Pumpkin Bars & Cream cheese Frosting (Jessica)

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 cups pumpkin

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

Mix oil, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin. Add everything else and mix. Bake in a greased cookie sheet at 350 for 20-30 minutes. or until it springs back. Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1- 8 oz package of cream cheese softened

1- cube butter softened

1 tsp vanilla (i usually like Mexican)

little bit of milk

4-5 cups powdered sugar

Combine cream cheese and butter mix until smooth. Add everything else.

♥ healthy 7-layer bean dip (Sasha)

1 1/2 (15.5 oz) cans of black beans
3-4 avocados
1 lime
dash of salt
8 oz fat free sour cream
1/2 package of taco seasoning
1 cup fresh salsa
1/2 cup of shredded cheese
sliced olives
Mash black beans in a bowl and place in bottom of 9x9 casserole dish. Peel and mash avocados and stir in juice form lime, salt and maybe a TBSP of sour cream. Then place avocado mixture on top of beans. Mix 1/2 package of taco seasoning and sour cream and place on top of avocados. Spread salsa on top of sour cream. On top sprinkle cheese and olives.

Brie with Apples & Onions (lyndsey)

One baguette cut into 1/2'' slices (about 30)
One wheel of Brie cheese
2 firm & crunch apples such as granny smith
1 red onion
1/4 cup of craisins
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
olive oil
Arrange the baguette slices on a cookie sheet, coat them lightly with olive oil and put them under the broiler just until they start to turn golden brown (appx 3 minutes). Repeat on the other side. Set aside
Cut the red onion into 1/4 pieces and then take the 1/4 pieces and cut them as thinly as you can. Do the same with the apples. I tossed them with a little olive oil and put them in a large frying pan on medium heat and cooked for about 15-20 minutes stirring every couple minutes. After about 10 minutes 1 added the craisins. When the apples and onions are browned and soft add the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar, stir for about 1-2 mintues and remvoe from heat.

Remove the wrapper from teh brie cheese and wrap it in some parchment or wax paper. Place it in the oven pre-heated to 350 form 10-20 minutes depending on the size of your brie. I put it in when I started the apples/onions. I checked on it every 5-minutes. Press down on it until the wheel starts to be really soft. This means the inside is nice and melty. If you are serving this as an appetizer simply pile the baguettes on a platter, with the wheel of brie and apples/onions. And let people assemble it themselves. If you want it to be more formal part for your dinner, lay the baguettes flat on the platter, slice a small amount of cheese onto each baguette slice and top with small spoonful of apples/onions.

NOTE a 2nd way to cook the apples and onions is to toss them in a zip-lock baggy with the craisins, vinegar and sugar, then place them on a cookie sheet that is lined in tin foil and sprayed with pam. Place them in the oven on 350 for 20 minutes. You may need to toss them a couple times as they cook.

Squash Soup (Christy)

4 Cup Cooked squash butternut or banana ( I usually bake the squash in the oven and then scrape it out of the skins)

Simmer the following ingredients until soft
3 cups chicken broth
2 small onions diced
3 medium carrots chunked
2 small apples chunked
1 cup diced potatoes

When veggies are soft put all the ingredients in blender, including the squash and the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.

1 TBSP salt
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp sage (I usually start with less and then add more to taste)
3/4 tsp pepper
dash nutmeg

Put back in pot and add 2 Cups of milk + 1 cup cream. I usually don't add the cream bud add extra milk depending on how thick I want it, or you can add a can of evaporated milk which will make it a little creamier without the "real" Cream.

Ginger Snaps (christy)

Cream Together:
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg

Then add:
2 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves

Make small balls from the dough, roll the balls in sugar until completely coated, place on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes

Pumpkin Dipping Sauce (Christy) for ginger snap cookies

Dipping sauce for Ginger snaps (posted above)

1 can pumpkin

2 cup powdered sugar

1 block cream cheese

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp sugar

MIX WELL.

Marias Delicious Pepper Jelly (Kimberly)

4 cup sugar

3/4 cup white vinegar

3 bell peppers minced

2 jalapeno peppers minced

3 oz liquid pectin
2 drops green food coloring

Boil sugar, vinegar & peppers for 3 minutes. Add pectin and food coloring & boil another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and bottle (makes 8- 1/2 pint jars)

Pour over block of softened cream cheese and dip with Ritz crackers.

Zucchini Garden Chowder (Christy)

A great way to use up your big, extra zucchinis from the garden

2 zucchini chopped
1 onion chopped
2 TBSP minced parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cup chicken broth
1 tsp lemon juice
1- 14 1/2 oz can of diced tomatoes
1-12 oz can evaporated milk
1- 10oz pkg frozen corn
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
pinch of sugar

In a soup pot, saute zucchini, onion, parsley, basil and butter until tender
Stir in flour, salt and pepper, then gradually add chicken broth and lemon juice. Bring to a boil
Mix well, stir for 2 minutes then add tomatoes, milk, corn, bring to a boil then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in Cheese just before serving

NOTE: for a low fat soup you can substitute the butter for a TBSP or 2 of olive oil, use fat free evaporated milk and leave out the cheese. It still tastes GREAT!!

Cafe Rio Lime Rice (Andrea)

Cafe Rio Lime Rice
1 1/4 cup uncooked rice
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
3/4 teas salt
1/4 teas cumin I
n a saucepan combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat.

Brown sugar Ham (Tessa)

Get a butt ham that will fit in your crock pot
1 cup brown sugar
1 can pineapple tidbits

Put in crock pot and cook for 6 hours on high.
SUPER SIMPLE BUT DELICIOUS!

