The Cookie Jar Recipe

This recipe originally came from my sister Abby.

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup Parkay spread sticks (I usually use butter)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat Parkay and sugars in large bowl until fluffy. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture, beat until blended. Stir in chocolate chips (or other variations).
Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets.
Variations:
1/2 cup peanut butter (decrease butter amount by 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa with flour (decrease flour amount by 1/2 cup)

Bubble Pizza

This recipe originally came from my college roommate Becky.

1 lb. hamburger
14 oz. spaghetti or pizza sauce
2 tubes buttermilk biscuits, cut into 4 pieces each
2 cups mozzerella cheese

Brown hamburger; drain grease. Add spaghetti/pizza sauce. Add quartered biscuits. Mix together. Bake in 9 x 13 greased pan for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Add cheese over top, baking for 10 more minutes.

Mexican Hotdish

I'm not sure where I originally got this recipe, but it's been in my file for awhile now.

1 pound hamburger
1 medium onion
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 lb. cheddar cheese (1 lb. seems like a lot; I used an 8 oz. package)
Flour tortillas

Brown hamburger and onion. Add stewed tomatoes and taco seasoning and simmer for 10 minutes. Layer meat, tortillas and cheese 2-3 times in 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour, uncovered.

S'more Cookie Bars

The Wit's End Bakery and Corner Store next to our office makes the best s'more cookies, so I was looking to duplicate their recipe. I didn't find a cookie recipe, but I did find this bar recipe at bakingbites.com.

S’More Cookie Bars
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs*
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s) (I used chocolate chips)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows) (I used regular marshmallows)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan.
Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick.
Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff.
Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned.
Cool completely before cutting into bars.

I put all the dough in the pan and baked about 25 minutes. Then I added a layer of marshmallows and baked an additional 5-10 minutes until they were puffy and lightly brown. I took them out of the oven, sprinkled with chocolate chips and let them melt, and then spread the chocolate chips over top.

Makes 16 cookie bars.

*Note: 3/4 cup crumbs is approx 7 full-sized graham cracker sheets, whizzed in the food processor until fine. (I put the crackers in a plastic bag and crush with my rolling pin.)

Sloppy Joes

I found this recipe at allrecipes.com. I don't like Manwich, I think it's the green peppers in it, and this recipe did not call for them. I've been using this recipe for over two years now.

2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery (I don't use a full cup, usually 1 stalk)
1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed tomato soup
1/4 cup ketchup
1 T. white vinegar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
8 hamburger buns

Place ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until evenly browned, stirring to crumble. Add onion and celery, cover the pan, and cook until tender and transparent, about 5 minutes. Drain off any grease.

Stir the tomato soup (undiluted), ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce into the beef mixture. Season with salt and garlic powder. Heat to a simmer over low heat, and cook until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently to prevent it from burning on the bottom.

Spoon the hot beef mixture onto buns, which may be toasted first, and serve.

Tater Tot Hotdish

For when you're looking for some classic comfort food. This is how I make it, others make some changes.

1 pound hamburger
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can milk
2 cans green beans, drained
1 bag tater tots

Brown hamburger and drain. Mix with cream of mushroom soup, milk and green beans. Pour into 9 x 13 pan and spread evenly. Top with tater tots. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly and tater tots are crisp on top.

Rhubarb Raspberry Crunch

My dad found a rhubarb patch in the trees behind our house when he was here last weekend, and mom brought some frozen raspberries from their patch with them. I went to allrecipes, where you can enter ingredients to find recipes that use those ingredients. I entered rhubarb and raspberries, and this is what I decided to make.

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant tapioca (I didn't have any tapioca, so I added an extra tablespoon of cornstarch)
  
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 cup raspberries
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (I increased the brown sugar, oatmeal and flour to about 2/3 cup each)
  
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup butter, chilled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan (I used an 11 x 7 pan).
In a large bowl, combine sugar, tapioca, cornstarch and salt. Place rhubarb and raspberries into bowl making sure to completely coat them with dry ingredients. Pour into baking pan.
In a medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour and oats. Cut in butter until mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs. Spread on top of fruit mixture.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until rhubarb is tender.
Tastes good plain; tastes even better with whipped cream or ice cream.