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This salad is so good!!! I had it at my friend Dana’s house and then I begged her for the recipe.

Apple Salad

Ingredients:
1 head Romaine lettuce
1/2 white onion chopped (or sliced)
1 green apple (cut up in bite size pieces)
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ to ½ c. sliced almonds (candied)

Dressing:
(It is best to make it the night before.)
1 cup sugar
¾ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup oil
1 T. fine ground black pepper
½ to ¾ c. parsley chopped fine

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in large bowl and enjoy!

To candy almonds – Place ¼ c. sugar in a small pan and add the almonds. Heat the almonds on med high. Stir often. You can add a little more sugar if you need to, to cover all almonds. When they are brown, lay out on wax paper to cool. Then add to salad.

Tagged as: apple, cranberry, lettuce, salad

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I think this is a pretty standard banana pudding recipe, but I made Brian call my mother-in-law so I could make sure I had it right.  I’ve always just made it with plain banana pudding, but this way is so much better!  The picture isn’t very flattering because I didn’t have great lighting conditions, but I assure you it looked very yummy!

Ingredients:
1 package banana cream instant pudding (we used sugar free)
2 cups milk
8 oz. sour cream
1 regular size tub of Cool Whip
1 box ‘Nilla Wafers (minis or regular)
3-4 bananas, sliced

Directions:
Mix pudding packet and milk according to package directions.
Mix sour cream and Cool Whip into pudding (I use an electric hand mixer for this to make it nice and fluffy).
Layer bottom of pan or bowl (we used a 9×13 dish here with a double batch of pudding) with Nilla wafers.  Spoon a layer of pudding on top.  Add a layer of sliced bananas, then another layer of pudding, etc. until you’ve used up all the pudding.

In the picture above I got a little decorative with some canned Cool Whip, banana slices, and crushed Nilla Wafers, but that isn’t necessary. (It is fun though!)

Suggestions:
If you want to make a double batch, use one package of vanilla pudding and one package of banana cream pudding.  If sugar is a concern, you can use sugar free pudding and sugar free Cool Whip.  The cookies still have sugar, but it reduces it quite a bit!

Tagged as: banana, cool whip, dessert, nilla wafers, pudding

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Every year when Fall gets near and football season comes around I start having cravings for Pear Crisp. The first year we lived in our house we discovered that we had a pear tree in the yard. When they ripened up we had more pears than we knew what to do with so I had to look for creative ways to use them up. This pear crisp recipe has become my favorite way to use up all those pears and I’m not sure I can get through Fall without it!

Ingredients:
8-10 large pears, sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:
Heat oven to 375ºF. Grease bottom and sides of 9×13 baking dish with shortening.
Spread pears in pan.  Spread 1/2 cup sugar over pears and sprinkle with cinnamon.  (I usually add just a little water to pan as well to keep pears from burning).  Bake for about 20 minutes to soften pears.

In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients until well mixed; sprinkle over pears.  Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and pears are tender when pierced with a fork.

Suggestions:
Serve warm with ice cream on top.

Tagged as: pears oatmeal

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This recipe is one that I got from my ex-mother-in-law years ago.  She used to make it almost every time I came to visit and fortunately I got to take the recipe with me when my ex and I split up.  I don’t have any pictures because it has been a while since I’ve made it, but I assure you it is very yummy!

Ingredients:
1 ½ cup uncooked elbow macaroni
¼ cup margarine or butter
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ cup flour
1 ¾ cups milk
8 oz. (8-10 slices) American cheese
chopped onion
potato chips

Directions:
Cook macaroni as directed on package. Cook and stir margarine, onion, salt and pepper over medium heat until onion is slightly tender. Blend in flour with whisk. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove form heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly, on medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.

Place macaroni in ungreased 1 ½ quart casserole dish. Stir cheese sauce into macaroni. Crumble potato chips on top. Cook uncovered in 375◦ oven for 30 minutes.

Makes approximately 5 servings.

