Spaghetti Carbonara (Teresa H)

Spaghetti Carbonara

Serves 4 | Prep time: 30 min. | Total time: 30 min.

A carbonara sauce is typically made with bacon, eggs, and cheese. We've added a little half-and-half for a silky texture.

Ingredients

1 Pound spaghetti
8oz. bacon (8 slices), cut 1 inch thick crosswise
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 large eggs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 cup half-and-half

1. Set a large pot of water to boil (for pasta). In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 12 minutes; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

2. Salt boiling water generously; add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions.

3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan, and half-and-half. Set aside.

4. Drain pasta, leaving some water clinging to it. Working quickly, add hot pasta to egg mixture. Add bacon; season with salt and pepper, and toss all to combine (heat from pasta will cook eggs). Serve immediately, sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese.

Per serving: 397 calories; 7.8 grams fat; 18.9 grams protein; 64.9 grams carbohydrates; 11.1 grams fiber

Note: I added a clove of garlic to the egg mixture and 1/2 tsp oregano and basil for flavor boost.

Simple Tomato Sauce (Robin B.)

This recipe is from an America's Test Kitchen cookbook. We love the flavor, it can be frozen also. This is super fast. I also have taken little spoons of tomato paste from a 6 oz. can and frozen them to have on hand for this recipe.

1 (28oz.) can diced tomatoes
4 medium garlic cloves, minced (I use the pre-minced that is sold in a jar.)
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. minced fresh basil leaves (I used dried.)
salt and ground black pepper (I only used pepper.)
Pulse the tomatoes in a food processor until mostly smooth (I used my blender). Cook the garlic, tomato paste, oil and pepper flakes in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the tomato paste begins to brown, about 2 minutes. (I do this until it's just really hot, the paste doesn't seem to "brown" to me.) Stir in the pureed tomatoes and cook until the sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in the basil and salt and pepper to taste.

Broccoli Pasta Salad (Robin B.)

1 head broccoli, raw, cut up
1 lb. pasta, cooked and rinsed in cold water, then drained
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
10 strips of bacon cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cashews or almonds
Mix all of this together and then top with dressing.

Dressing (mix these together):
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 cup balsamic dressing
1 package dry Italian dressing mix

Ceviche Recipe (??)

Another link ...

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=226783

Homemade Cheese (Shiloh/Christena/David M?)

A link to a homemade cheese recipe from someone Shiloh knows...

http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2009/10/homemade-cheese-queso-blanco.html

Homemade Oreo Cookies (Karina A)

-1 box devil's food cake mix
-3/4 cup butter, softened
-2 eggs
-1 8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
-1/2 cup butter
-2 TBSP vanilla
-2 c. powdered sugar

In a large bowl combine cake mix, the 3/4 cup butter, and eggs. Chill about 10 minutes. Roll into small balls. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 7-9 minutes. Cool.

To prepare filling, beat cream cheese, the 1/2 cup butter, and vanilla. Add powdered sugar and mix together. Spread filling on top of cookie, and then top with another cookie. Enjoy! These are some of my favorites!

Triple Chocolate Cookies

From Food Network Kitchens Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: 2 hr Cook Time: 15 min Level: Easy Serves: 24 cookies Ingredients 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon fine salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick) 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped 2 large eggs 1 large yolk 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips 6 ounces white chocolate chips Directions Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cloves together in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove pan from the heat, add the bittersweet chocolate, then set aside until melted. Whisk the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla together in a medium bowl, then slowly whisk in chocolate. Stir in the flour mixture to make a loose dough. Don't overwork the dough. Fold in the chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (or 325 if convection option is available). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form dough into balls, about 2 inches or 1 1/2 ounces each, and put on the prepared baking sheets, leaving a couple inches between the cookies. Bake until outside is crackly, but the center is still moist, about 13 to 15 minutes, or 12 in convection. Cool on a rack.

Mint Brownies (Robin B.)

I just found this in a Real Simple magazine. Other mint brownie recipes use a homemade brownie but this recipe speeds up the process.

Bake a brownie mix as directed on box, cool completely.

