Healthy Grilled Cheese

You are trying to cut down on fat but you think about how to make a grilled cheese sandwich without the butter.

You can try this easy way the next time that you want a cheese sandwich that will taste great!

Place 2 pieces of bread into a toaster and toast until Medium. While still warm, place cheese between the bread making a sandwich.

Microwave on Medium for 30-45 seconds or just until cheese melts.

Enjoy!

Frozen Juice Pie

This is a quick and easy recipe that you can create with most any frozen juice. It is a great last minute desert that looks like you spent all day on it!

1 6oz Can Frozen Juice Concentrate (thaw until "crunchy")
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 large container Frozen Whipped Topping.

1 Cup Flour
2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
1/2 Cup Butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine flour, sugar and butter until well blended. Press into a 9" pie plate. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Combine the juice concentrate, milk and cool whip well in a large bowl. Pour mixture into cooled shell and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Overnight Pull Apart Cake

You have guests staying the night or arriving in the morning. You would like an easy breakfast treat that will not take too long to prepare. Here is a quick recipe that you prepare the night before.

1 Bag Frozen Dinner Rolls
1 Small Pkg French Vanilla Pudding
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Chopped Nuts (Optional)
1/2 Cup Butter (Melted)
1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Place the undefrosted rolls into a well greased bundt cake pan. In a medium bowl, combine the pudding (dry) cinnamon, Sugar and nuts. Sprinkle this mixture over the rolls. Drizzle the rolls and dry mixture with the butter. Place in an unheated oven over night.

In the morning when you get up, turn the oven to 350 Degrees F and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve warm with plenty of napkins!

Easy Hawaiian Chicken Dinner

For a quick and easy chicken dinner, this one can't be beat!

It takes about 45 minutes to complete, so start some rice or noodles before you start.

Easy Hawaiian Chicken
1 1/2 lb boneless chicken breast
Salt and Pepper; to taste
1/2 c flour
2 tbs vegetable oil
1-8 oz can pineapple with juice
1/2 c brown sugar
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs ginger; fresh, minced
1/8 tsp cloves; ground
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs flour

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour over all of the chicken pieces.

On the stove, place a large heavy weight skillet to preheat over medium heat. Add the oil. Once the oil has heated up, place the chicken in the pan. Fry on all sides until golden brown.

Place in a 350°F oven to keep warm while you are preparing the sauce.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add the pineapple with juice, sugar, soy, ginger, cloves, paprika, salt and 1 tablespoon flour.

Return pan to the stove and stir well, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken.

To Serve, place chicken breast on rice or noodles and spoon sauce over the chicken.

Serves 4

Cookie Surprise

These cookies are quick and easy to make. They are also fun for your kids to help make! My daughter and I made them in about 2 1/2 hours from beginning to end.

Sugar Cookie Recipe
3 1/4 cup Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 C Butter; room temperature
1 C Sugar; granulated
1 Egg
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 C Sour Cream

Combine all dry ingredients into a bowl except the sugar, sift well. In a mixing bowl cream the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Mix well for 2 minutes. Add sour cream and half the dry ingredients and beat for 1 minute. Stir in remaining dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. Divide the dough in half and roll each portion out on a lightly (powdered) sugared surface to 1/2 inch thick. Cut with 2" round cookie cutter. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet in a 400°F oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and cool on racks. Makes 48 cookies.

While the cookies are cooling, prepare the frosting:

1/2 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Shortening
1 tsp Vanilla
1lb Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoon Milk

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and whip well until light and fluffy.

Place the frosting into a pre-made pastry bag and a Wilton #12 Round Frosting tip.

Take two cookies and place them finished side down on the counter. Using the bag of frosting pipe 2 circles of frosting in the cookie. The first ring should be around the outside edge of the cookie.

The second ring should be just inside.

Place the unfrosted side on top of the frosted side, making a sandwich.

Finally, select a candy coating (Sprinkles work great!) of your choice. Gently roll the edges of your cookie into the candy so that it sticks to the frosting.

Makes 24 cookies

Chinese Chicken Salad

This is a favorite of our family during these hot summer months. It is quick and easy to make and can be ready in as fast as an hour!

