Craig Olson's Peanut Butter Balls~by Kelsey

We were introduced to these by Craig Olson at our volunteer fire fighter bbq.  They are to DIE for, and we were lucky enough that he made us another batch at Christmas time AND included the recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups peanut butter (crunchy is best)
1 lb powdered sugar
3 cups Rice Crispies
Mix well.  Using your hands, roll into balls about 1 inch across in size.
Dip them in the following after melting in a double boiler:
1/2 bar parafin
8 ox Hershey bar
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

I have actually never made these myself, so I have no idea how difficult it is or how long it takes.  And, we forgot to take a picture before we ate them all.

German Chocolate Fudge~by Kelsey

 I got this recipe here:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/german-chocolate-fudge/
It's REALLY good, although it did cost me $10 just for the German Chocolate.  But, it makes a lot and everyone will love it.  I omit the nuts when I make it.

Ingredients: 

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 

12 (1 ounce) squares German sweet chocolate 

1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme  

4 1/2 cups white sugar 

2 tablespoons butter  
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk  
1/8 teaspoon salt  
2 cups chopped pecans

1. Combine chocolate chips, German sweet chocolate and marshmallow creme in large bowl.
2. Combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk and salt in heavy skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Pour hot syrup over chocolate mixture. Stir with wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in pecans.
4. Spread into buttered 10x15 inch pan. Let stand until firm; cut into squares.

Creamy Peanut Butter Dip~by Kelsey

So this is a "healthy" recipe.  Don't make it to serve at a party and impress everyone.  It IS good for your own snack or lunch when you are watching what you eat.  I made it for apple dip, and I did like it.  It's just not as good as the cream cheese and marshmallow apple dip.  ;)

Ingredients:
5 oz nonfat greek vanilla yogurt
2 tbspoons peanut butter
1/2 tbspoon honey
dash of cinnamon

Dip apples, bananas, etc in it.  I thought it tasted better after sitting overnight in the fridge.

Bean and Beef Enchilada Casserole~by Kelsey

I found this recipe on pinterest.  It originally came from recipes.com.  It's really tasty!  I did not chill it in the fridge first and it worked just fine.  I also doubled the beef.  Next time I would double the whole recipe, though, because it only makes 6-8 servings as-is.

Ingredients:
1/2  pound lean ground beef
1/2  cup chopped onion
1  teaspoon chili powder

1/2  teaspoon ground cumin

1  15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1  4-ounce can diced green chili peppers

1  8-ounce carton dairy sour cream or light dairy sour cream

2  tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4  teaspoon garlic powder

8  6-inch corn or flour tortillas

1  10-ounce can enchilada sauce or one 10 1/2-ounce can tomato puree

1  cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

In a large skillet cook the ground beef, onion, chili powder, and cumin until onion is tender and meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir pinto beans and undrained chili peppers into meat mixture; set aside.

In a small mixing bowl stir together sour cream, flour, and garlic powder until combined; set aside.

Place half of the tortillas in the bottom of a lightly greased 2-quart rectangular baking dish, cutting to fit if necessary. Top with half of the meat mixture, half of the sour cream mixture, and half of the enchilada sauce. Repeat layers. Cover dish with plastic wrap; chill in refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

To serve: Preheat oven to 350F. Remove plastic wrap; cover dish with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 minutes more. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

*Not my photo!

Beefy Macaroni Skillet~by Kelsey

From the Campbell's Classic Recipes cookbook.  Quick, easy, cheap, and my kids love it.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (10 3/4 oz) Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups cooked corkscrew macaroni (about 1 1/2 cups uncooked), or you could use elbow macaroni


In medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef and onion until beef is browned, drain if necessary.  Add soup, water, Worcestershire sauce, cheese and macaroni.  Reduce heat to low and heat through.

Pumpkin Scones ~ by Sarah

I had some pumpkin leftover from when I made the cookies last weekend, so I decided to look up a recipe for pumpkin scones.  I love scones and I love pumpkin!  These were great!  And not much sugar at all!

