Apple Blondies/Cake

I wanted to make something different than banana muffins for this week and saw this recipe from http://www.recipegirl.com/. They came out pretty well but I would make more "topping" mixture and maybe add some white chocolate chips or caramel chips to the mixture instead of the cream cheese.


Apple Harvest Blondies

www.RecipeGirl.com



2/3 cup unsalted butter

2¼ cups packed brown sugar (divided)

3 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 medium apples, peeled and chopped

3 ounces cream cheese, frozen for 1 hour

2 ounces finely chopped pecans or walnuts

1 tsp ground cinnamon



1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 13×9-inch baking dish.
2. Melt butter in large microwave-safe bowl (just until melted). Remove from microwave and stir in 2 cups of brown sugar. Mix well, then add eggs, flour, baking powder and vanilla. Mix just until combined. Fold in apples.

3. Spread batter into prepared dish. Chop cream cheese into small bits and mix with nuts, cinnamon and remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar. Sprinkle evenly over batter.

4. Sprinkle over batter and bake 35 to 40 minutes.



Yield: About 24 blondies
Recipe Source: CLBB “heavy hedonist”

Eastern Shore Crab Dip

Eastern Shore Crab Dip...the ONLY kind to have
from my 6th grade social studies teacher

I found this recipe in a cook book my mom's school put together as a fundraiser and this recipe just so happens to be from my 6th grade social studies teacher.

1 lb crab meat
16 oz softened cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce ( I add tons more)
1 tsp mustard
Old Bay seasoning and garlic powder to taste
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (I use a lot more of this too)

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and mustard together in a bowl. Add Old Bay and garlic powder to taste.  Mix in crab meat. Stir in half of the cheese. Place in a casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake 30-40 min at 350 degrees or until bubbly.

Rachel's Fresh Salsa

Rachel's Fresh Salsa
from a Philly girl gone Californian

5 med tomatoes
1 lg white onion
2 jalapenos
a clump of cilantro
lemon juice
salt
pepper

Literally Rachel said, "slice and dice until it tastes good." Which is pretty much the idea. I cut out the gooey part of the tomato and take out most of the jalapeno seeds.  Chop the tomato, onion, and jalapeno.  Wash the cilantro and then shred or chop.  Squeeze the juice of the lemon in the mixture and add salt and pepper to taste.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Bethany's Buffalo Chicken Dip
from a true Buffalo, New Yorker

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts or tits as Bethany calls them
8 oz cream cheese, low fat is OK
1/2 blue cheese or ranch dressing
1/3 to 1/2 Franks Red Hot Sauce
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cut chicken in chunks. Heat chicken and hot sauce over med heat in a pan. Stir in cream cheese and dressing. Cook until blended and warm. Mix in 1/2 of the cheese. Pour into a heat proof dish and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Serve hot, hot, hot! Good with crackers or celery.

Panty Droppers (Peach Slush)

Panty Droppers
also from Nate's mom

1 can frozen limeade
1 can of peaches
Vodka (peach is the best)
Fresca

Dump the cans of limeade and peaches into a blender.  Fill the empty can of limeade with vodka and add that to the blender. Blend well to make sure the peaches are all mixed in. Pour in a bowl or container and freeze over night.  Fill a glass 3/4 of the way with the frozen mixture and pour Fresca on the top. Mix and enjoy while trying to keep those panties up!

Thayer-itas

Thayer-itas...Joan's Margaritas

1 Can frozen limeade
6 oz tequila
4 oz triple sec
2 oz Fresca
Ice to fill the blender

Mix all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  If you are really a margarita lover just add more tequila.  If not, add more Fresca!

Banana Muffins

from Taste of Home

*Oops the Bananas Went Bad Banana Muffins*


http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Basic-Banana-Muffins


These are sweet so I would cut down on the sugar!

