Rolo Pretzel Treats

mini pretzels (original, square, circle, star, your choice)
Rolo's candy, unwrapped
halved pecans

Preheat oven to 350. place pretzels on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Place rolos on top of pretzels. Bake for 3 minutes only. They should not be melted, just softened. Remove from oven and press pecan half on top about halfway. May be placed in refrigerator to set up faster, but do not store in refrigerator.

*mini Reese's peanut butter cups can be substituted for he Rolo's if desired.

1st picture is before baking. 2nd picture is after baking and adding pecan.

How to Melt Almond Bark in Microwave

Break almond bark into small pieces (may have to use a knife for large blocks) and place in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on full power for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir. Heat at full power for 15 seconds. Stir. Keep doing this until it is the right consistency for dipping, pouring, coating, etc...If the almond bark gets too hot it may scorch or thicken up. Do not add water or milk, instead, add a drop or two of vegetable oil and stir.

Kathy Foster's Lemon Cookies

1 c. butter
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1 c. flour
2/3 c. cornstarch
Icing:
6 T. butter
1 lb. powdered sugar
zest of 1 lemon
lemon juice, for consistency

Cream butter and sugar together. Sift flour and cornstarch into butter mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes. Cookie will not be brown. While cookies are baking, combine icing ingredients, using lemon juice to get icing to the right spreading consistency.  Allow cookies to cool before adding icing. Delicious!

Mary's Butterscotch Squares

1/2 butter
2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder, optional
1 c. nuts, optional

Melt butter and add sugar. Add eggs one at a time, add vanilla, flour, baking powder and nuts. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Topping:
1 c. powdered sugar
dash of cinnamon
water to make spreadable

Combine ingredients. Spread on hot squares.

Mary's Vanilla Wafer Cake

1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
6 eggs
12 oz. box vanilla wafer cookies, crushed
1/2 c. milk
1 c. moist coconut, optional
1 c. pecans

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Add wafers and milk. Beat until smooth about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl often. Add coconut and pecans. Grease or spray a tube or jelly roll pan. Bake at 275 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Mary's Applesauce Salad

1 small pkg lime jello
3/4 c. boiling water
2 c. applesauce
1 c. crushed pineapple
1/2 c. chopped nuts
1 c. chopped celery

Dissolve jello in water.Add applesauce. Cool until thickened. Stir in pineapple, nuts and celery. Let set until firm.

Mary's Coconut Dump Cake

1 can cherry pie filling
20 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 c. coconut
1 yellow cake mix, dry
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 c. chopped nuts, optional

Spray 9x13 dish. Dump first 4 ingredients in dish, one at a time in order listed. Do Not Stir.. Add dry cake mix. Pour melted butter over cake. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

Mary's Sweet Potato Casserole

3 c. sweet potatoes, mashed
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. butter, melted
Topping:
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. chopped nuts
1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. butter, melted

Combine all of casserole ingredients and place in sprayed dish. Combine ll topping ingredients and place on top of first layer. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Mary's Sweet Potato Casserole with Coconut

2 c. mashed sweet potatoes
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs
1/2 stick butter
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
Topping:
1 c. coconut
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. chopped nuts
1/2 stick butter

Combine all of casserole ingredients and place in sprayed 2 qt. baking dish. Combine all topping ingredients and place on top of first mixture. Bake at 300 for 35 minutes.

Aunt Becky's Binkley Apples

2 cans sliced apples
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
3/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 pkg small cherry jello, dry
1/2 c. butter

Combine sugar and cornstarch together. Combine all other ingredients. Place in 9x13 pan. Melt 1/2 c. butter. Pour butter over mixture. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Billi's Vegetable Lasagna

1 lb. lasagna noodles, I used the no boil type
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 c. ricotta cheese
2, 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained, (I used Del Monte with basil, garlic and oregano)
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, thinly sliced, (I used 1 1/2 c.)
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 egg
15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 box frozen spinach, optional, (I used Birdseye steamfresh broccoli instead)
1 green pepper, chopped
3 small to medium zucchini, sliced, (I used 1 1/2 c. zucchini & 1 1/2 c. butternut squash)
Italian seasoning to taste
Panko Italian seasoned bread crumbs, optional

