Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 Eggs
2 1/4 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Basking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Chocolate Chips

Directions:

HEAT oven to 375 degrees

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl until creamy.
Add eggs, beat well.
In separate bowl mix together flour, baking soda and salt.
Gradually add to butter mixture.
Add  chocolate chips and/or nuts.

Bake at 375 degrees for 9 minutes.

Fantastic Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients
2 Cups Peanut Butter, prefer Natural brands
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Pinch Salt
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Teaspoon Flour

Directions:
Mix all ingredients except peanut butter in a small bowl. MIX WELL
Add mixed ingredients to peanut butter.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto greased or sprayed cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes.

Spicy Crispy Potato Wedges

Ingredients:

• 2 medium potatoes peeled and cut
• into wedges
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon Paprika spicy
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 3/4  cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Turn oven on to 450 degrees F; grease pan. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise on a cutting board.
2. Cut each lengthwise half into 4 pieces to make a total of 8 wedges for each potato or 16 total.
3. Put the wedges in the pan and spread them to make a single layer.
4. Brush the melted butter over the potatoes.
5. Combine the 4 seasonings in a small dish and mix well.
6. Sprinkle mixture over the potatoes. (Be generous)
7. Put the crumbs and shaved Parmesan cheese into a plastic bag and coat each potato with the crumb mixture. Please they are well covered with bread and cheese
8. Bake on center rack for 30 minutes.
9. Place the potatoes on a cooking sheet in a single layer.
10. Take them out after 30 minutes and turn over the potatoes.
11. In this step if you want you can re- brush the potatoes with butter
12. Bake for 10 more minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

Kahlua

5th of Vodka
4 Cups Water
4 Cups Sugar
Large Vanilla Bean
3/4 cup Instant Coffee, NOT FREEZE DRIED

Combine in a glass container and put in a dark place for 6 weeks.

OR  

4 c. sugar
2 oz. instant coffee
4 c. boiling water
1 qt. 100 proof vodka
2 vanilla beans

Add 3 cups water to 4 cups sugar. Boil 20 minutes and cool. Mix in a separate bowl or pan, 2 ounces instant coffee and 1 cup boiling water. Let cool. Mix together both mixtures and add 1 quart 100 proof vodka and 2 vanilla beans. Age 3 to 4 weeks.Makes 2 quarts Kahlua.

Larkin Candy Cane Sugar Cookies

1 cup Soft Butter
1 1/2 cup Confectioner Sugar
1/2 tsp Almond Extract
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 Cups Four
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cream of Tartar
Red Food Coloring

Directions
Combine butter and confectioner sugar in a bowl and set a side.

Combine almond extract, egg and vanilla, still well and add to dry mixture. Blend in well.

Add Flour, baking soda, cream of tartar in bowl, mix well then add to wet mixture.

Divide mixture in 1/2. Add red food coloring to half.

Chill for at least 1 hour.

Roll small logs of each color and wrap together to look like candy canes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes.

Rice and Beans

Rice and peas recipe

Ingredients

 3 cups of rice
 1 can of tinned or 1 cup of fresh red peas (either kidney beans or pigeon peas)
 5 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
 1 uncut scotch bonnet pepper (1 jalapeno pepper may be used as a substitute)
 3 Scallion (spring onions may be used as a substitute)
 1 tin (or one cup) of coconut milk
 1 teaspoon of salt
 1 teaspoon of black pepper
 2 sprigs of fresh thyme (2 teaspoons of dried thyme may be used as a substitute)

Cooking

 If you are using fresh peas then wash these










 Pour on three cups of water and leave to soak overnight (nb - there is no need to do this if you are using tinned peas)










 Crush the garlic and add to seven cups of boiling water










 










 If you are using fresh peas add them now and boil for 45 minutes.










 You can test to see if the peas are cooked by crushing them against the lid of the pot.

(If they crush easily, you are ready to move on to the next step)

NB - If you are using tinned peas jest add them to the pot and move straight on to the next step.






 Add your coconut milk, rice, salt, black pepper and thyme to the mix.










 Crush the scallion (do not chop) and add this.

 Also add the uncut scotch bonnet pepper, nb - the pepper remains uncut so as to not make the rice spicy, just give it a subtle peppery flavour.








 The Rice and Peas should be ready after about 40 minutes (exact cooking time will depend on the brand of rice used).










 The Rice and Peas is now ready to serve!

