Gazooey Balls

I'm sure that recipe title got everyone's attention. ;) I have no idea if this is what the recipe was originally called or not. I've had this recipe for years. I got it from my mother-in-law, Beth when the kids were itty bitty. It's a little bit of a pain to make in my opinion but the end results are so yummy and very much worth it!

1/2 cup brown sugar, well packed
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup white karo syrup
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup water
pinch of salt
2 - 6 oz. packages of puffed rice cereal
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix sugars, syrup, honey, water, and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook until it reaches the hard crack candy stage. Pour over puffed rice cereal and nuts. Mix well. Butter your hands and very carefully form into balls.

Everything Cookies

I got this recipe several years ago from my sister-in-law Emily. I suppose they're called everything cookies because they have a little bit of everything in them. If you like a crispy cookie, then this is a recipe for you. :)

1 cup margarine (I use butter)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup coconut
3/4 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup crisp rice cereal
12 oz. chocolate chips (also really good with butterscotch chips)

Beat margarine and sugars together, add egg, oil, and vanilla. Beat well. Mix remaining dry ingredients together and slowly add into the creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Pumpkin Recipes

I know, it's an odd time of the year to share pumpkin recipes, but I'm going to anyways. :) With being able to get canned pumpkin year round and my daughter having asked for pumpkin pie instead of cake for her birthday next month I figure now is as good as a time as any to share these. I hope you like them as much as we do. I'll warn you now that the Pecan Pumpkin Dessert is incredibly rich and totally worth all of the calories in every bite! ;)

Pumpkin Pie Squares

1 package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter softened
1 egg

Measure out 1 cup of the cake mix and set aside. Mix together butter, egg, and remaining cake mix. Firmly pack into the bottom of a 9x13 greased pan.

1 large can pumpkin
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup evaporated milk (or fresh milk)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs

Make filling of pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar, eggs, and milk. Pour over first layer.

1 cup cake mix (reserved earlier)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Make topping of reserved cake mix, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Mix well until crumbly. Sprinkle over pumpkin mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream or ice cream.

Pecan Pumpkin Dessert

1 can (15 oz) solid pack pumpkin
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 yellow cake mix
1 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Frosting:

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (12 oz) carton of Cool Whip

Line a 13x9 baking pan with waxed paper and coat the paper with nonstick cooking spray, set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with dry cake mix and drizzle with butter. Sprinkle with pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Invert onto a large serving platter; carefully remove wax paper. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Frost dessert. Store in the refrigerator. Makes 15 servings.

Pumpkin Pie

I'm only including the filling here, since I have a pie crust recipe that I like to use.

2 eggs
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup whole milk

Beat eggs and add pumpkin. Stir well to combine. Combine sugars, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Stir spice mixture into pumpkin. Stir in milk until well blended. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 45-55 minutes or until the edge of the pie and the crust is turning light brown.

I feel like such a slacker!!!

Sorry it's been so long since I've shared any recipes. I just haven't felt like cooking much here lately, much less try new recipes. We did try this one about a month ago and really liked it. We made it with fresh blueberries, and it was absolutely scrumptious!

Blueberry Pound Cake

2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup white sugar
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen can be substituted - just thaw and drain first)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 10 inch tube pan with 2 Tablespoons butter. Sprinkle pan with 1/4 cup sugar. Mix together 2 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Dredge the blueberries with remaining cup flour, then fold into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 70-80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for ten minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and cool completely.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These are a favorite in our house and so yummy! My daughter loves to make these when she needs a treat for school. Her friends beg her to make them. I got the recipe out of a magazine years ago. I think probably from Family Circle or Woman's Day.

1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

In large bowl, stir granulated sugar, butter, vanilla extract and chocolate with spoon until blended. Stir in eggs one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least three hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheets with nonstick spray. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into confectioners' sugar; roll around to coat. Shape into balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched. Immediately remove from baking sheet to wire rack; cool.

Alfredo Sauce

This is an easy and really yummy Alfredo sauce. Both of the girls love it. As an added bonus the leftovers heat up nicely so we never throw any out.

14 Tbs. Butter

3/4 C. Cream Cheese

1/2 C. Milk

1 & 1/4 C. Heavy Whipping Cream

1 & 3/4 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese

In a medium sized skillet melt butter and cream cheese. Add milk and cream - blend thoroughly. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Serve over cooked noodles.

Potato Pancakes

Store bought hash browns just don't even compare to these wonderful potato pancakes. This is another recipe from my grandmother, but it goes back further than her even. She grew up eating these. She said her mother always made these to serve with homemade soup. Does anyone else remember the old fashioned soup bowls with the wide rim and the fabulous soup spoons that went with them? My mother has the soup bowls and spoons that belonged to my great-grandparents and oh the memories they bring. Anyways, my grandma says that her dad's favorite way to eat potato pancakes with his soup was to put the potato pancake on the rim of his bowl and break off a little piece of it and scoop up a bite of soup with it. On a cold winter day, potato pancakes and homemade vegetable soup are the ultimate comfort food!

5-7 shredded potatoes
2 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 - 2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup flour
1/2 onion, finely diced
cooking oil - enough to cover bottom of a skillet

Mix all ingredients well. Heat cooking oil over medium/medium high heat. Drop by rounded spoonfuls into hot oil and flatten with the back of a spoon. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Place on paper towels to drain.