Crock Pot French Dips

I made these Yummy sandwiches last week for the first time. A recipe I got from a cousin. My family told me we could have them once a week if I would like. I guess you could call them a hit!

Put everything in the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hrs.

1 roast

Beef broth (enough to cover about 1/2 to 3/4 of the beef)

1 pkg Lipton Onion Soup

2 pkg. McCormick Au Jus
(I did not have a package of lipton onion soup, so I minced one small onion and added 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder and 1 beef bullion cube)

After cooking shred the beef and strain the Au jus sauce. I broiled sub rolls, one side buttered the other topped with cheese open faced in the oven till the cheese was melted and bubbly. Add with the shredded meat, then pour a small bowl of the Au Jus sauce for each person to dip their sandwich in. Dip and Enjoy!

Blue Ribbon Chiffon Cake

My mom won first place for this cake back in the day and I think it would be safe to say it has been awhile since she made it.  I found it in her old recipe box and thought it was time to let the recipe out of the vault and share her secrets with the rest of the world.  I'm sure there are many out there who have been waiting all these years to get her secret recipe... so without further adieu I give you Kathy's Blue Ribbon Chiffon Cake.

2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. oil
7 egg yolks
1/4 c. cold water
1/2 c. lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon flavoring
7 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tarter

Beat egg whites & cream of tarter until stiff. In separate bowl beat yolks, sugar, oil, water, juice, flavoring & flour. Fold yolk mixture gently over egg whites. Pour into an angel food tube ban and bake  at 325 for 1 hour.

LEMON FROSTING: 

1/3 cup butter, softened 
3 cups confectioners' sugar 
1/4 cup lemon juice 
4-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel 
Dash salt

In a small bowl, combine frosting ingredients; beat until smooth. Frost top of cake.

Not Yo' Mama's Bananna Pudding

So the other day at work a coworker brought in this amazing little treat and I vowed I would be making it soon.  It was soo good that I wanted to lick the pan clean, but wouldn't openly admit that, then another co-worker took the pan and did lick it clean, I had to laugh outloud!  This was amazing!  I don't love imitation banana flavors so I am glad this didn't use banana pudding.  The fresh bananas were amazing!

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies

These are another recipe that my mom made when we were growing up.  It's a great recipe to make after Halloween when you have all of the left over mini Hershey candy bars.  If you use the mini candy bars you will need one for each cookie, so plan on more than 5(that is for small full size candy bars).  This one is a keeper, it's like a really good Oatmeal cookie but with Chocolate... what could be better?

1 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. soda
1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1 c. coconut
5 small Hershey bars

Cream butter, sugar, eggs & vanilla. Mix flour, salt, & soda in separate bowl then add to creamed picture. Stir in oats and coconut. Shape into balls and put on un-greased cookie sheet then flatten slightly. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and place one square of Hershey chocolate on each cookie. After chocolate is soft spread on cookie.

Baked Asiago Frittata

 I am not usually a big fan of frittata's but this one is really good!  I am not sure if it the the vegetables or the cheese and sausage, but it was delicious!

Ingredients

2 finely chopped broccoli

1/3 sliced green onions

2 garlic, minced

3  Veggie or regular Sausage Patties

1 dried basil leaves or dried Italian seasoning

1/4 salt

1/8 pepper

8 eggs, beaten*

1/4 cup (1 oz.) finely shredded Asiago cheese or Parmesan cheese

1/4 chopped tomato

Directions

1. In 10-inch oven-safe nonstick skillet coated with nonstick spray, cook and stir broccoli, onions and garlic over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from heat.

2. Stir patties, basil, salt and pepper into vegetable mixture. Pour eggs over top.

3. Bake, uncovered, at 350° F for 15 to 19 minutes or until set. Sprinkle with cheese. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with tomato. Cut into wedges.

Helpful Hints Don't have Asiago cheese on hand? Substitute finely shredded Parmesan. Both lend a rich, nutty flavor to this Italian-style frittata.

