Oatmeal Fudge Bars

1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp soda
3 cups oatmeal
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups chocolate chips

Cream butter and brown sugar.  Add in eggs and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients, except oatmeal.  Stir into the butter mixture.  Mix in oatmeal.  Divide mixture in half.  To one half add 1/4 cup more flour for crust.  Press into the bottom of a jelly roll pan.  To the other half of the flour mixture add 1/4 cup more oatmeal and save it for the topping.

Mix together the sweetened condensed milk and the chocolate chips in a sauce pan.  Mix stirring constantly over low heat until chocolate is completely melted.  Pour over crust.  Top with remaining flour mixture.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned (do not over bake).

Oreo Balls

1 Package Oreo Cookies (3-row package)
8 oz Cream Cheese
1 Package Almond Flavored White Chocolate Bars (I use regular white chocolate to avoid nut allergy issues) -  (use cheap chocolate as it usually gets creamier - don't use the expensive stuff)

Grind up the cookies in a food processor (including filling).  Then mix thoroughly with room temperature cream cheese (use hand mixer).  Roll into small balls and then freeze (at least 1-2 hours - overnight is fine too).  Microwave the chocolate on 1/2 power in 1 minute intervals until creamy and smooth (stir in-between heatings).  I melt typically 1 package at a time.  Dip and roll the frozen balls into the melted chocolate.  I use the small cocktail forks (toothpicks work too) to roll and pick up so I don't get fingerprints all over them.   (You can also dip the bottom half, then take a fork and drizzle chocolate on the tops).

Place on wax paper and let cool (about 10-15 minutes).  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Batch makes about 30-35 depending on how big you make them - I usually double the recipe and make a bunch.

Café Rio Pork Barbacoa Salad with Tomatillo Dressing

SALAD ASSEMBLY (from bottom to top) 

• Tortillas
• Cheese (we like to melt the cheese onto the tortillas)
• Cafe Rio Rice (Recipe below)
• Cafe Rio Black Beans (Recipe below)
• Cafe Rio Sweet Pork (Recipe below)
• Lettuce (NOT iceberg, use leafy green or Romaine)
• Diced tomato, onion, and cilantro (pico de gallo)
• Guacamole (optional)
• Sour cream
• Tortilla Strips (can be found by the produce section at Smith's)
• Parmesan cheese
• Cafe Rio Tomatillo Ranch (Recipe below)
• Lime wedge to sprinkle on top of salad (optional)

SWEET PORK

• 2 pounds pork
• 3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• dash garlic salt
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 can sliced green chilies
• 3/4 can RED enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)
• 1 c. brown sugar
  

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight. Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

CILANTRO-LIME RICE

• 1 c. uncooked rice
• 1 tsp. butter or margarine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

BLACK BEANS

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/3 c. tomato juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

TOMATILLO RANCH

• 1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced (sold by garlic in produce section)
• 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
• 1 clove garlic
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!

Vickie's Noodle Salad

Take some colored spiral noodles.  Cook till almost done (not quite because they will finish softening in the frig. with the Italian dressing.

Add anything you want: cubed cheese, pepperoni or salami, green & red pepper, celery, olives.  The Italian dressing is the secret: the recipe comes from my Mom.

Take a dry mix of Italian salad seasoning mix. Add water, vinegar & oil as directed but then add in 1/2 tsp. dry mustard, 1 tsp. dry dill and a squirt of anchovy paste (usually in a refrigerated section: you may have to ask for it.)  Blend well and allow to refrigerate for awhile so the flavors blend.  Add as needed to the salad and let it sit in the frig.  Sometimes I think it's best to serve at room temperature.  The flavors are better.

Sis. Wade's Sugar Cookies

1 1/4 cup softened real butter

2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

5 cups white flour

1 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together butter and sugar for a couple of minutes.  Add eggs and beat until fluffy.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder.  Alternately add dry ingredients with liquid.  Add flour as needed.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Chocolate Cake with Orange Frosting and Chocolate Drizzle

1 box chocolate cake mix
eggs and oil called for on cake mix
1 container (16 oz.) vanilla ready-to-spread frosting
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel
1 or 2 drops each of red and yellow food color
1/4 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 
1-1/2 teaspoons shortening


Bake chocolate cake as directed.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Frost with EASY ORANGE FROSTING. Drizzle with CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE.


EASY ORANGE FROSTING: Stir together 1 container (16 oz.) vanilla ready-to-spread frosting, 1/2 teaspoon orange extract, 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel and 1 or 2 drops each of red and yellow food color, if desired.


CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE: Place 1/4 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and 1-1/2 teaspoons shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil) in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 15 to 30 seconds; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted and mixture is smooth.

Christy's Cake Pops

Just bake a normal cake from a box. Let it cool completely. Blend it up in a food processor or blender and put into a bowl. Add about 3/4 container of frosting. Using the back of a metal spoon, mash the frosting in until it disappears. Make sure it's well mixed or you'll have portions that won't hold together.

 

Use a cookie scoop or just spoons to scoop the dough so it will make a ball 1-1.5 inches thick, roll it in your hands and place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for 45 min+ or freeze for about 15 min. You want them chilled but not frozen.

 

Melt candy coating as instructed in a deep, plastic bowl or cup. Dip a sucker stick about 1/2 inch into the candy, then place into one of the cake balls. This will make it stronger so it doesn't fall off the stick. Don't push it more than halfway in. Dip the entire thing into the candy coating. Gently rotate or tap to smooth the candy out.

 

If you want sprinkles or something else on it, now's the time to add it. Use styrofoam blocks or 2x4s with holes drilled in, or a cardboard box with holes poked in to hold the pops while they harden.

 

If you want cake balls rather than pops, just use a spoon to dip into the candy coating, then slide it back onto the wax paper.

Grandma Seaver's Cabbage Salad

1 bag of broccoli coleslaw (Or you could use 1 head of cabbage and 1 bunch of broccoli) - chop up
1 whole bunch of green onions chopped up
1 cup of sunflower seeds
1 cup of cashew pieces
1 package of chicken top ramen noodles - broken up

Dressing:
1/2 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of cider vinegar
1/4 cup of cooking oil (Canola)
Chicken seasoning packet from the Ramen noodles

Right before serving:
Poor the dressing over the coleslaw and onions.
Then add the noodles, cashews, and sunflower seeds.

No Bake Chocolate Peanut-Free Cookies

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cocoa
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter
1 cup soynut butter (can find at wal-mart, I like the kind sweetened with honey)
3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (must be quick-cooking)

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, milk, cocoa, salt, vanilla, and butter.  Mix well.  Bring to a boil and cover saucepan for 30 seconds to allow steam to wash sugar crystals down sides of pan.  Stir mixture and bring it to a hard boil that can't be stirred down for 1 minute.  Then remove from heat and stir in soynut butter until smooth.  Add oatmeal and mix well.

Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to let oatmeal absorb the liquid.

Drop mixture by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.  Let cool completely; store at room temperature.

Variations: can substitute 1 cup coconut for 1 cup oatmeal, or add milk chocolate chips after mixture has cooled.  I guess you can use peanut butter instead of soynut butter, but who would want to do that?

Pineapple Chicken

2 lbs/1 kg skinless chicken pieces
1 can (14 oz/398 mL) unsweetened pineapple chunks, undrained
1 tsp/5 mL dried rosemary
1/2 tsp/2 mL paprika
1/2 tsp/2 mL salt
1/4 tsp/1 mL pepper
1/4 tsp/1 mL ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 375F/190C.  Place the chicken in a baking dish. Drain the can of pineapple.Pour the pineapple chunks over the chicken. In a small bowl, combine the rosemary, paprika, salt, pepper and ginger. Sprinkle this over the chicken. Bake, covered, for one hour or until the chicken is no longer pink inside.

Karry's Tamale Pie

1 Pound Ground Beef

1 Medium (chopped) Onion

1 Can (drained) Corn

1 Can Creamed Corn

1 Can (drained) Olives

1 Cup Corn Meal

1 Can Large Enchilada Sauce

1 Can Large Diced Tomatoes

2 clove (minced) Garlic

1/2 Teaspoon Salt or more if needed

2 Teaspoons Chili Powder

Pepper To Taste

Shredded Cheese

Brown Ground Beef with Onion and Garlic. Rinse and drain beef. Combine all remaining ingredients (except cheese) and pour into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Cook about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Check half way through to make sure it has not dried out, if so, add water and stir. Add cheese to top- turn off oven and leave inside until melted.

This is a Karry Seaver classic!  YUM!!!