Cranberry Cheese Bars

I made this for my work party, and it was gone in about 15 minutes. Everyone really liked it. I also made it for our family Christmas party. The family devoured it in just a little while also.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups oats
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 Sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 (16 oz) can whole berry cranberry sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine flour, oats, 3/4 cup brown sugar and butter; mix until crumbly.

Reserving 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture, press remainder firmly on botton of greased 13 by 9 inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes.

In small bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth; stir in lemon juice. Spread evenly over prepared crust.

In small bowl, combine remaining 1 Tbsp brown sugar and cornstarch; stir in cranberry sauce. Spoon evenly over cream cheese layer. Top with reserved crumb mixture. Bake 40 minutes or until golden. Cool. Chill. Cut into bars. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Delicioso Pasta

This pasta is yummy - one of my favorites. It can be done in half and hour or less. It tastes great left over and heated up. Be sure not to put too much allspice. You want just a hint. It's a family favorite.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
1/4 pound pancetta, thick cut, chopped into small bits (Italian cured pork, ask at deli counter)
½ pound bulk hot Italian sausage
1 pound ground beef
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup good quality dry red wine (or substitute apple or peach juice)
1 cup prepared beef stock, paper container or canned
2 (32 ounce) cans chunky style crushed tomatoes
A handful chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon (a couple of pinches) allspice or cinnamon
Coarse salt and black pepper
2 pounds penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Grated Pecorino Romano, as an accompaniment
Fresh, crusty bread, for mopping

Heat a deep pot over medium high heat. Add oil, garlic, bay leaf, and pancetta bits and brown for 1 minute. Add meats and brown and crumble them for 5 minutes.
Chop carrot, celery, and onions near the stove and add to the pot as you work. Cook vegetables with meat 5 minutes and add wine. Cook for 1 minute; add stock and tomatoes to the pot.
Stir in parsley, allspice, or cinnamon and season sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and cook 10 to 15 minutes minimum before serving. Reheated sauce only improves.
Toss pasta with a couple of ladles of sauce to coat, then top bowl with extra sauce. Top pasta with lots of cheese and pass bread at the table.

Orange Streusel Coffeecake

Cocoa Streusel (recipe follows)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup orange juice
2 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 cup orange marmalade or apple jelly

1. Prepare Cocoa Streusel. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease 12 cup fluted tube pan.
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add sour cream; beat until blended. Stir together flour, baking powder and baking soda; add alternately with orange juice to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in orange peel.
3. Spread marmalade in bottom of prepared pan; sprinkle half or streusel over marmalate. Pour half of batter into pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle remaining streusel over batter; spread remaining batter evenly over streusel.
4. Bake about 1 hour or until tootpick inserted near center of cake comes out clean. Loosen cake from side of pan with metal spatula; immediately invert onto serving plate.

Cocoa Streusel: Stir together 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup cocoa and 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes, if desired.

Banana Cookies Fat Free

These cookies are quick and easy and are fat free. I've had many requests for this recipe. They taste delicious and are a great texture.

1 cake mix (You could use any - yellow works well, but white is my favorite)
1 very ripe banana, peeled and mashed
1 egg white
1 Cup chocolate chips

Combine cake mix, banana, and egg white together until well mixed. If mixture is too thick, add a little applesauce, fat free sour cream, or fat free milk one tablespoon at a time until it's a good consistency for cookies.
Mix in the chocolate chips.
Drop by teaspoons (I use my small ice cream scoop) onto cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 9 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks and cool.
Makes 36 cookies. 1 point each

Dark Cocoa Glaze

This was made to use with Boston Cream Pie, but could be used with any cake or as an ice cream topping. It could also be used to drizzle on cream puffs.

3 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
3 Tbsp cocoa
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Heat water and butter in small saucepan over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil; remove from heat. Immediately stir in cocoa. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating with whisk until smooth and of desired consistency; cool slightly.

Rich Filling

This was made to fill the Boston Cream Pie but could be used as filling for cream puffs or as a pudding dessert.

1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 tsp vanilla

Stir together sugar and cornstarch in medium saucepan; gradually add milk and egg yolks, stirring until blended. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Cover; refrigerate several hours or until cold.

Boston Cream Pie

This is so easy to make and is so good.

1/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
Rich filling
Dark Cocoa Glaze

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 9 inch round baking pan.
2. Beat shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl until fluffy. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; add alternatelhy with milk to shortening mixture, beating well after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely.
4. Prepare Rich Filling. With long serrated knife, cut cake in half horizontally. Place one layer, cut side up, on serving plate; spread with prepared filling. Top with remaining layer, cut side down. Prepare Dark Cocoa Glaze; spread over cake, allowing to run down sides. Refriderate several hours or until cold. Garnish as desired. Refrigerate leftover pie.

Maked 8 to 10 servings.

Aloha Chicken

I made this for a dinner the other night and everyone really liked it. I didn't use the chunks of pineapple, I used the tidbits. I like the smaller pieces of pineapple better. I also used brown rice.

10 (4 oz.) pieces chicken breast
20 oz can pineapple chunks
11 oz can mandarin oranges, drained
1 green or red pepper, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated

Arrange chicken in slow cooker, set aside. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low setting for 8-10 hours.

10 servings=5 points each

Serve over one cup cooked rice for 4 additional points.

Frozen Fruit Salad

This is the recipe for the salad I took to school. It's really delicious and easy to make. I love having it in my freezer, so that I can have just 1 serving when I want a fruit salad treat. It's yummy enough to be dessert.

1 Pint whipping cream
2 Cups sour cream
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 1/2 Cups sugar
dash of salt
4 bananas, diced
1 small bottle maraschino cherries, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
1 can crushed pineapple, drained (20 ounces)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) I didn't add these

Whip the cream until soft peaks form. (The peaks need to hold their shape.) Blend in the sour cream. Add lemon juice, salt, and sugar.
Fold in the remaining ingredients.

Spoon into paper lined muffin tins and freeze. After they are frozen, you can store them in plastic bags.

Makes 30 to 36 servings.

The foil cupcake papers don't stick as much as the paper liners, but you can use either.

If you get 36 servings, they are 3 points each. Use Splenda and they are 2 points each.

Ranch Avocado Dip

I have never liked avocados but I liked this dip. The flavors blended together so that nothing was overpowering. Very refreshing with egg rolls.

1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced
1 tsp lemon juice
16 oz sour cream
ranch dip mix

Mash diced avocado with lemon juice until smooth and creamy, Prepare dip mix with sour cream. Fold avocado mixture into ranch dip. Chill one hour before serving. Makes about 2 cups.

Southwest Chicken Eggrolls

This was made in Little Theater. It was very easy to make and so delicious. These would be good for a party or anytime you would like something light. They taste very similar to the eggrolls you can get at Chili's.

1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup butter or cooking oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 or 3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup cooked black beans
1/2 to 1 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 tsp ground oregano
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (or 1 tsp dried crushed cilantro)
1 cup salsa
1 tsp cornstarch
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies ( mild or hotter)
egg roll wraps
vegetable oil for frying
1 recipe Ranch Avocado dip

Saute onion and garlic in butter until clear. Add remaining 10 ingredients and heat through slowly. Following the directions on the eggroll pkg, fill wraps with chicken filling and deep fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Remove and drain. Serve immediately with Ranch Avocado Dip. Or any other dip you may like.

Cream Puff

These were made in the Little Theater class. They were well received. They were filled with a homemade custard filling. They also had strawberries inside with the filling and chocolate syrup on the top.

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups water
3/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup flour
6 eggs

Bring the butter, water and salt to a boil in large pan. With a wooden spoon stir the flour in. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each egg. Drop on an ungreased cookie sheet. You can use a spoon to drop the dough on the cookie sheet or a scoop or put the dough in a pastry bag with a large star tip and make a pretty shape with the dough. Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool. Remove the top of each cream puff and remove the center. Be careful not to break the cream puff when removing the center. Fill with pudding and dust with powdered sugar. Or fill with a chicken salad. Or any other type of salad. The possibilities are endless for filling. Use you imagination. You will get 12 to 36 cream puffs depending on the size. The smaller ones will cook faster so watch them in the oven.