Beets

Working at a grocery store now, I have come across a lot of produce and wondered how it is prepared. I never thought I would have interest in eating a beet, but I bought one! Now I'm trying to figure out the best way to prepare it so it tastes good.
So, I have a challenge for all of you! Go buy a beet. Cook it. Boil it. Bake it. And post what you do to make it delicious!

Double Chocolate Banana Cookies

3 to 4 extra-ripe medium Bananas
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups margarine, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

•Puree bananas in blender; measure 2 cups for the recipe.
•Combine oats, sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt until well mixed. Stir in bananas, margarine and eggs until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
•Refrigerate batter 1 hour or until mixture becomes partially firm (batter runs during baking if too soft).
•Preheat oven to 350 F.. Measure 1/4 cup batter for each cookie; drop onto greased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with spatula.
•Bake 15-17 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen e inch cookies.

•••Layla, if you remember when I made these they were super flat--that was because I didn't put oatmeal in the cookies, and didn't let them refrigerate for long enough. So, if you liked how they tasted then just don't add the oatmeal. :)

Aunt Dorothy's Famous Mint Brownies!!

1 c. Flour
1/2 c. Butter softened
1/2 tsp. Salt
4 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 can (16 oz) Chocolat syrup
1 c. Sugar
Mix flour, 1/2 c. butter, salt, eggs, vanilla, chocolat syrup, and suger together. Bake in greased pan at 350 for 30 min. Top will still appear moist. Cool.

1/2 c. Butter
2 c. Powdered sugar
1 tbl. Water
1/2 tsp. Mint extract
3 drops Green food coloring

Mix powdered sugar, 1/2 c. butter, water, mint and food coloring and spread on top of cooled brownies. Chill.

1 pkg. Semi-sweet chocolate chips
9 tbl. Butter

Melt chocolate chips and 9 tbl. butter together and spread on top of mint layer. Keep chilled before cutting and serving.

Jello Cake

I know that I've been posting a lot lately but I findthis fun to share recipes with everyone!! Here is another of my favorite cakes!!

1 yellow or white cake mix
6 oz. pkg. of jello
4 eggs
3/4 c. water
3/4 c. oil
2 c. powdered sugar
Lemon jucie

Combine cake mix, Jello, eggs, water, and oil. Pour into greased 9X13 pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min. Mix powdered suger and enough lemon jucie to make a smooth glaze. Immediatley after removing cake from oven, use a fork to poke holes all over it. Pour glaze over entire cake. Let cool before serving.

The picture just doesn't do it justice!!

Turtle Cookies

I love these cookies but i haven't been able to make them in a while due to the fact I don't own a waffle iron. They are so fun to make!!

8 tbl. Unsweetened Cocoa
1 c. Maragarine or butter
4 Eggs
1 & 1/2 c. Sugar
2 c. Flour
2 tsp. Vanilla

Melt chocolate and butter. Beat eggs and sugar. Add chocolate mixture. Add flour and vanilla. Drop by teaspoons on hot waffle iron and cook approximately 1 min. Frost.

Frosting:

4 tbl. Unsweetened cocoa
1/4 c. Maragarine or butter
3 tbl. Milk
2 c. Powder Suger

Melt chocolate and butter, stir in milk and powdered sugar to make a slightly thinner than normal frosting.

These are soooo good!

Texas Sheet Cake

This is my Moms recipe but it is the best cake ever so I'd thought that I'd share it. I know Diana will love it!!

2 c. Flour
2 c. Sugar
1 c. Butter or Margarine
1/4 c. Unsweetened Cocoa
1 c. Water
1/2 c. Buttermilk or Sour Milk
1 tsp. Baking Soda
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla

Mix flour and sugar in a large bowl and set aside
Bring butter, cocoa, and water to a boil. Pour hot mixture over flour and sugar. Mix until well blended. Add milk, soda, eggs, and vanilla and beat until well mixed. Pour batter onto a large cookie sheet with edges and bake at 350 for about 20. Frost while still hot.
HINT: Add 1 tbl. Vinegar to 1/2 c. Milk to make it sour! Easier than buying buttermilk!!!

Frosting:

1/2 c. Butter or Margarine
1/4 c. Unsweetened cocoa
5 tbl. Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla
4 c. Powder Sugar

Mix butter, cocoa, milk, and vanilla in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and beat in the powdered sugar. This is not as thick as regular frosting. Spread over warm cake.
Enjoy!!!

