Stuffed French Toast (eandgmom from SL)

1 loaf french bread or any bakery bread. (uncut) (I prefer Italian)
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c strawberry jelly (or any flavor really)
1/2 c powdered sugar
4 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tbps sugar
1 tsp vanilla
cinnamon (I like nutmeg better)

Slice french bread by making a half slice and then a complete cut alternating through the loaf so each slice has a "pocket".

Mix cream cheese, strawberry jelly, and powdered sugar. Spoon mixture into pocket of each slice of bread and set aside. Mix eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla. Dip each slice in egg mixture and place in greased baking dish. Pour remaining egg mixture over bread slices in pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Cover and bake 350* for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown and set. May uncover for final minutes of baking time to brown.

***Note*** I prepare this the night before, refrigerate and bake in the morning. It's an easy breakfast on a school day then.

Roast Butter Herbed Turkey (Sandra Lee)

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons garlic herb sauce mix (recommended: Knorr)
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 (32-ounce) bag celery and carrot party sticks
2 large onions, large dice
1 (32-ounce) container low-sodium chicken broth
12-pound turkey, thawed if necessary
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
3 (3/4-ounce) packets fresh herbs poultry herb blend (sage, thyme and rosemary)
1 lemon, thickly sliced

In a small bowl, combine softened butter, poultry seasoning, garlic herb sauce mix, and crushed garlic. Use a fork to mix together until well combined. Cover and put in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes, until firm but not hard.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Arrange celery, carrots, and half of the diced onions in the bottom of a roasting pan. Add chicken broth and set aside.

Rinse the thawed turkey and pat dry. Use your finger to carefully loosen the skin around the entire bird. Take the butter mixture and cut into large pieces. Place the butter pieces under the skin of the entire turkey. Rub the remaining butter pieces on the outside of the skin and season with salt and pepper.

Stuff the inside of turkey cavity with remaining onions, fresh herb poultry blend, and lemon slices. (Truss if necessary.)

Place turkey on the bed of vegetables in roasting pan.

Place in the oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F. Roast for 1 hour, then baste with pan juices every 20 minutes until thermometer reads inserted into the thigh registers 180 degrees F, about 3 hours.

***This is the recipe I used for our Thanksgiving turkey, with a few variations. I had a 22 lb. turkey, so I doubled the herbed butter. I did chill and cut the butter, but I see no reason why you can use room temperature butter. I won't chill it next time.

I couldn't find fresh poultry herb blend, so I used 1 package fresh thyme, fresh rosemary and fresh sage. I quartered 2 lemons and put them in the cavity and put the herbs in there too. I did not put an onion in, because one of my guests is sensitive to onion.

I put the broth in the bottomof the roaster (I use an electric roaster), but just put the turkey on a rack. I did not use the carrots or celery.

This is the most flavorful, moist turkey I have ever had. We all loved it. I am going to be trying this method on a chicken very soon.

French Silk Chocolate Pie

1 baked pie shell (deep dish does not work well for this. If using a deep dish, you may have to make extra filling or have a very thin looking pie with lots of extra crust. The frozen in a pie tin work great for this pie!)

1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
2 sq. (2 oz) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Cream butter; gradually add sugar, creaming well.

Blend in melted and thoroughly cooled chocolate and vanilla.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating 5 min. after each addition on medium speed.

Turn into cooled, baked pie shell.

Chill at least 2 hours.

Top with whipped cream.

Sinfully rich and yummy!

Cheeseball (Chris M.)

1 crackerbarrel crock extra sharp cheese spread
12 oz. cream cheese
1-2T finely chopped onion
dash worchestershire sauce
Finely chopped nuts

Mix the cheeses, onions and WS sauce together. On wax paper or plastic wrap, shape into ball or log or whatever shape you want. Roll in nuts. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill over night.

Hot Wassail Punch (Taste of Home)

2 quarts apple cider
2 c. orange juice
2 c. pineapple juice
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. sugar (or less)
12 whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks
Orange slices for garnish. I push whole cloves into the rind, slice and float in there.

In a large kettle, bring the first seven ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove cinnamon and cloves. (I tie mine in a coffee filter and float it in there. Easy to remove). If desired, stud orange slices with cloves and flaot in punch bowl.

OK, this can also be put into the crock pot and served from there. I usually keep a huge pot of it on the stove and serve from the pot.

Caramel Cream Cups (Aunt Jessie)

8 oz. cream cheese
2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. margarine or butter

Beat together cream cheese and butter, stir in flour. Form into mini muffin pans and bake at 350* for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

CARAMEL FILLING:
14 oz. caramels
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1t vanilla

Melt together and fill cooled tart shells 3/4 full.

ICING:
1/2 c. butter (must be butter)
1/2 c. crisco
2/3 c. sugar (granulated white)
5 oz. evaporated milk
1t. vanilla

Beat until fluffy. About 5-10 minutes in the Kitchen Aid. It will look like it is NOT coming together, but it does.

Put rosettes on top of cooled caramel filling.

YIELD: about 8 dozen
1 = 2 WW points (unbelievable huh?  The recipe builder promises me it is so!!)

Pecan Tarts

1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. flour

For pastry, in a mixing bowl, beat butter/margerine and cream cheese until thoroughly combined. Stir in flour.

Form into small balls and push into mini muffin tin. I use the small PC scoop, divide the dough in half, roll into a ball, put in tin and use the little tart former that PC sells to smoosh it around and form the cup.

Fill each pastry lined muffin cup with about 1 heaping tsp. of filling. Bake in a 325* oven about 30 min. or until pastry is golden and filling is puffed. Cool slightly in the pan, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

PECAN FILLING:
Beat together 1 egg, 3/4 c. brown sugar and 1T butter, melted. Stir in 1/2 c. coarsely chopped pecans.

PUMPKIN FILLING:
Beat together 1 egg, 1/2 c. canned pumpkin, 1/4 c. sugar, 1/4 c. milk and 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice.

YIELD: 2 dozen or so

M&M Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter
2 c. white sugar
3 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
1 pinch salt
4 1/2 c. flour
1 T and 1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. vanilla
2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 small bag m&ms

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cream the butter and sugar well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add the buttermilk.Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture and stir until combined. Stir stir in m&ms.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with additional sugar (I don't always do this).

Bake about 10 min.

YIELD: 9 doz.

Hedgehogs (Mom)

2 c. walnuts
1 c. pitted dates
2 c. shredded coconut
2 unbeaten eggs
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar.

Grind dates and nuts in food chopper. Add sugar, 1 c. coconut, and eggs; mix thoroughly. Shape into rolls about 1" long and 1/2" in diamater. Roll each cookie in remaining coconut. Place on greased cookie sheets and bake at 350F for 15 min. until golden brown.

Peanut Butter Cookies (Chris M.)

(used for chocolate/pnb chip cookies, Reese cup tarts and Kisses)

1 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. butter
1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg

Cream above ingredients together.

Sift and add to creamed mixture:
1 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

FOR KISS COOKIES:
Roll dough into 1" balls. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes at 375F. Immediatelly after removing from oven, press 1 kiss into the center of each cookie, remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

FOR REESE CUP TARTS:
Drop 1" balls of dough into center of mini-muffin pan. Bake 10-12 minutes and immediatelly after removing from oven, press mini pnb cup into center of cup. Cool completely before removing.

FOR CHIP COOKIES:
Add 2 cup chocolate, peanut butter, or combination of chips to dough. Drop by 1" balls onto cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Remove to wire rack to cool.

YIELD: 5 dozen
1 kiss or pnb cup cookie = 5 WW points

Oatmeal Crispies (Taste of Home)

1 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. quick cooking oats
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the remaining ingredients; gradually add to the creamed mixture.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2" apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly.

Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire rack to cool.

YIELD: 5 1/2 doz.
1 cookie = 2 WW points

Snickerdoodles

1 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. PLUS 2T sugar
3 eggs
2 3/4 c. sifted flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon

Blend together shortening, 1 1/2 c. sugar and eggs. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt; add to creamed mixture. Roll dough into 1" balls. Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in 400F oven fo r8-10 minutes. Remove to rack to cool.

YIELD: 6 doz.

Coconut Macaroons

12 egg whites
1 tsp. cream of tartar
2 c. confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
9 c. flaked coconut

In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form, about 6 minutes in the KitchenAid. Beat in vanilla. Fold in coconut. Drop by rounded teasponfulls 2" apart onto lightly greased baking sheets (or parchment paper, which is best IMO).

Bake at 325F for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove to wire racks to cool.

YIELD: 5 dozen

Soft Ginger Cookies

3/4 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses
2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
Additional sugar to roll cookie dough inI

n a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Roll into 1 1/2" balls and roll in sugar. Place 2" apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

YIELD: 4 dozen

Raspberry Linzer Cookies (Good Housekeeping)

8 oz. pecans
1/2 c. cornstarch
3 sticks butter, softened
1 1/3 c. confectioners' sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
2 3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. seedless red raspberry jam (or raspberry cake filling)

In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse pecans and cornstarch until pecans are finely ground.

