Pork Tenderloins

2 (1 1/2-pound) pork tenderloins
1 tsp. meat tenderizer
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 500. Line 13 x 9 pan with foil.
Wash and pat dry tenderloins with paper towel. Sprinkle well with tenderizer and then rub with Worcestershire.
Melt butter and slowly pour over tenderloins. Sprinkle with lemon pepper and pepper.
Place in oven and roast 15 minutes. Do not cover. Turn off oven and leave tenderloins in the oven for 45 minutes. Do not open the oven door until the time is up.
Let meat rest 5 minutes, slice and serve.

Sausage Penne Pasta

1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with juices
1 cup whipping cream
6 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 lb. penne pasta
1 Cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Melt butter with oil in large skillet. Add onion and garlic and sauté until golden brown and tender (about 7 minutes). Add sausage and mushrooms and sauté until golden brown and cooked through (~ 7 minutes). Drain. Add broth to skillet and boil until almost all liquid evaporates (~2 minutes). Add tomatoes with juices and simmer 3 minutes. Add cream and simmer until sauce thickens slightly (~5 minutes). Stir in 4 Tbl. parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. (This sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat when ready to use.)

Cook pasta until tender but firm. Drain. Put in large bowl. Pour sauce over pasta. Add 3/4 cheese and toss. Sprinkle remaining 1/4-Cup cheese and 2 T parsley on top. Serve.

Beligium Apple Cake

 4 Apples, peeled and chunked,
 1 1/2 c. cooking oil, 
2 c. sugar
, 2 eggs, 
1 teas. vanilla, 
mix all together; 
add 3 c flour, 
1 teas. cinnamon,
 1 teas. baking soda, and 
1/2 teas. salt.
 mix til all flour mixed in, press in 9x13 metal baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 min til golden and set in center. Drizzle mixture of powdered sugar and water to make thin stream over hot cake.


This recipe came from Nancy Carpenter  - our Maine family :) 

Pasta Sauce

Easy Pasta Sauce (Marinara)

1 28 oz can of diced or crushed tomatos. 
2 cloves minced garlic sauted in olive oil
1 tsp each of Basil and Oregano

Simmer for 10 minutes.  If you don't like the consistency, put in the food processor to smooth it out.

I add 1/2 pound ground beef browned in onion and simmer longer. 
Serve over your favorite pasta.

Pizza Dough

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon dry active yeast
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons oil (I use canola)
1 1/2 cup white all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (you can use 2 1/2 cups white if you want)
2 Tablespoons flax seed meal (optional, but that stuff is so good for you!)

Directions
-Dissolve yeast in water, set aside
-Mix all other ingredients together, add water and yeast
-Stir until combined
-Knead for 5-7 minutes or until smooth

-Roll out, place on sprayed cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350
-Add toppings, bake again.

Rhubarb Cake

Melt 1 square butter and put it in a 9x13 cake pan.  Cut up 4 C rhubarb and put in pan.  Add 1 1/2 c brown sugar over rhubarb.  Add one yellow cake mix made according to box directions then pour on top of rhubarb.  Bake 350 until done. 

Grandma Spear's Banana Cake

Cream 1 1/2 C sugar, 1/2 C veg shortening, 2 egg yolks, and 1 C mashed bananas (3).  Add 1/2 C sour milk.  1 tsp Vanilla, 2 C flour to wich 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp baking powder.
And last fp;d om - 2 egg whites beaten until stiff.
Bake 350 degrees 50-55 min. 
Add any kind of fristing.  Chocolate is best!

Chocolate Mint Cookies

• 3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

36 chocolate mint wafer candies - Andes Mint

Directions

1. In a large pan over low heat, cook butter, sugar and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool off slightly.
2. At high speed, beat in eggs, one at a time into chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, beating until blended. Chill dough about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Roll dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes. While cookies are baking unwrap mints and divide each in half. When cookies are brought out of the oven, put 1/2 mint on top of each cookie. Let the mint sit for up to 5 minutes until melted, then spread the mint on top of the cookie. Eat and enjoy!

Easy Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground round beef
• 1 onion chopped
• 1-2 cups vegetables - chopped carrots, corn, peas
• 1 1/2 - 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones)
• 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice

Method

1 Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).
2 While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.
3 Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked.

4 Add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add worcesterchire sauce. Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist.
5 Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter, season to taste.

6 Place beef and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well.
7 Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown.

Penne Pasta with Sausage in Cream Sauce

 1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with juices
1 cup whipping cream
6 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 lb. penne pasta
1 Cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Melt butter with oil in large skillet. Add onion and garlic and sauté until golden brown and tender (about 7 minutes). Add sausage and mushrooms and sauté until golden brown and cooked through (~ 7 minutes). Drain. Add broth to skillet and boil until almost all liquid evaporates (~2 minutes). Add tomatoes with juices and simmer 3 minutes. Add cream and simmer until sauce thickens slightly (~5 minutes). Stir in 4 Tbl. parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. (This sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat when ready to use.)

