Candy Cane Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring OR 3/4 teaspoon peppermint flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy
1/2 cup white sugar

Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix butter sugar, egg, and flavorings thoroughly. Add flour and salt, Mix well. Shape dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap; chill for at least 2 hours or until easy to handle. Roll into 4 inch strips; place on baking sheet. Curve top down to form handle or cane. Bake 9 minutes. While still warm, remove from pan and sprinkle with candy and sugar mixture.

Dough may be divided in half and colored with 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring if desired. Roll each color into strips, place side by side, press together lightly and twist like a rope.

Note: Reviewers: please help us out and let us know how many cookies this recipe yields. Thanks!

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

2 1/2 cups diced and chilled, cooked chicken meat
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced, seedless grapes (2 cups)
1/2 cup sliced almonds or (3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:
1- In a medium bowl, whip cream to soft peaks
2- Combine meat, celery, grapes, almonds, parsley, salt, and mayonnaise with whipped cream. Chill.

Manicotti

14 pieces (8oz) Manicotti, uncooked
1 3/4 cups (15 oz container) part skim ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
2 cups (8oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups (about 28 oz jar) spaghetti sauce

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Cool in single layer on foil. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, stir together cheeses, parsley, salt and pepper. Spoon into cooled pasta tubes. Spread thin layer of sauce on bottom of 13x9x2 inch baking dish; arrange filled pasta in single layer over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over pasta; cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake 15 minutes longer until hot and bubbly.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Crepes

1 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
2 tsp sugar

Place the ingredients in blender in the order given. Blend 30 seconds, stop and stir down sides. Blend 30-60 seconds until smooth. Or, mix bowl with wire whisk or mixer, first combining flour and eggs, adding liquid gradually. Beat until smooth; add other ingredients. Makes about 16 crepes.

Cheesy Crock-pot Chicken

4 chicken Breasts
1 package cream cheese (original flavor)
1 packet dry Italian dressing
1 cup water
1 package egg noodles (or rice)

Put all ingredients in a crock pot on high for 2-4 hours. Or on low for up to 9 hours. Stir occasionally.
Don't forget to spray the crock-pot.

Make noodles/rice.

Serve creamy cheese chicken over rice or noodles.

This is a really yummy and easy recipe!

Salt Dough

Salt Dough

2 cups flour

1 C salt

1 TB oil

3/4 C water

food coloring

Knead mix into balls for approximately 10 minutes until smooth and soft. Add 1 TB or water to flour if necessary.

Children can then mold shape, build, create, and play for hours! The dough can also be painted and will harden without cooking.

Great rainy day activity or for school projects.

3 Cheese Garden Pizza

3 Cheese Garden Pizza- The Pampered Chef

Pizza crust: I have a super quick 8 minute homemade crust on this blog. Or use refrigerated one.

1 TB vegetable or olive oil

2 garlic cloves pressed

1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup (1 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 small onion sliced into rings

2 or 3 tomatoes slices or cubed

1 med zucchini sliced thin

1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out pizza on pizza stone or pan coated lightly with corn meal to prevent sticking. Mix pressed garlic with oil and brush evenly over dough with a kitchen brush. Bake REFRIGERATED crust only for 5-7 minutes. Remove and place on cooling rack.

LAYER:

Half of all 3 cheeses

Italian seasoning

1/2 of onion

all of zucchini

1/2 of tomatoes

(mushrooms)

Then on top:

rest of onion

rest of tomatoes

and top with remaining cheese!

Bake 15-18 minutes more or until golden brown for refrigerated crust

or for Homemade crust bake 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

YUMMY!

Christina's Tip: This recipe did not sound that good to me at first. However once I smelt it cooking and tasted it I have been hooked ever sense! It is really really good and easy.

For the girls I either make a few slices with minimum onion/ tomatoes etc. Or just make them a cheese/ peperoni pizza on the side so we can have our own.

The one and only LEMON CAKE

Prows Favorite Lemon Cake

1 Lemon cake mix

1 small pkg lemon jello

2/3 cup oil

3 eggs

Icing: mix well

Juice from 1 Lemon

1 cup powdered sugar

Dissolve jello in 1 c. hot water. Add to the rest of ingredients when cooled. Beat for 4 minutes. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes. When done poke holes all over. Drizzle icing over while cake is still hot.

Christinas tip: If you ever make this for Ryan make 2 pans, 1 to share and one just for him. Ü

It can also be decorated just a bit with piped frosting after it has cooled.

Snowy Ice Cream!