In a large bowl, with mixer on low speed, beat butter and 1 c. confectioners' sugar until mixed. Increase speed to high; beat 2 minutes or until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. At medium speed, beat in vanilla, salt and egg. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour and pecan mixture just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl.

Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; flatten each into a disk. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 to 5 hours or until dough is firm enough to roll.

Preheat oven to 325F. Remove 1 disk of dough from refrigerator; if necessary, let stand 10 to 15 minutes at room teperature for easier rolling. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll dough 1/8" thick. With floured 2 1/4" fluted round, plain round, or holiday-shaped cookie cutter, cut dough into as many cookies as possible. With floured 1 to 1 1/4" cookie cutter, cut out centers from half of the cookies (I use fluted square cutters). Wrap and refrigerate trimmings. With lightly floured spatula, carefully place cookies, 1" apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet.

Bake cookies 17-20 min or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. repeat with remaining dough and trimmings.

When cookies are cool, sprinkle confectioners' sugar over cookie tops. Spread jam on cookie bottoms and carefully place tops on so they are sandwiched.

YIELD: 4 doz.
1 cookie = 3 WW points

I layered cookies in a Rubbermaid container with wax paper between layers and stored them in the freezer.

Mountain Cookies (Taste of Home)

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. confectioners' sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt

FILLING:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened1 c. confectioners; sugar2T flour1 tsp. vanilla1/2 c. finely chopped pecans1/2 c. flaked coconut

TOPPING:
1/2 c. swmisweet chocolate chips
2T butter
2T water
1/2 c. confectioners's sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Shape into 1" balls and place 2" apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Make a deep indentation in the center of each cookie ball. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes or until the edges just start to brown.

Remove to wire racks to cool completely. For the filling, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla. Add pecans and coconut; mix well. Spoon 1/2 tsp. into each cookie.

For topping, heat chocolate chips, butter and water in a small saucepan until melted. Stir in sugar. Drizzle over cookies.

YIELD: 4 dozen
1 cookie = 2 WW points

Cranberry Oatmeal Bars (Chris M.)

1 c. fresh cranberries
1/2 c. and 2T sugar
2 1/2 c. flour
2 c. regular oats
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. butter, melted
1 1/2 c. chopped dates
3/4 c. chopped walnuts
1 c. caramel ice cream topping

Heat oven to 350F. In a bowl, combine betters and 2T sugar. In another bowl, combine 2c. flour, oats, 1/2 c. sugar, brown sugar and soda. Add butter and mix well. Reserve 1 c. mixture.

Press remaining mixture firmly into ungreased (I like with parchment so I can lift it out) pan. Bake 15 min.Sprinkle dates, nuts and cranberry mixture over crust. Mix caramel topping and 1/3 c. flour. Spoon over fruit and nuts. Top with reserved crumb mixture. Bake 20 minutes and cool completely.

YIELD: 3 dozen

Triple Good Raisin Bars (Chris M.)

2 c. raisins
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1T grated lemon peel
1T lemon juice
2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. regular oats
1 c. flour
1 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 350F. Grease (or line) 9x13 pan.

In a saucepan, combine first 4 ingredients, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it begins to bubble. Remove frm the heat and set aside.

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add the rest. Blend until mixed evenly and crumbly.

Reserve 2 cups. Press the rest into bottom of pan. Spread raisin mixture to 1/2" of edge. Sprinkle with the reserved 2c. and pat lightly.Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool completely.

YIELD: 3 dozen; 1 = 5 WW points

Melting Moments (Chris M.)

1/2 c. cornstarch
1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1 c. flour

Sift together and beat in:
3/4 c. butter

Mix until dough forms.

Shape into 1" balls, placing 1 1/2" apart on an UNgreased cookie sheet. Flatten lightly w/floured fork (I use my PC meat tenderizer). Sprinkled with colored sugar, nuts or coconut.

Bake at 300F oven for 20-25 min.

YIELD: 2 doz.
1 cookie = 3 WW points

I usually quadruple this recipe.

Buckeyes

1 lb. butter
2 lb. peanut butter
3 lb. confectioners' sugar
1 package chocolate chips
2T crisco or butter

Mix together butter, pnb and sugar. Shape into 1" balls. I use the small cookie scoop. Roll them into nice balls. Place on wax paper lined cookie sheets and chill until firm.

Melt chocolate chips and crisco (I use more chips than this. I just keep adding as it gets low). Dip each ball 3/4 of the way into chocolate. Return to cookie sheet and chill until set.

They are called buckeyes because they look like buckeyes from the tree.

YIELD: 15 dozen; 1 = 2 WW points

Almong Biscotti (Somebody from the SHS Yahoo Group)

2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. finely chopped almonds

Line a cookie sheet with heavy duty foil; set aside. Beat eggs and sugar at medium speed until well blended; add flavorings. Combine flour and remaining ingredients; add to creamed mixture.

Using lightly floured hands (I like to wet my hands instead), shape dough into an 8x4" rectangle and place on prepared pan. Bake at 375F for 20 min.; cool.

Cut into 1/4 inch slices. Cut each slice in half crosswise, and place on cookie sheets. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes or until crisp and golden. Cool on wire racks.

When cooled, melt 1 bag chocolate chips with 2T crisco or butter in a double boiler. Dip 1/2 of each biscotti into chocolate. Set on wax paper for chocolate to firm up.

YIELD: 5 dozen

Lemon Bars (Allrecipes)

1 1/2 c. flour
2/3 c. confectioners' sugar
3/4 c. butter, softened
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. white suter
3T flour
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/3 c. confectioners' sugar for decoration

Preheat oven to 375F.

Either grease a 9x13 pan or line with parchment paper. I line with parchment paper so I can lift them out and cut them nicely.

Combine the flour, 2/3 c. confectioner's sugar and butter. Pat dough into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes until slightly golden.

While the crust is baking, whisk together eggs, white sugar, flour and lemon juice until frothy. Pour this lemon mixture over the hot crust.

Return to the oven for an addition 20-25 ninutes, or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Dust the top with confectioners' sugar. Cut into squares.

YIELD: 3 doz

These freeze well. I layer them in a Rubbermaid container with wax paper between layers.

Microwave Peanut Brittle (My Mother-in-Law)

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. lite corn syrup
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. roasted salted peanuts
1T butter
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

In a 2 qt. bowl, dissolve sugar, corn syrup and salt in the microwave on high for 5 minutes. Stir and add peanuts, microwave on high for 5 minutes more. Continue microwaving, stirring every 30 seconds, until lightly browned. Add last 3 ingredients and stir very fast. Spread thin over buttered cookie sheet (or line with parchment paper but NOT waxed paper because it will stick to the waxed paper), working quickly. Let stands 10-15 minutes and break into pieces.

Like the new look?

I followed the link to Cutest Blog on the Block from De'Etta's blog after seeing how cute her new look is.

It was SO easy! And there are hundreds of templates to choose from.

Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole (Cooks.com)

1/2 c. chopped onions
1/2 c. chopped celery
3/4 stick butter
1 lg. pkg. frozen chopped broccoli
1 pkg. Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
4 c. cooked rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup

Thaw and drain broccoli. Cook rice.

In large saucepan, melt butter and saute onions and celery. Add cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup and cheese; stir until melted. Fold in broccoli and rice.

Pour in large, ungreased casserole dish and heat for 30 minutes on 350 degrees.

**Add chicken breasts for a full meal.

Sweet Potato Casserole (Chris M.)

2 c. mashed sweet potatoes
1 c. sugar
3/4 stick (6T) butter
1/2 t. nutmeg
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 t. cinnamon.

Mix together and spread into a buttered casserole dish. Bake at 400F for 35 minutes, uncovered.

TOPPING:
1/2 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. crushed cornflakes
3/4 (6T) stick melted butter
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Sprinkle on top of potatoes and continue baking 10 minutes.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken and Rice (Quick Cooking)

1 lb. bl/sl chicken breasts
3T taco seasoning powder
1T oil
1/2 c. peach jelly
11 oz. chunky salsa
Hot cooked rice.

Dice chicken breasts into cubes. Sprinkle with taco seasoning. Stir and let sit 15 min.

Sautee chicken in oil until no longer pink. Mix salsa and jelly together. Pour over chicken. Heat through. Serve over hot rice.

YIELD: about 8 cups
1 c. = 5 WW points

This meal is very quick to make.

Apple Bread (Jacques Pepin's Simple and Healthy Cooking)

2 c. flour (I use soft or hard white ww)
1/2 c. sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c. canola oil
2 eggs
1T vanilla
8 oz. unpeeled, chopped tart apples

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly coat loaf pan with oil or spray.

combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add the applesauce, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix well with a whisk. Stir in the apple pieces. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 65-70 minutes or until tests done.

Cool thorouthly on a rack before removing from pan.

