Better Green Bean Casserole

I titled this "Better" because it is so much better than the cream of mushroom/french fried onion version. Our sister-in-law Shannon made this for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago.

2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. white sugar
1/4 c. onion, diced
1 c. sour cream
3 (14.5 ounce) cans French style green beans, drained (Shannon used fresh)
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. crumbled buttery round crackers
1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, and cook for one minute. Stir in the salt, sugar, onion, and sour cream. Add green beans, and stir to coat. Transfer the mixture to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Spread shredded cheese over the top. In a small bowl, toss together cracker crumbs and remaining butter, and sprinkle over the cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Squapple Crisp

Isn't squapple a fun word? Seriously, say it out loud. When Lizzie brought this to a family gathering, we couldn't stop saying it.

4 c. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 pound (about 3) Baldwin apples, peeled and sliced
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. maple syrup
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup flax flakes, crushed

Roast squash until tender. Mash with 1 Tbsp. butter, 1/4 c. maple syrup, and spices. Melt remaining butter, mix with flax and remaining syrup. Layer squash and apples in baking pan, top with flax mixture. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes.

Serve as a side dish or top with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Cottage Cheese Pie

This is another one of those recipes that I don't really love, but Jon does, so here it is! His dad makes this every holiday season.

I really wish I was a pie maker. Jon's mom makes the most amazing pie crust and I did try to have her mentor me on how to make it, but I can't seem to get it - I think it takes too much patience!

2 c. cottage cheese

1 c. sugar

1 Tbsp. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3 Tbsp. melted butter

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. grated orange peel

3 eggs

uncooked pie shell

Mix first 6 ingredients and blend well. Add juice, orange rind and beaten eggs - beat all for 2 minutes. Pour into uncooked pie shell. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 300 and bake for 30 minutes.

Christmas Punch

This is not just for Christmas, but Jon's mom makes it every Christmas, so I guess I've come to think of it as Christmas punch.

3/4 of a big bottle of Hawaiian Punch

1/2 can grapefruit juice

1 can pineapple juice

Most of a 2 liter bottle of ginger ale

rainbow sherbet

Cherry Winks

A couple of years ago, we stopped in for a visit with my Aunt Dianne and Uncle Jerry around Christmas time. My Aunt served us these cookies and I loved them! I was surprised to hear that my Grandma Lowery had beeen making them for years, because I didn't remember ever having them before. But we never really saw my grandparents around Christmas time, I guess that's why...(we did see them A LOT growing up, just not at Christmas because they were "snow birds")

2 1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. shortening

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. chopped pecans

1 c. chopped dates

1/3 c. chopped maraschino cherries

1 Tbsp. maraschino cherry juice

2 1/2 c. crushed cornflakes

Sift together first 4 ingredients and set aside. Mix the shortening and sugar and then add in the eggs, milk and vanilla. Add in the sifted dry ingredients, then mix in the pecans, dates, cherries and cherry juice. Shape into balls about the size of a Tbsp., roll each ball in crushed cornflakes and place on a greased baking sheet. Top with a piece of a maraschino cherry. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

100 Recipes & A Hearty Recommendation

100 recipes are posted! Not bad considering I just started this blog on 10/24 {don't be too impressed, I had been typing the recipes up for almost 2 years}. As you read through my stories of how we came across our recipes, you will notice the name Bethany pop up quite a bit. I just went through and counted that 16 of my 100 recipes come from her. She is a great cook, and she and her husband Quenton love cooking and entertaining for friends as well.

So, I am super excited to recommend her recipe blog to you! I am so glad she is doing this because there are so many more of her recipes that I want to try. First up for me - Fireside Garlic with Rosemary!

Also, notice a new label to the right: "Company worthy" - this is my way of saying that these are the things we make when we are having company over!

Tri-Tip Steak & Sauteed Sweet Potatoes

This has become one of our favorite meals. A bit of background is needed - I often tease Jon that he has a part-time job of getting us good food. He makes weekly runs to a farm to get us our milk, a farmer's market to get eggs, yogurt, applesauce and some produce, a butcher to get our meat and another dairy place to get our butter!

Our butcher, Butcher Bill, recommended we try a tri-tip steak and gave us some instructions on how to cook it. This is such a great summer meal when served with sweet potatoes that have been baked {400 degrees for 45 minutes}, sliced w/ skins left on and then sauteed in olive oil and sea salt until they are a little golden crispy. This salad rounds out the meal nicely.

