Mom's Orange Jello Salad

3 small pkg "cooked" vanilla pudding. Use water instead of milk.
1 large and 2 small package jello any flavor
2 large bowls of cool whip
fresh of frozen or canned fruit (usually mandarin oranges)

Heat water, add "cooked" pudding, then add jello while hot. Cool until set. Then beat adding cool whip. Last stir in fruit.

Teresa's Jumbo Shells

Bake at 375 degrees

12 oz jumbo pasta shells
4 cups grated mozzarella cheese
2 cups Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 tsp parsley
16 oz pasta sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese

Boil shells 16-18 minutes.

Mix 1 cup mozzarella cheese with ricotta, Parmesan, egg, and parsley.

Strain shells, fill with cheese mixture, pour 1/3 pasta sauce bottom of 9x13; place shells on top of pasta sauce. Cover shells with the rest of the pasta sauce and sprinkle remaining 3 cups cheese on top. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Shellie's Mac and Cheese

Bake 30-35 minutes uncovered at 400 degrees

8 oz small elbow mac
2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 egg-lightly beaten
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tsp Dijon or spicy brown mustard
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Cook mac according to directions. Combine everything but 1/2 c cheese. Toss with mac. Place in 8x8x2 (square) pan. Top with remaining cheese. Bake.

Thanksgiving Banana Cream Pie

9-Inch
*make a 9-inch baked pie shell

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups milk (only use whole milk)
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten (make sure you remove the nasty white membrane part)
2 Tbsp margarine or butter, softened
1 Tbsp plus 1 Tsp vanilla
Sweetened Whipped Cream for topping
3 Bananas
* Can be doubled to make 3 8-inch pies or 2 9-inch pies*

Bake pie shell. Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in 1 1/2 quart saucepan. Stir in milk gradually. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir at least half of the hot mixture gradually into egg yolks. Blend into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in margarine and vanilla. Layer sliced bananas (about 2 bananas) in bottom of pie shell. Pour filling into pie shell; press plastic wrap onto filling. Refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 48 hours. Remove plastic wrap; top pie with whipped cream and garnish with bananas.  (I usually skip the pressing plastic wrap part)

peanut butter and chocolate pie! yum!

INGREDIENTS:

40 thin chocolate wagers, ground fine in a blender or food processor (this makes approximately 2 1/4 cups of crumbs)***also can use keebler chocolate fudge-striped cookies, about 3/4 of the package***

1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup), melted

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup milk (or heavy whipping creme)

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup well-chilled whipping creme

1/3 cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped fine (you can do this in a blender or food processor)

 

PREPARATION:

Reserve 1/4 cup of cookies crumbs (for decoration). Combine the remaining cookie crumbs and melted butter in a bowl.  Mix well.  Press this combo into the bottom and side of a 10" pie plate.  Chill shell in freezer.

 

In a heavy saucepan dissolve sugar in milk over moderate heat. stir occasionally.  remove pan from heat. Whisk in peanut butter and vanilla until well-combined.  Cool in a bowl set in a larger bowl of ice water.  Stir mixture occasionally.

 

In another bowl beat the whipping cream until it just holds stiff peaks and fold into peanut butter mixture with chopped peanuts.  Pour mixture into shell, smoothing the top.  Sprinkle reserved cookie crumbs on top.  
Freeze pie, uncovered until frozen hard, about 5 hours.  Pie may be made 2 days ahead and frozen, covered with plastic wrap and foil after 5 hours.  Let pie stand in refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

Betsy's Famous "Girly" Salad

Salad Ingredients:

Spring Lettuce Mix
Avocado (sliced)
Mandarin Oranges
Pears (Asian pears)
Berries (strawberries or blueberries)

Dressing:

2/3 C sugar
1/3 C red wine vinegar
1/3 C honey
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dry mustard
1 T chopped onion
1 T lemon juice

Mix together and then add 1 cup vegetable oil. Pour over salad right before serving.

 

Fancy Frosted Mint Brownies

http://www.howdoesshe.com/fancy-frosted-mint-brownies/

Fudge Brownies:

Mix the following ingredients together:

1 1/2 Cups Melted Butter

3 Cups Sugar

1/2 Cup Cocoa

Add: 6 Eggs, one at a time

Then add:

2 1/4 Cups Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla

You could also add chopped nuts to the brownie mix if you want! Mix it all together. Pour the batter onto the sheet cake pan and Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Grease your sheet cake pan and pour the brownie batter into the center.

