Rocky Road

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup peanut butter (chunky or creamy...depending on preference)
• 4 cups frozen mini-marshmallows

Take a cup of chocolate chips, melt them in a double-boiler, then mix in 1 cup of peanut butter 'til it's nicely mixed together.
Then take off heat and add 4 cups of frozen (so they don't melt) mini-marshmallows, mix up quickly and pour into buttered square glass or cake pan.
Then cool in fridge to harden
Cut about 1/2" slices - looks pretty on a plate of goodies!

recipe: Aunt Laura c/o cousin Amy

Jalapeno Cream Cheese Crescent Poppers

Ingredients

• 1 package Cream Cheese (8 Ounce Package)
• 4 ounces, weight Canned, Diced Jalapenos
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 8 ounces, weight Tube Refrigerated Crescent Rolls

Note: The ingredients above make 32 little Crescent Poppers. It’s easy for a grown man to shovel about 8 of these in his mouth without thinking about it. So depending on who you’re having over, you might want to get another tube of rolls and one more cube of cream cheese. Don’t worry about the jalapenos, you will have enough for a second batch with this one can. Unless you want over the top spicy poppers.

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.

Cut your cube of cream cheese and throw about 3/4 of it into a bowl. Now take about half of your jalapenos from the can and throw in with your cream cheese.

To your bowl with your cream cheese and jalapenos, add your Tablespoon of sugar. Take your fork and mash it all up really well. Be sure to incorporate all that sugar in really well. (This is where I like to do a little taste test. I prefer a bit more spicy poppers, so I added just a bit more jalapenos.)

Set your bowl of cream cheese jalapenos aside for now.

Open up your tube of crescent rolls and place on your cutting board. Separate them into two rectangles. Now pinch together the perforations to create two nice rectangles. Sometimes I like to use my little mini rolling pin afterwards, to make it a nice and smooth rectangle.

With the back of your spoon, spread half of the cream cheese mixture onto one of the rectangles. Save the other half of the mixture for the other rectangle. (You will have TWO rectangles per tube of crescent rolls.)

Once you’ve spread your half portion of cream cheese on one of your rectangles, start with the LONG end of the roll, and get to rolling.

Once it’s all rolled up, you will need to cut your log into 16 pinwheels.

Note: you could refrigerate these little guys if you wanted to make them ahead of time.

Place your 16 poppers, laying face up, on a greased cookie sheet.

Pop these into the oven for about 13 minutes until they are golden brown.

Yields: 32 poppers

Recipe: www.tastykitchen.com

Party Punch

Ingredients

• 1/2 gallon strawberry sherbet
• 2 (64 fluid ounce) bottles fruit punch
• 1 (2 liter) bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage, chilled

Place sherbet in punch bowl. Pour in fruit punch and lemon-lime soda.

Carrot Cake with White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups finely grated carrot
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 3 (8-inch) square cake pans with nonstick baking spray with flour.

In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy. Add egg yolks, beating until combined.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Gradually add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition.

In a medium bowl, beat egg whites at high speed with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into batter. Gently stir in carrot and walnuts. Spoon batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread frosting evenly between layers and on top and sides of cake. Gently press white chocolate curls around sides of cake, if desire. Garnish with carrot ribbons and rosemary, if desired.

Frosting ingredients:

• 1 (4 oz) white chocolate baking bar, chopped
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 5 cups confectioners' sugar

In a small saucepan, combine chopped white chocolate and cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat, and cool for 1 hour.

In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with a mixer until creamy. Add white chocolate mixture, beating until combined. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth.

Note: Cake layers can be made up to 1 month ahead; wrap cooled layers tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. To serve, spread frosting on frozen cake layers (frozen layers are easier to frost), and thaw. Store thawed cake, covered, in refrigerator up to 3 days.

Recipe: Cooking with Paula Deen, Nov/Dec. 2011 issue

Thanksgiving Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 1 whole Pan Of Cornbread (either PW's cornbread recipe, or I used 2 boxes of Jiffy)
• 1 loaf French Bread, Somewhat Crusty
• 1 stick Butter
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 2 cups Celery, Chopped
• 4 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Basil
• 1/2 teaspoon Thyme
• 2 teaspoons (to 3 Teaspoons) Fresh Rosemary, Chopped
• 1/4 cup Fresh Parsley, Chopped
• Salt To Taste

Chop the cornbread and loaf of French bread up into 1-inch cubes. Spread them out on two baking sheets and let them dry for approximately 24 hours.

Warm up a large skillet over medium heat and add one stick of butter. When it’s melted add the onion and celery and cook for a few minutes until onions are almost translucent. While it’s cooking chop up any fresh herbs you will be using.

Add 4 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add ½ a teaspoon of basil, ½ teaspoon of ground thyme, a few teaspoons of fresh chopped rosemary and ¼ cup of chopped fresh parsley. Stir until combined.

Place all of your dried bread cubes into a large bowl and mix them up a bit. Gradually ladle the broth mixture into the bread, tossing lightly as you go. Keep gradually adding the broth mixture, tasting as you go and adding more seasoning and herbs if needed. Add salt carefully. You don’t want to over salt your stuffing. If the mixture is not quite moist enough add a bit more chicken broth and stir.

Either stuff the bird and bake according to directions or place in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Serves: 10

recipe: www.thepioneerwoman.com

Tomato Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) reduced-sodium condensed tomato soup, undiluted
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• Additional shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Cook tortellini according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine the soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes and seasonings. Heat through, stirring frequently. Drain tortellini; carefully add to soup. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle each serving with additional cheese if desired.

Serves: 10 (2-1/2 quarts).

Recipe: www.tasteofhome.com

Honey Sauced Chicken- Slow Cooker

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound chicken (of your choice)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbs. chopped onion (or 1 tbs. onion flakes)
• 2 tbs. ketchup
• 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3 hours or on high 1 1/2 hours. Chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce. Serve over rice or noodles.

To bake chicken as a 30 minute meal:

Dice chicken and season both sides with salt and pepper, place in 8x8 pan. Pour sauce over chicken and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

Serves 2.

Recipe from: Crock Pot Recipe Card Collection