Past Recipes of the Month

Cheese Ball

2 8-oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
1 package of dried beef, chopped
1 bunch of green onions
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 T. mayonnaise
1 T. Worchestershire sauce

1. Mix all ingredients together. Shape into a ball or serve in a bowl.

Fabulously Easy Pie Crust – For a 1-Crust Pie

1/2 c. Cannola oil
2 T. milk
1 1/2 c. flour
2 t. sugar
1 t. salt

1. Mix together the 1/2c. oil and the milk in a liquid measuring cup.
2. Place flour, sugar, and salt in a medium-large bowl. "Dig" a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients with a spoon.
3. Pour the oil and milk mixture into the center of your dry ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon if you have one. A ball of pie crust dough will form.
4. Press the pie crust dough in the middle a 9-inch pie pan. Do NOT prick the crust with a fork.
5. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
6. Fill with your favorite pudding or use the Strawberry Pie recipe found on this web page.

Yield: 1 pie crust

Toffee

1 c. butter (do not use margarine)
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. water
4 Hershey chocolate bars, broken into pieces
1 c. crushed pecans

1. Stir the first four ingredients together in a saucepan.
2. Bring these ingredients to a boil. Heat until the mixture turns brown and smells burnt.
3. Pour into a buttered jelly roll pan (cookie sheet).
4. Top with Hershey bar pieces. Let the pieces melt for a short time and spread over the toffee.
5. Sprinkle the crushed pecans over the melted chocolate.
6. Freeze, then break apart.
7. Keep refrigerated.

Zoo Snacks

2 T. margarine or butter
1 c. tiny teddy-bear-shaped cookies
1 c. tiny animal-shaped crackers
1/2 c. dry roasted peanuts
1/2 c. raisins
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1. Put the margarine in a microwave-safe bowl or casserole, and cover with waxed paper.
2. Microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds, until the margarine is melted.
3. Carefully remove the waxed paper, and add the teddy-bear-shaped cookies, animal crackers, and peanuts. Toss until well-coated.
4. Microwave on high 1 minute; stir and mircowave 1 minute longer.
5. Stir in raisins.
6. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle this over the cookie mixture.
7. Toss until coated.
8. Let the mixture cool before serving.

Yield: 4 servings

Snicker Salad

6 Granny Smith apples, chopped
4 1/2 2-oz. Snickers candy bars, chopped OR 9 oz. Snickers candy topping
8 oz. whipped topping (Cool Whip)

1. Rinse, core, and chop apples. Chop Snickers bars.
2. Combine apples, Snickers, and whipped topping in a bowl.
3. Stir and serve.

Butter Coffee Cake

1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow cake mix
1 stick of margarine or butter, melted (1 stick equals 1/2 c.)
4 eggs
1 lb. powdered sugar
1  8-oz. cream cheese, softened

1. Combine cake mix, melted butter and 2 eggs.
2. Pat into an 11 x 17-inch jelly roll pan.
3. With a mixer, mix powdered sugar, 2 eggs, and cream cheese.
4. Spread this over the top of the crust in the jelly roll pan.
5. Bake 25 to 35 minutes at 350°F until light golden brown.
6. Cool. Cut into squares and serve.

Salsa Excelente

2 14-oz. cans stewed tomatoes (blend a little in a blender)
1  4-oz. can diced green chilis
1 bunch green onions, (about 6) chopped
1 T. vinegar
1 T. sugar
1/3 c. medium picante sauce (mild, medium, or hot can be used)
1 T. dried cilantro leaves or fresh cilantro, chopped fine

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Serve.

Note: To save time I used 1 28-oz. can of diced tomatoes rather than the 2 14-oz. cans of stewed tomatoes. I also used medium Pace Picante sauce with awesome results.

Press Cookies

1 package of white or chocolate layer cake mix
1/3 c. margarine, softened
1/2 c. shortening
2 egg yolks
1/2 t. vanilla

1. Mix margarine, shortening, egg yolks, and vanilla. Thoroughly blend in cake mix, one third at the time.
2. Place dough in cookie press. Force through press onto ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Decorate with decorator's sugar, if desired.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 375°F. cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.

YIELD: 72 to 96 cookies
Note: If you don't have a cookie press, the dough can be rolled into balls and then flattened with the bottom of a drinking glass or a fork.

Holiday Sweet Potatoes

6 medium yams cooked, peeled, and quartered or 2 17-oz. cans of yams, well drained
1/2 c. Karo light or dark corn syrup
1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 c. half-and-half or milk
2 T. margarine or butter
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon

1. Arrange yams in a single layer in a 9- x 13-inch baking dish.
2. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, combine remaining ingredients. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5 minutes.
3. Pour liquid over yams.
4. Bake at 325°F for 15 minutes. Baste frequently.

