Thursday, February 28, 2008

Pear Cheesecake

1 cup flour
3/4 cup quick oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
8 ounces cream cheese,softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
2 ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and sliced
1/ cup chopped pecans


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small bowl, stir to combine flour, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir in butter with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in butter with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press two thirds of mixture into bottom of greased 9 inch pie pan. Bake 15 minutes. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar, egg and vanilla; spread over baked crust. Top with pear slices, remaining oat mixture and pecans. Return to oven and bake 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before cutting.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Enchilada Pasta Soup

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Pasta Carbonara

4 eggs
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup cream
1 lb fettuccine or spaghetti
1 large package sliced turkey pepperoni
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley


Let eggs, butter or margarine, and cream stand at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Beat together eggs and cream just until blended. Add pasta to a large amount of boiling, salted water. Cook 10-12 minutes or until tender, but firm. Drain well. Heat an ovenproof serving dish in a 250 degree oven. Turn pasta into heated serving dish. Toss with butter mixture and pepperoni. Add cheese and parsley; toss to mix.



Tomorrow's Daily Special: Pear Cheesecake

Green Bean Salad

4 cups fresh green beans
1/2 cup minced onion
2 T vegetable oil
2 T wine vinegar
1/2 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup cooked turkey, cubed


Wash and cook green beans till tender in boiling water- about 20 minutes. Drain and cool. Toss with remaining ingredients except for turkey. Chill well. Garnish with turkey.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Pasta Carbonara

Monday, February 25, 2008

Sour Cream Lemon Loaf Cake

Cake:
2 ½ cups flour
1 ½ t baking powder
½ t soda
½ t salt
8 ounces sour cream
1 t vanilla
1 ¼ cup sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1 T lemon peel
2 large eggs

Syrup:
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Grease and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small bowl combine flour, soda, baking powder and soda. In small bowl with whisk mix sour cream and vanilla. In large bowl- at low speed- beat sugar, butter, and lemon peel till smooth. Increase speed to high and beat till creamy. Reduce to low and add eggs, one at a time. Scrape bowl, add flour alternating with sour cream- starting and ending with dry mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 50-55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Mix together syrup, poke holes in top and brush top and sides with syrup.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Green Bean Salad

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Peach Pound Cake

3 cups flour
¼ t baking soda
¼ t salt
½ cup sour cream
1 t vanilla
1 t almond extract
1 cup butter or margarine
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
2 cups fresh or frozen peaches, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and vanilla and almond extract. In a large bowl, cream margarine and sugar; add eggs, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream mixture; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well; stir in peaches. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 75-80 minutes.



Tomorrow's Daily Special: Sour Cream Lemon Loaf Cake

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Highland Flings

This is a super old fashioned candy with a random assortment of ingredients that somehow works!


2 packages butterscotch chips
1 cup salted peanuts
1 cup raisins

Heat butterscotch chips over very low heat in heavy saucepan until almost completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in peanuts and raisins. Drop by spoonfuls on wax paper and let stand till firm.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Peach Pound Cake

Friday, February 22, 2008

Magnolia Cake

4 cups sugar
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
6 eggs
2 t vanilla
4 cups flour
4 t baking powder
¼ t salt
2 cups buttermilk


Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour 3 round cake pans. Cream together sugar and oil till well mixed. Add eggs one at a time till well mixed. Mix in vanilla. In large bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternating with milk. Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Frost with your favorite frosting- I usually use buttercream or cream cheese frosting but anything will work.



Tomorrow's Daily Special: Highland Flings

Thursday, February 21, 2008

The Black-Eyed Pea’s Baked Squash

This is another great recipe from The Black Eyed Pea Restaurant!

