Magic Wands

Ingredients:

10 pretzel rods
3 oz. chocolate chips

In tall microwave-safe cup, microwave chocolate chips 1-2 minutes or until chocolate is softened enough to stir smooth. Dip pretzel rods down into chocolate and around sides of cup till all but 1-2" of the end of the pretzel are covered. Place on wax paper. Sprinkle with decorative candies and sugars. Repeat with remaining rods. Let stand about 1 hour at room temperature until chocolate is firm.

We love making these, especially during the holidays. My daughters decorated a couple of bags of pretzel rods this year and added them to the goodie bags they gave to their friends. Luckily there are still some left - I love the salt and chocolate combination.

Giant Candy Kiss

Ingredients:

6 oz. chocolate chips
1 chocolate kiss
Tupperware funnel

Place large funnel in a cup. Unwrap chocolate kiss and place so tip blocks the small opening of the funnel. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave. Chocolate will retain shape in microwave but will be soft to stir. Fill funnel with melted chocolate. Place in freezer for at least 45 minutes. To remove chocolate from funnel after it has hardened, smack funnel on counter. Remove giant kiss. Wrap in foil with a paper strip tag.

My girls like to give these as gifts to some of their friends at Christmas time. They're fun to give - you can write your own personal message on the strip; and kids love getting them and eating them too!

Christmas Mice Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 c. margarine, softened
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
peanuts
cinnamon candies
licorice shoelaces, cut in 3" pieces

Preheat oven to 350. Beat margarine and peanut butter at medium speed in mixing bowl. Slowly add sugars, beat well. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Mix flour and soda together; slowly add to creamed mixture, mix well. Cover and chill 2 hours. Shape into 1" balls. Taper end of each ball to form tear-drop. Press one side flat and place flat side down onto ungreased cookie sheet 2" apart. Press sides of dough to raise backs of mice. Place nut halves for ears. Make a hole at the tail with a toothpick. Bake 9 minutes. Put red candy eyes, bake 1-2 minutes more. Insert tails. Cool.

These are labor-intensive but lots of fun for the kids to help with. They love seeing them on the cookie plate, and they love eating them too of course! We tried using M&M candies for the noses and the kids decided to use black sprinkles placed for the eyes instead of the cinnamon candies. They turned out very cute!

Butter Pecan Squares

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. flour
2 c. chocolate chips
3/4 c. pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. In mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla till light and fluffy. Blend in the flour. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of pecans. Pour into greased 8" square baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips. When the chips melt, spread evenly over top with knife. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of pecans. Allow to cool and cut into squares. Makes 16 bars.

This was an untested recipe I had collected. We made these bars as part of our holiday baking. A good nutty, chocolaty treat.

Pretzel Kisses

Ingredients:

1 package chocolate kiss candy
1 package pretzel square/waffles
1 package plain M&M candy

Preheat oven to 170. Line the pretzels up on a cookie sheet. Unwrap kisses and place one kiss on the center of each pretzel square. Put them in the preheated oven for 4-6 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press an M&M in the center of each melted kiss.

Delicious salty/sweet treat, and super easy. Use holiday colored M&M to make them extra festive, or certain colors for particular themed parties. You could use the mint flavor of the crispy M&Ms too. I like how they add that extra pop of color on our goodie trays, so much fun!

Brownie Candy Cups

Ingredients:

1 fudge brownie mix (family size, 9"x13" pan size)
2 eggs
1/3 c. water
1/4 c. vegetable oil
about 30 mini peanut butter cups

Preheat oven to 350. Place cupcake liners in muffin pans. In mixing bowl, combine brownie mix, eggs, water and oil. Stir with spoon until well blended, about 50 strokes. Place 2 level tablespoons of batter into each cupcake liner. Bake 10 minutes. While baking, remove the wrappers from the peanut butter cups. Remove the brownie cups from the oven and push 1 peanut butter cup candy into the center of each cupcake until even with the surface of the brownie. Bake 5-7 minutes longer. Cool completely.

