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Aunt Bethany's Pineapple Lime Salad!


This is an old, old recipe people in the South have been making for years...probably since the invention of fruit flavored Jello, actually.   I think it probably doesn't get made as much as it once did, but I still get requests for a recipe for it.  There are several variations on the recipe also.  

 I like this one because it's not quite as sweet and it sets up nice and is very colorful.  You can gel this in a decorative mold or just in an 8"x8" dish and then cut it in squares to serve.   With it's pretty color, it's a great holiday salad for both Easter and Christmas! 

The whole time I was making this, I kept thinking about the movie "Christmas Vacation" and Aunt Bethany and her lime Jello mold she wrapped up as a present!  Watching "Christmas Vacation" is a tradition in our family (several times during the holidays) and it's just not the start of the holiday season until we do!   So in honor of Aunt Bethany, this is "Aunt Bethany's Pineapple Lime Salad"!   

Here is what you will need:

1 (6 oz.) pkg. lime gelatin (can use sugar free)
1  1/2 cups boiling water
1 (8 oz.) can of crushed pineapple (do not drain
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cups chopped maraschino cherries
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 cups frozen whipped topping

Pour boiling water over gelatin and stir to dissolve.  Set aside to cool.  When it starts to thicken, add the pineapple, nuts and cherries and blend. 

With an electric mixer beat the cream cheese and the mayonnaise until fluffy.  Blend in the whipped cream. 

Fold the cream cheese mixture into the gelatin mixture.  Blend and pour into a mold or an 8"x8" dish.    Chill until completely set. 



 Cut in squares and serve!  This looks pretty with a dollop of whipped cream!




Tori's Cornflake Candy!


As I have said before, I have a huge extended family on my mother's side and we all pretty much cook.  We start the kids cooking fairly young also...girls and boys.  I think we all just cook so much, the kids naturally pick up on it.


 I know my son did, because he was always in the kitchen watching what was going on and bugging me about when it would be ready...lol.  We all love to eat so cooking is something we also love to do.

This recipe is one my little cousin Tori made and brought to one of our big family birthday dinners and we all really loved it!  It's sort of addictive actually!  Tori is my Aunt Ann's granddaughter, who I have gotten  many wonderful recipes from, so she has a really good cooking instructor. It seems that Tori will carry on with the cooking tradition, because she has a real talent for it.  She made a peach cobbler last time we ate at their house that was to die for.


This is an easy candy to make and fun to get the kids involved in.   You can even use food coloring and to tint it for the holidays or add some mini M&M's that are the colors of the season.  Pastel ones would be great for Easter! 

Here is what you will need for this: 
1 cup sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
1 Tablespoon butter
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups cornflakes
In a heavy saucepan bring the sugar, corn syrup and butter to a rolling boil.    Remove from heat as soon as it boils.  Stir in the peanut butter and stir until blended.  
Place the cornflakes in a glass bowl and pour the peanut butter mixture over all.  Lightly toss to coat.  Drop by Tablespoon onto wax paper immediately.   Allow to cool for about a half hour.


  

German Chocolate Bars!


If you love anything German Chocolate, like I do, then these "German Chocolate Bars" will be right up your alley!  These are like a really gooey German Chocolate brownie bar and they do start with a German Chocolate cake mix so they are not hard to make at all.  Here is what you will need:

1 pkg. German Chocolate cake mix
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
16 oz. caramel candies, melted
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the cake mix, eggs, butter, 1/2 of the sweetened condensed milk, water, the melted semisweet chocolate, and the vanilla in a bowl.   Mix well.   Spread 1/2 of this mixture in a 9"x13" pan that has been sprayed with nonstick baking spray. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Melt the caramels in the microwave or in a saucepan combined with the remaining sweetened condensed milk.   Pour over the baked layer.   Sprinkle with the white chocolate chips and pecans.   Spread the remaining cake batter over all.

Bake for 20 additional minutes.  


Allow to cool completely, cut into bars and serve!



Easy Peasy Cherry Cheesecake!


This is one of the easiest desserts, you can possibly make!  It takes about 15 minutes to put this together, but it tastes wonderful.   There are many recipes for this around, but this is one my mother added a few of her own touches to and it really adds to the flavor.   Mama always uses just a little almond flavoring in anything with cherries and it just gives it a great taste.  We use mostly Watkins flavorings and spices, because they are the best quality.  If you plan on doing much baking at all, invest in a bottle of almond flavoring.  This is actually a no bake cheesecake and believe it or not, some people prefer it to the kind that takes forever to make and bake!   

Here is what you will need for this recipe:


1 prepared graham cracker pie shell (the large 2-extra helping size works best for this)
1 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. almond flavoring
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 (8 oz.) carton of frozen whipped topping
1 (19 oz.) cherry pie filling (can substitute blueberry or strawberry also)


Whip the cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the almond flavoring and the lemon juice.  Fold in the whipped topping and mix well. 

Pour into the graham cracker crust and spread evenly.     Pour the pie filling into the center of the pie and spread to the edges.  Place the top back on the pie and chill for at least 3 hours.  

Slice and serve!  Keep leftovers refrigerated.



Fiesta Taco Stuffed Shells!


This recipe puts a Mexican spin on the stuffed shells concept, which usually is more of an Italian dish.  I love anything with spicy Mexican flavor so I figured I would like these, but I was surprised that they really went over so well with everyone.  

If you have teenagers, this will be a huge hit with them!  This can be prepared ahead of time also and baked right before serving which is nice for company or busy days! 

 Here is what you will need;

16 Jumbo pasta shells
1 1/2 to 2lbs. of ground chuck
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
3/4 cup water
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 16 oz. jar of picante sauce or salsa
1 cup taco sauce
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar blend cheese

Garnishes
chopped green onions
fresh cilantro leaves
sliced black olives
jalapeno slices
sour cream

Cook the pasta shells as directed on the package, undercooking by about 1 minute.  Drain well in a colander.

Brown the ground chuck in skillet that has a lid.  Drain any excess grease, if any.  Add the taco seasoning and the water and bring to a boil.  Lower heat to low and add the cubed cream cheese.  Cover with the lid until cream cheese softens and melts.   Stir to blend.


Pour the picante sauce or salsa in a 9"x13" baking dish.  Stuff each of the shells with the beef mixture.  Lay the shells on the picante or salsa in the pan.  You don't have to be real neat with this, as you can tell I wasn't, because it gets all covered up with cheese anyway!  Drizzle the filling in each shell with about 1 Tablespoon or so of Taco Sauce!


Sprinkle each shell generously with the shredded cheese.   Cover with foil and place in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.  Uncover and place back in oven for about 5 to 10 minutes just to be sure the cheese is melted and starting to brown.


Remove from oven and garnish as desired.  I used green onions and cilantro.  You can just let each person garnish their own also!  Sour cream is good on these!




Mexican Salad!



This "Mexican Salad" is an excellent salad for a crowd, because it makes a really large bowl full.  It's also great for pot lucks,  if you wait to dress it right before serving when you arrive!  This is always a huge hit and seems to appeal to most everyone!  Here is what you will need: 

1 (16 ounce can) of Ranch style beans (could substitute chili beans), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped including some of the green blades
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tomato, chopped
1 large head of iceberg lettuce, shredded or torn in bit size pieces ( can use 1/2 iceberg and 1/2 romaine)
1 (8 oz.) bottle of Catalina dressing
1(16 oz.) pkg. corn chips, divided and slightly crushed  (save half for garnishing the top)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)

Combine the beans, green pepper, green onions, cheese and tomato. 

Place the lettuce in a large salad bowl.   Place the bean and cheese mixture on top.  Right before serving, sprinkle with the corn chips and pour the dressing overall.  Toss to coat the salad greens. 


Sprinkle the top with fresh cilantro, if you are using it, and I like to save half of the corn chips to garnish the top also. 



This salad is always a big hit! 



Aunt Ann's Chocolate Mint Torte!


This "Chocolate Mint Torte" is one of my Aunt Ann's creations.  Aunt Ann is an excellent southern cook and really loves to bake. If you have been here long, you have seen some of her recipes. She also has a flair for making some really beautiful cakes and dishes!  This one just seems perfect for Spring and especially for St. Patrick's Day!  It would also be great for occasions like baby and wedding showers or even Easter!  

A torte makes a nice presentation that looks far more complicated than it actually is.  I think it might be even easier than a 3 layer stack cake, because you don't have to frost the sides.    Here is what you will need for this one:

2 cups self rising flour***
3/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1  1/2 cups milk

Mint Frosting

1 (8 oz. pkg.) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping (Cool Whip)
1  1/2 tsp. peppermint flavoring
1 bar semi sweet chocolate for chocolate curls to garnish

*** If you do not have self rising flour, you can substitute 2 cups all purpose plus 1 tsp. baking soda, 3/4 tsp. baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray or grease and flour  three 8 inch round baking pans well.  Cut parchment paper or wax paper to fit in the bottom of each pan and spray or grease and flour it well also.  If you use  nonstick baking spray, be sure to use the kind with flour in it.  I recommend Baker's Joy. 

Sift together the flour and the cocoa powder.  

Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute.  Slowly add sugar and beat 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.   Add vanilla.

Alternately add the flour and the milk, beating until well blended. 

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on high for 30 seconds.

Divide evenly and spread into the cake pans.   Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. 

Remove from pans and peel off the paper.  Allow to cool completely on wire racks.

To prepare the frosting, beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl until fluffy.  Add the mint flavoring and mix well.  If you like a strong mint flavor, you can use 2 tsp. of flavoring instead of 1  1/2.    Stir in the frozen whipped topping.

If you are making this for St. Patrick's Day and want more of green color to the frosting add a drop of green food coloring. 


Stack the cake layers on a cake plate, frosting between each layer and the top.  Sprinkle the top with your chocolate curls.   Refrigerate until time to serve! 


If you like the combination of chocolate and mint, you are going to love this cake!







Blueberry Salad!


We always refer to this as "Aunt Mary's Blueberry Salad", because when we have a get together this is the salad Aunt Mary prepares most of the time, by popular request I might add.  My Aunt Mary is my mother's youngest sister, and like all of my mother's sisters, she is a really good cook also.

This is probably my husband's favorite gelatin type salad, which is odd because he says he doesn't like blueberries.  Sometimes I am not sure he knows what he likes..lol. I keep him as confused about that as I can.   I love blueberries so this is definitely one of my favorites. I like this, because it's a little something different .  Like so many of our  holiday 'salads', this is much more like a dessert.  It does go well with holiday foods like ham and turkey. 

 Here is what you will need:

2  (3 oz.)  pkgs. blackberry or raspberry Jello
2 cups boiling water
1 (8 oz.) can of crushed pineapple, undrained
1 can blueberry pie filling
1  8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
2 cups chopped pecans

Mix gelatin and boiling water until it dissolves.  Add in the crushed pineapple with it's juices and the pie filling.  Pour mixture into a 9"x 13" glass baking dish. Chill for at least 2 hours or until it has set up. 



Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla.  Spread over the gelatin once it has chilled and set up.  Sprinkle the top with chopped pecans.

You can put this in a gelatin mold, but if you do, don't add the topping until you unmold it onto your serving platter.  We always do it in a baking dish.



Aunt Mary's Blueberry Salad!




Kentucky Bourbon Pound Cake!


This is the "Kentucky Bourbon Pound Cake"!  It is a classic Kentucky recipe that has been around for years and years.   As I have said before, all good bourbon is born and raised in Kentucky...period.  

 It's one of the things we do here unlike anyplace else in the world.  We have certain things we excel at in Kentucky...basketball, horses, country ham, and bourbon being a few of them. 

Right around this time of year they all sort of come together and get showcased.  We go from March Madness right on into Derby Week the first week in May.  During Derby Week, the food at various events will most always include recipes made with country ham and bourbon in some form.  

Most really good Kentucky cooks have to have bourbon for certain recipes.  Even the most strict Southern Baptist teetotaller, like my mother, has that bottle of good Kentucky bourbon tucked back out of sight in the cabinet for such occasions.  

 For some things, there just is no substitute that gives that flavor.  I really think bourbon sets Kentucky cooking apart from some other southern cooking and makes it special.  Of course, being a Kentucky girl, born and bred, I would...lol!    This cake is one that is made for Derby events and holidays traditionally. 

Here is what you will need:

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
3 cups sugar
8 eggs, separated
2/3 cup good Kentucky bourbon
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. almond extract
3 cups self rising flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 10 inch tube pan or Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray that contains flour.  I use Baker's Joy.  You can also butter and  flour the pan generously.

Cream the butter, oil and 2 cups of the sugar together in a large mixing bowl until it is light and fluffy.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time beating after each addition.

In a separate bowl, mix the bourbon, vanilla and almond extract.  Alternately add the flour and bourbon mixture to the butter mixture and blend.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining 1 cup of sugar until stiff but not dry.  Make sure your bowl and beaters are clean and dry or the whites won't get stiff. 

Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.  This makes the cake less dense, lighter and more moist.

Sprinkle the nuts around the bottom of your prepared pan.  Pour the batter evenly over the nuts.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees an place the cake pan on a cookie sheet.   Be sure to use the cookie sheet, because if you use a tube pan and it leaks at all or the Bundt pan over flows some, the alcohol in this batter tends to catch on fire in the oven!   The cookie sheet will catch it just in case!    Bake for 1  1/2 hours.  When a pick inserted in the center comes out clean, it's done! 

Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan.

 Invert onto a cake plate and slice in thin slices to serve.


It's a beautiful thing!







Seafood Pasta Salad!



