A Proverbs 31 Kind of Day

I love pita chips -- they're so crunchy and yummy and there's really nothing to them -- but they're so stinkin' good!  They are especially good with hummus that's been drizzled with a bit of olive oil and sprinkled with the fresh ground citrus pepper blend stuff that we have stuffed in the pantry!  Also, I get to be alone when I eat pita chips!  My kids can't STAND the sound of the constant crunch of them and they always say, "Mom, we'll be back around when you're done with those things!"  It's been days since I've seen them . . .and I have more bags of these things than they can imagine!  HA! But, as much as I love pita chips, I saw a recipe for "homemade" pitas and thought I'd give it a try and share it with you!  How bad can it be . . .and if we don't like them, then we won't make them again, will we? Seasoned and Baked Pita Chips 3 pita rounds (I use whole wheat) 1/3 cup olive oil 4 TBSP Ita...

OH MY WORD!  This stuff is pure sin!  I'm not wasting time to write about it . . . all I'm saying is, "You have GOT to try this!"  I'm sure it's good on waffles, pancakes, ice cream, and french toast.  Maybe on cooked apples or sauteed pears.  But let me just tell you, it's FABULOUS right off of the spoon!  Buttermilk Syrup 1 1/2 cups sugar 3/4 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup butter (or margarine) 2 Tablespoons corn syrup 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons vanilla In a medium saucepan, bring all ingredients to a boil - except for the vanilla extract. Allow to boil gently for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the vanilla. Serve warm over pancakes and waffles. If it lasts overnight in your house -- you should store it in the refrigerator. I just popped it in the microwave for 20 seconds, stirred it and microwaved for another 20 seconds.

At the holiday time, I always like baking.  Sometimes I make the "old stand-bys" and other times I try a new recipe that is sure to become a family favorite.  Today I was searching for a recipe when I ran across this old childhood treat that I remember my mom making.  This is a great recipe if you are wanting a candy but you're too afraid to give a "real recipe" a try!  Graham Cracker Toffee 1/2 pound (two sticks) butter 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated white sugar 1/2 box (about) graham crackers (not crumbs) 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup chopped pecans, almonds, walnuts, or  macadamia nuts Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 10 x 15-inch jelly-roll pan with non-stick foil. Arrange whole graham crackers (12 crackers or so) to fit the bottom of the pan in a single layer, breaking up the last few to fit the space. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and white sugar. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to...

I've been baking up a storm . . . make that a snow storm!  Unfortunately, none of it is for my family!  Well, maybe that is a fortunate thing; but none-the-less!  My kids are happy when a sugar cookie breaks, that means they get a sample! I have several sugar cookie recipes that I like, but 2 are my favorite!  I will share one with you now.  It stirs together in a food processor!  How easy is that!  From there you can roll out and cut or if you prefer to do a "drop and bake" that's good too! Don't be afraid of sugar cookies -- especially the decorated kind!  Go simple and smear some canned frosting on the top and sprinkle some colored sugar or shake some non-pariels over the frosting.  If time allows and you're a little adventurous -- whip up some royal icing or glaze and let your cookie become your art canvas.  I have found that it doesn't really matter what it looks like; people just love a decorated sugar cookie! Vanilla ...

Oh yeah -- I know what came to your mind right away!  Oreos!  Oh sure!  I wouldn't have thought that either, but I'm telling you, it's a possibility! The other day I had to make a treat to send with Jackson to school for a special lunch.  While on the phone in the middle of Wal-mart (oh yes, I'm now one of "those" people), Kilie gives me this super simple recipe that she had been told about!  So as any good mother does, I put the package of cookies back on the shelf and tell her to repeat the ingredients again and I fly down the aisle, telling people under my breath to get out of the way -- I've got a new recipe to make and it's not even written down on paper!  These little gems are worth having around for a quick treat of unexpected guests . . .or even expected ones! Baked Oreos 1 package (9X13 size) brownie mix Ingredients to make those sweet little things 1 package oreos -- plain, colored center, double stuff -- whatever you like Mix the...