This is a great way to pump up a regular brownie mix. I made these as part of our holiday goodie trays. Also it would be a fun thing to make for an OSU tailgate party.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Snacks

Ingredients:

1/2 c. corn syrup
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
3 cups corn cereal (Cap'n Crunch type)

Line cookie sheet with wax paper. Combine corn syrup, chocolate chips and sugar in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in peanut butter. Microwave on high 30 seconds more or until peanut butter is melted; stir until smooth. Stir in cereal until all pieces are evenly coated. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet. Chill 30 minutes or until firm. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Makes about 4 dozen.

These remind me of a crunchy caramel peanut butter cup. These are so quick and easy, and no baking required! Great anytime of year, also a great addition to the holiday goodie trays.

Smashed Potatoes and Broccoli

Ingredients:

2 lbs. large baking potatoes, quartered
2 broccoli heads (or 1 bag frozen chopped broccoli)
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 stick margarine
salt and pepper

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Add the broccoli to the boiling potatoes and cook another 7 minutes. Drain and put back into the pot. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, cream and margarine. Pour this mixture into the potatoes and broccoli, mash together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

This is a tasty alternative to plain mashed potatoes. My husband saw this side dish whipped up on the Food Network and we found the recipe online.

Crockpot Turkey Breast

Ingredients:

1 small to medium turkey breast
1 stick of butter
salt

Wash and pat dry turkey breast. Season lightly with salt. Place in crockpot with 1 stick of butter. Turn on low and cook for 10-12 hours.

Heat up a jar of turkey gravy and make some stuffing or potatoes and you have a delicious meal, any day of the week.

Steak Fries

Ingredients:

4-6 large baking potatoes
olive oil
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. thyme
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to the highest temperature. Slice the potatoes long and thin, leaving skins on. Place in single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Crush oregano and thyme and sprinkle over fries. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place in hot oven and bake for 20 minutes, turning once. Don't open the door to check on them other than when turning them the one time.
A great way to have a real meat and potatoes meal. I use Italian seasoning instead of the oregano and thyme - it has both in it and some other herbs that just add to the flavor. The Pampered Chef large bar pan (stone) works great to cook these, it has a lip so the fries cook in the olive oil and get brown and crispy where they are touching the stone.

Miracle Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 15oz. container of cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese if you prefer)
2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375. Brown ground beef and onion. Add sauce. In a 2 quart baking dish (I use a 9"x13" glass pan), spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture. Top with 3 or 4 uncooked noodles. On top of the uncooked noodles, spread the cottage cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, the grated parmesan cheese, and another cup of the sauce mixture. Top with 3 or 4 more uncooked noodles and the remaining sauce. Cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and top with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella and let stand 5 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

You can make this up ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator overnight even, until you're ready to bake it. The noodles soften during cooking - you don't even need to buy the kind that are specially made to be used that way. This rivals any lasagna I've ever had - it has great flavor, it's filling and makes the house smell wonderful. Serve with salad and garlic bread, it works great when you're having dinner guests.

My Mom's Meatloaf

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef
7 slices bread, torn/crumbled into small pieces
1 large onion, diced
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbles, diced onion, eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly - your bare hands work best. Divide in half and put into 2 loaf pans. Pat/pack loaf firmly. Bake 1 hour.

The first few times I made this when I was growing up, instead of using loaf pans I divided the meatloaf mixture into the cups of a muffin tin, shortening the baking time to just 20-30 minutes. This isn't your typical meatloaf with tomato sauce or gravy, though my daughter eats it with ketchup. The onion-y flavor is so hearty and a family favorite. This is my husband's favorite meal I make!

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 c. margarine
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs, separated
4 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. milk

Glaze:
4 Tblsp. margarine
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl using mixer, cream margarine and sugar till fluffy. Mix in vanilla and egg yolks. In separate bowl, combine baking powder, flour, salt and cinnamon; add to creamed mixture alternating with the milk. Mix only enough to blend well. Beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks and fold them into the batter. Pour batter into buttered 9"x13" baking pan. Bake 45 minutes. For the glaze: Cream together the 4 tablespoons of margarine, the powdered sugar and the 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. After the cake has finished baking, immediatly sprinkle the glaze mixture on top and return it to the oven for 5 more minutes. Allow to cool briefly and serve warm.

This takes a little time and a few bowls, but it is so worth it. The glaze makes a nice crispy, flaky, sugary coating. The house smells wonderful and it is really delicious. Great for a brunch or for company.

Crab Dip

Ingredients:

8 oz. imitation crab, flaked
8 oz. cream cheese
juice of 1/2 lemon (or 1 1/2 Tblsp. of lemon juice)
hot sauce, to taste

In a double-boiler, heat/soften cream cheese. Add the flaked crab and the lemon juice. Stir until smooth. Add 5-10 drops of hot sauce (more if you like it spicier). Refrigerate to firm up. Serve as a dip with crackers or on crusty breads as an appetizer.

This is a tasty appetizer that I've taken to many parties. It's one of those dishes that tastes like you've spent a lot of money and a lot of time and effort, but it's actually fairly inexpensive and easy to make. I made some to take to the get-together we're going to today and my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Maybe I'll just snitch a little dip before we go...

Buckeye Bars

Ingredients:

1 c. margarine
1+ lb. powdered sugar
1 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Put 1 pound of powdered sugar in large bowl. In microwave-safe bowl, melt margarine and 1 cup of the peanut butter in the microwave for 45 seconds on high, stir to mix together. Add the melted margarine and peanut butter mixture to the powdered sugar and mix well. Add more powdered sugar as needed to form a stiff "dough." Pat the mixture into a 9"x13" glass pan. In microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and the other 1/2 cup of peanut butter in the microwave for 1 minute on high (or until melted); stir this melted peanut butter and chocolate together and pour over the peanut butter layer in the glass pan. Refrigerate over night. Use a sharp knife and cut into bars (about 1"x1") and ENJOY!


These are a tailgating favorite. I like them better than buckeyes candy - they're so much easier than rolling the balls and dipping them, and they're the perfect combination of creamy and gooey. Go Bucks!

Perfectly Luscious Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2 Tblsp. margarine, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. pecan halves
1 frozen deep dish pie crust, unbaked

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, stir together eggs, margarine, corn syrup, vanilla, brown sugar and sugar until well blended. Stir in pecans. Pour into pastry shell. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool.

On one of our trips to visit Jim's family I went through his mom's recipe file and found this. I've made it a couple times and it really is perfectly luscious (and really simple!).

Holiday Rolls

Ingredients:

1 loaf frozen white bread dough
1 egg
milk
poppy seeds (optional)
sesame seeds (optional)

Thaw bread dough according to package directions. Grease cookie sheet with butter. Cut loaf into 12 golfball-sized pieces. Roll each piece into 6" long rope. Twist or tie in knot and place flat on cookie sheet, sides touching. Leave to rise under damp dishtowel about 1 hour in a warm oven. Remove from oven and preheat oven to 400. Mix together the egg and a little milk. Brush egg mixture on tops of rolls. Sprinkle with seed of choice (if desired). Bake for about 15 minutes, till golden brown.

My family had a "tradition" of baking crescent rolls amidst all the chaos of the holiday dinner preparation and they always ended up burnt because we'd forget them. Jim's mom makes these easy rolls and I volunteered to make them and bring them to my family's dinner one time. Now I bring the rolls to all the holiday dinners - a new holiday tradition with no burned rolls! I bake them the night before. Usually I do some with sesame seeds, some with poppy seeds and some without. The egg wash gives them a golden shine and they are soft and perfect inside.

Mom's Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 28oz. can tomatoes (crushed)
1 15oz. can tomato sauce
1 6ox. can tomato paste
water
black pepper, onion salt, oregano, garlic salt, basil

Brown ground beef and onion in large skillet. Put beef mixture in large stockpot. Add tomatoes, sauce, paste and 2 paste cans full of water. Season with the spices to taste. Heat to rolling boil, reduce heat to medium low. Simmer, stirring regularly, for 1 hour until it thickens.