Mexican Chicken Lasagna

from Pampered Chef

Mexican Chicken Lasagna



1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, lightly packed

1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese  (I used half a block of fat free cream cheese and 4 oz of fat free sour cream instead)

2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded, divided (or cheddar)

1 medium onion (about 2/3 cup chopped) optional

1 (28 ounce) cans enchilada sauce (You can also add 1/2 cup of water to a jar of salsa)

12 (6 inch) corn tortillas (cut each in half)

3 cups cooked chicken (diced or shredded)

fresh cilantro leaves, chopped


Chop cilantro. Place cream cheese in a bowl. Microwave on HIGH 30-45 seconds or until very soft. Add cilantro and 1½ cups of the Monterey Jack cheese; mix well. Chop onion; set aside. Spread 2/3 cup of the enchilada sauce over bottom of Deep Covered Baker (or a casserole dish). Pour remaining enchilada sauce into Stainless (4-qt.) Mixing Bowl; set aside. To assemble lasagna, dip four tortillas into enchilada sauce in mixing bowl and arrange over sauce in baker overlapping as necessary. Scoop half of the cream cheese mixture over tortillas; and spread . Top with 1 cup of the chicken and one-third of the onion. Repeat layers one time. Dip remaining four tortillas into sauce and arrange over second layer. Top with remaining chicken and onion. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over lasagna and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 12-15 minutes or until center is hot. ( Or in a casserole dish bake at 350 for 10 -15 or so.) Let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro.
 
I suggest having extra salsa to eat with it!

Clarissa's Triple Chocolate Cookies

Clarissa's Triple Chocolate Cookies

1/2 lb (two sticks) unsalted butter room temp
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
white chocolate chips
milk chocolate chips

- Cream butter and sugars then add vanilla and eggs
- Mix dry ingredients
- Combine wet and dry ingredients
- Fold in desired amount of chocolate chips

Bake 350 degrees for 15 min. 

Note: I baked mine for 12 and they were perfect...just depends on your stove. Also dont put spoon fulls of dough near the edge of the pan or they will drop off and almost start an oven fire :-)

Broccoli and Cheese with Apricot Glazed Pork Chops

Broccoli and Cheese
from hillbillyhousewife.com

•1 pound frozen broccoli


•2 tablespoons margarine

•2 tablespoons flour

•1/2 teaspoon salt

•Good dash pepper

•1 cup milk

•3/4 to 1 cup shredded cheese

Melt the margarine in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper. Let it bubble a little bit to sort of toast the flour. Whisk in the milk. Cook and stir the sauce over medium heat until it boils. Allow it to boil for a whole minute. Add the cheese and stir until it melts.
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Apricot Glazed Pork Chops
from tasteofhome.com



2/3 cup apricot preserves

1/2 cup Italian salad dressing

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

4 boneless pork loin chops (1 inch thick and 6 ounces each)


Directions

In a small bowl, combine the preserves, dressing and mustard. Pour 3/4 cup marinade into a large resealable bag; add the pork. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade for basting.

Drain and discard marinade. Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Grill, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160°, basting frequently with reserved marinade. Yield: 4 servings.

French's Crunchy Chicken-- Yumm!!

 Crunchy Chicken!
2 cups (4 oz.) FRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
4 (5 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten



Directions:

Place French Fried Onions and flour into plastic bag. Lightly crush with hands or with rolling pin. Transfer to pie plate or waxed paper.

Dip chicken into egg; then coat with onion crumbs, pressing firmly to adhere. Place chicken on baking sheet.

Bake at 400°F for 20 min. or until no longer pink in center.

Double recipe for one lb of chicken. I also seasoned with pepper!

Mint Chocolate Chip Pie

Mint Chocolate Chip Pie- From Nate's mom

Ingredients


2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

2 cups cold milk

1-1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract

5 to 6 drops green food coloring, optional

2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix

1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1 lg or two small Graham cracker or Oreo pie crusts

Directions

In a small bowl, beat cream and sugar until soft peaks form. In a large bowl, combine the milk, extract and food coloring if desired. Add pudding mixes; beat on low speed for 2 minutes or until thickened. Fold in cream mixture and chocolate chips.

