Baggie Omelets

I have never made these myself, but have heard from several of my camping friends that they are delicious..Enjoy!

1 pint size ziploc bag
2 eggs
chopped ham
cooked bacon or Oscar Meyer real bacon pieces
peppers
onions
mushrooms
shredded cheese
any other ingredients you like in your omelets

Place all your ingredients in the ziploc bag. Seal tightly, getting most of the air out. Squish the ingredients together. Place the bag in a pot of boiling water with sealed edge hanging slightly out of pot. (Clip with clothes pin if needed) Boil 10 minutes. Take bag out of water. Carefully open and slide onto plate. Several omelets can be made at the same time using this method.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler

1 stick butter
1 egg, beaten
1 c. milk
1 c. SR flour
1 c. sugar/splenda
2 qts whole strawberries, capped and washed
4 ox. cream cheese, cut in cubes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter. Pour in 9x13 pyrex dish. Combine egg, milk, flour and sugar/splenda. Pour over butter. Do Not Stir. Add strawberries, in a single layer. Sprinkle cream cheese on top. Bake for 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and edges are bubbling. This recipe makes its own crust. Top with vanilla ice cream. YUM!

Easter Knot Cookies

2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 1/2 c. sugar
6 eggs
2 T. milk
1 t. flavored extract (I used orange)
1 t. vanilla
8 c. SR flour

Icing: (Buttercream)

3/4 box confectioners sugar
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 t. flavored extract
a little milk*
food coloring

For cookies, Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, milk, flavor and vanilla. Add flour 1 c. at a time. Stir well after each addition. Roll dough into 1/2" thick logs. Form into knots. Place on parchment paper covered sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and ice.

To make icing, combine confectioners sugar and butter. Add flavor. Slowly add milk until desired consistency* is reached. Add food coloring if desired. I divided some of the icing in several small bowls before adding food coloring so I could make several colors.

*Consistency amounts: for a nice thick icing use only 6 T. milk, a little thinner, use 8 T. milk, for a glaze like icing, use 10 T. milk

These cookies are not too sweet but still have a nice texture and flavor to them

Crockpot Pork Tenderloin with Maple Syrup

2 lb. boneless pork tenderloin
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 t. mustard
2-3 T. maple syrup
2 T. oil
2 T. dried onion
1 1.2 t. garlic salt or powder

Place pork in lined crockpot. Mix all other ingredients. Pour over pork. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve with rice or macaroni and cheese.

another variation:

2-3 lb. boneless pork tenderloin
1 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 c. balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 T. worcestershire sauce
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. honey
1/2 t. red pepper flakes or crushed red pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Place liner in crockpot. Place tenderloin in bottom. Combine all other ingredients and pour over top. Cook on low for 6 hours. Remove from crockpot. Break apart with fork and ladle 1/2-1 c. of juice over top before serving. Store covered in juice in refrigerator (to prevent drying out). May make bbq with leftovers if desired.

Apple Crisp

1 c. chopped pecans, optional
1 c. brown sugar*
1 c. oats
1 c. flour
1/2 c. butter, melted
4 c. apples, chopped
2 t. cinnamon sugar
caramel syrup, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 dish. Combine brown sugar, oats, flour and butter. Mix until crumbly. Place apples in dish. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Top with crumb mixture. Place pecans on top if desired. Bake 40-45 minutes until golden brown. Drizzle with caramel syrup and top with ice cream to serve. YUM!

* I have made this using the splenda blend as well--use half as much

Old Fashioned Tomato Soup

2 c. canned chopped tomatoes
2 c. milk
2 T. butter
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

Place tomatoes in pot. Bring to a boil. Add milk until heated through on medium low heat. Do not allow milk to boil.. Be careful not to scald the milk. Stir. Add butter and seasonings, if desired. Serve with crackers.

