Blueberry Muffins

1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Stir egg, milk, and oil together. Mix in flour, sugar, baking powder & salt just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.

Spoon into 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Society Cabbage

1 lb hamburger
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 ½ cups canned tomatoes (or mixture of fresh tomatoes and tomato juice)
2 t. salt
½ t. pepper
4 cups coarsely shredded cabbage

Brown ground beef, onion and celery. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Place alternate layers of cabbage and meat in a casserole. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Zucchini Soup

6 cups chopped zucchini
1 chopped onion
1 cup water
2 cups chicken stock
1 T parsley flakes
½ t pepper
½ t salt

Cook until the zucchini is tender, then add 1/4 cup margarine and 1/4 cup flour to thicken. If desired, put finished mixture thru blender.

Makes 2 quarts. The blended soup freezes well. If refrigerated soup thickens, add chicken broth to thin before serving.

Cashew-Pea Salad

16 oz pkg frozen peas
6 slices crisp cooked turkey bacon, crumbled
½ cup chopped celery
1/4 c chopped green onion
½ cup sour cream
2 T mayonnaise
1 cup cashews

Mix ingredients except cashews. Just before serving, stir in 1 cup cashews, whole or broken. Enjoy!

Ice Box Bran Muffins

2 cups boiling water
2 cups Nabisco 100% bran
1 cup margarine or butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 quart buttermilk
5 cups flour
5 teaspoons soda
1 Tablespoon salt
4 cups Kellogg’s All Bran

Pour boiling water over 100% Bran–set aside to cool. Cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs, buttermilk and soaked bran. Add flour, soda and All Bran. Fold until well moistened.
Store in frig. Will keep 6 weeks. Makes 7 dozen. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Variations: Add raisins, nuts, chocolate chips, berries, dried cranberries, etc as desired. You can add whatever you want to the amount you are cooking in a day, leaving the rest of the batter plain for trying something else another day.

Bonnie Butter Cake with Fluffy Frosting

Cream together until fluffy:
2/3 cup soft butter
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ t. vanilla

Sift together:
3 cups flour
2 ½ t baking powder
1 t. salt

1 1/2 cups milk

Mix alternately the dry ingredients and the milk into the first mixture. Pour into greased and floured pans – one 9x13 or two 9" rounds. Bake at 350 degrees–layers for 35-40 minutes, oblong for 45-50 minutes. Cool and frost with:

Fluffy Frosting
3/4 cup milk
2 T flour
½ cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
½ t vanilla

Thicken milk with flour in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cool in frig. Beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add milk mixture and vanilla. Beat until smooth and fluffy.

Frost cooled cake. Top with coconut, if desired.

Golden Fruit Whip Cake

Yellow cake mix
11 oz can mandarin oranges (drain, saving liquid)
½ cup oil
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease & flour 9x13" pan (or 2 8" square pans). Combine and beat cake mix, oil, eggs and juice from the oranges. When beaten, fold in orange segments. Pour into pan and bake until done. (Follow cake mix directions.) Let the cake cool. Invert pan on cake serving platter. "Frost" sides and top with the topping:

Topping:
8 oz Cool Whip
20 oz can crushed pineapple
1 small pkg instant vanilla pudding

Beat the pudding and pineapple with a mixer and then fold in the cool whip.

Variations: If you leave the cake in the pan, there will be extra topping, or a layer almost as thick as the cake. Another way to do it is to leave the cake unfrosted and add the topping as you would ice cream when serving.

Oven Omelet

8 eggs
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon seasoned or regular salt
½ - 1 cup finely chopped, cooked meat (ham, sausage, bacon)
--or try without any meat as there's plenty of other protein
1-2 cups shredded cheese--cheddar or mozarella
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced or chopped fresh mushrooms

Beat eggs, milk and salt. Add meat. Stir in cheese and onion. Pour into a greased 8x8" baking dish. Bake uncovered 40-45 minutes or until set and top is golden brown in 325 degree oven. Makes 4-6 servings.

Lomo Saltado (Peruvian Main Dish)

1 lb beef tenderloin, cut in small pieces
1-2 T oil
2 sliced onions
2 tomatoes, peeled and cut
1 sweet pepper, cut in strips
salt
pepper
1 lb French Fries
Steamed white rice

Brown meat in oil; add onions, tomatoes, sweet pepper, salt & pepper. Cook until meat is tender. Mix with one lb french-fried potatoes. Serve over steamed rice.

Meat-Potato Quiche

3 Tablespoons oil
3 cups shredded raw potatoes

Stir together in 9" pie pan. Press down evenly into pan. Bake at 475 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until slightly brown. Remove from oven and layer on:

1 cup grated cheese
1 cup diced cooked meat (chicken, ham, sausage, etc.)
1/2 cup chopped onion

In small bowl, beat together:
1 cup evaporated milk
2 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
dash of pepper

Pour over mixture in pie pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool five minutes before cutting.

