Cucumber Radish Pasta Salad

1 lb small shell pasta, cooked, rinsed in cold water, and drained
1 cucumber, chopped lengthwise in quarters and then sliced
6 green onions, chopped
6 radishes, chopped
3 small (Roma size) tomatoes, chopped (I scrape out the seed part so the salad doesn't get soggy and mushy)
5 chopped slices of cooked bacon (OR about 3 TBSP bacon bits)
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
5 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 can black olives, finely chopped
1 1/2 Cups mayonnaise
3/4 Cups Sour cream
salt
lots of pepper

Mix everything in a large bowl and chill until you serve it. I'm wondering if mozzarella cheese cubes added to this would make it even yummier! Hmmmmm...

Texas Sheet Cake

Combine in a large mixing bowl-
2 Cups flour
2 Cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

In medium saucepan, melt-
2 sticks butter (1 Cup)
Add 4 heaping Tablespoons cocoa

Mix well. Add 1 cup boiling water and allow mixture to softly boil, while stirring, for 30 seconds, then turn off heat.

Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly, and briefly, to cool.

In measuring cup, mix-
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Combine thoroughly.

Pour into jelly roll pan (deep large cookie sheet, approx 13"x 17 1/2") and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make icing.

Icing
Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter (7/8 Cup) in a large-ish saucepan
Add 4 heaping Tablespoons cocoa and stir to combine, then turn off heat.
Add 6 Tablespoons milk (or about 1/4 inch under 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar (14oz on my kitchen scale)

Stir together.

Add 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans. (Optional.)

Stir together, and pour over warm cake right when it comes out of the oven. Smooth icing all over top and let cool. Cut into squares to serve. Super yummy with a glass of cold milk!

See Pioneer Woman's instructional photos...my recipe only differs from hers in that I add cinnamon.

Chicken Tetrazzini

Ingredients

8 oz spaghetti, cook as directed on package
1 small chopped onion
1/2 green pepper, chopped, about 2/3 cup
2 Tbsp butter
3-4 Cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 1/2 Cups monterey jack cheese, grated
2 cans, 10.75 oz each, cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can of milk
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
grated parmesan for the top

(I usually cook too much spaghetti so when I do I freeze it and then thaw it out to use it when I make this casserole. Also, whenever I boil and chop chicken, I always do extra and freeze that too, for casseroles. Sometimes I can have most of the ingredients for a meal in my freezer, already prepped. You can do that with lots of veggies, shredded cheese, marinara sauces, etc... It sure does save time.)

In a medium skillet, sauté the onions and green peppers lightly in the butter, just to soften them up. I don't like my onion to cook down so that it's soggy so I put it in a minute or two after my green peppers.

Mix onions, peppers and all remaining ingredients (except the parmesan) in a large bowl, thoroughly. Place in 9x13 casserole baking dish. Lightly sprinkle with parmesan cheese to your taste.

Bake in a 350° preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until bubbly and a little crispy on top.

Incidentally, this meal can be prepped and frozen in a large ziploc bag and then thawed and baked later.

Taco Seasoning Mix

Why buy taco seasoning packages when you can mix your own?



2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon oregano

Mix together in small container and use as you would any store bought taco mix. Then congratulate yourself for saving a buck!

Marshmallow Fondant

This is a fabulous fondant recipe and tastes yummy too! This was my first time working with fondant and I will use it many, many times in the future, I'm sure. Don't get intimidated by the word "fondant"! It was easy!

(P.S. Fondant is 6 bucks a pound or more in the store...this only cost me 4 bucks to make 3 pounds!)

Ingredients

16 ounces white mini-marshmallows (use a good quality brand)

2 to 5 tablespoons water

2 pounds C&H Powdered sugar (this brand has the best results)

½ cup Crisco shortening (placed in a very easily accessed bowl)

Directions

Over double boiler, add 2 Tbsp of the water and the marshmallows. Melt marshmallows completely, stirring constantly. Once the marshmallows are all melted, remove from heat and pour in 3/4 of the powdered sugar and give it a quick stir or two.

Generously grease the counter with some of the Crisco. Repeat as necessary.

Carefully dump the marshmallow and powdered sugar mix on the counter. It may be a little bit hot so be careful.

Generously grease your hands as it is sticky. Repeat as necessary.

Knead the powdered sugar into the melted marshmallows like you would knead bread dough. *Wear an apron. °Ü° * Gradually add the remaining 1/4 package of powdered sugar. It takes about 8 minutes to incorporate all the powdered sugar. (I actually didn't get all 2 pounds of mine mixed in but I liked the doughs consistency so I stopped trying to get it all to mix in.)

If your dough is tearing easily it needs a bit more water, added 1/2 Tbsp at a time, kneaded into it. Get it to a firm, smooth elastic ball.

When the dough is finished you can give it a quick coating of Crisco and double wrap it in plastic and store it in the refrigerator. When you want to work with it, just remove it from the fridge a few hours before you need to use it so it will be easier to knead. You want it to be about body temperature to roll out and place over cake. You can store it in the fridge for weeks.

To add color to the fondant, use a toothpick to add in paste type icing colors. Just drag them through the dough and then knead in. (Lightly Crisco your hands again to avoid the stickiness.) The colors actually wash off your hands easily if you don't use too much so don't worry about that. Also, be sure to keep any fondant dough that you aren't working with wrapped up in plastic so it doesn't dry out.

To glue one fondant piece to another, just get barely get it wet with a small amount of water and it will stick to itself. (I really couldn't believe that worked!) Be careful not to over wet it or the color may bleed, run or smear.

There are lots of fondant tips on the web so look around. I got my recipe from this website and she has great directions and tips. Also, I learned how to make the puppy for Riley's cake from this three part video. Wilton's web-site has tons of fondant tips, ideas and directions, too. Have fun!

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 yellow cake mix
1 Cup peanut butter
1/2 Cup oil
2 Tbsp water
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients together. Roll into balls. Smash lightly with fork dipped in sugar to make criss-crossed fork marks.

Bake for 12 minutes at 350° or until golden.

Yummy with creamy or crunchy peanut butter!

Pumpkin Muffins

(from the inside label of the Libby's Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix)



Makes 24 muffins 400° 16 minutes

Muffin Ingredients
4 Cups baking mix
1 Cup raisins (optional)
2/3 Cup quick or old-fashioned oats
2/3 Cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 can (30 oz) Libby's Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix
2 large eggs

Streusel Topping
3 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 400°. Paper line muffin cups.

Combine streusel topping ingredients and cut butter in thoroughly with fork in small bowl.

For muffins, combine baking mix, raisins, oats, sugar, and cinnamon in large bowl. (If only half like raisins, omit now and stir in 1/2 cup to batter after half the muffin cups have been filled.)

Combine pumpkin pie mix and eggs in medium bowl, mixing well.

Stir into oat mixture just until moistened.

Spoon batter into muffin cups 3/4 full.

Sprinkle with streusel topping.

Bake for 16 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool slightly, serve warm.

Baking Mix

(Like Bisquick)

9 Cups flour
1/4 Cup sugar
3 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp salt
2 Cups shortening

Mix until flour and shortening are thoroughly mixed together. Store in a tightly closed container. Makes about 12 Cups.

*When I only need a little bit, I cut the recipe into thirds. 3 Cups flour, for the sugar I just eyeball what looks like a third of 1/4 Cup, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 2/3 Cup shortening. Makes just over 4 cups.