7 layer bars

This has to be my all time favorite treat. I remember the first time that I had them in 1969! It was Christmas-time and my Aunt Maxine brought them to a family party! I was in love them and am even more today. Actually, I mean that literally because I made them yesterday and by default (using what I had to work with before going grocery shopping), I made them better than ever! The Heath Bar bits were the secret! NUMMMMMMMM!

Crush one package of graham crackers to crumbs. (about 1 1/2 cups)

Melt 1/2 cup butter and pour over the crumbs in a 9x13 glass baking dish.

Mix the crumbs and spread to make a crust, pressing down with a fork.

Layer:

1 cup milk chocolate chips.

1 cup Heath Bar Tidbits (available near chocolate chips in the baking aisle.)

1 cup crushed pecans

1 cup shredded coconut

Pour 1 can of sweetened condensed milk over the crust.

Bake at 350 degrees until the coconut is toasted slightly brown. (about 20-25 minutes)
Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature. ENJOY!

Macaroni Salad ~ Amy Style

My friend, Amy Sorenson, posted this recipe on her blog and I thought I'd try it for a cool summer meatless meal. We drew mixed reviews on it from the kids. (As if that were any surprise...why can't kids love summer salads like grown-ups?) I liked it, Doug loved it. So, I called in my cooking friend, Connie, to get her opinion and she really loved it. So, here's the recipe, in Amy's words.

Macaroni Salad, Amy-Style
24 ounces ditalini or other small pasta

1/2 red onion, diced small

1/2 red pepper,diced small

2 1/4" thick slices of cheese, diced small (meunster, cheddar or swiss)

1 cup corn

3/4 cup petite peas

2 avocados, diced small (just barely ripe)

While the pasta is boiling in salted water, dice everything and make the dressing:
1 1/2 cups mayo

1/3 cup white vinegar

3 T sugar

3 T yellow mustard (not Dijon or honey or fancy or spicy—just yellow mustard)

2 tsp dill

1 1/2-2 tsp salt

tons of freshly-ground black pepper

When the pasta is tender—cook a little bit softer than al dente for cold macaroni salad, otherwise it's too firm—drain, preserving the water. Bring the hot pasta water back to boiling, then cook the corn and peas for about 3 minutes. Chill the pasta with ice (otherwise, it will melt the cheese). Chill the corn and peas in the same way. Stir all ingedients together carefully (if you are too rough the avocado will turn into guacamole), then add the dressing and mix. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Chill till serving. Or eat some slightly-warm for lunch.

***I usually put hardboiled eggs in my macaroni salad. The salad is still delicious without the eggs, but with it...even better!

And a note from me... I'm not big on mustard, so next time, I'll probably use a little less mustard. We're big on veggies, so I'll probably double the peas and corn. The bites with avocado were the best, so I'll add an extra avocado, too! Loved the dill! I used fresh from the garden! Enjoy!

Chinese Cabbage Salad

This salad has been around forever and there are lots of versions of the recipe. Here's the one that I fell in love with first! It's really not that much work and can be made to chill in less than 20 minutes. It serves a plethora of people and is great for a summer dish!

1 head of chinese cabbage (or regular)
1 bunch green onions
1 can Swanson's chicken breast (optional, but I prefer it)
1/2 cup butter
2 packages of ramen noodles (chicken flavored)
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar

Chop cabbage and green onions. Drain the can of chicken and toss chicken into a large bowl and mix well. For dressing, combine the oil, sugar and vinegar in a container and mix well. Pour over the cabbage mix. Toss and coat well. Chill.

Melt butter in a large frypan. Crush the dry ramen noodles into tiny pieces and add to the melted butter. Add sesame seeds and almonds. Sautee until the almonds begin to turn golden brown. Sprinkle the seasoning packets from the raman into this mixture. Stir well and put in a bowl, cover and chill.