It's debatable . . .either we are easily pleased or this is a great chocolate chip cake!  I took dinner to some friends this evening and this was the dessert I made.  It makes a 9 X 13, or a 2-layer cake.  I baked for a 2-layer cake . . .giving them one and we kept the other.  I was also short on time so instead of the frosting I'm listing, I ran to the store for a can of vanilla frosting and added a bit of real vanilla to it for "help" and called it good! Chocolate Chip Cake 1 chocolate cake mix (I used triple chocolate) 1 package (3.9 oz) chocolate instant pudding 1 1/4 cup milk (can substitute water) 1/2 cup vegetable oil 3 large eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup chocolate chips Mix cake mix and next 5 ingredients together; mixing well.  Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into whatever pan you're using and use the back of the cake mix as your baking time. Frost when cooled with the vanilla frosting (which we liked the white/chocolate combo...

I don't mean "chillin'" in the cool way -- I mean, it's a bit cool outside.  I have to say I always love the grill!  I think bone-in grilled chicken is my most favorite!  We had friends over this weekend and Greg was the grill master!  Try this -- you won't be disappointed!  There are four things you need . . .no, five! a grill bone-in, skin on chicken breast Dale's marinade chicken meat thermometer somebody to do the grillin' Now before you panic about the chicken skin . . . it's only there to help keep the chicken moist!  You don't have to eat it -- unless you're from Arkansas!  (Isn't that right, Ed!)  The thermometer can be a meat thermometer, just make sure you see 170 (165 degrees is minimum and 180 is maximum for chicken). Here's the deal: Marinate your chicken in enough Dale's to cover the chicken.  Go for at least 24 hours . . .or more!  If you're a little skeptical, do your normal 2-3 ...

During this time of the year . . . or really anytime, a quick and easy dessert is always nice to have "in your back pocket" so that with unexpected gatherings or a night in with just your family,a homemade dessert is always a treat!  You probably have these ingredients at home already!  Easy Cobbler Melt 1/4 cup of butter in an 8X8 pan Mix in a bowl 1 cup flour 1 cup sugar 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 cup milk and pour over the melted butter, but don't stir! Add 3 cups frozen berries or frozen fruit of any kind *1/2-1 cup sugar sprinkled on top Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes until it is bubbly and it "looks done!" Cool a bit and serve warm. ** I only add an additional 1/4 cup of sugar.  But you do what your family prefers.  I think anything more than 1/2 a cup is too sweet; but it probably depends on how sweet you already are!  HA! Ben's mom sent me a note:  she made this with fresh apples, added a bit of sugar and cinnamon a...

 The "Peace" is a wall plaque, and "Hope" is an ornament My mom says, "More is More!"  That's why I like her to help me decorate!  She takes my little stuff and makes it look good! It might surprise you  -- but my decorating taste is bigger than my budget!  I love the "magazine look" but have more of a "wal-mart ability!"  That's where my mom comes in . . . she has a good eye to put things together in groups and make it look all homey and fluffy! This year she helped me decorate my dining room.  I love what she did with all of my "little" things!  She kept saying, "do you have a little winter bird?"  So, I'd get a bird for her to tuck here and there . . .but she must of thought I had "winter bird preserve" in my closet because she was a little surprised when I ran out of birds!  I show you these few pictures to encourage you to try something new with your decorating -- and to group...

My friend, Kilie, and I enjoyed doing craft projects together.  Last year, we came up with this idea to do as a little Christmas treat; we were really planning ahead -- and so proud of ourselves . . . and then, she moved!  So!  I sat at the table today, by myself, working on this idea!  I'm not sure if it's as cute as what she did in Tennessee!  Either way, if you're needing an easy teacher gift, a party favor, or a simple "winter day" project with your cherubs, here is one that throws together in a snap and won't break the bank! Kute Koozies! 1 koozie of your choice 12" of trim (spider, fringe, pom-poms, whatever you like) Tacky glue Embellishments (if desired) Measure around the koozie and cut your trim to fit, over-lapping just a bit.  Put a little tacky glue on and inch the trim around  . . . repeating this step until you have wrapped completely around the koozie. If putting on an initial, jewels, etc . . .use a bit more tack...

