Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats

2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
3-4 cups rice krispies

cook the syrup and sugar together until it comes to a full boil. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.

Citrus Punch

1  12 oz can OJ concentrate
1  12 oz can lemonade concentrate
1  12 oz can citrus punch concentrate
3 cups sugar
10-12 cups water
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp almond

mix together and freeze.  Let thaw for an hour and ad 1 2 liter bottle of sprite.

Barbeque Chicken Salad

1 pound chopped chicken cooked
mixed greens chopped
1 red apple
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup spicy peanuts
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 cup shredded cheese
2 Tbs cilantro
1 cup tortilla strips

Dressing - 2 Tbs bbq sauce and 1 cup ranch dressing

blue cheese crumbled on the side is a good addition as well.

Chocolate Dipped Ginger Molasses Cookies

Recipe 

2 1/2 c. sugar, divided

1 1/2 c. oil

2 eggs

1/2 c. molasses

4c. all-purpose flour

4t. baking soda

1T. ground ginger

2t. cinnamon

1t. salt

 

2 11oz. pkgs. white chocolate chips

Combine 2 cups sugar and oil in a mixing bowl; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in molasses.

Combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl; gradually blend into molasses mixture. Shape dough into one-inch balls and roll in remaining sugar; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until cookie springs back when lightly touched. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave for 1 minute stirring until smooth. Dip each cookie halfway into mixture; allow excess to drip off. Place cookies on wax paper to harden.

Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Or so they say.  This is the cookie recipe I grew up on.  I haven't used it in years.  I think it might be time for a bake off soon.

1 1/3 sticks of butter
2/3 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
2/3 Tb vanilla

Cream those ingredients well together.  Then add...

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
chocolate chips

350 for 8-10 minutes

A Little Bit of Everything Soup

I walked into Trader Joes recently and asked one of the produce guys … what do I want to make for dinner?  Without hesitation he said, "go ask "so-and-so" he just made us this awesome soup yesterday for just the staff.  It was SOOOO good."

So I took what he said and embellished it and he was right!

Ingredients

chicken
basil
olive oil
leeks
bell peppers
onions
parmesan
cream
pineapple

bok choy
jalapeños
chicken stock
lemon pepper
smoked sweet paprika

Those are the basic ingredients. Grill the chicken in a big soup pot until it is nice crisp.  Then take it out of the pan and put in a separate bowl.  Use that same pot with all the good chicken greece in it simmer the leeks, onions and bell peppers for about 10 minutes until nice and translucent.

Then add the cream and parmesan until nice and thick.  I used about 2 cups of cream and about 2 cups of parmesan.   Add the pineapple and chopped bok choy.  Stir in the chicken stock and however much jalapeño you can handle.  The smoked sweet paprika is what made the soup for me.  My new favorite ingredient. Found at Sur La Table.

Lady Di's Banana Cake

This was Ainsley's first birthday cake.  She, like her grandfather, she too enjoyed the frosting.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup crisco
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour sifted
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mashed bananas
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup Buttermilk

Beat sugar and Crisco until creamy.  Add eggs.  Resift flour and Baking Powder, Soda and Salt.  Add bananas and vanilla and buttermilk.

Bake 350 for 30 minutes if in two 9 inch cake pans.

Frost with Cream Cheese frosting