1lb Bag Pre-Cut Cole Slaw (no sauce) or finely chopped cabbage
2 Packages Ramen Noodles with Seasoning Packets (oriental or chicken are the best)
1 Small Onion, Minced well
1 Cup Hot Water
1/2 Lb Cooked Chicken Pieces, diced small
1/4 Cup Vinegar
1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
Optional
1/4 teaspoon Sesame Oil
3 tablespoon Toasted Sesame Seeds

Place the cole slaw vegetables into a large bowl. Add the minced onions.

While the packages are still sealed, break up the noodles until they are small pieces. Open each package and remove the seasoning packets. Place the noodles in with the cabbage and mix well. Cover and place in the refrigerator.

To the hot water, add the seasoning packets, vinegar, and sugar. Mix well to combine and let sit for about 5 minutes. Stir again and pour onto the salad mix. Mix the salad well and refrigerate for about an hour.

Just before serving stir in the sesame oil and the sesame seeds.

Serve cold.

Easy Chicken Fingers

If your you or the kids are tired of the same old chicken fingers, here is a great recipe to spice it up a bit with flavor for all.

Take one pound of chicken breasts and slice them into 1 inch strips and set aside.

In a shallow bowl or large plastic bag, combine: 1 tablespoon seasoned salt, 1 teaspoon minced onion, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and a dash of cayenne pepper.

Mix all of the ingredients together well. Coat each of the chicken pieces with the spice mixture and place on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil and greased well.

Broil in the oven for 5 minutes, remove. Turn pieces of chicken over and Broil again for 5 more minutes.

SPECIAL MARSHMALLOW TREATS

Ok, you have had them before. The goey Moon Pie that is such a fabulous treat. You can actually make your own moon pies at home with any kind of cookie that you wish.

Grab 2 of your favorite kind of cookie and sandwich them together with some Marshmallow Cream that you picked up from the grocery store.

You can make another other special treat by layering a graham cracker with a few pieces of chocolate and the Marshmallow Cream for a quicky S'more fix!

QUICK ORANGE SLUSH

It is hot out and the kids are complaining, even the big ones!

Whip up a quick batch of these quick orange slushes to get everyone cooled off and relaxed again!

Grab a half a gallon of Frozen Vanilla Ice Cream (or yogart) 2 large containers of thawed Orange Juice Concentrate, and 1/2 cup Milk.

Drop half of the Ice Cream, one container of juice and 1/4 cup milk into a large Blender.

Puree for a minute, stop and scrape the sides well.

Puree for 20 second intervals now, scraping the sides well until all ingredients are blended.

Pour the mixture into 4 glasses. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients.

Makes 8, 1 cup servings.

MARSHMALLOW TREAT BUGS

The next time that you make up some rice crispie treats, try this colorful creation.

Instead of using rice crispies get some fruity pebbles or cocoa pebbles.

Melt 1/4 cup margerine/butter and (1) 10 1/2 ounce package of marshmallows. Add about 8 1/2 cups of your cereal of choice.

Mix well until marshmallow covers all of the cereal evenly and is thoroughly cooled. (You will want to test some your self to make sure that your little ones don't get burned)

Now let your kids dig in and have some fun.

Let them create their own colorful bugs or animals for eating enjoyment.

Grab some packages or licorice or other candies to use for decoration.

To help keep the mixture from sticking to little hands, occasionally spray them with some non-stick cooking spray.

KITTY TREATS

You can always find recipes for doggie treats, but you can never find an easy recipe for cat treats. Here is a pretty easy one for your feline friend.

Preheat your oven to 325°. Mix 1 6oz can of Tuna, 1/4 cup cornmeal, 1/4 cup wheat germ, 1/4 cup wheat flour, 1 egg, and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large bowl.

The mixture will loosely form a ball.

Flatten the dough to 1/8" thickness.

Using a pizza cutter or a knife cut the dough diagonally into 1/2 inch strips.

Cut again in the opposite direction to form diamonds or squares, your choice.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and remove from the cookie sheet.

Let cool thoroughly and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

QUICK PARFAIT

You just found out that you have company coming over within the hour and you have no dessert!

You can actually whip up a quick parfait that will taste like you spent all day making it!

Simply mix up a box of instant vanilla pudding. Set in the refrigerator to chill for 5 minutes.

While the pudding is chilling, pull out as many decorative glasses or bowls as you will have guests.

