Fresh Pesto Sauce

My daughter Jenna and I have learned to enjoy Pesto sauce and use it in our sandwiches and cooking.

Fresh Pesto Sauce

2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tblsp pine nuts, toasted

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

2 Tblsp freshly grated Romano cheese

3 Tblsp butter, softened

Blend first five ingredients until smooth in processor or blender.  Put in bowl and stir in remaining ingredients.

yummy!

Veggie Pizza

This recipe is a fun one that never dissapoints, great for appetizers.

Veggie Pizza
1 can crescent roll dough
1 pkg dry Ranch dressing mix
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Carrots, shredded
Cucumbers
Cheese
Tomatoes
Press dough into 9 x 13 pan.  Cook according to package directions.  Mix Ranch dressing mix with 16 oz container of sour cream. Spread over cooled crust.  Cut veggies into small pieces and spread on top.


Nourishing of the soul:
This is taken from the book I read "An Hour to Live, an Hour to Love" by Richard Carlson and Kristine Carlson
"Another thing I am absolutely certain of is this: If I could live my life over again, I'd rarely if ever be in such a hurry.  What is the point? You get to the end of your life and you finally pause and reflect and it all becomes so clear.  You see the absurdity of all the rushing around . . we rush around and for what?  All it does is keep us from truly experiencing life in any sort of meaningful deep way.

Cake Mix Cookies

This recipe is for cake mix cookies from my friend Diane Worthen, she has fun creating different flavors with diff cake mixes!

Cake Mix Cookies

2/3 cup shortening (I like to use butter instead of shortening)

2 eggs

1 box cake mix (any kind)

Take 1/2 package of cake mix and mix with the shortening and eggs.  Add the other 1/2 and mix well.  Shape into balls and bake at 375 for 8 to 10 min.

If using lemon mix, roll balls in sugar before cooking.   If using chocolate, after cooked, add a marshmallow, put back in oven to soften, then frost with chocolate frosting when cool.

Yummy!

Peanut Butter Cookies Or Reeses Peanut Butter Cookies

This is one of my favorite peanut butter cookie recipes, you can make them plain or after taking cookies out of oven, you can put a chocolate kiss or chocolate star on top of each cookie and let cool!
Yummy! (or you can drizzle chocolate over them or dip one side in chocolate)

Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Thoroughly cream butter, peanut butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla.  Sift together dry ingredients; blend to cream mixture. Roll into balls, Place on greased cookie sheet Can use a fork to crisscross them flat.  Bake at 375 for 11 minutes.  Cool slightly.
Reeses Peanut Butter Cookies:
(this version came from Christy's friends Julie and Amber who would make these and leave them at the doorsteps of people they liked, we got some once! they are divine and yummy and wonderful! and it was Amber's recipe!)
Recipe same as above but you will need 1 pkg Reeses miniature Peanut Butter Cups
Mix the dough together and then roll into 1 1/2 inch or 2 inch balls.  Place in ungreased muffin tins.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Bake 8 to 10 min.  Let cool one minute and then press a peanut butter cup upside down into the cookie  Cool.

Chuck Wagon Baked Beans

In the summertime there are alot of pot lucks and grilling, and there always needs to be at least one pan of baked beans to go along with it.  I have found 3 recipes in my Sandridge Ward cookbook, all are good

Chuck Wagon Beans from Wendy Perkins
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup celery
salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste
1 can tomato soup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup green peppers
1 Tbsp vinegar
2 cans pork and beans
Brown hamburger, celery, onion and green peppers.  Drain grease.  Add brown sugar and vinegar.  Mix all above ingredients with tomato soup and pork and beans.  Bake covered 30 min at 375 degrees

Baked Beans by Angie Garrett
6 to 8 bacon slices
1 lb ground beef
 2 (30 oz) cans pork and beans
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp prepared mustard
2 cans tomato soup
1 chopped onion
Dice and Brown bacon.  Drain and brown hamburger with onion.  Add beans, brown sugar, mustard, and soup.  Bake at 450 degrees until boiling then at 350 for 2 hours

Baked Beans by Sherene Keith
2 large cans pork and beans
1 cup ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/3 lb bacon, cut and partially fried
2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup green pepper diced
Mix all ingredients and bake at 300  degrees uncovered for one hour or covered 2 hours or in crock pot on low 2 hours.

