100 Ways to make Bacon

http://www.endlesssimmer.com/2009/08/18/100-ways-to-use-a-stick-of-bacon/

Of course in my family the Go To Dish is Bacon Spaghetti with BLT's running a close second

but I say add bacon to this recipe for Buffalo Potatoes
found here http://pegasuslegend-whatscookin.blogspot.com/2011/05/buffalo-baked-potatoes.html

Since we are all big potato fans here, I decided to try this on our baked potatoes! These were delicious!

Here's the recipe:
4 baking potatoes
Aluminium foil
KC Masterpiece Marinade
3 tablespoons of melted butter
garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 bottle of ranch or blue cheese dressing, or sour cream
Optional: shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits, jalepeno's, olives.

First slice potatoes in a fan shaped slices without cutting through the potatoes. Place a small piece of foil big enough to wrap around each potato on a cutting board. Place potato on foil. Brush the tops of each potato with melted butter. Sprinkle with a little garlic powder. Pour a generous amount of buffalo sauce over the potato, add a few tablespoons of dressing of choice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap tightly and bake in the oven for around 1 hour on 400 degree hot oven.
Note: (if your in a hurry you can microwave the potatoes for around 5 minutes uncut first) they will be cooked in around 1/2 hour less time.

Options: You can add more dressing after they are cooked to your taste. If using cheese and bacon, add 5 minutes before the potato is cooked, open foil add the cheese, rewrap for those last few minutes to melt the cheese.


or add it to

Buffalo Home Fries recipe found here
http://pegasuslegend-whatscookin.blogspot.com/2011/05/buffalo-home-fries.html

4 potatoes peeled and thinly sliced par boiled for 10 minutes and drained
1/4 cup of hot sauce or more depending how hot you want them
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil

In a large heavy fry pan, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, on medium high heat. When oil is hot add sliced potatoes, brown on one side. Turn, continue browning them on this side. Add the hot sauce and spices, saute until coated and flavors have seeped into the potatoes evenly. Cook till crispy.
Serve as breakfast potatoes with side dishes such as eggs or with your favorite meat dish for dinner.

Bacon chocolate chip cookies and candied bacon

Found http://www.peterandrewryan.com/baking/2009/02/bacon-chocolate-chip-cookies-and-candied-bacon/

bacon chocolate chip cookies and candied bacon
candied bacon
1 pckg thick cut bacon (about 10 strips)
brown sugar for sprinkling

chocolate chip cookies
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
12 oz toll house semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1. make the candied bacon: preheat the oven to 350 F. lay bacon on a parchment covered baking sheet so they are not overlapping. sprinkle about 2 tsp brown sugar evenly on each strip of bacon. bake for 12 minutes, remove from oven, flip bacon and drag it through the syrupy liquid that’s collected on the baking sheet. put the bacon back in the oven for another 12-15 minutes, until it is fully cooked and very dark (mahogany). remove the strips from the sheet and cool on a wire rack. after they have cooked, chop them or quickly food process into tiny pieces.

2. make the cookies: combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. beat butter, both sugars and vanilla in a large bowl. add eggs, one at a time, beating well. gradually beat in flour mixture. stir in morsels and bacon pieces.

3. spoon dough (about a Tbsp per cookie) onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 375 F for 9-11 minutes. i tend to go a little under 9 minutes so they come out just underdone. remove to cooling racks or eat immediately with a tall glass of cold milk.

REMINDER! there’s still time to enter to win a copy of artisan bread in 5 minutes a day or another cookbook of your choice! tell your friends!

Orange Stir-Fried Chicken

From http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/orange-stir-fried-chicken-recipe/2/

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 57 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon grated gingerroot or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 cups thinly sliced fresh mushrooms (8 ounces)
1 medium carrot, coarsely shredded (1/2 cup)
4 cups hot cooked rice
Directions

1 Mix soy sauce, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, the gingerroot and garlic in medium glass or plastic bowl. Stir in chicken. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

2 Mix orange juice and 2 teaspoons cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved; set aside.

3 Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet or wok over high heat. Add chicken; stir fry 4 to 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove chicken from skillet.

4 Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to skillet. Add mushrooms and carrot; stir-fry about 3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Stir in chicken and orange juice mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir about 30 seconds or until thickened. Serve over rice.