My family loves green beans and the basic kind are our veggie staple.  However, recently I made Green Bean Bundles and they were nice for something different!  While there is a little prep time involved, it's not difficult and does seem to communicate, "Look!  I did something a little special!"  Now, will your family rise up and call you blessed?  Probably not -- but oh well, dinner will look great and taste even better! Green Bean Bundles 1 package bacon 3 cans "whole" green beans 8 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 4 teaspoons soy sauce 4 tablespoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon garlic powder Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place bacon on a large cookie sheet, lined with foil.  Bake until partially cooked. Drain, cut each piece in half, and set aside. Open the green beans and drain well.  Take a bundle of green beans (6-8; using "good" pieces) and wrap them with a 1/2 piece of bacon. Secure with a toothpick if ne...

We got home from my mom's and we're meeting my cute 6 month old nephew tonight for dinner . . .ok, his parents are coming too!  I'm taking a dessert, and although I had planned on taking a pumpkin crisp, this afternoon that didn't sound like something I wanted to mess with!  Do you ever get in one of "those" moods?  My mom told me about a pumpkin cookie that tastes VERY close to the pumpkin cookie at City Bites . . .well, that's all she had to say!  We simply L.O.V.E those pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting!  While these cookies don't have cream cheese frosting -- they do have cream cheese in the cookie mix . . .so however you get in the cream cheese, it doesn't matter!  These whip up in a flash and I baked them with my large 1/4 cup scoop and baked them for 15 minutes.  It was just perfect!  With a little sprinkle of cinnamon on top of the frosting -- they're good to gobble! Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cookies with Frosting 1 package (...

Today I joined Greg at Primetime, a monthly Senior Adult event at church.  We heard a great speaker and enjoyed a pot-luck lunch.  The weather is cool outside and all of the yummy sides hit the spot as we go into the holiday season! One of my many choices was a cranberry salad.  I do love cranberry salad (or sauce or relish), and I particularly love the homemade kind.  I made a great pick today!  The cranberries were yummy with just a touch of orange and spice!  Matter of fact, it was so delicious, I stood out by the "pot-luck table" WAITING for the rightful owner of the dish to claim it so that I could brag on it and ask for the recipe!  Don't you know, after a small wait, her she came . . . and I got the coveted recipe!  I didn't ask if I could share it -- actually, I forgot!  But I don't think she'll mind! Cranberry Orange Salad 1 container of cranberry orange salad from the deli of Tom Thumb grocery store Open container and dum...

Oh, this is bad!  I was flipping through some old recipes when I found this yummy recipe for "Yum Yum Candy."  I first tasted this several years ago when Linda B. brought it to the Couples Retreat we used to go to at Lake Texhoma!  This stuff is addicting!  It makes quite a bit . . .so call a friend over and share the recipe -- you'll not only have fun making it with a friend, but you'll be glad you did when you go to put your jeans on! Yum Yum Candy 3 lbs. almond bark (1/2 vanilla and 1/2 chocolate) 1 1/2 cups peanut butter (smooth or chunky) 3 cups dry roasted peanuts 4 1/2 cups rice krispies 1/2 a bag (or so) of mini marshmallows Melt the almond bark and stir in the peanut butter.  Add marshmallows and cereal and stir well.  Add peanuts and mix.  Drop on wax paper to cool -- be sure to lick your fingers!

Who would have ever thought that a cupcake would rise to stardom!  I mean, really!  Now the cupcake is so vogue -- it's appearing center stage at weddings and galas and parties and premiers!  All that to say -- I love cupcakes!  However, with all of the cupcake stores that have popped up, I have yet to find one that I really like.  I've tried several -- but never return for a second purchase . . .until last week!  Right there, in Times Square, I spotted it -- "Crumbs!"  After looking at the beautiful delights -- I indulged in the Chocolate Pecan Pie Cupcake (can there be such a thing?)!  I was SO sorry that I shared with Greg!  But don't worry -- the next night we just "happened" to go back . . .I mean to pass it and we meandered in to indulge in our own!  Greg feasted on the "Half baked" and I tried "Carmel Apple."   We were not disappointed!  So what do I do when I return home; set out to create some yummy cupcakes!...