YIELD: 1 loaf; 12 slices
1 slice = 3 ww points

Baked Ziti (Allrecipes.com)

1 lb. dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. lean ground beef (I like to use 1/2 beef and 1/2 sausage)
26 oz. marinara sauce (I use h/m and a little more than that)
6 oz. provolone cheese, sliced
3/4 c. sour cream
3/4 c. ricotta
6 oz. mozzarelle cheese, shredded (I use more than that)
2 T grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
Salt, Pepper, Italian seasonings

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion, garlic and meat over medium heat. Add sauce and simmer 15 min.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of ziti, provolone cheese, sour cream, ricotta cheese, 1/2 the sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce. Top with grated Romano cheese (and more mozzarella if you are me ).

Bake for 39 minutes in preheated oven until cheeses are melted. OR if you are making it ahead and baking it, bake 60 minutes or more until the middle is hot.

This is our Christmas dinner meal. I serve it with homemade bread and a green salad.

I doubled this last year and put it in a huge roasting pan. It doubled easily and was SO good.

Oven Baked Brown Rice

1 1/2 c. long, medium or short grain brown rice
2 1/3 c. water
2 tsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 375F. Spread rice into an 8" square baking dish.

Bring water and butter to boil, covered, in medium saucepan over high heat; once boiling, immediately sitr in salt and pour water over rice. Cover baking dish tightly with doubled layer of foil. Bake rice 1 hour, until tender.

Remove baking dish from oven and uncover. Fluff with a fork, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rice stand 5 minutes. Uncover and let stand 5 minutes longer.

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp (Land O Lakes)

6 c. apples, peeled, cored, sliced
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
3/4 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. cold butter

Heat oven to 375F. Place apples in ungreased 2-qt. baking dish.

Combine brown sugar, oats, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg; cut in butter with pastry blender or fork (I use my hands) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle sugar mixture over apples. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.

YIELD: 6 servings
1 serving = 380 calories, 16g fat, 4g fiber; 8 WW Points

Sweet and Sour Chicken (mamamoz from Sonlight Forums)

6 T each olive oil, soy sauce and honey
3 T vinegar
1 1/2 t. each thyme and paprika
1/2 t. each cayenne pepper and all spice
1 T pepper
Chicken

Whisk together all ingredients except chicken. Place chicken in a baking dish. Pour sauce over top. Cover and bake.

This is good for all types of chicken. Bl/sl breasts or thighs, meaty chicken pieces on the bone, etc.

Ms. Ren's Baked Oatmeal (eandgmom from Sonlight Forums)

In a 2 cup measuring cup mix these ingredients:

1/2 c. vegetable oil OR unsweetened applesauce
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Enough 1% milk to fill the measure cup (about 1 c.)

Mix in a larger mixing bowl:

2 c. old fashioned oats
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Stir with fork then add:

1 coarsely chopped tart apple with skin on
1/2 c. dried fruit (raisins, cherries, cranberries, dates, etc.)
1/2 c. coarsely chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds but not peanuts)

Pour wet ingredients into dry ones, stir, cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, pour it into a 2 qt. baking dish, lightly oiled.

Cover and bake in an oven preheated to 350F for 25 minutes.

May be doubled easily. Keeps for 1-3 days once baked.

YIELD: 6 servings
If using applesauce and lowfat milk the WW points are:

3 with NO fruit or nuts
3 with fruit ONLY
5 with fruit AND nuts

4 servings
5 with NO fruit or nuts
5 with fruit ONLY
8 with fruit AND nuts

Swiss Steak in the Slow Cooker

3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 rsp. salt
2 to 2 1/2 ls. boneless beef top round steak
1-2 T butter
10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/3 c. water
1 large onion, sliced
1-3 tsp. beef bouillon granules (or substitute beef broth for water)
1/2 tsp. minced garlic

IN a shallow bowl, combine the flour, pepper and salt. Cut steak into 6 serving size pieces; dredge in flour mixture.

IN a large skillet, brown steak in butter. Transfer to a slow cooker. Combine the remaining ingredients; pour over steak. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is tender.

Serve with mashed potatoes or noodles.

YIELD: 6 servings
1 steak with 1/2 c. gravy = 7 WW points

***I also cook this in the oven on low. I layer everything into my PC stoneware baker and use a stoneware lid. So yummy that way! I have a love-hate relationship with my crock pot, so I often cook crock pot recipes in my stoneware baker/lid in the oven.

Chili

2 lb. ground round
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 15-oz cans light red kidney beans
1 qt. (or more) tomato juice
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Chili Powder
Pampered Chef Southwest Seasoning ** Optional

Brown beef, onion and pepper; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients and seasonings to taste. Simmer anywhere from 30 minutes to all afternoon. It is awesome leftover.

I serve this with elbow mac on the side. My family loves that. And also cheddar cheese and warm corn bread.

It makes a big pot of chili.

Doug's Favorite Deep Dish Apple Pie

Pastry for deep dish double Crust

10 c. sliced, peeled baking apples (Empire or Cortland are my favorite)
3 T lemon juice
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
2T butter

In a bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; add to apples and toss.

Line deep dish pie plate with crust. Pour apples into crust and dot with butter. Place remaining pastry on top of pie, turn edges of crust under to seel and flut edges; cut slits in top of crust.

Bake at 425F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F and bake an additional 40-45 minutes until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Cover edges of crust to prevent over-browning.

YIELD: 8 servings

Pumpkin Pie Squares

1 c. flour
1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
FILLING
2 15-oz. cans pumpkin
2 12-oz. cans evaporated milk
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
TOPPING
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. chopped pecans
2 T butter, softened

Combine the first four ingredients until crumbly; press into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, beat filling ingredients in a mixing bowl until smooth; pour over crust. Bake for 45 minutes.

Combine brown sugar, pecans and butter; sprinkle over the top. Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool. Store in the refrigerator.

YIELD: 16-20 servings

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls

2 c. water
1 c. quick-cooking oats (I've used old fashioned just fine)
3T butter
1 package active dry yeast
1/3 c. warm water (110-115F)
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 T sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 3/4 to 5 1/4 flour

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil; add oats and butter. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from the heat; cool to lukewarm.

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the oat mixture, sugars, salt and 4 c. flour; beat until smooth.

Turn onto a floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place ina greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down; allow to rest for 10 min. Shape into 18 balls. Place in two greased 9" round baking pans (or a 9x13 pan works well). Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to wire racks.

YIELD: 1 1/2 dozen
1 roll = 4 WW points

Paprika Chicken

3 1/2 to 4 lbs. meaty chicken parts
1 T cooking oil
1 T butter
1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 c. diced onion
1 c. diced green pepper
1 c. diced sweet red pepper
3T flour
14 1/2 oz. chicken broth
1 T tomato paste
1 T paprika
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Hot cooked noodles
1/4 c. sour cream

In a dutch oven over medium heat, brown chicken in oil and butter; remove chicken. Discard all but 3T drippings. Saute mushrooms, onion and peppers in the drippings until crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour until smooth. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly.

Bring to a boil; cook and str for 1 minute or until thickened. Stir in tomato paste, paprika, salt and pepper. Return chicken to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmr for 60-70 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

Remove chicken to a platter of noodles; keep warm. Add sour cream to sauce, stir until smooth (do not boil). Spoon over chicken and noodles.

YIELD: 6 servings

Peanut Butter Cream Pie

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
6 T milk
8 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed
9" graham cracker crust
1/4 c. chopped peanuts

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add sugar and peanut butter; mix well. Gradually add the milk. Fold in whipped topping; spoon into the crust. Sprinkle with peanuts. Chill overnight.

YIELD: 6-8 servings

Three Green Salad

4 c. torn iceburg lettuce
4 c. torn leaf lettuce
4 c. torn fresh spinach
1 medium cucumber, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
6 broccoli florets, sliced
3 cauliflowerets, sliced
6 radishes, sliced
4 green onions, sliced
5 fresh mushrooms, sliced
DRESSING
2/3 c. olive oil
1/4 c. plus 2T red wine vinegar
2 T grated Romano cheese
1 tsp. sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried basil
Pinch salt and pepper

In a large salad bowl, toss the greens and vegetables. Cover and chill.

Combine all dressing ingredinets in a blender; process for 30 seconds. Pourinto a jar with tight-fitting lid; chill for at least 30 minutes. Shake dressing before serving; pour desired amount over salad and toss.

YIELD: 12 servings & 1 c. dressing

I just shake the dressing in a jar.

Mom's Lasagna (Taste of Home)

1/2 c. ground beef (90/10)
1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage (turkey sausage)
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
28 oz. crushed tomatoes, undrained
6 oz. tomato paste
1 1/2 c. water
1 c. salsa
2 tsp. sugar
1-2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. fennel seed
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
12 lasagna noodles (whole wheat)
16 oz. ricotta cheese (part-skim)
1 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese (part-skim)
3/4 c. grated Permesan or Romano cheese

In a Dutch oven, cook beef, sausage and onion until the meat is browned and onion is tender; drain. Stir in the next 10 ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water.

In a greased 9x13" baking dish, layer a third of the noodles and meat sauce, half o fthe ricotta cheese, a third of the mozzarella and third of the Parm. or Romano cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, meat sauce, mozzarella nad Parm or Romano cheese.

Cover and bake at 350F for 45 minutes; uncover and bake 20 minutes. Let stand 20 minutes before cutting.

