Biscuit Baking Mix

(can be used like the Bisquick Baking Mix)

This very adaptable mix will save you time and money and only takes a few minutes to put together.

10 cups flour*

1/3 cups baking powder

1 tbsp salt

2 cups shortening**

Mix dry ingredients together and cut in shortening with a pastry blender or cut in with two knives until it has a coarse texture.

I also add wheat germ, pumpkin or oatmeal to our pancake mix depending on what I have on hand. It is a great way to use up leftover pumpkin pie.

This mix keeps for months in the pantry. I have used mine up to 12 months later.

To make rolled biscuits, use 2 cups mix to 2/3 cup milk bake as usual.

To make dropped biscuits, use 2 cups mix to 1 cup milk.

To make pancakes use 2 cups mix to 1 cup milk and add 2 eggs. For lighter pancakes, add tbsp of lemon juice and a little extra baking powder.

* You can use a combination of whole wheat and all purpose flour.

**You can leave the shortening out and use applesauce or other fruit puree later.

Instant Brownie Mix

4 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups flour*

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 cups shortening**

Mix dry ingredients and then cut in shortening.

This mix keeps for months in the pantry. I have used mine up to 6 months later.

* You can use a combination of whole wheat and all purpose flour.

**You can leave the shortening out and use applesauce or other fruit puree later.

To make Brownies:

3 cups mix

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup peanut butter chips (optional)

Mix, bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until done.

Cornmeal Baking Mix

4 cups flour*

4 cups cornmeal

2 cups dry milk

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup shortening **

Mix dry ingredients and then cut in shortening with a pastry blender.

**You can leave the shortening out and use applesauce or other fruit puree later.

We add wheat germ and honey to this mix.

For corn muffins: 2 cups mix, 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk or water, 1tbsp butter, bake 350 degrees for 30 min. or until done.

I mix this in triplicate and bake it in a large pan since my children love corn bread.

This mix keeps for months in the pantry. I have used mine up to 9 months later.

1 1/2 lb lean beef chunks*

1 cup bottled salsa or picante sauce

1 pkt of reduced sodium taco seasoning mix (you can omit this and add chili powder to taste)

2 cups corn (canned or frozen)

1 can chickpeas, rinsed

1 can black beans, rinsed

Put in crockpot and cook on high 4-5 hours or low for 8-10.

This is very tasty with corn bread and also served over rice.

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

3 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup shortening

3 cups uncooked rolled oats

1/2 cups raisins, nuts or flavored chips (optional)

Mix dry ingredients together and then cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two knives.

2 cups mix

1 egg

1 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

Mix and bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until done.

The preparation of good food is merely another expression of art, one of the joys of civilized living. --Dione Lucas

Homemade Cracker Jacks

4 cups popped corn

1 cup peanuts

1/2 cup molasses

1/4 cups sugar

Mix popcorn and peanuts in large pan. Cook molasses and sugar together to 235 degrees with a candy thermometer. Pour syrup over the popcorn nut mixture and stir to coat evenly. Cool and break up. My children loved this.

6-12 cups popcorn

1 pack of dry spaghetti mix (envelopes in spice aisle)

Spray popcorn with olive oil and coat evenly to taste.

Cooking is at once child's play and adult joy. And, cooking done with care is an act of love --Craig Clairborne

This is a nice cake that makes it's own fudge topping that children love, but is not too sweet for adults.

1 cup all purp flour

3/4 cup sugar

6 tbsp baking cocoa divided

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp veg. oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup brown sugar

1 3/4 cup hot water

Mix flour, sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, oil and vanilla. Spread in an ungreased 9 inch square baking pan. Combine brown sugar and remaining cocoa; sprinkle over batter. Pour hot water over all; do not stir. Bake 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm.

2 large cans (29 ounces each) pear halves

soft butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups bite-size shredded rice cereal, such as Rice Chex

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

ice cream or whipped topping, if desired

Drain pears, reserving syrup in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate the syrup.

Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate. Preheat oven to 425°.

In large bowl, using a fork or spoon, combine 5 tablespoons of softened butter, the brown sugar, salt, cereal, and nutmeg until well mixed. Sprinkle some of the cereal mixture over bottom and sides of the pie plate. Layer about 8 pear halves over the bottom then sprinkle with some of the cereal mixture. Repeat layers, piling pears in center of pie plate. Sprinkle remaining cereal mixture over pears. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until pears are hot. Serves 8.

If using fresh or frozen pears, cook pears in crock pot on high for 4-6 hours until tender before proceeding with recipe.

1 (16 oz.) can pear halves, drained*

1 (8 oz.) plain yogurt

3 tbsp. honey

1/2 tbsp. lemon juice

Few drops almond extract

In blender container combine pears, yogurt, honey, lemon juice and almond extract. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into 5 (5 oz.) paper cups. Cover each cup with foil. Make a small hole in the foil with knife. Insert a wooden stick into the cup through the hole. Freeze 4 to 6 hours. To Serve: Remove foil and tear paper from pop.

*I use fresh pears that I had simmered and stored in the freezer and I put them in regular popsicle containers.

