Pasta Salad

2 pkgs. rotini noodles(the colorful variety), cooked, drained and cooled
1 head broccoli
1 head cauliflower
1 red onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 can of black olive(optional, I hate olives so I don't add them)

Combine all this together in a large bowl. Pour the following sauce over top:

1 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. light olive oil
1 1/4 c. vinegar
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. parsley

Shaken together in an air tight container until well incorporated. Toss with pasta, chill for 4 hours or more then serve.

Chinese Chicken Salad

1 head cabbage
1 bunch green onions
1 c. blanched slivered almonds
3 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 pkg. oriental flavored ramen noodles
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

Boil the chicken breasts until cooked thoroughly. Shred cabbage, slice the green onions break up the ramen noodles and add all the dry ingredients. Cut up chicken and add. In an air tight container combine the follow ingredients for the sauce:

3 Tbsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. light olive oil
the ramen flavor packet
1 1/2 tsp. pepper
sesame oil to taste(1-2 Tbsp)

Seal the container, shake until well combined. Pour over salad and mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve later cold.

Cream Cheese Bars

1 cake mix(yellow, lemon, chocolate, strawberry...)
1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese
2 eggs, used separately
1/3 c. oil
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. almond extract(lemon juice for lemon cake mix, strawberry extract, cocoa etc.)

Mix together cake mix, oil and 1 egg until crumbly. Save 1 cup of the mixture and pat the rest into the bottom of a greased 9X13 pan. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl whip the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the sugar, egg and extract. Whip until incorporated. Pour over the cake crust and sprinkle the rest of the cake crumbs over top. Bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Stuffed Shells

My Mom's recipe

24 jumbo shells
1 lb. ground beef
1 jar of spaghetti sauce or 26 oz. homemade spaghetti sauce
1/4 c. water
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese spread(chives and onions)
1 egg
1/2 c. grated parmesan
1 1/2 c. 5 cheese Italian blend

Boil shells till al dente. Remove and separate. Cook ground beef. Mix sauce and water together. Pour 1 c. in the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Mix cream cheese, egg, parmesan and 1 c. of the Italian cheese blend. Combine with ground beef and mix well. Scoop mixture into the shells and line the stuffed shells into the pan. Pour remaining sauce on top. Cover with foil and cook at 350* for 40-45 minutes. During the last 10 minutes remove the foil, sprinkle with remaining cheese and continue until cheese is melted.

Ham and Cheese Crepes

Your favorite crepe recipe or

2 eggs
1 c. milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 c. flour
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Beat the eggs well, then beat in the milk, salt, flour and butter. Cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes(i haven't found this step entirely necessary). Heat a 7 inch skillet or crepe pan until moderately hot then film it with butter or shortening. Use a ladle or small cup and pour in several tablespoons full of batter then quickly tilt the pant about so that the batter spreads evenly in the thinnest possible layer. Cook for a few more minutes until the bottom is lightly browned and the edges are easy to lift from the pan. Flip it and cook the second side for a few minutes. Remove and repeat.

1 package deli ham(thinly sliced)
2-3 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
1 pckg cream cheese
about 4 sticks green onion, chopped(can easily be substituted with minced onion)
1ish Tbsp. dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. paprika
dash or two of cayenne pepper
parsley flakes(opt.)

Mix all the ingredients until well incorporated aside from ham and cheese. Assemble the crepes by laying open the spotty side of the crepe. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the majority surface of the crepe. Place two thin slices of of ham spanning the length of the crepe. Sprinkle on the cheese and roll up the crepe. Repeat until all the crepes are rolled. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle the tops with cheese(as much as you'd like). Cook at 350* for 10-15 minutes or until all the cheese is melted.

Peanut Butter Bars

A Spencer(and now Bennett) family favorite!

1/2 c. butter softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. flour
1/2 c. oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. chocolate chips

Cream together butter, sugars and peanut butter. Add egg and vanilla, mix well. Add flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Spread into a greased 9X13 pan. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Press the chips into the dough. Bake at 350* for 20 minutes. Remove bars and prepare icing:

1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
2 Tbsp. milk

Pour over bars and let cool

Sweet and Sour Chicken

My Mother's recipe

1 lb. chicken
1 T. oil
1 medium sized onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 carrots, sliced
1 green pepper, chopped
2 8 oz. cans pineapple chunks
1/4 c. vinegar
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. ketchup
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. ginger
6 servings of jasmine or brown rice, cooked

Cute chicken into 1/2 inch pieces. Brown in oil. Reduce heat to low. Add onion and garlic. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Add carrots and green peppers. Combine remaining ingredients. Stir, cover and simmer 10 minutes longer. Serve over the rice.