Pour into pastry shell. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until set. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Shrimp Fajitas and Corn and Black Bean Salad

Nicole's Suggestion

Shrimp Fajitas

med onion
red pepper
yellow pepper
shrimp
salt
pepper
garlic powder
olive oil

Slice the peppers and onion and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder in a skillet. Sprinkle with olive oil. Put it on low heat to begin cooking. De-tail pre cooked shrimp and add to the pepper and onion mixture for the last five minutes. Serve on tortillas with sour cream and cheese.


Corn and Black Bean Salad

3 ears of corn
1 cup of chopped plum tomatoes
15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
Basil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Olive Oil
Juice from one lemon

Cook corn and cut off cob. Mix corn, tomatoes and beans in a bowl.  Squeeze lemon over and mix. Season with salt, pepper, basil, olive oil and garlic to taste.  Recipe is from Clarissa!!

Salmon and Deep Dish Cheesebuger Pizza

*Nate's Salmon*

Equal parts butter and soy sauce
A bit of worchestershire sauce
Garlic Powder
Salmon

Melt butter and mix with soy sauce, worchestershire sauce and garlic powder. Place salmon scales down on tin foil. Pour some of sauce over salmon close tin foil.  Grill on scale side, flip, peel off scales, pour remaining sauce on the salmon then grill on other side until done.

We usually eat it with rice and broccoli.

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*Deep Dish Cheeseburger Pizza*

Refigerated pizza dough
1 lb ground beef
med chopped/minced onion
pepper
2 small tomatoes
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mustard
tbsp worchestershire sauce
cheese

Press dough into a 9 inch round cake pan. Cook dough at 400 degrees for 10 min.  While the crust is cooking, brown the ground beef, minced onion and pepper until cooked. Mix in mustard, worchestershire sauce and ketchup after mixture is cooked. When dough is done pour in beef mixture and top with sliced tomato and cheese. Cook for another ten minutes.

Jamie's Variation on the Mexican Chicken

 From Jamie:

(Adjust amounts as needed)

Heat olive oil in a pan, add minced garlic (from a jar) and 1/2 an onion. Brown onion until soft. Move onio...n to the outside of the pan and add two chicken breasts. Brown chicken breasts until cooked through. Add about 1/2 a jar of black bean and corn salsa (my favorite) to the pan around the chicken, simmer until hot.



Serve onion, salsa and chicken over rice. Top with cheese and sour cream.

Chicken Casserole, Ranch Chicken, Tuna Casserole, Mexican Chicken Mix

*Aunt Maggie's Chicken Casserole*


1lb or so of cooked chicken diced or shredded

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 med container of sour cream

Stuffing


Mix chicken, sour cream and soup together...you want to use equal amounts of soup and sour cream. Put in a casserole dish and top with dried stuffing ( I wet it a little bit and then put it on). Cook at 350 degrees for 15 min or until hot (I am still figuring out my oven temp!)

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*Frozen Lasagna ( I cheated when mom and dad were here!)*

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*Random Mexican Chicken Mix*

1lb cooked chicken

1/2 jar salsa

1 can of corn

1 can of black beans



Mix together and heat in a pot. Serve over rice or salad mix. Top with sour cream and/or cheese!

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*We Were out of Food Tuna Casserole*

1/2 a box of pasta of your choice

1 or 2 cans of Tuna

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup of milk

garlic powder to taste

peas

cracker crumbs

cheese of your liking



Cook pasta as directed. Mix in tuna, soup and peas, milk and garlic powder. Place in a casserole dish and top with cheese and cracker crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

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*Ranch Chicken*

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 packet of powdered ranch dressing mix



Wash chicken and place it in a gallon sized bag. Dump in powered ranch mix and shake it, rub it, dance with it etc. Cook in a skillet with some EVOO (Rachel Ray!)

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