Chocolate Crackle Cookies...yummy!

This was one of my mom's recipes and it is a good one. David and Ashley had a dessert reception after their wedding and so we had tables of "favorite desserts" from grandparents, moms, etc. My sweet friend Karen Rich, so sweetly made dozens of these cookies to have at the reception. She did a great job on them and it was such a precious way to honor my mom, Ashley's Nanny! Thank you Karen for your gift of love!

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

1- 18 1/2 ounce Devils Food Cake Mix

2 eggs slightly beaten

2 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon water

1/2 cup shortening

2 cups chopped pecans

Powdered sugar

Combine cake mix with eggs, vanilla, water and shortening. Stir with spoon until well mixed. Add pecans. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in powdered sugar.

Bake on well greased cookie sheets placing balls 1 1/2 inches apart. 

Bake 375 for 8-10. Cookies are very soft. Cool on rack and then place in airtight container until serving.

Buffet Potatoes

Most of you will have a version of this recipe, but as I was washing the casserole dish today, I thought what a great recipe that pleases many and is so easy!

Buffet Potatoes

2 pound package of frozen cubed hash browns

1/2 cup melted margarine

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 pint of sour cream

10 oz. grated Cheddar Cheese

1 cup bread crumbs

Thaw potatoes slightly. In a large bowl combine potatoes with melted margarine, onion, soup, sour cream and cheese. Spray a 13x9 dish with Pam and place mixed ingredients. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake at 350 for 1 hour.  This is a great one to make in advance and freeze till you need it. You may need to let it thaw a bit or just bake it a bit longer. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole

This is always on the table at Thanksgiving, it was my mom's recipe and Ashley's favorite!

Drain and spread in a 13x9 slightly oiled casserole dish, breaking up the large pieces:

2 - 36 oz. cans of Sugary Sam Sweet Potatoes-drained

Sprinkle lightly with salt.

Mix together until crumbly and spread over the top of the potatoes:

2 cups of light brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup (1 stick) melted margarine or butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Pretty easy...pretty delicious!

Philly-Cream Cheese Corn

This recipe is one that no matter where I take it, I always come home with an empty bowl and people wanting the recipe. And it is SO SO SO simple!!

1- 8 oz package of cream cheese

1/2 cup of milk

2 tablespoons of margarine or butter

1/2 teaspoons of onion salt

1 tablespoons of parsley flakes or fresh chopped parsley

1 1/4 pound package of frozen whole kernel corn-thawed

In saucepan put all ingredients EXCEPT for the corn and mix together on low heat until well blended. Add thawed corn, mix well and heat on low until hot. 

Enjoy!

Yummy Banana Bread

This is a moist Banana Bread that mixes up quick and is eaten even faster!

Banana Bread

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

4 tablespoons of sour cream

1 cup mashed bananas

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dissolve soda in sour cream. Mix all ingredients well and pour into a large loaf pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. 

You can double this recipe and bake in a Bundt pan, same 300 degrees but for longer. Just do the toothpick test and pull it out when the toothpick comes out clean! This is a great bread to freeze if you are needing to use up some bananas!

This recipe reminds me of Fall!

Ham & Scalloped Potatoes in the Crock Pot

8 slices of ham-cubed

8-10 medium potatoes-peeled and thinly sliced

2 onions-peeled and thinly sliced

1 cup grated cheese

1-10 oz can cream of mushroom soup

Put half of ham, potatoes, onions in Crock Pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then some grated cheese. Repeat with remaining ham, potatoes and onions. Spoon undiluted soup over top and sprinkle with rest of the cheese. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4 hours. 

(This is a great one to put on before work! When you arrive home the house will smell glorious and you will smile because supper is ready. I normally serve this with some good crusty bread and a salad.)

Stuffed French Toast

This recipe has become a family favorite and is usually served on Christmas Morning!

Stuffed French Toast

1) Decrust and cube 10 slices of Texas Toast Bread and place half in the bottom of a 13x9 casserole dish.

2) Cube 2-8oz packages of cream cheese and scatter on top of cubed bread

3) Put in the other half of cubed bread

4) Mix together 12 eggs and combine with 1/3 cup maple syrup and 2 cups of milk

5) Pour over bread and cream cheese and place plastic wrap over the dish and let set in refrigerator overnight

6) Next morning, bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Serve with warm syrup and/or powdered sugar. We always have bacon as a side dish.

(Okay, I didn't say this was a low-fat or a low-cal recipe! But it's the holidays! This is a great recipe because you can have it already in the refrigerator and really impress your company at breakfast. We always open a few packages while it bakes, then take a "break" and have a delightful breakfast before returning to the fun!)

Sharing on Sunday's

I have to admit this isn't an original idea, but something I saw on another blog. Ashley and I were talking about blogs, topics, etc. and she was the one who encouraged me to share some of my tried and true recipes. There are so many websites full of recipes and cookbooks galore but I always love to get a recipe that has been passed down through a family or one that is a favorite from a friend. So, the recipes I will share on Sunday's are hopefully ones that you will also find easy and crowd pleasers! 

Corn Souffle

1 can cream style corn

1 8 oz. carton of sour cream

2 eggs

1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

1/4 cup oil

Mix together and place in a greased casserole dish

Bake at 375 for 1 hour.

(I always double this recipe as it is quite a hit with almost every crowd. Though it could really be a dessert, it works great as a side dish with Mexican Food.)