Not too long ago, I headed over to Paula's house for a women's night out with other ladies from my Bible Fellowship class.  The whole point of the evening was to let the men take care of the children while we learned new and easy Fall entertaining ideas.  It was a great evening and Paula does a wonderful job of "fast and festive."  That night, she showed us an easy "hand pie" that I want to pass along to you.  But, when I tried it today, I decided that I'd try something new!  I'll share that with you too! Aut"yum" Pies 1 package refrigerated pie crust filling; such as mini chocolate chips carmel bits (the new unwrapped, ready-to-use carmel) pumpkin pie filling really, anything that can go in an unbaked pie crust; it just needs to be heated and not cooked 1 egg, mixed well with a bit of water for you egg wash Unroll the pie crust and cut out in shapes with your cookie cutters, making sure to have an even number of shapes.  D...

For dinner in a hurry that is sure to be a pleaser, this is for you!  Italian Bread Pizza 1 pound mild Italian sausage** 2 TBSP olive oil, divided 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1/2 onion, chopped 1 cup pizza sauce 1 1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning 1 Italian bread loaf, or your favorite French bread 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese Remove sausage casings and cook sausage until it crumbles and is cooked thoroughly.  Add onion and garlic (if necessary, add 1 TBSP of the olive oil).  Cook about 5 minutes or until onions are tender; careful not to burn the garlic.  Remove from heat and stir in pizza sauce and Italian seasoning.  Cut bread in half, lengthwise, scooping out center of bread but leaving a 1/2 inch border.  Fill each bread half with half of the meat mixture, topped with 1/2 of the cheeses on each.  Drizzle pizzas evenly with remaining 1 TBSP olive oil, if desired.  Bake at 425 degrees ...

I've had the phyllo dough in my freeze . . . then in my refrigerator . . .then back into the freezer . . . and finally, on this last thaw, I decided I had to conquer my fear of phyllo dough!  I searched the recipes and decided I definitely wanted something sweet! This was my attempt . . .and I must say, I'll give phyllo dough another try!  The "phirst" attempt was much better than expected -- it can only get better with practice! CRANBERRY APPLE PHYLLO STRUDEL 2 tablespoons butter 2 cups (2 medium) apples, peeled and thinly sliced 3/4 pound fresh cranberries 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup dried cherries or raisins 1 teaspoon cinnamon 10 sheets Athens® Fillo Dough (9”x14”), thawed 6 tablespoons butter, melted 1/2 cup almonds, ground cinnamon and sugar mixture Confectioners’ sugar for garnish In a medium skillet, over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add apples, cranberries and sugar. Cook about 5 minutes or until the cranberri...

We're at that precarious time of the month . . . where I really need to go to the store, but I'm really not wanting to go to the store!  Since I do once a month shopping, I work hard to plan a menu;  incorporating leftovers and large quantity purchasing.  But here we are . . .at the end of the month AND the food!  This is where "instinct" kicks in and we get creative dinners! Not too long ago we grilled lime marinated chicken and served with Spanish rice and black beans.  It was just so yummy!  Remember, when we grill I always cook a bit extra of the meat.  So today we have left over chicken, cut-up fruit, and some tasty white cheese.  I decided that a "chicken and fruit salad" will be dinner.  Chicken and Fruit Salad Left over grilled chicken, chopped Fruit, chopped (I have apples, strawberries, grapes, and mandarin oranges) Walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped (only if you have them) White cheese, cubed (mild in flavor and...

I grew up with my mom making chicken and dumplin's.  I absolutely LOVE this comfort food and it is always my "birthday request!"  This recipe was from my great grandmother, Pearl; matter of fact, the real recipe name is "Pearl's Dumplin's."  I only put the chicken in it because it makes it healthier!  These dumplin's are stick-to-your-ribs kind of good!  They're heavy!  If you like a light, fluffy, biscuit dumplin -- well, I'm sorry!  This dumplin' will keep your wallpaper up when it starts to peel!  If you're going to make a bowl, give me a call and I'll be over by dinner time! Pearl's Chicken and Dumplin's 1 chicken, boiled, cooled and deboned  Reserve the broth from boiling the chicken and keep warm.  Add 1 can cream of chicken soup If you need more broth, add canned chicken stock   In a large bowl mix: 2 cups flour 4 TBSP oil 2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder Add enough hot water t...