Mix 3 cups confectioner's sugar, 3 Tbsp. milk, 6 Tbsp. softened butter, 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract, and a few drops of green food coloring. Spread on brownies. (It says to refrigerate first but I have moved right on to the chocolate layer without any problems. Just don't press down hard when spreading the chocolate.)

Melt 3 squares of unsweetened chocolate with 4 Tbsp. butter. Spread evenly over the top. Refrigerate to set. I have found these keep best in the refrigerator.

Peach Topped Cheesecake (Anna G)

Peach Topped Cheesecake

Prepare graham cracker crust:
· 1 1/4 Cup crushed graham crackers
· 2 Tablespoons sugar
· 5 Tablespoons melted butter

Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar thoroughly with a fork. Pour the crumbs into a pie plate. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crumbs evenly along the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. (Underdone is better than overdone because it will bake more with the cheesecake.)

Cheesecake filling:
· 2 packages of 8 oz cream cheese (at room temperature)
· 3/4 Cup sugar
· 2 eggs
· 2 teaspoons lemon juice
· 1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat all ingredients together well and pour into the graham cracker crust. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes. Baking time is approximate. Cheesecake should look puffy and may have a few cracks on top. Also, you may need to cover the outside edge of the crust so it doesn't get overdone.

Cool cheesecake to room temperature (may be slightly warm but not hot).

Peach glaze topping: (This is also great with strawberries or raspberries)
· Half a small package of peach gelatin
· 1/2 Cup sugar
· 1 Tablespoon corn starch (heaping)
· 1 Cup water

Mix glaze ingredients in a small saucepan before you turn on the heat. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Cut fresh or frozen peaches into thin slices and arrange on top of the cooled cheesecake. Pour the glaze over the top. It should completely cover the peaches (if it doesn't the fruit not covered may turn brown). Put in the refrigerator and chill for a couple of hours.

Lasagna (Robin B.)

I saw this recipe on the Today show several years ago. They were doing a Mother's Day segment on favorite recipes. We have enjoyed it ever since.

1 lb. Sausage (ground beef/turkey work fine)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. Canned crushed tomato
12oz. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. Basil
3 cups cottage cheese (low fat is fine)
½ cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. Parsley flakes
2 eggs, beaten (can use 1)
½ tsp. Pepper
1 lb. Mozzarella (thin sliced or shredded, less is fine)
10-12 lasagna noodles

In a medium saucepan brown meat until cooked through. Add garlic, tomatoes and paste, and basil. Add a little water to tomato paste can, swish, and add to pot. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the meantime cook noodles according to package directions. Drain.
Combine cottage cheese, parmesan, parsley, eggs and pepper in a bowl.
In 9X13 pan layer four to five noodles overlapping slightly and then layer half the sauce, half of the cottage cheese mixture, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the process again starting with the noodles. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Pecan Pie (Teresa H)

Pecan Pie (Passed down the gererations—Teresa Horton, Diana Wongwai, Tressie Holler)

Yield: One 9" pie

1 9inch pie tin lined with your favorite pie crust

1 ½ cups pecan halves

1 cup K-roll syrup (light or dark)

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp Salt

4 Tblsp Sugar

3 Tblsp Flour

2 Eggs (beaten)

3 Tblsp Butter

· In blender, mix eggs, sugar, flour, salt and vanilla.

· In small sauce pan bring syrup and butter to a boil over medium heat. Keep stiring to avoid burning. Remove and cool slightly.

· Add hot mixture to blender and blend until light in color.

· Pour into chilled pie shell that has been lined with the pecan halves.

· Place in 350* F oven on middle rack.

· Bake for 50-55 minutes. Pie is done when a knife inserted into center of filling is clean when pulled out.

(you may want to cover crust edges with foil if they darken too much for your taste. It will depend on your oven.)

Tip: I like to make sure all pecans are covered with filling so they are coated even after they float to the top during cooking.

Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie (Amber)

Makes: 12 servings Prep: 10 minutes Bake: at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes; 350 degrees F for 35 minutes Cook: 5 minutes 1 package (15 ounces) refrigerated rolled double crust pastry 3/4 cup butterscotch chips 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 can (15 ounces) solid pack pumpkin puree 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. ground ginger Pinch ground nutmeg Whipped cream or whipped topping, for serving Directions 1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Unroll one of the pastry crusts and fit into a 9-inch round pie plate. Refrigerate until ready to fill. 2. In a small saucepan, combine butterscotch chips and heavy cream. Heat over medium heat about 5 minutes, whisking occasionally, until smooth. Let cool slightly. 3. Meanwhile, whisk pumpkin puree, egg and egg yolk, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, ginger and nutmeg. Slowly whisk in butterscotch mixture until incorporated. Spoon into crust-lined pie plate, and spread smooth. 4. Bake at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake an additional 35 minutes, until crust is browned and pie puffs slighty, covering edge of pie with foil if browning too quickly. Cool at room temperature on a wire rack. Serve with whipped cream or whipped topping, if desired.

Triple Layer Chocolate Mud Pie (Dena)

Ingredients

3 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

1/4 cup canned sweetened condensed milk

1 OREO Pie Crust (6 oz.)

2 cups cold milk

2 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

MIX chocolate and condensed milk until well blended. Pour into crust; sprinkle with pecans.

BEAT milk and dry pudding mixes with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. (Mixture will be thick.) Spoon 1-1/2 cups of the pudding over pecans. Add half of the whipped topping to remaining pudding; stir until well blended. Spread over pudding layer in crust; top with remaining whipped topping.

REFRIGERATE 3 hours. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Banana Cream Pie Variation (Robin)

1 small package vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup milk
1 small container heavy cream
1 homemade graham cracker crust, baked and cooled
3 bananas sliced
Mix pudding and milk. In another bowl beat cream until stiff. Mix cream and pudding together. Layer bananas in bottom of crust and put cream mixture on top. Refrigerate.

Easy Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Pie (Robin)

1 (6 oz.) chocolate pie crust
6 oz. Cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
3 Tbsp. Lemon juice
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
Heat oven to 350. Arrange berries over crust. Beat cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk, gradually add egg, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix well. Pour over fruit, bake 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Top with glaze and then refrigerate.

Chocolate glaze:
¼ cup heavy or whipping cream
¼ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Heat on low until melted and slightly thickened, pour over pie, chill.

10 Easy Steps to Delicious Canned Peaches

10 Easy Steps to Delicious Canned Peaches

Supplies

Fresh peaches, form but not hard or mushy

Two large pot

Sugar

Pre-washed and sterilized 1 quart jars and lids (about 11-12)

Funnel

Water bath canner with lifting rack

Fresh Fruit Powder (Citric Acid & Vitamin C) OR Lemon juice

Step 1

Inspect your peaches and make sure they are firm, but not hard or mushy. If they are hard, you can put the peaches in a brown paper bag for a day or two and they will soften up.

Step 2

Prepare your syrup for the jars. In one of the large pots, for light syrup, combine 2 cups sugar and six cups water. Add sugar slowly, stirring constantly to dissolve. Bring to a gentle boil and keep it simmering. For Medium syrup, use 3 cups sugar and 6 cups water. For heavy syrup, use 4 cups sugar and 6 cups of water.

Step 3

Wash the peaches in water in the sink and put into a colander.

Step 4

Bring another pot of water to a boil. Put peaches in the water for one minute. Remove from boiling water and put into a large bowl or pot of cold water and ice for several minutes. This will help make it very easy to peel the peaches.

Step 5

Peel the peaches and cut out any brown spots or mushy areas. Cut the peaches in half, quarters, or slices. Make sure to remove the pits and scoop out the red center where the pit was.

Step 6

Put peaches into a bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Fruit Fresh Powder or 1/4 cup lemon juice. Stir peaches to coat.

Step 7

Put sliced peaches into boiling pot of syrup for about 5 minutes. This is called "The Hot Packed Method." Doing this will make the peaches less likely to float in the jars, will reduce bubbles, and will produce brighter colored fruit in the jar.

Step 8

Fill the sterilized jars with the peaches making sure to leave 1/2 inch space from the top. When the jar is filled, use a ladle to fill the jars with the prepared syrup. Make sure to leave 1/2 inch at the top. Next, tilt the jar slightly and run a table knife or rubber spatula between the peaches in the jar to release any trapped air bubbles.

Step 9

Screw the lids onto the jars. Make sure to screw them on tightly, evenly and firmly. Do not overtighten.

Step 10

Put jars into the water bath pot. Make sure the tops of the jars are covered with at least one inch of water. Process or boil jars for 20 minutes, but no more than 30 minutes.

After the jars have been processed for 20 minutes, lift the jars out of the water and let them cool overnight on hand towels on top of your counter. Once cool, check the jars to make sure the lids have been sucked down. To check, just press gently in the center with your finger. If it pops up and down, it is NOT sealed. If not sealed, replace with a new lid and reprocess the jar while it is still hot in the canner.

Canning Facts----It will take about 5 peaches to fill a one quart jar. About 7 1/2 pounds of peaches are needed to fill a canner of 7 quarts. A bushel weighs about 48 pounds and yields 16-24 quarts.

Strawberry Freezer Jam (Shiloh)

Strawberry Freezer Jam (makes 5 cups)

2 c. crushed strawberries
4 c. sugar

Mash fruit with a potato masher (or use a blender). Measure fruit into a bowl. Measure sugar into a separate bowl. Stir sugar into prepared fruit. Mix well and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Stir 1 box pectin and 3/4 c. water in small saucepan. (Pectin may start out lumpy.) Bring to a boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Stir pectin mixture into fruit. Stir constantly untili sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy, about 3 minutes. (A few sugar crystals may remain.) Pour into prepared containers, leaving 1/2 inch space at top for expansion during freezing; cover. (Use 1 to 2 cup size containers that have tight lids. Make sure to wash and rinse plastic containers before filling.)

Let stand at room temperature 24 hours until set. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks. Otherwise, store in freezer for up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator.

Rolo Cookies (Shiloh)

Rolo Cookies
*I originally got this recipe from Tiffany H.

Cream:
1 c. butter, softened (Tiffany recommends real butter.)
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs

Sift:
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. cocoa
2 1/2 c. flour

40-48 Rolos

Combine sugar, butter and brown sugar. Add vanilla and eggs. Beat well. In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa and baking soda. Combine dry ingredients with sugar mixture. Unwrap the Rolos. Take about 1 Tbsp. of dough in your hand. Put Rolo in the center and form dough around it.

Chop 1 c. of nuts (almonds, pecans, etc.). Mix nuts with 1 c. sugar. Dip dough balls in nuts and sugar.

Cook at 375 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes. (Can take 4 oz. of bark chocolate-the white kind- and drizzle melted chocolate on top. Let dry.)

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake (LaRein M)

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake 1 cup flour ¾ cups sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa 2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup milk 2 tablespoons melted shortening or margarine 1 cup finely chopped nuts (optional) Measure flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt into bowl. Blend in milk, shortening and nuts. Pour into greased square 9x9x2 inch pan. (Batter should be brownie batter thick). Topping: 1 cup brown sugar ¼ cup cocoa 1 ¾ cup hot water Stir brown sugar and cocoa together. Sprinkle over batter in pan. Pour hot water over all. Bake 45 minutes at 350º This makes a wonderful chocolate sauce on the bottom, with cake on top. Serves 9 Note: Can be doubled and served in 9x13 pan. I don't double the cocoa, in the topping and use 2 ½ cups water. Serve with whipped cream or cool whip. Best if served slightly warm. Yummy!

Chocolate Eclair (LaRein M)

CHOCOLATE ÉCLAIR 1-16 oz box graham crackers 2- 3-½ oz packages instant vanilla pudding mix 3 cups milk 1- 8 oz package cream cheese, softened 1-8 oz carton non-dairy whipped topping (Cool Whip) (I use a 12 oz carton and save some for the frosting) 1 3-½ oz package chocolate instant pudding for frosting Line 9x13 pan with one layer of graham crackers. Beat pudding with milk and cream cheese until stiff. Fold in whipped topping. Pour ½ of mixture over crackers. Place another layer of graham crackers on top and add remaining pudding mixture. Top with another layer of graham crackers. Follow directions on box of chocolate pudding for pie. I use the same mixer bowl I used for the vanilla pudding, and just mix very well. Add some whipped topping if you wish. Pour over the top of the last layer of graham crackers. Chill several hours or overnight. Try using all low fat ingredients. Delicious!! Experiment with different kinds of puddings… white chocolate, banana, etc. This is great to take to work or church parties.