Tortellini Spinach Salad

from my friend Mandy Douglass

1 pkg baby spinach

1 cup craisins

1 cup shredded parmesan or mozzarella

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/2 pkg multi-colored tortellini

1/2 cup honey roasted almonds

Dressing:

1 cup veg oil

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp paprika

Put in blender and blend one minute.  Put on right before serving or on side.

Strawberry-Peach Freezer Jam

1 1/4 cups crushed strawberries
2 cups finely chopped peaches
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 (2 oz.) box MCP Pectin
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup

Wash and rinse plastic containers or freezable glass jars with tight fitting lids.  Use 1-2 cup sized containers.

Wash, stem and crush berries using a potato masher for best results. Peel, pit and finely chop peaches. Do not puree the fruit; jam should have bits of fruit. (Use firm, ripe fruit.)

Measure EXACT amount of prepared fruit and lemon juice into a large bowl.

Measure EXACT amount of sugar into a separate bowl. Reducing sugar amount or using substitutes will result in set failures.

Gradually stir in 1 box of MCP pectin into fruit. Mix thoroughly. Set aside for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to dissolve pectin thoroughly.

Pour 1 cup light corn syrup into fruit mixture. Mix well. This prevents sugar crystallization during freezer storage.

Stir sugar in gradually. Stir constantly until sugar is COMPLETELY dissolved and no longer grainy.

Pour into prepared containers, leaving 1/2-inch space at the top for expansion during freezing.

Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours until set. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or store in freezer for up to 1 year. Thaw in fridge. Recipe makes 7 cups.

[Note: Only use the recipe that your pectin calls for.  Mixing and matching different pectins and recipes will cause your jam to fail. This is the recipe for MCP brand pectin.]

Breakfast sandwiches

To cook eggs for breakfast sandwiches, bake in a well-greased muffin tin approximately 14 minutes at 350 degrees. (Eggs can either be scrambled before pouring into tins or cracked right into the tin.)

Bread options:  english muffins (toast with cheese while eggs bake)
                        biscuits
                        toast

Meat options: sausage patties, deli ham slices, canadian bacon, bacon slices

Cheese (any type, sliced or shredded)

Combine bread, egg, cheese, and meat to make a sandwich.

Can be frozen by wrapping in plastic wrap, then placing in a ziploc.

Reheat in microwave by removing plastic, wrap in a paper towel, cook 1 minute at 50% power, flip over, cook one more minute at full power.

Ham and potato casserole

6 yukon gold potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced (I didn't peel them and it was fine)
1 onion, small, sweet, thinly sliced
1 cup peas, frozen,
3 -6 cups ham, cooked, diced
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup heavy cream (I used a 12oz can of evaporated skim milk)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper, white
3 teaspoons herbes de provence (2 tsp thyme + dashes of rosemary, marjoram, sage)
3 cups cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

Cheese Sauce:.
In a small sauce pan, melt butter and whisk in flour, then slowly add the milk and cream.
Season with salt, pepper and Herbs de Provence.
Cook the sauce on medium heat, stirring until smooth and boiling.
Lower the heat and add the cheese, mix until melted, then remove from heat and set aside until required.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Assembly:.
In a lightly greased dish, layer half the potato slices, then scatter the onion and peas on top.
Next layer all the ham slices over top of the potatoes.
Pour half of the cheese sauce over the ham and potato mixture.
Layer the remaining potatoes on top then pour the rest of the cheese sauce

Bake in a preheated 350 oven, uncovered for 50 - 60 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Easy pizza sauce

i 8oz can tomato sauce 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp basil a pinch of sugar Stir together and spread onto your dough.

brownies and frosting

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp butter, softened
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Brownies:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 inch square pan.  In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs and 1 tsp vanilla.  Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder.  Spread batter in prepared pan.  Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Frosting:  Combine 3 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp cocoa, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 cup confectioners' sugar.  Frost brownies while they are still warm.

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

Chicken:

4 large chicken breasts, cut into thirds (or 12 chicken tenders)

2 sleeves Ritz crackers, crushed into crumbs

1/4 t salt

1/8 t pepper

1/2 C milk

3 C cheddar cheese, grated

1 t dried parsley

Sauce:

1   10 ounce can cream of chicken soup

2 T sour cream

2 T butter

        Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the 1/4 t salt and 1/8 t pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine.

        Dip each piece of chicken into the milk, then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Some of it will fall off when you add it to the cracker crumbs, don’t worry about it.  Press the cheesy chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in. By the time you are coating the last piece of chicken, the dish you are using for the crumbs will be full of cheese. Don’t let it get you down. Once the cheese melts in the oven it will adhere nicely to the crumbs and the crackers.

     Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken.  Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy. 

      Into a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken.