Maccaroni and Cheese

2 C. uncooked macaroni
1/4 C. butter
1/4 C. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. ground mustard
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 C. milk
2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni according to pkg. instructions. While macaroni is cooking. melt butter in 2-3 qt sauce pan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute. Stir in cheese. Cook stirring occasionally until cheese is melted. Drain macaroni and gently stir macaroni into cheese sauce. Pout into ungreased 2 qt. casserole dish. Bake uncovered @350 degrees, for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly. Sprinkle crumbled potato chips on top if you want an extra crunch.

Recipe courtesy of one of my Aunts.

Enchilada Sauce

2 cups chicken broth
4 Tbs Chili Powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 heaping tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 pinch ground cinnamon (less than 1/16 tsp.)
1/3 tsp. sugar
5 Tbs. cold water
5 Tbs. white flour

In a 2 quart sauce pan add the chicken broth, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Use a whisk to mix everything well. Heat to a boil, reduce heat to a low boil and cook for 3 minutes. Whisk frequently to make sure all spices dissolve. This is important for flavor and a nice smooth sauce. While the sauce is on a slow simmer/boil, add 5 tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl. With another whisk mix 1 tablespoon at a time of flour. Whisk vigorously to avoid lumps. If you have lumps here, you will definitely have lumps in your sauce. After 3 minutes of cooking sauce, turn the heat up to high. Very slowly, pour the flour mixture into the boiling sauce. Here you must whisk the sauce vigorously while adding the flour to avoid lumps. After all the flour is added, continue to whisk for one minute. You can turn the heat down to medium during this time. Just make sure the sauce is boiling.

***The Cook's modidication-I prefer to use 3 or 4 Tbs. flour. 5 Tbs makes the sauce REALLY thick, so if you prefer a runnier enchilada sauce, do not use the 5 Tbs of flour it suggests.

Found when I Googled: Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Mexican Rice

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 cup of long grain rice
2 1/2 cups cold water
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic salt or 1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 cup of tomato sauce

In a skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add rice and cook until lightly browned. Add water and remaining ingredients, bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until rice is tender.

Recipe courtesy of www.cooks.com

Whip Cream

Cream (heavy whipping cream should do the trick)
Vanilla to taste
Sugar to taste

Using a hand mixer, mix the chilled cream in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Add a little bit of vanilla and sugar and mix enough to taste. Modify the amount of vanilla and sugar and mix just a bit more. You don't want to mix the cream too much or it becomes very thick. I've used this for whip cream in chicken salad, and for angel food cake. It's a pretty good.

Applebee's Teriyaki Sauce

2-3 Tb. Honey
3-5 Tb. Soy Sauce
2 Tb. Mayonnaise
2-3 Tb. Vinegar
1/2 Tb Dijon Mustard

Wisk above ingredients together. As you can see, I'm not real certain on my measurements. When I made my sauce, I really just added each ingredient without measuring until is had the taste and consistency I liked. My recommendation is to go heavier on the honey, and go light on the vinegar. This really did taste like the Teriyaki sauce I'd had at Applebee's.

Pillsbury Dough Crescent Rolls-COPY CAT

2 pkg Active Dry Yeast

¾ C. Warm water (lukewarm)

½ C. Sugar

1 tsp. Salt

2 large eggs

½ C. Shortening (Part Butter)

4 C. Unbleached flourButter or margarine, softened

Dissolve yeast in warm water, in large bowl. Stir in sugar, salt, eggs, shortening and half of the flour into the yeast mixture. Add the remaining flour blending until smooth. I did all this in the mixer. Scrape sides of bowl and cover with a damp cloth. (one that has been dipped in warm water, not a wet one.) Let rise in warm place. Until double. About 1 1/2 hours. Divide the dough in half, rolling each half into a 12-inch circle 1/4 inch thick. Spread with the soft butter and cut each circle into 16 wedges. Roll up each wedge beginning at the large end. Place, point side down, on a greased baking sheet. Curve to form crescents. Cover and let rise until double, 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a golden brown. Brush with soft butter. Makes 32 crescent rolls.

I needed crescent rolls that were slightly flakier than the usual recipe I use. I use these to make Broccoli Ham Ring.

Homemade Ice Cream Cones

One would think homemade ice cream cones are hard to make, but they are actually quite simple! These were a piece of cake for me to make and tasted great. Of course they aren't as crispy as store bought waffle cones, but have enough crisp to them to taste like a real cone.


2 large eggs
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter , melted and cooled
2 - 3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup (50 grams) all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil and pastry brush

In a medium sized bowl whisk together (or use a hand mixer) the eggs and sugar until frothy. Whisk in the melted butter, milk and vanilla extract. Add the flour and salt and whisk until the batter is smooth. The batter should be quite thin (like a crepe batter) so add more milk if the consistency is too thick.

Heat a 8-9 inch (20-23 cm) saute pan over medium heat until it is hot. Reduce the heat to medium low and brush the pan lightly with vegetable oil. Pour or ladle about 3-4 tablespoons of batter into the pan and immediately tilt or rotate the pan so the batter forms a thin 5-6 inch (13-15 cm) circle. Place pan back on the heat and cook until the batter is set and you can see the underside is golden brown (3-4 minutes). Slip a metal spatula under the crepe and gently flip it over. Cook until golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat and slide the crepe from the pan onto your work surface. While the crepe is still hot, quickly start at one edge and roll the crepe into a cone shape. Squeeze the tip of the cone to seal it so the ice cream won't drip out. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Continue making the rest of the cones, lightly brushing the pan with vegetable oil each time. These cones are best if eaten the same day.

The Cook's Tips:

1. I've made these with molds, and without. They ultimately will work with or without, but now that I have some cardboard molds made by Handsome Hubby, I love them. He cut circles out of a cereal box and formed them in the shape of cones, about 5-6 inches long. Then, he covered them in tinfoil and I'm able to use them over and over again.

2. Sometimes the tips don't stay shut when you pinch them closed. Melt a bit of chocolate and drop it in the bottom of the cone to seal it. Helpful and yummy!

3. You really do need to roll the "crepe" around the mold as soon as possible after removing it from the heat. I flip the finished "crepe" onto wax paper then roll it onto the mold. To seal the edges and tip, I press gently on the counter from the inside of the cone mold. You can stick the handle of a kitchen utensil in there as well to seal the bottom.

Recipe courtesy http://joyofbaking.com/IceCreamCones.html

Angel Food Cake

Sift together with fork: 1 C flour, and 3/4 C sugar. Set aside.

12 egg whites
1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond flavor
3/4 C. sugar

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, salt, vanilla, and almond until stiff enough to form soft peaks but still moist and glossy. Add 3/4 C sugar, 2 T at a time, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Sift about 1/4 of flour/sugar mixture over white. Fold in carefully. Repeat until all mixture is added. Bake in ungreased tube pan for 35-40 minutes, @ 375 degrees.

Recipe courtesy of my Mother-in-law.

Pat-in-Pan Pie Crust

1 1/2 C plust 3 T flour
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. vegetable oil
3 T. cold milk

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in pie pan and mix with our fingers until blended. In a measuring cup. combine the oil and milk and beat with a fork until creamy. Pour all at once over the flour mixture. Mix with a fork until flout mixture is completely moistened. Pat the dough with your fingers, first up the sides of the plate, the across bottom. Flute the edges.

Shell is now ready to be filled. If you are preparing a pre-baked crust, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prick the surface of the pastry with a fork and bake 15 minutes, checking often and pricking more if needed.

Recipe courtesy of my friend Paula from Spain.

Granola Bars

4 C. uncooked oats (NOT instant)
1 C packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 C. raisins (optional)
1/2 C shredded coconut
1 C chopped nuts
3/4 C melted butter
1/2 C. honey

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Mix well with greased hands and press into WELL GREASED jelly roll pan. Bake @450 for 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool thoroughly and cut into bars. Store in air tight container to keep chewy.