Kiwi Berry Fruit Salad

1 lb. strawberries, quartered
2 cups diced kiwis about 6-8 kiwis, peeled
6 oz. fresh raspberries
6 oz. fresh blackberries

Glaze:
1/4 cup honey
2 t. lemon zest
1 T. lemon juice

Wash fruit. Cut as directed above. Combine into a large bowl, and mix together.
Whisk glaze ingredients together. Drizzle over salad, and toss to combine. Serve!!!

Banana Muffins

1 1 /2 cups flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

3 ripe bananas

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

1/3 cup oil

1 cup chopped nuts, or chocolate chips, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Combine the first 4 ingredients, set aside. 

In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add the sugar, egg, vanilla, and oil. Mix well. 

Stir in the dry ingredients just until moistened. 

Fold in any nuts or chocolate chips if desired.

Fill muffin liners half full.

Bake for 18-22 minutes at 375, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes our clean.

Chicken Ramen Stir Fry

3 chicken breasts, cubed

3 T. oil

2 pkg. ramen noodles, broken up (discard seasoning packets)

1 lg. head of broccoli, chopped

1 sweet red pepper, sliced into strips

1 orange pepper, sliced into strips

1 yellow pepper, sliced into strips

1 stalk celery, diced

2 t. parsley

1 1/2 c. water

4 T. soy sauce

Place chicken in a large skillet with oil. Cook until done.

Add water. Stir in noodles, vegetables, and parsley. Mix in soy sauce.

Cook on medium low heat until liquid is absorbed and noodles soften.

Tropical Crush Cake

1 yellow cake mix
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (15 oz) can cream of coconut
1 (15.25 oz) can crushed pineapple in juice
1 (8oz.) Cool Whip, thawed
coconut flakes

Bake cake according to package directions. Poke holes in it while it's hot with a fork.
Drain pineapple into a bowl (saving juice).
Mix cream of coconut, milk and juice. (When you open the can of cream of coconut you will probably see that some of the coconut oil and cream have separated, so it's really important to whisk this mixture so you get it combined and most of the lumps out). Once combined, mixture will be thin.
Pour mixture evenly over cake getting it into the holes.
Cool completely before spreading pineapple over top, followed by Cool Whip, then coconut.
Keep refrigerated.

Better Than Anything Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (14 oz) caramel topping
chocolate sauce
1 (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed
1 (8 oz) bag heath bar pieces

Bake cake in 9x13 pan according to box directions.
While cake is hot out of the oven, poke top of cake every 1/2 inch with the handle of a wooden spoon.
Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over cake, then drizzle with 3/4 of the caramel, allowing it to seep into the holes.
Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or longer.
Top with Cool Whip, drizzle with remaining caramel topping, chocolate sauce, and heath bits.
Store cake covered, in the refrigerator.

Apple Pie Pull Apart Buns

20 Rhodes dinner rolls, thawed but still cold
1 (14.5 oz) can apple pie filling
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 T. butter

Spray a bundt pan with non stick spray. Cut each roll in half and arrange 10 dough pieces on the bottom of the bundt pan.
In a separate bowl, combine ingredients and mix well.
Add half of the apple mixture over the dough pieces. Add the last 10 dough pieces on top, and add the remaining pie filling.
Cover, and let rise until double in size about 1 1/2 hours. Don't let them rise too much because they will continue to rise as they bake.
Uncover, and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
Remove from oven, and cool before adding glaze.

Glaze:
1 t. butter, melted
1 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1 - 2 T. milk

Melt butter in medium size bowl. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk starting with 1 T. and adding more if needed. Use a wire whisk. You want a pourable consistency. Drizzle over cooled bread.

Cranberry Oat Chews

1/4 c. butter
5 c. mini marshmallows
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
3 c. cheerios
1 1/2 c. quick oats
1 c. dried cranberries

Melt butter and marshmallows over medium low heat, stirring constantly. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, continue stirring for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
Combine oats, cheerios, and dried cranberries, then fold into marshmallow mixture.
Spoon into a greased 9x13 pan and press down until mixture is evenly distributed in the pan. Cut into bars, and enjoy!

Canadian Cheese Soup

8 cups water
1 bag frozen hash browns (26 oz)
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup diced celery
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. onion powder
2 cups half and half
16 oz Velveeta
1/4 - 1/3 cup flour (depending on how thick you like it)

Add first 8 ingredients together in large pot. Bring to a boil, and continue boiling 10-15 minutes. Add half and half, and Velveeta, stirring until combined. Slowly whisk in flour. Continue to heat on low.

Banana Bread

1/2 c. butter, softened or Crisco
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 t. vanilla
3 ripe bananas
2 c. flour
1 t. soda
1/2 t. salt

Cream butter and sugar well. Add eggs, vanilla, and mashed bananas. Add flour, soda, and salt; mix well. Pour batter into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.

Crockpot Hot Chocolate

This is perfect for Christmas morning or New Years!

6 cups milk, any percentage 

1 ( 14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups (12oz) semi sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 t. Vanilla extract

1/8 t. Salt

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker, and stir together. Cook on low 3 to 4 hours or on high 2 hours. Stir once 15 minutes after first starting, and then again every 30 minutes or so.

Serve with marshmallows or whipped cream.

Serves 6-8

Holiday Drink

64 fl oz Cran Raspberry Juice

2 liters Gingerale

3 limes, sliced

Ice

Marshmallow Fluff Fudge

My Christmas memories growing up, always included my mom making fudge, along with red, white, and green divinity, caramel popcorn balls, and cornflake clusters. She'd make two batches of fudge during Christmas break, one with nuts, one without. I can still see it on the kitchen table, waiting for it to set up, before she'd cut it into little squares to be devoured. So rich, but oh so good!

