Reese's Cheesecake Brownies

It has only taken me six months to get this recipe posted.  We made these at Abby's house for the sisters/siblings reunion last October.  I make them here at my house at least once a month.  They are very rich and pretty easy to make.

First, prepare a brownie mix as directed on the box and spread in a greased 9x13 pan, then set aside.  In a bowl beat together 1/2 cup peanut butter, 8 oz. softened cream cheese, and one can sweetened condensed milk.  Stir in one 10 oz. bag reese's pieces (I like to use the mini ones).  Spread the peanut butter/cream cheese mixture over the brownie batter evenly.  I find it works best when I scoop the peanut butter stuff onto the edges of the brownie batter and spread toward the middle.  Otherwise it seems to have a thick layer in the middle and it doesn't bake as evenly.  Bake at 325 for 40 minutes.

Cool for 30 minutes on the counter and then 30 minutes in the fridge.

Melt 1-1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and 2-3 Tbsp. butter in the microwave.  Spread over the brownies in an even layer and top with chopped reese's peanut butter cups.  They sell unwrapped mini ones now that make the process much easier.  Return to the fridge until topping is set.

These are easiest to cut when they've been sitting at room temperature for about 20 minutes.  They should be stored in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Two RH Page family favorites :)

WHITE CHOCOLATE PARTY MIX

1 pkg 10 mini pretzels
5 cups corn chex
5 cups cheerios
2 cups salted peanuts
1 lb MM's
2 pkg vanilla chips (4 cups)
3 T vegetable oil

Mix first 5 ingredients together in a very large bowl.  

In microwave melt the the 2 pkg vanilla chips and 3 T oil on med heat for 2 minutes, stirring once. Cook for 10 sec more at a time until it is nice and smooth. Pour over the cereal mixture and mix it well.  Spread out on a wax paper lined large cookie sheet (I have to use 2) and cool.  I cool it in the fridge.  Break it into large chunks and store in an airtight container (large ziplocs).  It is fun to use holiday colored MM's.

This is a holiday favorite for any holiday!!  I also make a great gift when you put it in a cute bag.

I found this recipe in Taste of Home magazine and have used it for many years.


FROZEN FRUIT SALAD (PINK SALAD)

1 pkg 8 oz cream cheese
2/3 cup granulated sugar
      Cream these two together. Add...
3 bananas (mashed, diced, sliced)
1 cup crushed pineapple (drained or not it does not matter)
1 pkg frozen strawberries (or 1 cup sliced fresh)
12 oz cool whip

Mix it together well then put in 9x13 pan or muffin cups.  Freeze.

This salad came from Aunt Diane Jones.

Gourmet White Pizza

Pizza is a menu regular at our house, and this week I wanted to change things up a little so we tried a white pizza and it was a big hit, even with the kiddos.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (you can do more...we're not garlic fans at our house though)
• 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto (optional-we didn't add this-I can't find it in our country town!)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Kraft Italian 5 cheese mix
• 1 cup Classico® Creamy Alfredo Sauce (gluten free baby!)
• 1 (12 inch) pre-baked pizza crust
• 1 medium tomato, sliced
• 1 (4 ounce) package feta cheese
• chopped fresh basil leaves
• chopped cooked chicken (optional-we didn't add this)

 Directions:

1. Make a pizza crust. I think we all have our favorites so I won't put up directions for that:)! Ours is gluten free (obviously) and so, so good (possibly dare I say better than the wheat version?).
2. While the crust is baking, mix butter, garlic powder, olive oil, pesto, basil, oregano and alfredo sauce together.
3. When the crust is done, pull out and spread the alfredo mixture evenly. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and add feta, tomatoes and fresh basil leaves to your liking.

Done! Enjoy your yummy pizza! (Even Jeff liked this which surprised me...he's not a white pizza fan.) The alfredo mixture is good for 2 pizzas. We served this pizza with fruit salad (bananas, grapes and strawberries). Delicious. Can I say that one more time? Delicious!

Oven roasted potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 large or 8 small potatoes, rinsed and sliced
• 1/8 c oil 
• 1/2 sea salt
• 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper (more if you like it spicy or add some red pepper flakes)
• 2 TBS dried rosemary or basil
• sprinkle of garlic (we don't like too much garlic at our house, but you could add more)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a ziploc. Shake.
3. Let sit on counter for 10 minutes. 
4. Place ingredients in sprayed 9 x 13 pan.
5. Roast for 20-30 min.

