Favorite Cherry Pie

My mom used to always make this for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It is truly a family favorite!

Cherry Pie

2 16 ounce cans pitted tart red cherries (water pack)

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon butter

3 to 4 drops almond extract

Drain cherries, reserving 1 cup liquid from can.  In a large saucepan combine 3/4 cup sugar and the cornstarch.  Stir in reserved cherry liquid.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  (Do not leave unattended! It will burn.)  Cook and stir 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat and stir in remaining sugar, butter, and almond extract.  Gently fold in cherries.  Cool slightly.

Fill a pastry-lined 9 inch pie plate with cherry mixture.  Top with lattice crust, if desired.  Cover edge of pie with foil.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes.  Remove foil.  Bake for 25-20 minutes more or until crust is golden.  Cool on wire rack.  Serves 8.

Cheesecake Cookie Cups

1 pkg. (16.5 oz) Refrigerated chocolate chip cookie bar dough
2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, room temperature
1 can (14 oz.) Sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

Step 1--Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Paper-line 24 muffin cups.  Place one piece of the cookie dough in each muffin cup.

Step 2--Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookie has spread to edge of cup.

Step 3--In a medium bowl beat cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.  Pour about 3 Tablespoons cream cheese mixture over each cookie in cup.

Step 4--bake fir additional 15-18 minutes or until set.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Top each with level Tablespoon of pie filling.  Refrigerate for 1 hour.  Serve.

Makes 24 servings.  (6 points each for Weight Watchers)

Yummy Peach Cobbler

Yummy Peach Cobbler

1/2 cup of butter (1 stick)

1 cup flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

1 large can sliced peaches, drained (28 ounces)

Pour butter into glass baking dish (2-3 qt size).  Mix together all dry ingredients.  Add milk.  Stir until smooth and then add peaches.  Pour on top of melted butter in baking dish.  Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cool slightly and serve with vanilla ice cream.

This was very easy and yummy!  I used whole wheat flour, but you can use all-purpose or a combination of both.  If you don't like cinnamon you can leave that out.  Enjoy!

The Bomb Banana Bread!

My own special recipe!

1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1-1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine softened cream cheese, butter, and sugar--mix until well blended.
Add in bananas and eggs.  Blend.
Pour in combined dry ingredients and mix just until moistened.
Pour into greased and floured 9 X 5 inch loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Cool 10 minutes.  Remove from pan.
Eat!

Tips--I use home ground whole wheat flour.  You can use whole wheat, regular, or a combination of the two and this recipe is still delicious!  Add 1/2-1 cup of nuts, if desired.

Yummy Lentil Soup

This soup is very inexpensive to make and extremely tasty.

-2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

-2 small onions, diced

-2 or 3 carrots, sliced

-4 cups vegetarian soup broth

-2 cups water

-2 cups dry lentils

-black pepper

-1/2 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

-2 bay leaves

Saute onions and carrots in olive oil. In a large pot, or crock pot, add vegetable broth, lentils, and seasonings. Cook on low until lentils have softened (1 hour). Take out bay leaves and eat!

**Tips: I serve this with whole wheat bread and a salad. You could have turkey sandwiches, also. We like to sprinkle Parmesan cheese or grated mozzarella on top. You can throw everything in a crock pot and let it sit on low all day.

Serves 6-8 people. Double it if you want leftovers. It keeps well in the refrigerator or freezer. Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Parmesan

Layer in a treated baking dish:

1 16 oz. box of vermicelli
6-8 breaded Tyson brand chicken patties, mostly thawed
1 to 2 jars spaghetti sauce
sliced provolone cheese (you can use shredded, if you prefer)

Bake 30 min. or until hot through and bubbly (350 degrees)

I serve this with a salad and bread and everyone eats it up!
You can increase any of the ingredients as desired to fit your family. The bag of the chicken patties includes 10. (It's like a big chicken nugget. Who doesn't like that?)

Southwest Chicken (Crockpot)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 cup salsa, divided
up to 2 pounds of chicken pieces or tenders, boneless/skinless
1 cup grated cheese

Layer in crock pot: beans, corn, half of salsa, chicken, and remainder of salsa. Cook on low 6 hours. Top with cheese and cook on high until melted.

Prepare yellow rice according to package directions.

I use 2 pounds of chicken tenders and double everything else in the recipe. It feeds our whole family of 9!

