Jamocha Punch

Boil 1 1/2 quarts water.

Stir in:

1/2 cup dry Instant Chocolate Milk mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup instant coffee

Refrigerate overnight.

To make punch:
Shake or stir coffee mixture. In punch bowl, combine coffee mixture with 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream and 1/2 gallon coffee ice cream. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Casserole

This casserole needs to be prepared a day in advance. A great recipe for working moms or guests. In large mixing bowl, combine:
2 cups cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken works great)
1 cup broken dried noodles (I used Kluski noodles but any egg noodles would work)
1 can mushroom pieces
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups milk

Pour mixture into 9 x 12 pan. Refrigerate 24 hours or overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until done. Enjoy!

Chocolate Pound Cake

Recipe will be posted soon. I made this cake for a coworker's birthday yesterday. It is delicious and VERY chocolatey!

Hot Chai Tea Drink (Alcoholic)

Chai Tea is one of my favorite teas to drink. I get it at Starbucks, buy it at Kroger, and carry extra tea bags in my purse. My brother introduced me to a new way to make Chai Tea and I LOVE IT! I just have to share. . . but be warned that it is alcoholic.

Make a strong pot of hot black tea and sweeten to your liking.

Pour 4 oz. of hot tea in mug or coffee cup
Add 4 shots Voyant Chai Cream liqueur
Add 1 shot Godiva Chocolate liqueur

Enjoy!

Easter Cupcakes

10 Minute Beef Stroganoff

This takes me more than ten minutes to make but is quick and easy. Our oldest son, Jason, has this memorized and loves to impress his girlfriends and their families with this recipe!

1 large minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced or chopped (I buy it in a jar already minced)
shortening
1 lb. ground beef (or a little more)
2 TBSP flour
1 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb. fresh sliced mushrooms (or one can, drained)
10 1/2 oz. cream of chicken or mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup sour cream
1 lb. egg noodles, cooked

Saute onion & garlic in shortening over medium heat in large saucepan. Add meat & brown. Drain excess fat. Stir in flour, salt & pepper, and mushrooms. Cook for five minutes. Stir in soup. Simmer, uncovered, for five minutes. Blend in sour cream & heat through. Pour over cooked noodles. Serves 3-4 people.

Cream Cheese Vegetable Dip

Another family favorite - I like to serve veggies and dip when company comes instead of a salad because it gives them something to munch on while they're hanging around the kitchen. Even kids will eat their vegetables. Healthy, too.

Mix together well:

8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/4 cup tomato juice or V-8 juice
1 pkg of dry Italian dressing
a few tablespoons of sour cream, if desired

Serve immediately with vegetables or refrigerate until ready to eat.

Vegetable Choices:
Carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, peppers (green, yellow, & red), sugar snap pea pods, cauliflower, broccoli, sliced cucumbers.

Sloppy Joes

SLOPPY JOES

Brown 1 1/2 pounds ground beef with one onion, chopped.

Drain.

Add one bottle of Heinz Chili sauce and 3/4 bottle water.

Let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Serve on buns. Enjoy!

This recipe was given to me by my Aunt Nelda and I've made it for years. My kids will eat it right up!

Grape Jelly

GRAPE JELLY (EASY!)

Microwave Recipe (need four half-pint jelly jars)

Before making, pour hot water over jar lids and rings. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine: (I use a glass bowl with handle made by Pampered Chef)

2 cups Grape Juice, unsweetened (Welch's is best)
3 1/2 cups sugar

Heat on high for 10-12 minutes in microwave for 10-12 minutes until mixture is boiling. Stir twice during first 4 minutes of heating.

Stir in:

1 packet liquid pectin (Certo or other brand) (usually has two packets per box)

Heat 4-6 minutes until mixture comes to a full boil. Boil an additional one minute. Skim off any foam. Spoon or pour into jars (careful, it is hot!). Wipe edges of jar with clean paper damp paper towel before placing lids on top. Screw tight. Jars will *pop* as the jelly sets and cools.

Makes four beautiful 1/2 pint jars of jelly. Enjoy!

My kids grew up on this jelly and do not like it when I buy store bought jelly. You can use other kinds of juice, too. Great for quick gifts at Christmas or any other time.

Chicken Divine

My kids love this recipe and all three of our boys have requested it on separate occasions this week. Jason sent a message to me today asking for the recipe so he can cook it for his girlfriend. Chris mentioned earlier last week that we haven't had it for a while. And Brad, who will be 21 next week, wants it for his birthday dinner! So, here is the recipe:

Chicken Divine (It's really Chicken Divan but that is what the kids call it!)

2 - 10 oz packages frozen broccoli
2 cups sliced turkey or 3 chicken breasts, cooked and boned (can use rotisserie chicken, too)
2 cans cream of chicken or mushroom soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1 TBSP melted butter
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook broccoli until tender. Arrange in 9 x 13 greased casserole dish. Place chicken on top of broccoli. Combine soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder and pour over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine crumbs & butter & sprinkle over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes until done. Serves 6 - 8 people.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I got this recipe from another blogger, Jules, at Everyday Mommy and she gave me permission to put it here. I made it on Sunday and it was very good, especially on a cold day. Served it with garlic bread on the side.

JULES' BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP

4 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
2 large cans chicken broth1 cup shredded carrots
2 c milk (at least 2%)2 cans cream celery soup4 tbsp corn starch
1/2 c cold water
4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Simmer broccoli and shredded carrots in chicken broth until just tender. In bowl. mix cream of celery and milk. Mix corn starch in water and add to cream of celery and milk. Blend well. Add to simmering chicken stock. Simmer till soup begins to thicken. Add cheese and stir until cheese is thoroughly melted. Add more cheese to suit your taste. Salt and pepper to taste.