5 pounds medium-size yellow squash
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
1 stick butter or margarine
¼ cup sugar
Salt as needed
2 T chopped onion
Dash of pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut tips off squash and cut each into 3-4 pieces. Drop squash into a large saucepan with enough boiling water to cover. Return to a boil, reduce heat and cook until tender. Drain in colander and mash squash. Combine with beaten eggs, bread crumbs, butter, sugar, salt, onion, and pepper. Turn into a 3 quart casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with a light layer of bread crumbs. Bake until lightly browned.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Magnolia Cake

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Nicole’s Cake

Cake:
1 Duncan Hines lemon cake mix
1 box apricot Jell-O
1 can apricot nectar
4 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water

Glaze:
½ stick butter
1 ½ cup powdered sugar
Apricot nectar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all cake ingredients until well mixed. Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Pour cake mixture into prepared pan and bake for 25-35 minutes.

In mixing bowl mix together butter and powdered sugar and enough apricot nectar to make a glaze. Poke holes in warm cake and pour glaze over top of cake.



Tomorrow's Daily Special: The Black-Eyed Pea’s Baked Squash

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Applesauce Cake

2 cups applesauce
2 cups sugar
½ cup butter
1 t cinnamon
1 t cloves
½ t nutmeg
1 t salt
1 egg
2 ½ cups flour
1 cup raisins
1 cup pecans
2 t soda dissolved in a little hot water

In saucepan mix together applesauce, sugar, and butter till almost boiling. Remove from heat and pour into large mixing bowl. Add in all other ingredients until well mixed. Spray tube pan with cooking spray. Bake for one hour.



Tomorrow's Daily Special: Nicole’s Cake

Monday, February 18, 2008

The Black Eyed Pea’s Cheese Broccoli Soup

This is an easy and yummy soup for a cool evening! (For those wondering the name is because it's a recipe from a restaurant here in the south named The Black Eyed Pea).

1 ½ pounds fresh broccoli
1 pint half-and-half
2 cups water
1 pound Velveeta cheese, diced into cubes
¾ t salt
½ t pepper
½ cup cornstarch mixed with 1 cup cold water

Steam broccoli until tender (microwave on high 6 minutes per pound). Combine half-and-half and 2 cups water in the top of a double boiler. Add cheese, salt, and pepper. Heat until all cheese is melted. Add broccoli. Stir dissolved cornstarch into cheese mixture in the top of double boiler and heat over simmering water until soup thickens.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Applesauce Cake

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Orange Pound Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
1 (3 ounce) box lemon Jell-O
½ cup orange juice
½ cup sugar
½ cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a bundt cake pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, oil, water and Jell-O. Beat with mixer until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes. The cake may be a bit sunken in the middle. Allow to cool slightly, remove from pan and place on cake platter. While cake is cooling, in a small saucepan, combine orange juice and sugar. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves. Drizzle with topping while cake is still warm. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.



Tomorrow's Daily Special: The Black Eyed Pea’s Cheese Broccoli Soup

Saturday, February 16, 2008

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Muffins

If you love white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, you are going to LOVE these muffins!

Muffins:
1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup vanilla chips
3/4 cup macadamia nuts

Glaze:
1/2 cup vanilla chips
2 T heavy whipping cream


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the chips and nuts. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. For glaze, in a small microwave-safe bowl, melt chips with cream; stir until smooth. Drizzle over warm muffins.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Orange Pound Cake

Friday, February 15, 2008

Peanutty Chocolate Truffles

This is an easy truffle recipe that I found on the back of a package of hot chocolate mix. Super sweet and super easy!


3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 t vanilla
1/3 cup hot cocoa mix
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup finely chopped peanuts (or other nut)


Line baking sheets with wax paper. Beat peanut butter and vanilla in medium bowl until creamy. Combine cocoa mix and powdered sugar in another bowl. Stir into peanut butter mixture. Place peanuts in flat dish. Use cookie scoop to scoop peanut butter mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls; roll in peanuts to coat. Place on prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate till firm.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: White Chocolate Macadmia Nut Muffins

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Easy Stromboli

1 can Pilsbury pizza crust
1/4 cup pizza sauce (or tomato sauce with garlic and oregano)
1/2 lb thinly sliced ham
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped green and/or red pepper
1/4 t dried Italian seasoning



Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unroll dough and place on cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Press dough into 12 x 18 inch rectangle. Spread sauce on dough to within 2 inches of long sides and 1/2 inch of short sides. Top with ham, cheese, peppers and Italian seasoning. Fold long sides of dough over filling; pinch to seal. Pinch short sides to seal. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.



