Amber's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream:
  2 c shortning  (I use 1 c butter-flavored shortning/shortning sticks and 1 c margarine)
  1 1/2 c brown sugar
  1 1/2 c white sugar

Add:
  4 eggs
  2 t vanilla

Then add:
  2 t baking soda
  2 t salt
  5 1/2 c flour (I usually only need 5 c)
  1 bag chocolate chips

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-11 minutes.

Makes 6 dozen.

*This time around I didn't have a full bag of chocolate chips, so I put the 3/4s bag I had in the mix and added some Hersey Symphony bar.  Yum!  Also, to keep the cookies from going flat, I recommend that you keep the dough cold before cooking.  I usually put it in the freezer between batches--and this recipe makes a lot of batches!

As a side note, I am a huge believer in parchment paper.  I use it whenever I cook cookies, cake, or bread and skip the spray.

Breakfast Cassorole Crock Pot

16 oz frozen hashbrowns
1/2lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 medium bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Place a layer of frozen hash browns on the bottom of the crock pot, followed by a layer of bacon, then onions, bell pepper and cheese.
2. Repeat the layering process two more times, ending with a layer of cheese.
3. Beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper together.
4. Pour over the crock pot mixture.
5. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.

*Before layering, I sprayed the bottom of the crock pot with cooking spray.  For the bacon, I used precooked crumbled bacon from Cosco (what a find--it comes in bags that last for months--I don't know what the means for perservatives, but it sure makes cooking with bacon easier and my house didn't smell like bacon!).  I'm going to check my crock pot, but I thought this was done after 3 1/2 hours on low.  I really liked this meal (it was so easy) and Ivan gobbled it up.  Jeff gave it a 3 1/2 stars, but he perfers breakfast casserole without onions and green peppers.  Even though it wasn't the huge hit I was hoping for, it was good and very easy to make.

*Here are 2 sites that will help you check your crock pot:
www.fcs.msue.msu.edu/mediapacket/Jan-Mar06/CrockPotCooking.doc
and
http://familycrockpotrecipes.com/DoesYourCrockPotWork.html

Oven Baked Potato Wedges

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour
Yields: 5 servings
INGREDIENTS:
2 teaspoons olive oil
5 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet with the olive oil.
2. Brush potato wedges with butter, and roll in bread crumbs. Place wedges on prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and turn wedges; cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender.

*I didn't have any seasoned bread crumbs, so I used plain and added a bit of oregano, basil, garlic salt and pepper to the mix.  Also, 1/4 c of butter would have been plenty.  Jeff, Ivan and I liked these, but Jacob and Ellen didn't really eat them.

Here's another way to make potato wedges:

Alternative seasoning:
2 T olive oil
2 T Dijon-style mustard
1 t dried rosemary (be sure to rub the dried seasoning in your hand before adding to release its flavor!)
1/2 t garlic salt
1/2 t black pepper

Directions:
Place olive oil in large bowl, add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Add potato wedges to mix and toss gently to coat.  Bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees, turning occasionally.

*Both versions were good.  This was the first time I peeled the pototes and I like them with or without peels.  I think the second alternative would be even better with red potatoes.

Caesar Chicken Wraps

*Pictured with Oven Baked Potato Wedges

1 Pkg (7.5oz) complete Caesar salad mix
1 c chopped cooked chicken
4 garden vegetable or plain flour tortillas
2 T shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Crush croutons from salad mix, set aside. In large bowl combine remaining Caesar salad mix ingredients and chicken; mix well.

2. Spoon salad mixture evenly onto tortillas; spread to within 1 inch of edges. Sprinkle each with shredded cheese and crushed croutons. Roll up each tortilla.

*This was better than I thought it would be, but I deviated from the recipe a bit.  Instead of a salad mix, I used about 6 cups torn up romaine lettuce, about 1/3 cup Ceasar dressing, and some seasoned croutons.  I cooked 3-4 breasts of frozen chicken in the crock pot on high for a couple of hours (with nothing added--this makes a great, easy way to cook chicken for lots of recipes).  When the chicken was done, I lightly shredded it, mixed it with the dressing and let lit cool in the fridge.  Then I added the lettuce to the chicken mixture and followed the rest of the steps.  As a side note, the croutons were good, but they could be optional.  A great idea for a girls lunch, but my whole family enjoyed them.

Janelle’s BBQ Spareribs

3 lbs spareribs—browned and place in baking dish

In a pan, mix the following and then pour over the meat:
1 T cornstarch
½ t celery salt
2 t dry mustard
1 t paprika
1 T dry onion (chopped)
2 T brown sugar
2 T vinegar
4 T lemon juice
3 T Worcestershire sauce
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
1 c water
1/8 t cayenne pepper

Bake at 350 for 1 ½-2 hours.

*I subsituted regular mustard for the dry mustard and left out the cayenne pepper, but added a few red pepper flakes.  Delicious.  I have used the crock pot to cook these as well.  Both are great, but I prefer the oven.  These were so good and tender--the meat just falls off the bone.  Jeff did say that he likes a mesquite sauce more than the tomatoe sauce, but that didn't stop him from eating almost the entire pan!

I recommend browning the rack together or divided in 2 parts (to fit the pan).  I've tried it with the ribs cut into sections and when browned together, they ribs turned out moister.

Zesty Fruit Salad

Makes 4 servings
1 apple
1 orange
1 banana
1 8-oz "key lime" nonfat yogurt

Cut fruit into bite-size pieces.  Add yogurt.  Stir.

*When two of your children's favorite food is yogurt and fruit is a love for all of them, you just can't go wrong with this little ditty.  Jacob raved about this--but truly is was just a simple way of eating fruit.  It made him feel good that he could follow the recipe to make it all by himself (with a little help  when it came to the sharp knife).

A Chicken Salad Twist

From my own creation (hence, feel free to add/improve to your liking!)

2-3 chicken breasts
1 pkg rotini pasta, cooked to pkg directions & return to pot
approximately 1 t garlic salt taste
approximately 1 t basil
approximately 1/2 t oregano
14.5 oz diced canned tomatoes (mostly drained)
2 T basil pesto sauce
dash + of balsamic vinegar
1/2 c grated Parmesean cheese

1.  Place chicken in crock pot and cook throughly, remove from pot, lightly cube/shred.  Add spices.
2.  Add tomatoes, pesto sauce, & chicken mixture to pasta.
3.  Place on serving dishes and add cheese and vinegar to liking.

Very easy, kid friendly recipe.  Jeff even liked it (very good considering it has canned tomatoes).  The next day I tried some with a few gorgonzola cheese crumbles--feta would have been better, but it definately added a different zing (definately an optional ingredient).  Serve with garlic bread.