Cream Wafer Sandwiches

Posted by Lori:
These are one of my favorite cookies. They're definitely not for those who are trying to avoid fat. These are not a little time consuming and delicate to make, but they are also fun to make - especially around the holidays. You can cut them into different shapes as desired. I've made them into Christmas trees and circles, and flowers. Hearts would be cute around Valentine's Day.

CREAM WAFERS
1 c. Butter
1/3 c. heavy cream
2 c. sifted flour

Mix butter, cream & flour until well blended. Refrigerate until well chilled. On lightly floured surface roll out dough 1/8" thick. (Only roll out 1/3 of the dough at a time leaving remaining dough in the refrigerator) With small cookie cutter, cut into desired shape. Transfer shapes to waxed paper covered with granulated sugar. Coat both sides and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Prick with fork about 4 times.

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 7 to 9 minutes. Allow to cool before making sandwiches.

FILLING:
1/4 cup Crisco shortening
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
Food coloring of desired color

While cookies are baking, prepare the filling.

In a large bowl, beat shortening and butter until creamy with an electric mixer. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar and milk. Add food coloring to tint the filling. Beat on high until the filling is light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Spread filling on half of the cookies (bottom side) and sandwich together with the remaining halves, bottoms together.

Mexicali Chicken Casserole

Posted by Lori:
Casseroles are one of my favorite things to make because you can just dump things all together and they taste good (most all of the time, anyway!). Mexican casseroles are my families' favorites. My children thought this was a great "posting" recipe for the blog, so here you are! They ate the leftovers tonight and still liked it....even the youngest who is not too crazy about any type of left-over food.

MEXICALI CHICKEN CASSEROLE
2 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cooked and diced or shredded (I use a 2 1/2 pound bag of frozen chicken)
1 16 ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 can Rotel (I use mild)
1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups cheddar cheese
12 corn tortillas, torn into bite-sized pieces

Place chicken in large pot and cover with water. Cook on medium-high heat and boil for about 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Drain water. Remove fat from chicken if desired or if needed. Dice or shred chicken and return to large pot. Add soup, Rotel, evaporated mil, sour cream, onion powder, cumin, and salt. Cook over medium heat until well blended. Add corn tortillas and stir. Pour half of mixture into 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Top with half of cheddar cheese. Pour in remaining chicken mixture and top with cheddar cheese. Bake for 30 - 45 minutes at 350 degrees until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Butterscotch Thins

Posted by Donna:

Last week I was going through old recipes and I found this refrigerator cookie recipe. The first year I taught school in Altus, I was given this recipe by the grandmother of one of my students. She had brought these cookies to school for their snack time. I remember how much I enjoyed them. I also remember making them several times after I got the recipe; but, for some reason, the recipe had been lost among my very disorganized filing system---which I keep saying I'm going to organize. Yesterday, I decided to make these and see if I still liked them as much as I used to. Since they're a refrigerator cookie, I mixed them up yesterday and baked them this morning before leaving for worship services. I wanted to try them out on my grandsons who were at the house all afternoon.

1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup butter flavored Crisco.

Melt the margarine and crisco. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1/3 cup brown sugar to the melted margarine and Crisco. Beat one egg with a fork; then, add to the mixture.

Sift 1-1/2 cup flour and 3/4 tsp. baking soda together and stir into the creamed mixture.
Add 3/4 tsp. vanilla and 1/3 cup chopped pecans.

Transfer the dough onto wax paper and shape into a long roll. Roll the dough in wax paper and refrigerate overnight. Slice and place on an ungreased or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 to 12 minutes. The tops of the cookies should be a golden brown.

The youngest of the three grandsons said he really liked the cookies. The middle one didn't try them because they didn't have chocolate chips in them. Believe me, I understand his thinking. It's hard to beat chocolate chip cookies.

