Get Ready for the Holidays!

All Appetizers

Jenny's Cheese Log
Kate Alger

1 Jar Kraft Rocka Blue Cheese
2 Jar Kraft Old English Cheese
2 (8 oz) Blocks Cream Cheese
2 Tbls. Green Onion
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp. Accent Seasoning
1/2 Cup Parsley

Combine, & form into log. Roll in chopped walnuts, if you desire. Serve with favorite crackers!

** I got this from my Lovely Cousin/Friend Jenny. She is the best! Anyhow, she made this for Thanksgiving & it quickly became a family favorite! So simple & SO GOOD!


Crock Pot Sausage Dip
Kami Alger

1 lb. Cooked Ground Sausage
16 oz. Cream Cheese
1 pint Sour Cream (16 oz)
16 oz. can Mexican Stewed Tomatoes (pureed)
1 med. Onion, finely chopped
2 cloves, Garlic, minced
3 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Combine & put in crockpot on high for 2-4 or low 4-6.

**This one is a fabulous appetizer from my sister Kami! We love it & it is so crazy easy. & I love that you can put in the slow cooker & forget about it until time to serve! Yummy!


Cranberry Brie
Kate Alger

1 (8") Round Brie (about 2 lbs)
3/4 Cup Dried Cranberries (craisins)
3/4 Cup Pecans, finely chopped
3 Tbls. light Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Honey

Trim rind from top of brie, leaving a 1/2" border. Place brie on a microwave-safe plate. Combine cranberries, pecans, & sugar, sprinkle over brie. Drizzle with honey. Cover & chill until ready to heat. Microwave at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or just until cheese is softened. Serve with crackers & pear slices.

**I got this from my mother in law. We LOVE it! It's so easy & seriously so so easy! My mother in law even said how wonderful it is to take with you to parties. You can set it all up ahead of time & take it with you & microwave it when you get there. So so easy & lovely for taking to events.

Dancin Queens Recipe Blog!

Dancin Queen has a recipe blog too! her blog address is http://wendisrecipebook.blogspot.com/
I also put it as a link right up there... Check it out & Enjoy!

Full Meal Deal

Easy Parmesan Garlic Chicken
Kami Alger

1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 envelope Italian Salad Dressing Mix
6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

Mix cheese, garlic powder, & dry salad dressing. Moisten chicken with water & coat with mixture. Place in baking dish & bake @ 400* for 25 minutes.

**This is from my sis Kami & she said this is easy & yummy!



Cheese Potatoes
Kate Alger

6 Large Potatoes
5 Tbls. Butter
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 Cup Cream
3 Tbls. Green Onion, chopped finely
1 Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper

Boil unprepared potatoes until tender, drain, peel, & shred coarsely. Place in 2 or 3 quart casserole. Pour melted butter over potatoes. Mix soup, sour cream, cream, onion, salt, pepper, 1/2 the cheddar, & 1/2 the parmesan cheeses. Pour evenly over potatoes. Make sure potatoes are all evenly coated. Put remaining cheeses on top, bake for 30 minutes @ 325*.


**Yum! I got this from a girl in my ward, we made this for the Christmas Enrichment dinner. It was so good & a new spin on "funeral potatoes"!


Peanut Butter Krispies
Kate Alger


1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Karo Syrup (light)
1 1/2 Cups Peanut Butter (12 oz.)

6 Cups Rice Krispies

Melt together sugar, syrup, & peanut butter. Add rice krispies, & coat. Pour into jelly roll pan.

Frosting:
1 Small Bag Milk Chocolate Chips
1 Small Bag Butterscotch Chips

Melt together on low. Pour over bars to frost.



Here are the Rice Krispie Treats. So so yummy! This is another fabulous treat from Aunt Jan! So good & so easy & they make a ton, so they are perfect for sharing!

Picture of Pumpkin Muffins

Yummy!! These are the muffins from the recipe on the last post. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. So good & easy recipe!! My kids LOVE them! Enjoy, Happy Autumn!

