Lemon Bars With Olive Oil and Sea Salt

 For the Crust

1¼cups/155 grams all-purpose flour

¼cup/50 grams granulated sugar

3tablespoons/25 grams confectioners’ sugar

1teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

¼teaspoon fine sea salt

10tablespoons/142 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

For the Curd

4 to 6lemons

1½cups/300 grams sugar

2large eggs plus 3 yolks

1½teaspoons/5 grams cornstarch

Pinch of fine sea salt

4tablespoons/57 grams butter

¼cup/60 milliliters fruity extra-virgin olive oil

Confectioners’ sugar and flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Step 1

Heat oven to 325 degrees and line a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with enough parchment to hang over two of the sides (to be used as handles later to lift the bars out of the pan).

Step 2

To make the shortbread base, pulse together the flour, granulated sugar, confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest and salt in a food processor, or whisk together in a large bowl. Add butter and pulse (or use two knives or your fingers) to cut the butter into the flour until a crumbly dough forms. Press dough into prepared pan and bake until shortbread is pale golden all over, 30 to 35 minutes.

Step 3

While the shortbread is baking, prepare the lemon curd: Grate ½ tablespoon zest from lemons and set aside. Squeeze lemons to yield ¾ cup juice.

Step 4

In a small saucepan, whisk together lemon juice, sugar, eggs and yolks, cornstarch and fine sea salt over medium heat until boiling and thickened, 2 to 5 minutes. Make sure mixture comes to a boil and stays there for 30 seconds or so; you should see it thicken up before you take it off the heat. But once it boils do not cook for longer than 1 minute or you risk the curd thinning out again. Remove from heat and strain into a bowl. Whisk in butter, olive oil and lemon zest.

Step 5

When the shortbread is ready, take it out of the oven and carefully pour the lemon curd onto the shortbread base; return the pan to the oven. Bake until topping is just set, 10 to 15 minutes more. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold before cutting into bars. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and flaky sea salt right before serving.

"Fried" Ice Cream Dessert

Ingredients

1 container (1.75 quart) vanilla ice cream

1/2 cup butter

3 cups crushed Corn Flakes cereal

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 container (8 ounces) Cool Whip, thawed

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup honey

Chocolate syrup

Caramel sauce

Instructions

Take the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or so, to soften.

Melt butter in a medium skillet, over medium heat. Add the crushed corn flakes and granulated sugar. Stir to combine. Fry mixture for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until cereal is golden-brown. *Be careful not to burn. This may take less than 5 minutes*

Take a 9×13-inch baking dish and spread 1/3 of the corn flakes mixture into the bottom of pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the softened vanilla ice cream and Cool Whip. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Using a spatula, stir and mix well to combine. Spread ice cream mixture evenly over the corn flake mixture.

Spread the remaining corn flake mixture evenly over the ice cream. Drizzle the honey over the top. Cover pan, and place in freezer. Freeze ice cream for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

Cut into squares and serve with drizzles of chocolate syrup and caramel sauce (and if you’re feelin’ frisky add some whipped cream and a cherry on top) Enjoy! ♥

Chocolate Refrigerator Cookies

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1.5 1-oz unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3 Tbsp milk

Directions:

Melt unsweetened chocolate and set aside. Mix together shortening and sugar thoroughly then add egg. Gradually mix in melted chocolate. Add vanilla and mix again. Add in dry ingredients and mix. Gradually pour in milk. 

Dough will be sticky but roll into logs to refrigerate for at least 5 hours.

Remove dough from refrigerator and slice into slices less than 1/2 inch thick.

Bake 400 degrees for 8-10 min.

Best Buttermilk Biscuits

I adapted this recipe from a recipe shared by Eric Kim at NYT cooking. The original recipe included sugar (which I removed because I wanted a savory version) and I emphasize that you need to brush your biscuits with a beaten egg to get that crispy crust. 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup/170 grams cold unsalted butter

3⅓ cups/425 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

1 tablespoon baking powder

2½ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) or 1¾ teaspoons fine sea salt. 1¼ cups/300 ml cold buttermilk

1 egg (for brushing on top before placing them into the oven)

Bake at 375 F for 35 min.

Grate your butter with a micro plane and place in freezer for at least ten minute.  Mix dry ingredients together. I add in my powdered buttermilk in dry ingredients at this point. Next dump half of your liquid in and stir a bit before adding the rest of the liquid. Barely stir together and then fold the dough on to itself 4-5 times to become more kneaded. Flatten dough into a rectangle and cut into 8 pieces. Brush with beaten egg before baking.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (Ghirardelli recommended)
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Whisk flour and baking soda together in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Heat butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. 
4. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, immediately transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl.  Leaving it in the pan will allow it to continue to cook.
5. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. 
6. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. 
7. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. 
8. Repeat the process of resting and whisking 2 more times until the mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. 
9. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute.
10. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
11. Mold and flatten into discs about 1.5-2" across, they will spread out about another 1/2" in each direction.
12. USE A SILCONE MAT TO PREVENT COOKIES FROM BURNING - (using so much brown butter will make the cookies scorch easily).  Also recommended to use an insulated cookie sheet with the mat.
13. Bake cookies until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set, but centers are still soft, set timer for 8 min and check, cook 10 min tops, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. 
14. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.
     Yields: 23 normal sized cookies

Dutch Apple Crumble Pie Recipe

Ingredients

1 Marie Calender Deep Dish Pastry Pie Shell

For the apple filling

4 very large Fuji apples

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon vanilla

For the sugar crumble

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; use a little less if using table salt

1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)

Instructions

Crust

1. Heat a pizza stone in the oven for 30 minutes

2. Pull the crust directly from the freezer and cook frozen (which will help it stay flaky)

3. Cook the empty pie crust at 400F on the stone until golden brown, about 10 minutes. It will likely need to have the bottom pieced during this time to eliminate air bubbles.

Pie Filling

4. Peel, core, then slice the apples into 1/8-inch thick pieces

5. Place in a 12" pan and set it on medium heat on the stove.

6. Add 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Stir and cook gently so you don't break all the apples.

7. Once apples are evenly coated, set a timer for 20 minutes. Cover with a lid, but don't walk away. Stick around and stir the mixture every 3 minutes or so, replacing the lid each time. The sugar mixture will tend to stick to the bottom of the pan and scorch.

8. Cook until the apples are fork-tender but still hold their shape. The apples will not soften more while baking in the oven. So have a taste and see if you want to cook for a longer or shorter time.

9. If your apples start to stick to the pan, add 1 tablespoon of water (plus more as needed); use sparingly.

10. Remove the pan from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

11. Transfer the apple pie filling to the crust.

12. Cool the apple pie by placing it in the fridge or the freezer. If you put it in the freezer, it only takes 30 minutes or so.

Sugar crumble:

13. In a medium bowl, add the dry ingredients for the crumble: 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (use less for table salt). Whisk together.

14. In a small bowl, melt 1/2 cup butter (1 stick). Pour the butter over the dry ingredients and stir together gently. You should end up with a pretty wet, sandy mixture with some large clumps. See photos. Let it chill in the fridge until you are ready to assemble.

15. When the apple pie filling in the freezer is completely cooled, use your hands or a fork to break the crumble into smaller bite-size pieces. Top the pie with about a cup or two of the sugar crumble, just enough to cover all the apples; we are not piling it on. (That's for later.) 

16. Place the remaining crumble back in the fridge to chill.

Bake the pie

17. Place the chilled pie onto the pizza stone in the oven and let bake for 10-15 minutes at 425 F. The crust on the edge should be turning light brown, the crumble top will start to have dark brown spots.

18. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. 