Grab the box of trusty oatmeal or granola and some fresh fruit. Slice strawberries or bananas, or rinse raspberries or blueberries.

Now just layer oatmeal/granola, pudding, fruit, pudding, and oatmeal in your glasses or bowls.

Top with a bit more fruit and refrigerate until ready to serve.

CROUTONS

You are making up a fabulous salad and you want to throw on some croutons. Don't go out to the store and buy the stale ol' box of croutons, make your own fresh, it is really simple.

Take out a few pieces of fresh bread, and using your pizza cutter or a sharp knife cut it into 1/2 inch cubes.

Spread them out onto a shallow baking pan and bake in a 350º preheated oven for 30 minutes or so until they are golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool on wire racks.

If you want to spice it up a bit, melt a tablespoon of butter for each slice of bread and toss your bread cubes in it before baking.

Then toss in 1/4 tsp garlic powder and a dash of salt for each slice of bread.

Bake in a preheated 300º oven for about 30 minutes.

Let cool on wire racks and store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

To perk up a bit before each use, reheat in a preheated 300º oven for 5-8 minutes until crisp again.

I allow about 2/3 piece of bread for each serving because I just love croutons!

SANDWICH HELP I

If you are tired of fixing your kids the same old boring sandwiches, try this for a change.

Grind up some leftover ham, about 1/2 cup or so.

Add to that some Drained crushed pineapple, about 1/4 cup.

Now mix in about 1 tbs of Brown Sugar and a dash of cloves.

Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Spread onto bread and you have a wonderful Hawaiian sandwich!

This will make 2 sandwiches.

MATZO BALLS

You have heard of Matzo balls but you never really knew what they were.

They are simply a different kind of dumpling.

They are super simple to make and a nice change of pace for your soup or stew.

Matzo is a ground Jewish leavened bread. You should be able to locate Matzo meal in larger grocery stores in the baking aisle or a Jewish market.

In a large bowl combine 2 Eggs, 1/2 cup Matzo meal, 1/4 cup Club Soda, 2 tablespoons Rendered Chicken fat (Chicken drippings) and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix until it has a smooth consistancy.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

This will help all the ingredients to blend and become more flavorful.

Finish making your soup or stew and just before serving, drop the dough from a tablespoon into the liquid.

You will have about 8 good sized dumplings. Cover your pot and simmer for about 30 minutes with out lifting the lid.

Serve hot with your soup or stew and enjoy!

MARINATED CHICKEN WINGS

If you are having a little get together, you can make up a batch of these great tasting wings for your friends or family.

Combine 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce, 1/2 Cup Honey, 1/4 Cup Molasses, 2 Tablespoons Chili Sauce, 2 teaspoons Ground Ginger, and 4 cloves of garlic into a large bowl.

Add about 3 pounds of chicken wings to the sauce and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Grab a broiler pan and line it thoroughly with aluminum foil.

Spray the foil well with nonstick cooking spray.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and place on the baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, marinating about every 10 minutes with the sauce remaining in your bowl.

Remove from the oven and turn the chicken pieces over. Place back in the oven and bake for another 20 minutes, marinating about 3 more times.

Chicken is done when the thickest piece of chicken is no longer pink near the bone.

Throw out any remaining marinade, do not serve it or coat the chicken with it after it is done baking.

Serve warm or chilled. Tastes great either way.

SLOPPY JO NACHO

If you have any left over sloppy joes then you are ready for some quick and easy nachos.

Place some corn chips into a baking dish.

Top with the left over sloppy jo mix and some cheese and salsa. Bake at 350 until cheese melts about 15-20 minutes.

Or you can microwave for 3-5 mintues.

Dump the sloppy jo mix over the nachos and serve hot. They will be gone in no time!

LEFT OVER SPAGHETTI?

If you have made up a large spaghetti dinner, but you have some noodles and sauce left over, simply layer the noodles, sauce and some cheese slices in to a casserole dish.

Cover tightly and place in the freezer. Now the next time that you need a quick dinner, pull from the freezer and place in a preheated oven at 350º.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until bubbly on top.

FRUIT SALAD TO GO

If you are having a picnic or camping you can make a quick and easy fruit salad. Before you leave, in a gallon size zip lock bag, combine a cup of coconut and a small box of vanilla pudding.