Potstickers

My dad served a mission in Taiwan and this recipe he brought back is a family favorite!

1 lb. ground beef or ground pork
3/4 lb. cabbage chopped
2 Tbsp. green onions(4-5 sticks) chopped
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
wonton wraps

Mix together all ingredients. Place a little dollop in the center of a wrap. Pinch the wrap together(in a triangle shape if using square wraps). Flatten the bottom of the wrap by patting it in some flour. Heat a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbsp. oil. Add enough potstickers to fill the bottom of the pan. Fry until the bottom is golden. Add about 2/3 c. water. Cover and cook until the water is evaporated. Shake to loosen up the potstickers and dump onto a plate. Repeat.

Banana Bread

1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. mashed bananas

Cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs. Add in smashed bananas. Add the remaining ingredients. Bake at 350* for 45-50 minutes

French Bread

My Mom's recipe

2 1/2 c. warm water
2 Tbsp. dry yeast
3 Tbsp. sugar
3 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. oil
6 1/2 c. flour

Combine the warm water and the yeast, let sit until you see some bubbles. Add the sugar, salt and oil. Add the flour, mixing constantly, about 1 cup at a time. Cover and mix every 10 minutes for an hour. Form into two loaves and place on a baking sheet. Cover and let it rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Bake at 400* for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and rub a stick of butter over the top of the loaf.

Chicken Stew

This is a healthy and fairly easy throw together recipe and feeds a lot

1 rotisserie chicken
1 onion
3 carrots
3-4 cloves garlic
1 tsp bay leaves
1/2-1 tsp. dried thyme
4-5 Idaho potatoes
4 cans chicken broth
1 c. frozen peas
1 c. frozen corn
salt and pepper to taste

Pull apart all the meat off the rotisserie chicken into shredded pieces. Chop up your onion. Dice the carrots and potatoes all into relatively small bite size pieces. Saute the onion and carrot in about 3 Tbsp. EVOO. Add the bay leaves and thyme, salt and pepper to taste, and continue to saute until the onions are translucent. Pour in the chicken broth and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are softened. Add chicken, peas and corn. Taste test, add more salt and pepper if needed. Return to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until corn and peas are heated through.

Yummy Potatoes

or Cheesy Potatoes or Funeral Potatoes(thought not quite). But whatever you wanna call them this is a long time family favorite. Through my constant need to improve recipe's(taste and healthiness) and my love of garlic I have changed up the family recipe a bit to suit our taste.

6-8 medium Idaho potatoes, boiled or steamed(the microwave works too, i usually do this to save on time)
1/2(or more) of a medium onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced

Cream of Chicken Soup substitute:
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 c. chicken stock/broth
1/2 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 c.(ish) sour cream
1/4-1/2 c. milk to help make the right consistency
3 c. sharp cheddar, shredded

Cook your potatoes. For the microwave scrub the skins of the potatoes and stab multiple times with a fork. Place all potatoes on a microwave safe plate and cover with plastic wrap. Cook until they are soft in the middle(about 10-15 minutes), remove plastic and let cool. While those are cooling prepare your cream of chicken substitute by melting the butter in a pan, add the flour to make a roux, add the milk and chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste and cook over medium heat until thickened. In a large bowl(or 9X13 if you don't wanna waste a bowl) combine the chopped onion, minced garlic, cream of chicken substitute, sour cream and milk. Mix together until completely combined. Add the cheese a bit at a time to make sure you don't add too much. Peel the potatoes, cut into 1/4-1/2 inch squares and mix in with the other ingredients. Make sure you don't add too many potatoes, it should be well coated in the mixture and not look dry(but you don't want it too wet). If it looks like it could use more cheese then add what you need to. Cook in the oven on 350 for 30 minutes to an hour depending on hour done you want the cheese(crispi-fied or just melted).