Pecan Balls

1/2 lb. butter
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
7 Tbls. sugar
2 cups Pecans, finely chopped
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix butter and flour together till it's like pie dough. Add sugar, pecans and vanilla. Roll into balls the size of walnuts. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool slightly then roll in granulated sugar. After cooling completely roll in powdered sugar. Enjoy!

*Thank you Gloria for sharing your mother's recipe for Pecan Balls with me. This recipe entry is dedicated to Lucille aka Loose Wheels.
:-)

Turkey Wraps

4 10-inch flour tortillas
8 to 12 trimmed leaves of green leaf lettuce, washed & dried
12 oz. thick sliced deli smoked turkey breast
12 slices bacon, cooked
1 large tomato, cored and thinly sliced
1 ripe avocado, peeled & thinly sliced
2 tsp. lime juice
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 cup arugula (it's a type of lettuce green - okay to omit if you don't have any), washed and dried
3/4 cup Ranch dressing


Toss avocados with 2 tsp. lime juice. Wrap tortillas in barely damp, doubled layers of paper towels and microwave on high for 45 to 60 seconds. Or, heat the tortillas individually in an un-greased large skillet over medium heat. Lay the tortillas on a cutting board and start to layer the ingredients. Fan the leaf lettuce on the top three-quarters of each tortilla then lay the turkey slices on top, followed by the bacon, tomato, avocado and red onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with the arugula and some of the dressing. Fold up the bottom quarter of the tortilla and then start to roll each sandwich into a cone shape. Secure the tortilla with a toothpick. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Russian Tea Cakes

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts (pecans & macadamia are perfect for this)
1/4 tsp. salt
powdered sugar

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla in large bowl. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly on wire rack. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar, cool on wire rack. Roll in powdered sugar again. Cool completely. Enjoy!

Reuben Dip

8 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
8 oz. corned beef, chopped
1 (5 oz.) can sauerkraut, drained
12 oz. shredded Swiss cheese

Mix all ingredients together and warm on medium power in the microwave till cheese melts or on medium on the stove top stirring constantly. Serve with rye crackers or pumpernickel bread. Yum. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Scotchies

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla or grated peel of 1 orange
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 2/3 cup (11 oz. pkg.) butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla or orange peel in a large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and chips. Drop by rounded Tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes and then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy!

Carrot Cake Cookies

1 pkg. (about 18 oz.) spice cake mix
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup shredded carrots (about 2 medium)
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
Cream cheese frosting (you can buy it at the store where the cake mixes are, or you can make your own - see my 06/12/07 carrot cake recipe)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Combine cake mix, flour, oil, water and egg in large bowl. Stir in carrots, walnuts and raisins until well blended. Drop dough by rounded Tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. Remove cookies to wire rack and cool completely.  Spread cookies with frosting before serving. Enjoy!

Crockpot Turkey and Rice

2 cans (10 3/4 oz. each) cream of mushroom soup
2 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
1 cup sliced celery
2 cups cubed cooked turkey (Thanksgiving leftovers is great!)
2 cups frozen peas and carrots
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 Tbls. minced onion

Pour soup and water into Crock-pot and mix. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Cook 5 to 7 hours on low or 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours on high. Check from time to time to make sure rice does not get mushy. Enjoy!

Sausage, Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna

8 oz. lasagna noodles (you can use whole-wheat)
1 lb. Italian sausage with casings removed (turkey is excellent)
4 cups sliced mushrooms (10 oz.)
1/4 cup water
1 lb. frozen spinach, thawed
1-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (chunky is best)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 lb. ricotta cheese (2 cups & you can use skim)
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (about 2 cups & you can use skim also)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add noodles and cook until not quite tender, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain; return the noodles to the pot, cover with cool water and set aside.
Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and water; cook, stirring occasionally and crumbling the sausage more, until cooked through and the water has evaporated and the mushrooms are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Squeeze spinach to remove excess water, then stir into the pan; remove from heat.
To assemble lasagna: Spread 1/2 cup of the tomatoes in the prepared baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, trimming to fit if necessary. Evenly dollop half the ricotta cheese over the noodles. Top with half the sausage mixture, one-third of the remaining tomatoes and one-third of the mozzarella. Continue with another layer of noodles, the remaining ricotta, the remaining sausage, half of the remaining tomatoes and half of the remaining mozzarella. Top with third layer of noodles and the remaining tomatoes. Cover the lasagna with foil and bake until bubbling and heated through, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove the foil; sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella on the top. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is just melted but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Summer Fruit Salad

Salad:
1 large mango, peeled & diced
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 bananas, sliced
2 cups fresh strawberries, halved
2 cups seedless grapes
2 nectarines, unpeeled & sliced
1 kiwi fruit, peeled & sliced
Honey Orange Sauce:
1/3 cup unsweetened orange juice
2 Tbls. lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbls. honey
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
dash of nutmeg

Prepare the fruit. Combine all ingredients for sauce and mix. Just before serving, pour honey orange sauce over fruit. Enjoy!

Hash Brown Potato Quiche

3 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup cooked ham, chopped
1 cup (4oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Spread the potatoes on paper towels and press out any remaining moisture. Pat the potatoes over the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-inch pie plate. Drizzle the butter over the potatoes, making sure the edge is totally covered. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees after baking hash browns.
Layer the ham, cheese, pepper and onion over the baked potato crust. Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl until blended and pour over prepared layers. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Refrigerate any leftovers. Enjoy!