Take with you a can of pineapple tidbits and a can of fruit cocktail, the bag of coconut and a can opener.

About 20 minutes before you are ready to eat, open the fruit and dump the contents (juice and all) into the bag with the pudding and coconut.

Gently knead to mix the contents, place in cooler until ready to serve.

SOURDOUGH PIZZA CRUST

It is time for another great sourdough recipe to use with your starter. This is a great change from your normal pizza, but read the instructions carefully first as the prep is a little different.

Preheat your oven to 500º f. In a large non-reactive bowl, combine 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 teaspoon Salt, 1 ½ cup Flour and 1 ½ cup Sourdough Starter. Mix well with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are well combined and the dough forms into a ball.

Set the bowl aside and let the dough sit for about 20 minutes. You are not waiting for it to rise; you are just letting it rest so that it is easier to work with.

Lightly flour a surface and place the dough in the center. Sprinkle the dough with more flour and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to the size of your pan.

Lightly oil the pan and sprinkle on a light amount of corn meal. Fold the dough in half, then in half again and place on one quarter on the pan. Unfold the dough onto your baking pan.

Place the crust in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes. The crust will be slightly puffy and a touch of light browning will occur. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.

While the crust is still warm, brush the crust with some olive oil or melted garlic butter.

Place your sauce and toppings on the pizza now as you usually would.

Now bake your creation for about 9-11 minutes, just until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Serve hot.

After dinner, don’t forget to refresh your starter with 1 ½ cup flour and 1 ½ cup water. Let sit out overnight loosely covered. Once the mixture is lightly bubbly, cover tightly and refrigerate until you use again.

SOURDOUGH PANCAKES

The sourdough recipes are back, sorry for the lapse! Hope you remembered to feed your starter even if you didn’t use it!

If you want to start out breakfast in a great way, make up some sourdough pancakes.

Grab a plastic or glass bowl, don’t forget, no metal for these guys.

Combine 1 cup of your sourdough starter, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 egg and 2 tablespoons sugar. Mix well with a wood or plastic spoon.

Add ¾ cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and a dash of salt. Mix until well combined.

You should see your batter beginning to rise in the bowl and bubble a bit. Let it sit while your griddle is preheating to 375º.

Grease your griddle well when it is hot and drop your batter onto the hot griddle with a small ladle, about 1/8 cup at a time.

When you see small bubbles appear all over the surface of you pancakes, flip over and cook for about 20-30 seconds.

If your pancakes are too thin, add a bit more flour. If they are too thick, add a bit of water or milk until you have reached the desired consistency.

When they are done cooking, place on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven set to 300º. When all the pancakes are made remove from the oven and serve to all.

This will serve 4-6 people depending on appetite.

SOURDOUGH STARTER REVIVE

I was probably a bit vague on the last post for sourdough, so let me clarify a bit.

Whenever you use sourdough starter, you need to replenish what you use.

To replenish your mix, just figure out how much you used.

If you used 1 1/2 cups of mix, you will need to replenish the same amount.

In a non-reactive bowl, mix 3/4 cup flour with 3/4 cup water. (1 1/2 cups total)

Once this has been combined well, add it to your sourdough starter and combine them together well.

Let sit in a warm place loosley covered until you start to see bubbles appearing.

Usually 12-24 hours. At that time you can cover tightly and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to use again.

SOURDOUGH BISCUITS

You have made up your sourdough starter last week and now it is time to use it! This is an easy way to make some impressive biscuits that taste great with any meal!

Don't forget to refresh your starter once you have made this recipe. Add 1 cup warm water and 1 cup flour to your sourdough starter and mix well. Cover loosely with your lid and let sit in a warm place for up to 24 hours until the mixture is bubbly. Cover tightly and refrigerate again until ready for use.

Here is what you will need:
2 cups sour dough starter
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon of baking powder

This is how you will make them:
Place a large pan of water on medium-high heat so that it starts boiling.

In a large glass or plastic bowl, combine the Flour, Sugar, Soda, Salt, and Baking powder.

Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles cornmeal.

Remove your sourdough starter from the refrigerator and mix well to combine if it has separated before measuring for your recipe.

Combine the milk and sourdough batter and mix well, then add to the dry ingredients and mix until it forms a ball.

