Coconutty Sweet Chex Mix

1 1/2 c butter
1 c white karo (Corn Syrup)
1 c sugar
3 c rice chex
3 c corn chex
6 c golden grahams
1/2 c coconut
slivered almonds

How to make it
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In large bowl combine cereals, coconut and almonds
In saucepan combine butter, sugar and karo
Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes
Pour over cereal mixture
Spread on wax paper till slightly dry to touch
Separate into bite-sized clusters

Cookie Salad

I got this one from my Sister in Law- it is delicious! We all request that this is what she brings when we have a family meal! :)

2- 11 oz cans mandarin oranges drained
2 cups buttermilk
1 pkg fudge striped cookies
2 small instant vanilla pudding packages
16 oz container of Cool Whip

Mix pdding ith buttermilk. Add Cool Whip and oranges. Stir into pudding. Break 3/4 pkg of cookies and stir into puddling. Break rest of cookies in half and put on top.

Chicken Rice Casserole

Here is a quick and easy weekday meal!

Double for a 9X13 pan
1 pkg Rice a Roni Chicken Flavor Cooked
Add:
3 chicken breasts cooked and cubed
1 cup sour cream
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
Spray casserole dish and put 1 column Ritz crackers with 1/2- 3/4 cube of margerine

Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees

Ham and Chesse Soufle Roll

I got this one from the Our Best Bites Blog! Check it out- it is listed as one of my favorite recipe blogs. Delicious!


Better Homes and Gardens 15th Edition Cook Book
Prep: 50 min, Bake: 65 min, Chill: 2-24 hours, Serves: 8-10 slices

4 Tbs butter (this is for the actual recipe. Use additional butter for greasing pan)
1/2 C flour
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 C milk
6 egg yolks, lightly beaten
6 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
6 oz thinly sliced ham (go to the deli counter and ask for thin slices)
6 oz thinly sliced Swiss or porvolone cheese
Sauce- see options at end.
*Heavy Duty foil (really, that's what it's called. Heavy Duty! It's larger and stronger than normal foil and that's what you'll need.)

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a 15x10x1 inch baking pan with foil (a large rimmed baking sheet/jelly roll pan) extend foil about 1 inch over edges of pan. Grease well with butter and lightly flour the foil.

2. In a medium saucepan melt 4 Tbs butter. Stir in flour and pepper. Gradually and slowly stir in milk while whisking to remove lumps. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly; cool slightly. Place egg yolks in a medium bowl; gradually stir in milk mixture. In a large bowl beat egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight.) Fold some of the beaten egg whites inot the egg white mixture. Fold egg yolk mixture into the remaining beaten egg whites. Spread in the prepared baking pan.

3. Bake about 20 minutes or until souffle is puffed and a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

4. Meanwhile, place a long sheet of heavy foil (about 22x18 inches) on a large baking sheet. Generously grease teh foil. After baking souffle immediately loosen edges of souffle from baking pan. invert souffle onto the foil-lined baking sheet. Carefully peel off foil.

5. Place ham and cheese slices in single layers on top of souffle. Starting from a short side, use foil on baking sheet to lift and help roll up souffle. Don't roll the foil inside. use the foil to lift souffle roll onto another flat baking sheet. Cover souffle with foil and chill for 2-24 hours.

6. Before serving, preheat oven to 350. Bake souffle roll, covered with the foil, about 45 minutes or until heated through. To serve, uncover and transfer souffle roll to a warm serving platter (a giant spatula works well, you can sort of slide the whole roll while helping it with the spatula). If desired, spoon a little sauce over the top. Slice with a serrated knife; serve with remaining sauce. If desired, garnish with snipped parsley.
Sauce Options:

BHG Parsley Sauce: In a blender or food processor combine 1/2 C ligthly packed fresh parsley sprigs; 2 green onions, cut up; and 1 tsp dry basil. Cover and blend or process until finely chopped. Add 1 1/2 C whipping cream, 1 Tbs cornstarch, 1 Tbs dijon mustard, and 1/4 tsp salt. Cover and blend or process for 10-20 seconds or until mixture is slightly thickened. Don't over process! You can make to this point ahead of time and store in fridge. When ready to serve, shake sauce; transfer to a medium saucepan, and cook while stirring over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.


