Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick of unsalted butter
1 pkg of cream cheese
1/2 tsp (or so) of vanilla
powdered sugar


cream butter and cream cheese together in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer. mix in vanilla. gradually mix in powdered sugar, about a 1/2 cup at a time until you like the taste. i usually add about 2-3 cups. i keep adding until i can taste the sugar. you can also sift the sugar for a smoother texture.

you can also add in other flavors or colorings at the end. almond extract, peppermint extract and cocoa powder are fun to add (choose one or two).

spread on cupcakes, cakes, cookies, bagels, banana muffins, popcorn, etc.

Yum-o Chili Mac

My version of Rachel Ray's Chili Mac. I don't usually like Chili because I don't like beans, but this is yum- o! It's super-easy and makes incredible leftovers.

1 pound of pasta (penne, macaroni, rotini or bowtie, something bite-size)
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 an onion
one green and one red pepper (or two green red are sometimes really expensive)
2-3 cloves garlic or 2 tsp crushed garlic (I LOVE the kind in a jar - my hands don't smell afterward)
1 cup of beef stock
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup of shredded cheddar, smoked cheddar, colby jack or whatever you have on hand


Start a big pot of boiling water, add the pasta when ready. While pasta is cooking, brown meat in large stock pot. Drain meat if desired, and add chili powder and crushed pepper. Stir and then add onions, garlic and peppers, cook until peppers are soft. Add beef stock and crushed tomatoes. Cook a couple of more minutes, add the pasta, mix well and pour into casserole dish. Cover the top with shredded cheese, pop in the oven to broil (or put it on 400 if you don't have a broiler like me). Take it out and serve with sour cream, avocados or crushed chips.

Paula Deen's Pumpkin Bars

I'm not a fan of watching Paula Deen on TV, but I love her recipies. This one, rather than starting with a pound of butter, starts with 4 eggs, almost 2 cups of sugar and a cup of oil... But it sounds yummy though, huh? I added a few things like vanilla and nutmeg, but kept it mostly the same. This recipe created super-moist almost cake-like goodness. Spread a little cream cheese frosting or sprinkle with powdered sugar. Yum!

Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 c sugar
1 c vegetable oil
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1/2 tsp vanilla

2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Frosting:

4 oz cream cheese (half a package)
1/4 cup butter (half a stick)
1 - 1 1/2 powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together eggs, sugar, oil, pumpkin and vanilla until fluffy. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeng, salt and baking soda. Add dry ingredients and mix on low until fully incorporated. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan (I used non-stick but glass or whatever would work). Bake for approximately 35 minutes.

Icing: mix cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar a little at a time until its to your liking. I like a LOT of sugar. Spread on top of bars once they have cooled.

Cinnamon Butter

Discovered on Fashionably Foodie, this recipe is what they serve at Texas Roadhouse Grill, one of my favorite restaurants.

1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons cream or milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream together butter and sugar in your stand mixer or with a hand mixer (or a really strong arm and whisk). Add salt and cinnamon, mix a little more. Mix in milk. Stores great in the fridge for a few days; warm to room temperature before serving.

I served this on Christmas Eve with some rolls fresh from the oven. Would also be great on french toast or muffins.

Blaine Salad

This recipe is based on the Blaine Salad served at The Pizza Factory, a Utah-based pizza and pasta joint.

2 heads of romaine lettuce
1/2 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
3/4 cup toasted almonds
poppy seed dressing to taste

optional:
shredded or cubed chicken

Chop romaine lettuce into short strips. Toast almonds in the oven (400 degrees) or on the stovetop (medium heat) in a non-stick skillet. Be careful not to burn the almonds. After letting the almonds cool a little, mix craisins, almonds and dressing with lettuce. To make it a meal, add some leftover shredded chicken.

Sarah's Spinach Salad

One bag of baby spinach
1/2 carton of white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 a red onion, sliced
10-12 strips of bacon (can substitute turkey bacon or a 1/2 cup of bacon bits)
1 to 2 cups of shredded swiss cheese
8 oz of cottage cheese (drain it a little bit)
poppy seed dressing to taste

Mix spinach, mushrooms, onion, bacon and cheese in large bowl. Just before serving, add cottage cheese and dressing and combine well.

This salad is so yummy that my newest sister-in-law served it at her wedding. It's also a man-friendly salad since it contains bacon.

Grandma's Southern Sweet Potatoes

This is my favorite dish from the Thanksgiving spread. My grandmother has always made this dish and I always eat lots of it! This year I spent Thanksgiving with my in-laws and made this dish; it received rave reviews and is probably now a Cook family tradition too.

orange goodness:
5-6 cups sweet potatoes (I think I had 3 medium sized and one LARGE potato)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar (I used a mixture of brown and white, you could use either or both)
1 tsp salt
1 cup of milk (I used 2%)
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup broken pecans
2/3 - 3/4 cup flour
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

Cut yams into large chunks; boil until soft. Let cool a few minutes and then peel (the peeling should come off very easily). Place the cooked potatoes (works best while still warm) into a stand mixer or large bowl. Turn on mixer and gradually add in butter, eggs, sugar, salt, milk, vanilla cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well until smooth. If it looks like baby food, you've done it right. Pour mixture into a 9x13 dish. Note: You could use a smaller but deeper dish for this recipe. I like this size because you have lots of room for topping. The topping really makes this dish.

At this point I wash out my stand mixer bowl and start new. Add brown sugar, broken pecans, flour and chunks of butter into bowl. Mix well. Spread crumbly mixture over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. You could refrigerate overnight before baking to make things easier. This dish makes EXCELLENT leftovers.