EZ Tuna Casserole!

I found that I never have time to bake my casseroles in the oven so I found a really easy way of making a fast and yummy cassarole.

2 6 oz. cans of tuna drained
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 c. milk
Enough pasta to fill a medium pot
Cheese

Cook the pasta all the way though and drain
Put soup, tuna and milk into the pot
Let the soup and milk mix together
Add the Pasta and mix it all together
Add as much cheese as you want.
Usually takes about 15-20 min to make!!

Crockpot Chicken=Dinner for 3 days!

I got this idea from my cousin and it's wonderful! So I'll just copy most of her text. I love this, because Richard is not very good at feeding himself, unless it is 'ready to go'. And because I'm not home every night, this was a great way to have an actual dinner set aside, without very much effort at all.

It all began with a crock pot, a jar of salsa and a bag full of chicken breasts. I added them all together and cooked on low for 8 hours.
NOTE: I DIDN'T ADD A WHOLE BAG--JUST 4 PIECES, AND IT ONLY TOOK ABOUT 5 1/2 HOURS TO COOK. THIS WAS THE PERFECT AMOUNT, MAYBE EVEN JUST A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH FOR JUST THE 2 OF US.

Then - I shredded the chicken and could make three different things:

Chicken Quesidillas
Cheese
green peppers/yellow/red
Onions
Tomatoes
Chicken

I like to cook the onions and peppers in butter ahead so they are a bit soft. Then I butter a tortilla and layer it in a frying pan with a combo of any of the above toppings - add another buttered tortilla on top and cook on low! Turn only once. You dont want to burn the tortilla before you melt the cheese (it is what amateurs do). If you are an amateur - try putting them on a baking sheet and baking them in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is melted (about 14 mins). Serve with guacamole and sour cream.

Sunset Chicken Enchiladas
3 cups shredded skinned cooked chicken
2 cups sour cream
About 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz.)
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I use way less)
12 corn tortillas
1 jar (16 oz.) salsa

1. In a bowl, mix chicken, sour cream, 2 cups shredded cheese, and the salt.
2. Heat oil in an 8- to 10-inch frying pan over low heat. Dip the tortillas, one at a time, in the hot oil just until limp, about 5 seconds. Let them cool in layered between paper towels. (Or I just use flour tortillas and skip this part because I have an aversion to corn tortillas).
3. Fill tortillas equally with chicken mixture, roll up, and arrange side by side, seam down, in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Pour salsa evenly over the top (I actually mixed 1/2 salsa and 1/2 green enchilada sauce and it was pretty good too).
4. Bake in a 350° oven until heated through, about 20 minutes. If desired, sprinkle more shredded cheese over hot enchiladas before serving.



Chicken Burritos
Beans of your liking
Shredded lettuce
Tomatoes
Cheese
Chicken
Avocados
Onions
Sour cream
Salsa

Put out bowls of everything and let everyone create their own.

Yum, Michael is ready to eat! :)

Tiramisu

This is a two part recipe. First is the cookies that make the bottom of the Tiramisu.

Savaidi a.k.a Ladyfingers

3 eggs seperated
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder

Beat egg yolk until thick and lemon colored. Beat in almond extract. Set aside.

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and gradually beat in suger until whites are glossy and very stiff.

Fold egg yolks gently into egg whites

Fold in sifted dry ingredients

Drop batter by Tablespoons on ungreased cookie sheet forming finger in 3 inch long and 1 inch wide. Bake in moderate 350 degree oven for 10 min. or until light brown.

Remove immediatly from cookie sheet and cool on rack. Yeilds 3 dozen.

Now it is time for the actual Tiramisu:

3 egg yolks
1/4 c. white suger
2 tsp. vanilla
1&1/8 cups Mascarpone cheese (substitute Cream Cheese and it's just as good)
24 Ladyfinger
1&1/2 cup brewed coffee
1 tblsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar and vanilla until smooth and light yellow. Fold cheese into yolk mixture. Set aside.

Dip Ladyfingers briefly in coffee and arrange 12 of them in the bottom of an 8X8 inch dish. Spread half the cheese mixture over the lady fingers. Repeat with remaining cookies and cheese mixture. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Sprinkle with cocoa before serving.