YIELD: 12 servings
1 serving = 7 WW points

Parmesan Baked Potatoes (Taste of Home)

6 T butter, melted
3T grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
8 medium unpeeled red potatoes (2 3/4 lb.) halved lengthwise

Pour butter into a 9x13" baking pan. Sprinkle cheese over butter. Place potatoes with cut side down over cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400F for 40-45 minutes or until tender.

YIELD: 8 servings

Strawberry Shortcake

2 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar, divided
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
1 T butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 qts. fresh strawberries, sliced
Whipped cream

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs on medium speed for 3 min. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating until thick and lemon-colored. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; beat into the egg mixture. Heat milk and butter just until butter begins to melt. Beat into batter with vanilla (batter will be thin).

Pour into a greased 8" square baking pan. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool for at least 10 minutes.

Just before serving, cut cake into serving size pieces; cut each slice in half horizontally (split it into 2 layers). Combine strawberries and remaining sugar. Spoon strawberries between cake layers and over the top of each serving. Top with whipped cream.

YIELD: 9 servings
1 servings = 5 WW points, minus wipped cream

Rich Chocolate Brownies (Taste of Home)

1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. baking cocoa
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
FROSTING:
3 T butter, melted
3 T baking cocoa
2 tsp. warm water
1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar


In a mixing bowl, bet sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add butter; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to batter and mix well.

Pour into a greased 8" square baking pan. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until brownies test done. Cool in pan on wire rack.


For frosting, combine butter, cocoa, and water; mix well. Gradually stir in sugar until smooth, adding additional warm water if necessary to achieve a spreading consistency. Frost the brownies.

Strawberry Banana Jam

4 3/4 c. prepared fruit (2 qts. fully ripe strawberries and 3 fully ripe medium bananas)
3 T fresh lemon juice
6 3/4 c. sugar
1 box SURE-JELL fruit pectin
1/2 tsp. butter

Stem and thoroughly crush strawberries. Measure 3 1/4 c. into 6-8 qt. saucepot. Mash bananas thoroughly. Measure 1 1/2 c.; add to saucepot. Stir in lemon juice.

Measure sugar into separate bowl. Stir fruit pectin into saucepot. Add butter. Bring mixture to a full folling boil on high heat; stirring constantly. Quickly stir in all sugar. Return to foll rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim any foam with a metal spoon.

Ladle quickly into hot sterilized jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads.

Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Invert jars 5 nminutes, then turn upright. After jars are cool, check seals.

YIELD: 8 half-pints

Four Berry Spread

1 c. fresh or frozen blackberries
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen strawberries
1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen raspberries
1 box (1 3/4 oz.) powdered fruit pectin
7 c. sugar

Crush berries in a large kettle. Stir in pectin; bring to full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar; return to full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; skim off any foam. Pour hot into hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Invert jars 5 minutes, then turn upright. After jars are cool, check seals.

YIELD: 7 half-pints

Blueberry Streusel Coffe Cake (Taste of Home)

2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 c. chopped pecans
STREUSEL:
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. cold butter

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg, milk and butter; beat well. Fold in bluerries and pecans. Spread into a greased 9" square baking pan.

In another bowl, combine sugar and flour; cut in the butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over the batter.

Bake at 375F for 35-40 minutes or until tests done.

YIELD: 9 servings
1 serving = 10 WW points (and it is well worth it!)

Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes (Taste of Home)

1/2 c. sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 c. water
4 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
PANCAKES
2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
8 oz. sour cream
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in water. Add blueberries; bring to a boil over medium heat. BOil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; cover and keep warm.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Add milk, sour cream and butter; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until blended. Fold in the blueberries. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfulls onto a greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until the second side is golden brown. Serve with blueberry topping.

YIELD: 20 pancakes & 3 1/2 c. topping
1/4 c. blueberry topping = 1 WW point
1 pancakes = 3 WW points

Chicken Stir Fry (Taste of Home)

4 bl/sl chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
3 T cornstarch
2 T soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3 T oil
2 c. broccoli florest
1 c. sliced celery
1 c. thinly sliced carrots
1 small onion, cut into wedges
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 c. water
1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
Hot cooked rice

Cut chicken into 1/2" strips. Sprinkle with cornstarch and toss to coat. Combine soy sauce, ginger and garlic powder; add to chicken and mix well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a large skillet or wok, heat 2T of oil; stir-fry chicken until no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Add remaining oil; stir-fry vegetables until crisp-tender. Add water and bouillon. Return chicken to pan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Serve over hot rice.

YIELD: 4 servings
1 serving = 6 WW points (without rice)

Stuffed Pepper Soup (Taste of Home)

2 lbs. ground beef (93% ff)
2 qts. water
28 oz. diced tomatoes
28 oz. tomato sauce
2 c. cooked brown rice
2 c. chopped green pepper
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, brown beef, drain. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until peppers are tender.

YIELD: 10 servings
1 = 5 WW points

Cheeseburger Soup (Taste of Home)

1/2 lb. ground beef
3/4 c. chopped onion
3/4 c. shredded carrots
3/4 c. diced celery
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. parsley flakes
4 butter, divided
3 c. chicken broth
4 c. diced peeled potatoes (1 3/4 lbs.)
1/4 c. flour
8 oz. Velveeta cheese
1 1/2 c. milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. sour cream
**I also added chopped broccoli and cauliflower**

In a 3-qt. saucepan, brown beef; drain and set aside. In the same saucepan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1T butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from the heat; blend in sour cream.

YIELD: 8 servings (2 1/4 qts.)

Cranberry Relish (Aunt Jessie)

2 lb. fresh cranberries
2 oranges, peeled
zest from 1/2 an orange
2 apples
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Grind cranberries, oranges, orange zels, and apples together in a food processor. Stir in sugar and chopped nuts. Refrigerate overnight.

Creamy Taco Dip

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. taco sauce or salsa
2 tsp. ground cumin
15 oz. refried beans**
1 c. shredded lettuce
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 medium tomato, diced
1/4 c. chopped ripe olives
1/4 c. canned chopped green chilies
Tortilla chips, veggies, crackers

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. stir in taco sauce and cumin; set aside.

Spread the refried beans over the bottom of a pie plate. Spread cream cheese mixture over the beans, leaving about 1" uncovered around the edges. Top with layers of lettuce, cheese, tomato, olives and chilies. Serve with tortilla chips, veggies or crackers.

YIELD: 16-20 servings

**I omit the refried beans and put the cream cheese mixture in the bottom of the pie plate with toppings on it.

Multi-Grain English Muffin Bread

1 package dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 1/4 c. warm water (110-115F)
1/3 c. whole wheat flour
1/3 c. quick cooking oats (whirl old fashioned oats in the blender a couple seconds)
1/3 c. wheat germ
1 T sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
2 c. flour
1/4 c. cornmeal

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add whole wheat flour, oats, wheat germ, sugar, salt and 1 1/4 c. flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down (do not knead). Shape into a loaf. Coat loaf pan with cooking oil and sprinkle with 1/2 the cornmeal. Place loaf in pan; sprinkle with remaining cornmeal. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 min.

Bake at 400F for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

YIELD: 1 loaf (16 slices)

Tender Swiss Steak (Taste of Home)

1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 lb. round steak, cut into serving size pieces
2 T oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 c. water
2 T Worcestershire sauce
GRAVY
1/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 1/4 c. beef broth or water
Hot cooked noodles or mashed potatoes, optional

In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper. Dredge steak, a few pieces at a time. In a Dutch oven, brown steak in oil on all sides. Arrange onion slices between the layers fo meat. Add water and Worcestershire sauce.

Cover and bake at 325F for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until meat is very tender. Remove to a serving platter and keep warm.

In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper and broth until smooth; stir into pan juices. Bring toa boil over medium heat; cook ands ti for 2 minutes. Serve steak and gravy over noodles or potatoes.

YIELD: 8 servings

Morning Maple Muffins (Taste of Home)

2 c. flour
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. sour cream
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
TOPPING
3 T flour
3 T sugar
2 T chopped nuts
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2T cold butter

In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine the milk, butter, syrup, sour cream, egg and vanilla. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full.

For topping, combine the flour, sugar, nuts and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.

Bake at 400F for 16-20 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

YIELD: 16 muffins

Apple Nut Muffins (Taste of Home)

2 T butter
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 T flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 c. diced peeled apples
1/2 c. finely chopped nuts
MUFFINS
3/4 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
12 oz. sour cream
cinnamon-sugar

In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg until smooth. Add apples; cook over medium-low heat for 10 min, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat; stir in nuts. Cool.

In a mixing bowl, crema butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately wiht sour cream.

Spoon 1/4 cupfuls of batter into greased jumbo muffin cups. Spoon apple mixture into the center of each; do not spread. Top with remaining batter. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.

Bake at 350F for 25-27 mionutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

YIELD: 1 dozen jumbo muffins or 2 dozen regular muffins.

If using regular-size muffin cups, fill 1/2 full with batter; add a rounded teaspoonful of apple mixture and remaining batter. Bake for 16-18 minutes.