Easy Fried Rice or Pork

From http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/easy-fried-rice-recipe/1/

Easy Vegetarian Fried Rice

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 1 bowl-full

Ingredients

1 egg, whisked
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup (or more) mixed veggies (bell peppers, onions, bean sprouts) chopped small
1 tsp. oil (I use EVOO and guess the amount)
splash toasted sesame oil (for flavour)
2 tsp. black bean sauce (guess the amount depending on your personal taste)
Directions

1 Preheat non-stick frying pan over medium heat.

2 Chop mixed veggies into small pieces (I like to use bell peppers, frozen green peas, green onions and bean sprouts).

3 Pour your oils into preheated pan (EVOO first because sesame oil will burn easily). Swirl to coat bottom of pan.

4 When oil is hot, add in vegetables and stir-fry until crisp-tender.

5 When veggies are crisp-tender, push to side of pan and add whisked egg to empty space, stirring constantly until scrambled and cooked through.

6 When egg is completely cooked, mix in with the veggies and stir all together.

7 Turn head to low and add in brown rice, stirring to combine.

8 Add black bean sauce and heat through. Serve hot from pan.

9 This is a great, satisfying and healthy vegetarian meal!


Easy Pork Fried Rice

From http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/easy-pork-fried-rice-recipe/2/

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups uncooked instant rice
1 barbecued pork tenderloin, cooked and cubed
Directions

1 Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onions and garlic in oil about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are crisp-tender.

2 Stir in water, barbecue sauce, soy sauce and vegetables. Heat to boiling; remove from heat. Stir in rice and pork. Cover and let stand about 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

3-Ingredient Pulled Pork

From http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/3-ingredient-pulled-pork-recipe/1/

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours
Servings: 8 Servings

Ingredients

1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin (pork shoulder or butt can also be used)
1 (12 ounce) can of root beer
1 (18 ounce) bottle of barbecue sauce
8 hamburger buns
Directions

1 Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker and pour the can of root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until pork shreds easily with a fork.

2 After pork has cooked, drain and discard the root beer. Shred the pork and place it back in the slow cooker. Pour the barbecue sauce over the pork and stir to combine. Serve immediately or keep warm in slow cooker until ready to serve. Serve on hamburger buns.

Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce slow cooker

Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce
Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook, page 308

Makes 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cooking Time: 6-8 hours
Ideal Slow Cooker Size: 4-quart

Ingredients for Meatballs:
1½ lbs. ground beef
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
oil

Ingredients for Sauce:
28-oz. can tomato puree
6-oz. can tomato paste
10¾-oz. can tomato soup
¼-½ cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. oil
1 garlic clove, minced
sliced mushrooms (either canned or fresh), optional

1. Combine ground beef, eggs, and bread crumbs. Form into 16 meatballs. Brown in oil in skillet.
2. Combine sauce ingredients in slow cooker. Add meatballs. Stir together gently.
3. Cover. Cook on Low 6-8 hours. Add mushrooms 1-2 hours before sauce is finished.
4. Serve over cooked spaghetti.

Tender Barbecued Chicken Slow Cooker

Tender Barbecued Chicken
Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook, pg 382

Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep. Time: 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 8-10 Hours
Ideal Slow Cooker Size: 6-Quart

3-4 lb. broiler chicken
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
18-oz. bottle barbecue sauce
3/4 cup cola-flavored soda

1. Place chicken in slow cooker.

2. Top with onion and lemon.

3. Combine barbecue sauce and cola. Pour into slow cooker.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours, or until chicken juices run clear.

5. Cut into serving-sized pieces and serve with barbecue sauce. Slice any leftovers and use in sandwiches.

Grilled Steak with Feta

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

Greek Marinade
1/2 cup dry red wine or Progresso® beef flavored broth (from 32-oz carton)
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Steak
1 boneless beef sirloin steak, about 1 inch thick (2 lb)
2 medium red onions, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 package (4 oz) crumbled feta cheese (1 cup)
Chopped fresh parsley, if desired
Directions

1In shallow glass or plastic dish or resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix all marinade ingredients. Pierce beef with fork several times on both sides. Add beef and onions to marinade; turn to coat with marinade. Cover dish or seal bag; refrigerate, turning beef occasionally, at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
2Heat gas or charcoal grill. Remove beef onions from marinade; reserve marinade. Place beef and onions on grill. Cover grill; cook over from medium heat 15 to 20 minutes for medium doneness, brushing occasionally with marinade and turning once. Discard any remaining marinade.
3Cut beef across grain into thin slices. Sprinkle beef with feta and parsley; serve with onion slices.

