Semi-Homemade!

These are a great appetizer or good for anytime.

Fried Cheese Ravioli
1 Bag Store bought Frozen Ravioli
Parmesan Cheese
1 Sleeve Ritz Crackers
2 Sticks Butter
Marinara Sauce

1) Boil Ravioli until soft and drain on paper towels.
2) Melt 1/2 stick of butter in bowl.
3) Melt 1 stick of butter in Frying Pan and keep hot.
4) Crush Crackers and mix in Parmesan Cheese.
5)Dip dry ravioli in melted butter in bowl and then in the cracker cheese mixture. Fry for about 3 minutes flipping half way though in pan.
6) Once you remove the ravioli from the pan place on a paper towel to cool.
7) Once cool toss back in the crumbs for a final coat.
8) Serve with warm marinara sauce.

Leftovers

Here's a tip for how to dress up a boring leftover!

Spegetti Sandwich:
Small piece wax paper
2 Pieces Bread
Garlic Powder
Butter
Spegetti
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Butter two pieces of Bread. Add Garlic Powder (just a sprinkle) and toast. Place wax paper in a bowl. Sprinkle some cheese on paper. Add Spegetti and more cheese on top. Pack the spegetti down to form a spegetti and cheese patti. Microwave till hot and cheese is melted. Place one piece garlic toast on top if spegetti patti, lift paper out of bowl and remove paper. Place other piece of Garlic toast on top to form a sandwich. Enjoy!

Favorite Dinners

Cubesteak Westbrook
This is a favorite for dinner parties at our home. It's easy and quick!

Cubesteaks (cut in half)
Flour, salt and pepper
Butter
Brown Sugar
Ketchup
Dried Onion Flakes
Dried Basil
Beef Broth

Dredge your cubesteaks in the flour mixture. Brown in a hot skillet on both sides. Place them in a baking dish. On top of each steak, place one Tablespoon of butter, one Tbsp of brown sugar and one Tbsp of ketchup. Sprinkle onion flakes and basil over all. Pour enough broth into the dish to come half way up the sides of the steaks. *Do not cover steaks with broth!* Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover, bake for another 15 minutes.

This is delicious with mashed potatoes. Be sure to scrape the pan with the drippings as a sauce!

Latin Chicken Pot

This is a new favorite at Shannon's house. Try it and let us know what you think.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbs. Butter
1 lbs. Chicken Cut into Pieces
Salt & Pepper
2 c. Minute White Rice
3 c. Chicken Stock
1 tsp. Poulty Seasoning
1 Tbs. Sazon Seasoning *
1 c. Tomato Sauce

1) Heat pot on medium heat.
2) Pour EVOO in pan with butter
3) Salt and Pepper the Chicken and add to pot to Brown
4) Add rice and Cook 2 min.
5) Add Stock, Seasoning, and Sauce
6) Bring to a boil for 3 min.
7) Reduce Heat to simmer and cook 15 min.

I like to searve this with guacamole or sour cream or a combination.
* I use a cool Chilli Powder, Garlic, and Cumin when I don't have Sazon.

Recipes For Our Mothers-in-Law!

For Cyntihia:
Special K Treats
1 c. White Karo Syrup
1 c. Sugar
1 c. Peanut Butter
4 c. Special K Cereal

Mix Karo and Sugar in heavy Pan and bring to a boil. Remove from Heat and add Peanut Butter. Stir until well blended. Add cereal and stir until well coated. Drop on wax paper while hot and let cool.
Variation: try different Cereals for a different flavor!


For Tammy:
Caramel Popcorn
4 Qts. Popcorn *
2 Sticks of Butter
2 c. Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 c. White Karo Syrup
Nuts **
1 tsp. Baking Soda

1) Pop Popcorn and Sort out un popped peices. Add Nuts.***
2) Melt Butter, Brown Sugar, Salt, and Karo in Pan. Bring to a boil and then simmer 5-8 min.
3) Stir in Baking Soda and watch it rise!
4) Pour over Popcorn and Nuts and Stir together until popcorn and nuts are well coated.
5) Spread onto a cookie sheet and Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour.
6) Remove and let cool. Should break apart easily.

* I prefer buttered Popcorn adds a richer flavor!
** Use any nuts you like! A mix even! I prefer Cashews.
*** I like to add the nuts into the carmel on the stove to insure they are completely coated. Sometimes they fall to the bottom of the popcorn and don't mix in as well.

Warm Winter Soups

It's finally winter here in Maine and the snow is piling up. That means it's time for a big pot of soup at dinner time and I have a few that you might like to try. So get out your soup pots and get ready for some great comfort food! Most of them aren't too bad for your New Year's diet either!

Beef Stew

This is my new favorite. It is simple and savory.

1 lb. beef stew meat (or diced roast)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic

4 medium potatoes, diced

1 cup diced carrots

2 cans green beans (including the water)

1 1/2 cups beef broth

2 Tbsp. corn starch

salt and pepper

Brown the stew meat in a skillet with the onion and garlic. Season with salt or Lowry's season salt. Drain the beef mixture and pour it all into your crockpot or roasting pan. Add the diced potatoes, carrots and green beans. With a wire wisk, add the corn starch to the beef broth. Mix well and then add it to the pan. The amount of liquid should come up to the top of the meet and vegetables. If it doesn't, add more beef broth or water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium in your crockpot or at 250 in the oven for at least 6 hours. Enjoy!