Ingredients:
4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter
2 eggs
1-1/4 cups canned pumpkin
3/4 cup milk, divided

GLAZE:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin and 1/2 cup milk. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10 times. Divide dough in half. Pat each portion into an 8-in. circle; cut each into eight wedges. Separate wedges and place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Brush with remaining milk. Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks; cool for 10 minutes. Combine the glaze ingredients; drizzle over scones. Serve warm. Yield: 16 scones.

BBQ Pork Loin and Jasmine Rice~by Kelsey

My mother-in-law has made this for us a couple of times and we all loved it, so I had to try it out myself.  It is simple, makes good left overs, and is easy to transport for tailgating, etc.

Ingredients:
Pork Loin
Bottle of BBQ Sauce, your choice of brand, but we insist on Sweet Baby Ray's
Jasmine Rice (I had no idea that there was such a thing.  I used white rice the first time and it just didn't work.  Then I found out that there is actually JASMINE rice, so make sure you get that!)

Put the pork loin in the slow cooker and dump the bottle of bbq sauce over it.  Cook on low all day, or on high half the day.  When you are ready to eat, grab a couple forks and shred the pork in the slow cooker.  It should pretty much just fall apart as you stir it around.  Cook the rice according to the package directions and based on how many servings you need.  Spoon the pork and sauce over the rice and enjoy!  Trust me, you won't be sorry that you made this!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chip Cookies ~ by Sarah

A friend of mine posted that on Facebook that she had made these.  I love pumpkin and I love chocolate, so I made them right away.  They are amazingly delicious!  Worth making any time of year!

Ingredients:

- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chip
- 2 cups rolled oats (oatmeal)
- 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice
- 1 TB vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside. 2. Next beat butter, sugar and brown sugar until well creamed together. 3. Now add in pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Beat until combine well. 4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until incorporated. 5. Next, stir in your oats. Mix well. 6. Stir in both the white and dark chocolate chips. 7. Drop cookie dough by the rounded tablespoon on to the prepared baking. sheet. 8. Bake cookies for 14-15 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. DO NOT OVERCOOK. They will seem a little soft, but will firm up as they cool. You want to keep the nice, soft texture!

Beef Taco Bake~by Kelsey

I found this in my Campbell's Classic Recipes cook book.  I made it according to directions and it was good, but we all agreed that next time I should add beans and/or corn.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 can (10 3/4 oz) Condensed Tomato Soup
1 cup thick salsa or picante sauce
1/2 cup milk
6 flour or corn tortillas (small size), cut into 1 inch piecies
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

(Again, I would add a can of kidney or black beans, or some frozen corn, as well.)

In a medium skillet, cook ground beef until brown.  Add soup, salsa, milk, tortillas, and HALF of the cheese.  Spoon into 2-qt shallow baking dish.  Cover.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Hamburger and Green Chili Casserole~by Kelsey

This recipe comes from my Bring 'Em On Home cookbook.  It is simple and really good, especially if you top it with sour cream and salsa.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 teasp salt
1/4 teasp pepper
1-7 oz can whole green chilies (I found these in the ethnic foods aisle)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger, onions, and seasoning.  Place in the bottom of a casserole or deep pie dish (I used about a 9X9 pan, a 9X13 would have been to big.  Lay the green chilies over the beef mixture.  Cover the chilies with the cheddar cheese.  Beat together the milk, eggs, and Bisquick.  Pour it over the top of the cheese.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the eggs set.  Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Orange Drink~by Kelsey

This is seriously yummy.  You might want to double it.

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup cold water
6 oz frozen OJ concentrate
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
10 or so ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  Serve at once.

Crepes Part Deux~by Kelsey

Grace found this recipe in a cookbook and we decided to try it.  We actually like it better than the other crepe recipe on here, and we always use this one now.  The nice thing is that you make it in the blender so it gets nice and smooth, and it's easy to pour right in to the pan.  We make a double batch and it JUST barely all fits in our blender.  Remember to only put a little bit of batter in the pan and then quickly swirl it around to make it nice and thin.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups milk
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

powdered sugar, bananas, chocolate, syrup, jam, strawberries, peanut butter for topping

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour a small amount of batter in the center of a frying pan and quickly swirl it around to reach the edges of the pan.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole ~ by Sarah

I found this recipe in my Pioneer Cookbook.  I modified it a little bit to make it more like the chicken enchiladas I make and we love.  It turned out to be very good!