Grilled Garlic Steak Salad

From http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/grilled-garlic-steak-salad-recipe/1/

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

Spicy Garlic Dressing
1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salad
1-pound beef boneless sirloin steak, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
1 large red or yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 cup sliced mushrooms (3 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
6 cups bite-size pieces salad greens

Directions

1 Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. In tightly covered container, shake all dressing ingredients; reserve 1/4 cup.

2 Cover and grill beef over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until desired doneness. In medium bowl, toss bell pepper and mushrooms with 2 tablespoons of the dressing; place in grill basket. Cover and grill vegetables 5 minutes, shaking grill basket to turn vegetables occasionally, until bell pepper is crisp-tender.

3 Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper; cut into 1/4-inch slices. Toss beef and reserved 1/4 cup dressing. In large bowl, place salad greens, vegetables and beef. Add remaining dressing; toss.

Slow Cooker Salsa Swiss Steak

From http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/slow-cooker-salsa-swiss-steak-with-noodles-recipe/1/

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 boneless beef round steak (3 lb), cut into 12 serving pieces
1 jar (16 oz) Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa
1 envelope (about 1 oz) brown gravy mix
1 bag (16 oz) frozen home-style egg noodles
Directions

1In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, place beef pieces. In small bowl, mix salsa and gravy mix; pour over beef.
2Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 10 hours.
3About 15 minutes before serving, cook and drain noodles as directed on package. Serve beef and sauce over noodles.

Stroganoff Round Steak Strips

From http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/stroganoff-round-steak-strips-recipe/1/

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings (1 3/4 cups each)

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb boneless beef round steak, trimmed of fat, cut into bite-size strips
2 tablespoons onion soup mix (from 1-oz package)
1 jar (4.5 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups uncooked regular long-grain white rice
3 cups water
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Directions

1In 2- to 3-quart slow cooker, mix beef strips and soup mix until evenly coated. Top with mushrooms and soup.
2Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours.
3About 30 minutes before serving, cook rice in water as directed on package. Just before serving, stir sour cream into beef mixture. Sprinkle with chives. Serve over rice.

New England Boiled Dinner slow cooker

New England Boiled Dinner
Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook, page 149
Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 3-6 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 3- to 5-qt.

2 lbs. boneless smoked ham piece
1 lb. potatoes, halved
1-lb. bag baby carrots
1 lb. cabbage, cut in wedges
¼ cup water

1. Place meat in slow cooker. Fit vegetables around meat. *
2. Add water.
3. Cover. Cook on Low 6 hours or on High 3 hours, or just until meat and vegetables are as tender as you like.

*If using leftover ham, first place the vegetables in the slow cooker without the meat. Stir in leftover pieces of ham in the last hour of cooking to avoid over-cooking the meat.

Mexican Casserole slow cooker

Mexican Casserole
Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly, page 178
Makes 8 servings
Ideal slow cooker size: 4- or 5-quart

Ingredients:
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
16-oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
14-½ oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
8-oz. can tomato sauce
¼ cup water
1 envelope reduced-sodium taco seasoning
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1⅓ cups instant rice, uncooked
1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese

1. Brown ground beef and onion in nonstick skillet.
2. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker except rice and cheese.
3. Cook on low 8-9 hours.
4. Stir in rice, cover, and cook until tender.
5. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook until cheese is melted. Serve.

Per Serving: 270 calories (60 calories from fat), 7g total fat (3g saturated, 0g trans), 25mg cholesterol, 820mg sodium, 32g total carbohydrate (5g fiber, 3g sugar) 21g protein, 25%DV vitamin A, 20%DV vitamin C, 15%DV calcium, 20%DV iron.

Apple Puff Pancake

Apple Puff Pancake
from Fix-It and Enjoy-It Cookbook: All-Purpose, Welcome-Home Recipes
Makes 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 50 minutes

½ stick (4 Tbsp.) butter
2 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
6 eggs
1½ cups milk
1 cup flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
confectioners sugar
syrup, optional

1. Melt butter in a 9 x 13 baking pan. Arrange apples over butter.
2. Mix brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon in small bowl and sprinkle over apples.
3. Bake at 375 degrees about 10 minutes, or until apples soften.
4. Combine in blender, eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, salt, and ½ tsp. cinnamon. Blend thoroughly and pour over apples.
5. Return to oven and bake 40 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and serve immediately. Serve with syrup if you wish.

No Recipe Pesto

From http://bitchesonabudget.com/recipe-pesto/

No Recipe Pesto

A bunch of fresh herbs.

Extra Virgin Olive oil.

A big handful of nuts.

A clove of garlic.

Freshly grated Parmesan (or other hard) cheese.

Kosher salt.

Lots of freshly ground pepper.