PuMpKiN PuMpKiN PuMpKiN...

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Jen Thorpe

Crust:
1 1/2 Cup Graham Cracker crumbs
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Butter, melted

Filling:
3 - 8oz blocks of Cream Cheese
1 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
1 - 15oz. can solid-pack Pumpkin
2 Tbls. Cornstarch
1 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1 - 5oz. can Evaporated Milk
2 Eggs

Topping:
2 Cups Sour Cream
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon

Combine crumbs, sugar, butter, & press into bottom of 9" greased spring form pan. Bake at 350* 5-7 minute or until set. (Or skip this step & buy the big size prefab crust, like I always do.)
Beat Cream Cheese & brown sugar until smooth. Add pumpkin, corstarch, cinnamon, & nutmeg, mix well. Gradually beat in milk & eggs, just until blended. Pour into crust. Place pan on cookie sheet & bake at 350* for 55-60 minutes or until center is very nearly set.
Combine sour cream, sugar & vanilla, spread evenly over filling. Bake 5 minutes longer. Cool 1 hour. Chill overnight. Remove sides of pan (if you were crazy enough to actually make your crust from scratch). Sprinkle with cinnamon, let stand at room temp. 20-30 minutes before serving.

**This is from my friend Jen in Colorado. She is one of the best dessert/cookie/treat makers EVER. She used to be a bakery chef & she rocks!! Enjoy!!


Pumpkin Muffins
Kate Alger

1 2/3 Cup Flour
1 Tbls. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
1/2 Cup Butter
1 Cup Sugar
2 lrg. Eggs
1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Mix together & fill muffin cups 2/3 way full. Sprinkle with sugar before baking.
Bake @ 400 for 20 to 25 minutes.

**I got this from my sister. They are always a hit!!


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Kate Alger


1/2 Cup Shortening
1 1/2 Cups White Sugar
1 Egg
1 Cup canned Pumpkin
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 1/2 Cups Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. ground Nutmeg
1 tsp. ground Cinnamon
1/2 Cup chopped Walnuts (optional)
1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Cream together shortening sugar in bowl until light & fluffy. Add egg, pumpkin & vanilla. Mix well.
Add mixture of flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt & spices; mix well. Stir in walnuts & chocolate chips.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until light brown at 350*. Cool on wire rack.

**I got this one off the internet. I found it at cookierecipe.com. I never put the walnuts in.

Yummy Food for Fall

Tomato Basil Bisque
Kim Lambert

1 Can Tomato Juice (12 oz.)
2 Cups Heavy Cream (16 oz. / 1 pint)
1 large can Diced Tomatoes (24 oz.)
2 Tbls. minced Garlic
1/2 Cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 tsp. ground WHITE pepper (no substitutes)
1 Tbls. minced Shallot
1/2 Cup Honey
1 Tbls. Butter

Saute garlic & shallots in butter until tender & fragrant. Add diced tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, pepper, & honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for about 20 minutes. Add cream & simmer another 30 minutes. Add basil & puree with immersion blender, or in small batches in a regular blender. Serves 6.


Cheesy Mustard Cauliflower
Kate Alger

1 head Cauliflower
1/2 Cup water
1 Chicken Bullion Cube
1/2 Cup Mayo
1 tsp. Onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. prepared Mustard
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Steam cauliflower in water & dissolved bullion cube. Mix together the rest o the ingredients & pat over steamed cauliflower & heat thoroughly in 350* oven.


**I got this recipe from my friend Allyson. We made it for a Women Christmas Dinner. (Enrichment) It was so so yummy! I was a little nervous about the mustard & Parmesan combo, but it is seriously so yummy. I LOVED it!!


Non Recipe for Stuffed Zucchini
Jen Thorpe


Non-recipe for stuffed zuccini (I still can't spell, so deal with it!)
Make your favorite lasagna sauce, whatever it is.
Add three cups of water and one and 1/2 cups of uncooked rice
Slice a Zucchini in half, the long direction, and hollow out all the seeds until you
are left with just the meat and rind of the zucchini.
Fill both halves of the zuccini with the sauce and cover with mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 350* for about an hour-and-a-half, slice and serve. Your family will like squash!
And you will have found one more thing to do with those blated green things neighbors
keep leaving on your porch when you're not looking.


