Joyous Wassail!

This recipe makes up a TON, so it is most ideal for holiday parties. The first time I made this, I wasn't sure how people would like it, so I also made up a huge pot of homemade hot chocolate. Delicious as the hot chocolate was, it was no match for the wassail. I found myself trying to push the hot chocolate, while a path was being worn to were the wassail was! Enjoy, my friends!

Ingredients:
1 gallon apple cider
1 quart orange juice
1 cup lemon juice
1 large can pineapple juice
24 whole cloves
1 cup sugar
4 sticks cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Simmer at least 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves. Serve hot. Makes a gallon and a half. Store in fridge when cool. Shake and heat desired amount to be served.

7 Layer Salad AKA Company Salad

This recipe was given to me by my Aunt Cynthia. My Aunt Cynthia has a talent for giving the perfect hug! From as far back as I can remember until today, when I see my Aunt Cynthia, I HAVE to have one of her hugs! She doesn't give you one of those barely there hugs. And she doesn't try her hand a chiropractic work on your neck while giving you a hug either. It's the kind of hug that lets you know you've been hugged and makes you feel like YOU matter! Now THAT'S a hug! Oh and she makes a mean salad too!

First, you're going to layer in a 9 X 13 in. dish in order:
1 head lettuce shredded
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup celery, diced
1 can sliced water chestnuts,drained and chopped
1 reg. pkg. frozen peas
Next, you're going to make the dressing as follows:
Combine 2 cups mayonnaise, 2 tsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp garlic powder & 1 tsp. Lawry's season salt. Drop by dollops on top of the peas and spread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 24 hours.(Note: I've made it when I've only had time to refrigerate it for 10 hours and it seemed fine to me.)
Before serving, add your final layers as follows:
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 bottle of bacon bits
3 chopped tomatoes (I leave this out since I don't care for tomatoes)

ENJOY!!

Grandma York's Pumpkin Pie Squares!

This is a nice change from the same old pumpkin pie served every holiday season. Don't get me wrong now. I'm not a pumpkin pie hater. I LOVE pumpkin pie! In fact, I pretty much love ALL desserts pumpkin!

I was first introduced to pumpkin pie squares when I was about 13 years old. My Grandma York had a new recipe she wanted to try out that year as one of the Thanksgiving desserts (mainly for the kids, because you get nearly twice as many servings from a dish of this as you do from one pumpkin pie). I distinctly remember certain grownups looking at the new dessert and then looking at us kids. Granted, I was just a kid, but I'm pretty sure it was look of pity and justification. "Poor kids. They won't be getting any of Grandma's pumpkin pie this year. Then again, they are JUST kids and probably wouldn't appreciate it anyhow. Yes, this pumpkin squares thing will be fine for them." Now make no mistake. I don't recall anyone actually saying these words to me. But you'd be astounded as to what comes across in a look from a grownup when your a kid. No matter though. Grandma served me up a pumpkin pie square with a dollop of cool whip and after taking my first bite, I KNEW who had the better deal THAT Thanksgiving Day! The adults also realized how delicious they were. I'm thinking this was due in part to hearing us grandkids rave about it!

Years later, when I was about to get married, my aunts threw me a bridal shower. At this shower, each guest brought along with their gift a spice with a recipe attached. This is a great idea that I have used at every bridal shower I have been involved in planning and is always greatly appreciated and fun. Go take a look in your own spice cabinet or rack and think of how much money you have invested in all of your spices there. Quite a chunk of change, right? So it's nice for a brand new bride and groom to have a little more than filled salt and pepper shakers to season their foods when they first get married. Plus, you've already started your own collection of recipes. One of my most favorites is the pumpkin pie squares recipe from Grandma York. I've used it so much that it's bent, creased and kitchen stained. I have it copied on another card, but I feel closer to my Grandma, who passed away a few years ago, when I pull it out, rest it on the counter and begin my baking. It has a hole punched in the side where she ran the ribbon through to tie on the little plastic jar of pumpkin pie spice. This reminds me of my own bridal shower and how much my aunts loved me to think of something so sweet and helpful. When I flip it over to read the directions on how to make it, my eye is immediately drawn to the bottom. There, I read three of the most touching words. Love Grandma York. My heart and my eyes both feel warm and I say softly, "I love you too, my Grandma York. Now let's do some baking."

