Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

 Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

- Michelle Pankratz & Marj Barge

3 lb chicken

1 1/2 c water

1/2 c dry sherry

3/4 t salt

1/4 t curry powder

1 small onion

1/4 c sliced celery

1/2 lb fresh mushrooms

1/4 c butter, melted

1 (6-oz) pkg long grained wild rice (1 cup)

1 c sour cream

1 c cream of mushroom soup

Place chicken in a deep kettle. Add water, sherry, salt, curry, onion, and celery. Bring to a boil covered tightly. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Remove chicken from bones. Save liquid to make rice according to the package. Add water to liquid if needed. Combine chicken, rice, and mushrooms in a casserole dish. Blend soup, butter, and sour cream. Add to chicken mixture. Bake covered at 350 degrees F for one hour. Toasted almonds may be added to the top of the casserole. 

Monster Cookies

 Monster Cookies

- Lisa Jaberg

6 eggs
1 1/2 c brown sugar
2 c sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
4 t baking soda

1 c butter

1 1/2 c peanut butter

10 c oatmeal

1/2 lb M&Ms 

6 oz chocolate chips

350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.

Lazy Woman's Cake

 Lazy Woman's Cake

- Michelle Pankratz

2 c sugar

3 c flour

1 t salt

5 T cocoa

2 t baking soda

1 c vegetable oil (scant)

1 T vanilla extract

2 T vinegar

2 c water

Mix and bake in a 9"x13" greased pan at 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes (until it cracks).

 

Sugar Cream Pie

 Sugar Cream Pie

- Grandma Billie Stuckey

1/2 c flour (scant)

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c sugar

pinch salt

1 c whipping cream

1 c milk

1 t vanilla

Mix ingredients in order given. Pour into unbaked pie shell (9")

Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F; reduce to 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. 

Hindustani Chai

 Hindustani Chai

- Marti Conrad

1 gallon water

16 green cardamom pods

16 whole cloves

1/4 inch stick cinnamon

2/3 c loose black tea (Pekoe is a good one)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3 c milk

1 c sugar

• Bring the water, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon to a rolling boil, and boil for 10-12 minutes. 
• Add the tea leaves and boil for 5 more minutes.
• Strain the tea and discard spices and tea leaves.
• Add sweetened condensed milk, milk, and sugar. 

Note - If it's too strong, add more milk (not water.)

Oreo Ice Cream

 Oreo Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

3/4 c marshmallow creme

1 egg

1/2 c whole milk

3 1/2 c heavy cream

3/4 c sugar

1 T vanilla extract

crushed Oreo cookies

Warm the marshmallow creme in a double boiler, keep warm. In a blender, add the egg, milk, sugar and vanilla. Blend on medium until sugar is dissolved. Slowly add the cream on low for about 30 seconds. Stir in marshmallow creme. Transfer to ice cream freezer. Add Oreos after freezing. 

Makes a little more than 1 quart. 

Peanut Brittle

 Peanut Brittle

- House of Nash Eats

2 c sugar
1 c corn syrup

1/2 c water

1/2 t salt

1/2 c salted butter, cubed

2 1/2 c salted roasted peanuts

1 T vanilla extract

1 t baking soda

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (or butter).
• In a heavy-bottomed pan, combine sugar, corn syrup, water and salt.
• Cook, stirring frequently, until it reaches 280 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
• Add butter and peanuts, and continue to cook for approx 7-10 minutes, stirring constantly, until it reaches 300 degrees F.
• When it reaches 300 degrees F, remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda, stirring vigorously to combine. 
• Immediately pour into the prepared baking sheet, spreading as thin as you can/ to the edges.
• Let it cool. Break into pieces. 

Can be frozen. Otherwise, keeps in an airtight container at room temperature about 1 week. 

I like to line a candy tin with parchment paper to store. 

Caramels

 Caramels

- All Recipes 

I make these every Christmas. They are a great addition to a cookie tray.

