Cereal Cookies

Raisin Bran Cookies

¾ cup crunchy peanut butter

½ cup butter 

¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tbsp honey

2 cups raisin bran crunch cereal

Preheat oven 375º

Cream together butter and peanut butter, then add sugars and beat until fluffy.  Add eggs and honey and beat until well blended. 

Combine flours, baking soda and mix well then add to creamed mixture.  Once all blended add cereal and stir just to combine. 

Drop by spoonful on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375º for 10-12 minutes.

Yield 5 dozen cookies.         

 Crackerberries 2012

Cranberry Muffins

Cranberry Muffins

1½ cups flour

1 cup fresh/frozen cranberries

¾ cup sugar, divided

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 egg, slightly beaten 

¾ cup milk

¼ cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400°.  Lightly grease muffin pan, or spray with cooking oil.

In medium bowl, combine flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

Combine eggs, milk, and vegetable oil and pour all at once in the center of the dry ingredients.  Mix just until moistened.  Batter will be lumpy.  Fold in cranberries.

Spoon into muffin tins; I use a large ice cream scoop to make all tins consistent.  Sprinkle remaining sugar over top of each muffin and bake 15-18 minutes or until golden.  Cool on wire rack 5 minutes and remove from tins.

© Crackerberries 2012

Sausage Potato Soup

Robyn’s  Sausage Soup

I was talking with my daughter and we reminisced about the “all you could eat” soup from the Olive Garden.  It was some sort of potato and sausage soup.  She sent me a link for Zuppa Tuscana.  I changed it to my own version and gave the name to her.  Thanks, Robyn, it was really good!

2 smoked sausages, sliced (10 oz)

4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

1½ cups sliced baby carrots

1 cup mashed potatoes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 bay leaves

1-2 medium onions, chopped

24 oz chicken broth

8 oz extra pale ale

2 cups torn mustard greens

1 cup whole milk

Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven or soup pot and sauté onions and garlic for 5-10 minutes, until onions start to caramelize. Add sausage and beer and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.  Add potatoes, carrots, bay leaves and chicken broth, cover and simmer for 45 minutes until vegetables are tender. 

Remove bay leaves, add mustard greens and cook 10-15 minutes until greens are wilted.  Add milk, salt and pepper and cook just to heat through.  Serve immediately.

© Crackerberries 2012

Lasagna

4 Cheese Broccoli Lasagna

1 package lasagna
15 oz ricotta cheese
1½ cup cottage cheese
½ cup Swiss cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 Tbsp basil leaves
½ lb ground beef
2 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut small
4 cups tomato sauce (I use homemade from the garden)

In large bowl combine ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, Swiss cheese, parmesan cheese, eggs and basil leaves; mix well.  Add broccoli florets and stir well.

Saute ground beef, onion and garlic until brown.  Drain if necessary.  Add two cups of tomato sauce and stir well.  Remove from heat. 

Cook lasagna according to package directions and drain.

Start with a layer of sauce on the bottom of a well greased lasagna pan.  Put a layer of noodles, then ricotta/broccoli mixture, top with sauce; layer three times with final topping being sauce.  Sprinkle with parmesan if desired.  Bake 350º for one hour; let stand 15 minutes before serving.

 

 

© Crackerberries 2012

 

Chunky Monkey Cookies

Chunky Monkey Cookies

(Peanut butter, Banana, Chocolate Chip Cookies)

¾ cup crunchy peanut butter

½ cup butter flavored Crisco + 1 tbsp water

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ cup sugar

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 bananas, mashed

1 egg

2¼ cups all purpose flour

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven 375º

Cream together Crisco and peanut butter, then add sugars and beat until fluffy.  Add egg, bananas and vanilla and beat until well blended.  Combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder and mix well then add to creamed mixture.  Once all blended add chocolate chips and stir just to combine.  Drop by spoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375º for 10-12 minutes.

Yield 5 dozen cookies.         

© Crackerberries 2012

Macaroni and Cheese

"Yankee Doodle went to town riding on a pony, stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni!"

Macaroni + Cheese

2 cups elbows pasta

1 ½ cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

2 cups milk

2 cups fresh broccoli florets

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.  In medium sauce pan melt butter, stir in flour until smooth.  Pour in milk all at once and stir constantly over medium heat until it starts to thicken.  Add cheese and stir until melted.  Combine with macaroni and broccoli.  Place in lightly greased glass baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake 350° 35-40 minutes until bubbly and top is golden brown.  Serve immediately.  We have ours with pig ears, AKA fried bologna.

© Crackerberries 2012

Moussaka

Beef-Potato Moussaka

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced 

8 oz tomato sauce

1 tsp basil leaves

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp pepper

¼ cup butter

¼ cup flour

2 cups milk

4 eggs, beaten

½ cup parmesan cheese

½ tsp salt

5 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

In large skillet, cook beef, onion, garlic and drain.  Stir in tomato sauce, basil, cinnamon and pepper.  Cook until heated, turn off heat.

Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat.  Stir in four until smooth.  Pour in milk and bring to a boil, cook and stir constantly for two minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat, stir a small portion into the eggs and return all to pan and stir well.  Add parmesan cheese to the mixture.

Place half of potatoes in a grease shallow three quart baking dish.  Top with half of the meat mixture.  Arrange remaining potatoes over top and cover with remaining meat mixture. Pour sauce over top.  Bake covered for 45 minutes, remove cover and continue baking for 15 more minutes.  Cool 110-15 minutes before serving.

© Crackerberries 2012