Place the ball onto a heavily floured surface and knead gently until the dough is smooth, about 5 minutes.

Roll dough about 1 inch thick. Fold in half and roll again to 1 inch. Repeat this process for 3 or 4 more turns. This will give your biscuits a "flakey" texture. Flour your surface as needed to keep the dough from sticking.

Using a 2" circle cutter, or a juice glass, cut into circles.

Place about 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet or your favorite biscuit pan.

Place the pan of biscuits over the pot of boiling water and cover lightly with a soft clean towell and let rest for about 30 minutes.

While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 400º f.

Brush tops and sides of your biscuits lightly with some melted butter and bake for 15 minutes or until biscuits have puffed and are lightly brown.

Serves 4 - 6 depending on appetite!

SOURDOUGH STARTER

Sourdough is a cooks friend.

I you make up some starter, you will have a constant supply of good baking matereal.

Here is a quick and easy recipe to make up some starter along with some sourdough tips.

Find a large 2qt container that has a lid.

In a non-reative mixing bowl (plastic, glass, ceramic) combine 3 1/2 cups flour, 1pkg Active Dry Yeast and 2 cups warm water (105º-115º)

Using a wooden or plastic spoon, mix all ingredients well until there are no lumps.

Pour the mixture into your 2qt container and place the lid on with out sealing tightly.

Set in a warm place of your kitchen for 2-4 days.

Open it up and take a look, it is ready when you see bubbles.

Mix well with a wood or plastic spoon and cover tightly.

Now place in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

It is ready to use this first day, but I usually refrigerate for an additional 2-3 days for convenience.

If I start the make the starter on a Sat, I use it on the following Sat.

Check for new posts each Saturday with new recipes and ideas for using your starter!

BAKED POTATO

Baked potatoes are a great meal accompaniment or even a meal by itself. My favorite way of preparing them is in the microwave. It doesn’t take very much time and it leaves your oven free for other things.

Thoroughly wash and dry a medium sized potato. Using a knife or fork, prick the skin deeply into the potato. This will prevent the potato from exploding in your microwave oven. Thoroughly coat the potato in 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and sprinkle the exterior liberally with salt.

Place the potato on a paper towel in your microwave oven. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. (Add 1 minute for each additional potato) When the time is up, remove the potato from the oven and wrap in aluminum foil. Set aside and let rest 8-10 minutes before serving.

LEFT OVER COOKED FISH

You are scrounging around the refrigerator and freezer, trying to find something quick to make for dinner.

A couple of nights ago you made some fish, and had quite a bit left over. You pull it out and decide that you can give it some new life by making some fish cakes.

You can use just about any kind of fish for fish cakes.

For 2 servings, simply add about a 1 cup fish to approx 1/2 cup or so of mashed potatoes. Add an egg and a couple of tablespoons of onion.

Heat a large fry pan with a few tablespoons of oil to med-high.

Make 4 patties out of your fish mixture about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.

Fry in the oil for 3-5 minutes until completely warmed through and lightly browned on each side .

Once the are fryed up, you can eat them or you can cool them and freeze until you need it for a quick accompanyment to go with some soup for lunch.

ARTICHOKES ARE REALLY EDIBLE?

Artichokes are a wonderful food. I did not discover them until later in life, but they have fabulous flavor and are easy to prepare for a simple appetizer.

Preparation is the key with an artichoke. You want to make sure when you get it home that you rinse it thoroughly under cool water to remove any debris. Dry off the artichoke and take a look at the stem. You will want to trim the stem down to no more than 1 inch. After you have trimmed the stem, take your vegetable peeler or paring knife and peel off the top layer of skin from the stem.

Next, you will place the artichoke onto a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut about ¼ off the top of the artichoke. This will give the artichoke a “flat top” appearance. Take a pair of kitchen shears and trim about ¼ inch off the remaining leaves, removing all of the “prickly” ends. Using the juice of 1 lemon, thoroughly coat every cut area; this will help prevent the artichoke from discoloring. Use your fingers to gently pull the leaves apart to give it a “flowery” appearance.

In a large pot, bring about 2 cups of water to a boil. Place the artichoke(s) in the boiling water and cover with a lid. Reduce your heat to a simmer and cook for 30-50 (depending on size) minutes until the leaves pull away easily. To test, firmly grasp a leaf and pull gently, do not yank.