Ingredients:
8 corn tortillas, cut into eighths
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed and cooked
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. chicken broth (I would recommend low sodium--there's enough salt in everything else and you don't want it to be too salty)
1 medium can diced green chilies
4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz. jack cheese, shredded
2 small cans sliced black olives


Directions:
Cook cubed chicken.  Add green onions and chilies.  Simmer for 10 minutes or so to let some of the juices evaporate.

Find a cute little chef to help you:

Place half of tortillas in the bottom of a greased 9x13-inch pan.  Mix chicken, onions, chilies, soups, broth, olives, and half of each cheese in large bowl.  Put half of the mixture on top of tortillas.  Place other half of tortillas on mixture in pan.  Follow with the final soup/chicken mixture.

Top with remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until bubbly.

Green Apple Dip~by Kelsey

From the Bring 'Em On Home cook book.

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese
Jar of marshmallow cream
Granny Smith apples, cut into wedges

Mix the cream cheese and marshmallow cream.  Dip the apples or other fruits. 

Commissioner's Corn~by Kelsey

Another fine recipe from the Bring 'Em On Home cook book.  It's a really great cook book and I highly recommend it.

Ingredients:
30 oz frozen corn
2-8 oz packages cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
4 oz can diced green chilies
1 small can Jalapenos, or to taste (I used a full can, and it was very spicy.  I think I would recommend half a can.)

Combine all ingredients together in a crock pot and cook on low heat for about two hours.  Serve with crushed Ritz crackers on top.

Strawberry Jell-O Cake

I found this on the Kraft website, but I was looking for it because I had this cake years ago at a friend's baby shower and I loved it.  Plus, I had lots of fresh strawberries from our yard to use!  So easy and so delicious!

Ingredients:
1 white cake mix
1 c. boiling water
1 package (3 oz.) Strawberry Jell-O
1/2 c. cold water
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed

Directions:
Prepare cake as directed in 9x13-inch pan.  Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes.  Pierce cake with large fork at 1/2-inch intervals.  Add boiling water to gelatin mix in small bowl; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved.  Stir in cold water; pour over cake.  Refrigerate 3 hours.  Frost with Cool Whip.  Refrigerate 1 hour.  Top with fresh strawberries, if desired.

Kraft picture--I forgot.  I topped mine with fresh strawberries, so it was pretty!

Low-Fat Pistachio JELL-O Salad~by Kelsey

This recipe was on the box of Pistachio JELL-O.  They called it "Watergate Salad".  It was really good and quick and easy.

Ingredients:
1 pkg (4-serving size)  JELL-O Pistachio flavor fat free sugar free
1 8-oz can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 cup vanilla low fat yogurt (I used non-fat greek yogurt)
2 1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP whipped topping

Stir dry pudding mix, pineapple and yogurt in large bowl until well blended.  Gently stir in 2 cups of the whipped topping.  Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.  Serve topped with remaining whipped topping.

Fish Sticks~by Kelsey

This recipe came from my Taste of Home magazine.  I was pleasantly surprised at how easy they were, and they were very good!  Unfortunately I only had about a pound of cod, and I could have used way more.  The original recipe calls for walleye, but it says you can use your favorite fish.  I happened to have cod, and it was yummy.

Ingredients:
1 cup biscuit/baking mix
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp Cajun season (I didn't have this, I used some chili powder instead)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup 2% milk
oil for frying
1 lb walleye fillets, skin removed
lemon wedges (I didn't have lemon, but I mixed ketchup and mayo for a yummy dip.)

In a shallow bowl, mix the first six ingredients.  Place milk in a separate shallow bowl.  In an electric skillet, heat 1/4 inch oil to 375 degrees.  In batches, dip fish in milk, then coat with the baking mix mixture.  Fry for five minutes on each side or until golden brown and fish flakes easily with a fork.  Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Beef Enchilada Soup~by Kelsey

 I got this recipe from the BEEF magazine blog.  It was entered in a recipe contest.  I only used 2 lbs of ground beef when I made it.  It is really good, and very easy to make.  And it really does taste like enchiladas!

Ingredients:
4 lbs ground beef, browned & drained
1 large can tomatoes (crushed, diced or sauce--whichever you prefer)
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can sweet corn
1 small can green chilies
1 regular-sized can enchilada sauce (One time I used a big can and it was too rich!)
2 cans beef broth
2 envelopes taco seasoning

Directions:
Put ingredients into crockpot on low for the day, or on high for a couple of hours. It can also be cooked on the stovetop. The key is to heat through and allow flavors to meld....it will also make your house smell wonderful and drive the family nuts!

Top with sliced flour tortillas--this is important! They act like noodles and are delicious. Also offer shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro, sour cream, additional seasoning,...anything that sounds good! Enjoy!
 

Healthy Waldorf Salad~by Kelsey

I found this recipe on Pinterest.  It is actually really good (even though it is healthy) and very easy.  I used non-fat plain Greek yogurt, and thought I would have to add sugar or honey, but it was actually just fine without it.

Ingredients:

• 4 apples, cubed 
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup raisins 

Lime Jello~by Kelsey

I found this recipe in my new Bring 'Em On Home cookbook.  It's all family-favorite recipes from rodeo cowboys and their families.  It's a really great cookbook!  This recipe was a bit ambiguous.  It called for "x-large" packages so I had to do some experimenting to get the right sizes.  I am writing it down with the sizes that I had success with.

Ingredients:
29 oz can of pears
8 oz cream cheese
6 oz lime jello
8 oz Cool Whip

Drain the pear juice into a cooking pan.  On the stove over medium heat, stir and dissolve the Jello into the pear juice, then cool off a little.  In a blender, blend pears and cream cheese.  In a medium-sized glass pan, combine the Jello mixture with the pear mixture and then fold in cool whip.  Let set in the refrigerator.

Manicotti Italian Casserole ~ by Sarah

I found this on AllRecipes.com and it was a big hit with my family.  So delicious!  And easy, too!

*I have no idea why it is named this...it doesn't really resemble manicotti at all!


Ingredients:
1 pound rigatoni pasta
1 pound ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage (I used "Hot" and it wasn't too spicy at all)
1 (8 ounce) can mushrooms, drained OR 1 package fresh mushrooms, sauteed
2 (32 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 pounds shredded mozzarella cheese
thinly sliced pepperoni


Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Pour in rigatoni, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set pasta aside. Meanwhile, brown ground beef and Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. With a slotted spoon, remove beef and sausage to a large bowl. Stir mushrooms, spaghetti sauce, and cooked pasta into bowl and mix with meat.   Pour mixture into large baking dish.  Sprinkle cheese and pepperoni over the top. Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Blueberry Muffins ~ By Sarah

I love blueberries muffins, but I find that the Betty Crocker ones from a box are hard to beat.  This recipe came from Mary Hunt of Everyday Cheapskate and they are excellent!

Ingredients:
1/2 c. soft butter or margarine
1 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2 1/2 c. blueberries, drained (frozen, fresh, or canned)
2 c. flour
1/2 c. milk
1 T. sugar mixed with 1/4 t. ground nutmeg

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 12-muffin tin (or use metal cupcake liners--not paper).  In a medium-sized bowl, beat butter until creamy.  Add sugar and beat until the mixture is creamy and pale.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Beat in vanilla, baking powder, and salt.  Mash 1/2 blueberries with fork.  Fold into batter.  Stir in half the flour and then half the milk.  Add remaining flour and milk.  Fold in the remaining blueberries.  Scoop batter into muffin cups.  Sprinkle with nutmeg sugar.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.  Mine were done at 20 minutes, so check them often after about 15 minutes!

