Unstuffed Pepper Bake

1 lb. ground beef (or ground turkey)

1/3 c. onion, chopped

1 1/2 c. peppers (red, yellow, green. orange - whatever colors you choose), chopped (about 2 peppers)

2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1/2 t. garlic powder)

1/2 t. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 c. instant rice

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 15-oz. can tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 375. Saute ground beef, onions, peppers and garlic for 10 minutes or until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off any excess fat and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes, rice, Worcestershire sauce and Italian seasoning. Remove from heat; stir in 1 cup of cheese. Spread mixture evenly into a 9" x 13" baking dish and top with tomato sauce and remaining cheese. Bake uncovered 20 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

If you like stuffed peppers, this is a great meal. Easier than stuffing the peppers, but the same great taste. You could make it up in advance and then just pop it in the oven to bake for dinner the next day!

Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

1 egg

3/4 c. milk

1/4 c. vegetable oil (or canola)

2 c. baking mix

1/3 plus 1/4 c. light brown sugar

2 medium apples, pared and chopped

1 t. cinnamon, divided

1/4 c. pecans, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Grease 9" x 13" pan. Beat egg. Stir in milk, apples and oil. Stir in baking mix, 1/3 cup of brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir just until flour is moistened - batter will be lumpy. Pour into greased pan. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup of brown sugar, pecans and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture over top of cake batter. Bake until golden brown - about 20 minutes. Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container.

This has been a favorite of my kids since they were little. I used to make it for the daycare kids too. We like it without the nuts. Soft and yummy and warm - perfect for a winter weekend!

Cheesecake

3 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese

4 eggs

1 c. sugar (scant)

1 T. vanilla extract

graham cracker crust mix

1/2 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. For graham cracker crust, follow package directions, use 9" springform pan. For cheesecake: Combine cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Pour into crust. Bake 45-60 minutes. Watch for cracks. Put sour cream on top (use more if it will absorb).

My husband makes this for me as a special treat - he knows how much I love it! When he makes it, I love having it for breakfast even! He has experimented with using store-bought crust - the filling makes 2 cheesecakes using the store-bought crust. I love it either way!

Babcia's Hungarian Nut Cookies

6 eggs, separated

1/2 c. water, warm

1/4 t. sugar

1 pkg. yeast

1 lb. butter (break sticks up smaller)

6 1/2 c. flour

1 c. sour cream

1 lb. walnuts (2 lbs. if in shell), ground

2 c. sugar

1/8 t. vanilla extract (or almond) - optional

Dissolve yeast in water and 1/4 teaspoon of sugar. Combine yeast mixture with butter, flour, egg yolks and sour cream. Mix well using hands until it doesn't stick to your fingers. Store in refrigerator overnight. 

Preheat oven to 375. Roll dough into walnut-size/jawbreaker-size balls. Roll dough balls out thin with rolling pin. Prepare the filling: Beat egg whites. Gradually, slowly, add 2 cups of sugar. Fold ground nuts into egg white mixture. Add vanilla and mix. Spread nut mixture on dough. Roll dough into little tubes. Lay on ungreased cookie sheet with flap on bottom. Bake 25 minutes or until done. Remove from cookie sheets and let cool. Sift powdered sugar on top. 

If you run out of filling when rolling them up, you can use cinnamon & sugar, or peanut butter, or even nutella.

Baked these with Jim's Babcia - they're delicious and a fun family activity. We have made them on our own and reminisced about that day baking with her. "I'm not gonna be pinching someone else's sugar."

Fresh Butter

1 pint heavy cream

1 pinch salt

Pour the cream into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake the jar vigorously for about 10 minutes. A lump of butter will form in the jar. Carefully pour off the liquid - this is buttermilk and can be saved to drink or for baking. Place the lump of butter in a bowl. Pour some water over the butter and swirl it around to rinse the butter. Drain off the water and repeat rinsing until the water runs clear. Add salt and work it in using a wooden spoon. Add herbs, garlic or other seasonings if desired.

A nice touch for a dinner party or for the holidays. Goes great with homemade bread.

Snow Ice Cream

4 c. fresh snow

1 c. milk

1/4 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl. Eat immediately.

Brings back childhood memories! Made this with my mom and dad - what a treat. This will make enough for 2 servings.

Dump Cake

1 box white (vanilla) cake mix

2 cans cherry pie filling

1 can crushed pineapple

1 c. butter

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9" x 13" pan. Dump cherry pie filling and spread to cover bottom of pan. Dump pineapple on top of cherries and carefully spread to cover. Dump cake mix evenly over top. Melt butter and pour on top. Bake 1 hour - crust will be very brown and look close to burning. Serve warm.

So easy and a great crowdpleaser. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Can substitute other pie fillings.