Peanut Butter Candy

1 pkg graham crackers (in crumbs)
1 pkg powdered sugar (approx. 3 c)
3 c peanut butter
1 c butter (room temp)
1 lg Hershey bar

Mix sugar and crumbs. Add peanut butter and butter. Mix all together and press onto cookie sheet. Melt Hershey bar and spread over top.

Tastes like Cup of Gold. Keep refrigerated!

Pumpkin Cookies

2 eggs
2 C pumpkin
1 1/2 c shortening
2 t vanilla
1 1/2 c chopped nuts (optional)
12 oz pk butterscotch chips
Dry ingredients:
1 t salt
3 c flour
1 1/2 c sugar
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t nutmeg
2 t cinnamon

Cream sugar and shortening together. Add eggs one at a time and mix until creamy. Add pumpkin, and mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients until mixed. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Lea's Rocky Road Candy

1 cube butter
12 oz bag milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups marshmallows
nuts

In a large saucepan, melt butter and chips. When completely melted, take off heat and add marshmallows and nuts - stir to coat marshmallows completely. Spread mixture into a buttered 9X13 pan and refrigerate until solid. Cut into squares and enjoy.

"Cheater" Pepper Jack Potato Soup

Soup is ready in about an hour.

2 cans cream of potato soup
2 cans water
1 pt cream
2 c milk
1 c onions, finely chopped
1 c potatoes, finely diced
1/2 c butter
pepper to taste
bacon, chopped, to taste

In large saucepan, cook bacon to desired crispness. Remove to napkin covered plate to drain grease. Add potatoes and onions to bacon grease in pan and cook to desired doneness (about 5-10 minutes). Add the soup and the 2 cansful of water to the crockpot and turn on high. Add remaining, except the cheese, and the potatoes, onions, and bacon. Stir until bubbly. Add optional cubes of pepper jack and stir until melted.

Pepper Jack Potato Soup

2 c water
1 c onions, finely chopped
1 c potatoes, diced into chunks
1/2 t sugar
3/4 c butter
3/4 c flour
1 pt cream
1 pt milk
1 1/2 t salt
pepper to taste
bacon, chopped, to taste
1 sm pkg pepper jack cheese (optional), cubed

Traditional:
In large saucepan, cook bacon to desired crispness. Remove bacon to napkin covered plate to drain grease. Add water to bacon fat and stir. Add potatoes and onions, cook until done (about 15 minutes). Add the remaining ingredients, except 1/2 cup milk, cheese, and the flour. Cook and stir until bubbly. In the meantime, mix remaining milk and flour. Pour into saucepan and stir. Add optional cheese cubes. Stir until melted.

Crock Pot:
In a large saudepan, cook bacon to desired crispness. Remove bacon to napkin covered plate to drain grease. Add water to bacon fat and stir. Add potatoes and onions, cook until done (about 15 minutes). Put remaining ingredients into crock pot and turn on low. Add bacon and potato mixture. Cover and simmer for at least 6 hours (8 is better). Just before serving, add optional cheese cubes. Stir until melted.

Creme Brulee

Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence - FoodNetwork.com

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time:2 hr 40 min

6 servings

Ingredients

• 9 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup superfine white sugar plus 6 tablespoons
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream together egg yolks and sugar with a whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and thick.

Pour cream into a medium saucepan over low heat. Using a paring knife, split the vanilla bean down the middle, scrape out the seeds and add them to saucepan. Bring cream to a brief simmer, do not boil or it will overflow. Remove from heat and temper the yolks by gradually whisking the hot vanilla cream into yolk and sugar mixture. Do not add hot cream too quickly or the eggs will cook.

Divide custard into 6 (6-ounce) ramekins, about 3/4 full. Place ramekins in a roasting pan and fill pan with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until barely set around the edges, about 40 minutes. You may want to cover loosely with foil to prevent browning. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Transfer the ramekins to the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on top of each chilled custard. Hold a kitchen torch 2 inches above surface to brown the sugar and form a crust. Garnish with cookies and fresh fruit. Serve at once.