This "Seafood Pasta Salad" is another of my Aunt Tootsie's recipes.  It's a really easy pasta salad that you can adapt to suit your own tastes or for what you have on hand.  It's also a good recipe for those observing Lent, which I get a lot of requests for.  Here is what you will need for this:

2 cups shell macaroni, uncooked
1 (12oz.) can of good tuna, drained (could substitute canned flaked salmon)
1 cup baby salad shrimp, cooked
1 cup Lesuer baby peas, drained
1 cup grated carrots
1 Tbs. lemon juice
3/4 cup mayonnaise
fresh ground black pepper
Lettuce leaves

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain well and place in a bowl.   

Add the tuna or salmon and shrimp if you are using those.  Add the peas, carrots, lemon juice, and mayonnaise.   Add a grind of fresh ground pepper if you like a little spice.   Mix well. 


Serve on lettuce leaves on individual salad plates.



Hershey Bar Pie!




This is a really easy 'no bake' pie, that is so yummy!   It tastes sort of like a chocolate milkshake to me in pie form!  This is a really good pie to have for company or holidays, because you can make it ahead of time and freeze it.  Here is what you will need:

4 regular size Hershey Bars with almonds (use plain Hershey bars is you don't like the nuts)
16 regular size marshmallows
1/2 cups milk
8 oz. frozen whipped topping or 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 graham cracker or chocolate cookie crumb crust ( I used graham cracker)

Place the marshmallows, milk and broken up candy bars in a mixing bowl and microwave for about 2-3 minutes, stirring after each minute until it is all melted and blended.  Set aside and cool to room temperature.

Fold in the whipped cream and stir until blended.  Pour into the pie crust.  Place the pie in the freezer and freeze for at least 2-3 hours.  Remove from freezer and allow to sit out for 10-15 minutes, before cutting. 


Garnish with whipped cream and a cherry and serve! 

Loaded Hasselback Potatoes!



These "Loaded Hasselback Potatoes" are a unique and sort of elegant way to serve potatoes.  They look harder than they actually are also.  If you can bake a potato and have a sharp knife, you can do this.  

These are great 'company potatoes' that will impress your guests also!  This is a Swedish dish that was original served at the Hasselbacken in Stockholm.  I feel like their version might have peeled the potatoes, but I am not sure and we are going to leave the peeling on, because I like the crispy texture on the outside and soft potato on the inside!   I also 'Southerned' mine up with bacon and such!   You did expect that, didn't you?  

 Here is what you will need for these:

4 sliced bacon, fried crisp
4 baking potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup butter
salt
black pepper
garlic powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
sour cream
snipped chives

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Fry the bacon until crisp and crumbled it.

Cut the scrubbed potatoes across the tops in thin slices, not slicing completely through.  You need a sharp knife to get good uniform slices.  Leave about 1/8 inch intact on the bottom to hold them together.  Place on a baking dish or cookie sheet.  Drizzle each one with olive oil, fanning the slices apart a little so it gets down between the cuts.  Cut the butter in small pieces and stuff it in between the cuts.  Sprinkle with salt, black pepper and just a little garlic powder.   Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour. 


Sprinkle with the cheeses and put back in the oven for 5 minutes to just melt.



Sprinkle with bacon and top with sour cream and chives, if desired!



 


King Ranch Mac n' Cheese!


  If you love the King Ranch Chicken Casserole  and you also love Traditional Southern Macaroni and Cheese  you cannot help but also love this "King Ranch Mac n' Cheese recipe.    It's just a nice blend of the two.   This casserole, with a salad and bread,  is a complete meal!  This recipe is not so spicy that the kids can't eat it, but you can spice it up some if you choose to by adding some cayenne and a little more hot sauce!    Just adjust to your tastes.  If you have teens, they will devour this!

Here is what you will need:

8 oz. rotinni or elbow pasta  (penne would be good also)
3 Tbs. butter
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 large bell pepper, diced (red or green works well)
1 (10 oz.) can tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel)
1 (10  3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup ( can use cream of mushroom)
8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
4 cups cooked, diced chicken
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
dash of hot sauce (Tabasco)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper ( optional)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to the package directions and drain well.

In a large skillet saute the onion and bell pepper until just tender.   Add the can of Rotel, the cream of chicken soup, and the Velveeta.  Heat on medium low until the cheese has melted, stir together well. 

Temper the sour cream by adding some of the hot liquid to it.  This warms it up so that will blend without curdling.   Add the milk and stir.

Add the seasonings and hot sauce, the chicken, and the drained pasta.   Gently stir together to mix.

Spray a nonstick 9"x13" baking pan with nonstick spray.  Pour the casserole mixture in the dish and sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese!  


Place in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes!  The top should be starting to brown!









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