Jen sent this one in & I thought all of you who are trying to get rid of all those crazy zucchinis could use this idea! Enjoy!

TrEaTs, TrEaTs, & MoRe TrEaTs!!!

I thought these treats just SREAMED, Fall to me! I hope you Enjoy!!


Peanut Butter Fingers
Cecily Cook

1/4 Cup Margarine
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Sugar
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Vanilla
5/8 Cup Peanut Butter (approx. 1/2 Cup + 1/8 Cup)
1 Cup Oatmeal



Mix all ingredients together & spread into a 10 x 15 inch cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes @ 350. Don't overbake. Cool slightly & spread 1 Cup whipped peanut butter over the top.


Frosting:

1 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Cocoa
1/4 Cup Margarine
2/3 Cup Evaporated Milk


Put all in a saucepan. Cook for about 2 min., or until the margarine is melted. Add 1 Cup Powdered Sugar & blend with a mixer. Cool slightly, then pour on the cookies & whipped peanut butter & spread around to cover.


** Cecily said these are THE BEST!!! & they are to be made with caution:)

Enjoy!!





Easy Pumpkin Dessert
Kate Alger

1 - 29 oz. Can of Pumpkin
Mix according to directions on back of can to make pumpkin pie filling.
Pour into 9x 13


Sprinkle one box of yellow cake mix over the top of the filling. Don't Mix in!

Melt 1 Cube of margarine & drizzle over the top of the cake mix.
Bake @ 350 for 1 hour, or until it does not jiggle when you shake it. Let cool for 1 hour.


Serve with whipped cream!



** I got this BEAUTIFUL recipe from my Aunt Jan! She makes THE BEST desserts! I'm sure I'll share more from her! This is our favorite fall treat! My husband actually requests this often in the fall & winter. We actually had it last night at Aunt Jan's house. We were all so excited when we found out she made this!

**Hint - it's much easier, if you use the can of EASY Pumpkin!




Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Steph & Irene Mead


1/2 Cup Margarine
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
2 Cups Grated Zucchini
1 1/2 Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
4 Tbls. Cocoa
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
2 1/2 Cup Flour


Beat together margarine, oil & sugar. Add eggs & beat well. Add zucchini & vanilla. Stir together dry ingredients & add alternately with buttermilk or sour milk. Pour into greased & floured 9 x 13 pan & sprinkle top with :

3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Chopped Nuts


Bake @ 375 for 40-45 minutes.


**Steph says her mother-in-law says that is a lot of buttermilk & she uses 1 cup & then adds more if she needs it. Also: Mini M&M's instead of, or in connection with chocolate chips make a colorful topping!!



Hot Grape Cider
Andrea Sumers


4 Cups Grape Juice
4 Cups Apple Juice
2 4-inch Cinnamon Sticks (or 3 3-inch cinnamon sticks)
1 Tbls. Whole Allspice
1 tsp. Whole Cloves


1. In a 4-quart saucepan, heat grape juice, apple cider, cinnamon sticks, allspice & cloves just to boiling point over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover & simmer 5 minutes.



2. To serve at home, ladle grape cider, excluding spices, into cup. Place a cinnamon stick in each cup, if desired. Or ladle cider into heatproof beverage container to transport to picnic.


**Andrea said she got this from an old Country Living magazine. She doubled the recipe because she was serving 10 people, but she really should have quadrupled it because of how quickly her guests drank it! She said it was delicious!! She also said that after simmering it, she poured it into a crockpot to keep it warm. She also put the spices & about 1 Cup of cider into a small saucepan to keep warm on the stove. She said it made the house smell WONDERFUL!



These all sound GREAT! Please let me know about the ones you tried & how they went! I would love the feedback!!
My email address again is katealger125@earthlink.net please send any recidpes you would like to share!!