Christmas Casserole

Christmas Casserole

• 24 oz. Frozen hash browns
• 1/2 C. Butter, melted
• 3 Beaten eggs
• 1C. Half and half
• 1/2 tsp. Seasoned Salt
• 1C. Grated Swiss cheese
• 1C. Grated cheddar cheese
• 1C. Diced ham or cooked, crumbled bacon

Put frozen hash browns into a 9x13 inch pan. Pour melted butter over. Bake for 20 minutes at 375*. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Pure on top of potatoes and mix. Return pan to oven and cook another 40 minutes.

When serving I like to top it with sour cream and salsa (homemade if possible) and a couple of slices of avocados. Yum!

banana crumb muffins

courtesy of allrecipes.com
these were FABULOUS. moist. delicious. crumbly. and super easy to make.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Salsa

Salsa

• 1 Clove garlic
• 3/4 Inch slice of white onion, chunked
• Juice of 1 lime
• 3 Tomatoes, seeds and loose membranes removed, quartered
• 1 Handful fresh cilantro
• 1 Jalapeno pepper, the heat depends on how much of the membrane you include.
• Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse until ground. Serve with tortilla chips. Keep refrigerated.

Santa Rosa Valley Salad

Santa Rosa Valley Salad

• 1 Box seasoned long grain and wild rice mix (like Uncle Ben’s)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 Chicken breast halves, cooked and diced
• 4 Green onions, chopped
• 1 Red bell pepper, diced
• 3 oz. Chinese pea pods, ends removed
• 2 Medium avocados, diced
• 1 C. Chopped pecans, toasted
• Lettuce leaves for garnish, red leaf looks nice

Dressing:

• 2 Cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Sugar
• 1/4 tsp. Pepper
• 1/3 C. Seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/2 C. Vegetable oil

Combine dressing in blender. Cover and refrigerate. Cook rice according to package directions. Mix with all salad ingredients except avocados and pecans. Combine with dressing and refrigerate 2-4 hours or up to 24 hours. Before serving add avocados and pecans and garnish with lettuce leaves.

snickerdoodles

Mrs. Sigg's Snickerdoodles

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

Makes 4 dozen.

GREEK PASTA SALAD

1 c (8 oz.) dry orzo (or rotini or farfalle) pasta
4.25 oz can chopped black olives
½ c chopped green olives
8 oz (1 c) crumbled feta cheese
2 c chopped marinated artichoke hearts
½ c chopped red pepper
½ c chopped green pepper
¼ chopped red onion
½ c chopped fresh parsley
½ c olive oil
½ c vinegar
½ t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
½ t garlic powder (1 clove fresh garlic, pressed)
½ t mustard powder
salt and pepper to taste


Cook pasta per package’s instructions. Drain, rinse, and cool in refrigerator for 1 hour. In a large bowl, combine pasta with black and green olives, feta, artichoke hearts, red and green peppers, onion and parsley. In small bowl or bottle, combine oil, vinegar, garlic, herbs and spices, and shake well to mix. Drizzle dressing over pasta mixture and toss to coat completely. Chill for an additional hour before serving. This salad tastes even better after being refrigerated over night. Optional: add 8 oz. pepperoni or salami slices, cut in halves or quarters. Makes six 1½ cup servings.

clam chowder

ingredients:

3 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams (or 1 1/2 c fresh)
1/2 c minced onion
2 potatoes cubed
1/2 c diced carrots
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 pint heavy cream
1 pint nonfat milk
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste

directions:

drain juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, potatoes and carrots. add water to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender. meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. whisk in flour until smooth. whisk in cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. stir in vegetables and clam juice. heat through, but do not boil. stir in clams just before serving. if they cook too much they get tough. when clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. i salted mine at the table, next time i might even add more salt to the chowder. serves 6.