We love these! Simple but so full of flavor. Anyways, we usually serve these with the lemon pepper green beans and the Ka-Bam grilled pork chops. Yum.

Lemon Pepper Green Beans

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh green beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tsp of butter (I use olive oil)
• 1 1/4 c sliced almonds (pecans work too)
• 2 tsp lemon pepper
• dash of salt

Directions

1. Place green beans over 1 in of boiling water in a saucepan and cover. Cook until tender but still firm, about 10 min.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter (or heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute almonds until lightly browned. Season with lemon pepper
3. Stir in green beans and toss to coat.

Serves 6

Chicken Diablo

This recipe is courtesy of Rachel Hall and is one of my current favorites! It's so yummy, has lots of flavor and is pretty healthy too.

Chicken Diablo

¼      cup butter (I use olive or canola oil instead)

½      cup honey (I use raw agave nectar, in the same aisle as the other sugars)

1        teaspoon sea salt

1        teaspoon curry powder

¼      cup prepared mustard

1        3 pound chicken, cut up, (I usually use boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

½ - 1 teaspoon garlic powder(optional)
brown rice
steamed broccoli

Mix oil, honey, mustard, salt, curry and garlic powder.  Pour over chicken in the Crock pot and cook for about 4-6 until chicken is tender. You can turn/stir the chicken so it all gets coated after some cooking time. I serve this with brown rice and steamed broccoli over the top. Kids love it too!

Spice-Roasted Butternut Squash and Onions

2 1/4 lbs fresh butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 TBS olive oil
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
3 TBS fresh, chopped cilantro

Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Coat a large nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray. Place squash and onion on prepared baking sheet; drizzle with oil and toss to coat.
Sprinkle with garam masala, salt, and pepper; toss to coat.
Roast, tossing about halfway through cooking, until squash and onions are tender and slightly browned, about 25 minutes.
Transfer vegetables to a serving platter or bowl and sprinkle with cilantro; toss to coat.

Yields about 3/4 cup per serving. Serves 6.

I got this recipe from weight watchers and tried it out this week. It was good and filling and looked very Fall-ish.

Notes: (1) I don't know what kosher salt is, so I used the regular stuff.
(2) It took my over closer to 35 minutes to cook the squash completely, so you might have to adjust the cooking time.
(3) The flavor was not as strong as I expected. I think somehow I had convinced myself that the flavor of the butternut squash would be as strong as a sweet potato and I was a little disappointed when it wasn't. It still tasted good but next time I think I'll add more salt and garam masala to spice it up -- get it!! -- or I might actually use a sweet potato instead of squash. Hmmm. The possibilities are endless.

Carribean Passion-esque Smoothie

1 cup mango juice
1 cup strawberries
1/2 cup peaches
1 cup orange sherbet
1/2 cup ice

Blend. Yield = 3 cups.

I decided a week or so ago that it was high time I got better acquainted with my Magic Bullet, so I started doing some smoothie experimenting. (Katherine and her family helped me break it in the Magic Bullet with some delicious ice cream shakes when they visited a while ago, but that's as far as I got.) The Jamba Juice Carribean Passion smoothie is one of my favorites, so I looked online for something similar to that. I tried this recipe and it is AWESOME.

Note: I used canned peaches instead of frozen ones. Katherine said that she doesn't like frozen peaches in her smoothies and one of the smoothie sites I visited suggested using canned peaches an alternative. Having never used frozen peaches, I can't speak to the difference but I didn't have any problems with the canned ones.

Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice - Louisiana Masterpiece

3 C of white rice

2 cans, diced tomatos
2 cans, red kidney beans
1/2 tsp cummin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/2 green pepper
3/4 lb smoked sausage

1 Tbsp corn starch

Tony's Creole Seasoning to taste

Cook rice according to preference. Sticky rice is the best for this meal in my opinion.

Dice green pepper and smoked sausage and add to pot with a little bit of olive oil; cooking until softened and browned. Stir in tomatos, beans, and spices, then place on stove at medium heat. You can drain the tomatos and beans for a chunkier dish. I don't drain them in order to get a thicker sauce. Add spices. Cook covered on medium heat for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, mix corn starch with a little cold water to liquify it. Add Tony's Seasoning to taste, or if you don't have it add a 1/2 tsp of garlic powder and salt to taste. Turn down the heat and simmer covered another ten minutes. It can continue to simmer or be served immediately over the rice. Add more chili powder and red pepper for more spice. Spicy is always best.

Anytime I fly to Louisiana, which is pretty often, I can't wait to get some red beans and rice. Lake Charles, LA is a favorite destination for Columbus pilots simply because of this dish. So very good. This is the best replication I've tried, but I will admit the stuff I get in Lake Charles is better, and pretty much to die for. It is usually served with garlic bread and a house salad with French dressing. Try it!

-Jeff

SWEET CORN BREAD

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
2 Tbls. baking powder
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup milk

Cream butter and sugar together. Add combined dry ingredients minus the cornmeal. Beat in the eggs. Add the milk alternately with the milk 1/3 at a time, mixing each addition well. Bake in 8x12 (9x13 works too) greased pan at 375 for 25 minutes.

Court... this is a good cornbread recipe that I have been making for years. I hear it works out well with the gluten free flour mix. Enjoy!

Asian-style Pasta Salad

I made this last night and it was a big hit. It's a perfect meal for summer time (where anything cold to eat is delicious:) and was very easy. I kind of made this up, so I don't have exact measurements, but you'll get the idea.

• 1/2 box of whole wheat rotini, cooked and cooled
• 1 can of mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped
• 1/3-1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted
• 4 chicken tenderloins, cooked, chopped, cooled (I always fry ours up on the stove with s/p and a little bit of olive oil...so not healthy but very delicious)
• Light Asian with Sesame and Ginger Vinaigrette (Wishbone brand that Katherine introduced us to)

And just mix it all up! Oh man, it's so good and pretty healthy. Little bit of everything.

*Whenever I feed my kids broccoli, Tinker always says, "Oh! We are having trees for dinner?!"

Thai Noodles with Chicken and Broccoli - Marilee

Sauce:
3 Tbls soy sauce
1 Tbls sesame seed oil
3 Tbls peanutbutter
1 Tbls sugar
1 1/2 tsp chili paste ( I am not sure what this is so I put 3/4tsp chili powder)
2 Tbls vinegar
1/2 cup chicken stock
Wisk above ingredients together and set aside.

8 oz spaghetti noodles
4 cups broccoli florets
2 carrots sliced diagonally
Boil the noodles in large pot of water for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and carrots cook an additional 3 mintues. Drain.

1 Tbls sesame seed oil
1 Tbls minced ginger root
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 lb chicken breast sliced in thin strips
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander (use as garnish)
Stir fry chicken garlic ginger until chicken is no longer pink. Add the above sauce to the chicken and simmer covered for 5-10 minutes. Toss with the noodles and vegetables. Garnish with the coriander.

This is a recipe from Carolyn Mackay who we meet here in Moscow. I was surprised how easy and fast this was and I thought it would be something children may like.

Indian Recipes from Anita via Mom

Here is a recipe I have actually made. I learned it in my Indain cooking class taught by a very charming and fun young Indian lady named Anita. I will add recipes every once in a while. It may be hard to find an Indian store that sells these spices so good luck.

Paneer Makhani (Cottage chees with tomatoes, *capsicum, and cream)
serves 4-5

Ingredients:
250 grams (about 1 cup)Paneer cubed- this is a cheese that looks like a feta but is firmmer so it can be fried. I am not sure what exactly you can find in USA.
2 medium size capsicums*green bell peppers cut into 1 inch pieces
4-5 tblsp chopped tomatoes ( can use canned diced or whole about 1/2 cup)
1 large onion grated or chopped finely
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin seed powder
1/4 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
3-4 tblsp cream
3 tblsp oil
salt to taste
oil for frying

Fry cheese cubes in a couple of inches of oil (make sure it is roon temp or dry or it will spit oil )
Put to the sideon paper towels to drain.
Heat 3 tblsp oil and the onions until a pink color.
While onions are frying blend the tomatoes in a blender then keep to the side for later.
When onions are ready add the powdered spices (coriander,cumin,tumeric, red chili) stirring for 1 minute then add the tomatoes and mash and stir for 5 minutes or until oil floats on top.
Add peppers, and salt and cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Finally add the Paneer(cheese) and cook covered for 7-10 minutes more.
Once you see there is no water and the sauce is thick empty into a serving bowl and pour the cream on top to decorate. Serve with rice and or Naan bread.


It looks like a lot of work but it is reaally pretty simple. As with most of the Indian recipes there are a lot of steps and they all take place at the same time but if you organize a little before you start the cooking it isn't too bad.

Hummus - Marilee Page

1 can chick peas (drained and rinsed)
1-2 lemons juiced
2 cloves garlic pressed
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
salt to taste

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor: add water to get desired consistancy. Chill for awhile to blend flavors.

Decorate with swirl of olive oil, seaned salt or whole chick peas.

It makes a great healthy dip for vegetables or toasted pita triangles.
(it can be a little strong on the garlic so you might want to watch that. )



Maegan asked for this recipe. It was given to me by Carolyn Mackay here in Moscow. She had many great recipes and everything she made was very very good.

MINT BROWNIES......Marilee

1 cup flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened

4 eggs

1 1/2 cup hershey chocolate syrup (16 oz)

Mix together until smooth. Put in greased 9x13 pan. Cook at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely.

Frost cooled brownies with...

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter softened

1 TBS water

1/2 tsp mint extract

3 drops green food coloring

Blend until creamy.

Final topping...

melt 6 TBS. butter and 1 cup mint chocolate chips ( I have not been able to find these for a long time so I use regular semi sweet), in microwave for 1-1 1/2 minutes. spread on top of iced brownies.

Katherine requested this recipe. It is a little different than the one in Grandma Doxey's cookbook. I made them last week for the YW Christmas activity and I remembered how much I love them - too much I think!

Broccoli Salad

4 cups finely chopped broccoli flowers
6 slices of bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
sprinkle of onion powder ( we like more onion so I put a couple of Tbls of chopped red onion)
Chop and put in large bowl

3/4 cup mayonaise
2 Tbls. apple cider vinegar (red vinegar works too)
1/4 cup sugar
Mix together well and pour over other ingredients. Mix all together. Chill for several hours or overnight.


This is Grandma Page's recipe and it is a fun one for Christmas time because it is green but I love it all the time.

Festive Pumpkin Dip - Maegan (Laura Elggren)

Dip:
1 15 oz can of pumpkin
2 cups powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Cream the cheese and sugar together, then mix in all the other ingredients. (If you don't have pumpkin pie spice look online for the equivalent mixture of cinnamon, ginger, etc that makes up the store bought kind.) Refrigerate dip. Serve with homemade cinnamon-sugar chips.

Chips:
10-15 flour tortillas
cinnamon and sugar mix
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Spray one side of the tortillas and sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sugar. Cut out pumpkin shaped chips or cut into triangles with a pizza cutter and bake on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes, or until desired crispness. (This is the part of the recipe that takes a long time just because you have to do quite a few batches of tortillas, but it is worth it!)

This is a recipe from my dear friend Laura Elggren. I love it because it is an easy way to use pumpkin and it hits the pumpkin pie spot. I took it to a Christmas party this weekend and it got rave reviews. So here it is for all of you to try and enjoy!

easy beef stroganoff

1 lb. lean ground beef or ground turkey

2 Tbsp. dried onion

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 small can mushrooms, drained (optional)

1/2 cup light sour cream

1/2 cup milk

Brown ground beef in skillet with onion and drain. Return to skillet and add soup, mushrooms, and sour cream. Stir until smooth and warm. Add milk gradually, stirring constantly until incorporated. Heat until warm, but not so hot that it bubbles. Serve over warm rice.

We made this on Sunday and the kids ate it up. There were no left-overs at all, which is shocking for my children. I didn't even get seconds. It's so easy and definitely on the affordable side. I'm going to add it to my rotation.

Memory: I loved this growing up. I think I loved anything with rice and sauce. In fact, I still do. I remember making sure there was at least half a pot of rice left for Libbi to eat plain and arguing about how to properly pronounce "stroganoff". It's a short o sound, by the way.

GINGERBREAD BOYS

1/3 cup shortening ( I use softened margarine)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 cups dark molasses

2/3 cup cold water

7 cups flour

2 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

Mix shortening, sugar and molasses throughly. Stir in water. Blend in all dry ingredients. Chill for a few hours. Cover so it does not dry out. Heat oven to 350. Roll dough 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut with gingerbread boy cutter or any desired shape cutter. Place far apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until no imprint remains when touched lightly. Ice cooled cookies if desired.

We have made these cookies every Christmas for years. They have always been a favorite of Jeff's, maybe because they were gingerbread "BOYS" - when he little he

was always watching for extra support.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1/2 c white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients until well mixed.
2. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and press down onto cookie sheet in a criss-cross pattern, 12 per batch.
3. Bake for 8 minutes.

Makes 2 dozen bite size cookies.

Memory: Jeff worked late tonight and the kids and I were craving something sweet. (Ok just me, but I'm sure the kids were happy about making cookies!) I found this recipe and was skeptical but tried it out anyway. Best PB cookies I have ever had! The kids seem to agree..the first dozen is gone:)!