19. Bake at 350 for an additional 10 minutes.

20. Remove the pie from the oven.

Optional, double layer of crumble

21. Sprinkle the remaining chilled crumble all over the top of the pie. Break up large pieces with your fingers.

22. Place the foil on top of the pie crust (the center of the pie should be exposed). Loosely crimp it around the crust on the edge. This will protect the edges from burning.

23. Place the pie back on the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake at 350 for about 10 more minutes. 

24. You will know the pie is done when the edges of the crust are brown, and the crumble is turning a light golden brown in the center. If you want your crust and crumble to brown a little more, remove the foil shield and bake another 5-10 minutes.

25. Let the pie cool on a wire rack for about 4 hours (about 1.5 hours on a granite counter). 

Store the pie on the counter for up to 2 days, covered with plastic wrap or foil. After that, transfer it to the fridge.

Spudnuts (Glazed Yeast Doughnuts)

Dough:

• 1 (0.25oz) package (7g) or 2 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (120-130°F)
• 1 cup mashed potatoes (warm, not hot)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
• 6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 quart vegetable oil (for frying)

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
• 3-4 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

 

1. Combine the yeast, water, potato, sugar, shortening, eggs and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the paddle attachment until combined. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until combined. Replace the paddle with the dough hook and continue to add flour and mix until the dough forms into a ball and doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl. Continue to knead the dough for 5-7 minutes and the dough is satiny and smooth. Remove the dough from the bowl, spray the bowl with non stick spray and place the dough in the bowl. Cover and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
2. Gently remove the dough from the bowl. Roll the dough into a large circle approximately 1/2 inch thick. Using a doughnut cutter, or a cup (and a smaller lid for the inside circle) cut the doughnuts out of the dough. Place on a greased pan or counter top, cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes or until the dough is light and airy.
3. Cook the doughnuts in oil that has been heated to 350-375°F. You’ll need to watch the temperature and adjust as needed. The doughnuts should cook and become golden brown on each side within 30-45 seconds each. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
4. Combine the ingredients for the glaze and stir until smooth.
5. Dip the warm doughnuts in the bowl of glaze and then set them on cooling rack until the glaze sets.

Homemade Root beer

 5 lbs. sugar

1 bottle root beer extract

5lbs dry ice 

5 gal water

= delicious root beer
sometimes a little less water

Bavarian Red Cabbage

 1 large head red cabbage (2 1/2-3#), shredded

3 Tbls. bacon drippings

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium apples, peeled, diced

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 Tbls. brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup red currant jelly

 Heat bacon drippings and saute onion, add cabbage and cook over low heat until wilted.  Add Apple, vinegar, sugar, salt, and bay leaf.  Cook over low 2 hours, stirring several times.  Add jelly, stil until blended.  Cook another 10 minutes. 

Easy Nacho Sauce

Ingredients:

2 lb. box original Velveeta Cheese

1 cup mild La Victoria Taco sauce

1 cup sour cream

milk for thinning

Directions:

Cube Velveeta and put in slow cooker with 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup taco sauce. Cook on high for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring often. Add milk to thin. Can keep on high while eating, keep stirring and add milk to thin.

HONEYCOMB ICE CREAM

Homeycomb Candy:

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup Golden Syrup

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons baking soda

Line 8x8 pan with parchment paper.  If you crumple it will stay in pan better but the hot liquid will weigh it down.

In heavy-bottom saucepan, add sugar and give it a shake so it lays flat in the pan.  Add golden syrup and honey and the water, so all of the sugar has been moistened.  Do not stir.  Turn the heat to medium high, and watch closely as the sugar starts to dissolve and the ingredients start to meld together.

Cook the mixture to 300°F, which should take about 5-10 minutes, depending on the strength of your stove, then remove the pan from the heat, Whisk in the baking soda for about 5 seconds, and once it has stopped foaming up, immediately pour the mixture onto the parchment paper.  Le cool at least one hour or until hardened, then whack the honey comb to break in pieces.  Must be used immediately or it will absorb moisture from the air and soften.  It can be stored in an airtight container.

