Rhubarb Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 cup Crisco
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb
• 3/4 cup flaked coconut

In a large mixing bowl, cream Crisco and brown sugar.  Beat in eggs.  Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Fold in rhubarb and coconut.  Drop by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets.  Bake at 350°F for 10-14 minutes, until golden brown.  Cool for 1 minute, and remove to wire racks to cool completely.  Frost.

Frosting

• 1 (3-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tsp. vanilla

For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy.  Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.  Spread over cookies.  Makes approximately 4 dozen.

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Peach Pork Chops

• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
  

  English: Autumn Red peach. Français : Pêches Español: Durazno cortado por la mitad (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/3 cup butter
• 6 cups dry bread cubes
• 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. rubbed sage
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1 pkg. frozen peaches, thawed and diced
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
• 6 boneless pork chops ( 1-1/4 inch thick)
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• garlic and salt to taste
• 1/4 cup peach preserves

In a skillet, sauté onion and celery in butter until tender; transfer to a large bowl.  Add bread cubes, poultry seasoning, sage and pepper.  Fold in peaches.

Combine eggs, water and parsley; add to bread mix.  Toss gently until well mixed.  Cut a large pocket in the side of each pork chop, spoon stuffing loosely into pockets.  Tie with string to secure stuffing if necessary.  Brush pork chops with olive oil.  Sprinkle with garlic salt (or fresh minced garlic) and pepper.

In a large skillet, brown chops on both sides.  Place remaining stuffing in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.  Top with pork chops, spread preserves over chops.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer or until juices run clear.  If string was used, remove before serving.  Serves 6.

Hope you enjoy, this sounds like a good rainy day summer recipe.

Beer-Braised Beef over Noodles:

• 3 bacon strips, diced
• 2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vegetable or olive oil
• 1 onion, cut into wedges
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 12 0z. beer, regular or non-alcoholic
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cold water
• hot cooked noodles

In large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Place on paper towels; drain, discard drippings.  Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper.  In the same skillet brown beef on all sides in oil; drain.

Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker.  Add bacon, onion, garlic and bay leaf.  In a small bowl, combine beer, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and thyme.  Pour over beef mixture.

Cover and cook on low for 5 1/2 to 6 hours or until meat is tender.

In a small bowl, combine flour and water, mix until smooth.  Gradually stir into slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes longer or until thickened.  Discard bay leaf.  Server over noodles.

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Tempting Toffee Cake

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 jar caramel ice cream topping
• 1 tub of cool whip
• crushed toffee or butterfinger candy (I used Heath toffee bits) you can find them in the baking section, yes I am lazy.

Mix the yellow cake mix, milk, eggs and melted butter blend like you would a normal cake mix.  Pour the batter into a 13 x 9 cake pan, bake per instructions on box.  Let cake cool for 10 mins, poke holes in cake while it is still warm, pour the sweetened condensed milk and caramel over the cake.  Let cake cool completely.  Cover cake with cool-whip, sprinkle with toffee bits and serve. Voila!  Extremely moist and delicious!

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This recipe was brought in to work by one of our volunteers.  She is the sweetest lady.  I am not a big fan of anything with apples, just never have been.  This is really good, it is very moist and dense.  I made it tonight for my husband, as he tends to like apple things, like apple cobbler, apple pie, etc.   I served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it was perfect.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 c. oil
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3 c. plain flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 c. peeled, chopped apples
• 1 c. nuts

Beat eggs, add oil, then sugar and vanilla.  Sift flour, soda, salt and cinnamon.  Add to egg mixture, fold in apples and nuts.  Bake at 375° for about an hour.
I  have picky eaters, so I only put in 1/2 cup of pecan chips (you can use whatever nuts you like), and I ended up taking it out of the oven at just over 45 minutes and probably could have taken it out 5 minutes earlier.  You have to check it every so often.  I served it warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.  It is delicious.  My 3 yr. old son said, “Mommy can you thank that nice girl at work for the cake.”.   The lady that gave me this recipe is in her 70′s so I am sure she will be tickled when I relay his message.  Happy Baking!