Parmesan Rolls (Taste of Home)

2 packages active, dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp.)
1/4 c. warm water (110-115F)
1 c. warm milk (110-115F)
1/2 c. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/3 c. butter, melted
3 T sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 c. cornmeal
2 eggs
4 1/2 to 5 c. flour
TOPPING
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, cheese, butter, sugar, salt, cornmeal and eggs; mix well. Add 3 cups of flour and beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.

Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Shape into 24 ovals; dip each into melted butter and cheese. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks.

YIELD: 2 dozen
YIELD: 3.5 WW points each

Spinach Apple Salad

2 T cider vinegar
2 T vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1 c. diced unpeeled apple
1/4 c. chopped sweet onion
1/4 c. raisins
2 c. torn fresh spinach
2 c. torn romaine

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, oil, salt and sugar; mix well. Add apple, onion and raisins; toss lightly to coat. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.

Just before serving, combine spinach and romaine in a large salad bowl; add dressing and toss.

YIELD: 4 servings
1 serving = 2 WW points

Baked Mashed Potatoes

4 large potatoes (about 2 lbs.) peeled and quartered
1/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T butter melted, divided
1 egg, beaten
8 oz. sour cream
1 c. small-curd cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
5 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 c. Ritz style crackers

Cook potatoes until tender; drain. Place in a large bowl. Add milk, salt and 1 butter; beat until light and fluffy. Fold in egg, sour cream, cottage or ricotta cheese and onion. Place in a greased 1 1/2 qt. baking dish. Combine the cracker crumbs and remaining butter; sprinkle over potatoes.

Bake, uncovered, at 350F for 20-30 minutes or until crumbs are lightly browned.

YIELD: 4-6 servings
This dish can be made ahead and refrigerated. Sprinkle crumbs on top just before baking.

Porcupine Meatballs (Taste of Home)

1/2 c. uncooked long grain rice
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 lb. ground beef (90/10)
2 T oil
15 oz. tomato sauce
1 c. water
2 T brown sugar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

In a bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Add beef and mix well. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls.

In a large skillet, brown meatballs in oil; drain. Combine tomato sauce, water, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce; pour over metballs. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Yield: 6 servings
1 serving = 6 WW points

Southwest Roll-Ups (Taste of Home)

2 T salsa
1 o 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded
1 garlic clove
2 T chopped onion
16 oz. fat free refried beans
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 T chopped fresh cilantro, optional
1 c. cubed cooked chicken
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
10-6" flour tortillas
Sour cream and additional salsa for garnish

Place the first 8 ingredients and 1/2 c. cheese in a food processor; blend until smooth. Spread evenly over tortillas.

Roll up and place seam side down in a greased 9x13" baking dish. Cover and bake at 350F for 20 min., or until theated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; let stand until cheese melts.

Serve with sour cream and salsa if desired.

YIELD: 12 servings

Cappuccino Muffins (Taste of Home)

ESPRESSO SPREAD:
4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
MUFFINS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fat free milk
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

In a food processor or blender, combine the spread ingredients; cover and process until well blended. Transfer to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until serving.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.


In another bowl, stir milk and coffee granules until coffee is dissolved. Add butter, egg and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.


Bake at 375° for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve with espresso spread.


Yield: 12 muffins (1 cup spread).

1 muffin  = 6 WW points
 1/12 spread = 1 WW point

Great Pumpkin Dessert (Taste of Home)

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix **
3/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

In a large mixing bowl, beat first five ingredients until smooth.

Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with dry cake mix and drizzle with butter. Top with walnuts.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Yield: 12-16 servings.

** This is really yummy with spice cake mix instead of yellow.

Baked Potato Soup

3 medium potatoes
5 bacon strips, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c. plus 3 T flour, divided
6 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. minced fresh parsley (I dumped in dried)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1 /2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 to 1 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce (I didn't have this and it was fine)
2 c. 1% milk
1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 c. chopped gren onions (white portion only)
Addition toppings: parsley, cheese, green onions and crumbled cooked bacon, optional

Scrub and pierce potatoes; bake in the microwaev, uncovered, on high for 8-12 minutes or until tender, turning once.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, remove to paper towels.

In the drippings, sautee onion until tender. Stir in 1/4 c. flour; cook and stir for 5-7 min. or until golden brown. Gradually stir in broth. Add the parsley, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 min. or until thickened.

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining flour with milk until smooth; add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 min., or until slighlty thickened.

Peel and cube potatoes (I left peels on 1/2 of them); add to soup. Add bacon. Cook and stir until heated through. Add cheese and green onions**; stir just until cheese is melted. Garnish with additional toppings if desired.

Yield: 2 quarts;
1 c. = 5 WW points, 235 calories, 12 g. fat and 2 g. fiber, 9 g. protein

I did not add the green onions and cheese to the soup. I served them on the side along with sour cream and crusty French bread. It was SO good!

Hawaiian Cake (Quick Cooking)

1 yellow cake mix
2 c. cold milk
2 packages (3.4 oz. each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
8 oz. Cool Whip, thawed
20 oz. crushed pineapple or pineapple tidbits, drained
1/2 c. chopped maraschino cherries, drained
1/2 c. flaked coconut
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans

Prepare cake mix according to package directions using a greasted 15x10" baking pan. Bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes or until cake tests done; cool completely.

In a mixing bowl, combine milk and pudding mixes; beat in cream cheese until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

Spread over cooled cake. Top with fruit and nuts. refrigerate until serving.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches (Taste of Home)

4 lb. boneless beef chuck roast
3 T oil
2 large onions, chopped
1 c. ketchup
1 c. beef broth
2/3 c. bottled chili sauce
1/4 c. cider vinegar
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
3T Worcestershire sauce
2 T prepared mustard
2T molasses
2T lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (which I am out of so I used cumin)
1/8 tsp. pepper
Kaiser rolls

Brown roast on all sides in 1/2 the oil. In a suacepan, saute onions in remaining oil. Add remaining ingredients, except rolls; bring to a boil. reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 min, stirring occasionally. Pour over roast.

Cover and bake at 325F for 2 hours; turn roast and bake for 2 more hours until meat is very tender. Remove roast; shred with a rok and return to the sauce. Serve on rolls.

Chicken Taco Soup

Leftover chicken taco meat and broth
Additional broth for consistency of soup you like
1-2 cans black beans
1-2 c. frozen corn (white is my favorite)
2-4 cans diced tomatoes
chopped onions and peppers (I toss in frozen)
1-2 c. cooked brown rice
I added black pepper and cumin to make it more smokey.

So mix this all together and let simmer for a bit. It is SO good. I serve it with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.

We had the chicken tacos last night and I just put the soup on to simmer. I had about 2 lb. of chicken left and just made 6 qts. of soup in no time.

The WW points for the soup is roughly 2-4 points per cup, depending on what all you put in there. Today mine will be 2.5 points per cup for soup

Chicken Tacos

2 lbs. bl/sl chicken breasts (or thighs if you like dark meat or both)
1 packet taco seasoning (or chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper and whatever other spices if you use if you don't use taco seasonings)
14 oz. can chicken brother (or homemade to equal 14 oz.)

Put in crockpot and cook on low all day. I put frozen breasts in yesterday and cooked on high for 5 hours.

After chicken is cooked, take it out and shred it with 2 forks.

Serve with taco shells or tortilla shells, salsa, homemade guacamole, sour cream, cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, black olives, green onions, lettuce and any other thing you like with your tacos.

Use leftover chicken and broth to make Chicken Taco Soup.

1 oz. chicken = 1 WW point

Raspberry Cinnamon French Toast (Jen from SL)

12 slices cinnamon bread, cubed
5 eggs, beaten
1 ¾ c milk
1 c brown sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ c nuts (almonds or pecans or walnuts)
¼ c melted butter2
c fresh raspberries (also very yummy with blueberries, fresh or frozen)

Place bread cubes in 9 x 13 pan.

In bowl, combine eggs, milk, ¾ c brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg…pour over bread. Cover and chill overnight.

Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle nuts over casserole. Combine ¼ c brown sugar with butter, drizzle over casserole.

Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Sprinkle berries, cook 10 minutes longer.

Maple Pecan Thumbprint Cookies (My friend Chris)

1 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 TBS vanilla
2 ¼ cups flour
¼ tsp salt
1 egg white, slightly beaten
1 ¼ cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat to 375. Combine 1 cup butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl.
Beat at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour and
salt. Beat till well mixed.

Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into one inch balls. Dip each ball into
the beaten egg white; roll in pecans. Place one inch apart onto GREASED
cookie sheet. Make indentation in center of cookie with thumb. Bake for
11-13 minutes (mine were done in ten) or until very lightly browned and set.
Cool completely on cooking rack.

Frosting:
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
3 TBS butter softened
2 TBS milk
¾ tsp maple extract (this stuff is heaven)

Combine powdered sugar, 3 TBS butter, milk and maple extract in a small
bowl. Beat at low speed till smooth. Fill center of each cooled cookie
with ½ tsp of frosting. (I use an icing bag with a star tip and pipe the
filling on. It looks SO pretty this way) I like to put them on a cookie
sheet and freeze them until the icing is firm and then I can bag them and
stack without messing them up.