ICE CREAM

Use the regular cooked ice cream recipe but only add 1/2 cup of golden syrup for the 1 cup corn syrup.  Cool as usual.  Just before freezing throw in about 1/4 of the honeycomb candy that has been broken up into the mix.  Freeze as usual.  As soon as the ice cream is removed from the freezing container and put into a large bowl, stir in the remaining honeycomb candy that is broken into piece and store in freezer

Apple And/Or Cherry Crisp

This is a recipe grandma used and turned it into the most perfect delicious cherry crisp. I have not figured out the perfect recipe (it always ends up runny for me) to do that but when she makes it again she will come on here and tell us all how.

4 cups sliced pared tart apples
2/3 c brown sugar
1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c oats
3/4 t cinnamon
3/4 t nutmeg
1/3 c butter, softened

Heat oven to 375. Grease square pan. Place apple slices in pan. Mix remaining ingredient thoroughly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake for 30 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown.

Cinnamon Carmels

Cinnamon Carmels

YIELD: MAKES 3 OR SO DOZEN CARAMELS, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE YOU CUT THEm

If you want to avoid using red food coloring, you can leave it out - the food coloring doesn't make it taste any more or less cinnamony. I use the Wilton no-taste red food coloring gel. About the cinnamon flavor, I used this extract that I bought (has great reviews) on Amazon since I couldn't find it at my small local grocery store. Using the amount in the recipe, the caramels are pleasantly cinnamony without being spicy or hot. Add more cinnamon extract if you want to amp up the cinnamon flavor. Also, if you are using cinnamon oil instead of cinnamon extract, add with care - it's much, much more potent than cinnamon extract.

FYI: My preferred brand of chocolate is Ghirardelli.

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided (meaning, you'll add half at the beginning and half later)
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon extract 
• 1 teaspoon red food coloring gel (see note above)

DIRECTIONS

1.                             Butter an 8X8-inch pan and set aside.

2.                             In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, salt, corn syrup, sugar and 1 cup of the cream. Over low heat, warm the ingredients until the butter is melted. Gently stirring during this part is ok to help combine the ingredients - just take care not to stir too vigorously and splash the liquid high up on the sides of the pan; also, take care to use low heat for this step. Too high of heat can cause the ingredients to melt unevenly and cause the butter to separate.

3.                             Once the ingredients are warmed and melted, increase the heat to medium-low (I keep my stovetop dial between a 3 and 4 the entire time; each stove is different so just keep an eye on the heat). Because these are no-stir caramels, too high of heat will burn the ingredients on the bottom. Moderate the heat of your stove so that the mixture maintains a simmer without burning. If you turn down the heat and the caramel stops simmering, simply increase the heat little by little until a good simmer is reached and then leave it there. You'll be good to go.

4.                             Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 236 degrees F. Pour in the remaining 1 cup cream. Gently swirl the caramel once or twice with a wooden spoon or spatula to incorporate.

5.                             Again, bring the mixture to a simmer (don't adjust the heat to sharply - I keep mine set the same as before) and cook until the thermometer registers 245 degrees F.

6.                             Off the heat, carefully stir in the cinnamon and red food coloring.

7.                             Immediately pour the caramel into the prepared pan - don't scrape the sides, just tip the pan until no more drizzles out. Let the pan of caramels cool completely at room temperature before cutting into pieces.

8.                             To dip into chocolate, melt milk, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate in the microwave on 50% power for 1-minute increments or in a double boiler on the stove. Simply drop a caramel into the chocolate, lift out once full covered with a fork, tap on the side of the bowl to let the excess chocolate drip off and then carefully slide onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once the chocolate has set, you can drizzle additional chocolate over the top for a nice pattern.

