Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

A recipe from my early married days. Velveeta Shells & Cheese was a staple. I made every recipe from the boxes and this was the hands-down favorite.

1 box Velveeta Shells & Cheese
1 lb. ground beef
1 med. onion
1 med. bell pepper
1 sm. can sliced black olives
1 can (8oz) pizza sauce
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Prepare the Velveeta as directed on box. Meanwhile, brown meat along with chopped onion and green pepper. Drain and stir in pizza sauce and olives. In a greased 8x8 dish, spoon Velveeta into the bottom, top with meat mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Thumbprint Cookies

Awesome! I think I found the recipe. I went back in the archives- and yes, it was a kid's magazine that held my special recipe... but they have since changed it in the archives to a no-bake recipe. Nooooo! So I think this is it. I remember using shortening. Yummy!

1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. shortening
1/4 c. butter
1/2 tea. vanilla
1 egg
1 c. flour
1/4 tea. salt
jam- raspberry is my favorite

Mix brown sugar, shortening, butter, vanilla & egg in a bowl. Stir in flour and salt until dough holds together.

Shape dough into 1 in. balls. Place on un-greased cookie sheet and press thumb deeply into the center of each cookie.

Bake at 350 about 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool on a rack about 30 minutes. Fill thumbprints with jelly.

Makes about 3 dozen (so give some to your neighbors!)

Sugar Cookie Jamwiches

This recipe brings me back to the days of my famous jam cookies when I was a kid. I had found a recipe in a magazine, and they were amazing. Of course, I never wrote said recipe down! So it's lost! This is pretty close to it, though! Ah, the memories!

2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. butter/margarine
1 c. sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
raspberry, strawberry, or apricot jam

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat butter sticks with sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mix on low speed. Form dough into a ball & divide in half. Roll each dough half between wax paper about 1/4 in. thick. (Chill dough for easier rolling!) Cut out cookies with 2 1/2 in. round cookie cutter. Cut out center of half of the cookies with 1 in. round cutter. Arrange on un-greased cookie sheets.

Bake 9 minutes at 350- or until edges are slightly golden. Remove cookies to wire rack and cool. Just before serving, spread small amount of jam on each whole cookie then top with cut-out cookies. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar (optional).

Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen

Grapefruit & Yogurt Pops

Have you ever been to a bulk warehouse store and seen a gigantic bag of grapefruits? What could one person do with so many grapefruits? Well, the answer is this:

Grapefruit & Yogurt Pops

• 2 cups plain, low-fat yogurt
• 2 cups Pink grapefruit sections
• 1 teaspoon grapefruit zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon or orange extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.

Crunchy Fish Sticks

I'm not a big fan of fish, but it's important in brain development for the kids. Thanks to Parents Mag, I have a recipe. Those frozen fish sticks seem, well fishy about the ingredients and stuff, so this seems like a doable solution! Have fun!

1 1/2 c. flour
1 tbl. dry mustard
salt & pepper to taste
2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 lb. tilapia or halibut (do the halibut even if it's more $. Tilapia are bottom feeders- ick) cut into 24 strips
3 c. panko bread crumbs (I've found these at the store- it just sounds like a weird ingredient)
1/2 c. canola oil- divided

In a large bowl, mix flour, mustard, salt & pepper. Add buttermilk and eggs. Coat fish with the egg mixture then bread crumbs. In a pan, heat some oil on medium high heat and Sautee fish in batches with more oil until done. (about 5 minutes, turning occasionally)

Crock Pot Cherry Jubilee

If you do not try this- I can say with a complete certainty you are missing out on a plate of heaven. Eat it for dinner- eat the whole pot full. Promise me just this one thing.

2 cans (21 oz. each) cherry pie filling
1 pkg (18 oz.) yellow cake mix
1/2 c. melted butter (or margarine)

Spread pie filling in the bottom of a greased slow cooker. Sprinkle dry cake mix powder over the top. Pour melted butter over that, and wham! Cover & cook on high heat for 2 hours or low heat for 4 hours.

Mexican Rice, Beans, & Sausage

• 1 1/2 c. long-grain white rice
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 package (13-ounce) Mexican-flavored smoked turkey-and-chicken sausages, cut crosswise diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 tbl. olive oil
  
• 1 c. (14 1/2-ounce) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/4 c. water
• 1 c. (15-ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 c. (7-ounce) whole-kernel corn, drained
• 2 tbl. chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In 2 1/2-quart casserole or Dutch oven, combine rice, onion, sausages, and oil mixing to coat rice completely with oil.
2. In 1-quart microwave-safe measuring cup in microwave oven or in saucepan over medium heat, heat broth and water to boiling. Pour broth mixture into casserole and cover.
3. Bake rice mixture 30 minutes. Stir in black beans, corn, and cilantro. Cover and bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until all liquid is absorbed.
4. Use as a dip with tortilla strips or wrap in a burrito.