English Toffee

This is my absolute favorite homemade candy! This recipe belongs to my sis, Glenda.
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1(6oz.)pkg. Chocolate Chips
1Cup finely chopped pecans

Line a 9x13 pan with wax paper, let some hang over edge. Sprinkle bottom of pan with 1/3 cup pecans. Stir sugar and butter in sauce pan over medium high heat, stirring constantly until candy reaches 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. Mixture will begin to brown. Pour over pecans , layer 1/2 chocolate chips over hot mixture smooth thinly over toffee. Add 1/2 remaining nuts, press into chocolate. Remove from pan flip over gently. Layer remaining chocolate and nuts cool for 1hr. or so. Break into pieces and store in covered container. ENJOY

Sausage & Rice Casserole

This is a recipe that I have used over and over. A dear pastor's wife brought this to me along with the recipe after I had surgery several years ago.

1 pound sausage (cooked)
2 cups rice (cooked)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Combine the first 5 ingredients. Put into a 13 x 9 baking dish. Top with cheese. Bake at 325 degrees 20 - 25 minutes.

Homemade Salsa

This recipe is from my dear friend, Kate Plourde. Her life verse follows...

Homemade Salsa

1 can Rotel tomatoes (do not drain)
1 can shoe peg white corn (drain)
1 can black beans (drain)
1/2 c. chopped onions
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
Juice from 1 lime (save)

Combine all the ingredients and top with lime juice. The longer it is refrigerated before serving, the better it will taste.

Serve with lime flavored tortilla chips! Yumm!

My life's verse is: ~Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (5) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (6)

These two verses really were lived with John's bout with cancer!

Broccoli Salad

When we lived in Little Rock I worked at a special children's day care called Helping Hands. It wasn't just a day care. It was for special needs children and they recieved physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. We would have dinners about once a month and one of the speech therapist brought this often. It was one of my favorites!

1 package of Broccoli Slaw or Rainbow Salad
2 packages of Chicken Ramen Noodles
3 to 4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup almonds, sliced
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
Dressing:
1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup canola oil, seasoning from ramen noodles and 1/2 cup sugar. Mix together. Stir dressing mix into salad. Crush ramen noodles and pour over top. Stir together.

This Weeks Memory Verse

I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
~Psalm 77:11-13

North Wind And Fried Rabbit Tracks With Frogs

This recipe comes from my dad's side of the family. It is from my dad's Uncle Bill Sjolander. He said that his mother used to serve this when he was a kid, they all loved it. He served it to his kids and grandkids also. I don't know how this recipe earned it's unique name. That is something I will have to ask my Aunt Yvonne!

North Wind And Fried Rabbit Tracks

1 lb. ground beef (more or less)

salt & pepper to taste

3 Tbs. flour

2% milk to make gravy to desired consistency

Optional: onion salt, garlic powder, crushed garlic

Brown meat with herbs and spices. Cook till done. Remove from skillet, saving 2 Tbs. of drippings. Add flour and milk for gravy. Add meat. Serve over FROGS. You can also top it with Chili powder and chopped onions if desired.

FROGS

2 dozen Rhodes Frozen Dinner Rolls

Thaw and let rise to twice in size, stretch to 3 to 4 inch circles. Fry to golden brown in deep fat fryer.

Frogs can also be served with warm syrup.

Every Nighter

When I was a teenager my sister-in-law came to stay with us while my brother was in Okinawa, Japan. He is a Marine. I remember that we use to watch North and South for hours every night while we curled up on the bed. We came up with a simple dessert that eventually became a nightly routine! It became known as the "Every Nighter"! It was even put into a small cookbook compiled by the teen girls of our church. So that's the story behind this brownie recipe..

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/4 c. cocoa
2 eggs
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir all of the ingredients together. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

Chicken Supreme

This is a recipe that I tried one evening when my husband's parents were over. It is really delicious!

