Chocolate Cheese Ball

Recipe originally submitted by Randi DeRoest

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans or oreo cookie crumbs

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in confectioners' sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
2. Shape chilled cream cheese mixture into a ball. Wrap with plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
3. Roll the cheese ball in finely chopped pecans or oreo cookie crumbs before serving.

Amy’s Bean Dip

Recipe originally submitted by Melanie Rottweiler

8 oz. Sour Cream
8 oz. Cream Cheese
1 Can Refried Beans
½ pkg. Enchilada mix
A Dash of Chili Powder
A Dash of Garlic Salt

Mix together and then spread in a square baking dish. Sprinkle with Cheddar Cheese. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

Grasmere Gingerbread

from an English cookbook with British measurements, so get out your kitchen scale!

A famous recipe from Wordsworth's home village in the Lake District.

9 oz whole wheat flour
3 oz oats
3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1-1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
3 teaspoons ground ginger
9 oz hard butter
9 oz soft brown sugar

Set oven to 325F. Well grease and base line an approx. 14 x 9 inches shallow tin. Put the flour, oats, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and ground ginger into a bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and rub in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Put into the tin, spread out and press down firmly with the back of a floured fork. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until pale brown (do not overcook). Cut into squares while warm and leave the tin until completely cold. Keeps well in an airtight tin.

Caramel Shortbread

from an English cookbook with British measurements, so get out your kitchen scale!

4 oz butter, softened
2 oz sugar
6 oz self-raising flour
Pinch of salt

TOPPING:
4 oz superfine sugar
4 oz butter
2 Tablespoons golden syrup (*You cannot buy golden syrup in supermarkets. You have to order online or go to World Market in Tucson. There is really not a good substitute for this unique syrup; you can use corn syrup...it works, but it doesn't give the same rich flavor as golden syrup)
218 gm tin condensed milk (= 7.657 oz)
100 gm bar plain or milk chocolate (=3.512 oz) (*I used more chocolate than this so I could cover the whole thing with a thicker layer)

Set oven to 325F. Well grease and base line an approx. 11 x 7 inches shallow tin. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour and salt and knead well. Put into the tin, spread out and press down evenly with the fingers. Bake for 30 minutes until pale brown. Leave in the tin to cool. Meanwhile, for the topping, put all ingredients, except the chocolate, into a pan. Bring to the boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes or more, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens and turns pale caramel brown. When ready, pour over the cooked shortbread and spread out. When set, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over hot water, pour over the caramel and spread out. When the chocolate has set, cut into squares with a sharp knife dipped in hot water.

Bowtie Chicken Salad

Recipe originally submitted by Karalee Merrill

5 12.5 oz. cans of chicken (I like the Costco brand the best)
1 12 oz. bag of Bow-tie pasta, cooked and drained
1 bunch sliced green onions
1 16 oz. bottle coleslaw dressing
2 cups mayonnaise

Combine and chill overnight all above ingredients (not absolutely necessary, you can just go on and add the rest of the ingredients if you want but the finished product is better after a night in the fridge.)


Prior to serving add:

1 large can pineapple tidbits
1 cup chopped celery
1 pound red grapes, cut in half
4-5 apples sliced
1 package slivered almonds

It also makes a really good sandwich filling if you double the chicken and leave out the pasta.

Broccoli Salad

Resubmitted by Erin Callahan

(Julia Ferguson's recipe)

1 bunch broccoli, cut in pieces
1 cup raisins, grapes or craisins
4 or five slices cooked bacon, crumbled
½ cup chopped red onion
½ cup sunflower seeds, pecans or almonds

Put above ingredients into a salad bowl. In a small bowl mix:

1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup vinegar
½ cup sugar

Add dressing mixture to broccoli mixture and stir to coat. Delicious!

Orange Jell-O Salad

Originally submitted by Anonymous

1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 cup boiling water
1 small pkg. orange jello (or any other flavor)

Dissolve jello and add ice cream. Beat with an electric mixer. Add any kind of drained, canned fruit. Will be set and ready in 30 minutes.