Baked Garlic Mashed Potatoes

5 pounds russet, red or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
8 ounces light or regular cream cheese
3-4 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X9-inch baking dish and set aside.

Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and cover with water by one inch. Add 1 teaspoon salt and boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes or until they are tender.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash them a few times and add the rest of the ingredients. Mash and mix well to desired consistency. Scoop the potatoes into the prepared baking pan. Dot with 1-2 tablespoons butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are lightly browned on top and heated through.

Delicious! Also from melskitchencafe.com

Creamy 5 Cup Fruit Salad

1 (10-ounce) can pineapple chunks (about 1 cup), drained
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges (about 1 cup), drained
1 medium apple, cored and chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup grapes, halved
1/2 cup sour cream, light or regular
1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

Combine the fruit in a large bowl, tossing well so the apple (and other fruit that likes to brown) can get coated in the pineapple and orange juice to prevent browning. Stir in the sour cream and coconut, gently tossing to coat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours prior to serving to allow the flavors to meld together. Serve chilled. You might notice that after a day or so of sitting in the fridge, quite a bit of liquid from the fruit pools at the bottom. If eating the leftovers, I like to gently pour some of this off before eating.

from melskitchencafe.com

Spaghetti Sauce

1/2 t red pepper flakes

1/2 pepper

1 t salt

1 can (12 oz) tomato paste

1 can (29 oz) tomato sauce

2 cans (14 oz) diced tomatoes, drained

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups chopped mushrooms

3 medium onion, diced

2 lbs Italian sausage or ground beef (some combination of the two)

2 T dried basil

1 T dried oregano

1 T sugar

Hawaiian Chicken Salad

1 can chicken chunks, drained (or cooked, cooled, and cubed chicken)

1 cup pineapple bits

1 apple, cut into bite sized pieces

1/4 c raisins

1 stalk celery, diced

1/2 t curry powder

mayo to taste (about 1/2 cup)

Mix this all together. Let chill in fridge for an hour (or longer) before serving so that flavors have time to mingle. Serve on croissants.

Matt's Burritos

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, diced

Brown and drain. Then add

2 cans enchilada sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

Simmer 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, scoop mixture into tortillas. Top with cheese, then roll together. Place in 9x13 pan. Pour remaining sauce over rolled tortillas. Top with more grated cheese. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted. These were a favorite of Terry's in college.

Triple Berry Crisp

• 1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
• 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 4 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, gently toss together blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and white sugar; set aside.
3. In a separate large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half of mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Cover with berries. Sprinkle remaining crumble mixture over the berries.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown.

7-Up Pound Cake

from Hildred Dempsey via the Rodericks

1 c butter

1/2 c shortening

3 c sugar

5 eggs

3 c flour

6 oz 7 UP

1 t lemon

1 t vanilla

1 t butter flavor

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Ingredients should be at room temperature. Cream butter, shortening, sugar together. Add eggs one at the time, beating well after each. Add flour alternately with 7 UP and flavorings. Baked in greased and floured bunt pan for at least an hour. Hold back approximately one cup of mix and bake separately.

Cinco de Mayo Bean Dip

from Katie Roderick

1 16oz can refried beans

1 c medium hot salsa

1 c shredded cheddar

2/3 c shredded monterey jack (or pepper jack)

1 can (4.5 oz) ripe olives-chopped

1/4 t each garlic powder and salt

Tortilla chips

In large saucepan mix all ingredients except chips. Cook on low until cheeses are melted.

Makes 3 cups.

I usually double the bean dip recipe. I use medium salsa, pepper jack cheese, only 1 can olives when doubling and no salt.

Tomato Soup

from Rebecca Jackson

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes including liquid
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup half and half
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 or 2 limes

Directions
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and
cook, stirring, until softened. Add garlic, paprika, and oregano. Cook
about one minute, stirring.

Add tomatoes, water, chicken broth, tomato paste, basil, and salt.
Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.

Turn off heat and blend with hand blender until smooth. Add half and
half. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lime juice. Serve hot or
cold.

Caramels

from Cricket Veenker

2 c brown sugar

1 cup light karo syrup

1/2 c butter

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

Combine brown sugar and karo syrup in a small pot. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the butter cold. Stir for 2 min. Add can of milk and stir. Store in air tight containers. Yum!

Gyoza (Japanese Dumplings)

1/2 pound ground pork

1 t sesame oil

1 t sugar

2 t soy sauce

1/2 t garlic salt

1 t grated fresh ginger

20 gyoza wrappers

1 T vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients other than oil in a bowl. Mix well with hands. Place a teaspoonful of filling in the center of a gyoza wrapper. Using your fingers, wet the edges of the wrapper and then fold the wrapper and seal it together.

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Put gyoza in the pan and fry on high heat until the bottoms become brown. Turn down the heat to low. Add 1/4 c water to the pan. Cover the pan and steam gyoza on low heat until the water is gone. Serve with dipping sauce.

Earthquake Cake

from Bonnie Gunderson (KV mom)

1. Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

2. Layer 1 c. chopped pecans and 1 c. coconut in pan.

3. Make a German chocolate cake mix according to package directions. Pour over layers in pan.

4. Melt 1/2 c butter and 8 oz. cream cheese. Mix with 3 c. powdered sugar and a tiny bit of water.

5. Drizzle on top of cake and bake about 55 min at 350 degrees.

Brownies

1/2 c butter, melted

1 c sugar

1 t vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 c flour

1/3 c cocoa

1/4 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

Heat oven to 350. Grease 9x9 pan. Bake 20-25 min or until brownies begin to pull away from side of pan. Good with or without frosting.

Frosting

3 T butter, softened

3 T cocoa

1 T karo syrup

1/2 t vanilla

1 c powdered sugar

1 to 2 T milk

Beat butter, cocoa, and vanilla in a small bowl. Add powdered sugar and milk, beat to spreading consistency.

Bay Area Burgers

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 t salt

1 t pepper

1/2 t basil

1 lb ground beef

Mix all ingredients together and then grill for a yummy burger.

Christmas Punch

from Janine Michie

8 c water

2 c sugar

1 T whole cloves

3 cinnamon sticks

Boil above ingredients together to make a simple syrup. Let sit for a few hours so that the flavors have time to mix together. Then drain to remove cloves/cinnamon.

Add

1 can frozen lemonade concentrate

1 can (46 oz) pineapple juice

Let it get warm, either on the stove or in a crock pot.

Tillapia

1 egg

splash of milk (about 1/8 cup)

flour

1 cup panko crumbs

1/3 c oil

tartar sauce

In a pie plate, beat egg and add milk. Put a handful of flour on a dinner plate. Pour the panko crumbs onto another dinner plate. Put oil in frying pan and let it get hot.

Dust fish fillet in flour, then dip in egg/milk mixture. Then coat the fish in the panko crumbs. Fry fish until golden brown on each side (about 3-5 min per side). Use tartar sauce for dipping if desired.

Serve with vegetables.