Just before serving, mix all of the ingredients into the large bowl of cabbage. Stir and toss well. It doesn't keep well, so don't mix too far in advance of serving or the noodles will not be crunchy. (Personally, I like it just as well when they aren't! It's good anytime!) Enjoy!

Ham and Cream Cheese Roll-ups

I made these to take to our Twilight Trilogy Marathon and kept them on ice in a cooler. Fun stuff! Very quick and easy to make!

3-ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons pineapple apricot perserves or jam
1/3 pound thinly sliced fully-cooked ham, cut into 1 x 4-inch strips

Mix the cream cheese and jam until smooth and creamy. Spread a thin layer on the tortilla. Place ham strips on half of the tortilla. Roll up tightly, starting with the side that has the ham slices. Slice in one inch roll-ups. You can use pretty toothpicks to hold them closed, but not necessary. You can also add mango or kiwi in the center of the roll-up for another bit of flavor and a lot of color! Make up to 4 hours ahead, cover and chill. Enjoy! Enough to fill about seven tortillas.

Baked Tilapia

Tilapia has become one of our favorite main dishes. It's mild enough that it doesn't taste fishy. For me, a non-fish lover, that's important! I've been trying new recipes and tonight's was a hit. The best part was that it took about five minutes of prep time and there's no clean up! You toss the foil and voila!

1 cup bread crumbs (I blended up Garlic toasted croutons)
1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack/Colby cheese blend
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Spanish Paprika
1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix the breading ingredients. Place 8 tilapia filets on a large piece of foil, placed on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the breading mix evenly over each filet. Cover with a second piece of foil and seal the edges, trying not to flatten the foil onto the breading. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

I made this for dinner a long time ago and remembered the recipe last night. It's such a simple meal and tastes like you've been cooking all day. (not my photo, for the record.) The little touch of tomato in it gives it a little kick. Everyone loved it!

Meatballs:

1 pound hamburger

1 egg

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 sprinkle of nutmeg

Mix all ingredients. Make tiny meatballs and bworn on all sides in a little olive oil. OR use premade meatballs if you're in a pinch.

Sauce:

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 can Pineapple tidbits (do not drain)

2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce

3 Tbsp. vinegar

1/2 cup cold water

3/4 cup sugar

8 oz. can of tomato sauce

1 green pepper

Dissolve cornstarch in water. Add remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil until thinckened. Add green pepper and simmer. Pour over meatballs. Serve over cooked rice. Serves six. Enjoy!

Apple Mango Salsa

This weekend, I discovered along with this fabulous recipe that I am allergic to mangoes. Funniest thing is that I never even liked mangoes until this weekend..and I grew up in Florida with a mango tree in our back yard! Everyone that tried it this weekend, asked for the recipe and said, as my good friend, Marilyn always says, "That's a WOWSER!!" It is! No sugar, totally healthy, quick to fix and so simple!

2 mangoes

2 apples

1 small purple onion (I used about 1/3-1/2 cup)

cilantro (about 2 T. dried because I was out of fresh)

juice of 2 limes

salt to taste

Put all ingredients in a food processor and chop. Pour lime juice over top and stir in. Add salt to taste. Serve with chips. (I used Mission Style chips.) Enjoy!!

BUT... for even better delight, I made the second batch to take to Carol's and spread 16 oz. softened cream cheese on a plate, then poured the salsa on top. OH MY!!! Milder because of the cream cheese. And of course, everything's better with cream cheese on it! ENJOY twice as much! Enjoy!

Ginger Chicken Stir-fry

I came across this old recipe recently and had forgotten how wonderful and simple it was. You could even use a bag or two of frozen stir-fry veggies if you don't want to chop fresh veggies, but I think it's a great way to use up all the veggies in the fridge. It couldn't be any more simple! I don't even remember who I got it from but I do remember how tasty it was!

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 pound of chicken tenders

4 cups fresh chopped veggies of choice (celery, carrots, broccoli, onions, snow peas, peppers. water chestnuts...)

1 clove garlic

1 small can chicken broth

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. ginger (0r fresh ginger root)

hot noodles

Stirfry the chicken in the olive oil. Add the veggies and stir-fry until cooked. In a separate bowl, mix the broth, cornstarch, sit sauce and ginger until smooth. Pour over the chicken and cook until the sauce boils and thickens. Serve over hot spaghetti, vermicelli noodles or cooked rice. Enjoy!

Funeral Potatoes

Funeral Potatoes are called funeral potatoes because they are the staple at every LDS funeral I've ever attended! Denise calls them Party Potatoes. We just call them good!

8 large potatoes (boiled or baked, then chopped into bitesize or smaller pieces)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cups sour cream

2 cups grated cheese

1/2 cup green onion chopped

2 tbsp. butter

Sprinkle salt to taste over the potatoes and then pour the remaining mixture over the potatoes. Do not mix. Cover with corn flakes and more cheese. Bake at 350° till bubbly

OR

Toss all ingredients (plus 1 soup can of milk) in the crockpot and let them cook all afternoon, then add more cheese at the end. Leave out the cornflakes. Different, but my family prefers them MUCH more than the baked way! Either way, Enjoy!

Crescent Roll Cheesecake

Liza ranted about this recipe during the holidays and dropped by with one leftover piece this week. OH MY! VERY tasty and so simple! I can't wait to make it again!

2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar

Unroll one package of crescent rolls and line the bottom of a 9x13" pan. Flatten out well. Mix together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Spread this mix over the crescent rolls. Unroll the other can of crescent rolls and place on top of the cream cheese mix. Pour the melted butter over the top and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Grape Salad

Ruth brought this nummy "salad"/treat to our movie night last week and I've been craving more ever since! It was delish! I will photograph it when I make it myself! But, don't wait for a photo, try it this weekend!

1 - 8 oz cream cheese
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together and pour over grapes, then sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans. Enjoy!

A Christmas Dinner Party

It doesn't get any better than Susan's Between Naps on the Porch in December! Check her out!I love having my two sets of children... the bigs and the babes...because I still get to make things wonderful for the babes during the holidays with all of our traditions. However, I just love having a grown up daughter to make things special for too! Her kind of special does not require candy sprinkles on houses or cookie baking. For Liza, it was hosting an dinner party for her and her husband and her friends from work! I just happen to love every one of them, so the treat was mine!

On top of my china cabinet there is a little lit menagerie of trees and I thought that it would be to carry the trees over to our tablescape with seven other little trees and, as always, lots of candles!

After Thanksgiving Dinner this year, we decided that our Christmas Village china plates were too small. This wasn't really a fine china menu anyway. So, I kept things simple with my favorite sage green plates, red chargers and a candycane hanging from each goblet.

The menu, kept simple, was delectable!

Fresh Cranberry Salsa and Crackers

Spinach Salad with Craisins, Sunflower Seeds, Mandarin Oranges & Cheeses

tossed in Poppyseed Dressing

Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce & Chicken Ravioli

Buttery Green Beans

Fresh out of the oven Rolls

Peppermint & Brownie Trifle

Pomegranate 7-up on Sonic Ice, the preferred drink of the season in our home

(all recipes can be found here on this blog)

Christmas music in the background. A fresh snowstorm just before the party...special ordered, naturally. (wink-wink!)

Of course, my favorite part of any dinner party is the table talk. For this meal, I made a fun list of questions that brought about many fond memories for us all and, surprisingly, some very loud laughter!

Table Talk Questions

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
What was one tradition from your childhood that you plan on carrying on through generations?
Was there a must have in your stocking each year?
Did you have any special traditions about opening the gifts?
How old were you when you knew the “truth” about the Magic of Christmas? How did you find out?
If money were no object, name three things on your wish list this year?
Is there a gift that you’ve wanted for a long time but never received?
Are you more of a Grinch/Scrooge or Griswold?
What’s your favorite Christmas song?
Share a “feel good moment” from one of your Christmas’.
Do you come from a Conservative during the holidays Christmas family or an over the top Christmas family?
What’s your favorite Christmas movie? Why?
Are you a Last minute shopper or ready months before?
What’s the most special gift you’ve ever given?
If you were to write a brag letter for the past year, what would you include in it?
When you hear the song “Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer”, what memory comes to mind?