4 chicken breast
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. swiss or monterey jack cheese, sliced
1 cup stuffing mix
1/2 can milk (5 oz. evaporated)
butter to taste

Put chicken in 9x13 pan, put cheese slices on top of chicken and pour soup and milk mixture over all. Sprinkle stuffing on top and dot with butter. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours.

Taco Soup

Our family LOVES this recipe! My Aunt Linda fixed this taco soup last summer when I visited with her in Kansas. We have made it numerous times since!

(This is a large recipe but you can cut it in half easily for 5 - 6 people)

5 lbs. ground beef
3 cans Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chili beans
3 cans corn
3 oz. ranch dressing mix
3 pkg. taco seasoning
1 cup onion, chopped

Brown ground beef with chopped onions. Drain. Add all ingredients with juice, except for the ranch dressing mix. Simmer until bubbly, then stir in dressing mix right before serving.

Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla or corn chips, and sour cream.

This Week's Memory Verse

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
~Romans 11:33

Memory verse of the week

Luke 15:7
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

I saw this recipe on a popular food network program last week. Last night my parents and my brother came over and allowed me to use them as taste testers! This was a huge hit! NO BUTTER!


6 slices bacon
2 pounds small Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
1 cup buttermilk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
1/2 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, yellow or white

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
Arrange the bacon on a sheet pan and bake for 12-15 minutes until crisp. Cool and chop.
Put the potatoes in a medium size saucepot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and season with salt. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash the potatoes with buttermilk and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chives and cheddar, then fold in the bacon.

Momma's Salmon Patties

These salmon patties turn out with a wonderful texture and flavor!

1 can pink salmon (do not drain)
1 egg
6 saltine crackers (crushed)
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 cup chopped onion
salt & pepper
garlic (optional)

Mix all ingredients together. Fry tablespoons fulls of the salmon mixture in hot oil in a frying pan. Turn and fry both sides. Allow patties to drain on paper towels.

Papaw's Pancakes

My dad usually stirs up these fluffy homemade pancakes for my boys when they spend the night.
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup flour (self rising)

Mix wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients. Mix but do not over stir. Batter will be lumpy. Cook in a small amount of butter or oil. Makes about 6 medium size pancakes.

Sour Cream Cornbread

They will melt in your mouth. A delightful sweet cornbread!
1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
1 egg
(1) 8 ounce container of sour cream
1 stick butter (melted)

Mix together and grease pan(9x9) with Pam. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Chocolate Cobbler

This was my Aunt Evie's recipe!

Melt 1 stick of butter in 9x13 pan.
Mix together:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pour over melted butter. (Do not stir.)
Mix together:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
Sprinkle over other layers. (Do not stir.)
Pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Dump Cake

This recipe came from my Aunt Beverly. She introduced this to us when we were visiting with her one summer. It has become a regular for us and it is so easy!

Dump Cake

1 can pie filling
1 can pineapple tidbits
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup melted butter
pecans (optional)
coconut (optional)

In a 9x13 pan layer all the ingredients in the preceding order above. Do not stir! Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.

Tip: Serve with ice cream!

Awesome Chicken & Rice

Welcome to my recipe box! I will start off with the recipe that I fixed for my family last night. I think it is a keeper since my husband ate too much and ended up with a tummy ache! Is that a good or bad sign? hmmm...

He said it was a good thing. He named this recipe Awesome Chicken & Rice!

6 pieces of chicken breast (I buy the bags of chicken breast)
1 cup white rice (uncooked)
salt & pepper (I also use seasoned salt)
1 can cream of chicken (or other kind of your choice)
1 cup of water
1 pkg. of onion soup mix

Pour the white rice in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Rinse and pat dry chicken. Place the chicken on top of rice. Salt and pepper the chicken. In a separate bowl mix the cream of chicken and water. Pour soup over chicken & rice. Sprinkle the onion soup mix over top. Seal tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Enjoy!