Double Good Blueberry Pie (Susan in the Boonies on SL)

3/4 c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
1/8 t. salt
4 c. blueberries (divided into 2 c. each)
1/2 c. water
1 T. butter
1 T. lemon juice

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan. Add water and 2 c. blueberries, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and is thickened. (Mixture will be quite thick - I added another 1/4 c. water to mine at that point to get the consistency I wanted, which was somewhat thinner.)

Remove from heat and stir in butter and lemon juice. Add remaining blueberries. Roll out first pie pastry disc and place in pie dish. Pour in pie filling. Cover with 2nd rolled out pastry disc. Flute edges, and cut in vents for steam.

Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

Cajun Black Bean Soup (Taste of Home)

· 4 celery ribs, sliced
· 1 large onion, chopped
· 8 garlic cloves, minced
· 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
· 4 teaspoons canola oil
· 4 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
· 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) vegetable broth
· 3/4 cup water
· 2 teaspoons dried oregano
· 2 teaspoons ground cumin
· 1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder
· 1 to 2 teaspoons pepper
· 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
· 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
· 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
· GARNISH:
· 9 tablespoons chopped tomatoes
· 9 teaspoons fat-free sour cream
9 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS
In a Dutch oven coated with nonstick cooking spray, saute the celery, onion, garlic and jalapeno in oil until onion is tender. Stir in the beans, broth, water, seasonings and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Cool slightly.

In a blender, process soup in batches until smooth. Return to the pan; heat through. Garnish each serving with tomatoes, sour cream and cilantro.

YIELD: 9 servings (2-1/4 quarts)
1 c. = 3 WW points

NUTRITIONAL INFO
Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 202 calories, 3 g fat (trace saturated fat), 1 mg cholesterol, 786 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 9 g fiber, 11 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 very lean meat, 1/2 fat.

Printed from tasteofhome.com Sep 26, 2007

Black Bean & Rice Enchalidas

1 green pepper -- chopped
1 med onion -- chopped
3 garlic cloves -- minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 (15 ounce) can black beansrinsed and drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies
¼ cup picante sauce
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 cup cooked brown rice
8 (6 inch) flour tortillas -- warmed
1 cup salsa
1 cup reduced fat shredded Cheddar cheese
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large nonstick skillet, saute the green pepper, onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the beans, tomatoes, picante sauce, chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until heated through and mixture thickens. Add rice; cook 5 minutes longer or until heated through.

2. Spoon a rounded 1/2 cup down the center of each tortilla. Fold sides over filling and roll up. Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon salsa over each tortilla. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese and cilantro. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Crusty White Bread (Allrecipes.com)

2 T yeast
1 T sugar
2 c. water
1 c. milk
2 T butter, softened
7-8 c. flour
1 T salt

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 min.

Add the milk, butter and 4 c. of the flour and salt; stir until well combined. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 c. at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.

Lightly oil a large mxiing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Punch down dough an dturn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the two into two equal pieces and form loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased loaf pans. Cover the loaf pans with a damp cloth and let rise until double, about 40 min.

Mist loaves with water and bake at 400F for 20-30 minutes until the loaves are golden brown and the loaf sounds hallow when tapped.

YIELD: 24 servings
Each serving = 142 calories, 1.7 g fat, 1 g fiber; 3 WW Points

Kielbasa Skillet Stew (Taste of Home)

5 bacon strips
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. fully cooked smoked turkey kielbasa
2 can 15.5-oz. each great northern beans; undrained
16 oz. tomato sauce
4 oz. chopped green chilies
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/8 tsp. pepper

In a saucepan, cook bacon until crisp; remove to paper towel to drain. In drippings cook onion and kielbasa until onion is tender; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Crumble bacon on top.

YIELD: 8 servings
1 serving = 5 WW points

Spicy Honey Glazed Roast Chicken (Beck on the Bluebells)

2 lb. whole chicken
Seasoned salt

Sprinkle chicken with seasoned salt and set on a roast pan. Roast for 1 hour at 350F until thermometer in thigh (not near bone) registered 180-185.

Mix Glaze:

1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. prepared mustard
2 T butter, melted
1 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Whisk and drizzle over cooked chicken, try to cover all exposed parts. Put back into oven for 10-15 minutes to caramelize glaze.

Overnight Coffee Cake

2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. buttermilk

TOPPING:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add buttermilk and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add in flour until well mixed.

Spread batter in a gread and floured 9x13 pan. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over batter.

Refrigerate at least 8 hours. Bake at 350F for 45 min. Cut into squares and serve warm.

Mexican Casserole

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T olive oil
2 15-oz can sweet corn, drained (or frozen white corn, my preference)
1/2 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1/4 c. salsa
2 15-oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3 c. cooked rice
1 c. shredded Mexican style cheese, divided
1 1/2 c. crushed plain tortilla chips

In a large skillet over medium high heat, saute chicken in oil until cooked through and no longer pink inside. Add taco seasoning, beans, rice, corn, salsa and a little water to prevent drying out. Cover skillet and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 min.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Transfer chicken mixture to a 9x13 baking dish. Top wtih 1/2 c. of cheese and all the crushed tortilla chips.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 min. Add remaiing 1/2 c. cheese and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.

YIELD: 6 servings

With only 2 oz. of chips total, this would be 9 WW points for 1/6 the casserole

Black Bean & Rice Burritos

2 c. cooked, drained black beans or 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 oz. rice, prepared
4 oz. can of green chilies, drained
1/4 c. cilantro
2/3 c. shredded cheese
tortillas
salsa

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine beans, chilies, cheese, and cilantro. Stir in rice.

Spoon 1/2 c. mixture on each tortilla and top with salsa. Fold sides of tortilla over filling, overlappign slightly.

Place burritos in a lightly greased 9x13 baking pan, seam side down. Spoon any remaining rice mix in a row down center of burritos. Top with salsa and cheese.

Cover and bake 15 minutes.

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

1 c. butter
2 3/4 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. chopped nuts
2 T ground cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. flour

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease one Bundt pan.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and 2 c. of sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating mixture well after each egg.

Combine flour with baking powder and baking soda. Add alternately with sour cream to egg mixture, beating just enough after each addition to keep batter smooth.

Combine walnuts, cinnamon and remaining 3/4 c. of sugar.

Spoon 1/3 of the batter into prepared pan, sprinkle with 1/3 of the walnut mixture. Repeat layer two more times.

Bake at 350F for 70 min., or until center is done. Let cook in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cake continue cooling on a wire wrack.

YIELD: 12 servings

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle (Paula Deen)

2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
1 (5.1-ounce) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping
1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional

Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding. Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired.

Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.

Chicken Enchiladas (Good Housekeeping)

5 1/2 c. shredded chicken
2 16-oz jars green salsa (I can’t find it and use regular)
6 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ c. fresh lime juice (2-3 limes)
½ c. loosely packed cilantro (my kids don’t like this ;( )
16 6-in. corn tortillas
8 oz. sour cream
½ c. chicken broth
8 oz. Mexican cheese blend or sharp cheddar

Place 5 ½ c. chicken in a medium bowl. Stir ½ c. salsa into chicken to coat evenly.

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease 2 9x13 pans and set aside. In a skillet, heat remaining salsa, green onions and lime juice to boiling on med-high heat. Boil 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 T cilantro; keep warm over very low heat.

With tongs, place 1 tortilla in salsa mixture; heat 10 second. Please on waxed paper; top with 1/3 c. shredded chicken mixture. Roll up tortilla and place, seam side down, in prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture, arranging 8 in each dish.

Stir sour cream and broth into remaining salsa mixture in skillet; spoon over filled tortillas. Cover baking dishes with foil and bake 15 min. remove foil; sprinkle with 1c. cheese per dish and 1T cilantro. Bake 5 min. longer or until cheese melts.

OR, you can sprinkle with cheese, cover and freeze before baking.

YIELD: 8 servings total
2 enchiladas = 465 calories, 18 g. fat, 3 g. fiber; 10 WW Points

Creamy Chicken and Rice (Quick Cooking)

4 c. cooked rice
1/2 c. butter, divided
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1/2 to 1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 c. cooked cubed chicken
12 oz. Velveeta cheese
2 c. sour cream
1 sleeve Ritz crackers made into crumbs

Spread rice into a greased 9x13 baking dish; set aside.

In a saucepan, melt 1/4 c. butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk, bouillon, seasoned salt, garlic powder and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 min. or until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; add chicken, cheese and sour cream; stir until cheese is melted. Pour over rice.

Melt the remaining butter; toss the cracker crumbs and sprinkle over casserole.

Bake, uncovered, at 425F for 10-15 min. or until heated through.

YIELD: 8 servings
1 serving = 12 WW points!

Chantal's New York Cheesecake (Allrecipes.com)

15 graham crackers, crushed
2 T butter, melted

4 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. milk
4 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 T vanilla
1/4 c. flour

Preheat over to 35F. Grease a 9" springform pan.

In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press into bottom of springform pan.

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.

Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and let the cake cook in the oven with the door closed for 5-6 hours to prevent cracking. Chill in the refrigerator.