While the artichoke is cooking, prepare a quick dipping sauce by combining ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 large garlic clove (minced) and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a bowl. Mix well, cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve your artichoke.

Once the artichoke has cooked to your satisfaction, remove from the water and place upside down on a few paper towels to drain well.

Artichokes can be served warm or cold, although cold is preferred. To eat, simply remove a leaf by the tip, dip it in your sauce and scrape the “meat” from the underside of the leaf with your teeth. Discard the tip.

Once you have eaten all of the leaves, you will find some of the young leaves inside with some fur. Using a spoon, gently remove the fur and the undeveloped leaves. This will leave you with the heart and stem. Simply cut up and enjoy!

SPRUCED UP BAKED BEANS

The next time that you are making baked beans from a can, try this little twist to make your beans a little tastier.

Empty a 1lb (16oz) can of beans into a saucepan and place over Med-High heat.

Add 1 tablespoon of Molases and 2 tablespoons of Brown Sugar.

Just when beans come to a bubble, stir until all ingredients are combined and reduce heat to Medium Low.

Continue to simmer for at least 5 minutes or until dinner is ready, keeping the stirring to a minimum.

GRAVY TIPS II

The hardest thing to tell with gravy is how much to make. The general rule of thum is to make about 1/3 cup of prepared gravy for each person.

If you have gravy lovers like in my house, I will bump it up to 1/2 cup as you can never have too much gravy!

For each cup of gravy you will want 1 tablespoon of fat, 2 tablespoons of flour and 1 cup of broth.

Heat your fat over medium heat in a sauce pan large enough to hold the amount of gravy that you are making.

Reduce your heat to medium low and remove the pan from the heat to add the flour.

Using a wire wisk, blend the flour well into the fat and return your pan to the heat.

Let cook for 3-4 minutesstirring often with your wire whisk until golden brown to light carmel in color.

Add about 1/3 of your broth and remove from heat.

Whisk the mixture well until all lumps have been removed.

Return to the heat and add the remaining liquid.

Increase heat to medium and bring to just a boil for at least 2-3 minutes.

The gravy will thicken as the mixture cooks.

Taste and if needed you can season with some salt and pepper, don't forget to let the mixture cook for a few minutes after the addition to blend the flavors well.

Place your gravy into a bowl or a gravy boat to serve.

If you will not be serving the gravy immediately, place a piece of plastic wrap over the surface, actually touching the gravy to keep a film/crust from forming. You can then remove the wrap and reheat in a microwave or reheat in a pan on the stove over medium heat.

HOME MADE WHIPPED CREAM

Home made whipped cream is a real treat for dessert and quite simple to make.

About 30 minutes before you are ready to make your whipped cream refrigerate your bowl and beaters. (Or you can freeze for 10 minutes)

Place the desired amount of heavy cream into the cool bowl.

Using your mixer of choice beat the cream just until you can see soft mounds appear and when you pull out the beater you see soft peaks forming.

Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to every cup of cream that you placed in the bowl.

Mix once again just until the sugar and vanilla are incorporated well.

Do not mix fresh whipping cream too long, or it will turn into butter.

Serve immediately by generously spooning onto your dessert.

HALLOWEEN HOT DOG MUMMIES

For a quick and fun Halloween dinner before heading out the door trick or treating is hot dog mummies.

Preheat your oven to 375º.

Open a package of raw bread stick dough and a package of hot dogs.

Starting from one end of the hot dog, wrap it with the bread stick dough leaving just a bit of the other end exposed.

Place onto ungreased baking dish and bake for 14-16 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven, use mustard or ketchup to make dot eyes on the exposed hot dog.

Serve hot and watch your goblins devour.

GRILLED JACK O LANTERN SANDWICHES

Preheat oven 350º.

Butter one side of 2 slices of bread for each sandwich.

Place butter side down on an ungreased baking pan or cookie sheet.

Place a slice of cheese onto the whole slice of the bread.

Using cookie cutters or a sharp knife cut out jack o lantern faces on the other slice of bread.

Place butter side down on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cheese starts to melt.

Remove the bread with the cheese from the pan and place on your serving dish.

Place the jack o lantern face onto the cheese half leaving the brown side up.