There is a little boy in MadisonGrace's class that I just love!  His name is Ben G.  The other day while I was at school, Ben told me that his mom liked my "website" and that he loved my chicken and noodles!  While on the field trip, we each ate our picnic lunch.  Ben was curious as to what I had for lunch. He told me it looked "delicious!"  When I told him that it was chocolate graham crackers with peanut butter, he said, "OH!  My mom would LOVE that recipe!"  I didn't bother to tell Ben that we had absolutely nothing in our cabinets and this was a make-do kind of lunch! So!  In honor of Ben . . .and his mother, here is the recipe! Graham Cracker Sandwich 2 whole sheets of graham crackers; chocolate, honey, cinnamon, or low fat Peanut Butter Smear desired amount of peanut butter on one whole graham cracker, top with the remaining cracker.  Enjoy!  Packs well in a ziplock bag and travels well!

Oh, I could put a recipe on here for stuffed chicken . . . but really!  We'd all just look at the recipe and say, "I'm not doin' that!"  But let me tell you about a place where you can GET stuffed chickens and they are great!  My friend, Kilie, whom I met when we moved to Dallas, introduced me to these things!  She is from East Texas and she got me h.o.o.k.e.d!  Whenever she went back to see her mom, I'd have her bring me several chickens so that I'd have them in my freezer.  They're great for company or for your very own!  Now that Kilie lives in Tennessee, I don't have a "chicken runner" anymore . . .so if any of you get a wild idea to drive to Longview; give me a call and I'll go with you!  I only have one chicken left in the freezer! The website is http://www.hebertsmeat.com/   They have several things they're proud of; but I think the bonless stuffed chickens are the main thing!

I just love Fall! The crisp mornings and the beautiful afternoons -- there isn't much that's better than that!  It's also great to pull out those Fall recipes and enjoy some yummy morsels! My sweet Jackson loves pumpkin . . .always has!  Today he'll be thrilled when he comes home from school and discovers 2 loaves of pumpkin bread, 6 "giant" pumpkin muffins and a pumpkin crisp cake!  That's the recipe I'm sharing today!  This is easy like a dump cake but oh, so much more delicious! Pumpkin Crisp 1 - 15oz can of pumpkin 1 cup sugar 1 cup evaporated milk 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 box white or yellow cake mix 1/2 cup butter, melted 1/2 cup chopped pecans Mix the first 5 ingredients together.  Pour into a lightly greased 9X13 pan.  Sprinkle cake mix evenly over mixture; sprinkle pecans evenly over dry mix and drizzle butter over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and let stand...

I'll go ahead and say it for you . . .this doesn't sound so great!  But I'm tellin' ya, it's just yummy!  Just ask my kids!  And I'll warn you . . .it doesn't look so hot either!  But serve it in individual ramekins and it looks a bit more appealing.  And you know, anything in a ramekin is just more fun to eat! I first tried a casserole similar to this from my friend, Kilie.  Her recipe is a bit different, I think, but either way they both freeze just beautifully! Enjoy! Green Bean Chicken Casserole 1 package long grain wild rice, prepared according to directions 4 cups cubed chicken, cooked 2 cans green beans, drained 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 can cream of chicken soup 2/3 cup chopped onion 1 cup shredded Colby cheese French Fried Onions ** can add a can of chopped water chestnuts, well drained To the prepared rice add everything EXCEPT for the cheese and fried onions.  Dump everything into your 9 X 13 pan (or don't forget abou...