Spread it around to all the corners of the pan with a spatula, till it is even. Then pop it in the oven for 25-30 minutes. The time may vary depending on how hot your oven cooks, just keep an eye on them .

The spatula, you say? Don’t mind if I do!

It should come out looking something like this. It should be solid, I know those delicious fall apart brownies are so amazing, but for this recipe to work you need a little bit of a firm surface to frost  Let them cool completely before frosting them you can pop them in the fridge or freezer if you are pressed for time. Otherwise just leave them out till they are nice and cool.

On to the mint frosting (aka: my favorite part!)

Mint Frosting Recipe:

3 Tablespoons Butter

3 Tablespoons Milk

2 3/4 Cups Powdered Sugar

3-4 drops of green food coloring (to desired color)

2-3 drops peppermint oil OR 1/4 – 1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Peppermint Extract (varies depending on how strong you want the flavor)

You can use a hand mixer or a fork whichever you prefer. Mix the ingredients together. You want the frosting to be fairly thick, if it is too thin add more powdered sugar. If it is too thick add a tiny bit of milk at a time and stir. Once you have reached the right consistency of frosting you will add the mint flavoring and food coloring.

You can really make the mint frosting any color you like! Pink would make for great Valentines day or Mothers Day brownies (hint, hint)!

Dollop that gorgeous mint frosting on to the center of the brownies. Begin spreading it to the edges using a spatula.

Don’t spread it over the edges completely, we will want to hide this mint frosting with the next layer!

It should be thin, translucent in some areas. Once the whole sheet is frosted, leave it for 5-6 minutes to set up. You can start making the chocolate frosting while you are waiting.

You can test the frosting to see if it is dry by tapping on the frosting ridges.

If it flattens the ridges without sticking to your fingers you are ready to move on.

Chocolate Frosting Recipe:

6 Tablespoon Cocoa

4 1/2 Cups Powder Sugar

6 Tablespoons Soft Butter

3 Tablespoons Milk

1 Teaspoon vanilla

Mix the cocoa and powdered sugar together in a bowl, then add the milk, butter and vanilla and mix until smooth with a fork or hand mixer.

You also want this frosting to be thick. It needs to hold its shape when it is spread! So make sure it is looking something like this picture below!

You will want to leave about a 1/4 cup of the frosting in the bowl, that will not be used. Dollop  5 scoops of the chocolate frosting onto the mint, make the center dollop the biggest. This will make it easier to spread across the sheet.

Using a flat metal spatula begin spreading the frosting. Start in the center and spread it to each of the other dollops. Connect the dots and work it to the edges. Be careful and make sure it isn’t lifting the mint frosting below.

Cover all the mint on the edges so it is a hidden surprise!

Once it is spread evenly over the surface you are ready for the next step.

Start in one corner. Using the metal spatula carefully go back and forth across the frosting to create a ridged pattern. Tilt the spatula up towards the edge of the pan that you are moving towards, then glide across the frosting. You don’t want to lift the spatula when you finish a line, keep it smooth and go back and forth.

When you finish gently lift the spatula and try not to make the frosting peak.

Use a knife, going perpendicular to the lines you just created, and glide over the ridges. Don’t cut very deep, not even through to the mint, just the surface.

Keep the lines about the same distance apart as you move down the pan.

Texas Sheet Cake

Preheat oven to 320 degrees.

A. Mix following items together in a bowl:
- 2 C flour
- 2 C sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda

B. Bring below items to a boil and then pour over A. Stir well.
- 2 sticks butter
- 4 T. powered cocoa
- 1 C hot water

C. Add below items to B. Then pour entire mixture into a 18" X 12" jelly roll pan.
- 1/2 C buttermilk
- 2 eggs well beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla

Bake 25 - 30 minutes. Cool 10 mintues before frosting.

Frosting:
1 stick butter
4 T powdered cocoa
6 T milk

Bring above items to a boil. Then add to cocoa mixture the following items:
3 1/2 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Stir well - pour over warm cake and cool. Sprinkle 1 C chopped pecans (optional).

Betsy's Apple Crumble Recipe

Mix the following together:
5 tart apples (peel, core & thinly slice)
2 T lemon juice
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp grated orange peel

Combine ingredients below in separate bowl:
1 1/2 C granola
1 1/2 flour
1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 C butter

Pour first bowl in 9X13 pan and then add second bowl of dry ingredients on top. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.