Cook pasta until tender but firm. Drain. Put in large bowl. Pour sauce over pasta. Add 3/4 cheese and toss. Sprinkle remaining 1/4-Cup cheese and 2 T parsley on top. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet
• Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

weekend -- had leftovers & used it in White Bean Chicken Chili tonight.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
1 large jar Randall Great Northern Beans (not drained)
2 tsp. cumin
1 can beer
1 jar salsa (16 oz.)
1 can chicken broth
2 chicken breasts boiled and shredded
1 brick (8 oz) Monterey Jack Cheese, shreeded

Saute onion in butter until soft, then add rest of ingredients EXCEPT cheese.
Bring to boil to heat through.

You can either add the cheese to chili during cooking, or sprinkle on top when serving.

Also, I always add the entire can of chicken broth, but if you want the chili thicker, you don't have
to add the entire can - you can play with the recipe to make it to your liking!

Easy Fajita Chicken

Best 3 Recipe Ever: 4-6 frozen chix breast, 1 pkg taco seasoning and 1 c. salsa. Put in crockpot and set on low for 6-8 hrs or high for 3-4 hrs. Shred. You can eat it plain, on a tortilla, taco salad, add sour cream, beans, corn, guacamole, shredded cheese (all or nothing). Kids love it!

Apricot Chicken

Apricot Chicken (catalina dressing, onion soup mix, apricot preserves). My kids like the sweet flavor of it, and I serve it with brown rice and steamed veggies....well, I serve brown rice and steamed veggies with just about every meal! I'm boring!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

 Ingredients:
3 1/3 cups all purpose flour 2 sticks butter (softened)
2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp Pumpkin pie spice 4 large eggs
2 tsp. baking soda 2 cups plain pumpkin (16 oz. can)
1/2 tsp. baking powder 2 cups (12 oz. chocolate chips)

Directions:
1.) Heat oven to 350°. Grease muffin cups or use foil or paper baking cups.

2.) Thoroughly mix flour, sugar, pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl.

3.) Break eggs into another bowl. Add pumpkin and butter. Whisk until well blended.

4.) Stir in chocolate chips. Pour over dry ingredients and fold in with a rubber spatula just until moistened.

5.) Scoop better evenly into muffin cups.

6.) Bake 20-25 minutes or until puffed and springy to the touch in the center.

Nutritional Information:
Makes 30 regular sized muffins
240 calories each

Savory Monkey Bread

What we had for dinner: spaghetti and meatballs.....easy....w/ herb parmesan monkey bread. My kids love this recipe and it is so easy! (From my cousin Heidi!). 2 cans refrigerator biscuits; 3 tbls parmesan; 1 tbls parsley; 1 tsp sugar; 1/4 tsp dried oregano, basil, thyme, garlic powder, pepper; 1/4 cup butter. Mix dry ingredients; cut biscuits into quarters and place in large bowl; melt butter and pour over cut biscuits, add dry ingredients and toss to coat well. Place mixture in 9 in glass pan (or loaf pans) and bake @ 350 for 20 mins or until slightly browned! Enjoy!!

Pirate Stew

Spray crock pot with cooking spray and layer in:
2 sliced onions, 2 medium sliced potatoes, 1 pound ground beef, 1/2 cup uncooked rice, 1 cup sliced carrots adding salt & pepper to each layer....mix 1 can tomato soup with 1 cup boiling water and pour over top....cover and cook 4 to 6 hours on low.

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pork Loin

 Cook Time: 9 Hours

Ingredients:
1 boneless pork loin roast, 4 - 6 pounds
1 clove garlic, halved
Salt and pepper
1 1/3 cups brown sugar, divided
1 T. Dijon Mustard
1 T. Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon

Preparation:
Wash pork roast, trim excess fat, pat dry, and rub with garlic halves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then prick the roast all over with a fork or skewer.
In a cup or bowl, combine 1 C. of the brown sugar, the mustard, and vinegar. Rub all over the roast.

Cover and cook on LOW for 7 - 9 hours. Pour off the excess juices.

Combine the remaining 1/3 C. brown sugar with cinnaman; spead the mixture over the top of the roast. Cover and continue cooking on LOW for 1 hour longer. Slice and serve.

Serves 6-8

I usually take the juices and make a sweet gravy to use over the meat and mashed potatoes. So good!

Oven Baked Bacon

1 lb of bacon

Line cookie sheet with foil.  Put bacon on foil.
Put in cold over and turn oven on 400 degrees, 17-20 minutes or until bacon is crispy.

Mom's Goulash

1 lb box macaroni cooked
2 cans condensed tomato soup
1 lb ground beef cooked
1 small onion
1/2 cup green pepper
8 oz diced canned tomatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I use sharp)
2 TBL grated parmesan cheese
Brown ground beef with onion and green pepper.  Add to cooked macaroni noodles.  Add tomato soup, tomatoes and cheeses.  Stir and serve with warm bread.