Sugar Cookie Frosting

Chocolate Chip Cookies - two kinds !

Chili - Kacey's I think

Tomato Bisque (Soup)

Tomato Bisque Soup Yield: Serves 4-6  (From the kitchen of Sherilee Olson)

Note: the butternut squash can be cooked a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Also, this soup definitely tastes best served warm.

Ingredients 
1 medium butternut squash (for about 1 1/2 cups cooked squash) 
1 tablespoon butter 
¼ cup finely diced onion 
3 cloves garlic, finely minced 
1 can (14.5 ounces) Italian-style stewed tomatoes (or 1 can stewed tomatoes with 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning) 
1 cup chicken stock 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 tablespoon sugar (add more or less to taste) 
1 teaspoon dried basil 
1 cup nonfat half-and-half 
Tapatio or other hot sauce to taste

Directions 1. Prepare the butternut squash by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise, so you have two long pieces. Scoop out the seeds and pulp from each half. Place both sides cut-side down in a 9X13-inch pan. Add enough water to come about 1/4-inch up the sides of the squash. Cover with foil and bake for about an hour. Test with a fork to make sure the squash is very tender when pierced with the fork in several places. If the flesh doesn’t easily give to the pressure of the fork, continue cooking in ten minute increments, and testing again, until the squash is tender. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the squash to a large cutting board or plate. Let it cool about 15 minutes before scooping out the flesh. If preparing the day before, scoop out the flesh and place in a tupperware. Let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until using it in the soup. If using the squash immediately, scoop the squash into the blender.

 2. While the squash is cooking, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter and saute the onion until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Scoop the onion/garlic mixture into the blender with the squash.

3. Add the canned tomatoes (undrained) to the blender. Process until the mixture is smooth –if the mixture is too thick to blend well, you can add the chicken broth/stock into the blender to help it along. Pour the blended mixture back into the saucepan and add the chicken broth (if you didn’t already add it to the blender), salt, sugar, basil and cream (or half-and-half). Stir to combine well. Heat over medium-low heat until the soup is warm (but don’t let it boil or simmer to avoid the cream curdling). Serve immediately and add hot sauce to taste, if desired.

Grandma D's Carmeled Popcorn

CARMEL  POPCORN

Pop approximately one cup of popcorn – set aside

In a pan (about a 2 ½ to 3 quart size) combine –

                1 lb. butter                          ½ cup light corn syrup

                2 cups sugar                       ½ teaspoon salt

Boil for 5 minutes (full boil) stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add –

                ½ teaspoon soda

Stir well, it will foam and increase in size a little.

Pour over popcorn and mix well. 

Put on two large cookie sheets (12 x 17) and place in a 200 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Spread on wax paper until it cools.

Enjoy!!!

Frosting for 20 minute Brownie Cake

1 cube margerine
3 Tablespoons cocoa
6 Tablespons milk

Melt three ingredients above together.

Add 4 cups powdered sugar.

Spread on warm brownies

Pumpkins Pie (or squash)

This is the receipe that my Grandma Dickson (Anona) made.  We refer to it as the "Dickson" Pumpkin Pie, which is WAY different than the "Tonks" Pumpkin pie that is cooked IN the shell.  It's funny how some of the family likes the "Dickson" Pie, and some (mostly the OUT laws (haha)) - like the "Tonks" Pumpkin Pie, which is actually MORE traditional.



4 cups whole milk
3 cups pumpkin or squash
1-1/2 cups brown sugar (packed)
Bring to a boil the milk, pumpkin and brown sugar.

Set aside and let cool until it is warm. This helps so you will not have lumps in your pie mixture.


1/2 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon allspice
1-1/3 cups flour 1 teaspoon ginger (Grandmd D adds extra flour, maybe 2 Tablespoons)
1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

The bowl needs to be large enough so you can add about three fourths of the milk and pumpkin mixture to it. Mix thoroughly before adding to the rest of the pumpkin mixture. Gradually add and stir. Heat mixture and cook until quite thick.

4 eggs (beaten slightly)

Before beating eggs remove the several little white chunks in the egg whites. These just end up as lumps in the pie mixture. Put eggs in a medium size bowl and add about two cups of the thickened pie mixture. Stir so hot mixture will not cook the eggs.

When thoroughly mixed add to the rest of the hot mixture on the stove and continue stirring and cook a little longer.

Remove from stove and stir in vanilla (1 teaspoon).


Cool covered in refrigerator (probably about 4 hours) before putting into pie shell (already cooked) . This make three small (8 inch) pies.

Cover pie with saran wrap.

Thanks to my MOM (Veloy) for writing this all up, and adding helpful hints.  I'm going to try it soon, and spring it on my unsuspecting family as Mom's pie...........otherwise it won't be as good (in their head).

Bon Appétit Seasoning Blend

Bon Appétit Seasoning Blend

A sweet and savory blend of celery salt, onion powder, and sugar.  Use same amount as McCormick Gourmet Bon Appétit Seasoning.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

1 tablespoon McCormick® Gourmet Celery Salt
1 teaspoon z® Gourmet Onion Powder
1 tablespoon sugar

MIX all ingredients until well blended.

Makes about 2 tablespoons.

NUTRITION FACTS - 01/27/2015
Segving size: 1/4 tsp (1g)
Sodium 105mg 4%
Sugars 1g

Ham Fried Rice

From the kitchen of Joni Porter

Melt 1 sq butter and scramble 4 eggs. I add cut up ham and frozen veggies.  To this add 1 cup water and about a half cup soy sauce.  Then add cooked rice.  I usually do 4 cups of Minute Rice.  Then just heat it through.  

Kacey's Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 Cup Shortening
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Tsp. Vanilla

MIX

2 1/3 Cups Flour
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
1 Tsp. Salt

MIX then add 1 cup chocolate chips (Kacey uses HUGE chips) 

350 degrees for 12 min 

Quinoa and Black Beans

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ready In: 50 minutes
10 servings

Ingredients:
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic: peeled and chopped
3/4 c. uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 c. vegetable broth
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
1 c. frozen corn kernels
2 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Stir in the onion and garlic. and sauté until lightly browned.

2.  Mix quinoa into the sauce pan and cover with vegetable broth.  Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

3.  Stir frozen corn into the sauce pan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through.  Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

This recipe from allrecipes.com - submitted by 3LIONCUBS