TIP OF THE DAY: Substitue pepperoni for the ham for a more Italian flavor.



Tomorrow's Daily Special: Peanutty Chocolate Truffles

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

S'more Pie

This is a super quick and easy pie that would be great to make for your sweetie on Valentine's Day!


1 (2 extra serving size) graham cracker pie crust
1 (12 ounce) chocolate candy bar, broken into pieces
30 regular marshmallows
3/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups of whipped cream (reserve 1 cup for topping)
6 ounces hot fudge, warmed
chocolate syrup


In small saucepan, place chocolate bar, marshamallows, and milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until marshmallows and chocolate are melted. Cool. Fold 1 1/2 cups whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Spread thin layer of warm hot fudge over bottom of pie crust. Gently spoon cooked mixture into crust. Top with reserved whipped cream and garnish with chocolate syrup topping. Refrigerate 3 hours or until set.


TIP OF THE DAY: You can use a chocolate almond, chocolate peanut, or chocolate mint candy bar in place of the plain chocolate bar.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Easy Stromboli

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Crock Pot Minestrone

This is another great Minestrone soup recipe- but super easy since it's made in the crock pot!

1 lb. boneless beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 14-1/2-oz. cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano (undrained)
2 14-oz. cans beef broth
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup thinly sliced carrots (2 medium)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1 cup dried bow tie pasta
1 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
salt and freshly ground pepper
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

In a large crock pot combine beef, undrained tomatoes, broth, cannellini beans, kidney beans, carrots, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 4-1/2 hours. Add pasta and squash to cooker (if using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting). Cover and cook 30 to 45 minutes more or until pasta is tender. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Paremesan cheese before serving. This recipe can easily be cut in half.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: S'more Pie

Monday, February 11, 2008

Ham and Noodle Casserole

This is a great main dish that can be made to use up any left over ham you have.

8 ounces noodles, cooked and drained
3 T butter
3 T flour
1 T prepared mustard*
1 ½ cups milk
2 cups cooked ham, diced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 T butter
½ cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the butter, flour and mustard in a saucepan. Add milk gradually, stirring constantly. Cook until thick. Slowly add the ham, salt, and pepper till well combined. Stir in noodles. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray and pour into dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with butter over the top. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

*Edited to add: If, like my sweet sister, you don't like mustard, you can either leave it out or add a tiny bit of horseradish for flavor.

Tomorrow's Daily Special: Crock Pot Minestrone

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Italian Chocolate Cake

This is a great, easy chocolate cake that tastes like you spent a long time making it! Very rich and yummy!

1 (18 ¼ ounce) box devil’s food cake mix
1 1/3 cups water (or the amount called for on the cake mix box)
½ cup vegetable oil (or the amount called for on the cake mix box)
3 large eggs (or the amount called for on the cake mix box)
2 lbs ricotta cheese
2 t sugar
1 (3 ½ ounce) package chocolate instant pudding mix
1 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray and pour in dry cake mix. In large bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, eggs, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. Pour evenly over chocolate cake mix. Bake for 1 hour. Cool cake completely in pan. In large bowl blend together pudding and milk until thick and then fold in Cool Whip. Spread on top of cake and chill before serving.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Ham and Noodle Casserole

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Crab Muffins

Even if you don't like crab, trust me when I say these are DELICIOUS! My mom would make them and we would eat them as quickly as she could get them out of the oven. They are so easy and so yummy!


1 jar Kraft Old English Cheese Spread (next to the Velveeta in a small jar)
1 can crab meat, drained and flaked
1 stick butter, softened
garlic powder
onion powder
2 packages English muffins

Cream butter and cheese in small bowl. Add flaked crab meat and seasonings. Cover and refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrierator about 1 hour before serving. Preheat oven to broil. Spread crab mixture on split English muffins and cut each into quarters. Place on baking sheet and broil until bubbly and the edges are lightly brown. Serve immediately. I broil a few at a time because these are best hot!