Sausage-Kale Breakfast Strata ~ by Sarah

I made this for the first time the other day and took it to a breakfast potluck at school.  It is a Pioneer Woman recipe, so it is not fat free.  It got rave reviews.  I liked how I made it the night before and then just had to bake it in the morning.  Kale is growing on me...this is really good!


Ingredients: 
12 whole Eggs
2-1/2 cups Half And Half (or Milk, If You Prefer)
Salt And Pepper, to taste
4 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Oregano (or Parsley, Basil, Etc.)
1 loaf Crusty French Or Italian Bread, Cut Into Cubes
2 pounds Breakfast Sausage Patties, Cooked And Cut Into Cubes
1 bunch (large) Regular Kale, Torn Into Pieces
Olive Oil (for Frying)
16 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Halved
2-1/2 cups Grated Monterey Jack Cheese

Preparation Instructions: 
*Note: Recipe can easily be halved.

Mix together eggs, half-and-half, salt, pepper, and minced oregano. Set aside. Drizzle olive oil over mushrooms and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then roast in a 425 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat, then throw in kale. Cook for 2 minutes, or until slightly wilted. Remove from heat and set aside. Layer half the bread, half the kale, half the mushrooms, and half the cheese in a large, buttered lasagna pan. Repeat with the other half of all the ingredients, ending with the cheese. Slowly pour egg mixture all over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight if possible. To bake, remove from fridge 20-30 minutes before baking. Replace plastic wrap with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until top is golden brown and slightly crisp.

(Pioneer Woman picture)

If you want to see her step-by-step pictures, you can see her post here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/01/sausage-kale-strata/

Roasted Cherry (or Berry) Dutch Baby with Caramel Sauce

After doing seven hours of cardio in the past five days plus snowboarding and tubing for several hours yesterday, I woke up this morning needing something sugary and full of carbs and calories. Luckily for me, TheKitchn.com had posted a recipe for Dutch Babies (or Pannekoene if you actually want to be fancy and call it by it's Dutch name) with cherries and caramel sauce earlier this week. Because I didn't have any frozen cherries, I used about a cup of frozen blueberries and it worked wonderfully! This recipe isn't quick --it took almost an hour from start to finish-- it's definitely worth the effort! I also don't have a cast iron pan big enough, so I just used an oven safe skillet. Some people commented on the original post that enamel cast iron pots work, too.

PS According to the recipe, it serves 8. I have already eaten half and I'm contemplating more. Keep that in mind if you are trying to serve several people.

I love TheKitchn not only for its recipes, but because their food is always so perfectly photographed!

Roasted Cherry Dutch Baby with Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Sauce
Serves 8

For the Dutch Baby:
1 cup (5 oz) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (2 oz) white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (6 oz) whole or 2% milk
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 12- or 16-oz bag frozen sweet cherries
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter

For the Sauce:
2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt

Heat the oven to 425°F.

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor or blender and pulse several times to combine. Add the milk, eggs, and vanilla and blend continuously for 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides, and blend continuously for another 10 seconds or until there are no more lumps and the batter is frothy. Let the batter stand in the blender for 15-20 minutes to give the flour time to absorb the liquids.

Meanwhile, toss the cherries with the brown sugar. Scatter them in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or other oven-safe dish of similar size. Roast for 18-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cherries look wrinkled and their juices have turned syrupy.

Add the butter to the cherries and return the skillet to the oven for 2-3 minutes to melt the butter. Stir the melted butter into the cherries. Whiz the pancake batter to froth it up again and pour it immediately over the cherries. Don't stir.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. When finished, the edges of the pancake should be domed and turn deep brown while the middle should look puffed and golden. The dark cherry juices will make the edges look nearly burnt, but continue cooking until the middle looks done.

While the pancake is baking, prepare the sauce. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the butter has melted, and let the butter and sugar come to a boil. Off the heat, whisk in the cream, cinnamon, and salt. Return to heat and let the sauce come back to a boil. Immediately remove the pan from heat and set the sauce aside.