This is great topped with chocolate syrup, blueberry sauce, any fresh berries, and of course cherry pie filling.

Old Fashioned Pot Roast (Taste of Home)

1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 lb.)
6 T flour
6 T butter
3 c. hot water
2 tsp. beef bouilion
1 medium onion, quartered
1 celery rib, cut into pieces
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces

Sprinkle the roast with 1T flour. In a dutch oven, brown the roast on all sides in half of the butter. Add the water bouillon, onion, celery, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add carrot; cover and simmer 45-60 minutes longer or until meat is tender.

Remove meat and carrots to a serving platter and keep warm. Strain cooking juices; set aside.

In the same dutch oven, melt remaining butter. Stir in remaining flour; cook and stir until bubbly. Add 2 c. of the cooking juices and blend until smooth. Cook and stir until thickened; add additional cooking juices until gravy has desired consistency.

Lasagna Casserole (Quick Cooking)

1 lb. ground round, bulk sausage or a combination of the two
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 lb. medium shell pasta, cooked and drained
1 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese
24 oz. ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 c. grated Romano cheese
2 T. parsley
26 oz. spaghetti sauce

Brown meat and onion, drian. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; set aside.

Combine pasta, 3 c. mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, eggs and Romano cheese, parsley and pepper. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Top with meat mixture and spaghetti sauce.

Cover and bake at 345F for 45 min. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and browned. Let stand 10 min. before serving.

YIELD: 9-12 servings

Old Fashioned Peach Crisp

6 c. fresh or frozen sliced, peeled and thawed if frozen (8-10 peaches)
Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375F.

Place peaches in an ungreased 2 qt. dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Combine:
1 c. oats
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. soft butter

Sprinkle topping over peaches.

Bake 25-35 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

Old Fashined Apple Dumplings (Allrecipes.com)

1 recipe for double pastry crust
6 large tart apples, peeled and cored, left whole
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 c. water
2 c. white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400F. Butter a 9x13 inch pan.

On a lightly floured surface, foll pastry into a large rectangle, 16x24". Cut into 6 square pieces. Place an apple on each pastry square with the cored opening facing upward. Cut butter into 8 pieces. Place 1 piece of butter in the opening of each apple, reserving remaining butter for sauce. Divide brown sugar between apples, poking some inside each cored opening and the rest around the base of each apple. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over apples.

With slightly wet fingertips, bring one corner of pastry square up to the top of the apple, then bring the opposite corner to the top and press togetehr. Bring up the two remaining corners and seal. Slightly pinch the dough at the sides to completely seal in the apple. Repeat with the remaining apples. Place in prepared dish.

In a saucepan, combine water, white sugar, vanilla, and reserved butter. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil in a large saucepan. Boil for 5 min or until sugar is dissolved. Carefully pour over dumplings.

Bake in preheated over for 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

YIELD: 6 Apple Dumplings

Chicken with Honey Marinade

2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts or tenders
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. honey
2 garlic cloves, minced

Whisk together oil, soy sauce, honey and garlic. Pour over chicken and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Grill chicken or bake in a 350F over for 30-45 min.

Beef Cacciatore (De'Etta's Blog)

1 1/2 lb. bottom round roast, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
4 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 lbs. fresh white mushrooms, quartered
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 c. beef broth
1/4 c. red wine or additional broth
14 c. sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped (I omit these)
pinch sugar
3 T chopped parsley
1/4 c. red bell pepper, chopped
basil
oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch Over over medium heat. Brown beef, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add the onions, carrots, muchrooms and bell pepper to the Dutch Oven; cook until onions are golden, about 8 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, broth, wine, tomatoes, sugar and spices (except parsley). Bring to a boil. Stir in the beef. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the beef is fork tender, about 2 hours. Stir in parsley just before serving.

Baked Pineapple (From my Mother-in-Law)

20 oz. crushed pineapple with juice
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 T cornstarched mixed with 1/4 c. water
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together, pour into a buttered 9x9 pan or pie pan. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 350F.

My MIL serves this with ham.

Oat Applesauce Muffins

1 c. rolled oats
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. applesauce
1 egg
1 apple, peeled and diced
handful of raisins
1/2 c. chopped walnuts, optional

Place oats in a small bowl, pour n buttermilk. Let sit for 2 hours at room temp.***

Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare 12 muffin cups with papers or lightly spray with oil.

In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and brown sugar. Stir in oat/buttermilk mixture, applesauce and egg; mix well. Stir in walnuts. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 min., or until a toothpick tests done.

***I never do this and they turn out just fine.

YIELD: 1 dozen
1 muffin = 4 WW PP with walnuts

I prefer spicy muffins, so I add cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves

Breakfast Bread

2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. salt
2 T white sugar
2 packages dry yeast
2/3 c. warm water
1 egg, beaten
7 c. flour

Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Add the butter, salt and sugar and stir until melted; let cook until lukewarm.

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand until creamy, about 10 min.

In a large bowl, combine milk mixture with the yeast mixture. Mix in the egg and 3 c. flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 c. at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a large bowl, please the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled; about 1 hour.

Punch down dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until dough reaches the pan tops, about 30 min. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until bottom of the loaves sound hollow when tapped. Place on a wire rack to cool.

YIELD: 2 loaves

Mushroom Beef and Noodles (Quick Cooking)

1 can condensed golden mushroom soup, undiluted
1 can condensed beefy mushroom soup, undiluted
1 can condensed French onion soup, undiluted
1/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs
2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Hot cooked egg noodles or rice

In a slow cooker, combine soups and bread crumbs; mix well. Stir in beef. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is tender. Serve over noodles or rice.

YIELD: 6-8 servings

Tangy Tender Chicken

1 lb. baby carrots
1 med. green pepper, cut into strips
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 20-oz. can pineapple chunks
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 T soy sauce
2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (or 1 clove minced)
3 T cornstarch
1/4 c. cold water
Hot cooked rice

In a slow cooker, layer carrots, green pepper and onion. Top with the chicken. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Place pineapple over chicken. Add brown sugar, soy sauce, bouillon, salt, ginger and garlic powder to pineapple juice; pour over pineapple. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours.

Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into cooking juices. Cook 30 minutes longer or until sauce is thickened, stirring once. Serve over rice.

YIELD: 4-6 servings

Fresh Banana Cake (WW Homestyle Cookbook)

1/4 c. butter, at room temperature
3/4 c. sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/2 c. low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
Confectioners' sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a fluted bakign pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer at medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla, the bananas and buttermilk until well combined.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to banana mixture, stirring until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan; bake 40-45 minutes, until tests done.

Cook cake in pan on rack 30 minutes before turning out of pan to cool completely. Sprinkle with sugar.

YIELD: 12 servings
1 slice = 5 WWW points

This is from a very old WW cookbook, way back when they did the selection plan. The old serving info was 1 fat, 1/4 protein, 1 bread, 1/2 fruit and 65 optional calories. Does anybody remember that old plan? That was the first WW plan I did.

Jodi's Garlic Pull Apart Rolls (Jodi from SHS)

1 1/2 c. hot water
1/4 c. olive oil
2 T honey
1 T yeast
5 c. whole wheat flour
1 T vital wheat gluten
1 T garlic powder (or fresh minced garlic)
1 tsp. sea salt

Combine water, oil, honey and yeast. Let sit until yeast is activated.

Add 3 c. flour and gluten to yeast mixture. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes to proof.

Add remaining flour, garlic and salt. Knead.

Make into "roll sized" balls and place them in a circle around the otuer edge of a buttered pie dish (the PC deep dish baker works great!); then add an inner circle and one roll in the middle.

Bake at 350F for 30 min.

This bread pulls apart nicely, is fun for the kids to help make and is great rolled in a cinnamon sugar mixture/omit the garlic.

Roast Sticky Chicken

4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 large roasting chicken
1 whole onion, peeled

In a small bowl, combine all the spice.

Remove giblets from chicken, clean the cavity well and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixter into the chicken, both inside and out, making sure it is evenly distributed and down dep into the skin. Refrigerate overnight.

When ready to roast chicken, place onion inside cavite. Place chicken in a shallow baking pan. Roast uncovered at 250 degrees for 5 hours** (I often start it at 325 for an hour then turn it down).

After the first hour, baste chicken frequently with pan juice. The pan juices will start to caramelize on the bottom of the pan and the chicken will turn golden brown.

Let rest for 10 min. before carving.

**This recipe has appeared online since 1991 and been enjoyed at home by thousands of families. However, odern food safety guidelines do not recommend cooking poultry at the low temperature given in this recipe. The US Dept. of Agriculture recommends cooking poultry at oven temperatures of 325F or higher.

Screwball Cake (My childhood friend Melissa)

3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2/3 c. vegetable oil
2 T vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla 2 c. boiling water

Sift the dry ingredients together and make 3 wells, 1 for each liquid ingredient. Pour boiling water over all and mix well.

Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes.