Tip: Add a dash or two of cayenne pepper for a little extra kick.

Apple Berry Pie

I made this pie for Thanksgiving dinner and we ate it right up. It is a favorite but I had not made it for several years. It is tart and sweet at the same time and really delicious. Here is the recipe: Apple Berry Pie

Double Crust Pastry
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 cups cranberries, washed & stemmed
2 large apples, pared, quartered, cored, and sliced (3 cups)
2 TBSP butter or margarine
milk & sugar (topping)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pastry and put half in pie plate. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, & nutmeg in a large bowl; add cranberries and apples; toss lightly to mix. Spoon into crust; dot butter over fruit. Roll out remaining pastry and cut slits to let steam escape; place over filling, pinch edge & flute. Brush cream or milk lightly over top and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 40 minutes or until pastry is golden. Yield: 1 9-inch pie.

Layered Pumpkin Dessert

I found this recipe AFTER Thanksgiving and it looks really good. It should be called Chris' Layered Pumpkin Dessert because he LOVES Twinkies and Whipped Cream. He will eat both in one sitting! I'm going to try it sometime soon. Maybe for Christmas because we still have plenty of leftovers to eat!

LAYERED PUMPKIN DESSERT

1 package (10 count) Twinkies
1 – 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 – 8 oz. container Cool Whip, thawed & divided
2 – 3.4 oz. pkgs. instant vanilla pudding
1 – 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 cup milk
1½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Slice Twinkies in half, lengthwise, and place, cream-side-up, single layer, in bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Blend together cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and half of the Cool Whip until smooth. Spread over Twinkies.

Combine pudding, pumpkin, spice, and milk. Whisk until well blended and spread over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate a couple hours and serve with remaining Cool Whip and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

Thanksgiving Dinner

The Table decorated by MarissaFamily!
Laurie and Apple Berry Pie!

Bird Rolls

I made some "Bird Rolls" today. They actually look like soft pretzels and taste like the Challah Bread that I make. The rolls call for some extra work to make them look like birds with unblanched almonds and making tail feathers with a knife but I skipped that part. People around here eat food no matter what it looks like! Here's the recipe:

BIRD ROLLS
1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1 cup warm milk (110 - 115 degrees)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
3-1/2 to 4 cups all purpose flour

(Additional ingredients: 1 egg, 1 TBSP water, 16 whole unblanched almonds)

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add the butter, brown sugar, 2 eggs, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 16 pieces. Roll each into a 12 inch rope; tie each into a knot. To form bird's head, tuck one end back into knot. With a sharp knife or scissors cut two slits on opposite end to form tail feathers. Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Beat 1 egg with 1 TSBP water; brush over dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Insert an almond into each for beak. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 16 rolls

MY NOTE: I used the dough setting on the bread machine and skipped the hard work. Just follow the breadmaker instructions for loading the ingredients.

Mashed Potatoes and Noodles

I needed some comfort food today and made mashed potatoes and noodles. Almost as good as Grandma's but not quite. If you want to try it sometime, here's what I did:

Place in crockpot, 3-4 boneless chicken breasts
2 cans chicken broth (I ended up adding a third later)
2 cans cream of chicken soup.

Cook on low all day. Take out chicken and shred - set aside.
In crockpot, add 8 oz egg noodles - the thinner the better. (I tried to find Reames Egg Noodles but ended up using regular ones). Let simmer in crock pot for 30-40 minutes. Add chicken.
I also added a couple spoonfuls of sour cream, salt and pepper. Serve over mashed potatoes! Yum!

Mom's Sticky Buns

My mother used to make these buns for church every Sunday morning for Sunday school. The men would always comment to my dad how much they liked her buns!

Mom's Sticky Buns

Prepare the night before.

Grease or butter a bundt cake pan.
Add 1/2 cup nuts or pecans and put in bottom of pan if desired. (Optional)

18 balls frozen dinner roll dough (Rhodes is the best) Note: I let them thaw slightly and cut them in half. Sprinkle rolls with one small box dry cook and serve butterscotch or vanilla pudding (NOT INSTANT)

Heat together until bubbly:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Pour over rolls and pudding.

Cover with towel and let rise overnight.

Bake in the morning at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until done.

Turn on to plate and serve warm. These will disappear FAST!

I had to buy a second pan and make two at a time with my husband, four kids and their friends!

Grape Salad

This recipe was given to me by my coworker, June. It has an unusual combination of ingredients but it is delicious. I cannot get enough of this salad when I make it!

Grape Salad

Grape mixture:
2 lbs. red grapes
2 lbs. white or green grapes
1 cup pecans
1 cup grated cheese (cheddar)

Combine and mix well following:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. sour cream
1 cup brown sugar

Pour over grape mixture. Refrigerate. Enjoy!

Apple Crisp

2 or 3 cups sliced apples. Put in flat pan and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Mix together and sprinkle on top:
1 cup flour
1 stick butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
may add some oatmeal and/or nuts

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or so. Serve warm. Put scoop of vanilla ice cream on top if desired!

Easy Chili Dip

This is a great lowfat recipe (the chips are not always lowfat) and is good for those who are watching their calories.

Easy Chili Dip

2 pkgs cream cheese (can be lowfat), softened
2 cans Hormel Turkey Chili 99% fat free
1 small jar of salsa
Shredded Mexican or four cheese blend (or any kind of cheese)

Spread softened cream cheese on bottom of 9 x 12 pan. Pour chili over top of cream cheese. Spread salsa over chili. Sprinkle with shredded cheese to your liking. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes until cheese is melted/bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!!!!!