Tomorrow's Daily Special: Italian Chocolate Cake

Monday, February 4, 2008

Tortilla Things

My mom always made these for parties when we were growing up and everyone loved them. The silly name is what we called them- but I'm sure they have a much more technical name somewhere.


3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
10 green onions, diced (use the tops too)
1 (16 ounce) carton sour cream
3 T picante sauce
juice of one lime
4-8 seeded jalapeno peppers (or more depending upon taste)
2 (20 count) packages flour tortillas


Mix first 6 ingredients together in food processor. Unless you have a REALLY large food processor, do this in two batches. Spread on flour tortillas and roll up. Wrap tightly in saran wrap and then in foil and refrigerate overnight. Cut each roll into pinwheels or 2-3 pieces and serve with additional picante sauce.


TIP OF THE DAY: This makes so many that I almost always half it. My mom always made the whole batch and would freeze some in large Ziploc freezer bags.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Crab Muffins

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Mini Hamburgers

These little burgers are great to make either as an appetizer or as a quick dinner.


1 ½ lbs lean ground beef
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 egg
½ t pepper
2 T water
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
24 small square dinner rolls (Hawaiian rolls work great)
Hamburger toppings (lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, cheese, etc)


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix first 6 ingredients and press into an ungreased 10 by 15 inch jelly roll pan. Prick with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes. Drain off juices and cool. Cut into 24 squares. Place squares on dinner rolls. Top with hamburger toppings and dressing of your choice.



TIP OF THE DAY: These patties can be frozen ( place the cooked patties on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer. Once frozen transfer them to a freezer bag. This will keep them from freezing together in a big clump) and are a great easy dinner or snack.



Tomorrow's Daily Special: Tortilla Things

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Blueberry Amaretto Squares

This was one of my favorite desserts growing up. It's time comsuming but easy to make. I have made it many times without the Amaretto and it's still fabulous!

1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
2 1/2 cup milk
2 (3 3/4 ounce) packages vanilla instant pudding
1/2 cup amaretto, divided
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
5 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 8 ounce carton Cool whip



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 3 ingredients. Press into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Combine eggs, 3/4 cup sugar and cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Beat till smooth with mixer. Spread over crumbs layer in pan. Bake for 30 minutes and cool. Combine milk, pudding, and 1/4 cup amaretto. Beat 2 minutes on low and spread over cream cheese layer. Combine 1 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch in large pan. Gradually add 1/4 cup amaretto. Stir till smooth. Add berries and cook over medium heat stirring constantly till thick. Cool. Poor blueberries over pudding and chill. Before serving cover blueberry layer with Cool Whip.



TIP OF THE DAY: To save time you can substitute 2 cans blueberry pie filling for the cooked blueberries- just omit the sugar, cornstarch and blueberries listed on the ingredient list- and just stir in the amaretto into the blueberry pie filling before spreading it over the pudding layer.



Tomorrow's Daily Special: Mini Hamburgers

Friday, February 1, 2008

Mom's Pizza

My mom used to make this pizza and we always thought it was a 1,000 times better than any delivery pizza.


Crust:
1 package dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
2 T oil
1 t sugar
1 t salt


Sauce:
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 t Italian seasoning
1 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce


Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in flour, oil, sugar, and salt. Beat about 25 strokes. Cover and let rest about 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Divide dough. Pat thinly onto 2 well greased pizza pans.


Mix all sauce ingredients well. Cover pizza dough with sauce and then add your favorite toppings and cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes.


*For crisp crust, bake 8 to 10 minutes before adding sauce and toppings, then bake 10 more minutes.


TIP OF THE DAY: When working with sticky dough like this, grease your hands with a little cooking oil before starting to work with the dough.



Tomorrow's Daily Special: Blueberry Amaretto Squares