*Dad and I don't remember mom ever using anything but tomatoes, milk and maybe some salt when she made this soup

Debbie's Sour Cream Pound Cake

3 c. SR flour
3 c. sugar
1/2 lb butter, room temperature
1 c. sour cream
1 T. vanilla
6 eggs, separated

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add 1 egg yolk at a time. Beat well after each. Add sour cream and vanilla. Add flour gradually. Beat egg whites stiff with mixer on high. Fold into batter. Spray a bundt/angel food cake pan. Pour mixture into pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour.

* one of Pepaw's favorites

Easter Peeps S'mores

2 graham cracker squares
1 snacksize Hershey's bar
1 Easter peep rabbit

Place all ingredients inside a sandwich size ziploc bag with these directions attached on an index card : Place unwrapped chocolate on top of graham cracker half. Place peep on top of chocolate. Microwave 10-15 seconds..Be sure to watch. Top with other graham cracker half. Enjoy the gooey goodness.

You're one of my favorite peeps~ Happy Easter!

Meatball Casserole

2 1/2-3 lb bag frozen Italian meatballs
46 oz. spaghetti sauce
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 c. Italian blend cheese, shredded
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded
Italian seasoning
loaf of Italian bread
garlic butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place meatballs in large pan and cover with sauce. Add Italian seasoning to taste. Cook over medium heat until warmed through. Stir as needed to prevent sticking. Remove from heat and place in sprayed 9x13 dish. Layer mozzarella cheese and Italian cheese on top of meatballs. Top off with Parmesan. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melted. Spread garlic butter over bread and place in oven until browned to serve with casserole. Serve with a nice salad for a complete meal.

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Cookies

1 can seamless crescent rolls
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

Beat sugar, cream cheese and vanilla together til smooth. Unroll crescent roll sheet. Stretch dough slightly until rectangle shaped. Spread cream cheese on top. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Roll the crescent roll sheet up tightly and cover in sprayed saran wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Slice crescent roll into 1/4" slices. Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve and eat warm.

Gooey Butter Cookies

1 box butter cake mix
1 stick butter
1/4 t. vanilla
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
unwrapped Hershey's kisses
mini m&m's*

Combine all ingredients with mixer until well blended. Chill dough 2 hours. Roll into small balls and roll in powdered sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. As soon as cookies are out of oven, press a kiss in the middle and allow to cool.

*Stir in m&m's before baking, if desired

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Hershey Kisses

1 box any cake mix
pumpkin spice Hershey's kisses, unwrapped
15 oz. can pumpkin, not pie filling
1-2 t.cinnamon or pumpkin spice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together cake mix and pumpkin. Add spice. Scoop cake mixture onto lined or sprayed pan. Bake 8-10 min.(The longer you bake the crispier they will be) As soon as you take the cookies out of the oven, place one kiss in the middle and allow to cool.

Crockpot Vegetarian Chili

19 oz. can black bean soup
15 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
16 oz. can vegetarian baked beans
14.5 oz. can chopped tomatoes in puree
15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 T. chili powder
1 T. dried parsley
1 T. dried oregano
1 T. dried basil

Place liner in crockpot. Combine all ingredients in pot. Cook for at least 4 hours on low, or 2 hours on high.

Muddy Buddy Chex Mix

9 c. chex mix cereal (any kind)
1 c. chocolate chips
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 c. candy corn
1 1/2 c. Reese's pieces or M&M's
2 c. pretzels, any type
kettlecorn
marshmallow bits

Pour cereal in large bowl. Melt chips, butter, and peanut butter in microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir and return to microwave. Microwave in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal. Stir gently to coat. Place in large ziploc bag and pour powdered sugar in. Seal. Shake until evenly coated. Spread cereal out onto parchment paper covered cookie sheet and cool completely. Combine with candy corn, kettle corn, pretzels, marshmallow bits, and m&m's. Store in air tight container.

Makes a nice fall treat!

Crockpot Cranberry Chicken or Pork with Apples

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or pork chops
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1/2 c. water
2 T. brown sugar

2 large apples, sliced, I use fuji or honeycrisp

Combine all ingredients. Place chicken or pork in lined crockpot. Pour mixture over meat. Cook on low 6-8 hours until done. Spoon sauce over meat before serving. Serve with rice. I love the taste of apples and cranberries together with pork.

*recipe may be doubled. I have also made it with pork tenderloin.

Buttered Shrimp

1 stick butter
peeled shrimp
old bay seasoning, to taste
lemon, sliced thin, optional

Melt stick of butter in 9x13 dish. Place shrimp on top of melted butter. Sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Serve over rice and with a salad.

*You can add the lemon to the dish before adding the shrimp if you desire. I didn't. You could also use dry Italian dressing mix instead of Old Bay.

Loaded Baked Potato and Chicken Casserole

2 (24 oz) pkgs. Simply Potatoes mashed potatoes (found in the refrigerated section at the store)
4 oz. cream cheese , softened
3/4 t. pepper
3 1/2 c. Rotisserie chicken, shredded, divided
1 c. chopped green onion, divided (optional)
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
12 oz. pkg. broccoli florets, divided*
1 pkg. Oscar Meyer real bacon pieces, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 dish. Peel back film from potatoes to vent. Microwave each pkg 3 minutes on high. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, cream cheese, and pepper. Beat with mixer until well combined. Stir in 1 3/4 c. chicken, 1 c. cheese, 2/3 c. onion, half of broccoli, and half of bacon. Spread in prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining chicken, broccoli, and bacon. Top with remaining cheese. Cover and bake 45 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through. Top with remaining onion. Serve with a salad for a complete meal.

*I like to cook my broccoli a little before adding to the casserole. Otherwise it's still pretty raw when you eat it (even after it's been cooking for 45 minutes)

Kisses Acorn Treats

Hershey's kisses (I used original and pumpkin spice flavors)
butterscotch chips*
mini vanilla wafers
buttercream icing (I used canned)

Remove wrappers from kisses. Place small dab of icing on bottom of kiss. Add one vanilla wafer. Place another small dab of icing on top of wafer and add butterscotch chip. Set aside to set.

*peanut butter or cinnamon chips can be used instead, if desired

Such a cute fall treat!

Pumpkin Fudge

3 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
1 small can (5 oz) evaporated milk
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
12 oz. bag butterscotch chips
7 oz. marshmallow creme
1 c. chopped pecans, optional
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. pure pumpkin (not pie filling)

Butter a 9x13 dish. In a heavy saucepan, combine first 4 ingredients. Add pumpkin. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Boil until mixture reaches 234 degrees (at least 15 minutes). Remove from heat and quickly stir in butterscotch chips, nuts, marshmallow creme and vanilla. Mix till well blended. Immediately pour into dish and spread evenly. Set in refrigerator to set up and cut into squares. YUM!

Memaw's Fruitcake Cookies

1 c. candied pineapple
1 c. candied cherries
10 oz. pkg. chopped dates, rolled in sugar
2 c. chopped  nuts, optional
1/2 c. margarine
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 c. wine
2 c. raisins
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 1/2 t. vinegar
2 c. SR flour
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. allspice
3 egg whites*

Soak raisins in wine overnight. Cream margarine & sugar. Add egg yolks. Sift flour and spices together and put vinegar in milk. Alternate flour mixture and milk to batter. Reserve part of flour to coat candied fruit. Add raisins and fruit to batter. *Place bowl and beaters in refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes before you beat the egg whites very stiff and fold into batter. Add nuts and mix well. Drop small cookies on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake at 250 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Makes over 100 small cookies. Store in air tight container. **Even people who don't like fruitcakes, like these cookies.

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

boneless, skinless chicken breasts
ham, thin sliced
swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice chicken breasts in half (I don't cut them all the way in half--I leave them hinged) and add a slice or two of ham and a slice of cheese. Place other half on top. Bake in oven 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Yum!

