Caramel Corn

5 quarts popped corn
1/2 c corn syrup
2 c brown sugar
2 sticks butter
pinch of cream of tartar
1 t butter flavoring
1 t baking soda

Pop the popcorn.  Best if not microwave, but microwave will work.  In a medium saucepan, bring corn syrup, brown sugar, butter and cream of tartar to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes.  Remove then from heat and add the butter flavoring and baking soda.  MOVE QUICKLY as the caramel will harden quickly.  Pour over popped popcorn and stir so everything is well coated.  CAUTION: This caramel is extremely hot.  It will burn you instantly if in contact with your skin (I learn from experience.)  Divide the coated popcorn over two jelly roll pans that are lined with parchment paper, and spread evenly across the whole pan.  Bake at 225 for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes.  Take out after it's baked and let cool for about 20-30 minutes.  Break apart and eat immediately and store the remainder in Ziploc bags. 

Chinese Cole Slaw

16 oz. shredded cabbage

gr. onion

1 pkg. Ramen Noodles (Chicken Flavor)
1/2 c. slivered almonds, toasted

1/4 c. sunflower seeds

Dressing:

1/2 c. olive oil

Ramen seasoning packet

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

2 t. sugar

Mix dressing ingredients together and pour over all other combined ingredients in a bowl.  Stir thoroughly!  Chill until ready to serve.

Tuna Melts

2 cans tuna
1 c Miracle Whip/mayo
2 c cheddar cheeese, shredded
4 hamburger buns

Mix tuna together with the Miracle Whip.  Open each hamburger bun half and top with a scoop of the tuna salad.  Then sprinkle with cheese.  Put in the oven and BROIL until cheese is golden brown and bubbly!

Strawberry Banana Trifle

REFRESHING and LIGHT and AWESOME for the summer!

1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups cold milk
1 (9 imch) angel food cake, cut in cubes
4 bananas, sliced
1 (16 ounce) package frozen strawberries, thawed
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Prepare with milk according to package directions.  In a trifle bowl or other glass serving dish, layer half the cake pieces, half the pudding, half the bananas, half the whipped topping.  Repeat layers.  Cover and chill in refrigerator 4 hours before serving.

Reuben Loaf

3 1/4 - 3 3/4 c flour, divided
1 pkg (1/4 ounce) yeast
1 T sugar
1 T butter, softened
1 t salt
1 c warm water
1/4 c Thousand Island Dressing
3 pkg Carl Buddig Corned Beef
4 ounces sliced Swiss Cheese
1 can (8 ounces) sauerkraut, drained
1 egg white, beaten
Caraway or Poppy seeds

In a bowl, combine 2 1/4 c flour, yeast, sugar, butter and salt.  Stir in warm water, mix until soft dough forms.  Add remaining flour if necessary.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth, about 4 minutes.  On a lightly greased baking sheet, roll dough to a 14 in. x 10 in. rectangle.  Spread dressing down the center third of dough.  Top with layers of beef, cheese and sauerkraut.  Make cuts from filling to edges of dough 1 in. apart on bothy sides of the filling.  Alternating sides, fold the strips at an angle across filling.  Cover dough and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.  Brush with egg whites and sprinkle with seeds.  Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Serve immediately, refrigerate leftovers.

Rice & Hamburger Gravy

1 lb ground beef
1/2 c flour
1 t salt
pepper, to taste
2 T Worcestershire Sauce
2-3 c milk
3 c rice
3 c chicken broth

Prepare rice in a rice cooker or on stove top.  Brown hamburger and drain.  To the same pan, add flour, salt and Worcestershire Sauce and coat all the meat.  It will be really pasty and thick.  Still over medium heat add the first 2 cups of milk and continuously stir.  It will start to thicken the longer it's on the burner.  If it's too thick, add more milk about 1/2 c at a time.  It needs to be between thick and thin! :)  Gravy is a hard one to document when telling someone else how to make it! :)  I don't actually have a "recipe" for this, I just "throw things in! :)"  Add pepper to taste!

Serve the gravy over rice!

7 Layer Lettuce Salad

 Not a very good picture, sorry!

2 bags shredded iceburg lettuce
1 c green pepper, chopped
1 c celery, chopped
10 oz. frozen peas
1 1/2 c Miracle Whip/mayo
2 T sugar
2 c Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 lb bacon, cooked and crunched

Layer lettuce in the bottom of a 9x13, then green pepper, celery and peas.  Mix Miracle Whip and sugar and spread over the top of the lettuce and fresh vegetables.  On top of the mayo mix, sprinkle with cheese and bacon bits!  YUMMO!  Best if it has been refrigerated.  Only really keeps about a day after prep.  So don't skimp on your helping! :)

Caramel Brownies

Not anything like the recipe name sounds.  These are not cakey, they are more fudgey and simply to die for! :)  MUST drink with milk or a cup of coffee!  Chocolate lovers dream! :)

1 box German Chocolate Cake Mix
2/3 c evaporated milk
3/4 c butter
1 c chocolate chips
1 bag caramels

Unwrap all the caramels and put in microwavable bowl.  Mix JUST the cake pouch (none of the box ingredients as you would to make a cake), 1/3 c evaporated milk (notice only PART of what the entire recipe calls for), and softened butter.  It will be a thick consistency.  Pasty almost.  Spread 1/2 of this mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 for SIX minutes then pull out (will still be somewhat raw).  Melt caramels with the other 1/3 c evaporated milk while the first layer is baking.  Spread the chocolate chips over the first partially baked layer of cake mix.  Then pour and spread the caramel over the first layer.  Spread remaining dough (not easy, but it doesn't need to be perfect as it will rise up and bake correctly.  I usually take tablespoons full and just drop them all over the top of the caramel, then spread right from where they are from.  Easiest way to do it.  Bake then another 16-18 minutes.  Let cool completely.  We enjoy ours refrigerated, however, they can be served fresh once they've cooled.