Ham and Cheese Roll-ups

1 recipe biscuit dough
Mustard
1 cup finely chopped ham
1 cup shredded cheese

Roll biscuit dough into a 15x9" rectangle; spread with mustard. Sprinkle ham and cheese on the dough. Roll up tightly, beginning on 15" side. Seal ends shut. Cut into 12 slices. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

(Before cutting into slices, the roll can be refrigerated up to 24 hours and baked when needed.)

Zesty 3-Bean Salad

2 cups frozen sweet soybeans (edamame)
1 15-oz can kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 15-oz can garbonzo beans, rinsed & drained
½ cup thinly sliced red onions
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
1 t. finely shredded lime peel
1/4 cup lime juice
½ t. salt

Prepare soybeans according to pkg directions. Drain & rinse in cold water. Combine first 5 ingredients. In small bowl, whisk oil, lime juice, and salt. Pour over bean mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Stir well before serving.

Note: Any combination of beans (white, black, lima, green, and wax beans are other suggestions) can be used in this salad, but this is my favorite!

Festive Pineapple-Cranberry Salad

1 20-oz can crushed pineapple
2 pkg (4-serving size) raspberry jello – regular or sugar-free
1 16-oz can whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 chopped apple
2/3 cup chopped walnuts

Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Remove 1 T pineapple; set aside. Add enough cold water to juice to measure 3 cups; pour into saucepan. Bring to boil; remove from heat. Add jello mixes; stir 2 minutes. Stir in cranberry sauce. Pour into large bowl. Refrigerate 1 ½ hours or until slightly thickened.

Stir in pineapple, apples and walnuts. Refrigerate 4 hours. Garnish with reserved pineapple, slices of apple and some fresh mint, as desired.

14 servings, ½ cup each.

Sopa a la Criolla (Peruvian soup of the Region)

1 lb beef, cut small
1 T olive oil
2 t salt
1 T cumin
1 T pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T oregano
1 tomato, diced
2 chopped onions
3/4 cup tomato paste (6 oz can)
10 cups boiling water
4 medium potatoes, cut in strips
4 eggs, beaten
6-8 oz pkg angel hair noodles
5 oz can evaporated milk

Brown meat in olive oil; add the salt, cumin, pepper, garlic, and oregano. Simmer 2 or 3 minutes. Add the tomato, onions, tomato paste, boiling water, and potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are done. Add the beaten eggs and angel hair. Cook 2 or 3 minutes and then slowly add the milk. Serve with triangles of toast on top, if desired.

Never Fail Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup hot water
1 t vanilla

Mix dry cake ingredients. Add buttermilk, oil and eggs. Blend together. Add hot water and vanilla. Stir thoroughly. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Poke holes in the cake while still hot.

Cooked Fudge Icing
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter
dash salt
1/4 cup milk
1 t vanilla

Mix all ingredients except vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Then add vanilla, stir, and pour 1/3 of icing over the cake. Beat the rest of the icing until it is thickened, and spread over the cake.

A half recipe is baked in an 8x8 pan. Not so much temptation around the house!

Honey-Garlic Chicken

6 chicken breasts
garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 egg yolk
2 TBSP honey
4 TBSP melted butter

Rub garlic powder, salt and pepper into both sides of each chicken breast. Mix together egg yolk, honey, and butter and brush onto the tops. Place on racks on a rimmed baking sheet and spray with PAM. Bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes, then turn breasts over and brush with remaining egg mixture. Bake at 400˚ for 10 more minutes, or until done.

Yam Casserole (and Cloud Variation)

6-8 cups cooked, mashed yams (sweet potatoes will give a yellow color instead of orange)
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
1/3 cup soft butter

Mix all ingredients together and pour into casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees.


Optional Toppings:

Nuts: 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 to 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, 1/3 cup butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar. Mix together and sprinkle on yams BEFORE baking.

Marshmellows: AFTER baking, top casserole with miniature marshmellows and broil about 2 minutes--until marshmellows turn golden.


Cloud Variation:
After mixing the casserole, make Clouds (mounds) of 1/2 cup of mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. When cooled, freeze the Clouds. When frozen solid, remove to a ziploc bag or plastic container and return to freezer.

To serve, remove the desired number of Clouds and bake on a cookie sheet 25 to 30 minutes at 375 degrees. You can try adding a topping if you wish, but we prefer them plain.

Hearty Chicken Soup

8 cups chicken broth
2-4 cups cooked, chopped chicken pieces
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1-2 cups diced onion
2 teaspoons salt (if not using bouillion as part of broth)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup long-grain rice
1/4 cup pearl barley

Combine all ingredients except rice and barley in a large pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to a high simmer for 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally. Add rice and barley and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to a very low simmer until rice and barley are cooked to your taste (30-60 minutes more).

Serve and enjoy!