Peanut Butter and Jelly Squares

Originally Submitted by Jessica Callahan

2 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup salted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup jam or jelly
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter a 9 x 13 baking pan. In a medium bowl combine flour and baking powder. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.

In a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, combine butter and sugar to form a grainy paste. Add egg and vanilla and mix until smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl, Then add flour misture and blend at low speed until thoroughly combined. Dough will be firm. Divide dough into two pieces; form discs and wrap tightly in plastic wrap or plastic bags. Refrigerate 1 hour.

On floured board using a floured rolling pin, roll each disc to 9 by 13 inches, about ¼ inch thick. Place one piece in bottom and up the sides of baking pan. Refrigerate 10 minutes more.

Spread half the jelly on dough. Layer peanut butter on top of jelly, then top with remaining jelly. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Place second dough rectangle on top of peanut butter and jelly layer. Pinch down side edges all around inside of pan. Bake 35 – 40 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch in the center. Cool in pan, then cut into squares and serve.

Tomato and Red Bell Pepper Soup

Originally Submitted by Kelli Callahan

2 large red bell peppers (or jar of roasted red bell peppers, drained and rinsed
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 ½ cups fresh vegetable or chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 – 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper

If using fresh bell peppers, halve and seed the bell peppers, arrange them on the broiler rack and cook, turning occasionally, for 8 – 10 minutes until softened and charred. Leave to cool slightly, then carefully peel off the charred skin. Chop the bell pepper flesh and place in a large saucepan. Mix in the onion, celery and garlic. Add the stock and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the tomatoes and transfer to a blender (or use an immersion blender). Process for a few seconds until smooth. Return to the saucepan. Season with the salt and pepper to taste and heat for 3 –4 minutes until piping hot. (Calories per serving: 93. Serves 4)

Reese’s Peanut Blossoms

Originally Submitted by Kelli Callahan

½ cup butter or margarine ( I used Butter)
1 cup Reese’s Peanut butter Chips
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ cups finely chopped nuts (I left this out)
Granulated sugar
1 bag Hershey’s kisses, unwrapped

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan over low heat, place butter and peanut butter chips. Heat. Stirring constantly until melted. Pour mixture into large mixing bowl. Add brown sugar, egg and vanilla, beating well until blended. Stir in flour, baking soda and nuts, blending well. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 – 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately place unwrapped chocolate pieces on top of each cookie, pressing down so cookie cracks around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Caramel Chip Bars

Originally Submitted by Melanie Rottweiler

½ cup butter
32 caramels
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 yellow cake mix
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup white chips
1 Heath bar, chopped

Combine butter, caramels, and milk; stir over medium heat until smooth. Cool. In mixing bowl combine cake mix, oil and eggs. Mix well. Stir in chips and chopped candy bar. Press ¾ of dough into a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Pour caramel mixture over crust. Drop remaining dough on top. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.

Mixed-Nut Bars

Originally Submitted by Donna Workman

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup plus 2Tablespoons cold butter, divided
¼ tsp. salt
1 can (11 ½ ounce) mixed nuts
1 cup butterscotch chips
½ cup light corn syrup

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt. Cut in ½ cup of butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with nuts. Melt butterscotch chips in double boiler. Add corn syrup and remaining butter. Mix well. Pour this mixture over the nuts. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool.

Chocolate No Bake Cookies

Originally Submitted by Sylvia Patton

2 cups sugar
4 tbsp. cocoa
1 stick butter
½ cup milk
½ cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups oatmeal

Boil sugar, butter, and milk for 1 minute. Add peanut butter and vanilla, mix well. Add the oatmeal and drop by teaspoonful onto waxed paper. Cool.

Easy Sugar Cookies

Originally Submitted by Heidi Robbins

2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter
2 tsp. vanilla
1 (8 oz.) sour cream
½ tsp. salt
2 eggs
flour

Mix ingredients together and add enough flour to make a stiff dough. Roll out thick and cut into shapes. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Frosting:

3 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
Food coloring

Mix all ingredients and frost cookies.

