Vanilla Orange Cookies

1 (12-ounce) box vanilla wafer cookies

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup orange marmalade

2 tablespoons corn syrup

Stir into wafer mixture along with orange juice, marmalade, and corn syrup.

In microwave-safe bowl, combine white chocolate chips and butter. Cook on 50% power for 1 minute, remove, and stir. Continue microwaving for 30-second intervals on 50% power until mixture is smooth and blended.

Form 1" balls. Roll into additional powdered sugar or coconut, then let stand until firm. Store, tightly covered, at room temperature. Makes about 48 cookies.

Crockpot Bananas Foster

1/2 C. margarine or butter
1/4 C. brown sugar
6 fresh bananas, cut into 1-inch slices
1/4 C. rum

Melt margarine in slow cooker by turning cooker on Low. It will take about 10 minutes. Mix in brown sugar when margarine or butter is melted.

Gently stir in fresh bananas and rum. Cook on Low for 1 hour. Spoon banana mixture over vanilla ice cream and serve.

Serves 4.

Crockpot Cherry Cobbler

2 21-oz cans cherry pie filling
18 1/4 oz pkg. yellow cake mix, dry
1/4 cup butter, soften
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Pour pie filling into 5 qt crockpot; spread evenly

In a large bowl, combine dry cake mix with butter until it is crumbly; sprinkle over pie filling. Sprinkle with nuts

Turn on crockpot to low and cover and cook 3-4 hours. Serve warm.

Crockpot Pumpkin Pie Pudding

1 can (15-oz) solid pack pumpkin
1 can (12-oz) evaporated milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Bisquick baking mix
2 eggs beaten
2 Tbsp butter or margarine melted
2-1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp vanilla
Whipped topping (optional)

In a large bowl mix together the first eight ingredients.

Transfer to a crock-pot coated with a non stick cooking spray.

Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours.

Serve in bowls with a whipped topping if desired.

Apple Caramel Crockpot Dessert

 5 apples
 1 C. apple juice
 14 oz. caramel candies
 2 t. vanilla
 1 t. cinnamon
 2/3 C. peanut butter

Peel, core and cut each apple into 16 wedges. Set aside.

Combine apple juice, caramels, vanilla and cinnamon in the crockpot. Add the apples. Add the peanut butter by teaspoons to the apples. Stir.

Cook and cover for 5 hours on Low. Stir to mix thoroughly and cook 1 more hour.

Serve over angel food cake with vanilla ice cream.




**A baking apple is one that holds its shape well and has a good balance of acid and sugar. Your favorite baking apples will likely be different from the ones you enjoy raw as a snack; they're generally more tart and less sweet. A low-acid, high-sugar variety, like Gala, is great fresh but becomes quite bland when baked. Rome Beauty, on the other hand, develops a more pronounced flavor when cooked.

These varieties are considered good for baking:

Baldwin
Cortland
Golden Delicious
Gravenstein
Idared
Jonagold
Mutsu (also called Crispin)
Newtown Pippin
Northern Spy
Rhode Island Greening
Rome Beauty
York Imperial

Crockpot Turtle Pudding

 1 21.5 oz. package brownie mix
 1/2 C. water
 1/4 C. oil
 1 egg
 1 C. chocolate chips
 1 C. walnuts or pecans
 20 caramel candies unwrapped
 whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Place a vegetable steamer or other low rack in the bottom of a 5-quart slow-cooker. Pour in 4 cups very hot water and turn on to high.

In a large bowl, combine the brownie mix, water, oil and egg. Beat well to mix. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Butter and dust with sugar a 2-quart soufflé dish that fits in the slow-cooker. Pour the brownie batter into the soufflé dish. Push the caramels half way into the brownie mix, do not bury completely in the brownie mix. Wrap the dish in a double thickness of foil. Tie with a string to use as a handle for lowering and raising out of the crockpot.

Cover and cook on high for 4.5 hours. Remove the dish and let set for 30 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream with chocolate hot fudge sauce.

Angel Fluff

1 Angel Food Cake
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 8oz Package of Low Fat Cream Cheese, softened
1 Container of Fat Free Cool Whip
1 21oz Can of Cherry Pie Filling
Pecans (Optional)

Start by tearing the angel food cake into small pieces, this would basically make it about 5 cups of torn pieces.  Then, in a medium sized bowl mix the sugar and cream cheese, beating until well blended.  Next, add in the cool whip, but be sure to reserve about 2oz for the top of the dessert.  At this point, go ahead and stir the pecans into the mixture if you choose to use them, I do not use these.  Also, stir in the angel food cake pieces.

In a nice large bowl, spoon 1/2 the mixture onto the bottom, top with about 3/4 of the cherry pie filling.  Once you have completed this layer, add the remaining mixture and the last bit of cool whip.

Top with the last of the pie filling and sprinkle with a few more pecans and you have a nice, beautiful dessert.  I like to put this in the fridge for a few hours and serve chilled.

Cheesy Potato Casserole

4 c. cubed and cooked potatoes

10 3/4-oz. cream of chicken soup
2 c. shredded chicken
1 c. sour cream
1 c. shredded cheese
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

Cook potatoes and then combine with other ingredients. Cook in crock pot on high for 4 hours or in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Tator Tot Breakfast Casserole

INGREDIENTS:
• 8 ounces (1/2 a roll) sausage
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup sliced sauteed mushrooms
• 3 cups cooked tater tots
• salt and pepper to taste (onion powder is good too)

DIRECTIONS:

I always just throw the tator tots at 375 degrees to start getting crispy and cooking while I prepare the sausage.

