Mediterranean Beef Skillet

2 1/2 C uncooked rotini pasta
1lb ground beef
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t black pepper
14 oz can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion
8 oz can tomato sauce
7 oz bag baby spinach, coarsely chopped
2.5 oz can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 C crumbled herb flavored feta cheese

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain. Cover and keep warm.
Meanwhile, brown beef in large skillet over medium high heat 5 minutes, stirring to break up meat. Drain fat. Stir in basil and pepper. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, spinach and olives; mix well. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes. Stir in reserved pasta; cook 5 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with feta cheese.

Serves 4

Cream Cheese Scones

4 1/2 C flour
1/2 C sugar
4 t baking powder
2/3 C butter
3/4 C cream cheese
2 eggs
3/4 C milk

Mix the flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Cut in the butter and cream cheese until it looks like little peas. Gently mix in the eggs and milk until a dough forms.  Split the dough in half and make 2 8 inch circles. Cut these into 8 wedges each and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until done.

You may add in up to 1 cup of your favorite fruit, chocolate chips or nuts.

Makes 16 scones

Snickerdoodle Muffins

2 1/4 C flour                            3/4 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda                      3/4 t cream of tartar
1/2 t nutmeg                             1/2 t salt
1 C butter, softened                  1 C sugar
2 eggs                                      2 t vanilla
1 C sour cream                         1/4 C buttermilk
Topping:
2/3 C sugar
2 T cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin pan with liners. Whisk together dry ingredients. In another bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Beat in vanilla. Beat in 1/2 of flour mixture. Beat in buttermilk and sour cream. Beat in remaining flour mixture. Using an ice cream scoop, drop dough 2 or 3 at a time into bowl of cinnamon/sugar. Sprinkle the sugar mixture then roll it around to coat it. Place in muffin pan. Sprinkle remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture on top. Bake 18-22 minutes or until done.

Makes 12-16 muffins

Glazed Doughnut Muffins

1/4 C butter, softened            1/4 t baking soda
1/4 C vegetable oil                 3/4 t nutmeg
1/2 C sugar                           1 t cinnamon
1/3 C brown sugar                 3/4 t salt
2 eggs                                   1 t vanilla
1 1/2 t baking powder            2 2/3 C flour
1 C milk
Glaze:
3 T butter, melted
3/4 t vanilla
1 C powdered sugar
2 T hot water

Preheat oven to 425. Line muffin pan with paper liners. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, vegetable oil and sugars till smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. With the mixer on low speed add baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla until just combined. Stir in flour alternately with milk until thoroughly combined. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups and smooth tops. Bake until tops are pale golden and springy to the touch, 15 to 17 minutes. Cool muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 10 minutes before glazing. To make the glaze, in a medium bowl mix together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla and hot water. Whisk until smooth. When muffins have cooled slightly, dip the muffin crown into the glaze and allow the glaze to harden. Once hardened, dip a second time and allow to harden then serve.

Warm Spiced Snickerdoodle Scones

1/2 cup sour cream                   1/2 t salt
1 egg                                        2 t cinamon
2 cups flour                              1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar                            1/2 cup cold butter,cut
1/2 t baking soda                                   up in pieces
1 t baking powder                      1/8 t cream of tartar

Cinnamon/sugar topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 t cinnamon

Spiced Glaze:
1 cup + 3 T powdered sugar      2 T milk
1/2 t cinnamon                          1/4 t nutmeg

Whisk sour cream and egg; set aside. Whisk together in food processor bowl flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter and toss with a fork to cover in flour mixture. Pulse until mixture looks like coarse cornmeal, about 10-12 pulses. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add sour cream mixture; fold with a spatula until just combined. Transfer dough to lightly floured surface. Knead dough 6 to 8 times, until it just holds together. Shape into a 8 inch circle. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 8 wedges. Place wedges on parchment lined baking sheet and bake @ 350 for 15-18 minutes. While scones are cooling, make glaze. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix until you achieve a thick icing. Drizzle over scones and serve.

8 scones.

Quick Beer-Crust Pizza

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups semolina flour*
2 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbl olive oil
1 1/2 cups room temperature beer
*Substitute all purpose flour if you don't have semolina

Mix and knead together all of the dough ingredients--by hand, mixer or bread machine---until you've made a smooth, soft dough.

Cover the dough and allow it to rise for 30 minutes, or for up to 2 hours. (I set my bread machine to the dough setting).

Preheat the oven to 450. Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a 10" to 12" round. Place the rounds on parchment lined pizza stone or baking sheet. For thin to medium crust, bake  immediately for 5 minutes. For thicker crust, let them rise for 30 to 60 minutes. Place in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, top as desired and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the bottom crust is crisp and the cheese is bubbly and browned.

Slow Cooker Cranberry chicken

2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken thighs and/or drumsticks, skinned
16 oz can whole cranberry sauce
2 Tbl dry onion soup mix
2 Tbl quick cooking tapioca
3 cups hot cooked rice

Place chicken pieces in a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker. In a small bowl, stir together cranberry sauce, dry soup and tapioca. Pour over chicken pieces.
Cover; cook on low heat for 3-4 hours. Serve chicken and sauce over hot cooked rice.
Makes 6 servings

Baked Pumpkin Cake Doughnuts

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice*
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cups + 2 Tbl flour
* substituted 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp ginger
Coating:
Cinnamon and sugar

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease 2 standard doughnut pans. Beat together the oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, spices, salt and baking powder until smooth. Add the flour, stirring just until smooth. Fill the wells of the doughnut pans about 3/4 full; use a scant 1/4 cup of batter in each well. Bake the doughnuts for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Remove doughnuts from the oven and after about 5 minutes, loosen their edges, and transfer them to a rack to cool. While the doughnuts are still warm, gently shake them in a bag with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Cool completely, and wrap air tight; store at room temperature for several days.

