Hamburger Soup

1 lb. hamburger

1 cup diced onion

1 large can (2 1/2 cups) diced tomatoes

1 Bay leaf

1 Qt water

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp basil

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup diced potatoes

1 cup sliced carrots

1/2 cups sliced celery

1/4 cup broken spaghetti

1 cup shredded cabbage - optional -

1 can beef broth

Brown beef and onion together. Drain. In large pot add beef mix, water, potatoes, carrots, celery and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Add rest of ingredients. Simmer 1 hour.

Grandma's Strawberry Cheesecake

1 small lemon jello
1 tsp lemon juice

1 pkg cream cheese

1/4 cup butter (melted)

2 tbsp powdered sugar

1 pint strawberries (fresh)

1 pkg strawberry deserta

1 can condensed milk (chilled)

12 graham crackers

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cream tarter

1 cup sugar

Mix lemon jello with 1 cup boiling water, add lemon juice, refrigerate until cool.

Mix strawberry deserta according to package and leave to cool.

Take graham crackers, crush and add melted butter and 2 tbsp powdered sugar to make crust. Put in 8x8 inch cake pan. Bake on 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Mix cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla in separate small bowl.

In blender whip chilled milk, 1/2 cup sugar, cream of tarter until fluffy (about 10 minutes). Add jello, cream cheese mixture and mix.

Pour on graham cracker crust, top with sliced strawberries, then strawberry deserta.

Chill and enjoy!

Carmel Popcorn

From Gretchen

2 Sticks Butter
4 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Honey (it is expensive so I usually use Kero Syrup Light)
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream (don't usually always have, so I use evaporated milk)
3 Popped Bags of Movie Theater (extra butter) Microwave Popcorn

Melt butter and then add sugar, honey (syrup), whipping cream (evap milk) and stir. Bring to a boil to a soft ball stage at around 240 degrees?I don't have a candy thermometer so once it comes to a boil I usually let it boil for about 8-10 min.REMEMBER: once it smoothed together DO NOT scrap the sides of the pan, because once on the popcorn and cools will crystalize and you don't want that.

Most of the time I can use up to 6 bags of popcorn, but maybe that is becuase I am not cooking the mixture long enough to make it harder then it usually turns out.

Enjoy!

Enchilada Pie

1 lb hamburger
1 big can enchilada sauce
1 small onion
1 package of Brown gravy
Corn tortillas
Cheese

Fry hamburger and onion until done. Make brown gravy and add to enchilada sauce. In a 9 x 13 pan spray with cooking spray and layer the tortillas (I like to tear the tortilla into 4ths), hamburger and cheese then pour enchilada sauce over each layer. Continue until you get to the top of the pan and then put a layer of cheese on top. Cover with foil and bake in the oven at 375 for about 45 min or until bubbling.

Chili

3 lbs Stew Meat
2 teaspoons peanut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (16oz) bottle mild salsa
12 oz. Beef broth
30 tortilla chips (crushed)
2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, chopped
1 Tablespoon adobo sauce (from the chipotle peppers in adobo)
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Toss the meat, oil and salt and brown. Once the meat is browned place it in a pressure cooker with the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Lock the lid in place and cook for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Salisbury Steak

1 lb ground beef
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups beef broth
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 cup mushrooms
3 T cold water mixed with 3 T cornstarch

Combine beef, bread crumbs, chopped onion, egg, salt and pepper with hands.

Shape into 4 patties,a bout 3/4" thick. Brown patties for 5 minutes per side.

Add broth, onion and mushrooms to skillet. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Remove patties from skillet. Keep warm. Bring onion mixture to a boil. Add water/cornstarch mixture, bring to boil, stirring constantly for one minute.

Pour gravy over patties.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

Cookie Recipe
1 package devil's food cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 - cup oil
(or butter flavored shortening)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add oil and eggs to cake mix and blend together. Roll dough into balls (a little larger than a quarter). Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on sheet (until warm). Remove cookies from sheet and place on cooling rack.To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip (you can always use a zip lock bag with a round tip or just use a butter knife)add about a tablespoon of filling into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie similar in size on top of the filling. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.

Cream Cheese Filling Recipe:
1 - stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 - 8oz package philly cream cheese or generic
3-4 cups - confectioner's sugar (depending on desired consistency)
1 - tsp vanilla extract

Cream butter and add cream cheese and mix well. Add confectioner's sugar slowly until you reach your desired consistency.

Vanilla Cream Filling Recipe:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 - cup vegetable shortening
2 - 3 - cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 - teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream butter and shortening together. Add add vanilla extract and confectioner's sugar slowly until you reach your desired consistency. If you want mint icing use peppermint extract instead of vanilla.