1. Saute sausage in a large skillet, add salt and pepper to taste. Beat eggs, adding cheese and mushrooms. Combine cooked sausage with egg mixture.
2. Line baking dish with tater tots and pour egg and sausage mixture over the tater tots.
3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 375 or until egg mixture is firm. Sprinkle with extra cheese if desired.

Chicken Brushetta Bake

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
6 oz. chicken stuffing mix
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp. dried basil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix tomatoes, stuffing mix, water and garlic just until moistened.

Layer chicken, basil, cheese and stuffing mixture in 13 x 9 baking dish.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Monkey Munch

* 9 cups Chex cereal (any kind)
* 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted (6oz.)
* 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, melted
* 1/4 cup butter, melted
* 1-2 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. Measure cereal in large bowl.
2. Set aside.
3. Microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter for 1 minute on high.
4. Stir.
5. Cook for 30 seconds longer or until smooth.
6. Add vanilla.
7. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until coated.
8. Pour mixture into large Ziploc bag and add powdered sugar.
9. Shake until well coated.
10.Spread on waxed paper to cool.
11.Store in Ziploc bags or large sealed bowl.
12.Recipe Note: It helps to add cereal mixture a little at a time if you only have small bags

Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

* 1 pound (about 24) large fresh white mushrooms, cleaned
* 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
* 6 ounces bulk Italian sausage
* 3 green onions, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
* 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
* 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
* 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Remove stems from mushrooms; finely chop enough stems to equal 1/2 cup and reserve. Place mushroom caps in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon oil. Arrange caps cavity side up on a shallow baking pan and set aside.Heat remaining oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add sausage, green onion, garlic, Italian seasoning and reserved chopped mushroom stems. Saut, breaking up sausage into smaller pieces, for about 5 minutes, until cooked through and nicely browned. Remove from heat; add both cheeses and stir just until cheese melts.Stuff mushroom caps with sausage mixture and bake 10 to 15 minutes, until mushrooms are tender and cheese is slightly golden. 

Chicken Salad

Whisk together: 2/3 cup mayo, 1/3 cup milk, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon tarragon

3 cups cooked cubed chicken (boil chicken pieces and cut up when cool)

3 cups cooked rice 

1/3 cup diced green onion

1/2 pound seedless green grapes 

1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts

1 cup cashews

Combine rice, chicken, onions and water chestnuts. Fold in mayo mixture. refrigerate covered for several hours, or overnight is best. add grapes (cut in half) and cashews just before serving (so they don't get soggy).

Crockpot and Salsa Chicken

4 Chicken Breasts
16 oz. Jar Salsa
1 Can Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed
1 Can Corn, Drained and Rinsed
1 Block Cream Cheese

Combine all ingredients (except cream cheese) in crock pot. (You can even use frozen chicken breasts.) Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Stir in the cream cheese. The chicken should shred as you stir.

Serve over rice and/or with tortilla chips.

Black Bean and Salsa Chicken

INGREDIENTS
2 cans black beans (don't drain)
16 oz jar salsa (I used medium salsa)
1/2 cup brown rice (uncooked) This was good with brown rice.
1 lb chicken breast

DIRECTIONS
Place frozen chicken breasts in slow cooker.
Pour beans, rice and salsa over chicken.
Cook low 8-10 hours and serve. (I have a new crock pot that boils things after a few hrs on low so I shut it off at the 5 hr mark) Otherwise it would have been mush!

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

1 (5-poun) bag of baking potatoes
1 (8-ounce) sour cream
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup real baclon bits
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 (1-ounce) envelope ranch dressing mix

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Scrub potatoes, and bake, 1 hour or until done. Let potatoes cool, peel and cut into chunks.
Preheat to 350°F
In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add potatoes, and toss gently to combine. Spoon into 13x9x2 inch baking dish. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Simple Dinner Ideas (no recipe)

Spaghetti
Tacos
Sloppy Joes
Meatloaf
Burgers
Sandwiches
Potpie
Nuggets/Fries
Fettuccine Alfredo
Shepherds Pie
Grilled Turkey and Cheese
Fish Tacos
Spaghetti Tacos

Snack Ideas

Carrot and celery sticks w/ dip
Peanut butter and sliced up apples
Hummus and pita wedges
Chips and salsa
String cheese
Corn dogs
Brownies
crackers
pudding
jello
yogurt
grapes
fruit 
Apples
Bananas
Oranges/cans of mandarin oranges
Applesauce cups
Sugar-free pudding
Mini ice cream sandwiches
Sugar free Popsicles or fudgepops
Fruit snacks
Cheese sticks
Carrot sticks
Cucumber slices
Sliced bell pepper
Cheez-its
Popcorn (Smartfood or Homemade)
Icepops
Yogurt
Spinach Dip and Corn chips
Cheese and Crackers pizza (homeade on English muffins or bought), 
tacos
salad
nachos

BLT Wraps

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 4 teaspoons salsa
• 4 whole wheat tortillas (8 inches), room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Dash each salt and pepper
• 12 slices ready-to-serve fully cooked bacon
• 4 lettuce leaves
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 1/2 medium ripe avocado, peeled and sliced

Directions

• Spread mayonnaise and salsa down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Layer with bacon strips, lettuce, tomato and avocado; roll up tightly. Yield: 4 servings.