Heddy's Black and Red Bean Soup (Allrecipes.com)

1 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 T ground cumin
2 T chili powder, optional
2 T maple syrup, optional
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 c. vegetable broth
2 15-oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 15.5-oz cans red beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz. can whole kern corn with liquid (I omit this)
1 14.5-oz. can crushed tomatoes, with liquid

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic; cook and stir for a few minutes to release the flavors. Season with maple syrup, cumin, chili powder and black pepper. Pour in the vegetable broth, black beans, 1 can of red beans and corn. Bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining can of red beans and crushed tomatoes in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Pour into the soup pot and stir to blend. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 min.

YIELD: 8 servings
1 c. = 2 WW points

I like to serve this soup with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese. Warm cornbread is also quite yummy!

Sausage Gravy

1 lb. breakfast sausage roll
3 T chopped onion
3/4 c. flour
4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. sage
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste.

Cook sausage adn onion until the sausage is no longer pink. Add flour; cook and stir until blended and golden brown. Gradually stir in milk and seasonings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over biscuits.

Beef Stew

3 lbs. lean stew beef
2 T butter
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion salt
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 bay leaf
1 pinch thyme
1 package brown gravy mix
1 package stew seasoning
4 or 5 carrots, scrubbed and sliced
4 or 5 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 package frozen pearl onions

Trim meat and cut into small pieces. Mix flour and seasonings; coat meat with flour mixture. Brown in butter. Add water and vegetables. Simmer 2-3 hours.

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 c. flour
1 T baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
5 T vegetable shortening
1 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425F. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. cut shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.

Add buttermilk, tossing with a fork, until dough holds together.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and form into a disk. Knead lightly just a few times until smooth.

Pat dough to a 3/4 inch thickness. Using a biscuit cutter or glass dipped in flour, cut out biscuits. Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet. Gather the trimmings and repeat forming and cutting. Put a dot of butter on top of each biscuit.

Bake 12=15 minutes, until golden brown.

YIELD: 1 dozen

Guacamole

2 avocados
1/2 lime, juiced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 of a red onion, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Cumin to taste

Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit. Scoop out the pulp into a small bowl. Squeeze lime. Add garlic and salt. Mash.

Not Y' Mama's Banana Pudding (Paula Deen)

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessman cookies (Or 1 box Vanilla Wafers)
6-8 bananas, sliced
2 c. milk
1 5-oz box instant French vanilla pudding
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 12-oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed or sweetened whipped cream
Extra whipping cream and cookies for garnish

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer.

In another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding and mix well.

In a large glass bowl, put a layer the cookies, bananas and pudding mixture. End with pudding layer.

Garnish with whipping cream and cookies.

Breakfast Strata (Aunt Di)

12 eggs
12 slices bread
2 3/4 c. milk
12-16 ozs. cheddar cheese
1 lb. bulk pork breakfast sausage (I use Bob Evans sage)
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. sage

Brown sausage and set aside. Oh, sometimes I put chopped onion in with it.

Cube bread and put into a bowl.

In another bowl mix eggs, milk, salt, pepper, mustard and sage. Add 3/4 of the cheese. Pour over eggs. Mix in sausage.

Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover and refrigerate over night.

Remove from refrigerater 30 min. before baking so pan isn't so cold (I use a stone, so I always make sure not to forget this step). Bake at 350*, uncovered, for 30-45 minutes until eggs are set.

YIELD: 12 servings

Cheeseball (from my girlfriend Chris)

1 Crackerbarrel crock extra sharp cheese spread1
2 oz. cream cheese
1-2T finely chopped onion
dash worchestershire sauce
Finely chopped nuts

Mix the cheeses, onions and WS sauce together. On wax paper or plastic wrap, shape into ball or log or whatever shape you want. Roll in nuts. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill over night.

Nut Roll (from my friend Chris)

4 c. flour
2T sugar
1 tsp. salt

Mix together. Make a well in the center and add 3 egg yolks.

Melt 2 sticks butter. Add 1 tsp vanill and 3/4 c. milk. Pour over flour mixture.

Mix:
1 package dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1 tsp. sugar

Add to other ingredints.

Dough is sticky. Mix until dough comes off fingers easily.

Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Divide into 4th.

Roll 1/4 onto a flour surface. Spread nut filling over top. Cut piece of butter and place on filling. Roll up tightly.

Beat egg whites and brush on top. Let stand 10 minutes before baking.

Bake at 350F for 30-4- min.

FILLING:
2T maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. ground nuts (I use walnuts)
1 c. sugar
3 egg whites
3/4 c. melted butter
nutmeg and cinnamon, about 1/2 tsp. eachBeat egg whites. Fold in ingredients.

YIELD: 4 rolls

Pumpkin Roll

3/4 c. flour
1 c. white sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 c. pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 T confectioners' sugar

FILLING:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare jelly-roll pan.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in pumpkin puree, eggs and lemon juice. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

*Spread mixture evenly. Bake at 375F for 15 min.

Remove from pan and roll ** Cool completely.

FILLING:
Beat cream cheese and butter until well blended. Mix in everything else and mix until smooth and creamy.

Unroll cake and spread filling all over, re-roll.

Cake freezes well!!! I wrap in plastic wrap and again in foil.

*To prepare the pan line it with wax paper. Leave enough wax paper hanging over both ends to be able to lift cake off of pan after baking.

**To roll cake this is what I do. While cake is baking, place 1 clean kitchen towel on the counter. Have another sheet of wax paper ready to lay over top of cake.

As soon as cake comes out of the oven, lift it by the wax paper handles and place it ON the clean kitchen towel. Put another sheet of wax paper (spray it with oil) on top of cake. Tightly roll from the short side.

Place the rolled cakes on the counter and cool completely.

When ready to fill, unroll the cake, carefully peel waxed paper off the top of the cake. Cake will probably be cracked, but that is OK. Spread filling all over the cake. Using the bottom wax paper, re-roll the cake up. Wrap in plastic wrap and then foil. Refrigerate or freeze. Right before serving, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

1 can pumpkin makes 3 rolls

Baked Oatmeal

3 C. oatmeal
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 C. milk
1/2 to 1 C. raisins or one 12 oz pkg frozen blueberries, thawed

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl.

Stir the wet and dry ingredients together and add the raisins or blueberries.

Spread in a 9x9" pan, lightly sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake 25-35 minutes.

Serve as-is, or top with some sort of milk.

YIELD: 9 servings
1 serving = 3 WW points

Homemade Eggnog

12 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 quarts milk, divided
2 T vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 c. whipping cream (heavy cream in the carton)
Additional nutmeg, optional

In a heavy 4-qt. saucepan, whisk together eggs, sugar and salt. Gradually ad 1 aq. of milk. Cook and stir (I use a whisk) over low heat until a thermometer reads 160-170*, about 30-35 minutes (kids are SO helpful right about now).

Pour into a large heatproof bowl; stir in vanilla, nutmeg and remaining milk. Place bowl in an ice-water bath, stirring frequently until mixture is cool. If mixture separates, process in a blender until smooth (I've never had this happen).

Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. When ready to serve, beat cream in a mixing bowl on high until soft peaks form; whisk gently into cooled milk mixture. Pour into a 5 qt. punch bowl. Sprinkle with nutmeg if desired.

YIELD: 3 1/2 quarts. Eggnog may be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for several days. Whisk before serving.

Apple Pecan Pancakes with Apple Spice Syrup

1 c. flour
2T brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 c. plus 2T milk
2 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. finely chopped, peeled apple
1/2 c. finely chopped nuts

In a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in milk, egg yoks and vanilla. Add apple and pecans.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter.

Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot, greased griddle or skillet. Turn when edges bubble.

Apple Spice Syrup

1/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 T cornstarch
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 3/4 c. apple cider

In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch and spices; mix well. Add cider. Cook and stir over medium heat until syrup is bubbly and slightly thickened.

Cinnamon Rolls (From my sister)

In a pot combine:

1 1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. water
1 c. oil
2/3 c. sugar
2 tsp. salt

Heat the above to 110F. Take off heat. In a bowl put 3 c. of flour with 4 packages of yeast (9 1/4 tsp.) Mix well. Pour milk on top of flour and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Add 1 c. flour and 4 eggs. Beat 2 minutes on high speed.

Gradually add 5 more cups of flour. Using your hands or a spoon to mix. Turn out on a floured table and let rest 10 minutes. Knead 25 times. Put in a large, greased bowl. Cover and let rise 45 min. to 1 1/2 hours, until dough doubles in size. Dough will be very sticky.

Punch down. Cut in half.

Roll out half of the dough on a well floured surface. Melt butter (I use lots, probably 3 sticks or more for the entire recipe. It is very messy). Brush butter on dough (or pour it over is more like it). Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on dough. I just grab handfuls of sugar and throw it on the dough, alternating with cinnamon, until it looks good and gooey.

Roll up jelly-roll style. Using thread, cut into rolls. Put in butter baking dishes (I use 9x13 stoneware pans or pie pans). Cover and rise 20 minutes.

Bake at 350F for 20 min.

When you take them out of the oven, brush with melted butter. Cool completely.

Glaze: Mix powdered sugar, milk and vanilla (add some maple flavoring if you like that) until you have a thick glaze. Spread on rolls.