My children love this recipe!

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

1 lg. egg

2 c. flour

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

pinch of nutmeg

1/4 c. buttermilk

1 c. coarsely chopped fresh pears

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Cream butter, gradually beat in sugar. Add egg. Combine dry ingredients and add to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in pears, vanilla and nuts. Pour into butter loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

This is really yummy and can be given as a Christmas gift. You can use honey in the place of/or in addition to the sugar, which will sweeten and preserve it longer.

4 1/2 cups flour

2 c sugar

2 t. soda

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

1 1/2 cups butter

1/2 c honey

2 eggs

Mix all ingredients well, form into balls and roll in sugar.

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes for chewy 10 for crunchy.

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 stick of butter or margarine

dash of salt

1 cup of oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together first 5 ingredients; heat to boiling. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add oatmeal, peanut butter and vanilla. Can also add coconut or nuts (1 cup). Pour into dish and refrigerate.

1 1/2 cup water -- warmed

2 tablespoons butter -- softened

1/2 cup honey

2 cups bread flour

2 cups wheat flour

1 tablespoon cocoa

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons instant coffee

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

1 teaspoon caramel color -- optional

3 tablespoons cornmeal -- for dusting

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in the bread machine and process on dough setting. The dough will be a little on the wet side and sticky, but if it seems too wet add more flour. When dough is done let it rise for 1 hour.

Remove from pan, punch down and divide into 8 portions. Form portions into tubular shaped loaves about 6-8 inches long and 2 inches wide. Sprinkle the entire surface of the loaves with cornmeal and place them on 2 cookie sheets. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm with whipped butter

perfect for those who have to eat and run

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup water

1 TB vanilla

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour

1 cup raisins

1/2 tsp EACH salt and baking soda

4 cups Cheerios

Heat oven to 375. Mix sugar, butter, peanut butter, water, vanilla and egg in a large bowl. Combine rest of ingredients and mix thoroughly.Drop dough by rounded 1/3 cupfuls 4 inches apart onto ungreased large cookie sheet. Flatten dough to 1 inch thick. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Let rest 5 minutes after removing from oven.

No mean woman can cook well. It calls for a generous spirit, a light hand, and a large heart." ~Paul Gauguin

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

4 14.5-ounce cans of Italian style tomatoes, undrained and chopped
OR USE the equivalent weight in fresh tomatoes.

1 15-ounce can tomato sauce

1 12-ounce can tomato paste

2 tsp. dried basil - up to 3

2 tsp. dried oregano - up to 3

1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper

Combine all ingredients in a four-quart slow cooker. Cook,
covered, on HIGH for six hours. Serve over spaghetti, chicken,
or pork. Makes 2 1/2 quarts.

This is a recipe I just tossed ingredients in the crock and turned it on. Now it is a family favorite. Very adaptable.

1-2 Jennie O turkey Hams
sliced or chopped

crushed pineapple to taste
(for 2 hams, we use 2 15 ounce cans)

brown sugar
(I just put in enough to make the pineapple turn to the "right" color. Experiment to find your family's taste.)

Mix well, put in crockpot 4-6 hours.

Delicious served with cheddar mashed potatoes.

Great campsite meal.

2 pounds ground beef

One 29-ounce can tomato sauce

One 29-ounce can kidney beans (with liquid)

One 29-ounce can pinto beans (with liquid)

1 cup diced onion (1 medium onion)

1/2 cup diced green chili (2 chilies)

1/4 cup diced celery (1 stalk)

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 teaspoons cumin powder

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups water

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; drain off the fat. Using a fork, crumble the cooked beef into pea-size pieces. In a large pot, combine the beef plus all the remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours.

Tidbits

For spicier chili, add 1/2 teaspoon more black pepper. For much spicier chili, add 1 teaspoon black pepper and a tablespoon cayenne pepper. And for a real stomach stinger, add 5 or 6 sliced jalapeno peppers to the pot. Leftovers can be frozen for several months.

Very good served with cornbread.

Melt in Your Mouth Buttermilk Biscuits

3 cups all purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cups buttermilk

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup Crisco shortening

Sift the flour. Add in baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add Crisco slowly, working it in. Add buttermilk, mix well, turn out on floured cutting board. Need until consistency of playdough. Cut or drop or pinch biscuits. Bake on greased and lightly floured baking sheet 18-22 minutes at 450 degrees.

Steak Ranchero

This is one of those recipes I came up with where I toss and go. I usually use leftover steak which cuts cooking time down. Cook over medium heat until everything is done.

2 lbs of steak sliced into strips

canned jalepenos to preference

1-2 cups sliced onions

salt, pepper, hickory seasonings to taste.

You can eat as is, in a tortilla, or over rice. Corn cake recipe at right goes well with it as does cornbread. Both make good palate coolers.