Variation: Before dividing into ramekins: add 3 ounces of shaved dark chocolate for chocolate creme brulee; add 4 slices of crystallized ginger for ginger creme brulee; add 3 slices of orange peel for orange creme brulee. Let steep 20 minutes to infuse the flavor. Strain out the ginger and orange peel before baking.

New take on "Fantasy Fudge"

Original recipe (from the back of the Kraft Marshmallow Creme bottle)

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 can evaporated milk
1 12-oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 7-oz. jar Kraft Marshmallow creme
1 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar, margarine and milk in heavy 2-1/2 quart saucepan; bring to full rolling bail, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring. Remove from heat, stir in chocolate till melted. Add marshmallow creme, nuts & vanilla beat till blended. Pour into greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Let cool and cut into 1-inch squares.

Now, you can make many, many changes to this recipe and make it your own. In place of the semi-sweet chocolate chips, you can use white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, etc. When you add the vanilla, you can add another flavoring (cut the vanilla in half). I've used cherry, almond, raspberry, orange, lemon, the possibilities are endless.

Verda's Frappe

6 oz orange juice concentrate
6 oz lemonade concentrate
3 bananas
2 c sugar
2 qt. hot water
2 lt. Sprite

Chop up bananas in blender with oj and lemonade, and a little bit of hot water. Pour remaining hot water in medium size bowl, over sugar, to dissolve. Pour fruit into sugar water and stir. Put into freezer overnight. When ready to serve, chop up with a wooden spoon into small pieces. Pour into large punch bowl and add Sprite.

Orange Delight (homemade Orange Julius)

Orange Delight (home made Orange Julius)

1 6oz can frozen OJ
1 c water
¼ c sugar
1 c milk
1 t vanilla
Ice to fill blender

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend about 2 minutes. Enjoy.

Brownies

1 c butter, melted

½ c sugar

2 c flour

4 eggs

1 t vanilla

½ c cocoa

Pinch of salt

Mix dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Add butter & vanilla and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time. Pour into buttered, cocoa-ed 9X13 pan. Bake at 325® for 25-35 minutes (toothpick inserted comes out clean).

Steak Pizzaiola

Medium London broil

1 Onion

½ t + 1 t each Salt & pepper to taste

1 c Olive oil

1-2 c Red wine

5-8 oz. Cherry/grape tomatoes

2 Bell peppers

1 T Red pepper flakes

2 cloves Garlic

1 T chopped fresh parsley

Pound steak with a mallet until thin. Season the meat well with 1 t each salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy skillet, add finely chopped garlic and cook until brown. Brown meat well on both sides. Remove meat and keep warm. Add onion and sauté until tender. Add tomatoes, wine, ½ t salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes. Lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, as needed, until the sauce thickens. Return the meat to the pan and cook an additional 10 minutes. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Banana Bread - Crock Pot

3 bananas
1 c sugar
1/2 c shortening
1 t baking soda
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
2 c flour
1/2 t salt
Nuts (optional)

In a medium mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add bananas, eggs (one at a time), and vanilla. Pour into crock pot pan (either the bread pan insert that is made for the crock pot or a coffee can cut down to size). Bake in crock pot on low until done – about 6 hours.

Peanut Brittle (aka Christmas Crack)

½ c water
2 c sugar
1 c white corn syrup
2 t soda
½ t salt
2 T butter
1 t vanilla
1 bag Spanish peanuts


Mix together in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil sugar, corn syrup, salt and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Set candy thermometer in place. Stir in peanuts and continue cooking. Stir frequently until temp reaches 300F/150C or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle threads. Remove from heat and immediately stir in butter and baking soda. Pour at once onto greased cookie sheet. With two forks, lift and pull mixture into rectangle about 14x12. Cool. Break into pieces