Chicken Delight

Truly again, one of my favorite recipes!  Just can't get enough of it!  I had this for the first time 5 years ago after Jobe went home to live with Jesus.  Our church was gracious enough to bring meals for us for almost 2 weeks and this was one I will never forget!

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 slices Swiss cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/4 c milk
1 box dry Stuffing
1 stick butter

In a 9x13 pan, lay the chicken breasts flat and not overlapping each other.  Put one slice of swiss cheese on each breast.  In a small bowl, mix together the soup and milk until it's totally mixed.  Pour over the top and cover every square inch of the pan.  Melt butter in the microwave, then pour the dry stuffing mix into the butter and coat each piece of Stuffing with the butter.  Or at least try! :)  Pour that over the top and spread evenly.  Bake in the oven at 350 for one hour!

Braided Bread

5 c flour

2 pkg yeast
1 c milk
1 stick butter
1/2 c sugar
1 t salt
2 eggs
1/3 c water

Combine 3 c flour & dry yeast.  Heat milk, butter, sugar & salt til warm.  About 2 minutes in microwave.  Add to dry ingredients.  Add eggs & water.  Beat 3 minutes.  Stir in remaining flour.  Knead.  Raise.  Braid.  Raise.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  For a pretty look, take just an egg white and brush the top of your uncooked bread then sprinkle poppy seeds right away so they stick with the egg whites.  THEN bake it until golden.

This makes either 2 large loaves or 4 mini loaves.

Broccoli Salad

4-5 c broccoli
1/4 c dried cranberries
1/4 c sunflower seeds
1/4 c toasted almonds
2 green onions
6 strips bacon crumbled
1 c Miracle Whip/mayo
3 T sugar
2 T apple cider vinegar

Clean and cut broccoli into a mixing bowl.  Add cranberries, sunflower seeds, almonds, green onion and crispy bacon bits.  In a separate bowl, stir together the Miracle Whip, sugar and apple cider vinegar until blended.  Add to the broccoli mix until everything is coated.  If you have too much Miracle Whip mix, you need to add more broccoli.  This is best if chilled before served, but can be served immediately.

Doughboy Burgers

 Fresh out of the oven!

Inside of one!

Plated with Broccoli Salad (coming soon)!

2 loaves frozen white bread dough, unthawed, but not raised
1 lb ground sausage, browned and drained
2 c Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 can Contadina pizza sauce

Preheat oven to 350.  Cut bread dough into a total of 6 sections, so 3 each loaf.  Roll out to about 1/4" thickness on your counter.  Fill with sausage and cheese.  Pull sides up to seal and seal all the way across and around in a moon shape.  Lay flat on a cookie sheet.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until they are golden brown on top.  Pull out and take a stick of butter and just glaze the top of each one.  Serve with pizza sauce!

Mexican Dip

 This is the baked Mexican Dip!

 

 These are what the corn tortillas pre deep fried look like.

 This is after they've been fried.  Nothing better than FRESH! :)

 Ready to eat!

1 lb hamburger, browned and drained
1 large (or 2 small) cans refried beans
1 small can chopped green chilies
1 can chili beans
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 jar taco sauce
2 pkg corn tortillas

Mix all of the above ingredients, except corn tortillas, together in a bowl.  Spread into a 9x13 pan and top with 2 c shredded Cheddar cheese.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until the cheese is nice and bubbly.  Serve with fresh made chips from corn tortillas.  We usually serve a nice lettuce salad along with this to make a complete meal.  You can also just use as an appetizer if taking to a party or having alike a Super Bowl party.

White Sauce (Cheese Sauce)

1/2 stick butter
2 T flour
1 c milk
salt & pepper

This is the BASIC way to make White Sauce.

To make a "cheese" sauce for macaroni, cooked broccoli or cooked cauliflower, etc, we add Cheddar Cheese (2 cup bag) to make THE BEST sauce.  Pictured is macaroni & cheese version! :)  This amount of sauce is perfect for 3 c uncooked macaroni.

Blueberry Muffins

 

1 stick butter, softened
1 c sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 t baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2 c blueberries
2 c flour
1/2 c milk
1/4 c sugar
1/2 t. nutmeg

Cream first 6 ingredients together.  Add flour and milk and blend until smooth.  Fold in the fresh blueberries, mixing only enough to distribute.  This recipe makes either 8 jumbo muffins, or 16 small muffins (as pictured).  Fill muffin tins about 3/4 the way full.  Top with the sugar and nutmeg mixture.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.