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix (set aside 1 cup of the dry cake mix for topping)
1/2 cup softened margarine or butter
1 egg

Filling:
2 cups (1 15 oz. can) canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:
1 cup reserved yellow cake mix
1/4 cups softened margarine or butter
1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of a 9 X 13 in. pan, either with shortening or cooking spray. Mix ingredients for crust and press evenly into the bottom of the pan. If it gets a little too sticky to handle, just dip your hands in cold water, shake them off and go back to pressing. Or you can use waxed paper if you wish. Mix the ingredients for the filling until blended and pour evenly over crust. Using a pastry blender, mix the ingredients for the crumb topping and spread evenly over the filling. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Cool completely, cut into squares and serve with whipped topping. Yields about 15 servings.

Mini Pumpkin Mufins

I woke up this morning and was going to make up cookies, but then realized that I was out of butter/margarine. I had a meeting this morning and wanted to take in a baked treat of some kind, so I had a mini brainstorm and came up with this. You can make these muffins in a regular size muffin tin as well. I'll add those instructions below.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
15 oz canned pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice(I was out of this, so I mixed a 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and allspice and measured 1 tsp from this)
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

In a separate small bowl mix 1 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon to sprinkle on top.

Directions:
Make sure oven rack is in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
In a small mixing bowl stir together flour and baking powder and set aside.
In a larger bowl mix pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, sugar, baking soda and salt. Whisk until smooth then add in flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray and fill each muffin cup one half to two-thirds full. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixture and bake for 12 minutes.

Let rest in pan for about 5 minutes before removing from pan.
Yields about 45 mini muffins.

For regular 1/2 cup muffin tin you might want to use cupcake liners. Fill each about 3/4 full, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture and bake 25-30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the muffins rest in the pan for at least 5 minutes before removing.

Taco Soup for the Crock Pot

OK, so I posted the recipe for super quick and easy taco soup. Now here is one that is also pretty easy and still pretty quick to throw together. However, you do have to remember to take out hamburger to thaw so that you can brown it for the soup. Ahhh, soup weather! I don't even have to explain to you what soup weather is, because everyone knows. Doesn't matter what part of the country you live in. I can be on the telephone with family or friends who are a thousand miles away and say, "I'm looking out my window right now, and it's perfect soup weather", and I within a millisecond I'll hear "Mmmmmmm" from the person I'm talking to. I have one more taco soup recipe that I will post shortly. For now, here's another keeper!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef, browned and drained
1 onion, chopped (you can fry the onion with the hamburger if you want)
1 to 3 cups tomato juice (depends on how soupy you want your soup)
15 oz. can tomato sauce
2 10 3/4 oz. cans cream of potato soup (this may sound weird, trust me, it's GOOD)
10 1/2 oz. can beef broth
2 15 oz. cans kidney beans, drained
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix

Garnish: corn chips, Monterey jack cheese, shredded and sour cream

Combine all ingredients in a 5 quart slow cooker on low for about 6 hours. Makes 6-8 servings.

Busy Day Taco Soup

My family loves this! It is pretty tasty, but what makes it terrific is that you don't have to thaw anything out ahead of time. Quick, easy and filling! FYI, I always triple this recipe for my own family of 6.

Ingredients:
1 can tomato soup
1 can bean with bacon soup
1 can chili no beans
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 soup can of water


Mix well in soup pot and heat through on medium heat. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and Fritos. Add in whatever suits your fancy. Diced green chiles, dried minced onion, sliced black olives, etc...

Chili Hotdog Casserole

After several requests by my Facebook friends, I've decided to add this recipe to my blog. I may have already posted this recipe, but I don't feel like scrolling backwards to find out. So here it is folks! In all its glory! Chili HotDog Casserole!! The men in my husband's family hold this dish in the same regard as some do with caviar! By the way, I believe their version of champagne would be Rootbeer! I like this recipe because it's easy and I don't have to thaw out anything ahead of time to make it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 large and 1 reg. sized cans of chili. Dennison's and Nalley's both work well.
1 small onion, chopped
1 pkg. hotdogs, sliced
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
1 lg. bag tortilla chips, crushed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread 1/2 of the crushed tortilla chips on the bottom of a 9 x 13 in. pan/dish. In a large bowl mix chili, onion and hotdogs. Spread evenly over crushed chips in pan. Spread cheese on top of chili mixture. Top with remaining chips and bake for 35 minutes. Serve with salsa and sour cream.