Crockpot Apple Crisp

4-5 c. apples, sliced
1 c. oats
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
3 t. cinnamon
3/4 c. butter

Spray or line crockpot. Add apples. Melt butter and combine with all other ingredients. Pour over apples. Cook on low for 4 hours. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.

Minestrone Soup (Olive Garden)

3 T. oil
1 small minced onion
1/2 c. chopped zucchini
1/2 c. Italian green beans
1/2 stalk chopped celery
4 cloves minced garlic
4 c. vegetable broth
2 (15 oz.) cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 (15 oz.) cans white beans, rinsed and drained
14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 c. shredded carrot
2 T. parsley
1 1/2 t. oregano
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. basil
1/4 t. thyme
3 c. hot water
4 c. fresh baby spinach
1/2 c. small shell pasta

Measure oil into large stock pot and heat on medium. Place onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in pot and saute for 5 minutes or until onions become translucent. Add broth, tomatoes, white and red beans, carrots, hot water and spices to pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Add spinach and pasta and cook an additional 20 minutes. Recipe may be doubled.

Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole

4 medium sweet potatoes
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
3 cooking apples, cut into rings
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c.+ brown sugar or 1/4 c. brown sugar substitute
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. chopped pecans, optional

Cook sweet potatoes until tender. Drain. Pull off peeling and slice into 1/4" rounds. Combine brown sugar with cinnamon and nutmeg, Spray a pyrex dish. Layer 1/2 sweet potatoes, apples, sugar mixture and then potatoes again. Combine flour,  butter, pecans, and a little more brown sugar. Top sweet potatoes and apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Eggnog Fudge

1 stick butter
3/4 c. eggnog
2 c. sugar
10 oz. pkg white chocolate chips
1/2 t. nutmeg
7 oz. jar marshmallow creme
1 c. chopped pecans, optional
1 t. rum extract
red and green candied cherries,halved

Spray large saucepan. This will make clean up easier. Place butter, eggnog, and sugar in saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium high heat. Stir constantly. Reduce heat to medium, and continue to boil, stirring frequently 8-10 minutes, or until reaches 234 degrees (soft ball stage). Do not scorch! Remove from heat, add chips and nutmeg. Stir until smooth. Add marshmallow creme, pecans, and extract. Mix well. Pour into 8x8 or 9x9 pan lined with buttered foil. Place halved cherries on top. Cool completely. Cut into squares. Store in air tight container.

Holly Leaves

30 regular size marshmallows
1 stick butter
2 t. green food coloring
4 c. corn flakes

Spray large saucepan with cooking spray first. This will make clean up a lot easier. Slowly melt marshmallows and butter. Remove from heat. Stir in food coloring. Gently stir in corn flakes until coated. Drop on waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Decorate with 2-3 red hot cinnamon candy or red mini m&m's.

Melissa's Microwave Fudge

3 c. semi sweet chocolate chips (a new bag works best)
1/4 c. melted butter
1 can Eaglebrand milk
1-2 t. vanilla

Place all ingredients in a microwaveable bowl and melt about 3 minutes. Stir after each minute. When melted add vanilla. Stir. Pour in rectangle pan/dish and place in refrigerator for 2 hours or until firm. Cut in squares. Keep in air tight container.

Banana Bread Bars

1-1/2 c. sugar
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 eggs
3 or 4 ripe bananas, mashed
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. SR flour
1/2 c. chopped pecans (optional)

Brown Butter Frosting:

1/2 c. butter
4 c. powdered sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. milk

Heat oven to 375F. Grease and flour 15x10-inch jelly roll pan. For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy. Blend in bananas and vanilla extract. Add flour and blend for 1 minute. Stir in nuts. Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat immediately. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Whisk together until smooth (it should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting). Using a spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over the warm bars (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm). Cut into bars.