Low-Cal Parsley Sauce: For these photos I made my own, lighter version of this sauce by making my Guiltless Alfredo Sauce. Decrease milk to 1 1/2 C and to the blender mixture add 1/2 C roughly chopped parsley, 1 tsp dried basil, 2 green onions (roughly chopped), and 1 Tbs dijon mustard. Follow the rest of the recipe as directed.

Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Cookies

* Three cups of all-purpose flour
* One teaspoon of baking soda
* One-half teaspoon of salt
* One cup of granulated sugar
* Two-thirds of a cup of packed light brown sugar

* One cup of softened butter or margarine
* Two large eggs
* One tablespoon of vanilla extract
* One quarter-cup of pomegranate molasses

* One twelve-ounce bag of dark chocolate chips
* One-half cup of pomegranate seeds

Line several cookie trays with parchment paper, as the cookies will be sticky when they first come out of the oven, and it's best if they stick to something other than your actual cookie tray (you may need it for another batch, depending on how many trays you have). Mix your flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl that you aren't in danger of knocking over. Put it to one side. In another, bigger bowl, mix your butter, granulated sugar, white sugar, pomegranate molasses, eggs, and vanilla until they form a sugary pudding-like goo that you really just want to eat with a spoon (but won't, due to the presence of raw eggs in the mix).

Begin adding your flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing thoroughly as you go. First the contents of your bowl will look like some sort of horrible elementary school art project. Gradually, they will turn into cookie dough. When this happens, mix in the chocolate chips and pomegranate seeds. Stir to distribute as evenly as possible through the mixture. Put the dough in the fridge for an hour.

After about forty-five minutes, come back and pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees

Once you're ready to bake, put tablespoons of dough on your cookie trays, about two inches apart (to allow for spread). You may need to mash them a little with your spoon or hand to get them to stay in place. Bake at 400 F/around 205 C until light brown (usually eight to ten minutes; longer if you want crispy cookies). Allow to cool at least a little before eating. The pomegranate seeds will soften to the texture of baked walnuts, while the juice parts will be little exploding sweet-sour surprises

White Chocolate and Peppermint Covered Pretzels in the Crockpot

I found this recipe and am eager to try it.

Here is how I do it (Read recipe entirely through before starting!):
2 (16 ounce) packages of vanilla bark coating
1 (12 ounce) bag of white chocolate chips
1 (6 ounce) package white chocolate baking squares
3 Tablespoons of shortening
1 (16 ounce) package of pretzel twists, broken or chopped into smaller pieces
1 (8 ounce) package of animal crackers, broken or chopped into smaller pieces
3/4 cup coarsely crushed peppermint candy
1/2 teaspoon of pure peppermint extract
In a 6 quart slow cooker add vanilla bark coating, white chocolate chips, white chocolate baking squares and shortening. Place a paper towel under the lid and cook on low for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Remove the lid, making sure that no condensation gets into the crock pot (water is the enemy when dealing with white chocolate) and stir the mixture until smooth. Add the pretzels, animal crackers and peppermint candy. Stir to incorporate. Turn the heat off and add the peppermint extract (if you have a removable crock take it out and place it on a pot holder or heat proof surface, this would be best). Stir to thoroughly incorporate. By the teaspoon full, put a dollop of the mixture into miniature muffin or cupcake liners. This is easier to do if you put the liners into a muffin tin while the first four ingredients are melting. Put them in a cool draft free place to set up. If you are in a hurry you can put them into the fridge or freezer to set up.