Creamy Vegetable Soup

I just created this soup to use up leftover broccoli and cauliflower from a recent veggie tray. If you prefer a creamier version like you find in restaurants, puree your soup in a blender or food processor, before serving it. Garnish with cheese. Great for low carb diets!

1 head of cauliflower, chopped

1 head of broccoli, chopped

2 small potatoes, diced

1 cup carrots, diced

1/2 stick of butter

1 cup whole milk or lite cream

8 oz. sour cream

salt

Place all the vegetables in the pot and cover with water. Place in medium high heat until it comes to a boil. Turn the heat down to simmer and add the butter. Simmer, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn on the bottom, until the vegetables are soft and the water level becomes lower than the top of the vegetables. Add the milk/cream, sour cream and salt. Stir well and heat back up to a slow boil or simmer. Once you are satisfied all the vegetables are very soft and the butter has melted, you can puree the soup if desired. Serve it with your favorite cheese as a garnish. (We prefer very sharp cheddar.)

Enjoy, and don't forget to add your favorite recipe or comment on one of ours!

Holiday yummies!

This is a yummy EASY Peanut Brittle recipe that my sister in law made this year! Got to try it!

Trish’s Microwave Peanut Brittle

½ C Karo Syrup

1 C Nuts *Peanuts or Cashews work best

1 C Sugar

½ t Salt

1 ½ T Butter

1 t Vanilla

1 ½ t Baking Soda

Put first 4 ingredients in microwave safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. Stir. Microwave on HIGH 4 more minutes. Add butter and microwave on High for 3 minutes. Add vanilla and baking soda and stir. Pour candy onto buttered cookie sheet. Let stand till completely cool. Brittle should be easy to break with hands.

Christmas Sweets

Grandma's Pecan Pralines
These are a southern classic, and Grandma's were the best!

2 cups sugar

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 Tbsp water

1-2 cups pecans

Cook in a heavy pot until stringy (soft ball stage). Then, add pecans and beat until it begins to harden. Drop by the spoonful onto wax paper quickly. Let cool until firm.

Pumpkin Desserts

Frosted Pumpkin Walnut Cookies

These delicious cookies are very cake-like and moist. My son can't get enough!

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed pumpkin (If you use spiced canned pumpkin, leave out pumpkin pie spice below.)
1/2 tsp. lemon extract (don't worry if you don't have it.)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
Maple Frosting (see recipe below)

Cream butter; gradually add brown sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in pumpkin and flavorings.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Stir in walnuts.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 12 min. Cool on wire racks. Frost with Maple Frosting. Yield: 7 1/2 dozen.

Maple Frosting:
1/4 c. butter or margarine, softened
2 1/4 c. sifted powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
3/4 tsp. maple extract

Cream butter; gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add remaining sugar alternately with milk, beating until smooth enough to spread. Add maple extract, and beat well. Yield: about 1 cup.
Recipe from The Southern Living Cookbook

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

A favorite treat in Maine with a holiday twist

2 eggs
2 cups light brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin

3 cups flour

1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Filling/Frosting Recipe

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 tsp. vanilla extract

4-5 c. confectioner's sugar

Heat the oven to 350. Beat the eggs, brown sugar, oil and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until smooth. Stir in the pumpkin. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture a half cup at a time, blending each time until smooth.

Drop a heaping tablespoon of batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet, using a moist finger or the back of the spoon to slightly flatten each mound. Bake the cookies for 12 min. then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract in a bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in the confectioner's sugar a half cup at a time, until the frosting is spreadable.

To assemble the pies, turn half of the cookies bottom side up and spread a generous amount of cream cheese frosting on each one. Top them with the remaining cookies (turned right side up.) Makes 10-14 whoopies.

Pumpkin Recipes

I have a great Pumpkin Bread recipe to be used with a bread maker:

Pumpkin Wheat Bread (FBM)

-1 pkg. Yeast

-3 c. Wheat Flour

-1 ts. Salt

-1 Tbs. Sugar

-1 can Pumpkin

-1 Tbs. Pumpkin Pie Spice

-1 c. Canned Evaporated Milk

-1 Egg

Place wet ingrediants first, dry second with yeast on top. Follow Bread Machine instructions. Standard Setting. This bread is really goodwith a pumpkin pie cream cheese spread. Get cream cheese, pumpkin spice and a little powdered sugar and blend till creamy.

Here is another Pumpkin Bread recipe to be made without a bread maker:

PUMPKIN BREAD
Makes 2 loaves.

•3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•2 tsp. baking soda
•1 1/2 tsp. salt
•2 tsp. cinnamon
•2 tsp. nutmeg
•3 cups sugar
•4 eggs, beaten
•2 cups of fresh pumpkin --> 16 ounces if using canned pumpkin
•2/3 cup water --> if pumpkin is canned
•1/2 cup water --> if pumpkin is fresh or frozen
•1 cup vegetable oil •1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar in large mixing bowl. Add eggs, water, oil and pumpkin. Stir until blended. Add nuts. Mix well. Pour into two 9x5" loaf pans. Bake 1 hour. Cool slightly and take out of pans to let cool on a rack. This tastes best if you wrap, refrigerate and wait a day to eat it. It keeps well in the refrigerator and can be frozen.

As with all my post I've added the first one....leave your comments on it as well as any good pumpkin recipes you might have!