12-16 doughnuts.

Apple Fritter Muffins

For the apples:
3 Tbl unsalted butter
2 large apple, finely diced and peeled
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbl water
1/3 cup flour

For the muffins:
2 1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbl cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 lrg eggs, room temp.
1 cup buttermilk, room temp.

For the glaze:
2 Tbl unsalted butter, melted
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbl hot water.

Preheat oven to 400. Line 16 muffin cups with muffin liners.For the apples:  In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add apples, sugar, cinnamon, and water. Cook, stirring occasionally until apples are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Stir in the flour to coat apples; set aside.  For the Muffins: In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the applesauce, vegetable oil, vanilla and sugars until smooth. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture and stirring gently just until the ingredients are just combined. Do no over mix! Fold in the apples until just combined. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups, smoothing the tops. Bake until muffin tops are a pale golden and springy to the touch, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let muffins cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before removing them to the rack. Let cool slightly while you make the glaze.  To make the glaze, in a medium bowl mix together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla and hot water. Whisk until smooth. You may need to add more water to make a glaze that you dip the muffin tops in. When muffins have cooled slightly, holding the muffin upside down, dip the top into the glaze, allowing excess to drip off. Allow to harden before serving.

Slow Cooker Cinnamon Applesauce

3 1/2 lbs apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar or to taste
1 1/2 Tbl lemon juice
1/4 tsp cinnamon

In a 3 1/2 quart crock pot, toss together the apples, sugar and lemon juice. Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours. Mash up the apples with a potato masher. Stir in cinnamon. Serve warm or cold

Classic Apple Crisp

Filling:
3 pounds whole apples, to yield 9 cups peeled, cored and sliced
1/4 cup apple cider, apple juice or water
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbl melted butter
2 Tbl boiled cider, optional but good
1 1/2 tsp apple pie spice*
3 Tbl flour
1/4 tsp salt
* or substitute 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg & 1/4 tsp ginger.

Topping:

3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup cold butter, cut in pats
1/2 cup diced pecans or walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 inch square pan. Slice the apples about 1/4" thick. Toss them with the remaining filling ingredients and place in pan.
To make topping: whisk together the flour, oats, salt, sugar, cinnamon and baking powder. Add the cold butter, working it in to make an unevenly crumbly mixture. Toss in the nuts. Spread the topping over the apples.  Bake for 50 minutes.  Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Yield:  9 to 12 servings

Zucchini Bread

1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 cup grated zucchini
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

Mix oil and eggs. Add in sugar and mix well. Mix in zucchini and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Place in a greased bread pan. Bake at 350 for 1 - 11/2 hours

Auntie Gails Lemon Chicken

1 cup lemon juice
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
as many chicken pieces as you will need

Marinate over night or 48 hours depending how lemony you want your chicken to be. Cook out on your grill or in oven for 45-60 minutes.

Boston Market Meatloaf

1 1/2 lb burger
1/2 tsp garlic salt
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup minced onions
3/4 cup drained diced tomatoes
1 egg
Topping: 3/4 cup tomato sauce and 2 Tbl sugar

Mix all ingredients in first list until well blended. Place in a lightly greased bread pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and drain excess grease from pan. Mix topping ingredients together and pour over the meatloaf and place back in the oven to finish baking until done about 1/2 hour more.

Serves 6

Squash Casserole

2 lbs yellow and or zucchini squash, sliced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup margarine melted
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup sour cream
12 oz pkg herb seasoned stuffing

Cook sliced squash and onion in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Combine soup, sour cream and carrots. Fold in drained squash and onions. Combine stuffing and butter. Spread 1/2 of stuffing in a 9 x 13 greased pan, spoon in vegetable mixture and top with the rest of stuffing. Bake at 350 for 25 -30 minutes.

Serves 6

Good and Chewy Hermits

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, shortening and margarine till smooth. Beat in the spices, salt and baking soda.

Slowly stir in the flour, then add the molasses and beat well again. Stir in the raisins last.

Pat hermits into a lightly greased 13x18 half sheet pan; mixture will be quite dry. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Do Not Overbake; bars should barely be pulling away from the edge of the pan. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.

Nutri-Grain Bars

1 box yellow cake mix
3/4 Cup margarine, melted
2 1/2 Cups oatmeal
4 ounces of your favorite jam
2 Tbl water

Preheat oven to 375. Combine mix and oatmeal in a large bowl; stir in margarine until the mixture is crumbly. Measure half of the mixture (about 3 cups) into a greased 9x13 pan. Press firmly into pan to cover the bottom. Combine jam and water; spoon over crumb mixture in pan and spread evenly. Cover with remaining crumb mixture, pat firmly to make top even. Bake for 20-25 minutes....top should be very light brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Oregano-Lemon Chicken Thighs

6 bone-in chicken thighs(3lbs)
3 Tbl lemon juice
2 Tbl honey
1 Tbl olive oil
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp dried oregano

Place chicken in a greased 9x13 baking pan. Combine the lemon juice, honey, olive oil, garlic and oregano; pour over chicken. Bake uncovered at 375 for 45-60 minutes, basting occasionally with pan juices.

Serves 6

Enjoy!