Lemon Berry Trifle

Prep Time: 15 min Total Time: 1 hr 15 min Makes: 16 servings, 1/2 cup each
What You Need!
2-1/2 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding, or any other flavor
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided
4 cups mixed fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries and sliced strawberries), divided
42 NILLA Wafers
Make It!
BEAT milk and pudding mixes with whisk 2 min. Stir in 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP. Reserve 1/4 cup berries for garnish; set aside.
ARRANGE 21 wafers on bottom and up side of 2-1/2-qt. bowl; top with layers of 1/3 pudding mixture and 1/2 each berries and remaining pudding mixture. Top with remaining wafers, berries, pudding mixture and COOL WHIP. Garnish with reserved berries.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour.

Lemon Herb Chicken (Laura)

6 boneless skinless chicken breast
2 C. Cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup butter
2 TBSP. Schilling brand Lemon Herb Seasoning
Cooked Rice or Potatoes

Melt butter and add soup and seasoning pour half into crockpot. Add chicken and pour remaining soup mixture in.

Cook 5 hours on low in crockpot

All American Potato Salad

A summer BBQ favorite!!!

4 lbs russet potatoes (8)
Salt and pepper
3 TBS cider vinegar
3 large eggs
1 cup mayo
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 tsp dry mustard
2 TBS hot water
3 stalks celery diced
1 red bell pepper diced
1 med. onion diced
3 scallions thinly sliced
1 tsp paprika
2 TBS fresh parsley
(my own ingredient is 3-4 Clausen pickles diced)

Cook potatoes until tender with skin then dice. Drizzle sliced potatoes with vinegar and set aside. hard boil eggs and dice. Combine eggs, mayo, celery seed, mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl and thin mixture with hot water. Stir in potatoes, celery, red pepper, onion, scallions, and parsley (add pickle if you want). Chill for 30 minutes. Garnish with paprika.

Honey Lime Enchiladas (Amy)

The girls all talked about this recipe at GNO, so I thought i'd give it try. It was delicious! I too opted not to use the cream, and it tasted fine to me.

HONEY LIME ENCHILADAS
3/4 cup honey
juice from 2 limes
1 T chili powder
1 /2 tsp garlic powder (or fresh garlic)
1 tsp cumin
1 pound chicken breast or tender, cooked and shredded
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (optional)
Mix first 5 ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let marinate for at least 1/2 hour. Pour about 1/2 C enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Fill tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 C cheese to sprinkle on top. Mix remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 min. uncovered until brown and crispy on top.

Taco Soup

1 lb. Ground beef - browned
1 pkg. Taco seasoning
1 can Diced tomatoes
2 cans Corn
2 cans Beans (mix or match - kidney, pinto etc.)
1 can Tomato sauce

Combine all ingredients and do not drain the cans. Heat on the stove or in a crock pot. Add grated cheese, tortilla chips and sour cream to the top and enjoy!

I just noticed that Jamie already posted a recipe almost identical to this, but I'll share it anyway! :)

Enchilada Casserole

1 (1.5 ounce) package dry enchilada sauce mix
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, mix the dry enchilada sauce according to package directions, replacing tomato sauce with the tomato paste and water
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with garlic salt and onion powder; drain fat. Mix refried beans and 1/2 cup of the prepared enchilada sauce with the meat.
Dip enough corn tortillas to cover the bottom of a 3 quart casserole dish in the remaining enchilada sauce. Arrange tortillas in the dish. Spoon in half of the meat mixture, covering the tortillas. Spread half of the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses over the meat. Cover with another layer tortillas dipped in enchilada sauce. Spoon in remaining meat mixture and top with a final layer of tortillas dipped in enchilada sauce. Pour any remaining sauce over the layers and top with remaining cheese.
Cover and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Request

Every week or so, I'll post a new Recipe Request on the far right of the blog. Then EVERYONE post a new recipe with that ingredient.

This weeks Request:
RECIPES using GROUND BEEF.

Easiest Chicken Pot Pie

1 package Pillsbury Pie Crust (just learned abou this fabulous product. It's already rolled-out and cut to the perfect Pie Size, So much easier than making your own)

2 cans Cream of Potato soup

1/4 cup milk

4 chicken breasts boiled and Diced (i just throw mine in the crockpot in the morning for a few hours with a little pepper salt and water- I hate boiling chicken) Instead you could also use 3-4 cans of Costco canned chicken

1 can of Vegall

Mix all ingredients in bowl and add salt and pepper to flavor. Put bottom pie crust in pie tin then fill with mixture. Top with second pie crust and bake 375 for about 40 minutes. If the edges of the pie start getting too brown cover the edges with foil.

Broccoli Salad

1 large bunches of Broccoli
red grapes
bacon crisps
green onion
cashews (add just before serving)

Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar

Marinate dressing in fride for 1 hour.
Just before serving add dressing mixture and cashews to Broccoli mixture.

Holiday Ham

1 shank of ham (leave bone in)
about 1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
1/2 can Dr. Pepper

Buy ham that will fit in your crockpot. May have to "trim the fat" to get it to fit in. Place in crockpot fat side up. Pour 1/2 can of Dr. Pepper on ham. "pack" the ham with Brown sugar. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Shred ham with fork.

I usually shred it in a different bowl, and remove YUCK (fat & bone) from crockpot. After shredded I put it back in the crockpot. Turn crockpot on warm to Serve.