Chi-Chi's Sweet Spanish Corn Cake

1/2 C. butter or margarine, softened

1/3 C. masa harina flour

1/4 C. water

1 package (10 oz.) frozen corn, thawed

1/3 C. sugar

4 T. yellow cornmeal

2 T. whipping cream

1/4 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

With an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine until fluffy. Gradually beat in masa harina. On low speed, beat in water.Place corn in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until chopped coarse. Stir in masa mixture. In a small bowl, stir together sugar, cornmeal, cream, baking powder, and salt. Stir into corn mixture. Spread in a greased, 8-inch-square baking pan. Cover with foil. Place in a larger pan and pour boiling water half way up the side of the smaller pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until set.Remove smaller pan from water, uncover, and let stand 15 minutes.

Wendy's Pancakes

(I use olive oil in a plastic spay bottle for non-stick spray.)
5 c all purpose flour
4 eggs
5 c buttermilk/or plain milk
1 1/4 c sugar
4 heaping tsp baking powder
4 tsp baking soda
5 tbsp cooking oil
3/4 tsp salt

Preheat a skillet over medium heat and coat with non-stick spray. Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth. Pour the batter by 1/2 cupfuls into the hot pan.

When the top bubbles and the edges appear to harden, flip the pancakes. They should be light golden brown. Cook on the other side for same amount of time, until light golden brown.

Makes enough pancakes to feed a family of 8 with a few leftover. Clint usually rolls these leftovers and eats them during his commute to work.

Wendy's Pancakes served with homemadeBlackberry Sauce

I make blackberry sauce by throwing a good amount of blackberries (about a pound or two) into a sauce pot. I crush them with a spoon and heat until they reach a low boil and are soft. Sometimes I'll add a little water to cut down on the sweetness. After it is bubbling, I food process it and strain the seeds out. I add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to enough water to mix it. I return the sauce to the pan and add the cornstarch water mixture.  If I don't like the thickness, I add more cornstarch. (Mix the cornstarch with a little water for easy blending.) Here, we save the pulpy seed mix that is leftover from straining. We dry that and feed it to our rabbits, goats and horse in the winter.

Baked Potato Soup
by Michelle F. of Tennessee

2/3 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup flour
6 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
5 Large Baking potatoes Baked-Cooled-and Cubed (about 4-5 cups)
4 green onions sliced
1 pound bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp garlic
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large soup kettle, melt butter. Stir in flour; heat and stir until
smooth.  Gradually add milk and broth, stirring constantly until thickened. Add potatoes,garlic, and onions. Bring to a boil, again stirring constantly. Reduce heat, simmer for 10 min. Add remaining ingredients; stir until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Makes 8-10 servings, about 21/2 quarts.

This is another one of my throw and go recipes

2 packages Wacky Mac noodles

2 16 ounce bags of frozen mixed vegetables

1 large can 26 oz low sodium cream of chicken

1 small can 10.5 oz low sodium cream of chicken

1 small can 14.5 oz low sodium chicken broth

3-6 lbs cooked, diced cooked chicken (or however much I have leftover)

Cook and drain noodles. Cook and drain veggies. (You can cook these together if you time it right.) Mix cream of chicken and broth to form sauce. Mix noodles, vegetables, chicken and sauce.This makes two large casseroles and freezes well.

You can add water to make the sauce less creamy. My crew likes the thicker sauce.

l whole wheat flour tortillas
shredded cheddar cheese (or any you prefer)

Put cheese between the tortillas and heat in oven until melted. Tasty!

large whole wheat flour tortillas

low fat spaghetti sauce

low fat mozarella cheese

cooked ground turkey

other toppings of your choice

Make your pizza. Heat in oven at 350 until done.

We mixed everything except the last two ingredients in hot water to help dissolve the salt. Heat if necessary to dissolve salt. We placed the frozen turkey inside of a clean, large, white trash bag that lined a clean cooler and poured the solution on top of the turkey. We let it soak as it thawed making sure the temperature never rose above 49 degrees to keep bacteria from growing. Use ice if necessary to keep turkey cool.

Remove turkey from brine and cook as usual.

You can not cook stuffing in a brined turkey. The turkey will release so many juices that it will leave the stuffing soggy.

Check to make sure the juices are not overfilling your roasting pan.

Enjoy!

½ cup vegetable oil
2 flour tortillas, 6 inch each
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tbs. sugar
¼ cup cornflake crumbs
2 large scoops vanilla ice cream
whipped cream in a can
2 maraschino cherries with stems
optional toppings: honey, chocolate syrup, strawberries

Fry each tortilla, one at a time in hot oil over medium/high heat until crispy. This should take about one minute on each side. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon mixture over both sides of the fried tortillas, coating evenly. Not all of the sugar mixture will stick to the tortillas and that's okay.

Combine the other half of the cinnamon mixture with the corn flake crumbs in another small bowl. Pour the corn flake mixture into a wide shallow bowl or plate.

Place a large scoop of ice cream in the corn flake crumbs and with your hands roll the ice cream around until the entire surface is evenly coated with corn flake crumbs. You should not be able to see any ice cream.

Place the ice cream scoop on the center of the cinnamon/sugar coated tortilla. Spray whipped cream around the base of the ice cream. Spray an additional pile of ice cream on top of the ice cream. Put a cherry in the top pile of whipped cream. Repeat for the remaining scoop of ice cream.