Serve the dutch baby as soon as it has finished baking. Drizzle some sauce over the entire pancake and then divide it into eight wedges. Serve with extra sauce on the side.

Peanut butter-filled brownie cupcakes~by Kelsey

I recently found this recipe in the Country magazine.  And I immediately tried it out.  It was very easy and delicious.  I ended up with about 15 cupcakes, plus had enough filling left over to make a whole cupcake out of just the peanut butter filling!

Ingredients:
1 pkg fudge brownie mix (you will also need the ingredients listed on the back, usually just eggs and oil)
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (I used regular size)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 Tbsp cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Prepare brownie batter according to package directions, stir in chocolate chips.  For filling, in a small bowl, beat peanut butter, cream cheese, egg and sugar until smooth.  Fill paper-lined muffin cups one third full with batter.  Drop filling by teaspoonfuls into the center of each cupcake.  Cover with remaining batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing.  Dust tops with confectioners sugar.  Store in refrigerator.

Company Casserole ~ by Kelsey

This is from my "A Taste of Oregon" cookbook.  I am going to post the recipe as it is written in the book, but I will note the changes I made when I prepared it.  This was SO good.  Even Grace ate it, and she NEVER eats what I cook for dinner.  I completely left out the butter this recipe calls for, and it was still very rich!

Ingredients:
4 cups uncooked egg noodles
2 pounds ground beef ( I used 1.5 lbs since that's how ours is packaged)
1 tablespoon butter (again, I left out the butter)
4 8-oz cans tomato sauce
1 cup cottage cheese
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup chopped scallion or onion
1 tablespoon chopped green pepper (Now this confused me.  One tablespoon?  Seemed like a typo.  I used one whole green pepper)
2 tablespoons butter, melted (again, omitted by me)

Cook and drain noodles.  Saute beef in large skillet, using one tablespoon butter, until brown.  Stir in tomato sauce and remove from heat.  Set aside.  Combine in a bowl the cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, scallion, and green pepper.  Using a 3-quart casserole, spread half the noodles, then cover with the cheese mixture.  Add the rest of the noodles. (I found it hard to spread the cheese on the noodles, so I ended up just mixing the cheese with the noodles.)  Pour two tablespoons of melted butter over top of noodles.  Cover with meat mixture.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 375.

Beef Stew ~ by Sarah

I love stew.  I got this recipe from Mary Hunt of Everyday Cheapskate.  It's easy and delicious!  The meat will shred itself and be so, so tender after cooking so long!  I added peas to the recipe, but you could add green beans, instead.

Ingredients:
3 pounds stew beef, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup red wine
4 cups beef stock
1 can diced tomatoes
4 tablespoons tomato paste
6 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
3 sprigs fresh thyme, tied together
2 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
zest of 1/2 an orange
8 small red potatoes
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut
1 small bag frozen peas
salt and pepper

Directions:
Marinate beef in red wine overnight.  Place meat, wine, beef stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, cloves, peppercorns, thyme, garlic, and orange zest in a covered casserole dish or crock pot.  Cook for 12 hours in a 250 degree oven, or on medium in a slow cooker for 10-12 hours.  Add carrots and potatoes in the last two hours.  Add peas in last 20 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.

*One thing I will probably do next time is, after marinating the beef, take it out of the wine and dredge it in flour before adding it to the crock pot.  I like my stew really thick and this was a little more runny than I prefer.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies ~Molly

I found these the other day on Pinterest. I have always loved chocolate crinkle cookies, but these are possibly my new favorite cookie ever. They are chewy and airy and the chocolate chips make them slightly gooey. The recipe only made about 15 cookies, so you might want to double the batch. They were linked to a blog, but I think they are originally from Epicurious.com. I changed the recipe a little and wrote it below. If you want to see the original (and comments from other people who used the recipe but then included their own changes) go here: http://www.divine-baking.com/2011/04/deep-dark-chocolate-cookies.html#more. She also included pictures (that's where I got the one below) to make the recipe idiot-proof (cough, cough, Kelsey).