2 1/2 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. butter
2/3 c. evaporated milk
12 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips
7 oz. jar marshmallow cream
1 t. vanilla

1) Line a 9 inch square pan with foil, and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2) In a 3 quart heavy saucepan over high heat, combine sugar, butter, and evaporated milk. Use a wooden spoon to stir slowly until butter melts, scraping sides of pan frequently.
3) Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Once it starts boiling, set a timer for 5 minutes and turn the heat down to medium. Stir constantly.
4) Remove from heat, and add chocolate chips. Stir until mixture is smooth. Add marshmallow creme, and beat with spoon until well blended. Add vanilla an mix well. Immediately pour into the prepared pan.
5) Let cool to room temperature.
6) Slice and serve. Store covered on the counter.

Raspberry Marshmallow Fluff Salad

This was a perfect salad for our Christmas Eve dinner this year. So yummy!

3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding
32 oz vanilla yogurt
8 oz cool whip
12 oz package frozen raspberries
2 c. mini marshmallows

1) In a large bowl mix together yogurt and pudding. Stir until completely mixed together.
2) Fold in the cool whip and raspberries.
3) Stir in the marshmallows.

 4) Cover and let the salad sit in the fridge. Stir before serving so the juice from the raspberries will spread throughout the salad.

Chicken Crescent Wreath

2 tubes (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 c. shredded cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 c. chopped broccoli
1/2 c. chopped sweet red pepper
1/4 c. chopped water chestnuts
3/4 c. shredded cooked chicken
2 T. chopped onion, optional

Arrange crescent rolls on a 12 inch pizza pan, forming a ring with pointed ends facing the outer edge of pan and wide ends overlapping.
Combine the remaining ingredients. Spoon over wide ends of rolls. Fold points over filling and tuck under wide ends.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Ribbon Salad

This is another favorite family tradition that I love! It's the perfect jello dessert to serve with your holiday meal along with ham and/or turkey, and potatoes. My mom would make this for our extended family Christmas dinner each year, and now in recent years, I've been making it for my own family. It's not only pretty, but delicious!

2 3 oz. lime jello
2 1/2 c. hot water
1 3 oz. lemon jello
1 1/2 c. hot water
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 c. mini marshmallows
1/2 c. pineapple juice
1 3 oz. cherry jello
1 3 oz. raspberry (or cranberry) jello
2 1/2 c. hot water

1) Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.

1st layer:
2) Mix lime jello and hot water. Stir until dissolved. Pour into pan, and let stand in the refrigerator until completely firm.

2nd layer:
3) Whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy.
4) Dissolve lemon jello in water, and set aside.
5) In a saucepan, place the marshmallows and juice, and melt over medium heat until mixture is smooth.
6) Pour the marshmallow mixture, and lemon jello into the cream cheese and blend together until smooth. Cool completely (about 30 minutes).
7) Carefully pour over green layer. Refrigerate until completely set.

3rd layer:
8) Dissolve remaining jello in water. Cool completely about 25 to 30 minutes, before carefully pouring over cream cheese layer.
9) Refrigerate until completely set.

Salad can be made a day or two ahead of time.

Cranberry Pie

 

1 prepared pie crust

1 (3 oz) pkg raspberry jello

3/4 c. hot water

1/4 c. orange juice

1 (14 oz) can jellied cranberry sauce

1 (6 oz) instant vanilla pudding

2 1/2  c. milk or half and half

Whipping cream

Dissolve jello in water. Add orange juice. Mix in cranberry sauce. Let sit 20 minutes. Then pour into pie crust. Let set in refrigerator. 

Combine pudding and milk. Beat until thick. Layer on top of set jello mixture. Refrigerate. Top with whipping cream before serving.

Millionaire Cranberry Salad

First, make Cranberry Sauce:

• 3 cups fresh cranberries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cinnamon stick

Combine ingredients in saucepan over medium heat.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, uncovered.
Remove from heat, and cool completely. (Discard stick.)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups plain greek yogurt
• 2 cups pineapple tidbits, well drained
• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 cup chopped pecans, optional
• 2 cups flaked coconut

Add ingredients with 1 1/2 cups of the cranberry mixture. Stir well. Before serving refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 t vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans, divided
1/4 t cinnamon
salt and pepper
2 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan.
Place sweet potatoes in a pot of boiling water. Simmer for 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain.
Mash the sweet potatoes, with butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
Fold in half of the pecans, and spread into prepared pan.
Sprinkle with marshmallows, and the remaining pecans.
Bake for 25 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown, and potatoes are heated through.

Peanut Butter Fingers

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed

1 c. butter

2 t. vanilla

2 eggs

1 c. peanut butter

2 c. oats

2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

additional 1 1/2 c. peanut butter

Chocolate frosting

1/2 c. butter

1/4 c milk

1-2 t vanilla

4 T. cocoa

2-3 c. powdered sugar

Cream first 3 ingredients. Add vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter. Add the remaining ingredients, and mix together. Spread out onto a greased 13x18-inch cookie sheet pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. While hot spread 1 1/2 c. peanut butter on top. Cool, so peanut butter becomes solid. You can put them in the fridge so they set up faster. 

Mix frosting ingredients with hand mixer until smooth and spread on top of bars. Cut into squares. Enjoy!!!

Easy Chili

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans diced tomatoes

2-3 T. chili powder

1 t. salt

1 t. pepper

1 t. ground cumin

Cook ground beef until no longer pink. Add next three ingredients, and saute until onions are clear. Drain beef if needed. Place mixture and the rest of ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook at high 3-4 hours or at low 5-6 hours.