Original Ranch Snack Mix

Ingredients:

2½ C. crisp corn or wheat cereal or a mixture of both

2½ C. small pretzels

2½ C. bite-size cheddar cheese crackers

3 T. vegetable oil

1 packet (1 oz.) Hidden Valley Original Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix

Directions:

1. Combine cereal, pretzels, and crackers in a gallon-size zipper bag.
2. Pour oil over mixture.
3. Seal bag and toss to coat.
4. Add dressing mix.
5. Seal bag and toss again until coated.

Classic Cheesecake

 

Ingredients:

1½ C. graham cracker crumbs

3 T. sugar

⅓ C. butter or margarine, melted

1 C. sugar

4 eggs

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 t. vanilla

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325° F.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, 3 T. sugar, and butter.  
3. Press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
4. Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. 
5. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.
6. Pour over crust.
7. Bake 55 minutes, or until center is almost set.
8. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake.
9. Cool before removing rim.
10. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours. 

Crockpot Beef Roast

Ingredients:

3 to 4 lbs. roast beef or round steak
salt and pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 pkg. brown gravy mix
1 C. water
½ C. ketchup
2 t. Dijon mustard
½ t. garlic powder
½ c. red wine (optional)

Directions:

1. Place meat in slow cooker.
2. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper.
3. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over meat.
4. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours.

Homemade Frozen Hashbrown Potatoes

Making homemade frozen hashbrowns with extra potatoes is a great way to save money.  Your extra potatoes don't go bad, and you have frozen hashbrowns ready to heat and serve when you need them.

Ingredients:

Potatoes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Wash your potatoes and prick them a few times with a fork.
3. Bake potatoes for 1 to 1½ hours, until they are baked through.
4. Let potatoes cool a bit.
5. Place in refrigerator until completely cool (overnight is fine).
6. Remove potato skins.
7. Shred the potatoes on a grater.
8. Freeze in freezer safe bags.

Tip:  Be sure to label your shredded potatoes, once they are frozen, they have strong resemblance to shredded mozzarella, and unlabeled bags can get mixed up.

Spicy IPA Pickles

Ingredients:

4 English Cucumbers, sliced or cut into spears
5 cloves of garlic, minced, per quart jar
1 t. whole peppercorns, per quart jar
2 t. dill seed, per quart jar
1 t. crushed red pepper flakes, per quart jar
½ t. Calcium Chloride (aka Pickle Crisp), per quart jar

For Brine:

1 bottle IPA beer, for each 2 jars
¾ c. distilled vinegar, for each 2 jars - Add extra for slices
¾ c. apple cider vinegar, for each 2 jars - Add extra for slices
3 T. Kosher salt, for each 2 jars

Directions:

1. Add pickle slices/spears to jars snugly.
2. Add garlic, peppercorns, dill seed, crushed red pepper, Pickle Crisp to each jar.
3. To prepare brine, add IPA, distilled vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and salt to a large pot.
4. Bring to a boil.  Be careful not to boil over.
5. Once mixture boils, turn off heat.
6. Ladle into jars.
7. Securely place lids on jars.
8. Shake jars to distribute seasonings.
9. Let jars cool on counter for an hour.
10. Refrigerate for a week to allow flavors to blend.

Maple Breakfast Twist

Ingredients:
Dough:

2 packages dry yeast
¼ C. warm water

½ C. milk, scalded

⅓ C. sugar

¼ C. butter

1½ t. salt

½ t. maple extract

1 unbeaten egg

2½ C. all purpose flour

Filling:

½ C. sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. maple flavoring

½ C. chopped walnuts

Combine all filling ingredients.

Glaze:

1 C. powdered sugar

½ t. maple flavoring

2 to 3 T. milk

Directions:

1. Add yeast to warm water.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the scalded milk, sugar, butter, salt and vanilla. 
3. Cool to lukewarm.  
4. Blend in egg and softened yeast.
5. Gradually add the four to make a soft dough.  
6. Beat well.   
7. Form into a ball, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1½ hours.
8. Mix Filling ingredients.
9. After dough has risen divide into 3 equal balls. 
10. On lightly floured surface roll out one ball of dough to a 10 inch circle.  
11. Fit onto the bottom of a greased 10-12 inch pizza pan or large cookie sheet.  
12. Brush dough with 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with ⅓ of the filling.  
13. Continue in same manner, forming 2 more layers and ending with the filling.  
14. Use a glass to mark a 2-inch circle in the center of the dough (do not cut through the dough).  
15. Cut from outside edge to circle forming 16 pie-shaped wedges.  
16. Twist each of the 3-layered wedges 5 times.  
17. Let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk.  
18. Bake at 350° F for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  

For Glaze:

1. In a small bowl combine powdered sugar, flavoring and milk till smooth.  
2. Add a bit more milk if necessary until frosting is thin enough to drizzle over the coffee cake.
3. Drizzle with glaze while still warm.