Jamaican Beef Patties

Beef patties recipe

Ingredients - pastry

 1lb flour
 1/2 cup ice cold water
 1/2 cup melted butter
 1/2 cup shortening
 1 tsp salt
 1 Teaspoon of baking powder
 1 Teaspoon of curry powder medium hot
 1 Teaspoon on turmeric or 1 drop of annotto

YOU CAN ALSO USE PRE MADE PASTY FROM THE STORE

Ingredients - filling

 1lb ground beef
 1 medium onion
 4 scallion (or 1 more medium onion)
 2 stalks fresh thyme or 2 tsps ground thyme
 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
 1 scotch bonnet pepper (or 1 tbsp curry powder / chilli sauce)
 2 cloves garlic
 1 cup water
 1 tsp salt
 1 tsp pepper
 1 tsp paprika
 1/2 tsp sugar
 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Preparation - pastry

  Sieve flour










  Stir in baking powder, curry powder, salt and turmeric










  Work the butter and shortening in with fingertips until mixture resembles breadcrumbs











  Slowly drizzle in the water until the mixture has a dough-like consistency (it should only be slightly sticky)










  Roll the dough in to a ball
  Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 1 hour

Preparation - filling

 Cut onion + scallion in to fine pieces










 Fry gently - so they do not quite get time to brown










 Add meat, thyme, garlic, peppers (finely chopped), salt, pepper, paprika, sugar and nutmeg










 Fry until mixture is fairly dry, drain off excess fat if necessary










 Add water and breadcrumbs, cook until the mixture has a thick, saucy texture

Combining the pastry and filling

 Roll the pastry on a floured board until it is about 1/8 of an inch thick










 Cut as many circles (about the size of a saucer) out of the dough as you can.










 Place 1 tablespoon of the filling on one side of each pastry circle










 Moisten the edges of each patty with water and fold pastry over to make a crescent shape
 Seal the edge of each patty by crimping with a fork

Cooking

 Preheat oven to 375 deg f, 200 C or gas mark 6
 Place patties on aluminium foil
 Cook for 35 minutes (or until golden brown)

Serving

 Serve patties hot or cold. Either on their own or wrapped in coco-bread.

Crock Pot Beef Tamale Casserole

Ingredients :

1 pound lean ground beef

1 medium (1/2 cup) onion, chopped

1 (4-ounce) can chopped mild green chiles

1 (11-ounce) can Mexican-style corn, drained*

1 (10-ounce) can mild enchilada sauce

9 (6-inch)  corn tortillas

6 (3/4-ounce) slices Land O Lakes® Deli White American

Topping

 Sour cream, if desired

 Sliced green onion, if desired

 Salsa, if desired

Tortilla Chips

Directions:

Spray 4-quart slow cooker with no-stick cooking spray; set aside. 

Cook ground beef and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink; drain, if necessary. Stir in green chiles, corn and enchilada sauce. 

Place 3 tortillas in bottom of slow cooker; top with 1 1/3 cups meat mixture and 2 cheese slices. Repeat layers twice except last 2 cheese slices.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 3-4 hours or High heat setting 2-3 hours, or until bubbly. Turn off heat. Top with remaining 2 cheese slices. Cover; allow cheese to melt.

Dollop each serving with sour cream; top with sliced green onion, salsa and tortilla chips, if desired. 

*Substitute 1 3/4 cups frozen corn.

Easy Crockpot Mongolian Beef

Ingredients

• 1 lb. stew meat
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, thickly sliced
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 cup soy sauce (I used wheat free tamari)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. fresh minced ginger
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce (I used The Wizard's brand gf)

Instructions

1. Freezer directions- dump all ingredients into a labeled freezer bag, seal, mix up, freeze flat. It's as easy as that!
2. When you're ready to cook- take the bag out of the freezer the night before and let it defrost in the fridge. The next morning dump the bag into the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If you're going to be longer just add a bit more water so it doesn't dry out. Serve with fresh slice green onions and rice. Yum!

Chicken & White Bean Soup - Crock Pot

• 2 T olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 package ground chicken
• 6 cups chicken broth/stock
• 1/2 t crushed red pepper
• 2 t ground cumin
• 2 t basil
• 1/2 t garlic salt
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 t chili powder
• 1 small can chopped green chiles
• 1/2 cup diced tomato
• 2 (14 oz) cans Great Northern Beans
• 2 T cornstarch
• Shredded Cheddar cheese

In large soup pot, saute onion in olive oil until translucent.  Add ground chicken to pot,  break up into small pieces while cooking thoroughly.  After chicken is completely cooked add the following: chicken broth/stock, red pepper, cumin, basil, garlic salt, salt & pepper, chili powder, green chiles, tomato & beans.  Stir together and simmer 15 minutes  or  until flavors are well blended.  Remove 1/2 cup of liquid in a glass measuring cup, whisk in cornstarch until no clumps are found, add back to soup, stirring until slightly thickened.  Ladle into bowls & serve with shredded cheese on top.  Serves 8.

Crock Pot Beef Tips with gravy

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. beef tips (or cubed beef stew meat)*

1 package of dry Onion Soup Mix

1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup

1 can of Beef Broth

Directions:

Add beef to slow cooker. 

In a bowl, combine dry Onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup and beef broth.  

Stir to combine and pour over beef in slow cooker.

Stir all ingredients together.

Cook on low for at least 6-8 hours.  

Give everything a good stir before serving. 

Serve on top of mashed potatoes or egg noodles. 

 Enjoy with your favorite veggies and salad.

Cook’s note: You can use a whole beef roast instead of cubed stew meat. 

If you don’t have cream of mushroom soup, you can substitute cream of chicken.