Easy Chicken & Rice

2 cups rice (white or brown)
4 cups chicken (I rip up a rotisserie.)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can of milk
salt and pepper to taste

Cook rice as instructed. Rip up a rotisserie chicken and set aside. Put rice in bottom of 13 X 9 casserole dish. Salt & pepper. Layer chicken on top. Pour mixture of cream of chicken soup and milk over chicken and rice. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

This feeds our whole family (of 9) for one meal. You can increase the rice to 3 cups to stretch the meal. I sometimes add things like a can of peas or some shredded cheese. Enjoy!

The Duggar's Tater Tot Casserole

1-2 lb ground turkey cooked, seasoned, drained
1 bag tater tots
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of chicken
1 can evaporated milk

Brown meat and spice as desired.  Place in large casserole dish. Cover with tater tots. Mix soup and milk together. Pour over top. Bake at 350 for 1 Hour. Makes 1 9X13 casserole.

Currently this recipe feeds our family of  9, but we have some littles. I would double it with several hungry teens. Make 2 pans. We usually steam a large pot of broccoli as a side. This recipe is from the Duggar Family who have 18 children.

Mac N Beef

2-2.5 lbs. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cans diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
2 cups dried elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded cheese

1. Brown meat and onion in skillet. Season as you desire.

2. Add zesty tomatoes (don not drain) and 2 cups of water. Bring to boil and stir in elbow macaroni. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until pasta is tender.

3. Top with cheese. Serves 8

We serve this with chips, sour cream, and a salad or other vegetable. (You may want to double this if you have lots of hungry boys!) The kids LOVE this!

Favorite Cornbread

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
*I use 1/2-1 cup of wheat flour instead of all white flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 egg

Stir with a whisk and pour into an 8 X 8 pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Cook 2 recipes in a 9 X 13 pan for 20 minutes. Until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!!! Goes great with chicken or pork chops! This recipe is very simple, but will leave them clamoring for more...

Cheesy Rigatoni

***My entire family LOVES this recipe. It is quite a favorite. Enjoy!***

1 (16 ounce) package rigatoni pasta, uncooked
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 (28 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (11 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-1 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
2-3 cups shredded Italian cheese (6 cheeses mixed), divided

Prepare the pasta according to the package directions; rinse and drain. Pour into 9 X 13 casserole dish. Cook and stir the beef over medium-high heat until meat is browned; drain.
Add in spaghetti sauce, soup, pepper, and Italian seasoning; stir to combine.
Pour sauce over pasta. Carefully mix sauce in. Add 2 cups cheese and mix in.
Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over the top. Cover with tinfoil.
Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until heated through. Take tinfoil off for last 5 minutes to let cheese melt.

Christmas Holly Clusters

1/2 stick butter
1 bag Kraft  marshmallows
1/2 tsp. green food coloring (or as much as you like to get desired color)
4 1/2 c. cornflakes
Red Hots (red cinnamon candies)

Melt butter in saucepan on low heat. As the butter begins to melt, add the marshmallows. Stir constantly. Add the green food coloring when the marshmallows are mostly melted. Stir until melted. Turn off heat. Add cornflakes and stir until they are coated. Drop a spoonful of cornflakes on waxed paper and press 3 red cinnamon candies on each cluster. Let dry about one hour. Makes about 30. You might want to double this recipe. Eat them up, yum!

**I use the microwave for this recipe, too.  Microwave butter and marshmallows on high for about 2 minutes.  Stir. Then microwave for another minute or so.  Add food coloring and proceed from there.  It helps to have an assistant put the red hots on while you are trying to get the cookies off the spoon and your hands as you go!

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

Go HERE for this recipe! It's fantastic! I use home ground whole wheat, but store bought should be just fine, too. Use very ripe bananas for the best result--lots of brown spots. 1 batch made 15 small/medium pancakes. I like to add a little more milk to thin it a little.

5 can Soup

1 can Hormel Chili, no beans
1 can white corn
1 can Veg-All
1 can Rotel (I use mild)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 pound browned ground beef

Combine everything in pot (or crockpot!) and serve with shredded cheese and sour cream. We like to serve with our favorite cornbread and scoop with tortilla chips! This recipe is very forgiving and you can modify it how you like or double it.  Doubling it feeds our family of 9 with some leftover.  Enjoy!