Recipe Source: adapted from my favorite foolproof, no-stir caramel recipe after my friend Lisa C. gave me the fabulous idea

Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Hearty Penne Beef Recipe

Ingredients

• 1-3/4 cups uncooked penne pasta
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in the tomato puree, broth, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
2. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add spinach; cook for 1-2 minutes or until wilted.
3. Drain pasta; stir into beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and cook for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted. 
   Freeze option: Freeze cooled pasta mixture in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth or water if necessary. Yield: 5-6 servings.

Hawaiian Chicken Bake

INGREDIENTS

• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 6-12 Tbsp barbecue sauce
• 1 can pineapple slices, drained
• 6 -8 slices provolone cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Lay the chicken breast flat in a baking dish.
2. Spread 1-2 Tbsp of BBQ sauce on each chicken breast.
3. Place 2 pineapple rings on each chicken breast.
4. Layer 2 slices of cheese on top of the pineapple on each chicken breast.
5. Place in an oven preheated to 375˚F for 20 minutes, lightly covered with foil. Then remove the foil and continue to bake for 15-25 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
6. Serve with rice, greens, or potatoes and ENJOY!

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 16 to 18 large marshmallows
• ICING:
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons baking cocoa
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pecan halves

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; beat into creamed mixture.
2. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, cut marshmallows in half. Press a marshmallow half, cut side down, onto each cookie. Return to the oven for 2 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
3. For icing, in a small saucepan, combine butter, cocoa and milk. Bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Cool slightly; transfer to a small bowl. Beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over the cooled cookies. Top each with a pecan half. Yield: about 3 dozen.

Momofuku Corn Cookies - Do yourself a favor and make these!

Ingredients:

Makes 13-15 large cookies

2 cubes butter at room temp

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 egg

1 1/3 cups bread flour

1/3 cup corn flour

2/3 cup freeze-dried corn powder ( I just bought freeze dried corn and put it in a food processor)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

(1) Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes.
(2) Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, corn flour, corn powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
(3) Using a 2 ¾-ounce ice cream scoop (or a ⅓-cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature—they will not bake properly.
(4) Heat the oven to 350° F.
(5) Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pans. Bake for 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle, and spread. After 18 [12-13 for me] minutes, they should be faintly browned on the edges yet still bright yellow in the center; give them an extra minute if not.
(6) Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or to an airtight container for storage. At room temp, the cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

Chicken Broccoli Shells

Ingredients

• 16 oz Alfredo sauce
• 2 cups blanced chopped broccoli
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 21 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the Alfredo sauce, broccoli, chicken and cheeses. Spoon into pasta shells. Place in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish.
2. Cover and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.
   Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked casserole. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake casserole as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°. Yield: 7 servings.

Lemon Cream Pie

Ingredients

1 1//4 cups sugar

1/4 tsp salt

6 T cornstarch

1/ 1/2 cups boiling water

3 eggs, slightly beaten

6 T lemon juice

1/4 tsp grated lemon rind

2 T butter

1 cup heavy cram, whipped and sweetened

Baked 9 inch pie shell

Directions

Combine sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a 2 or 3 quart saucepan.  Blend well.  Place over medium heat and add boiling water, stirring rapidly until smooth and thick.  Bring to a full boil to thoroughly cook the cornstarch.  Remove from heat.  Add a little of the hot pudding to the eggs while stirring rapidly.  Return egg mixture to hot pudding and reheat, stirring constantly, just until smooth.

Remove from heat and add lemon juice and rind and butter.  Pour filling into baked pie shell.  Chill.  Serve topped with whipped cream.

Yum Yum Sauce

Ingredients

1-1/4 cup	Mayonnaise
1/4 cup	water
1 teaspoon	tomato paste
1 tablespoon	melted butter
1/2 teaspoon	garlic powder
1 teaspoon	sugar
1/4 teaspoon	paprika
dash	cayenne pepper

Directions

Using a fork or a whisk, blend all ingredients together thoroughly until well mixed and the sauce is smooth. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend. Bring to room temperature before serving.

The sauce will NOT taste right if you don't let it sit overnight.