After dessert, we moved to the living room for games and laughter and fun! Again, I do love having a grown-up daughter! One of the best parts of a grown-up married daughter is that she's gracious and appreciative... when the party was over, she and her sweet hubby did the dishes!I can hardly wait for the next the next time!

Brownies and Peppermint Trifle

I created this recipe last night and it was a huge hit at our Christmas party. It sounds like quite the task. BUT... Actually, this whole thing can be prepared while the brownies bake and then the whole thing took about five minutes to "concoct". It sounds strange. BUT. It's very pretty, it looks like you spent hours on it and oh sooooooooo nummy!

Here's what you'll need:
1 box brownie mix. (I used Pillsbury Dark Fudge because I knew I'd share this recipe and won't share the brownie recipe.) Besides that, box brownies are more like Lo-Cal brownies compared to mine. We'd have had heart attacks after all the cream in the main dish and then cream cheese in my own brownies.)

Bake brownies as directed. Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting. Cut into 1 inch squares.

2 cups cream cheese chocolate frosting. (I keep this frosting made and ready in the refrigerator all the time for brownies and cakes.)

4 cups powdered sugar

8 OZ. cream cheese

1/2 cup softened butter

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa

NEXT, while the brownies are baking:


1 large package instant vanilla pudding
1 regular size Cool Whip
1 tsp. peppermint flavoring
RED food coloring

Mix pudding as directed on the box. Add peppermint flavoring and red food coloring. Whip well. Gently fold in the Cool Whip. Set aside.

1 bag Candy Cane flavored Hershey's Kisses

Unwrap the kisses and place in a double boiler. (or place in a bowl and place it in boiling water.) Stir until softened and melted.



Layer in Trifle Dish as follows:



An inch of peppermint mixture. A layer of brownies completely covering the peppermint mixdrizzle some of the melted Kisses onto the peppermint layerRepeat two more times, noting that the last drizzle of Kisses will set up and harden, giving this an extra crunch when served. Top with crushed candycane if desired. Enjoy!

Festive Spinach Salad

This has to be my favorite salad at any time of the year, but it's especially fun at Christmastime because it's so pretty to look at! Every time I serve it, Doug says, "You can make this salad every day!"

Fresh spinach leaves, torn into bite-sizes
Fresh romaine lettuce, if desired
Can of Mandarin Oranges, drained and sliced in half
about 1/2 cup of salted roasted sunflower seeds (not in the shell) or pinenuts
about 1/2 cup of shredded fresh Romano cheese shredded
about 1/2 cup of Mozzarella Cheese, shredded or thin slices of String cheese (dime size discs)
about 1/2 cup Craisins

Note: My "about 1/2 cups" are very generous! Pour Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing over salad just before serving and toss well. Enjoy!

7 layer Chicken Casserole

This is a great meal to serve on a night that you don't have lots of time to spend in the kitchen. Ten minutes in prep time and your out of the kitchen while it bakes! Very tasty!

Layer 1: Pour half a bag of your favorite tortilla chips (or Fritos) into a greased 9x13" pan.
Layer 2: Spread about 3 cups of cooked, chopped chicken over the chips.
Layer 3: Pour one can of chicken and Wild Rice soup over that.
Layer 4: Pour one can of Mexcian spiced tomatoes over the soup.
Layer 5: Add 2 cups of shredded cheese. (I use more.)
Layer 6: Cover with the rest of the chips.
Layer 7: Add two more cups of shredded cheese on top of this.

Cover with foil, that has been sprayed with Pam and bake for 40 minutes at 350. Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole, if desired. Enjoy!