Note: This recipe can be made 2-3 days early before serving if placed in the refrigerator. Be sure to turn the yams once a day before baking. Baking time will increase if taken right from the refrigerator.

Butterfinger Popcorn Balls

6 c. popped popcorn
3 (2.1 ounces each) Nestlé Butterfinger Candy Bars, chopped
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
3 1/2 c. miniature marshmallows
Nonstick cooking spray

1. Combine popcorn and chopped Butterfinger candy bars in a large bowl.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in the marshmallows.
3. Heat, stirring constantly, until the marshmallows are melted, and the mixture is smooth.
4. Pour over popcorn mixture.
5. Quickly toss to coat the popcorn well.
6. Spray hands with nonstick cooking spray. Form popcorn mixture into six 3-inch balls. Place popcorn balls on wax paper to cool.
7. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: 6 servings

Tuna-Cheese Casserole

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. cottage cheese
1/4 c. sliced green onions and tops
1/4 t. garlic salt
1 8-ounce package macaroni shells, cooked and drained
1 6-ounce can of tuna, drained and flaked
2 tomatoes, peeled and sliced
1/4 t. salt
1 c. grated Cheddar cheese

1. Blend cream cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, green onions, and garlic salt in a bowl.
2. Place half of the hot macaroni in the bottom of a greased 2-quart casserole.
3. Layer half of the cream cheese mixture, all of the tuna, remaining macaroni, and remaining cream cheese mixture on top.
4. Arrange sliced tomatoes over top. Sprinkle with salt.
5. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
6. Sprinkle cheese over tomatoes.
7. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Yield: 6–8 servings

Cottage Cheese Salad

1–8-oz. can crushed pineapple
2–11-oz. cans Mandarin oranges
1–3-oz. package orange Jello
1–24-oz. container of small curd cottage cheese
1–8-oz. container of Cool Whip (thawed)

1. Drain pineapple and oranges.
2. Mix jello, pineapple, and cottage cheese in a large bowl. Fold in Cool Whip next.
3. Gently fold in Mandarin oranges.
4. Chill before serving.

Strawberry Pie

1 c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
2 T. white Karo syrup
1 1/2 c. water
3 T. strawberry jello
few drops of red food coloring
1 qt. strawberries, cleaned and sliced
1 baked pie shell

1. Cook first 4 ingredients until clear. Add dry jello and food coloring; stir until blended.
2. Pour over the berries that have been placed in a baked pie shell. Chill until firm.
3. Serve with whipped cream.

Variation: This recipe can also be made with fresh raspberries and raspberry jello or fresh peaches with peach jello.

Ag Breakfast Coffee Cake

Cake:
1/2 c. (one stick) of butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 c. dairy sour cream
2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
Topping:
3/4 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1. Spray Pam in a 9"x13" pan. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar until well mixed; beat in eggs and vanilla. Add sour cream. Add the dry ingredients, which have been sifted together, mix until blended.
4. Spread one-half of the batter in the 9"x13" pan and sprinkle with half of the topping mixture.
5. Spoon the remaining batter over the topping and sprinkle the remaining topping on top.
6. Bake for about 40 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched with a finger.

Rhubarb Dessert

4 cups rhubarb, chopped
1 cup sugar
1 3-oz. package strawberry Jello
1 box yellow Jiffy Cake mix OR 2 cups of a yellow cake mix
1 cup cold water
5 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

1. Grease a 7 x 10-inch pan.
2. Place rhubarb in pan. Sprinkle rhubarb with sugar first, jello second, and cake mix last. It's important to get it in the correct order.
3. Drizzle (dot) with the melted butter.
4. Pour 1 cup of cold water over all. Try to hydrate (get wet) all of the top dry layer.
5. Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes. Cool and place in refrigerator to "firm" up.

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream. This dessert can be served hot, but it is really runny when warm!

1 tablespoon Cavendar's Greek Seasoning (You can buy this at Cub Foods in the spice section.)
2 11-oz. cans white shoepeg corn (drained)
2 15-oz. cans black-eyed peas (rinsed and drained)
3 peppers (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green), chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 28-oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 14-oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 15-oz. bottle of Italian dressing (I used Wish-Bone House Italian)
1-3 bags of Scoops Tostado Chips (Depends on how big your party is!)

Mix all ingredients, except the chips, in very large bowl. This recipe is best if it can marinade overnight before serving, but is still good if made and served the same day.