Moose Balls

We've been calling these lovely things "Moose Balls" but they are really called Buckeyes. Who cares, cuz they are DE-LISH! It's no use making this recipe with the following measurements though: you at least have to double it - then you can share in dispatch!

• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
  
• 6 squares Almond Bark (or 1 cup chocolate chips)
  
• 1tablespoon shortening
  

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and confectioners sugar with hands to form a smooth stiff dough.

Shape into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball.

Place on prepared pan, and freeze for 20 minutes.

Melt shortening and chocolate together in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.

Remove balls from freezer. Insert a wooden toothpick into a ball, and dip into melted chocolate. Return to wax paper, chocolate side down, and remove toothpick. Repeat with remaining balls.

Freeze for 30 minutes to set.

Grandma McMullin's Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine
2 Eggs
2-3 large ripe bananas (mashed)
1 cup Evaporated Milk
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp salt or less
Nuts(opt.)

Mix together in bowl, will be a little lumpy.

Grease 2 bread pans, split between the two.
Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour.

Blueberry or Strawberry Torte

This is a favorite at 911 dispatch:
Ingredients:
1 8oz Cream Cheese
2/3 cup butter
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 large can Fruit Pie Filling (Blueberry, Raspberry, Cherry, or Danish Dessert and fresh strawberries)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
2 1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (approx. 30 crackers)

First:
melt 2/3 cup butter
Stir in
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sugar.

Pat tightly into 9x13 pan. (Don't press too hard-or it makes the crust hard to cut)
Bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes
Cool crust.

Mix together until smooth:
8 oz cream cheese(softened)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice

Spread over cooled crust.
Spread large can of fruit filling on top.(I wanted Strawberry and they don't make it in a can, so I used Danish Dessert and fresh strawberries. Mix Danish Dessert as to package for pie.

Chill for 4 hours or over night.

Enjoy.

Holiday Toffee

So, April wanted this recipe a while back and I'm just getting around to sharing it. I usually make a TRIPLE batch and use a full sheet pan to cool it in. But this is the recipe for the single batch.

1 Cup sugar
1 Cup butter
3 TBS water
1 tsp vanilla
4 or 5 Hershey bars (or chocolate chips)
chopped nuts (roasted pecans are my fave)

Combine sugar, butter and water in heavy saucepan.
Cook to 300 degrees stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Pull from heat and add vanilla. Stir well.
Once all the bubbles are stirred out, Pour into a buttered 9x9 pan.
Lay the chocolate bars/chips on top and spread evenly as they melt.
While still warm, sprinkle chopped nuts over the top.
Cool thoroughly and break into pieces.



PS - I've made other recipes and the toffee is really hard. This recipe uses water and that adds a nice softness to the candy so you don't visit the dentist for chipped teeth - just cavities.

Garlic Bread Spread

Here's a quick option for a garlic bread spread that is cheap and goes a long way. It sounds weird, but my in-laws now request that I make this whenever I'm in SLC.

Everything is approximate. Taste it and see what you need more of!

1 Cup mayonnaise (really and truly, it's good!)
1/4 Cup butter or margarine (just to flavor the spread like butter)
1/2 Cup parmesan cheese
2 tsp garlic powder (more or less depending on your love/hate of garlic)
1/2 tsp parsley (just for looks)

Combine all ingredients in bowl. Stir until well blended.
Spread over bread. Broil 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.


PS- I make this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. Ryan loves it.
PPS - Thanks Aunt Mariann for the recipe!

Tried & True!

So, last night I decided to FINALLY try Ora's Yummy Cranberry Chicken Recipe and its freakin' delicious!!! Ryan loved it, the girls loved it. And it was super easy!!

I made some brown rice and some steamed veggies and everyone ate like it was Thanksgiving! Thanks Ora & Fam for the yummy recipe! For sure a keeper!



My next goal is to keep trying the other recipes on here. My next choices are going to be Tracie's Tuesday Night Lasagna and Angela's White Sauce Chicken Lasagna

Thanks again ladies for the great recipes!

Zucchini Bread

If you have a garden in summer - you'll need an idea for all that dang squash!

1 Cup oil
2 Cups sugar
3 eggs
3 tsp vanilla
2 Cups shredded raw zucchini
3 Cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon


Combine oil, sugar and eggs in large bowl.
Add in vanilla and zucchini.
Sift in dry ingredients. Mix well.
Pour batter in greased loaf pan.

Bake 350 for 1 hour. (Less time for several smaller loaves.)

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 Cup granulated sugar
1 Cup packed brown sugar
1 Cup shortening
1 Cup peanut butter
2 eggs
2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 1/2tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt


Mix sugars, shortening, peanut butter and eggs.
Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls.
Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
(Fork the tops if you must)
Bake until set, but not hard.

375 for 10 mins

PS- you can add chocolate kisses on top towards the end of baking.

Banana Bread

1/2 Cup margarine
1 Cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 Cup bananas (more= moister bread)
1/4 Cup milk
1 tsp lemon juice
2 Cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/2 Cup chopped nuts (optional)


Mix all ingredients together. Batter will be lumpy.
Put in greased 8x4x3 loaf pan.

Bake 1 hr @350.

Mushroom Chicken and Rice

Easy 1 pan recipe.

1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans milk
1 1/2 c. rice
Chicken Breasts
1 packet onion soup mix

Preheat oven to 350. Place rice and chicken in 9x13 pan. Mix cream of mushroom soup and milk together, pour over chicken and rice. Sprinkle onion soup mix over the top, cover and bake for 45 minutes or until chicken is done and rice is tender.

Cranberry Chicken

Huge favorite at our house.

1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 bottle french dressing (or 8 oz if you want the sauce thicker)
1 pkg onion soup mix

Chicken breasts (as many as you want in the pan)

Place chicken in 9x13 pan, pour sauce over and bake uncovered @ 350 for one hour or until chicken is done. Serve over rice.

Another variation is to use 1 cup of Apricot Jam instead of the cranberry sauce and it tastes kinda like orange chicken.

Cream of Chicken Soup

When I was on a modified diet, I needed to find a way to use all my recipes that had Campbell's Soup in them... Found this recipe on the internet somewhere. I even like it better than the canned soups and it comes in handy when I don't have any around!

Cream of Chicken (or anything) Soup

1 c. cold milk
2 tbls. cornstarch
1 1/2 tbls. butter
1 tsp. chicken bullion
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper

Wisk milk and cornstarch in saucepan on medium heat until blended. Stir in butter, bullion, salt and pepper then heat to boil, stirring frequently. Simmer on low 1 minute till thick.

Mushroom soup - add 4 oz can mushroom pieces drained (I like to chop them a bit more)
Chicken soup - can add 1/2 c. cooked chicken pieces
Celery soup - 1/2 c. sauteed chopped celery

Yield: "1 can" of cream soup... I just add just over a cup of milk when a recipe calls for a "can" of soup and a "can" of milk.

Country Chicken

This is a favorite at our house and very fast to prepare:

Combine these ingred. in a ziploc bag:

1 Cup Flour

2 tsp Paprika

2 tsp Season salt

1 tsp pepper

Shake of Garlic powder, basil, and oregano. Mix well.

In a bowl combine 1 beaten egg and 1/2 cup milk.

Have 1 cube butter melted in 9x13 pan.

I use 2 chicken breasts, cut up into strips or 2 inch pieces. Take chicken and dip in egg mixture and then in the baggie. Shake to coat chicken. Put chicken in buttered pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Can be recoated with spices, or just turned over and cooked for an additional 10 - 20 minutes.

Served with mashed potatoes with country gravy (not pictured), green beans and a biscuit.