Candied Yams

This is our thanksgiving Tradition recipe for sweet potatoes:

Candied Yams (Kristen Funes ) Sandridge Ward Cookbook

cooking note:  Jenna just asked me how to cook the sweet potatoes. Pierce them twice with a steak knife (to vent) do not need to oil them.  I double wrap in foil (as they always leak) and put them on a cookie sheet and bake for an hour and 15 min or until fork tender.  Lately I have found you can cook them in a slow cooker, just put a cup of water in bottom and stick them in and bake for 4 hours and they come out perfect and no mess! (you dont have to prick them in slow cooker, but you could, it wont hurt them. ) Jenna is asking me good questions, hopefully this helps!

3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes (or 1 large can)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
Topping:
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 bag miniature marshmallows
Combine yams, sugar, vanilla, eggs, milk, and 1/2 cup butter.  Beat until smooth.  Spoon into greased 2 quart shallow casserole.  Combine brown sugar, flour, 1/3 cup butter, and pecans.  Sprinkle over casserole.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Take out after 20 minutes sprinkle top with marshmallows and put back in oven to finish baking  10 more minutes!

Just a note:  you can add some oatmeal and brown sugar mixture to the topping or the lady below added crushed corn flakes!
YUMMY

In bloggy land I found this recipe as well, I will link it herehttp://www.cookingclassy.com/2012/11/browned-butter-sweet-potato-casserole/  it shows diagonal of  marshmallows and topping!

Thanksgiving Sides Mashed Potato and Gravy Peas

The rest of Dana Days recipes she shared from her Thanksgiving Meal:

Of course we have mashed potatoes.  Those are pretty self explanatory right? Boil potatoes.  Skin, no skins.  Whip them up your favorite way.  I sometimes add a little whipping cream this time of year (since it is normally in the house), or cream cheese, or butter, or whatever sounds delicious.  I don't think you can mess up mashed potatoes.  We eat them probably too much in our house so its second nature.

I Sandee like to make mashed potatoes putting in sour cream and cream cheese, usually if you use a 10 lb bag of potatoes, then you would use 1 pt sour cream, 1 block sour cream. This year in the bloggy land I found this tip to try, so I will link it here http://www.cookingclassy.com/2012/11/moms-mashed-potatoes/

 

Gravy. 

 Another mystery to some.  I think we eat this too often too.  HA! (Remember my favorite FAVORITE meal is Fried Chicken.)  Gravy is SO EASY.  So many people are afraid to make it.  For Turkey gravy I just use all the dripping straight out of the roasting pan.  Add it to a large skillet.  Turn up the heat. In a large cup I add flour (about half way up) and water.  Whisk it really good to get all the lumps out.  Then you just pour it in slowly into heated Turkey drippings.  Stir with your gravy whisk to combine.  Salt and pepper to taste.  If you like milk or cream in it, add it.  Gravy is honestly pretty hard to mess up unless you don't get your flour mixture mixed up well.  Some people use cornstarch for a silky gravy.  I just use flour.  

 

My husband's family loves the green bean casserole.  I won't insult your intelligence by adding the recipe.  Follow the recipe on the box of Onions you buy for it. 

 

I personally like just peas and carrots.  My Mom always just chopped carrots and boiled them and added some frozen peas. and finished cooking.  I think I like this because it is pretty.  With so many other sweet things on the table that is filled with fillers I like this is just simple.  When they are done you just put butter in them and melt it. 

 

Of course we put out the sweet pickles, cranberry sauce, olives.