English Toffee

Originally Submitted by Jennifer Bunker

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
3 Tbsp. Karo Syrup
1 Tbsp. water
1 package milk chocolate chips
Walnuts or pecans (optional)

Cook sugar, Butter, Karo syrup, and water on high heat, stirring constantly until hard crack stage. It will turn brown. Cover bottom of greased, round cake pan with chopped nuts. Pour mixture over nuts. Cover with chocolate chips and smooth with a spoon. Let cool.

**can be doubled and will fill a cookie sheet.

Chocolate Crinkles

Originally Submitted by Deena Callahan

½ cup butter
6 (1 oz. squares) unsweetened chocolate
4 cups all purpose flour
4 cups white sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
6 eggs
2/3 cup powdered sugar for decoration

Melt butter and chocolate squares either in microwave or over low heat on the stove. Allow to cool slightly. Stir in remaining ingredients, except powdered sugar. Mix well. Cover dough and chill for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes or until edges are set. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.

Twice Baked Potato Soup

Original submitter unknown

6 large baking potatoes
5 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp. butter
¼ cup light cream
½ cup chopped sweet onion
1 Tbsp. fresh chives

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. (scrubbed and pricked with fork, on a rack and bake for 30 minutes, or until tender. You can microwave on HIGH for 10 – 12 minutes or until fork tender. Place the potatoes in a bowl with a lid and let steam. Remove the skin and mash pulp. Heat the butter in a three quart saucepan. Add the onion and cook until tender. Add the broth and a5 cups of the potato pulp.. Place 1/3 of the broth mixture into a food processor. Place in a medium bowl. Repeat the process with the remaining broth mixture. Return all the pureed mixture into the saucepan. Stir in the cream and chives and cook for a5 minutes more. Season to taste. Place remaining pulp in pureed mixture. Serve with crumbled bacon, shredded cheese and/or sour cream.

Baked Potato Soup

Original submitter unknown

2 large or 3 medium baking potatoes, baked or micro waved
¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
cooked and crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 -2 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in broth and evaporated milk.

2. Scoop potato pulp from 1 potato(reserve potato skin); mash. Add pulp to broth mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes just to a boil.

3. Dice remaining potato skin and potatoes. Add to soup. Heat through. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Top each serving with bacon, cheese and green onions, if desired.

Taco Soup

Originally submitted by Randi DeRoest

1 can Black Beans
1 can Navy Beans
1 can Pinto Beans
1 can Kidney Beans Do Not drain beans. Add liquid and beans to pot
1 can corn (drained)
1 pound cooked ground beef with taco seasoning
2 cans Mexican style stewed tomatoes, pureed.

Add all ingredients to your pan and bring to a boil. Serve with chips, cheese and sour cream. ( to make a larger batch, add another can or two of beans and adjust taco seasoning to taste.)

Italian Sausage Soup

Originally submitted by Shauna Cook

8 – 16 oz. Italian Sausage
2 cans (14 oz.) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 cup small pasta shells
4 cups baby spinach leaves
2 TBSP. grated Parmesan cheese
4 TBSP fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth

Cook sausage, removing casing. Drain. Combine tomatoes, pasta, chicken broth and sausage. Cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Remove from heat, add spinach until wilted. Serve sprinkled with basil and Parmesan cheese over each bowl of soup.

Bonnie Sisson’s Black Bean Soup

Originally submitted by Deena Callahan

½ cup chopped onion
2 cans RO-TEL chunky diced tomatoes and green chilies (Original)
4 – 5 cans black beans
Chopped ham, or bacon, or smoked sausage, to taste

Sauté onion and meat. Add black beans and RO-TEL. Simmer 30-40 minutes. Serve topped with sour cream and grated cheese. It tastes even better the next day.