Also, if you are sensitive to salt, I would suggest using a low sodium cream soup as well as a low sodium beef broth

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced (I use half a green and half a red)
• 12 flour tortillas
• Toppings such as cheese, sour cream, and guacamole – if desired

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips in a greased 13×9 baking dish.
2. In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt
3. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.
4. Next add the tomatoes, peppers, and onions to the dish and stir to combine.
5. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve on tortillas with desired toppings.

Honey Garlic Chicken - Crock Pot

1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4 or one thigh per family member)
3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup  soy sauce (La Choy or Tamari wheat-free are gluten free)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker (if using a 6-quart, this will cook faster. Check after 3 hours on high, 5 hours on low).
Put the chicken into your cooker. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, then pour evenly over the top.
Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 (I'd go with low---).
Serve with basmati rice and steamed or roasted vegetables.

Beyond Easy Pulled Pork - Crock Pot

4-5 lb pork butt roast

2 yellow onions, sliced

Dry Rub

3 tbsps chili powder

1 tsp coriander

2 tsps cumin

2 tsps onion powder

1 tablespoon dried parsley

¼ teaspoon chipotle powder

2 tsps sea salt

Mix all dry rub ingredients together.  Rub the entire roast with the dry rub (you should use it all.)  Place a layer of onions on the bottom of your slow cooker.  Place the roast on top.  Put the rest of the sliced onions on top of the slow cooker.  NO LIQUID NECESSARY!  Cook the roast on high for 5-6 hours and then turn down to low for another 3-4 hours or until the roast is literally falling apart and easy to shred.

Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken - Freeze ahead

Medium bag of Carrots
Red Onion cut into large chunks
2 large cans Pineapple, including juice
4 Garlic Cloves
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 cups Teriyaki sauce + 1/2 cup extra to put in crock pot

Split between 2 freezer ziplock bags, seal, mix, lay flat and freeze.

Directions for cooking:

Add all to crock pot.
Add the 1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce to crock pot.
Cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Serve over cooked white rice.

No-Bake Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Cookies

Yield: 2 to 3 dozen cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cooling Time: 30 minutes

½ cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups quick-cooking oats

1. Add the first four ingredients (through the cocoa powder) to a 4-quart saucepan.

2. Bring to a rolling boil and let boil for 1 minute.

3. Remove from heat.

4. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth, then stir in the oats.

5. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto wax paper-lined baking sheets.

6. Let cool until set.

There's just one trick; you have to make sure that the sugar mixture boils hard for at least one minute, otherwise the cookies will be sugary instead of creamy. You can add other ingredients to this basic recipe. Substitute 1 cup of flaked coconut for 1 cup of the oatmeal. Add some chopped peanuts to the recipe for crunch. Or add some milk chocolate chips after the mixture has cooled slightly.

FRY JACKS

Ingredients: 1lb Flour 1 TBSP Baking Powder 1 TBSP Shortening 1 Cup Water Instructions: Put ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Knead for about 5 minutes until smooth. Roll into pieces the size of golf balls. Rest for 1/2 hour. Roll it out and fry in oil. Turn over once. When it floats, it finished. Drain.

Souper-Creamy Souper-Yummy Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 1/2 lbs Fresh Broccoli (cut into bite sized pieces)
2 Cups Water (can use chicken stock)
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon black pepper
3 Tablespoons cornstarch Mixed with 1/2 Cup Cold Water.
1 Pint Half & Half
1 lb Velveeta cheese, Cubed (yes, I know.. its evil, it's processed, it's un-naturally yellow, It has a shelf-life longer than Twinkies, But it works the best)

Steam Broccoli Till Tender-crisp

Place half-and-half and water in a double boiler. (If you don't have a double broiler, you can use a large metal bowl sitting on top of a large pot of simmering water, This stuff burns and sticks very VERY easily... I wouldn't risk cooking it straight in a pot over heat. Been there, burned that!)

Add cheese, salt and pepper.

Heat until cheese is melted.

Add broccoli.

Mix cornstarch and water in small bowl. Stir into cheese/broccoli ,mixture in double boiler and heat over simmering water until soup thickens.

Dana's Chicken Pot Pie!

SERVES 6 -81 cup potato, diced
1 cup chopped onion

1 cup celery, diced
1 cup chopped carrot

1 can corn (or 1 cup frozen or fresh corn)
1 cup green beans large dice

1/2 cup green peas

1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 pie crusts (either store bought or your own recipe)
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Saute veggies in butter for 10 minutes.
Add flour to sauteed mixture, stir well to mix thoroughly

well Cook one minute stirring constantly.
Combine broth and half and half
Gradually stir into vegetable mixture keep stirrin!
Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly
Stir in salt and pepper; add chicken and stir well
Pour into shallow 2 quart casserole dish and top with pie shells
Cut slits to allow steam to escape.
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly and cooked through.

for freezing

assemble your pot pie

freeze before baking!

To prepare from frozen....

Bake in 350 degree oven for 50 - 55 min, or until crust is browned and the filling is bubbly!