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 egg whites, room temperature
1 2/3 cups powdered sugar, plus more to roll the dough balls in
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 T cornstarch
1/4 t salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. I only greased my sheet, but they really stuck to it. I had to let them cool for quite a while before I could get them off without breaking them.

2. Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in a microwave or using a double-boiler. Let them cool slightly before you add them to the rest of the dough. I used a double-boiler and heated them just until they were mostly soft enough to lose their shape if touched.

3. Whip egg whites until they form soft peaks. Whisk in 1 cup of powdered sugar.

4. In another bowl, mix 2/3 cup powdered sugar and the remaining dry ingredients. Beat the cocoa mixture into the egg white mixture until just combined. The mixture will be shiny and sticky, but don't worry that your whites don't hold their shape. Don't over mix.

5. Stir in the melted chocolate and remaining chocolate chips. You dough will become very stiff and the melted chocolate that lands on the edge of the bowl won't mix in very well, so try to pour it as much in the middle of the bowl as possible.

6. Use a spoon or your fingers to scoop out the dough and form balls about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. Roll in powdered sugar and place on baking sheet. All about 2-3 inches between the cookies to allow them to spread out.

7. Bake until puffed and beginning to crack, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a couple more minutes before removing from sheet.

Pea Salad ~ by Sarah

Mom makes a pea salad that I have always loved.  She gave me her recipe and a different recipe she had seen and then I combined them with others I had seen to make this one.  It was yummy!  All amounts are general--you decide based on what you like!

Ingredients:
two bags frozen peas
two stalks celery, finely chopped
green onions, finely chopped
cheddar cheese, cubed in small cubes
peanuts
bacon bits
water chestnuts
homemade ranch dressing
boiled eggs--I didn't do this this time due to time

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except ranch, in large bowl.  Add ranch dressing, a little at a time, until you get a consistency you like.  The longer before serving you can make it to let the flavors meld, the better!

Frank's Redhot Buffalo Chicken Dip ~ by Sarah

Cousin Amy brought this to Thanksgiving as an appetizer and we all loved it!  Serve it with bread, crackers, celery, and/or carrots...it will be a hit!

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing
1/2 cup FRANK'S® REDHOT® Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce or FRANK'S® REDHOT® Buffalo Wing Sauce
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cans (12.5 oz. each) SWANSON® White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

DIRECTIONS: HEAT oven to 350°F. Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir until smooth. MIX in salad dressing, Frank's RedHot Sauce and cheese. Stir in chicken. BAKE 20 min. or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or vegetables.

Apple-Ham-Cream Cheese Sandwiches~by Kelsey

This is actually a Molly recipe.  She makes them for us sometimes, and we always love them.  I actually even figured out how to make them WITHOUT Molly!  I am so independent!  I know the ingredients sound weird, but trust me, these are SO good!

Ingredients:
Apples
Deli Ham
Cream Cheese (spreadable)
Bread of your choice
Mayonnaise

Start out by washing and slicing the apple.  You can peel it if you want, but I don't.  Slice it into thin rings that look like this:

Cut out the seed part in the middle.  Fry them on the stove for a few minutes (you might want to add a little butter or use cooking spray).  You just want to soften them up a bit.  In the meantime, spread some cream cheese on the bread, and pile on the deli ham.  Add the fried apples, close the sandwich, and put a little mayo on the outside.  Cook the sandwich in the frying pan until it's browned.  Enjoy!  Notice I have no picture of the finished product.  I couldn't take the time, I had to eat it!

Chili Cream Cheese Dip~by Kelsey

This recipe was introduced to us by our neighbors down the road, the Bruhn family.  It's simple and really tasty.

Ingredients:
Canned Chili (You decide what kind.  We have used hot, regular or the Walla Walla sweet one.)
Cream Cheese Bricks

On the stove top or in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chili and the cream cheese.  The ratio is really up to you.  I think we usually use about one can of chili to one brick of cream cheese.   Heat and stir until the cream cheese is melted.    You can also add shredded cheddar cheese or cooked ground beef.  Serve with chips.