Dreamsicle Cake

Cake:
1 orange cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cup water
1 small box orange gelatin

Mix all together and pour into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until done.

Topping:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 large box vanilla instant pudding
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 11oz can mandarin oranges, thoroughly drained
8 oz cool whip or whipped cream

Blend together cream cheese, pudding, and sugar. Add orange juice. When blended, fold in whipped topping and mandarin oranges. Spread on top of thoroughly cooled cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Personal note: The next time I try this, I'm going to change the topping by eliminating the pudding, using real whipped cream instead of cool whip, and add a tsp. of vanilla flavoring to the cream cheese.

April Fool Jell-O Salad

This isn’t hard to make, you just need to be home for an afternoon to be able to make it…

You need 6 small boxes of jello. (You want a nice variety of colors. You can use any flavors, but here are the suggested ones:)

1. Lime
2. Lemon
3. Orange
4. Strawberry
5. Raspberry
6. Black Cherry

Dissolve the lime jello in 1 cup boiling water.

Remove 1/2 cup of jello and to that 1/2 cup, mix in 1/3 cup vanilla yogurt or sour cream (I like the yogurt best). Skim off the bubbles and pour into a lightly greased glass 9x13 pan or tall bowl. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour (or the layers won’t stick together.) **When I did this one in the 9 x 13 pan, it was ready after 15 minutes in the fridge, so I did the rotations every 15 minutes.

To the remaining 1/2 cup jello still in your sauce pan, add 3 Tblspns ice water and leave on the counter. At the end of the 1/2 hour, pour this over the 1st layer. (Just leave the pan or bowl that you’re pouring into right in the fridge so you don’t make it wiggle up the sides. It’s easiest that way.)

Wait another 1/2 hour *I only had to wait 15 minutes with the 9 x 13*.

Repeat with all flavors in the order shown, putting in the half with the yogurt first. Top it all off with Cool Whip, serve, and enjoy!

Guacamole

4 large ripe avocados
1 6 oz container plain greek yogurt
1/2 tsp mined garlic
1-2 Tbsp minced jalepeno pepper
salt and pepper to taste
a little lime juice to taste

Put all ingredients in a food processor, blender, magic bullet... whatever you got. Mix until desired consistancy. serve with tortilla chips.

Onion Dip

1 package cream cheese
1 8-12 oz container sour cream
1 lipton onion soup mix packet

Mix all ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth. Serve with potato chips

Cucumber salad

2 large cucumbers, peeled and diced
2 cups cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 cup crumbled goat cheese

Mix ingredients in a bowl. Yummy!

Grilled Bread Salad

3 medium tomatoes, cut into chunks
1/2 small red onion, chopped
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 4oz ciabatta loaf, sliced in half horizontal
1 large garlic clove
3 oz crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly torn

Grill your bread on a panini grill or a bbq grill. Chopped into cubes. Put red onion, tomato and bread into a medium bowl. In a small bowl mix the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and chopped garlic. Whisk together. Pour over the salad and toss. Sprinkle on the goat cheese and basil.

Deviled Eggs

6 hard-cooked eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Fresh dill sprigs

Directions

Slice eggs in half lengthwise; remove yolks and set whites aside. In a small bowl, mash yolks. Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, dill, garlic powder and salt.
Spoon into egg whites. Garnish with dill sprigs if desired. Refrigerate until serving.

Cordon Bleu Appetizer

1 pkg cream cheese softened
1 tsp dijon mustard
1cup shredded swiss cheese
3/4 cup cubed ham (cooked)
Sourdough baguette bread sliced

Mix together cream cheese and mustard. Add in swiss and ham. Spread about 1Tbsp of the cheese mixture on each slice of bread. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.

Tortellini Corn Chowder

1 tablespoon canola oil or butter
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
3 cups water
1 package (9 oz.) refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
2 medium unpeeled potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 pound fully cooked ham, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 can cream-style corn
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can evaporated milk
2 teapspoons chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Heat oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Cook onion in oil, stirring occasionally until tender.

Stir in water, heat to boiling. Stir in tortellini, potatoes and ham. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer 13 minutes, stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer uncovered five minutes.

(I got this out of one of my mom's diabetic cookbooks, so it must be healthy.)

Pumpkin Pie Dessert

CRUST:

1 box yellow cake mix (reserve 1 c. for topping)
½ c. melted margarine or butter
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine above ingredients and press into bottom of 9x13 pan, greased on bottom only.