The other day, while reading my friends blog, I saw her recipe for "apple nachos."  It sounded so yummy and so easy.  Since it's Fall, officially, I knew that I would "need" to make them . . .and it is ultra convenient that I already had all the ingredients at home!  Tonight, since the kids were home and Greg was gone, I whipped this up.  Now, it wasn't in lieu of dinner, but it should have been!  I only made 1/4 of the recipe and I cheated on some of the ingredients only for convenience sake!  I'll share that at the end, but for now, here's the real deal, ala, Trudy! Apple Nachos 36 caramels 1 TBSP water 30 large marshmallows 1/3 cup butter, cubed 4 medium tart apples, peeled and cut into 1/4″ slices 1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts 1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips 3 TBSP Halloween sprinkles In a microwave safe bowl, melt caramels with the water; stir until smooth. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt marshmall...

 This is how a 12 year old puts candles on his cake! Jackson turned 12 just a couple of weeks ago and it's a big deal at our house to have your favorite "birthday dinner."  Whatever you want you get!  This year, Jackson asked for my very favorite meal!  He requested chicken 'n dumplin's, green beans, fruit salad, and banana cake!  I was happy to make him happy! This recipe is from Falls Creek -- when Jackson was a little bitty boy, he and I would go to Falls Creek during the Summer to work in Children's Park.  Mr. Don, who is responsible for food service at the camp, would send Jackson an extra piece of cake to take with him for later.   Before we left camp one year, we asked for the recipe. Falls Creek Banana Cake 2 cups sugar 1 cup crisco 4 eggs 4 ripe bananas 2 cups flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. vanilla Cream sugar and crisco -- add remaining ingredients.  Pour into a greased 9 X 13 pan or 3 ro...

On our recent Disney trip, Jackson experienced a Reuben sandwich . . .and he was hooked!  The next day, when he ordered his own and his sister took a bite . . .she was hooked!  The third day, they shared a sandwich.  This only could mean one thing; I would make Reuben sandwiches for dinner when we got home! I want to share with you our recipe, complete with homemade 1,000 Island dressing.  I don't really care for 1,000 Island dressing so if I'm going to eat it, I at least want it to be worth eating and the store bought stuff isn't really "it" for me. 1,000 Island Dressing 1 cup mayo 1/4 - 1/2 cup ketchup 1/4 cup dill relish 2 TBSP finely chopped onion 1 hard boiled egg, chopped (I prefer it small chop) Couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce Mix well and refrigerate. Reuben Sandwiches  Gooey, yummy Swiss cheese! Dark Rye bread Butter 1,000 Island Dressing Pastrami (I used turkey pastrami) Swiss Cheese, grated Sauerkraut, WE...

For most of us, the thought of a WHOLE chicken is a little overwhelming!  We've become spoiled to boneless/skinless chicken breasts!  I want to encourage you to try a whole chicken!  You may be wondering what you're going to do with the WHOLE thing!  Well, you're going to use it!  Personally, I prefer roasting over boiling.  There are several reasons why: It's more moist It's more flavorful It's easier When I roast chicken I always do at least 2 at a time and if I'm really ambitious, I'll do 4.  The recipe is simple. Oven Roasted Chicken 2 whole chicken, thawed olive oil salt pepper This is at the most basic.  Thaw the chickens in the refrigerator.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Before removing chickens from the refrigerator line a large cookie sheet with foil; make sure the pan has a lip on it, otherwise you're going to have a mess!  Place a cookie cooling rack on top of the foil.  Now, remove the...

I have been cleaning out my spiral scratch pad -- all those little things that are necessary but not meant to be kept forever!  I found 3 recipes that my family likes and I want to pass them along so that I can throw these papers away! You'll be sad to see there are no pictures of these delicious dishes.  But trust me!  They're yummy! Santa Fe Chicken 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves minced garlic 1 TBSP olive oil 1 lb. chopped cooked chicken 2, 15-oz cans black beans, drained 24 oz jar thick salsa 1 cup taco sauce 8 corn tortillas 1 cup sour cream 2 cups shredded cojack cheese Cook onions and garlic in oil.  Add the cooked chicken, salsa and stir well.  (I call this the "chicken mix")  In a 9 X 9 pan, layer taco sauce, 4 corn tortillas, and 1/2 of the chicken mix.  Dollop with some sour cream and 1/2 the cheese.   Repeat the layers, ending with cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees until hot.  If freezing, defrost first bef...