Hot Crab Dip

Ingredients:

6 oz. room temperature cream cheese
⅓ C. mayonnaise
1 t. lemon juice
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
½ t. Old Bay Seasoning
2 T. pickled jalapeno, finely diced
1 t. mustard
2 C. Monterey Jack cheese
8 oz. lump crab meat

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, Old Bay Seasoning, jalapenos, mustard and cheese in a bowl.
3. Stir in crab meat, then place into an oven safe baking dish.
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown along the edges.
5. Serve immediately with tortilla chops, crackers, or vegetables.

Honey Chile Shrimp

Ingredients:

3 T. olive oil
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 limes, 2 zested and juiced and 1 halved
3 green onions, chopped, whites and greens separated
1 mounded T. chile garlic paste
2 T. honey

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
3. Cook, stirring, until the shrimp start to turn pink and are almost cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. 
4. Add the lime zest and the whites of the green onions. 
5. Stir into the shrimp and cook until the onion whites soften, about a minute, then add the chile garlic paste, honey and lime juice. 
6. Stir to combine, then continue to cook until the sauce has a syrupy consistency, an additional 2 minutes.
7. Transfer to a small platter and garnish with the green onion tops. 
8. Zest one of the lime halves over the dish, then cut the remaining half into wedges and serve alongside. 

Total Time:  20 minutes

Serves 2 - 4

Potatoes au Gratin

Ingredients:

4 whole Russet Potatoes, scrubbed clean
2 T. Butter, softened
1½ C. Heavy Cream
½ C. Whole Milk
2 T. Flour
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 t. Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
1 C. Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Smear softened butter all over the bottom of a baking dish.
3. Slice potatoes, then cut slices into fourths.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together cream, milk, flour, minced garlic, salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
5. Place ⅓ of the potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour ⅓ of the cream mixture over the potatoes.
6. Repeat this two more times, ending with the cream mixture. 
7. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. 
8. Remove foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown and really bubbling. 
9. Add grated cheese to the top of the potatoes and bake for 3 to 5 more minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
10. Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving by the spoonful. 

Prep Time:  10 minutes
Cook Time:  55 minutes

Sweet Pickled Onions

Ingredients:

8 C. thinly sliced sweet onions

2 T. canning salt

1¾ c. white vinegar

1 C. sugar

1 t. dried thyme

Directions:

1. Place onions in a colander over a plate; sprinkle with canning salt and toss. 
2. Let stand 1 hour. 
3. Rinse and drain onions, squeezing to remove excess liquid.
4. In a Dutch oven, combine vinegar, sugar and thyme; bring to a boil. 
5. Add onions and return to a boil. 
6. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. 
7. Remove from heat.
8. Carefully ladle hot mixture into four hot half-pint jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. 
9. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. 
10. Wipe rims. 
11. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight.
12. Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. 
13. Bring to a boil; process for 10 minutes. 
14. Remove jars and cool.

Potato and Canadian Bacon Slow Cooker Chowder

Ingredients:

2 C. potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 large carrot, diced

1 C. leek, chopped, white part only

1 medium garlic clove, minced

4 C. fat free chicken broth

½ C. pearl barley

¼ t. dried thyme, crushed

¼ t. black pepper

4 oz. Canadian-style bacon, cut into ¼-inch pieces

bay leaf

½ C. fat free evaporated milk

2 fl. oz. fat free creamer,  such as fat-free half-and-half

Directions:

1. In a slow cooker, combine potatoes, carrots, leek, garlic, chicken broth, barley, bay leaf, thyme, pepper and Canadian bacon. 
2. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until vegetables and barley are tender.
3. Stir in evaporated milk and half-and-half and heat through uncovered, about 10 minutes. 

Yields about 1¼ cups per serving.

Old-Fashioned Stuffing

Ingredients:

4 C. diced celery

1 C. onion, chopped

1 C. butter

4 qt. dry bread cubes

1 T. salt

1½ t. poultry seasoning

½ t. sage

½ t. pepper

2 eggs

Warm broth or water

Directions:

1. Cook celery and onion in hot butter, until transparent. 
2. Turn into large bowl. 
3. Add other ingredients; mix well. 
4. Makes enough stuffing for 14 to 18 pound turkey. 
5. If a moist dressing is preferred add more broth.

===========

Mom's Variation:

1. Cube 2 loaves of bread the night before needed, and allow to dry overnight.
2. Cut celery stalks into large chunks.
3. Cut onion into quarters
4. Put celery, onion, and ½ cup butter in blender and blend until smooth.
5. Add spices, and 2 eggs and blend until smooth.
6. Pour over cubed bread and mix well.
7. If too dry, add more melted butter, or mix up a smaller batch of the celery, onion, egg mixture.

Note: This recipe is a bit of a mishmash.  I'm trying to recreate my mom's stuffing.  That stuffing was my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal.  She would never write it down, despite me asking multiple times.  After making it with her the last time, I tried to write down the steps and ingredients.  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to recreate it just right yet, and Mom has since passed. This recipe will be cleaned up and simplified when I get it right.

Easy Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

2 ¾ C. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

½ t. baking powder

1 C. butter, softened

1 ½ C. white sugar

1 egg  

1 t. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F (190° C). 
2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. 
4. Beat in egg and vanilla. 
5. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. 
6. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. 
8. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.