Serve warm, and your goblins will enjoy!

TOXIC PUNCH

Make up this toxic green punch in a flash for your guests.

In a large heat proof bowl, combine 2 small packages of green jello and 1 cup boiling water. Stir well until all of the gelatin is dissolved.

Next stir in 3 cups of cold water and ½ cup superfine sugar. Stir until all ingredients are well combined.

Just before serving, combine your green jello mix and 1 ½ quarts of carbonated lemon/lime soda into your serving bowl.

Next add in an ice ring of choice and your toxic punch is complete! This will serve approx 10-12 ghouls and goblins.

HALLOWEEN CRISPIE SNACKS

Halloween is coming. Now is the time to create all of the great goodies that you really only get to enjoy this time of year.

Have a little fun at the office or you're your tots at home and make a batch of Rice Crispie treats.

Before you are done mixing all the ingredients throw in 2 cups of candy corn or Indian corn to make a cheerful treat!

If you want to get really creative add 2 drops of red and yellow food coloring to your marshmallows just after they are melted to give your treats an orange glow!

WORM CASSEROLE

Since we are on the Halloween kick now, why not make a worm casserole for everyone!

Simply cook up an 8 oz package of spaghetti and a 6 oz package of egg noodles according to package directions. Strain off the water and place both into a large bowl.

Toss in 2 Tablespoons of butter and 1 ½ Cups of grated cheddar cheese.

Place the combination into a large greased casserole dish and set aside.

Mix 2 slices of whole wheat bread crumbs with 1 Tablespoon of melted butter and a couple of dashes of salt.

Sprinkle the “dirt” over your “worms”.

Broil for 5 minutes until cheese just melts and top just starts to brown.

Serve hot and watch the kids dig in!

WITCHES HANDS

If you really want to have some fun with your kids on Halloween night, make up some witches hands for dinner.

Oil a large cookie sheet well. Preheat the oven to 350. Using 4 chicken breasts, cut the skinny end into 5 fingers, being careful not to cut them off. The uncut portion at the large end will be the palm of the hand)

Dredge each hand in flour covering well.

Beat one egg, and dip each breast into it coating well.

Dredge the flour/egg covered chicken into seasoned bread crumbs and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake 25 - 30 minutes until cooked through.

Just before serving, slice some black or green olives in half lengthwise and place on the ends of the finger for the nails.

GREEN SLIME

If you are having tons of fun grossing out your guests, make up some green slime to serve.

Just mix up a batch of green jello and let set in the refrigerator.

Just before serving, using a wire whisk, break up the jello so that it resembles a green slimey mess.

Serve up to your guests while still cold.

CHOCOLATE HAYSTACKS

An often forgotten treat that is so super simple to make during the fall is Haystacks.

We always had these around the house around Halloween, and they are so simple to make that anyone can have them any time.

Simply melt a 12 ounce package of chocolate chips and dump over 1 can of Chow Mien Noodles.

Mix well with a wooden spoon until all of the noodles are covered with chocolate.

Using a teaspoon scoop up some of the mixture and drop onto a piece of waxed paper that has been placed on a cookie sheet or large cutting board.

Let sit in a cool place until chocolate cools and becomes solid again.

SPIDER CAKE

This cake is a lot of fun for parties or just for the heck of it.

Earlier in the day, whip up about 2 cups of whipped cream and add in 1 small box of dry lime jello mix. Mix well and cover. Let set in the refrigerator.

Locate 2 oven proof bowls and set aside. (they to not need to be the same size, one can be slightly larger than the other)

Make up a batch or chocolate cake, divide the cake between the two bowls so that the same depth of cake is in each. Bake according to directions for a round pan cake. You will want to monitor for doneness, some may take longer-shorter to bake depending on your bowl size.

Remove the cakes from the bowls after baking and let cool thoroughly.

When cool, cut the cake in half horizontally about 1 inch from the bottom. Turn the top part over and carefully scoop out the center leaving at least 1 inch of cake around the outside.

Fill the cavity with your green jello and place the bottom back on to the filled round. Repeat with the second cake.

Place the 2 filled rounds onto a large serving platter next to each other, this will be the body.