A Cuisinart or blender.

Wash and dry the herbs thoroughly. Put the garlic, herbs and nuts into the food processor. Pulse a few times or roughly grind the mixture in the blender. Slowly add olive oil through the feed tube in a steady stream (Ok, we’ll give you some help here, if you’ve used a full bunch of herbs and say 1/2 cup of nuts, you’ll be using about 1 cup of oil-but find the consistency you like.) At this point you can freeze the mixture for later use. A tip: place in freezer trays and defrost individual pesto cubes for use.

Right before serving mix in cheese.

Vague, to be sure, but think of all the ways you can use this guideline: spearmint and hazelnuts; walnuts and basil; arugula and pine nuts. Think of all the things you can spread your pesto on: bruschetta; peppers; pasta; tomatoes and mozzarella; grilled fish or chicken…

Portal Cake

This was part of postings about the game Portal but I think the cake sounds great with a change to butter cream frosting instead of canned.

From http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Portal-Cake

Ingredients

1 (18 1/4 ounce/517g) package chocolate cake mix
2 (12 ounce/340g) cans vanilla frosting
1 (12 ounce/340g) can coconut pecan frosting
3/4 cup vegetable oil
7 egg whites
3/4 cup butter or 3/4 cup margarine, melted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup water
8 maraschino cherries
Semi-sweet chocolate chips


1 The night before you make the cake, mix 2/3 cup of cocoa powder with 18 ounces of vanilla frosting. Refrigerate overnight. Save the rest of the vanilla frosting to be used later.

2 Before you make the cake, set the cocoa powder icing, cherries, and chocolate chips to the side. These will not be used until the cake is completely finished.

3 Preheat the oven to 375ºF/190.5ºC. Lightly butter two 9-inch (22.8cm) cake pans.

4 Set out two mixing bowls. In one, combine all remaining dry ingredients, and in the other (the larger one, if they aren't the same size), combine all remaining liquid ingredients. Mix both bowls thoroughly.

5 Carefully sift the dry ingredients into the bowl of liquid ingredients and stir until it is evenly mixed.

6 Pour half of the batter into one cake pan, and the other half into the other. Put both pans in the oven, and let them cook for at least half an hour, or until a knife or skewer inserted into the middle of both cakes can be removed cleanly.

7 When the cakes are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool for at least an hour.

8 Remove one cake from its pan and set it on a plate, flat side up, and cover that flat side with coconut pecan frosting. Then, place the other cake (flat side down) on top. The icing should effectively "glue" the two halves together.

9 Frost the entire cake with the cocoa powder frosting. It will be very stiff, so be warned that this can take some time and effort. To make the process easier (and reduce the risk of accidentally destroying the cake), you can either melt the icing slightly or mix it with a little bit of water to make it easier to work with.

10 Coat the entire cake with chocolate chips by pressing them gently into the frosting to get them to stay.

11 Using the remaining vanilla frosting, dollop 8 evenly spaced circles around the top of the cake.

12 Place a maraschino cherry on top of each dollop.

13 Admire your finished cake, cut, and serve. This cake is very rich, so cut it into very small slices. Enjoy!

Avocado-Feta Salsa

Avocado-Feta Salsa
from http://www.bhg.com/recipe/appetizers-snacks/avocado-feta-salsa/

Makes: 12 (1/4 cup) servings
Prep: 20 minutes
Chill: 2 hours

Ingredients

2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. snipped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. snipped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. red or white wine vinegar
4 oz. feta cheese, coarsely crumbled
Pita chips or tortilla chips

Directions
1. In a medium bowl combine tomatoes, avocado, onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, oil, and vinegar. Stir gently to mix. Gently stir in feta cheese. Cover and chill for 2 hours or up to 6 hours. Serve salsa with pita or tortilla chips. Makes 12 (1/4 cup) servings.

Chunky Tomato Salsa

chunky tomato salsa
from http://www.bhg.com/recipe/salsas/chunky-tomato-salsa/

Makes: 5 to 6 pints (80, 2 tablespoon servings)
Prep: 2 hours
Cook: 100 minutes plus process 15 minutes
Stand: 30 minutes

ingredients
8 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 16 medium)
2 cups seeded and chopped fresh Anaheim or poblano chile peppers (2 to 3)
1/3 to 1/2 cup seeded and chopped fresh jalapeño chile peppers (2 large)
2 cups chopped onions (2 large)
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 of a 6-oz. can (1/3 cup) tomato paste
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
3 cups yellow, green or red cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup torn fresh cilantro
directions
Seed, core, and coarsely chop tomatoes (you should have about 15 cups). Place tomatoes in a large colander. Let drain 30 minutes.

Place drained tomatoes in a 7- to 8-quart non reactive heavy pot. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, about 1 1/2 hours or until desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Add chile peppers, onions, lime juice, vinegar, tomato paste, garlic, crushed cumin, salt, and black pepper. Return mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in cherry tomatoes (if using) and the cilantro. Remove from heat.

Ladle hot salsa into hot, sterilized pint canning jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids. Process in a boiling-water canner for 15 minutes (start timing when water returns to boiling). Remove jars; cool on racks.

Green Salsa: Use 15 cups chopped green tomatoes in place of the red tomatoes. Omit the initial 30 minute stand. Cook tomatoes only 15 to 20 minutes after mixture comes to boil, stirring frequently and cook, covered, after adding the chile peppers and onions, stirring frequently. Omit the tomato paste for this variation.

Pineapple Salsa: Reduce chopped tomatoes to 12 cups. Proceed as directed except reduce the first cooking time to about 1 1/4 hours. Stir in 3 cups chopped pineapple with the chile peppers.

Hot Chipotle Salsa: Omit jalapeño peppers. Stir in 1, 7-ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped, with the Anaheim peppers.

nutrition facts
Servings Per Recipe 5 to 6 pints (80, 2 tablespoon servings) Other Carbohydrates (d.e.).5, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Sugar Cookies and Molasses Cookies

Sugar Cookies
found in From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens
Makes 5 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 20-30 minutes
Baking Time: 8-10 minutes per baking sheet

1½ cups sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk, or sour cream
3¾ cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
5 dozen raisins

1. Cream sugar and butter until well blended and fluffy.
2. Add eggs and beat well.
3. Add milk, dry ingredients, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
4. Drop by teaspoonsful onto greased baking sheets. Place a raisin in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly so the raisins stay in place.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Variation:
Use 1 tsp. lemon extract in place of vanilla.

Molasses Cookies
found in From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens
Makes 4 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 20-30 minutes
Baking Time: 8-10 minutes per baking sheet

½ cup solid shortening
¼ lb. light brown sugar
1 cup dark baking molasses
1 cup buttermilk
3 cups flour
1½ tsp. baking soda
2 egg yolks

1. Cream shortening and brown sugar until fluffy.
2. Beat in molasses and buttermilk.
3. Stir in flour and baking soda.
4. Drop in large dollops from teaspoon onto greased baking sheets.
5. Glaze by brushing tops of cookies with a bit of egg yolk before baking.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Variation: Add 1 tsp. ground ginger and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon in Step 3.

Sweet-Sour Bean Trio slow cooker

Sweet-Sour Bean Trio
Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly, page 105
Makes 8 servings
Ideal slow-cooker size: 3½-quart

Ingredients:
4 slices lean bacon
1 onion, chopped
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup vinegar
16-oz. can low-sodium lima beans, drained
16-oz. can low-sodium baked beans, undrained
16-oz. can low-sodium kidney beans, drained

1. Brown bacon in a nonstick skillet. Crumble. Combine bacon, 2 Tbsp. drippings from bacon, onion, brown sugar, mustard, garlic, salt, and vinegar.
2. Mix with beans in slow cooker.
3. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

Note: These beans are a good side dish or are good served over rice.

Per Serving: 210 calories (20 calories from fat), 2g total fat (0.5g saturated, 0gtrans), 5mg cholesterol, 570mg sodium, 40g total carbohydrate (9g fiber, 15g sugar), 11g protein, 4%DV vitamin A, 4%DV vitamin C, 6%DV calcium, 10%DV iron.

George Foreman Grill

Anyone who knows me knows I love my George Foreman Grills. Yes I said Grills plural. I am up to 4 in current use and have gone through two before the current set. I have my regular every day one for use feeding just me (big enough for a pork steak, two burgers, or a good size piece of fish), a larger grill with removable plates that are dishwasher safe, an indoor - outdoor version with a stand, and one for roasts.

At first it was intimidating but gradually as I used it and realized I could grill without going outside in the rain or winter, I was sold. Over the years I have found them to be a great tool. That being said I always look at the recipes to get new ideas. If you are new to using one you need this more but even after many many uses, these can give me new ideas to improvise a meal in minutes.

These are new spring recipes. Boy its a good thing you can do them inside since it's not very springlike yet.
http://www.georgeforemancooking.com/blog/2011/04/13/creating-a-fresh-spring-diet/