Tagged as: cheese, macaroni, potato chips

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Ever get tired of eating the same old thing week after week? We sure do. A while back I went on a search for some new quick-fix recipes. I found this Thai Pita Pocket recipe online (though I can’t remember exactly where) and it soon became one of our favorites.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (or 1 package pre-cooked chicken strips to save time)
4 Pitas
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup green onion
Thai peanut sauce
Kraft Asian Sesame Salad Dressing (optional-we added this for a little more moisture)

Directions:
Grill or fry chicken breasts and cut into strips.  Mix cheese, carrots, green onion, peanut sauce (more or less depending on taste), and sesame dressing together in bowl.  I like to microwave it for 30 seconds or so to melt the cheese a little.  Warm pita bread in microwave (about 30 seconds).  Slice in half.  Open “pockets” and spoon mixture into the pita pockets.

Tagged as: carrots, Chicken, peanut sauce, pita, thai

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My sister made this yummy dessert one evening when we were at her house for dinner.  It was absolutely delicious and very easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 can crescent rolls
1 8oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions:
Spread rolls with the wide sides together in center of pan.  The points should be toward the outside of the pan forming four triangles on each side. Press the dough together in the middle.

Mix cream cheese, egg, sugar, flour and lemon juice until fluffy. Pour over the center of the rolls. Fold points over top of cream cheese mixture and press ends down to prevent oozing.

Sprinkle top with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Let cool. Slice and enjoy!

Suggestions:
Serve with fresh strawberries or other fruit on the side.

Tagged as: cream cheese, crescent rolls

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This recipe was given to me by a co-worker a few years ago. I was shocked when I found out the main ingredient was saltine crackers, but all you taste is sweet, chocolatey goodness.

Ingredients:
1 cup real butter (2 sticks)
1 cup brown sugar
1 package saltine crackers
1 package chocolate chips (I use dark chocolate but any will work)
chopped pecans

Directions:
Melt butter in microwave. Mix butter and brown sugar together. Microwave for 3-5 minutes until thick and bubbly (make sure that butter is not separated from mixture).

Line a 9×13 cake pan with aluminum foil. Cover bottom of pan with saltine crackers.

Pour butter and brown sugar mixture over crackers and spread out until all crackers are covered. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes until it is bubbly on top.

Take out of oven and pour chocolate chips over the top. As chocolate chips melt, spread them over top with a spoon or knife.

Sprinkle pecans on top.

Refrigerate for at least one hour to set. Cut or break into pieces and enjoy!

Tagged as: chocolate, crackers, toffee

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This one is super easy. It makes a great snack or side to your dinner. It was passed on to me by my mother-in-law. I would make it more often except we rarely have beer at room temperature at my house!

Ingredients:
3 Cups self rising flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 can beer (12 oz.) room temperature

Directions:
Combine ingredients in large mixing bowl. Mix well by hand with heavy spoon. Turn into lightly oiled 9×15x3 loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Tagged as: beer, bread

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This recipe came from my ex’s family. It was always part of our New Year’s Eve tradition. I may not be with him anymore, but I’ll always hold on to this recipe!

Ingredients:
1 ½ cup butter
1 ¼ cup flour
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
6 cups milk
2 lbs. Velveeta cheese (cubed)
5 lbs. frozen cauliflower (add more or less to your liking)

Directions:
Melt butter in microwave. Blend in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook in microwave until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Stir in milk. Cook until begins to thicken, then add Velveeta cheese. Cook in microwave until thick and cheese is melted, stirring every 2 minutes. Transfer to a 4 quart slow cooker. Add enough milk to make a soup consistency. Cook cauliflower in separate pan according to package directions until just tender. Drain cauliflower well, then add to cheese mixture and cook in slow cooker until soup is hot.

Suggestions:
*Substitute broccoli for the cauliflower or mix the two.
*You can also do all steps on stove or in slow cooker instead of microwave if you choose to. It comes out the same.

Tagged as: Cauliflower, cheese

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