foil liners
Place one vanilla wafer in each liner.
Mix cream cheese vanilla, and sugar on medium speed until well-blended.
Add eggs. Mix well, Pour over wafers, filing 3/4 full.

Bake 25 minutes at 325 degrees

Remove from pan when cool.
Chill. Top with dollop of cherry pie filling and whipping cream.
Grandma Colleen's recipe.

Easy No Knead Bread

This is so easy you will make it often...

In a large bowl, pour 5 cups warm water. Add 2 pkgs. Dry yeast

When yeast is dissolved, add:
8 T sugar or honey
8 T shortening
8 tsp. salt
6 cups flour
Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.
Add:
6 more cups of flour

Stir in with spoon. Let rise. Spoon into pans. Let rise again. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes in large pans, 30 minutes in small. Take from pans immediately, brush with butter and let cool on racks. Makes 4 large 9 x 5 loaves or 7 small loaves.

Pecan Pie

You will be amazed at how easy this is...

Mix well:
1 c. dark corn syrup
1 c. brown sugar
⅓ tsp. salt
⅓ c. melted margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
Add 3 slightly beaten eggs.

Pour into unbaked pie shell and sprinkle 1 1/2 cup shelled whole pecans over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Sandwich Cookies - worth the effort!

Sandwich Cookies
Beat together:
3/4 c. margarine
1 c. sugar
Add: 1 egg
Mix in a separate bowl:
1/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
And in another separate bowl:
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. cocoa
Alternate between pouring the two separate bowls into your original mixture: wet, dry, wet, dry, etc.
Mix together and chill. Shape into two rolls and chill again. Slice and bake as refrigerator cookies. Bake at 325 degreesfor 10 minutes. When cool, form a "sandwich" with this delicious mint frosting between two cookies.

Mint frosting
Mix together:
3 T margarine
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 T milk
Green food coloring
A few drops of mint extract

Orange Delicious (Julius)

1 small can orange juice (frozen)
1 ½ c. cold water
½ c. milk
½ c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tray ice cubes

Mix in blender, add ice slowly.

See's Fudge

Okay, so it's not really See's Fudge, but it's our version of See's Fudge. And we love it!

1 [12 oz] pkg chocolate chips
1 cube margarine or butter
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 c walnuts (optional)

Melt the chocolate chips and butter in microwave on defrost or medium heat. Stir throughout melting. In a separate bowl mix powdered sugar, vanilla and eggs, using electric mixer. (I will try this soon with powdered eggs- but we enjoyed it a million times before people worried about uncooked eggs).
Once melted, add chocolate mixture and continue mixing. Add nuts if desired. Place in greased 9x9 square pan. Refrigerate for approximately 2+ hours. Cut and enjoy!

Andes Mint Cookies

These beautiful chocolate cookies with a melted Andes mint on top are really good, probably about 900 calories each [JK].

3/4 c butter
1 1/2 c brown sugar
2 T water
2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 c flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Andes creme de-menthe candy [enough for each cookie]

In a large heavy saucepan, over low heat, cook butter, brown sugar, and water until melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is melted. Pout into large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool slightly. With mixer, beat eggs one at a time. Add dry ingredients, beating just until blended. Chill dough 1 hour.
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with foil. Roll teaspoon of dough into balls. Bake 12 to 13 minutes. (Cookies will crisp as they cool) Remove from over and immediately place mint on each hot cookie. Allow mint to soften then swirl mint over cookie. Makes 80 cookies.

Bell Cheese Cake

A good friend shared this yummy cheesecake recipe with me.

2 large and 1 small cream cheese
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs 1 pt sour cream
2 graham cracker crusts
1 can cherry pie filling

Blend cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Fold in sour cream. Pour into 2 pie crusts. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool. Pour on cherry pie filling and refrigerate.

Prepare to be amazed!

Mud Pie

This recipe makes 2 good sized pies.

1 large instant jello pudding [vanilla] + milk per recipe on pkg
1 large instant jello pudding [chocolate]+ milk per recipe on pkg
1 pkg [8 oz] cream cheese
2 c powdered sugar
2 c cool whip
2 cooked pie crusts

Mix puddings separately.
Layer:
1. Pie crust
2. Powdered sugar, some of the cool whip[reserve some for topping] and cream cheese that has been mixed together
3. Mix two puddings and put them together (may add chopped walnuts, if desired)
4. Cool whip
5. Grated chocolate bar on top
Refrigerate several hours.

Swiss Pancakes

You can whip this up and enjoy it with syrup or cool whip and fresh fruit.