I absolutely love tea . . . just about any type of tea, except for herbal teas.  I know, I know -- I don't know why -- that's just the way I am!  I have several teas that I just love but this one, called Fruit Tea, is my all-time absolute favorite!  Matter of fact, I have devoured the entire gallon of tea, by myself, in one day!  Honest!  Does it count that I was pregnant?  Maybe, but regardless --it's delicious! Fruit Tea 7 regular sized tea bags or 4 of the "giant" ones 1 qt. water 1 cup sugar 12 oz frozen lemonade, thawed 6 oz frozen orange juice, thawed 9 cups water Boil 1 qt. water and steep tea bags.  Add the sugar to the hot water too so that the sugar dissolves well.  Add the juice and lemonade and the remaining water.  Stir well before serving over ice. Another yummy tea is one that Brenda E. makes, called Amareta Tea.  She made it for my brother and sister-in-law's wedding.  Amareta Tea 3 TBSP instant t...

I can't remember which happened first; if Jack and Marsha brought back this incredible vanilla or if I asked them to bring me back a bottle of vanilla.  Either way, I ended up with this giant bottle of clear vanilla and it didn't take long that when I knew they were headed to Mexico I always asked them to stock me up!  Now that my supplier and I don't live close to one another, I've had to try to find it myself!  The quest has been long and disappointing!  I've looked in more Mexican markets than I care to realize, I've looked in up-scale kitchen stores, and I've asked friends!  WHOA!  I finally found Amy; she knew exactly what I was talking about -- it was her favorite too!  The Danncy Clear Mexican Vanilla is perfect -- not only is the vanilla great, but it also has just a smidge of  a cinnamon undertone and it is wonderful in everything you can think of!  Even during the heat of summer I like to put a teensy, teensy dro...

Go!  Go right now and make sure you've got all the ingredients to make this.  I'm serious -- get up, go check, because after you read this, you're going to want to make this, and you're going to say, "Ummm!  This is GOOD!" (just like my Madison Grace did!). Peanut Butter Brownies with Reese's Frosting 3/4 cup peanut butter 1/3 cup butter, softened 1/3 cup sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1 cup flour Frosting: 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I used 1 cup) 1/3 cup peanut butter Cream the peanut butter, butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla together.  Mix in baking powder and soda, salt and flour until well blended but do not over mix. Pour into a 9 X 9 greased pan.  Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes or until done. Let cool a bit.  While cooling, make the frosting.  Melt the chocolate chips, stir in the peanut butter until smooth and pour over brow...

A few years ago, my friend Sheri Babb asked me to work at Falls Creek in Children's Park.  For dinner, different churches would "adopt" us and feed us our evening meal.  The "city" churches would feed us things like hot dogs, chicken fingers and Sam's brownies.  The "country" churches would feed us homegrown cantelopes, grandma's chicken spaghetti and homemade ice cream! This ice cream was from one of those "country" church dinners!  It was so very hot this particular week and First Baptist Church, Hammon, OK treated us like family!  There were several flavors of ice cream AND cobbler to choose that night, but I went with the "Frozen Passion!"  Maybe I was really missing Greg or maybe it was just the flavor that hit the spot.  Either way, this ice cream has always been so tasty to me!  It's easy and low-fat! Frozen Passion 2 cans Eagle Brand Milk 1 medium sized can crushed pineapple 1 2-liter orange soda pop ...

I'm just being honest . . . I really don't care for store bought salad dressings.  Oh, there is one brand from the store that I enjoy, but over-all, my preference is homemade.  Making salad dressings are one of the easiest and quickest things to make -- and extremely forgiving!  This is a new recipe I tried tonight for dinner. Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette 1/2 cup olive oil 4 TBSP red wine vinegar 2 TBSP dijon mustard 2 TBSP honey 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper Whisk all ingredients together and chill.  Yields 1 cup. The darling bottle is done by a friend of mine, Cora.  She sells all kinds of painted glass ware!  Her contact information is:  ron.cora@verizon.net   -- you, too, can enjoy some Glitzy Glass by Cora !