Mmmm... CuPcAkEs

These cupcakes were so fast and easy to make. They looked so good no one could resist!

1 cake mix (any flavor)
1 recipe butter cream frosting
sprinkles
cherry sours



Make cupcakes as directed on box, let cool. Use a Wilton 2D tip to frost, sprinkle before the frosting sets & put the 'cherry' on top.


Butter cream frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks butter)
1 tsp. vanilla
1-3 tbsp. milk
1 lb or more powdered sugar



Whip butter & vanilla. Slowly add milk and powdered sugar to your desired consistency. These cupcakes work best with a thicker frosting.

Pecan Cookies(mexican wedding cookies)- Noel

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1/4 cup karo syrup
1 tbsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
powdered sugar

Place 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar & shortening in a large bowl. Beat until well blended. Add eggs, syrup, & vanilla. Beat until well blended & fluffy.

Mix in flour, pecans, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. Shape into 1 inch balls & place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake @ 375° for 7-9 minutes or until bottoms of cookies are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes then roll in powdered sugar while still warm. Reroll in powdered sugar just before serving.

Peanut Butter Cookies- Noel

1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup shortening
3 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt

Mix sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk, & vanilla until well blended. Beat in egg. Mix in flour, soda, and salt. Roll into balls and place on cookie sheet. Flatten dough with the tines of a fork. Bake @ 375° for 7-8 minutes or until edges are just starting to brown.

Chocolate-Mint Brownie Cookies- Noel

1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup shortening
1 tbsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 cups mint chocolate chips

Put sugar, shortening, water, vanilla, peppermint in large bowl. Beat until well blended. Add eggs, beat well. Mix in flour, cocoa, salt, & baking soda until blended. Stir in mint chocolate ships.

Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake @ 375° for 7-9 minutes.

Chocolate Malted Cookies- Noel

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup shortening
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup malted milk powder
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups whoppers, broken into large pieces*

*Put Whoppers in a gallon size zip-lock and break with rolling pin or back of a spoon.

Cream sugar and shortening together, add vanilla and beat well. Add egg & beat. Mix in dry ingredients just until blended then stir in whopper pieces.

Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake @ 375° for 7-9 minutes.

Cracked Chocolate Cookies- Noel

1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup shortening
1 tbsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup powdered sugar

Cream sugar & shortening. Add water & vanilla, beat until well blended. Add eggs, beat well. Mix in flour, cocoa, salt, & baking soda. Beat until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

Shape into balls, roll in powdered sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake @ 350° for 7-9 minutes.

Raspberry Cherry Pie- Trulee

Filling:

1 cup sugar

3 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca

2 cups raspberries (fresh or thawed frozen unsweetened)

1 cup pitted tart red cherries (fresh, frozen or canned)

1 tsp lemon juice

Pastry:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp sugar

1 ½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

1 cup shortening

1 egg

5 Tbsp cold water

1 tsp white vinegar

1 Tbsp butter

For filling, in a bowl, combine sugar tapioca.  Add the raspberries, cherries and lemon juice; toss to coat.  Let stand for 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder; cut in shortening until crumbly.  Combine the egg, water and vinegar.  Gradually add to flour mixture, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball.

Divide the dough in half.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion to fit a 9-in pie tin.  Place pastry in tin; trim even with edge.

Spoon filling into pastry.  Dot with butter.  Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; make decorative cutouts with water; place on top of pie.  Cover edges loosely with foil. 

Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on wire rack.  Store in refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Cookies- Granny Goon

½ cup butter

½ cup PB

½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

1 egg

½ tsp vanilla

1 ½ cup flour

Mix all ingredients.  Roll into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet.  Press down with fork making crisscross pattern.   Bake at 375° for 7-9 minutes.

Beef Stroganoff- Trulee

2-2 ½ 1b stew meat

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

2 packages dry (beefy) onion soup

1 can (8oz) sliced mushrooms, drained and finely chopped

¼ tsp pepper

1 8oz sour cream

Mix beef, onion, soups, mushrooms, and pepper in Crockpot.  Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours (until beef is tender).

Stir in cream cheese until melted.  Stir in sour cream.  (Heat to warm.)

Serve over egg noodles.

Oh My Goodness this stuff is SO fantastic!!

Kellie's Oatmeal Cake- Noel

1/2 cup water (boiling)
1 cup quick oats
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soft butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Pour boiling water over oats, let stand 20 minutes. Cream sugar & butter, add eggs & beat for 5 minutes. Stir together flour, spices, baking soda, & salt. Add oatmeal & sugar. Mix. Add vanilla Bake in a greased 9x13 @ 350° for 45 minutes.