This is my favorite thing that my husband cooks for me. (We joke that part of the reason I married him was for his spaghetti!) It was his mom's recipe that he has made his own - unfortunately he doesn't measure the spices, but everyone's palate is a bit different so you can make it to your liking if you decide to try it. I like it so much that I asked him to fix a double recipe this time so I can take leftovers to work for lunch. I may even freeze some of it so I don't have to wait for the next batch! It has that great homemade taste, there's nothing like it. Boil some pasta and add some bread, you have a fantastic, filling meal that leaves the whole house smelling wonderful.

My Sister's Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 c. margarine
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2-3 bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease & flour loaf pan. In large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar and eggs. Measure out the flour and add the baking soda, mix together. Add dry ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and mix well. Add mashed bananas and mix until they are fully mixed through the batter. Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake 1 1/2 hours.

This is my sister Shari's recipe. I like it because it reminds me of my Grandma A's banana bread. I love bananas, but I really only like them when they are sorta green. So once they get ripe they usually just sit in the bowl on the table until we decide to bake some bread. My youngest daughter likes to make it, all on her own. It's a great treat for breakfast or an after-school or after-work snack.


Bonus: I decided to try it as muffins instead of a loaf. It worked great! I used cupcake liners and sprayed them with vegetable oil spray first. Then mixed everything up exactly as for bread. Then ladle into the 18 muffin cups. Your cooking time is only 40 minutes, and they came out great.

24-hour Italian Beef

Ingredients:

Beef roast (3-6 lbs)
2 c. water
1 pkg. au jus gravy mix
1 pkg. Italian dressing mix
1/3-1/2 of a 16oz. jar peperoncini


Combine water, gravy mix and dressing mix. Pour over roast in crockpot. Add peperoncini to taste, the more you add the spicier it will be. Cover and cook on low 12-15 hours - put it on before you go to bed. In the morning, shred beef with forks, forming strings. Cook on low an additional 10-12 hours. Serve on crusty Italian rolls. Top with shredded mozzarella or provolone.

My friend Renee' makes a version of this that I love. I decided to try to find a similar recipe. I found this and added the peperoncini for the added spice I was looking for - it is so delicious! It is great for a dinner when everyone is on the run, or when you're having a get-together with friends. It has such a home-y, slow-cooked taste - everyone loves it!

Triple Chocolate Mess

Ingredients:

1 pkg. devil's food cake mix
1 pint sour cream
1 pkg. chocolate instant pudding & pie filling mix
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 c. water

Spray crockpot with non-stick spray. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth. Pour mixture into crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve in a bowl with vanilla ice cream.

I found this recipe online a long time ago. I love the consistency, the combination of the pudding, cake and chocolate chips. When you scoop it into a bowl and add vanilla ice cream, the ice cream starts to melt and mix with the chocolate. So yummy, chocolate-y and rich - you'll want to dive right in!

Crockpot Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 28oz. can peeled, diced, tomatoes
1 15oz. can tomato sauce
1 6oz. can tomato paste
2 15oz. cans kidney beans (I use one dark red and one light red)
1 packet chili seasoning mix
1 large onion, chopped

Brown ground beef and onion in skillet on stovetop. Put all ingredients including the prepared ground beef and onion into the crockpot and stir together. Cook on low 8-12 hours. Serve with saltines or oyster crackers, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, even hot dogs - whatever else you like with your chili.

Fall weather is upon us and I'm planning to make chili in the morning for Beggar's Night. It makes trick or treating so easy - dinner is ready when you walk in the door at the end of the workday, each person can eat as they're hungry and still get costumes and make-up on and everything ready for the all the little goblins that will be stopping by. Everyone has their favorite chili and this is my own take on it. It is very similar to what my mom used to make and my family loves it. It's even better reheated the next day.

Buckeye Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 chocolate cake mix
1 c. peanut butter
12 oz. cream cheese
6 Tblsp. milk
4 Tblsp. sugar
4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full. Mix the filling: In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the peanut butter, 6 ounces of the cream cheese, 2 of the tablespoons of milk, and the 4 tablespoons of sugar. Mix it together into a stiff dough and roll into big gumball-sized balls (not as big as golfballs) and place in the center of the cake batter in each cupcake. Bake according to the cake box directions. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely. Make the frosting: In large mixing bowl put the other 1/2 cup of peanut butter, the remaining 4 tablespoons of milk and the other 6 ounces of cream cheese plus the vanilla. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar, making sure the frosting doesn't get too thick.