FILLING:

1 lg. (2 pie) can pumpkin (or 2 small ones)
1 lg. can evaporated milk
1 c. sugar
¾ tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or 2 t. cinnamon and 2 t. allspice)

Combine all and pour over crust.

TOPPING:

1 c reserved dry cake mix
¼ c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ c. margarine or butter

Combine and sprinkle over top. Bake @ 350º for 45-50 minutes or until set.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Cake pops

1 box of cake mix
1 can of frosting
1 bag of melting chocolate

Make the cake according to the instructions. When it is baked and cooled crumbled it up into a bowl. Make sure the crumbles are pretty fine. Mix in 1/2 of the can of frosting. Roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze for 3 hours or over night. Melt the chocolate in a pot on low heat. Remove the cake balls from the freezer and leave or you may insert a sucker stick. Dip the cake ball in the melted chocolate. Make sure not to twist the ball in the chocolate. Dip, pull out, turn and then dip again. If you turn the ball in the chocolate it may break apart. When the chocolate has cooled or hardened they are ready to eat.

Feta Brushcetta

1 Small loaf of french bread
4 diced tomatoes
2 chopped green onions
1 cup feta cheese
3 chopped basil leaves

Slice the bread spread with extra virgin olive oil. Broil for 1 minute each side or grills. (I did mine on a panini grill). Mix the tomato, onion, feta and basil in a bowl. Spoon over the grilled bread.

Chocolate Dippy Donuts

1 Can Store bought biscuits ( I used pilsbury grands)
1 4 ounce bar Baker's German Chocolate
1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
oil for frying (peanut works best)

Preheat fryer or cast iron skillet with oil to 350 degrees. Separate pre-cut biscuits. Make a hole in the middle with your hand and sculpt dough into a doughnut shape. Place doughnut in the fryer and cook 4 to 5 minutes, flipping to fry both sides. Place doughnuts aside onto a paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over very low heat. Stir in the sugar, alternating with the evaporated milk, blending well. Raise the heat to medium and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture becomes thick and creamy, about 8 minutes. Stir in the vanilla then remove the pan from the heat.
Stick a fork through the hole of the doughnut and dip the doughnuts immediately into the chocolate mixture before the chocolate starts to cool. Place the doughnuts on a plate and serve when the chocolate on the doughnuts sets.

Meatballs

Meatballs (I brought frozen meatballs from Costco, but this is a really good recipe if you want to make your own meatballs)

1 lb lean ground beef
3/4 cup crushed croutons
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 tbsp prepared yellow mustard
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp Cajun seasoning

Mix all ingredients together and roll into 1-inch balls. Bake in a 350F oven for 20 minutes or until desired doneness. I turn the meatballs halfway through baking. Drain off any grease and place cooked meatballs into crockpot.

Sauce

1 20oz bottle of Coke
20oz ketchup
1 pkg onion soup mix

Mix all ingredients together. Pour over meatballs in the crock and stir well, coating all meatballs with sauce. Cook in a low crockpot 4-6 hours until sauce is desired thickness.

Cinnamon Roll ups

1 1/2 loaves white sandwich bread with crusts removed
2 T cinnamon
2 cups sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese
4 sticks butter

Mix cinnamon and 1 cup sugar together and set aside. Beat egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, and cream cheese together until smooth. Spread mixture on bread slices and roll up. Dip rolls in melter butter and then in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place on baking sheet and freeze. When ready to use, take directly out of freezer and bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly brown. Let them sit for a few minutes, so they don't fall apart when you pick them up with a spatula. Makes 20 to 24 servings.

Chicken Lasagne

3 cups cooked and cubed chicken
1 4oz pakage feta cheese (tomato & basil flavor)
2 7oz cans artichoke hearts
1/2 red pepper chopped
1 clove minced garlic
2 cups shreaded mozzerella cheese
2 16oz bottles alfredo sauce
1/2 cup milk
1 T Oregano
10 lasagne noodles (cooked)
1 bag baby spinach

Mix the first 5 ingredients and add 1 1/2 cups of the mozzerella cheese. Mix the alfredo sauce milk and Oregano in a separate bowl. In a 9x13 in. pan, layer alfredo sauce, 5 lasagne noodles, spinach and chicken mixture. Repeat. Sprinkle the remaining mozzerella cheese on the top. Cook at 375 for 45 minutes covered with foil. Then remove the foil and cook for another 15 min. Let cool and set before serving.

Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast

I got this recipe from my friend Lisa, it's super easy and you make it the night before!