Mix up a batch of chocolate frosting and add enough blue food coloring to make a black looking icing and ice the cake rounds. Using 6 pieces of black licorice arrange them off to the side for the spiders legs. You can use a couple of large green gumballs or gumdrops for the eyes on the smaller cake.

Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

PUMPKIN SEEDS

OK, the pumpkin is gutted and carved, now you are trying to figure out what to do with the seeds.

Toasting the seeds will make a healthy and tasty snack.

From your seeds remove as many of the membranes as possible and throw away.

Place a large pan on the stove and fill with water. Add salt to the water using about 1 teaspoon for every cup. Bring the water to a boil and add your pumpkin seeds.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for about 2 hours. Remove from the heat and drain off all the water.

Place the seeds onto paper towels that have been placed on to wire racks and let sit in a cool dry place for at least 4 hours until dry.

Place the seeds into a large bowl and add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil and mix until all of the seeds are coated with oil. Place the seeds onto a clean dry baking sheet and place into an oven preheated to 350º.

Bake the seeds for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and sprinkle lightly with salt and let cool.

You can serve immediately or you can store in a tightly sealed jar or container for up to 1 year.

HALLOWEEN ICE RING

To make a creepy or fun ice ring is a snap and will liven up any punch Find a Ring jello mold or use any cake pan that you might have that will fit inside your punch bowl comfortably.

Arrange 1 – 2 cups of gummy worms, candy corn or candy pumpkins into the bottom of the cake pan/ring.

Add 1 quart of colored punch of choice. Best choices to really stand out are to use a contrasting color of your punch. If you have green punch, use lemonade or pineapple juice, if you have red punch use orange kool aid or other like drink.

Place the cake pan/ring into the freezer and freeze until solid, at least over night.

WHAT IS CLARIFIED BUTTER?

You have a recipe that asks for clarified (drawn) butter. You have been all over the store and you don’t see any.

Clarified butter is actually a process to separate the butter fat from the proteins. Once the fats have been removed, the butter will have a higher smoke point, and will not turn brown as fast if you are using it for cooking. If you are using it for a dip, it creates a lovely clear liquid that is quite flavorful. For best results use unsalted butter.

To clarify butter, place the desired amount of butter into a small heavy saucepan.

Warm the butter over low heat with out stirring.

Once all the butter is melted and has simmered for a few minutes, you will see that it has separated into 2 layers. The clear layer is the clarified butter and the milky layer at the bottom is the milk fat.

Gently pour out the top layer into your serving dish and discard the milky looking fats.

GRILLED CORN

During the summer and late fall, corn is in abundance at the corner fruit stands and grocery stores. Everyone knows how to boil an ear of corn, but a great way to prepare corn is often overlooked. I grill mine year round. The house doesn’t get hot with the boiling water and steam and it gives the corn a great nutty flavor that you just can’t get any other way.

About 2 hours before you are ready to grill the corn, remove all of the husks except one layer. This will protect the corn from getting singed. Place the corn into a large tub filled with salt water. (1tbs salt per gallon) Let soak for 2 hours. This will help keep the corn from drying out as much while grilling.

Prepare your grill and preheat the coals to medium hot. Place the corn directly from the water onto the grill. Cook for 15-20 minutes turning often to prevent scorching.

When the corn is done, remove from the grill and using potholders or clean cloth gloves to protect your hands from the heat, remove the remaining husk and silk from the corn. Serve piping hot with herbed butter.

AVOCADO PREPERATION

Everyone knows that Avocados make great guacamole, but it is hard to find a good recipe to make any other kind of dip or salad for parties.

I ran across this recipe for a great party salad with avocados. A little goes a long way and it has superb flavor.

First you have to know how to dice an avocado. This is actually a lot easier than you think.

Cut an avocado in half from small end to big end all the way around.

Grasping one half of the avocado in each hand with the cut in the middle gently twist the avocado halves in opposite directions.

This will break the pit out of one half of the avocado.

Set aside the part with out the pit.

Place the avocado half with the pit still in it on a cutting surface.

Take a sharp knife and hit the seed with the sharp edge of the knife like a hammer. (Please watch out for your fingers and hand!!!)

The knife will lodge in the pit.

Gently hold the avocado and twist the knife to remove the pit.

Hold an avocado half in one hand, using a table knife cut the meat to the shell (being careful not to cut the shell itself) in horizontal