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Image by Mat Packer via Flickr

I have been little Miss. Betty Crocker this weekend.   I have made homemade breadsticks, chocolate cake, pumpkin bars and crm cheese frosting.  Tonight for dinner I made this roast, along with stuffing, carrots and green beans.  I have to say it turned out great.  I put it in the crock-pot on high for 6 hours and then turned it down to low for the last hour or so.  I also added the carrots to the crock-pot the last 3 hours.  I even gave my two dogs Bolt (a Westie) and Daisy ( a Golden Retriever/Boxer mix puppy) a taste, and they loved it.

Ingredients:

• 5 large garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 teaspoons dried or 4 tsp. fresh rosemary
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
• 1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 3-pound bone in pork loin roast
• sliced carrots

1.  Mix first four ingredients in a bowl.

2. Rub mix all over pork.

3. Place roast fat side up in crock-pot, add about 1/4 cup water.  Cover and turn on high for approximately 6 hours.

4.  After 4 hours of cooking add the sliced carrots, cover and continue cooking.

5. When done, slice and pour juices over the meat.  If you have dogs you can also use a little juice to pour over their food, they will thank you for it!

When I made this I wasn’t sure how my kids would like it.  To my surprise they loved it.  They still think pork is chicken, whatever, as long as they eat it they can think it is whatever they want.  This is something easy you can just toss in the crock-pot and leave, come home to a great meal.  You could also add potatoes, we just aren’t much of a potato eating family.  Hope you enjoy!

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Image via Wikipedia

Here is a recipe that I think sounds great.  I made a few changes to a recipe my mother gave me and it really ends up being a whole new recipe.

• 2 c. buttermilk
• 1 (12-oz.) pkg. Cool Whip
• 1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding
• 2 c. fresh raspberries
• 1 c. miniature marshmallows
• 15 Pepperidge Farms Original Milano cookies – chopped
• Bar of dark chocolate shaved

Beat together buttermilk, Cool Whip and pudding.  Add raspberries and marshmallows.  Two hours before serving, add chopped cookies, reserving some to sprinkle on top.  Add shaved chocolate to garnish.

Dark chocolate and raspberries, mmm-mmm good!

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• 1 bunch broccoli, broken into florets
• 2/3 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 1 c. grapes, quartered
• 1/4 c. red onion, finely chopped
• 1 c. sunflower seeds
• 8 strips bacon, fried and crumbled
• 1 c. cashews

In a large bowl combine salad ingredients, refrigerate.  In a small bowel combine dressing ingredients and refrigerate.  One hour before serving mix together the salad and dressing ingredients.

Dressing

• 1 c. mayonnaise or salad dressing
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

• 1 – 1 lb package vermicelli – prepared as package directs
• 2 tsp. Accent
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 c. chopped green onions
• 1/4 c. diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup green olives finely chopped
• 1 small jar pimentos, drained
• 2 c. chopped celery
• 1/2 c. finely chopped black olives
• 3 Tbsp. Miracle Whip
• 3 Tbsp. zesty Italian dressing
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix together first 4 ingredients and refrigerate overnight.  Next day, add the remaining ingredients and mix together.  Refrigerate.

I did add in the red bell pepper, because I think it will taste great in this salad.  You could really add or take out whatever you like.  I am making this in a few days, and I will try to re-post a picture of the salad when it is done.

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• 6 c. sliced, peeled potatoes (rinse one time)
• 2 pt. whipping cream ( I didn’t say these were guilt free)
• 1 1/2 c. milk
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 onion chopped

Put sliced potatoes and onions in greased pan.  Do not add salt.  Cover potatoes with cream.  Add milk to cover potatoes.  Then stir to separate.  Bake at 350 F covered for 1/2 hour.  Then uncover and remove starchy film.  Then stir and bake uncovered 1 1/2 hours.  Add salt and pepper when done.  Ham can be added, but heat the ham in microwave and add just before serving.  Serves 8.

I don’t think I need to add any nutritional value, especially when you see the 2 pints of whipping cream.  This is one of those dishes that you eat and don’t care about the nutritional value.

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