Ramen Noodle Cabbage Salad

Posted by Lori:

When we have church potluck dinners there are usually at least three of these salads - all a little big different. I like them all. My brother-in-law adds broccoli to his and another lady uses sesame seeds instead of sunflower seeds. This salad has such a variety of flavors and they all mix together for a delicious side to many meals.

Ramen Noodle Cabbage Salad

1 pound package shredded cabbage or slaw mix
5 green onions, chopped
2 packages chicken flavored Ramen Noodle Soup
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tablespoons margarine, melted

Combine cabbage (or slaw mix) with green onions and set aside in refrigerator. Crush noodles. Mix with almonds and sunflower seads in 2 tablespoons melted margarine. Place on cookie sheet in oven and brown lightly at 350 degrees, stirring occassionally. Cool and sprinkle with seasoning packet from ONE of soup packages. Place in a separate container and refrigerate.

DRESSING:
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix together sugar, vinegar, pepper, and salt. Then add oil. Store in separate container in refrigerator until ready to serve. Just before serving, mix together cabbage, noodles and dressing.

Surprise Dinner Rolls

Posted by Lori:
(Note: Some of you may have gotten this last night or this morning via email or other feed. I decided to move it to post again today because Mom and I had both posted for today (my mistake!).

This is another recipe my husband recently found, but then he changed a few little things to make it "his" recipe. It has a surprise ingredient that had I known before I tried them, I would not have thought I would like them. However, they were really good and all four of our children liked them, too.

The best part about the rolls was that he whipped them up one Sunday morning before Bible class and worship, then refrigerated them and baked them afterwards (the recipe instructions are for baking them immediately). Super easy for a dinner roll.

Surprise Dinner Rolls

2 cups self rising flour
3 Tablespoons sugar (can use up to 6 Tablespoons, if you like them sweeter)
6 Tablespoons mayonnaise (regular or light)
1 cup milk
1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease muffin tin cups. Mix flour and sugar together. Stir in remaining ingredients. Fill muffin cups with batter to 1/2 full. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes. Serve warm.

After the kids and I had eaten a roll, my husband then told us what the secret ingredient was. I then could tell that it had mayonnaise, but, I never would have guessed it before.

I told my husband I was posting this and he said that he's going to try mustard next time! That doesn't sound good to me at all, does it you? I hope he's joking :).

Fruit Salad

Posted by Donna:

This recipe really doesn't have a special name---just simply-- fruit salad. I love jello salads; but, I've noticed that they're hardly touched at our fellowship or funeral meals. This recipe is another "go to" that I like to fix for holiday meals. Of course, I'm the one that usually ends up eating most of it.

1 large can fruit salad, undrained ( I think it's the 32 oz. can.)
1-2 oranges, cut into segments
1-2 apples, chopped
1-2 bananas, sliced (Dip the bananas slices in sprite or lemon juice before adding to mixture.)
1 box vanilla jello instant pudding (I have also used banana pudding, but I really like the vanilla better.)

Mix all the ingredients together and chill until time to serve.

Butterfinger Popcorn Balls

Posted by Lori:

I guess since I'm TRYING to stay away from sugar, it's causing me to want to post "sweet" recipes - last time the Pay Day Bars and today this recipe! Actually, I would like to have one of these right now, so maybe posting it will satisfy me (doubtful :)...)

BUTTERFINGER POPCORN BALLS
6 cups popped popcorn
9 Fun Size or 3 (2.1 oz. each) Nestle' Butterfinger Candy Bars, chopped (my small food processor is messed up, but these are easy to crush by putting them in a small bowl and then smashing them with a glass. Fun, too!)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
3 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Combine popcorn and chopped Butterfinger in large bowl. Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in marshmallows. Heat, stirring constantly, until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over popcorn mixture; quickly toss to coat well. Spray hands with cooking spray. Form popcorn mixture into six 3-inch balls. Place on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container or wrap individually with plastic wrap.

These are so good. I especially like the marshmallow version of popcorn balls. I'm sure you could use other candy, such as M & M's or Reeses...maybe even Snickers.

Nope. Didn't work. I still want one :).