*Note: For a lower fat version, substitute 2 cups refrigerated egg substitute for the 8 eggs.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are my mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies, they are amazing!  I still don't think I can make them as good as mom does, but I guess every daughter feels like they will never make certain recipes as good as their mom.  I hope to have my daughter help me with these always so she will one day be able to cook them just as good as I do, and maybe as good as grandma.  

1 c. margarine or butter
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 c. chocolate chips
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
3 c. flour

cream butter and sugars until fluffy and smooth, then add eggs and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients saving the chocolate chips until the very last.  Once all ingredients are mixed together drop dough by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 325 for 8-10 minutes. For best results do not over bake; they are soft and delicious if baked until almost done.

Velvet Corn Soup

This is another recipe that reminds me of winter in my house growing up.  My mom use to make this soup all the time.  It's a great one, and it pretty easy to make, you can even put it in the crockpot once it's made to keep it warm all day if needed. 

2 chicken breasts cooked and minced/shredded
3 egg whites
1 c. chicken broth
5 c. water
2 tsp. salt
1 can cream corn
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. water
1 Tbsp. chopped green onions

Put minced chicken in bowl add egg whites and stir. Mix corn, broth, water and cornstarch in a pan and bring to a boil. Add chicken, stirring in one direction only. Cook 1 minute. Garnish with green onion.

Pink Popcorn

This was a staple of my childhood.  Anytime my mom needed to take something to school for one of our class parties she would make this and color it for the occasion, green for St. Patricks day, Red and Green for Christmas, but we always called it Pink Popcorn because if there wasn't a special occasion we always made it pink.  Now a days when mom makes it with the grandkids it's usually blue or green, but they all know what it is and we all love it!  It's something that reminds me of my childhood and my mother.  

1/4 C. Margarine

2 C. Sugar

1/2 C. Water

1 tsp. Salt

Boil ingredients together for 4 minutes stirring constantly, then add 1 tsp Vanilla and any food coloring of your choice. Remove from heat and pour over 2-3 batches of air popped popcorn, stir until completely coated.  Spread popcorn out on counter top to cool completely.

Jumbo Breakfast Cookies

When I saw this recipe on my sisters cucina a while back I knew that I would need to try them out, and now that school is back in session and we are constantly on the run I whipped up a big batch to use a breakfast on the go.  My kids love them and have asked every morning if we can have the breakfast cookies.  I am going to try to make them as a bar cookie so I can cut them up like granola bars.  I will have to let you know how that one goes.  Otherwise these are a good way to give your kids a healthy breakfast treat in the morning.  

1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 Tbsp vanilla
*Stir/Cream together*

Add:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 cups bran flakes cereal
1/2 cup soft butter
1/4 cup water
1 egg, beaten
1 cup chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, peanut butter, vanilla, butterscotch)

"Whatever" mix-ins:
1 cup oats
1 cup craisins or raisins
1 cup coconut
1 cup nuts

***Mix very well! (Your hand will get tired!) Drop by rounded 1/2 cups or giant spoonful. Round into about a 2-inch ball and flatten on cookie sheet to 1/2 inch thick. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-15 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet.

Oatmeal Fudge

This is another no bake cookie recipe that has been in our family for awhile.  My mom use to make these while we were growing up.  They use to call them Oatmeal fudge instead of no bake cookies which is what most of us know them as.  I love going back and finding recipes that have been used by my grandparents and my mother,  It makes me feel somehow connected, and like when I bake I take a step back in time to cook in my grandma's kitchen with her.  I love tried and true family recipes. 

This recipe is a little different than most no bake recipes as there is no peanut butter.  It's got coconut and nuts and oats to make it hearty. It's a fun trip down memory lane for me.

3 Tbsp Cocoa
2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Milk
1/2 C. Shortening
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 C. Coconut
1/2 C. Chopped Nuts
3 C. Oatmeal

Combine Sugar, cocoa, milk, shortening, and salt in a pan and bring it to a boil. Then remove from heat. Add Oatmeal, nuts and coconut and mix until thick. Then drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper and let cool.