Applesauce Drop Donuts
3 TBSP butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 to 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup milk
oil for deep fryer
additional sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well with each addition.  Beat in applesauce and vanilla.  Combine flour, baking podwer, salt, and cinnamon; add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk.  (This will make a super thick batter and a stand mixer is highly recommend)  In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 375.  Drop teaspoonfuls of batter into oil a few at a time, turn with a slotted spoon and fry until golden (about 1 minute each side)  Drain on paper towels, roll in sugar (or sugar cinnamon mixture) while still warm.
** WARNING **
These are highly addictive.

Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti
16 oz. dry spaghetti, cooked
1 lb. Velveeta Light cheese
12.5 oz. can chicken breast, drained and flaked
10 3/4 oz. can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
10 3/4 oz. can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup, undiluted
10 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel)
4 oz. can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1/2 cup water
1 small onion, diced
1 medium green pepper, diced
salt & pepper, to taste
Directions:
Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and stir to mix well.
Cook on LOW for 2-3 hours. Stir again just before serving.

2 lbs Italian link sausage, browned
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 large green bell pepper, sliced into thick strips
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano

Put all ingredients in slow cooker.  Cook on low for 4 hours.  Serve on hard rolls or hoagie rolls (for my family, we doubled the recipe and served with shredded mozzarella cheese on top)

2      Tablespoons   Oil
1      Tablespoon    Soy Sauce
3      Tablespoons   Smooth Peanut Butter
3      Tablespoons   Ketchup
4-8 pieces of chicken (any pieces will do; wings, thighs, drumsticks, bone-in, skin-on, boneless, skinless, maybe even whole chicken)
Place chicken into crockpot (frozen is fine) Mix first 4 ingredients and pour over chicken.  It won;t pour easy.  I just sort of dumped it on the chicken.  Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, then turn to low for the remaining cooking time.  The peanut butter mixture will start to breakdown and become more of a sauce consistency.  Serve when chicken is fully cooked.

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper blend
1 8 ounce package pasteurized process cheese spread,
diced
2 tablespoons milk
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 sandwich buns
In a large skillet, brown ground beef and garlic
pepper blend until thoroughly cooked. Drain. In a 3
1/2 to 4 quart crockpot, combine cooked ground beef
and all remaining ingredients except buns; mix well.
Cover; cook on low setting for 6 to 7 hours.
To serve: spoon mixture onto sandwich buns

1 quart maple syrup

2 cups peanut butter

1 cup marshmallow fluff

mix all together and store in an airtight container.  It's sweet and a little goes a long way.

Chicken Fajitas

TACO DIP

1 pound ground beef

salt and pepper to taste

1 4 oz can diced green chilies

1 jar taco sauce (14 to 16 oz)

2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef in skillet and season with salt and pepper.  Drain.  Add remaining ingredients.  Heat until cheese melts, stirring occasionally.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Serves 6 to 8

Enjoy 

Homemade Ice Cream In A Can

We haven’t tried this yet, but I plan to do it next week with my kids.  Let me know if you do this, how it turns out and I will report the same

What You Need
 
For the freezer you need:

• 1 lb. empty can with plastic lid
• 3 lb. Empty can with plastic lid
• 1 1/2 cups of rock or kosher salt
• 20 cups (about 7 1/2 lbs.) of crushed ice

For the ice cream you need:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/3 cup of chocolate chips

How To Make It
 
In the small can mix cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and chocolate chips.
Cover the small can and set in the center of the larger can.
Layer half the crushed ice alternately with half the salt in the empty space between the cans.
Cover the larger can.
Choose a hard level surface like a cement walk way and roll the can back and forth for about 10 minutes.
Open outer can; empty old ice and water, lift out small can; wipe lid dry and remove. With a rubber spatula scrape ice cream from can sides. Stir and cover.
Return small can. Repack with remaining ice and salt. Cover and roll for 5 more minutes

1 box yellow cake mix

2/3 cup sugar

4 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves (ground)

1 16 ounce can pumpkin

1/4 cup water

Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Add eggs and stir them into the mixture.  Add water and oil.  Beat on low speed until well blended.  Add pumpkin.  Blend on low speed until smooth.  Pour into a greased bundt pan and bake at 350 for one hour.

I sprinkled with confectioner's sugar and topped with a dollop of whipped topping.

6 cups water

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking grits (uncooked)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup cheddar cheese, cubed (we used shredded just fine)

3 eggs separated

paprika

 Combine water and salt in 4 quart dish.  Boil water, then stir the grits in slowly.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened.  Remove from the heat.  Stir in the butter and cheese until the cheese melts.  Stir in the egg yolks.  Beat egg whites until stiff, fold into the mixture, and pour into a greased three quart casserole dish.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.  Serves about 12.

(list 1) 

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons milk

1 tsp lemon (juice)

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 ripe avocados peeled and cut into small chunks

(list 2)

1-2 cups shredded lettuce

2 tomatoes dices

1/2 cup green onions (optional)

1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 jar salsa

Blend the ingredients from list 1 together until creamy (a food processor works best)  Evenly spread the mixture into the bottom of a large pie pan (disposable is great for easy clean up)  Layer the second list of ingredient on top.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Orange Walnut Muffins

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup orange juice

1/3 cup milk

1/2 stick (1/2 cup) butter, well-softened

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 Tablespoon orange peel

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Mix the dry ingredients together.  Beat the eggs and add the orange juice, peel, milk, and butter.  Beat and blend together.  Combine with the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined.  Fill lined muffin cups until each is 2/3 full.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Makes 24

Strawberry & Spice Muffins

2 1/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 cup rich milk or half and half

1/2 cup vegtable oil

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup strawberries

Stir together the dry ingredients and add the strawberries.  Stir to coat the strawberries with the flour mixture (which will help keep the strawberries from sinking to the bottom of each muffin)  Combine the wet ingedients and then add them to the dry mixture.  Stir as little as possible.  Do no beat.  Spoon into muffin cups and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350. 

Orange Marmalade Muffin Bread

1/4 cup oil (or applesauce to cut down on fat)

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups flour

2 heaping tbsp orange marmalade (I used sugar free)

Mix all dry ingredients in a small bowl.  Add wet ingredients (including marmalade) and mix until just moist.  Spread into a 8 x 8 baking dish and bake in a 350° preheated oven for 20 minutes (or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean)