Jeanne’s Sloppy Joes

Jeanne’s Sloppy Joes
1lb hamburger
½ cup ketchup
½ cup barbeque sauce (I used Tony Roma’s Southern Carolina barbeque sauce)
½ envelope onion soup mix
2 teaspoons liquid smoke (key to flavor)

Brown meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add all other ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes, uncovered. Serve on quality buns (I used sesame seeded Franz buns).

Serves 4. Incredibly easy, delicious.

Cliff and Rosanna both gave 4 stars~

Better-than-Almost-Anything Cake

Better-than-Almost-Anything Cake
By: Betty Crocker

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist German chocolate cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for in cake mix directions
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 jar (16-17oz) caramel ice cream topping
1 container (8oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed (3 cups)
1 cup toffee chips or bits

Heat oven to 350 degrees (not convection). Make cake as directed on package. Grease bottom of 9x13 glass pan. Pour batter into pan and bake for 30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes in pan.

Poke top of warm cake every 1/2” with handle of wooden spoon (larger holes than a fork will do). Drizzle sweetened condensed milk evenly over top of cake; let stand until milk has been absorbed into cake (between 15-30 minutes). Drizzle with caramel topping. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Spread whipped topping over top of cake. Sprinkle with toffee chips. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Serves 12.

Pumpkin spiced iced cookies

Pumpkin spiced iced cookies
2 ¼ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Combine in medium size bowl.

1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 can (15oz) 100% pure canned pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups (12oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in pumpkin, eggs and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded Tablespoons onto parchment paper ready lined baking sheets.

Convection oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; then, remove to wire racks to cool completely. Put wax paper under racks. Drizzle with vanilla glaze:

Vanilla Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk. Drizzle over cookies.

Makes 30 cookies.

Note: Eat within the day or they will get soft. Don’t put in airtight container or they get really soggy. Store at room temperature.

Mrs. Fields Cinnamon Sugar Butter Cookies

Mrs. Fields Cinnamon Sugar Butter Cookies
Topping:
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Cookies:
2 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup salted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (convection if possible). Combine sugar and cinnamon for topping, set aside. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl blend sugars with an electric mixer. Add the butter and mix to form a grainy paste. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and blend at low speed just until combined. Do not over mix. Shape dough into 1” balls and roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar topping. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Cliff’s Chicken Pot Pie

Cliff’s Chicken Pot Pie
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked, seasoned and cubed; set aside.

2 Tablespoons butter
1 ½ cups water
Bring to a simmer in a big saucepan.

Add:
1 ½ carrots, peeled and small diced
Cook 3 minutes. Covered.

Add:
(2) red potatoes, peeled and medium diced
Cook 5 minutes. Covered.

Add:
(3) stalks of celery, washed and small diced
½ small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup frozen peas
Re-cover. Cook 3 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Combine in a small bowl:
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ can milk
Add veggies! Add cooked cubed chicken. Simmer uncovered at medium heat for 15 minutes.

Pour into prepared pie crust in a deep dish pie pan (make sure it is deep dish; will also fit into 4 mini pie plate tins). Brush with egg yolk. Vent. Cook at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Breakfast crepes with strawberry

Breakfast crepes with strawberry
Crepes (makes 5):
½ cup flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 pinch salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
½ cup and 1/8 cup milk
2 ½ Tablespoons butter, melted

Combine the flour, sugar and salt. Make a well in the center, add egg and egg yolk. Add ½ cup milk. Gradually whisk until smooth, but don’t over mix.

Add remaining 1/8 cup milk. Whisking gently until it is well combined. Cover loosely and leave aside while making filling. Add melted butter right before cooking.

Lightly butter non-stick pan on medium-high heat. Add batter in center while it sizzles as it coats the pan. Flip when browned (approx 1 minute each side). Remove from heat onto wire rack lined with paper towel then parchment paper. Stack until 5 crepes have been made.

Filling:
1 cup ricotta cheese
4oz softened cream cheese
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ (1/2 stick) butter

Combine everything, but butter, until smooth.

Creating blintz:
Place one crepe on plate. Fill with about 1 spoonful of filling. Top with fresh strawberries. Fold like a burrito using toothpicks to “stitch” closed.

In pan add ¼ cup butter until melted. Add crepes to fry for about 5 minutes (2 ½ minutes per side). Remove to serving plate. Top with syrup that had sliced strawberries heated in the microwave for about 1 minute. Top that with whip cream. Yummy!!!

Best Ever Dill Potato Salad

Best Ever Dill Potato Salad
3 boiled eggs, chopped
6 small red potatoes, washed, cut into quarters and boiled until soft. Drain, cool, set aside

In a large bowl combine:
½ yellow bell pepper, finely diced
3 celery stalks, washed and finely sliced
3 dill pickles, chopped
2 green onions, green part only thinly sliced
½ can black olives, sliced
1 teaspoon dill seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon paprika
1 ½ cups mayonnaise
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 Tablespoon pickle juice (optional)

Put the cooled chopped eggs and potatoes with the above mayonnaise base. Mix together and refrigerate at least 6 hours. Serve cold.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread
3 mashed ripe bananas
2 eggs
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup (1 stick) melted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup buttermilk
1 cup vanilla bean yogurt (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (not convection oven).

In a large bowl mix mashed bananas with eggs, sugars and melted butter.

In separate bowl add all dry ingredients together.

Mix wet with dry ingredients. Add buttermilk and yogurt (optional).

Line 2 loaf pans with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray (optional). Pour the batter into the loaf pans and bake for 45 minutes (if you didn’t use the yogurt) to 1 hour (if yogurt was used).