Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Ingredients:

1 pkg.  (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin, divided
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
4 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
1/4 cup caramel topping
1/4 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Beat cake mix, 1 cup of the pumpkin, the milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp. of the pumpkin pie spice in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Pour evenly into prepared pans.

Bake 28 to 30 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely. Beat cream cheese in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and remaining 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice; mix well. Stir in the whipped topping.

Cut each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife. Stack layers on serving plate, spreading the cream cheese filling between layers. (Do not frost top of cake.) Drizzle cake with caramel topping just before serving; sprinkle with the pecans. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Ingredients:

2 cups milk
1 lb. velveta
1 lb. Cracker Barrel Cheddar
1.5 lbs. elbow macaroni
2 Tbls. margarine
1 Tbls. flour
pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Boil macaroni til it’s almost done, about 8 minutes. Should be el dante. Strain, place back into pot.

On a medium flame/burner put 2 cups of milk in saucepan. Slowly add cut up cheese (should be in cut into small cube pieces) and slowly cook. You have to CONSTANTLY stir the mixture or it will seperate
or get clumpy. (it took me about 30 minutes to melt all the cheese into the milk).

In a small sauce pan combine about 2 tablespoons of margarine. Melt it and add about 1 tablespoon of flour. Wisk together. It should form a saucey mixture, if too clumpy add more margarine, if too
liquidy add more flour. You can’t really make a mistake, you just have to play around with it until you get a nice saucey not to thick/clumpy mixture.

Add the margarine/flour mixture (it’s for thickening) to cheese/milk mixture. Blend together well. You’ll notice that the cheese mixture will get thicker. You want it to be able to coat a spoon. If not thick enough, make more margarine/flour mixture. If too thick add a LITTLE milk at a time. Once it’s at the right thickness pour into pot with macaroni. Mix together well. Place into dish (I use the rectangular glass pyrex kind) and bake in oven for 45-60 minutes, depending on how crunchy you like it. (I like it to be a little crunchy on top and soft inside, so I baked mine for about 60 minutes) Add pepper to taste.

I just put this in the slow cooker for dinner (took exactly 3 minutes!)

Ingredients:

2 pound boneless beef chuck roast
2 medium onions, cut into 1-in. chunks
large red sweet pepper, cut into 3/4-in. pieces
1 14-ounce jar spaghetti sauce
1-1/2 pound zucchini, cut into 3/4-in. chunks
Salt
Pepper
Hot cooked spaghetti (optional)

Directions

1. Trim fat from roast. Cut roast into 1-inch cubes. Layer beef, onions, and red sweet pepper in slow cooker. Add spaghetti sauce. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 9 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 hours.

2. If cooking on low, after 9 hours, turn cooker to high. If you are cooking on high already, leave on high and

add zucchini; cook 1 hour more (on high) or until meat is tender.

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti, if desired.

Makes 6 to 8 servings. 

Friday, September 22, 2006

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups corn (That can be about 3 ears depending on cob size or, if corn is out of season, you can use a 16-oz bag of frozen corn.)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbl flour
2 Tbl breadcrumbs
1/3 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk (lowfat is fine)
4 large eggs
1 cup shredded Wisconsin cheddar cheese

Directions:

Spray a 9- by 13-inch pan with olive oil spray or lightly grease it. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Do this with a spoon or spatula so you don’t smash up the corn. Pour the batter in the pan and bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. The top will be slightly browned and a knife inserted in the corn pudding should come out clean. If the knife does not cone out clean, bake it a bit more. For the creamiest taste, serve it immediately. It still tastes great served a bit later or even reheated the next day.

A moist, lowfat trifle.

Suggestions: Needs to be refrigerated for 2 hours before serving.

Serves: 4 person(s)
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

2.21 lb stone fruit (peaches, apricots, plums) cut into wedges
1/2 tsp Angostura bitters
1/4 cup custard powder
1/4 cup castor sugar
2 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks
7 oz pre-made sponge, cut into cubes
1 Tbsp flaked almonds, toasted
3 Tbsp sherry
3 cup fat free milk
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Simmer fruit, 1/2 cup water and bitters until tender. Remove fruit, add half the sugar and boil for 1 minute. Cool.

Mix custard powder and a little milk in a saucepan until smooth. Add remaining milk, sugar and vanilla and cook, stirring until thickened. Cool.

Fold in egg white.

Layer cake, syrup, sherry, fruit and custard into a large dish. Top with yogurt and almonds.

Refrigerate 2 hours and serve. 

Tasty oven-baked wedges - with a kick!

Serves: 5 person(s)
Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

1 lb potatoes, cut into wedges (skin on)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder, or to taste
1/4 tsp paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray foil-lined tray with cooking spray.

Place potato wedges into large bowl; cover with water. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and pat dry.

Place potatoes into another bowl; add oil, stock powder, pepper, chili and paprika. Mix until the potatoes are coated.

Arrange wedges on greased tray in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; turn wedges and cook for further 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve immediately.