Sauce:
1/3 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. flour
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla

When cake has 5 minutes left, put sauce ingredients into a saucepan and boil. Put cake on broil, pour sauce over cake & broil. WATCH until sauce is hot & barely brown.

Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats- Noel

3 tbsp. butter
1 package regular marshmallows
or 4 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup peanut butter
6 cups rice krispies

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter, mixing until smooth.

Add rice krispies. Stir until well coated.

Using buttered spatula or waxed paper, press mixture evenly into a 9x13 pan coated with cooking spray.

Sharon's chex mix- Noel

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup karo syrup
1 cup butter
2 cups whipping cream

Mix and cook on medium heat to a soft ball stage (215°-250°) ona candy thermometer.

Pour over 1/2 box of each:
rice chex
corn chex (or honey corn chex)
wheat chex
golden grahams

Mix well then spread out to cool on waxed paper or foil.
You can also used mixed nuts or any kind if you want.

Pecan Crispies- Audra

2 packages of graham crackers, broken into individual sections
1 cup pecan halves (you may not need them all)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
pinch of salt

Heat oven to 350°. Line a large cookie sheet with foil & grease the foil thoroughly. Cover pan with graham cracker sections. Put a pecan half in the center of each section.

Combine butter, sugars, and salt in a heavy sauce pan. Stirring constantly, bring to a rolling boil. Working quickly, spoon syrup over the crackers- first onto the nuts, to glue them down, and then onto the remainder of each cracker.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until browned and bubbly. Cool pan on rack for 10 minutes, then quickly lift crackers off the pan with a spatula and cool on foil or parchment paper.

Sharon's Peanut Butter Fingers- Noel

1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup + 2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
1 3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup peanut butter

Mix sugars, butter, eggs, vanilla, & peanut butter until smooth. Add all dry ingredients.
Press on a big cookie sheet with edges & cook @ 350° for 15 minutes or until light golden. Let cool 15 minutes and spread on more peanut butter. Let cool 15 more minutes and spread with a can of chocolate frosting.

Muddy Buddies- Noel

9 cups chex cereal (wheat, corn, and rice)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Measure cereal into a large bowl & set aside.
In a 1 qt. microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter, & butter uncovered on high 1 minute, stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2 gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
Add powdered sugar. Seal bag, shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Sundried Tomato Torte- Noel

2 8oz. packages of cream cheese
1 small jar of sundried tomatoes (in oil)
1 container of pesto
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup of butter

First beat the cream cheese and butter together and set aside. Then mix pesto and Parmesan cheese together. Starting with the cream cheese mixture, spread a thin layer on the bottom of the bowl, next layer the sundried tomatoes, and last put on the pesto mixture. Continue to layer until you run out of ingredients. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Eatser Breakfast Casserole- Noel

1 package sausage links
6 English muffins, cut into 1 in. cubes
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
12 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup bacon bits



Cook sausage according to direction. cool slightly & cut into 1/4 in. slices. Place English muffin cubes in a greased 9x13 pan. Drizzle with butter. Layer with sausage, cheese, onion, and red pepper. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour over cheese. Sprinkle with bacon. Cover and refrigerate over night.



Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Uncover and bake @ 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes.

Best Fudge (that i've made)- Noel

Did I mention I made this recipe up myself...sort of?



2 1/2 cups sugar

1 stick butter

2/3 cup evaporated milk

Boil 5 minutes



stir in 2 cups chocolate blend (i think i used cadbury, symphony, & ghirardelli)

& vanilla



last minute stir 1 cup frozen marshmallows



Spread in buttered 8 in. pan & refrigerate 'til firm.

Hot Dog Boats- Trulee

1 package hot dogs

Mashed potatoes (real or from box)

Cheddar cheese

Cut hot dogs in half lengthwise.  Place on cookie sheet.  Top with 2 scoops mashed potatoes—one on each end of “boat.”  Put cheese on top of mashed potatoes.

Bake in oven at 350° for 25-30 minutes.

Always a favorite and so simple to make!

Devilishly Good Eggs- Trulee

6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled

¼ cup mayo or miracle whip (by preference)

2 cups chopped bacon

2 tsp lemon juice

1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp mustard

½ tsp pepper

Parsley or paprika if desired

Cut eggs lengthwise in half.  Slip yolks out and mash with fork in small bowl.  Stir in remaining ingredients except egg white halves.  Fill egg white halves with egg yolk mixture, heaping it lightly.  Garnish with parsley or sprinkle with paprika (if desired).

Creamy Chicken- Trulee

6 chicken breasts

¼ cup butter

1 package dry Italian dressing mix

1 package cream cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

Put chicken, butter, Italian dressing in slow cooker for 6 hours on low.  Before serving, add cream cheese and soup.  Stir until creamy. 

Serve over rice.