Preheat oven to 375. Spray 9x13 baking dish. Saute veggies in large skillet for 5 minutes. Add seasonings. Stir well. Simmer 3 minutes. Combine tomato sauce and tomato paste together until sauce is absorbed. Add to veggie mixture. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Cook spinach as directed on box, if using. Combine egg and ricotta. Add drained spinach. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. Place layer noodles on bottom of dish. Add layer of veggies, then layer of ricotta. Add layer of cheeses:  Mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan. Repeat layers, ending with cheese. Top with bread crumbs before baking, if using. Bake 45-55 minutes. Cover with foil to prevent burning if needed. Allow to set 10 minutes before serving. Serve with cheesy pull apart bread. Yum!!

1st picture is veggies sauteing in skillet. 2nd picture is a serving after baking.

Grandma's Graham Cracker Cake

1/2 c. crisco
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 t. baking powder
4 eggs, separated
3/4 c. milk
2 c. crushed graham cracker crumbs
1 c. walnuts, chopped

Combine crisco, egg yolks, and sugar. Add milk, vanilla, crumbs, baking powder, and nuts. Fold in beaten egg whites until frothy. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Ice with lemon frosting if desired.

*This was Mark's grandma's recipe. Everyone always raves about it being made without any flour.

Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread

For a full recipe you will need:

6 mozzarella cheese sticks (string cheese), cut into 4 pcs.
5 sharp cheddar cheese sticks (or cheddar cubes if you can't find the sticks), cut into 4 pcs.
5 pepper jack or colby jack cheese sticks, cut into 4 pcs.
2  containers (8 ct) Pillsbury Grands Homestyle buttermilk biscuits, split each biscuit into 2 pcs.
2 T. butter
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/3 c. diced cherry tomatoes, cut into 4 pcs. (optional)
1/3 c. finely diced spinach leaves, (optional)
1/4 c. finely shredded mozzarella cheese
fresh shredded Parmesan cheese, (optional)
pretzel sticks
marinara sauce, (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. You should have 64 pcs. of cheese after you've cut the sticks. You should have 32 biscuit circles after splitting. Flatten the biscuits. Place 2 pcs. of cheese in the middle of each biscuit. These can be the same type of cheese or different, your choice. Pinch the dough together and roll in your hands to make perfect circles. Place parchment paper on two 9x13 baking sheets. For one large Christmas tree shape, start with 7 cheese filled biscuits for the bottom of the tree. For 2 small trees: use 5 biscuits for the bottom of the tree. Working upwards, place 1 less biscuit ball in each layer until you get to the top of the tree. Microwave the butter and stir in the garlic powder. Use a pastry brush to cover the trees with the garlic butter. Sprinkle mozzarella over top. Top with spinach and tomatoes, if desired. Remove any cheese and spinach that falls on the parchment paper or tuck underneath. Bake for 30-34 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and the center is cooked. Gently slide onto a serving platter or cutting board, if desired. I just put mine in a bread bowl. Sprinkle with fresh Parmesan or mozzarella cheese if desired. Place a handful of pretzel sticks under the tree to resemble a trunk, if desired. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping, optional.

For a half recipe you will need:

3 mozzarella cheese sticks, cut into 4 pcs.
2-3 cheddar sticks, cut into 4 pcs. (I couldn't find the sticks, so I used cubes)
2-3 monterey jack sticks, cut into 4 pcs.
1 pkg. (8 ct) Grands buttermilk biscuits, split each biscuit into 2 pcs.
1 T. butter
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/8 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
spinach, chopped (optional)
grape tomatoes, diced (optional)

Same directions as before. I made these to go with my baked spaghetti and they were delicious. I did not use the spinach, tomatoes, pretzels, marinara, or Parmesan.

1st picture is before pinching biscuits closed, 2nd picture is assembled on cookie sheet, 3rd picture is with cheese added before baking, 4th picture is after baking: