Graham Wafer Squares

Another fun treat my Mom used to make fairly often when I was growing up.

Graham Wafer Squares
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
26 whole graham crackers, broken into medium pieces
2 TBSP. baking cocoa
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 TBSP. vanilla extract
3/4 - 1 cup chocolate frosting

Mix together the walnuts and broken graham cracker pieces in a large bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the coca, butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and cook until thickened. Pour the hot mixture over top of the graham nut mixture. Stir to coat all pieces evenly. Pat covered graham mixture into a lightly greased 9-inch square pan. Cool. Frost with chocolate frosting. Chill until ready to serve.

Colby Hash Browns

These are absolutely delicious, and I have given out the recipe many, many times. At our house they are preferred over 'funeral potatoes'.

Colby Hash Browns

1 3/4 cups milk

3/4 cup beef broth

4 TBSP. butter or margarine, melted, divided

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

2 (26 oz.) pkgs. frozen shredded hash brown potatoes

3-4 cups shredded Colby cheese (depends on how cheesy you like it)

In a large bowl, combine milk, broth, 2 TBSP. melted butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir in hash browns. Heat remaining butter in a large non-stick skillet. Add hash browns mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until potatoes are heated through. Stir in the cheese. Transfer to a greased 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350* F for 40-45 min. or until potatoes are tender.

Makes about 12 servings.

Tatiana's Way Good Salad Dressing

Granny sent this to me, and I thought it was well worth posting. So good and so easy!

Tatiana's Way Good Salad Dressing

1 cup sugar
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup vinegar
2 cups vegetable oil
1 tsp. poppy seeds

Combine all ingredients in blender 5 minutes before serving and mix until well incorporated. Chill any leftovers.

Linda Tadd's Caramel Popcorn

My Auntie Lauralee shared this recipe with me several years ago and it's so very good. This is not a crunchy popcorn, but a soft caramel treat that can be formed into balls if you like.

Linda Tadd's Caramel Popcorn

6-8 quarts of popped corn
1 cube of butter, melted
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
Dash of salt

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt together. Bring this mixture to a full boil, and then stir constantly for 1-1/2 minutes. Pour all over the popcorn and mix well. Add nuts or any other stir-ins if you like.

Baked Bean Chili

This makes a lot of chili, so you can freeze half for another meal, or just halve the recipe. The baked beans give it a slightly sweet flavor, and it tastes great with corn muffins on the side.

Baked Bean Chili

2 lbs. ground beef

3 (28 oz.) cans baked beans

3 (15 oz.) cans dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 (46 oz.) can tomato juice

1 (11.5 oz.) can V8 juice

1 envelope chili seasoning

In a dutch oven, brown beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for at least 10 minutes. Yield:24 servings

Italian Butter Creme Frosting

Amy sent me this recipe from her Mom who said it was heavenly! Her mom's advice and comments on her experience making this are included with the directions for added help. This would be so good on cupcakes, and I love that there is a lemon option too. yum!

Italian Butter Creme Frosting

1 1/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
5 pasteurized egg whites (the kind sold refrigerated in a carton)
Pinch of cream of tartar
1 lb. (4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled
1 tsp.pure vanilla extract

In a pot over medium heat, bring the sugar and 2/3 cup water to a boil. Continue boiling until syrup reaches 238* F on a candy thermometer (soft-ball stage). Meanwhile, place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, and beat on medium-high speed until stiff but not dry; do not overbeat. With the mixer running, or with a second adult operating a hand-mixer, add the hot syrup from the pot to the egg whites, beating on high speed until the mixture is no longer steaming, or about 3 minutes.( My advice.....Don't rush this step, it may take 5 minutes so make sure it is really cooled down before you go on ) Add the butter bit by bit, beating until spreadable, approximately 3 to 5 minutes; (I followed the recipe exactly and felt there was too much butter. I would use 3 sticks of butter instead of 4 next time) beat in vanilla. If the icing curdles or separates, keep beating until it is smooth. ( It shouldn't separate if you have been patient when cooling down but mine did and after about a minute it got fluffy again)

-Lemon Buttercream: Substitute lemon juice for the vanilla. Some grated lemon peel could also be added.

-Mocha Buttercream: Omit vanilla and substitute ½ teaspoon of instant coffee dissolved in 1 1/2 teaspoons of water or milk

Heavenly Honey Butter

This is THE BEST recipe for honey butter I have ever had, and there are no raw eggs in it so everyone can enjoy it. I have also substituted maple flavoring for the vanilla and it’s delicious. You just can’t go wrong with this one.

Heavenly Honey Butter

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup marshmallow creme

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer on High until all ingredients are combined, and the mixture is smooth. Serve on corn muffins, scones, English cream scones, any quick breads, pancakes, waffles, and just about any thing you would like.

Sweet Corn Muffins

These are a favorite of mine to make, but especially to eat when topped with some honey butter, yum!

Sweet Corn Muffins

2 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup milk

2 TBSP. vegetable oil

1 (9 oz.) pkg. yellow cake mix (such as Jiffy brand)

1 (8 1/2 oz.) pkg. corn bread/muffin mix

In a bowl, combine the eggs, water, milk and oil. Stir in the cake mix and corn bread mix and mix well. Fill greased and floured muffin cups half full (or paper lined muffin cups). Bake @ 350 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until the tops spring back when touched. Cool for 5 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks.

Makes about 14 muffins.

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

These taste just as good the day you make as they do re-heated a few days later. So good!

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

4 lbs. russet potatoes, scrubbed but unpeeled
1 1/2 to 2 cups half & half 'or' 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated skim milk
salt to taste
6-8 TBSP. butter, softened

Heat the half & half in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until hot. Using a potholder, peel and drop the potatoes into a large bowl. Mash them using a potato masher or ricer. Stir in enough half & half and the salt (to your taste) until smooth and fluffy.
If serving right away, stir in the butter and serve.
If making these ahead, set the butter side for serving day, cool the hot potatoes, and cover and chill them for up to 2 days in the fridge. Thirty minutes before serving, re-heat the potatoes in the microwave, stirring every 5 minutes, until they are heated throughout. Stir in the butter to melt, cover and let sit a few minutes until serving time.

Favorite Meatloaf

This is an easy meatloaf that gives great results every time.

Favorite Meatloaf

2 lbs. ground beef

1 (15 oz.) can sloppy joe sauce (such as Manwich)

1 (6-8 oz.) package chicken flavored stuffing mix

2 eggs

1 small onion, chopped

3/4-1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder or 1 garlic clove, minced

In a large bowl combine the all ingredients and mix with your hands until all is combined and mixed well. Pat the meat mixture into an 8 x 11 -inch baking dish or two 9x5-inch loaf pans. Bake @ 350* F for 45 - 60 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy.