Mary Alice Rolls

These rolls are a staple in our house. This is Jamons grandmothers recipe. Also know on this blog as Mama. This is his grandma not to be confused with his Momma. I like this recipe because it doesn't have to rise and you just use as much as you want and store the rest in the fridge and use it as needed. It works perfect right after you have mixed it or after it has sat in your fridge for two weeks.

2 Cups warm water
1 package yeast
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup oil
1 egg
4 cups self-risisng flour

Here is how I do it. Pour the water into a bowl and add the yeast. Let it set for a minute to dissolve some. The add the sugar, oil and egg and stir it up until blended. Add the flour and stir. Once it's all mixed up it will not look like regular bread dough. It will be more moist and easy to stir. The first time I made it I thought surely I had made a mistake. Then put into a greased muffin pan. Just fill maybe 3/4 full. You will have to cook these in a muffin pan because of the batter. Bake at 400. It takes me 20 minutes but I use that stoneware so if you are using a metal pan I would check them after 15 minutes. Just take them out when they are to the brownness you like. Jamon likes bread almost raw so if you ate these at my house they were just barely browned. You can cover the leftover batter and keep it in the fridge. I don't know for how long. The longest I have gone is 2 weeks and Jamon and I both thought the rolls actually tasted better after that time. I think these are best served as a dinner roll but my friend Heather thinks they are best served at breakfast with chocolate gravy but she is a ding-dong so you should just take my word for it.

Fettucine Alfredo Larusso

This goes so good with the Porcupine Meatballs. I know it seems weird but they do go together. This recipe also came to me from the Beaver clan.
Ingredients:
4-6 ounces fettuccine noodles (I use more)
4 tbs. butter
2-3 ounces of heavy cream (really about half a small carton is about right)
1 tbs. sour cream (if you use more noodles do 2 tbs.)
2-3 tbs. Parmesan cheese
1 beaten egg yolk

When noodles are almost boiled, melt butter in a shallow frying pan. Add cream and sour cream. Mix and maintain over low heat. When hot, add drained noodles and toss well.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over noodles and toss. Mixture will thicken. Add a bit more cream if mixture becomes too thick. Turn off heat and add egg yolk. Mix well. Top with additional Parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper.

Porcupine Meatballs

I have neglected this blog for several months and decided I either needed to stop doing it or start posting some stuff! I wanted to keep it because it is handy for me to have all my recipes in one place and hopefully you all enjoy trying some of them. I realized that I am only posting meatball recipes under beef which is weird since I use beef a lot. I will get some more options under the beef category! These are my very favorite meatballs on the planet earth. They are so tasty. My friend Heather makes these for her family all the time and her mother-in-law brought them to me after Benjamon was born. They make a huge batch and freeze great. One batch makes three meals for my family. We eat the first ones and then I seperate into two freezer bags for later.

1 package Beef Rice-A-Roni
1 package Chicken Rice-A-Roni
2 lbs. ground beef
2 beaten eggs
2 1/2 cups of water

Combine rice mix from both packages with ground beef and eggs. Add beef seasoning packet to meat and rice. Shape into meatballs. Brown in a large skillet or electric skillet. Combine contents of chicken seasoning packet and water. Pour over meatballs. Cover and simmer 30 minutes OR if you are making these in your electric skillet you can put the lit on and cook on the lowest setting for a few hours.

Texas Sheet Cake

This is my favorite cake at the moment. I keep making it over and over so now I must share it with you.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup warm water
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons buttermilk
2-1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease a 9X13-inch baking pan; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup butter, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, and 1 cup water. Bring mixture just to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add the chocolate mixture to dry mixture and beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until thoroughly combined. Add eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk, and 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat for 1 minute (batter will be thin). Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake about 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Place pan on a wire rack.

3. Meanwhile, for frosting in a medium saucepan bring the 1/4 cup butter, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, and 3 tablespoons buttermilk to boiling. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. **At this point I add 3/4 cup chopped pecans. Pour warm frosting over warm cake, spreading evenly.

Oatmeal Cookies

I don't have a photo of these cookies because after I made them I sat down and ate every single one of them. Really I have just become terrible at taking the pictures of food. Okay so this is Nikki's recipe. It is more like a chocolate chip cookie consistency but with oats instead of chips if that makes sense. This was the best oatmeal cookie I have ever eaten. I asked Jamon if he loved them as much as I did and he said "they were a little too sweet for me." I just stared at him for about five minutes while all the mean cruel things that came into my mind about this comment passed. Then I simply said, "in all my thirty years I have never ever tasted anything I thought was too sweet and I can't wait until I do so that I can eat so much of it that I want to puke and then I will fill the tub up with it and bathe in it". And that's what I have to say about that. Here is the recipe. I do hope you will try it.

OATMEAL COOKIES

1 c shortening
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 overflowing tsp salt
3 c oatmeal (i use quick oats)
1 tsp vanilla

cream shortening & sugars. mix in eggs & vanilla. sift flour, soda and salt together. fold flour mix into wet ingredients. stir in oats. bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes.

Mac and Cheese

I fix mac and cheese a lot. I love it!!! I have a bunch of different recipes I use. I am posting this one because Jamon commented that this was the best one I had ever made. It came from the Pioneer Woman of course. It did have a really great flavor. If you like mac and cheese you should try this one. CLICK HERE to go to the recipe.

Breakfast Cookies

I know it has been a long time since I have posted. So sorry about that. I have been cooking a little more lately now that I have this whole pregnancy thing under control. I came across this recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. These were good but more like a straight up cookie rather than a "breakfast" cookie. But don't think we didn't eat them for breakfast. I mean they are called a breakfast cookie right?

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup golden raisins and/or milk chocolate pieces (of course I used the chocolate)
3 cups round toasted oat cereal (such as Cherrios)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl. Beat in water, egg, and vanilla until combined. Beat in flour until combined. Beat in as much of the rolled oats as you can with mixer. Stir in any remaining rolled oats. Stir in raisins and oat cereal.

2. Drop dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls about 3 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store cookies in tightly covered container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Makes 24 (2-cookie) servings.

Blueberry French Toast

Occasionally I serve breakfast for dinner. It is a cheap alternative to your regular dinner and it's fun to change it up. So I usually try to come up with one special treat to go along with it. I found this recipe in an old Taste of Home magazine. I did cut the recipe in half because it would have been way too much for us to eat. The syrup/ sauce is amazing. It would be a great substitute anytime you needed a can of blueberries in syrup. This was yummy, yummy.

Ingredients:
12 slices day-old white bread, crusts removed
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
12 eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup maple syrup or honey

SAUCE:
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon butter
Directions:

Cut bread into 1-in. cubes; place half in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Cut cream cheese into 1-in. cubes; place over bread. Top with blueberries and remaining bread cubes.
In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk and syrup; mix well. Pour over bread mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 25-30 minutes longer or until golden brown and center is set.
In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Stir in blueberries; reduce heat. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until berries have burst. Stir in butter until melted. Serve with French toast.

Texas Delight

1st Layer:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. all purpose flour
1 c. chopped pecan
Mix all ingredients and press into a 9 X 13 dish. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cool completely.

2nd Layer:
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 10 ounce size Cool Whip
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
Mix together and spread over cooled crust.

3rd Layer
2 (3 1/2 oz.) pkg. instant chocolate pudding
2 1/2 c. milk
Mix pudding with milk until thick. Spread on top of cream cheese layer. Spread on remaining whipped topping and garnish with chopped pecans. Chill several hours. Cut into squares.

Mix first 3 ingredients together and put in 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Fold in 1/2 of Cool Whip and spread batter over crust. Mix puddings and milk at low speed for 3 minutes. Spread over cream cheese layer. Spread the rest of Cool Whip on top of pudding layer. Grate Hershey bar over top and refrigerate.

Cheesy Chicken Tetrazzini

Wow. It has been over a week since I have put up any recipes. So sorry about that. This baby in my belly makes me tired so when I get a few minutes to myself I usually want to rest. Not that sitting at the computer is such hard work but you know what I mean. This dish was good. I found a recipe but didn't have everything it called for so I started making stuff up. Here is what I came up with

3 boneless skinless chicken breast cooked
1 (7 ounce) package spaghetti (just how ever much you want really)
1/4 cup of butter or margarine
1 medium onion chopped
2 1/2 TBS flour
1 cup milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup chicken broth (I just use what I have cooked the chicken in, close enough)
1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms drained
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
8 slices of American cheese
1 cup cheddar
Cook spaghetti. In a saucepan saute onion in butter until tender. add flour and stir well. Reduce heat and stir in next ingredients thru the American cheese. Cook slowly until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to sauce and stir. Remove from heat. Drain spaghetti and combine with sauce mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well. Spray a 9 X 13 dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour in casserole. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes.