Pecan Balls

• About 1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup chopped pecans (about 4 oz.)

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

2. In a medium bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Add to butter mixture, stir to mix, then beat until well blended. Stir in pecans.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place about 1 inch apart on buttered

12- by 15-inch baking sheets.

4. Bake in a 300º regular or convection oven until cookies are pale golden brown, about 25 minutes. If baking two sheets at once in one oven, switch their positions halfway through baking. Let cookies stand on sheets until cool enough to handle.

5. Place remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar to coat all over; discard remaining sugar. Set cookies on racks to cool completely.

**These cookies are our way of compromising... Jake loves his mom's Hidden Kiss cookies but I'm not a fan of the chocolate in the middle. So this works well. The outer cookie of his mom's recipe tastes a lot like this cookie. So we both can be happy. Hey, what's marriage all about!?!? :)

Pumpkin Bread

3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup water
2 cups canned pumpkin
3 1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda

Mix all ingredients together. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Cinnamon Thumbs

5 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup butter
2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add flour and vanilla. Shape as short lady fingers and press slightly. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Roll cookies in a mixture of 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon when slightly cooled.

Pecan Caramel Candies

Packs of Rolos
Pretzel twists
Pecan halves

Place pretzel twists on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place one Rolo on top of each pretzel. Bake at 250 for 4 minutes or until candy is softened (candy will retain shape). Immediately place one pecan on to each Rolo-topped pretzel, pressing down to fill pretzels with candy. Cool slightly. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until set.

**No amounts are given. For every pretzel, you need one Rolo and one pecan half. Make as many as you want... they make great holiday treats for friends!

Kringles

2 cups sugar
1/2 stick butter or margarine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups sour cream (not lite!!)
2 teaspoons baking soda
5 cups flour

Cream first four ingredients. Beat in eggs. Add sour cream and baking soda. Stir in flour. Chill over night.

Cut off a small piece and roll into a snake on floured surface. Twist dough into fish shape (or half of a figure 8). Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes or until LIGHTLY brown.

**Traditionally, cookies are shaped into a figure 8. I have never had luck at this, making a long enough snake and twisting it well. I settle for the fish shape... really, though, any shape will do. It won't matter what shape they are in as long as they are cooked and ready for me to eat!! :)

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potatoes:
3 cups sweet potatoes (three cans of yams, drained)
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter/margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup margarine, melted
1 cup pecans, crushed

Beat all of the sweet potato ingredients together. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle topping over sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes -- topping will harden a bit.

**LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe! This is our new holiday addition to our other traditional foods.

Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat 8 oz. cold cream cheese (not rock solid, but it means you can use it straight out of the refrigerator) with 5 Tbsp. softened butter and 2 tsp. vanilla until combined. Gradually add 2 c. powdered sugar that has been sifted after measuring. Continue to add more sifted powdered sugar until you reach a consistency and sweetness that fits your taste.

I LOVE this frosting recipe and used it to top my pumpkin cake that I made with Nana's Apple Cake recipe, replacing the apples with pumpkin. It was delicious!!

Pineapple Salsa

1 whole pineapple, cleaned and cored
1/2 of a mango
1/4 of an onion
1 jalapeno
1 handful of cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into a blender and combine. Serve with tortilla chips.

Caribbean Roast Pork Loin

2 teaspoons EVOO
1 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 boneless rolled pork loin roast (3-1/2 pounds)

Combine the oil, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg; rub over roast. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake at 350° for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160° Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Yield: 10-12 servings.

Serve with some plantains!

Spinach Pizza

1 package (6-1/2 ounces) pizza crust mix
1/2 cup Alfredo sauce
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Italian cheese blend

Prepare pizza dough according to package directions. With floured hands, press dough onto a greased 12-in. pizza pan. Spread Alfredo sauce over dough to within 1 in. of edges. Top with spinach, tomatoes and cheese. Bake at 450° for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Yield: 4-6 servings.

**We are going to try it with cubed chicken!!

Stacked Enchiladas

2 lbs. ground beef or hamburger meat
1 lg. bag grated cheese
1 chopped white onion
1/2 c. chopped jalapenos (optional)
1/2 chopped bell pepper (green and red)
1/2 head shredded lettuce
1 lg. tomato, chopped
1 (30) pkg. corn tortillas
1/2 c. cooking oil
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 can tomato soup
1 sm. can tomato sauce

Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a large skillet, brown meat and 1/2 cup of the onions, 1/4 of the chopped bell pepper, and 1/2 of the taco seasoning. In a saucepan, heat soup and tomato sauce and remainder of taco seasoning. In another large skillet, heat the tortillas in small amount of cooking oil until they are limber, but not limp. Line aluminum foil in a large casserole dish, layer tortillas on bottom and pile on meat and cheese, add another layer and then place in oven until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and garnish with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and peppers. More cheese and sauce as you desired.

Orange Chicken and Veggies with Rice

1 1/2 cups rice
1 T., plus 1/3 cup cornstarch
1 cup orange juice
1 T. soy sauce
1 t. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 T. olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh carrots
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion

Cook rice according to package directions. In a small bowl, combine 1 T. cornstarch, orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper; set aside. Place remaining cornstarch in a plastic bag. Add chicken; shake to coat. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in 2 T. oil for 7-9 minutes or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, saute carrots in remaining oil for 2 minutes. Add green pepper and onion; saute 2-3 minutes longer or until veggies are tender-crisp. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for two minutes or until thickened. Add chicken; heat through. Serve over cooked rice.

Applesauce BBQ Chicken

4 chicken breasts (pound out breasts so they are thinner -- helps with cooking time)
1/2 t. pepper
1 T. olive oil
2/3 cup chunky applesauce
2/3 cup spicy bbq sauce
2 T. brown sugar
1 t. chili powder

Sprinkle chicken with pepper. In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil on both sides. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; pour over chicken. Cover and cook 7-10 minutes or longer until meat reaches 170 degrees.

Tilapia Florentine

1 pkg (6 oz) fresh baby spinach
6 t. canola oil
4 tilapia filets
2 T. lime juice
2 t. garlic-herb seasoning blend
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook spinach in 4 t. oil until wilted; drain. Place tilapia in a greased 13x9 pan. Drizzle with lime juice and remaining oil. Sprinkle with seasoning blend. In a small bowl, combine the egg, ricotta cheese, and spinach; spoon over filets. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes with ease.

Cordon Bleu Potato Soup

2 cans cream of potato soup
1 can chicken broth
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1 cup diced fully cooked ham
1 cup milk
1 can chunk white chicken, drained
2 t. dijon mustard

In a 2-qt. dish, combine all ingredients. Cover and microwave on high for 5-8 minutes or until heated through, stirring twice.

Black-eyed Pea Salad

1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 large tomato, diced
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1/3 c. chopped green pepper
2 green onions, chopped
1 T. minced fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup prepared Italian salad dressing

In a large serving bowl, combine all the ingredients; toss to coat. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Skillet Catfish

3/4 cup corn break/muffin mix
2 t. seafood seasoning
4 catfish filets (6 oz. each)

Combine the corn bread mix and seafood seasoning in a resealable bag. Add catfish filets, one at a time, and shake to coat. In a large nonstick pan coated with cooking spray, cook filets for 5-6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Stovetop Chicken and Stuffing

1 pkg corn bread stuffing mix
1/2 cup flour
1 t. salt
1 t. ground mustard
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 oz. each)
1 T. canola oil
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2/3 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup milk
2 T. crumbled cooked bacon
2 cans cut green beans, drained
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large resealable bag, combine the flour, salt, and mustard. Add chicken and shake to coat. In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. In a large bowl, combine the soup, onion, milk, and bacon; stir in green beans. Pour over chicken; top with stuffing. Cover and cook for 7 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; cook 3-4 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Chicken Asparagus Stir-Fry

1 pound chicken breasts, cut into chunks
3 T. cornstarch
2 cups chicken broth
2 T. soy sauce
2 cups cut fresh asparagus, 2 inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 T. canola oil
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can (8 oz.) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Hot cooked rice

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, chicken broth, and soy sauce until smooth; set aside. In a large skillet saute the asparagus, onion, and celery in 1 T. oil for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and water chestnuts; stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until tender-crisp. Remove veggie mixture and set aside. In the same skillet, stir-fry chicken chunks until cooked. Add chicken broth mixture to pan and boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add vegetables; heat through. Serve over rice; sprinkle with almonds.

**Try bay scallops in place of the chicken.

BBQ Chicken Salad

2 frozen chicken patties (Banquet or Tyson, whatever your liking)
Salad from the bag
Honey BBQ sauce
Ranch dressing
Shredded cheddar cheese
Bacon bits
Any other salad fixings that you enjoy

Follow the box directions for cooking the patties (oven tastes better -- microwave is quicker). Using a pizza cut, cut the patties into bite-sized pieces (pizza cutter is just faster!). On a large plate, put a few handfuls of salad. Top salad with chicken patty pieces. In a bowl, mix equal parts bbq sauce and ranch dressing (1/4 to 1/3 cup of each). Pour on top of salad. Add cheese and bacon bits. Enjoy a simple chicken salad and a dressing with a twist!