Pineapple Ginger Smoothie

1 15 oz can pineapple chunks with juice
1 banana
1 6 oz container vanilla greek yogurt
1 tsp ginger
1/2 cup ice

1. Combine all ingredients in blender, blend until smooth.

Onion Cheesy Bread

1 un-sliced loaf of bread
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 oz monterey jack cheese

1. In small bowl, melt butter with garlic salt, black pepper and olive oil.
2. Make deep cuts into top of bread loaf, but don't cut all the way through. Make cuts 1 inch apart in both directions.
3. Thinly slice cheese and place slices in cuts of bread loaf. Pour butter mixture over bread spreading evenly.
4. Bake in oven 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until cheese is thoroughly melted. Serve immediately.

Apple Pie Roll Ups

1 package crescent rolls
2 apples
2/3 cup melted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Peel and slice apples into 8 slices each
3. Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl
4. cut each crescent in roll in half. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle sugar mixture over butter. Place apple slice at wide end and roll up. Once all are rolled, brush again with butter and sprinkle with a bit more sugar mix.
5. Bake on parchment paper for 15 minutes.

**Please note if there is excess butter on the paper your kitchen may get very smokey.

Russian Tea Cakes

These are Kevin's favorite cookies. I'm constantly looking for new recipes for them. This is a pretty good one, that I have modified to his liking.

1 cup pecans
1 cup unsalted butter - room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 cups ap flour
Extra powdered sugar for coating/dusting ~ 1 cup

1. On baking sheet or stone, toast pecans for 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool and finely chop.
2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and salt. Gradually mix in flour, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl, until just incorporated. fold in pecans and whip for ~ 20 seconds.
3. Roll spoon size balls by hand and set on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
4. Space balls about 1.5 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets(may need multiple baking sheets). Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool ~ 10 minutes on baking sheet.
5. Place extra powdered sugar in large bowl. Toss warm cookies in sugar to coat. Before serving, dust top with fresh powdered sugar.

Honey Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes

4 medium sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel and dice sweet potatoes
2. In large bowl, whisk honey, olive oil, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
3. Add sweet potatoes, toss to coat.
4. Bake in single layer on baking sheet for 30 minutes at 375.

Mushroom Zucchini Chicken

1.5 lbs chicken, diced
4 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
2 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced
1/2 medium brown onion, quartered and sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 inch ginger, peeled, grated with microplane

1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large skillet. Dredge chicken with cornstarch. Cook in skillet until golden.
2. Remove chicken from skillet. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and cook mushrooms, zucchini and onion about 4 minutes.
3. While vegetables are cooking, combine remaining ingredients in small mixing bowl.
4. Add sauce to vegetables, toss to coat. Add chicken back into skillet, combine. Serve over steamed rice.

Salted Caramel Cookie Bars

Crust

2 cups butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1.5 cups powdered sugar

1 Tablespoon +1.4 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups floor

Caramel Layer

1 bag caramels (~40), unwrapped

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Coarse Sea Salt to taste

1. Heat oven to 325. 

2. In a stand mixer, combine butter and sugars until creamy. Add vanilla to sugar mixture. Slowly add in flour. 

3. Line cake pan with parchment paper. Press half the dough into the bottom of the pan Put the other half in the fridge). Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

4. In medium bowl combine caramels, whipping cream and vanilla. Use a double boiler or microwave to melt the caramel and combine the ingredients. Once melted pour evenly over the cooked crust. Sprinkle sea salt over caramel layer. Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the caramel.

5. Bake and additional 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Corn Bread with Bacon

1 lb bacon
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 can corn, drained
1/2 can creamed corn
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated


1. Coarsely chop bacon. In medium frying pan, cook bacon until just crisp. Drain for later use.
2. Sift dry ingredients into large bowl.
3. In medium bowl, beat eggs, butter and milk. Combine with dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Add corn and bacon to mixture. Gently fold.
5. Spray bread pan with Pam. Pour batter into bread pan, sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
6. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes.

Pumpkin Butter

1 large can pumpkin puree
1 cup apple juice
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon whiskey
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1.5 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Combine all ingredients, except lemon juice, in medium saucepan.
2. Heat over medium heat until boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add lemon juice and cool completely.

Orzo with Parmesan

1 cup orzo
1 tbsp butter
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper

1. Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.
2. Over very low heat, add butter and cheese and stir until melted. Slowly add whipping cream until desired consistency is reached. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 frozen banana
1 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1. Put all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth.

Enchilada Stuffed Shells

1 rotisserie chicken, de-boned
2 bell peppers (any color)
1 small red onion
1 jalapeño pepper
1 package jumbo shells
1 can refried beans
1 large can enchilada sauce
4 green onions
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese

1. Cook shells according to package instructions.
2. Dice chicken, set aside.
3. Dice peppers, onion, jalapeño. In large pan, sauté peppers, onion and jalapeño. Add Garlic salt towards end of sautéing.
4. Add chicken, refried beans, and 1/3 enchilada sauce. Toss to coat. Remove from heat, add 1 cup of cheese, mix well.
5. Slice green onions, green parts only. Add to chicken mixture.
5. In large baking dish, coat bottom with 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce.
6. Spoon chicken mixture into shells and place, open side up, in baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over shells.
7. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
8. Sprinkle remaining cheese over shells and bake for 5 more minutes.

Special Yogurt

1 container Cool Whip
1 container Vanilla Yogurt
1 package frozen mixed berries
1 box cheesecake pudding mix

1. Combine all ingredients, mix thoroughly.

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

De-boned meat from 1 rotisserie chicken, coarsely chopped
2 cups plain yogurt
1 cup heavy cream
18 corn tortillas
1 jar Salsa Verde
6 ounces chopped green chilis
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese


1. In medium bowl, combine yogurt and cream.
2. In medium cakepan/casserole dish, layer 6 tortillas, half of salsa, half of chicken, half of chilis, 1/3 of cheese. Repeat.
3. Cover with last 6 tortillas and remaining cheese.
4. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Irish Potato Casserole

8 large russet potatoes
1 small brown onion
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup half and half
garlic salt
pepper
paprika

1. Boil potatoes for about 10 minutes. Drain, peel skins off potatoes.
2. Let potatoes cool in fridge. Finely chop onion, dividing into 4 equal parts.
3. Heat oven to 350. Spray casserole dish with Pam.
4. Grate 2 potatoes, spread evenly in bottom of casserole dish. Sprinkle with onion, garlic salt, and pepper. Repeat until all potatoes and onion are used.
5. Pour butter, whipping cream and half and half over casserole.
6. Sprinkle with paprika.
7. Bake for 30 minutes.

**One alteration I like is to saute the onions before putting them.

Bailey's Pistachio Fudge

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup Baileys Irish Cream
36 oz white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped raw pistachios

1. Use aluminum foil to line 9x9 pan.
2. In a medium saucepan over low heat. Combine milk, Irish cream and chocolate chips. Continuously stir until chocolate is completely melted.
3. Remove from heat. Add pistachios and stir to combine.
4. Pour mixture into lined pan and allow to cool. Remove and cut into bites.