Tri-tip steak marinade:

3/4 c. Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp. montreal seasoning

Marinate the steak for at least several hours. Grill on medium heat (300-350) for 45 minutes, rotating often and basting with the marinade. Discard the rest of the marinade. After the steak is done, let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Firecracker Pork with Fruity Lime Salsa

This recipe comes from the Southern Living Slow Cooker Cookbook.

5 lb. boneless Boston Butt pork roast

1 Tbsp. paprika

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

6 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 c. water

7 oz. can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, undrained

1 small onion, cut into chunks

16 flour tortillas

Fruity Lime Salsa:

8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained

2 c. diced, peeled papaya

1 c. diced, peeled kiwifruit

1/3 c. finely chopped red onion

1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro

3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Trim fat from roast, cut roast in half crosswise. Combine paprika, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic, stir well, then rub over surface of roast halves and place in slow cooker. Combine water, chipotle chiles and onion in a food processor and process until smooth; pour chile puree over pork. Cover with lid, cook on high setting 1 hour. Reduce to low setting and cook 9 hours or until pork is very tender. While pork is cooking, mix ingredients for fruity lime salsa.

Remove pork from slow cooker and let it cool for 10 minutes, then shred with 2 forks. Pour cooking liquid into a bowl and let it stand for 5 minutes, skim fat from the surface. Return liquid and shredded pork to slow cooker , cover and cook on high setting for 15 minutes. Serve pork in flour tortillas with fruity lime salsa.

This is pretty spicy!

Veggie Cheese Egg Bake

Our sister-in-law Erin made this for the family when we went away together for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago. It is a great thing to make for a big group of people because you can do it ahead of time and then put it in the oven in the morning.

3 c. shredded cheddar cheese
3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. sliced mushrooms
1/3 c. sliced green onions
1/2 c. chopped red and green peppers
1/2 c. flour
1 3/4 c. milk
8 eggs
pepper, to taste

optional - cooked, chopped breakfast meat of choice

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine cheeses. Sprinkle half the cheese mixture on the bottom of the pan. Lightly spray skillet with cooking spray, heat over med-high heat. Add mushrooms, green onion, and red and green peppers, cook until veg. are tender and soft, about 5-8 minutes. {if using meat, add cooked meat to cooked veggies}. Spread vegetable mixture over cheese, top with remaining cheese. In large bowl, combine flour, milk, eggs and pepper. Pour over the top of cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until mixture is set and lightly browned. Let stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before cutting into squares.

Enchiladas Con Pollo

This is another recipe from my BHG, America's Best Loved Recipes Cookbook. We have made this countless times.

2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 c. shredded, cooked chicken
1/3 c. chopped tomatoes
1/3 c. chopped black olives
1/4 c. chopped green chili peppers
1/4 c. chopped onion
2 16 oz. jars salsa
10 6 in. flour tortillas
sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a rectangular baking dish. In a large bowl, stir together 1 c. of the cheese, the chicken, tomatoes, olives, chili peppers and onion. Add 1 c. of salsa and mix well. Place the remaining salsa in a shallow dish - dip the tortillas in the salsa, one at a time. Spoon 1/3 c. of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place, seam side down, in the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and return to oven for about 3 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve with sour cream, additional salsa and if you like, guacamole.

Donna's Cheese Dip

This is the easiest dip - - when my friend Donna told me what was in it, I almost didn't believe her. For some reason, I thought it tasted like it had potatoes in it?! Anyway, I have taken this to several parties and everyone loves it!

2 c. shredded white cheddar cheese
1 small package of bacon, cooked & crumbled
1/2 c. slivered almonds
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
enough mayo to hold it together

serve with crackers

Black Bottom Cupcakes

This recipe is from my Aunt Dianne. I haven't made these in a long time, but they are really yummy!

German chocolate cake mix (and the ingredients it calls for)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1 c. chocolate chips

Make the cake batter and spoon it into cupcake pan (with liners), fill them only half full. Mix the cream cheese, sugar, egg and chocolate chip together and then drop 1 heaping tsp. of filling on top of each cupcake. Bake 20-25 minutes at temp indicated on the box mix.

Easter Jello

This recipe comes from my friend Lyn. Back in college, Jon and I used to go to her and Joe's house for lunch almost every Sunday. We had so many great times and learned so much from them. One of these days we are going to get out to Cali for a visit - we haven't seen them since our daughter Sophia was 1 and she is now 9 1/2!

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
large pkg. lime jello
large can crushed pineapple
12 oz. cool whip

Mix jello powder and cream cheese together. Drain pineapple, but save the juice and heat it. Mix in warm pineapple juice, then crushed pineapple and then cool whip. Chill in jello mold.