* 1 loaf of french bread
* 4 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
* 1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, diced
* 1 cup blueberries (I used frozen and it worked great)
* 8 eggs
* 2 cups milk
* 1/3 cup maple syrup
* 1 teaspoon vanilla

Tear the bread into small, bite-size pieces and layer half of the bread chunks on the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of cinnamon over the bread and the layer the cream cheese and blueberries on top. Spread the rest of the bread chunks over top and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, syrup and vanilla. Pour this mixture over the bread. Cover with foil and put in the fridge overnight. The next morning, set the casserole on the counter for 30 minutes to get to room temperature. Bake the casserole at 350 for 30 minutes with the foil covering it and then 30 minutes without the foil.

Serve with maple syrup and enjoy!

Breakfast Biscuit or Appetizer

1 pkg. biscuits
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 c. cinnamon sugar mixture

Cut biscuits into quarters. Place into 8-inch round baking dish. Cover with melted butter. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over all. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden at 350 degrees. Also may substitute grated blue cheese and melted butter. Great appetizer.

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CHICKEN BROCCOLI VEGGIE SAUTE

3 TB spoons butter
4 skinless,boneless chicken breasts ( cut in ½ length wise )
1 cup chopped broccoli
½ cup very thinly sliced carrots
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can cream of broccoli soup
1/3 cup milk
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp. cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
Dash of red pepper

Cook chicken in 2 TB spoons of butter until lightly browned
Remove , set a side
Cook broccoli , carrots , & mushrooms in 1 Tb spoon butter approx 5 min.
(I put the carrots in by themselves for about 5-10 before the other veggies so they wouldn’t be too crunchy!)
Mix soup , milk & seasonings, stir into vegetables , add chicken
Heat to boiling and simmer 5 min .

Yogurt Cake

White cake mix - prepare according to directions and fold in a container of any flavor yogurt. (I substituted applesauce for the oil for a low fat option and you can't tell at all.)

Frost with a tub of cool whip mixed with a container of the same kind of yogurt.

Simple and Delicious!

Alfredo Chicken Bake

1 box penne pasta (cooked & drained)
Cubed, cooked chicken breast, grilled or fried
Sliced mushrooms (about 1 carton)

Combine above ingredients in a large baking dish. Pour Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce over pasta mixture. (I used two jars of Great Value Alfredo Sauce).

Seeded, Diced Tomatoes (about 4 romas)
Monterey Jack Cheese
Parmesan Cheese

Top with Monterey Jack cheese, diced tomatoes parmesan cheese. Bake @ 350º for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and cheese starts to brown. (I broiled mine at the end to crisp up the cheese.) :)

Mint Grape Beverage

Ingredients

o 1 cup granulated sugar
o 1 1/2 cups water
o 1 cup fresh mint leaves, bruised
o 1 cup lemon juice
o 2 cups grape juice
o 1 (12 ounce) bottles ginger ale

Directions

1. Combine water and sugar and heat until sugar has dissolved, stirring, about 5 minutes.
2. Let cool slightly, and then pour over mint leaves.
3. Add lemon juice, cover and steep for 1 hour.
4. Strain, discarding solids, then add grape juice.
5. Chill well.
6. Just before serving, add chilled ginger ale to mint mixture.
7. Garnish with additional mint leaves and lemon slices (if desired) and serve over ice.

Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes
from Taste of Home

8 med red potatoes, quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 T butter
½ c milk, warmed
½ tsp salt
¼ c grated Parmesan

Cover potatoes and garlic with water in a large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Drain well, but leave garlic in potatoes. Add butter, milk and salt. Mash with a hand mixer. Stir in Parmesan. Serves 3-4.

Spinach Dip

1 package (10 oz.) baby spinach, chopped, or 1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeeze dried.

1 container (16 oz.) sour cream

1 cup Mayonnaise

1 package Knorr Vegetable recipe mix

1 (8 oz.) can of water chestnuts, drained and chopped (optional)

3 green onions, chopped (optional)

Serve with fresh veggies, or bread. YUM.

Peanut Butter Frosting

Peanut Butter Frosting

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 Tb butter at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk

Combine all ingredients but milk in a bowl of electric mixer. Mix on med-low until creamy; scraping down sides occasionally. Add milk gradually with mixer in high speed until frosting is smooth and desired consistency. Frost your cupcakes and refrigerate. The butter in the frosting will melt and ruin the smooth texture of the frosting if you leave it at room temperature. If you need to bring them to a function where they will be out for more than 2 hours, I would go so far as to partially freeze them before going so they stay cold.