Gramma's Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:
6 T sugar
6 T shortening
2 t salt
1 cup warmed milk (or 1 cup warm water mixed with 1/3c+3T powdered milk)
1 cup warm water
2 T yeast
2 1/2 cups wheat flour
1 1/2-2 1/2 c white flour

Cream sugar, shortening and salt. In a liquid measuring cup warm the milk to 120*, then add to shortening mixture. In liquid measuring cup warm the water to 120* and add 2 T yeast and let dissolve. Once the yeast is dissolved add water to the mixing bowl and mix slightly with the shortening mixture. Add the wheat flour and 1/2 cup of white flour. Mix well. Add enough remaining white flour to form a soft dough. Place in lightly greased bowl and let raise until doubled.
Shape as desired. These are rolls that easily pull apart. To do this, grease a muffin tin. Roll 3 small balls to fit in each spot. (This picture shows them after they have raised a bit. The balls were smaller when I had JUST rolled them.) These ones are fun because you can just pull them apart and enjoy!
Of course, a good 'ole round roll works GREAT for leftover turkey salad sandwhiches! I made some of both. We'll have the pullaparts with our Thanksgiving dinner. And when we finally feel like eating again later that evening we'll have leftovers on the round ones! I will never understand why my rolls don't look just like Gramma's! I mean, yah, they still look good...but there's just SOMETHING about a Gramma's cooking...

*Super Easy* Peanut Butter Cookies

...perfect to make with little kids!!!

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Mix together. Plop on a pan in whatever size you want. Score with a fork or pastry blender...and bake at 350* for 10ish minutes.

DONE.

Ok, these may not sound amazing. But they are a true melt-in-your-mouth goodness. And who needs to deal with flour, baking soda, and all that needless calorie adding junk?

I'm thinking you could add chocolate chips or peanut butter chips and it would add to the fantasticness!

TRY THEM.

Tis the Season for....

Pumpkin Seeds!!!!


It saddens me greatly to know how many in this world have not experienced the pure joy of eating fresh roasted pumpkin seeds. Please, if you are reading this thinking "Ewww...pumpkin seeds..." but have only have store bought, I plead with you to keep an open mind until you have tried the home-made variety!

So here's the "recipe" which is more of a how-to guide because the only actual ingredients are pumpkin seeds and some spices of your choice.

1) Find a pumpkin. Any pumpkin will do. If you aren't looking to carve the thing, it's often nice to pick the ugly one so other's can have the carve-able ones. That's just my observation. Please, though...at least cook the pumpkin too...or give it to me to cook for you.

2) Dig out the "goop" in the middle of the pumpkin using whatever method you find most agreeable. I use a spoon.

3) Get the seeds out of the rest of the "goop" and transfer to a bowl of water to soak.

4) After the seeds have soaked a half hour or so go through them again to get all the little strings, and pumpkin leftovers off.

5) Lay the seeds out on a towel to dry overnight. They may not be totally dry but you can still continue with the next step in the morning.

6) Add a little bit of butter to a frying pan. Add seeds. You want just enough butter to coat the seeds. Add, salt, garlic salt, onion salt, and any other desired seasoning. (Seasoning salt and parsley are common spices to use as well). Fry seeds until they just start to brown.

7) lay out evenly in a pan and bake at 250 until they are completely dried. (an hour?) Stir occasionally if you aren't using stoneware. I always taste them to see when they are done. WHen they are crunchy they are done.

I realize this isn't the best guide, but really, it's hard to mess them up.

Having said that. Tonight I did mess mine up! I added garlic salt, and garlic powder. Please...PLEASE learn from me. When choosing spices make sure you have DIFFERENT spices!!! (I thought I had garlic and onion salts.)

Taco Soup

Beats chili any day of the week. And it's easy!

Ingredients:
2lb hamburger
1 onion, chopped
1 29oz can tomato sauce
2 14.5 oz cans sliced stewed tomatoes
5 cans kidney beans
2 T (or packages) taco seasoning
6 cups water

Brown the hamburger with the onions. Add tomatoe sauce and stewed tomatoes. (I usually cut the stewed tomato slices into fourths to make the chunks more bite friendly.) Add taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Serve with sour cream, grated cheese, and corn chips.

Serves 12
Serving size 2 cups
points per serving 4 (without cheese, sour cream, chips)

Peanut Butter Brownie Dessert*

*Definitely not diet-friendly.
Definitely worth it!

Ingredients:
1 box family size brownies (chocolate chunk is an excellent choice for this recipe!) + ingredients to make brownies
1/2-2/3 cups reese peanut butter chips
1 (8oz) block cream cheese
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1 (8oz) tub whipped topping
1 cup powdered sugar
2 T mini chocolate chips

Mix brownies as directed on back. Add 1/2 cup peanut butter chips and mix well. Spread into 9x13 (or large round bakeware). Bake until middle is set. Cool completely.
Meanwhile beat cream cheese, peanut butter and powdered sugar until creamy. Fold in whipped cream. Spread mixture over brownie. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. (Peanuts too, if desired). Chill for an hour before serving.

This is my new very favorite "pie" (I call it pie because i bake it in a round pan so it doesn't get called cake. It will be served at Thanksgiving this year. Guaranteed.

Ho Ho Cake (AKA Anchor Cake)*

This cake was a specialty of my Gramma's. She made it often, and it came to be known as "Anchor Cake" in our family because it is so filling. My twin brother has requested this cake every year for his birthday since the first introduction to this cake! When I was little I used put it on my plate frosting side down, then eat the cake off, and finish just by eating the cream/frosting part. It is truly a fantastic cake, and it really doesn't take any ingredients that are normally not on hand! It's making me hungry just THINKING about it!

Cake Ingredients:
1 chocolate cake mix (any flavor chocolate will do)
+ ingredients need to bake cake.

Mix and bake cake in 9x13 pan according to package directions. Cool completely.

First Topping Ingredients:
5 T flour
1 1/4 cup milk
1 c sugar
1 stick (1/2 c) margarine
1/2 c crisco
1 t vanilla

Mix 5 T flour with milk. On stovetop, heat -stirring constantly-until thick. Cool. Meanwhile, cream sugar, margarine and crisco. When flour mixture is cool add to sugar mixture adding vanilla as well. Beat until it looks like whipped cream (at least 5 minutes or more). Spread over completely cooled cake. Refrigerate to cool completely (I often refrigerate it overnight!)

Second Topping Ingredients:
1 stick (1/2 c) margarine, melted and cooled.
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
3 (1oz) unsweetened chocolate squares, melted
2 T hot water

Mix together margarine (melted and cooled), egg, vanilla, sugar, and chocolate squares (melted) and 2 T hot water. Mix well then pour over the whipped cream layer. Cool completely before serving.

Store in refrigerator.

I don't even want to know how many points this is. SO, we are gonna count this as a day-off splurge! Perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, and other such excuses.

Iced Latte Excellante (that's a step above excellent!)*

Ingredients:
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 c instant coffee
2 c cold water
4 c chocolate milk
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

Add instant coffee to boiling water. Pour into pitcher and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Serve over ice. This recipe can be done using hershey's syrup and milk--but I am not sure how that affects the points values.
Makes 2 qts
8 servings
Each serving = 6 points
(If you use lowfat chocolate milk, and fat free sweetened condensed milk, it reduces the points value to 4 per serving!!!)