6 eggs
1 c milk
1 c flour
1 tsp salt
5 T butter or margarine

Turn oven on to 425 degrees. In a 9x13-inch baking dish, add 5 T butter or margarine and place in oven to melt while you prepare batter.

Whip eggs until thick and light colored. Add milk, flour and salt. Mix thoroughly. Pour batter into a pan of melted margarine or butter.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until a light golden brown. It should resemble peaks and valleys. Serve immediately. Yum!

Fridge Bran Muffins

I like to make this up and keep it in the fridge and make a few as I need them. This batch will fill a empty 5 gallon ice cream tub.

2 c sugar
1 c shortening
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
5 tsp soda
2 c boiling water
5 c flour
3 c All-Bran
2 c Raisin Bran
4 c buttermilk

Cream sugar and shortening; add eggs and salt. Dissolve soda in boiling water. Add 4 c buttermilk. Add to first mixture. Add flour; mix and pour over All-Bran and bran flakes. Mix together and store in fridge.
Bake 18-20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Shaunika Note:  I like to bake them all on the same day and then freeze all that don't get eaten.  This way I save energy by only running my oven once.

My Famous Crescent Rolls

I have been making these rolls since we lived in Germany. Now one of my girls does a wonderful job making them for her friends and family...

2 c scalded milk
1 c sugar
2 sq margarine
10 c flour
6 eggs, beaten
1 c warm water
3 T yeast
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt

Add milk and cup of sugar to margarine in one bowl. Beat eggs in different bowl. In another container mix the yeast and 1 tsp sugar to the 1 c warm water. In the main mixing bowl: when the margarine is dissolved, add the eggs and the yeast mixture. Add salt and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead; put dough into greased bowl. Let rise until double in bulk. Shape into rolls and let it rise again. Bake in 350 degree over for 18-20 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.

Pink Salad

I know we served this at every potluck we ever had - it is so easy.

1  pkg cottage cheese
1  8 oz pkg cool whip
1  small pkt strawberry jello(as powder)

1 small bag frozen strawberries
1-2 bananas

Mix powdered jello with cottage cheese and cool whip.
Fold in frozen strawberries, and slice banana's into it. Stir then cover and store in fridge till you are ready to serve it.

Shaunika's Note:
I don't add frozen strawberries.  I like it better with just the sliced bananas, so that is how it is pictured above.

Cheese Ball

My office always wants me to bring this anytime we have a pot luck!

1 [8 oz] pkg cream cheese
1/2 c margarine
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix
1-2 cups shredded cheese [M. Jack, Colby, Cheddar- it doesn't matter]
1/2 c. crushed walnuts, slivered almonds, chopped peanuts or whatever

Combine softened cream cheese, margarine and seasoning pkt. Mix until well blended. Stir in cheese. Put chopped nuts on wax paper. Shape into ball and then roll in nuts. Wrap up in wax paper and then foil. Chill. Serve with crackers.
This can make 1 large or 2 small. Store in fridge.

Tootsie Rolls

Check out McConkie Menu

The McConkie girls have posted some fabulous recipes on their blog. They dialog a bit about the recipe or where it was served and in many cases add a picture, or several if it makes things clearer. They use it as a way to keep in touch with each others and share some of the fun things they are cooking.
I think we can have some fun with this, and look forward to seeing all your posts, recipes, pictures and tutorials if we need them.
Don't feel that you need to work about pictures right away. I know you all have some recipes that we keep asking each other for... so go ahead and post them. My goal will be to try to post once a week (that means I need to plan ahead on at least one thing I will make!).

Hot Fudge Sauce

Did I mention I was pregnant with Shaunika the year we lived in Kansas? I loved chocolate!

In saucepan, combine:

1 ½ c. sugar

6 T cocoa

Dash of salt

3 T water

Add and bring to boil:

1 large can evaporated milk

Boil 4-5 minutes -- until thickened.

Remove from heat and add:

4 T butter

2 tsp. vanilla

Rocky Road

In saucepan, combine:

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1 c. butterscotch morsels

½ c. Peanut butter

Place over very low heat and melt until mixture is blended and smooth.

Add:

3 c. mini marshmallows

1 c. salted peanuts

Mix well. Spread in a foil-lined 8-inch square pan. Chill until firm.

This was another of the things I made often when we lived in Kansas. Dad was in the military and I liked to make a plate of goodies for him to take in to share.

Your first food? Your favorite food?

What was the first food or recipe you remember making? Who was it for? Where did you eat it? What memories do you have? What is your favorite food?

The First Thing?

What was the first thing I cooked for my darling new husband thirty-seven years ago? I fancied myself quite competent in the kitchen, but I would have to say the first thing I made him was probably a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches with mushroom soup on top. Yum!