Notes:
If white chocolate is clumping (or seizing) do not add water. Add shortening to the mixture one teaspoon at a time until it smooths back out. It will look real shiny.
It is important to add the peppermint extract at the very last minute, not while the heat is still on.
If you don't have muffin or cupcake liners, you can dollop spoonfuls onto a piece of waxed paper that has been placed on a cookie sheet or cutting board.
Let the candy set up completely before trying to taste test. Hot candy can easily burn you and possibly leave bad damage to your tongue, mouth or skin.
If you're going to let your children help (especially if they're small) the best thing for them to do is dump in the pretzels, animal crackers and peppermint candy. They can also help line the muffin tin with liners and of course help package them once they're cooled. This will insure that they are not in any position to get burned by the hot candy.
Source:
http://crockpotrecipeexchange.blogspot.com/

Cornbread Topped Turkey and Green Chile Casserole

Oh what do you to with left over turkey? Freeze it- for easy meals later like this one I found on evilshannigans.com! This has my mouth watering! :)

For the filling:
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 – 4 ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 cup RoTel Tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chicken or turkey broth
2 Cups of Turkey chopped up
1 cup milk, 2% or higher
2 cups cooked shredded turkey or chicken
10 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, divided

For the cornbread topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Heat the oven to 350 F and spray a 9″ x 9″ casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium pan over medium heat melt the butter until it foams. Add the chopped onions and cook until translucent, about five minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, green chilies, and Rotel and cook until fragrant, about three minutes.

Reduce the heat to low, add the flour and cook until no dry flour remains and the flour becomes lightly golden, about five minutes. Add the turkey stock and stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a simmer.

Once the mixture simmers add the milk and stir to combine. Stir in the turkey meat and cook until thoroughly heated. Remove from the heat and stir in 8 ounces of the shredded cheese. Set aside.

Next prepare the cornbread topping. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, corn meal, baking powder, sugar, and salt until well combined. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour into it the beaten egg, buttermilk, and melted butter. Stir the mixture until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over-mix.

To assemble pour the turkey mixture into the prepared dish and spread evenly. Carefully pour the cornbread mixture over the top and spread evenly to the edges. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Cool for ten minutes before serving.

Cooking a Turkey

I thought I would share something that I learned! I always wondered if it was possible to cook a turkey in a crockpot but I had never tried it because of the size of a turkey- too big to fit in my largest crockpot. We bought a turkey breast which is essentially half a turkey and guess what it fit!!! So I figured I had nothing to loose but everything to gain if my experiment worked. It worked out so well- the turkey was moist and falling off the bones. It was delicious! So if you ever want to have turkey and you get a smaller turkey breast try cooking it in your crockpot- I promise you won't be disapointed!:)

I cooked it for about 8 hours on high because mine was still partially frozen- at first the lid wouldn't go all the way down but as the turkey heated up and it thawed the rest of the way- the lid was closed. I did baste it with butter but I don't know if you really need to-I did have quite a bit in the way of drippings when the turkey was done which I used to make the gravy- it was also delicious! :)

Try it!

Oreo Cheesecake

Ingredients
· 2 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
· 2 tablespoons butter, melted
· 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 2 pounds cream cheese, softened
· 1 1/4 cups white sugar
· 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
· 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 4 eggs
· 1 1/2 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
· 16 ounces sour cream
· 1/4 cup white sugar
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 1 cup heavy whipping cream
· 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
1. Combine 2 cups cookie crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; firmly press mixture evenly onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 5 minutes; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually mix in 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1/3 cup whipping cream, flour, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Pour 1/3 of batter into prepared pan. Top with 1 1/2 cups cookie pieces; pour in remaining batter.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Remove cake from oven. Combine sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla; spread evenly on cheesecake. Continue baking for 7 minutes. Turn oven off and leave in oven 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Combine 1 cup whipping cream and chocolate chips in a saucepan; stir over low heat until chocolate melts, and then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour mixture over cheesecake while still warm. Refrigerate until serving time. Should be at least 8 hours for refrigerator time, remove about 1/2 hour to 1 hour before serving, remove ring from springform pan, decorate to choice and get out your fork!

The Best Ever Pumpkin Pie Cake

from COOKS.COM

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Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,171,129178-252194,00.html
Content Copyright © 2010 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

1 large 29 oz can pumpkin
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup melted butter
1/8 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Prepare pumpkin mixture pour in a 9" by 13" cake pan. Sprinkle yellow cake mix over pumpkin mixture. Melt butter pour over yellow cake. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
Enjoy hot or cold.