When I made these I used the aluminum cupcake liners so I had the nice silver for the scarlet and gray tailgate party. I put the frosting on using a squeeze decorator so the tops were pretty, then I shaved dark chocolate on top (Giardelli extra dark chocolate bar using a vegetable peeler to shave pieces off) - you could substitute chocolate chips on top, some chocolate sprinkles, or even some Reese's pieces.

Today is a college football Saturday, so it's putting me in the mood for tailgate food. I got this recipe from a good friend of mine, Erin, who is a big OSU Buckeye fan. They are perfect for tailgate parties, though they are a little labor-intensive (but defnitely worth the trouble!). Thanks for the recipe Erin! (and thanks to Maria for taking the picture of them for me!)

Hash Brown Cheesy Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 32oz. bag frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. onion, chopped
1 stick margarine, melted
1 lb. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 pint sour cream
cornflakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine potatoes, soup, onion, cheese, margarine, and sour cream in large bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour in greased 9" x 13" pan. Top with crushed cornflakes. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes, uncover and bake 45 minutes more.

This is an old stand-by - no potluck is complete without them. I have made these as a crockpot recipe as well: place in crockpot instead of the 9" x 13" pan and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Some recipes use crushed Ritz-style crackers instead of the cornflakes but I prefer the flakes. I make cheesy potatoes to go with ham for dinner some nights. These are great for brunch too.

Onion Soup

Ingredients:

1 large red onion
1 large vidalia onion
1 med-large yellow cooking onion
1 10.5oz. can onion soup, plus 2 cans of water
2 large cans beef broth
pepper

Rough chop all the onions. Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 8-12 hours. Serve in individual bowls with a slice of provolone melted on top. Make your own croutons or serve with crusty french bread.

There used to be a restaurant downtown that my husband and I would go to for lunch. This is my attempt to recreate their yummy onion soup. My creation is one of my husband's favorite meals! It's another easy meal that is ready for my busy family to eat whenever their schedules give them a minute to sit down and eat it.

Shrimp Scampi Spaghetti

Ingredients:
1 16oz. pkg spaghetti
1/2 stick butter or margarine
salt
2 Tblsp olive oil
1 lb. shrimp, large, peeled, deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced (I use 2 tsp of the prepared minced garlic in the jar)
pinch red pepper flakes
2 Tblsp lemon juice
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions in boiling water. Melt butter and oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Add garlic, pepper flakes, lemon juice and parsley. Cook till shrimp are just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta and put in large bowl. Add the shrimp mixture and toss to coat the pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with grated parmesan.

Mom made this one night when I stopped over. It has 2 of my favorite foods - shrimp and pasta - so I had to have the recipe. She gave the recipe to me and I made it, and I couldn't believe how quick and easy it was, and it makes a great meal even for company - delicious. I make it almost weekly now. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bites

Ingredients:
2 boxes of spice cake mix
1 29oz. can pure pack pumpkin (not the sweetened pumpkin pie filling...no, no, NO)
1 12oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dump both dry cake mixes in large mixing bowl. Add pumpkin and blend together well. Let dough sit 2-3 minutes, then stir in the chocolate chips. Batter will be very stiff. Drop dough by scant tablespoons onto cookie sheets, at least an inch apart from each other. Bake 12-15 minutes. Yield: Dozens of delicious pumpkin goodness.

My friend Denise made these for a work potluck last year. I loved them so I asked her for the recipe. You eat them like cookies but they remind you of muffins or cake and they're less messy. This was the first time I made them and it was so easy. And it made so many! I lost track of how many dozen I made. These are perfect for fall get-togethers - tailgating, Halloween parties, or marching band snacks. You can substitute carrot cake or other flavors of cake mix, but I've never tried those, just the spice cake mix. The house smelled like pumpkin spice for days afterward too.