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
  2 cups white sugar
  1 cup packed brown sugar
  1 cup butter
  1 cup corn syrup
  1 cup evaporated milk 
  1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
• Grease 12x15 inch pan. Attach a candy thermometer to a medium pot.
• Put the whipping cream, sugars, butter, corn syrup and evaporated milk into the pot. Over medium heat, stir until it reaches 250 degrees F. Remove pot from the heat. Stir in vanilla. Pour into greased pan. Let cool completely. Cut into small squares. Wrap in waxed paper.
• I usually put these in a ziplock bag into the deep freeze until it is time to package as gifts or put in a tin for enjoying.
• Yield 60 caramels.
• 
  

Party Mix

 Party Mix

- Ree Drummond (with a couple of additions)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. 

I melt the butter on low in a small saucepan and measure the other spices into the saucepan while the butter is melting:

1 stick (8 T) salted butter, melted

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon seasoned salt, such as Lawry's

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

6 to 12 dashes hot sauce. I use Cholula

3 to 5 cloves minced garlic

Meanwhile, into a large roasting pan, measure out the following:

3 cups Corn Chex

3 cups Wheat Chex

3 cups Rice Chex

2 cups thin & salty pretzel sticks

2 cups mixed nuts

2 cups rye crisps

2 - 3 cups Bugles

When the butter is melted, add the spice/butter mix into the cereal/ snack mix. Mix well.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. 

Cool completely then store in an airtight container. 

Texas Sheet Cake

Texas Sheet Cake

- Taste of Home

Cake

1 c butter

1 c water

1/4 c baking cocoa

2 c all-purpose flour

2 c sugar

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1/2 c sour cream

In a large saucepan, bring the butter, water, and cocoa to a boil. Remove from heat. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; add to cocoa mixture. Stir in the sour cream until smooth. Pour into a greased 15"x10"x1" baking pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Icing

1/2 c butter

1/4 c plus 2 T milk

3 T baking cocoa

3 3/4 c powdered sugar

1 t vanilla extract

In a saucepan, melt butter; add milk and cocoa. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Pour over warm cake. 

Cool completely on a wire rack. 

Yield: 15 servings

Molasses Crinkles

 Molasses Crinkles

- Jan & Lisa Diller

 Blend

3/4 c butter, softened

1 c sugar

1 egg

1/4 c molasses

Add (don't overmix)

2 c all-purpose flour

2 t baking soda

1 T ground ginger

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t salt

1/2 t ground cloves

Roll into balls and then roll in sugar. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Don't overbake. Cool on cooling rack. These freeze well!

Cheddar Cheeseball

 Cheddar Cheeseball 

- Grandma Billie Stuckey

2 8-oz blocks Philadephia cream cheese
16 oz Kraft shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 jars Old English cheese spread
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t garlic powder
1 T dry minced onion
pecans, chopped 

Allow cheese to come to room temperature. Mix all ingredients with electric mixer. Chill. Shape into balls and roll in chopped pecans, if desired. 

May be made ahead and frozen. (Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.)

Chicken and Noodles

 I was in the mood for chicken and noodles and it took me a long time to locate the recipe that I made a long time ago, but it's the best chicken and noodles I have made. It's a recipe from the late Wichita chef, Tanya Tandoc. 

Chicken and Noodle Soup

2 T butter
1 small onion, diced small
4 stalks celery, sliced thin

3 carrots, diced

4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

8 cups chicken stock

diced meat from one chicken

One recipe fresh noodles (see below)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

optional - 1 cup frozen peas

optional - 1 cup frozen corn

Melt butter in a large pot, add onions, and saute until transparent. Add celery, carrots, and garlic and sweat vegetables a little. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for 15 minutes until carrots are tender. Add the chicken and bring back to a rolling boil. Add noodles and boil until tender, about 15 minutes. (Add peas and corn at this time, if using.) Lower heat and season to taste. Simmer 15 minutes longer, then serve. Tanya noted that they serve this dish over mashed potatoes. (So do I, because yum.)

Homemade Noodles

2 cups flour

3 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

extra flour for kneading

In a large bowl, pour flour into a mound. Make a crater in the flour, and add eggs and salt. With a fork, begin to beat eggs into the flour a little at a time until it forms a batter. Keep incorporating the flour until the batter becomes a dough ball. When the dough becomes stiff, use your hands to knead the dough. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead until elastic and smooth, about 5 minutes. Let the dough relax 10 minutes, then roll out very thin. Cut the dough into noodles, about 1 1/2 inches thick and as wide as you like. Flour well, then add to the boiling soup.