Pumpkin Dip

2 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
16 oz powdered sugar
15 oz can pumpkin
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg

Cream together cream cheese and powdered sugar, then add the pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Serve with Biscoff (or gingerbread) cookies.

~~This is good, even to non-pumpkin eaters!

All-in-one Pork Chop Meal

1 onion, chopped
1/4 c butter or margarine
6 loin-cut pork chops
1 (1 lb) bag frozen nugget potatoes
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 (8 oz) carton sour cream
½ c chopped green pepper (optional)

Place onion and butter in 1-cup glass measure. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute. Set aside.

Place pork chops in 12x8" baking dish. Spread potatoes over chops. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with waxed paper. Microwave at MEDIUM-HIGH 10 minutes.

Combine onion, soup and sour cream in a bowl. Spread over potatoes. Sprinkle green pepper over the soup mixture, if desired. Cover with plastic wrap.

Microwave on MEDIUM-HIGH for 15-18 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings

Favorite Potato Casserole

Power: HIGH
M/W time: 14 ½ to 18 minutes

½ c butter
1 onion, chopped
1 (2 lb) bag frozen nugget potatoes or hash browns
1 (10 1/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 (8 oz) carton sour cream or plain yogurt
1 c shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp dillweed
parsley - paprika

Place butter in a glass 9" pie plate. M/W on high 1 minute to melt. Stir in onion. Cover with waxed paper. M/W on HIGH 1 ½-2 minutes.

Combine onion and remaining ingredients except spices in a 2 qt. glass baking dish. Sprinkle with dillweed, parsley, and paprika. Cover with waxed paper. M/W on HIGH 12-15 minutes.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Good, but good!

Chocolate Toffee Butter Crunch

Chocolate Toffee Butter Crunch

•1 cup butter

•1 cup sugar

•3 Tbsp water

•1 Tbs light corn syrup

•1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts (pecans or almonds)

•3/4 cups semisweet or milk chocolate pieces

•1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (pecans or almonds)


1. Butter the sides of a large saucepan.

2. Melt the butter. Add sugar, water, and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat until temperature reaches 290 degrees F. on your candy thermometer. Remove from heat, and quickly stir in the coarsely chopped nuts.
3. Spread on buttered cookie sheet, or 9x13 baking pan. Allow to cool for only 2-3 minutes until toffee surface is firm. Sprinkle chocolate pieces on top.

4. After a couple of minutes, spread melted chocolate evenly over surface. Sprinkle finely chopped nuts on top.

5. Chill until firm. Break into pieces. Store chocolate peanut brittle in airtight container.

~~Place Saran Wrap in bottom of Christmas tin that will lap and cover the top of the candy, and give as a Christmas gift.

Dilly Oyster Crackers

2-2.5 bags oyster crackers
1 pkg Ranch House salad dressing mix
1 Tbsp dill weed
½ tsp garlic powder
1 c vegetable oil [try 3/4 c.]

In large bowl, add dressing mix, garlic powder and dill weed. Blend thoroughly. Add crackers, stirring well. Pour oil over and stir till coated. Leave sitting for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Store in air tight container...if there are any left to store.

~~Put in pretty containers for gifts, any time.

Hot Crackers

HOT CRACKERS

4 sleeves of saltines
1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (dry)
1 Tbsp and a pinch of red pepper flakes
12oz. canola oil

Place the saltines in an airtight container.

Mix together oil, dry dressing mix, and red pepper flakes.
Stir well.

Pour over the crackers and seal the lid.
Tumble the crackers to coat.

Tumble every 15 minutes for 2 hours. I just do it when I think of it.

I was told that they should last 2 weeks [although they'll all be eaten long before then].

From Debra Collins, my assistant principal at UCES

Bacardi Rum Cake

Bacardi Rum Cake

1 cup chopped pecans
1 18 1/2 oz yellow cake mix with pudding
3 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/3 cup Wesson oil
1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum (80 proof)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 10" tube or 12 cup bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan. Mix all cake ingredients together. Pour batter over nuts. Bake 1 hour. Cool. Invert on serving plate. Prick top. Allow cake to absorb glaze. Repeat until glaze is used up.

Glaze:

1/4 lb butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum (80 proof)

Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in rum.

Not difficult and so good.

Pat Maddox Lewis

Clam Dip

1 pkg of cream cheese (8 oz), softened
1 7 oz can clams, minced (reserve 1/2 can of juice)
1/2 onion, minced
Worcester sauce - optional (use less clam juice if you add this)
clove of garlic, minced - optional

Mix above with clam juice. Better, if made the day before needed. Good stuff!