Stephanie's Cranberry Salsa

Cranberry Salsa Dip with Cream Cheese

Ingredients:

1 (12-ounce bag) or 3 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup minced green onions
2 small (approximately 2 tablespoons) jalapeno chili peppers, cored, seeded and minced
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves minced
2 tablespoons finely-grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
Cranberries and/or cilantro sprigs for garnish

Preparation:

Rinse, drain, and pick over cranberries, (discarding all that are soft or bruised). Place them in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped but not mushy.
Place crushed cranberries in a bowl; mix together with onions, jalapeno peppers, sugar, cilantro leaves, ginger, and lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours so flavors develop (salsa will be too sharp and tart to begin with).
On a serving plate, place cream cheese; cover with the dip. Garnish, if desired, and served with crackers.
Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Cranberry Salad

3 Cups of whole fresh cranberries
3/4 Cup sugar
1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple (drained)
2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pomegranate seeds


Chop cranberries in food processor until they are fine and no large pieces remain. Transfer to a bowl and stir sugar into cranberries. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Drain any accumulated juice from cranberries and reserve.  Stir in drained pineapple and marshallows. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.  Fold into the cranberry mixture. Adjust texture with the reserved cranberry juice if needed.

Refridgerate or freeze.  Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

{recipe and photo found here}

Swiss Chicken

6-8 Boneless Chicken breasts
Sliced Swiss Cheese, even slices to cover chicken
1 Can cream of chicken soup
1/2 C. Milk
1 Cube butter, melted
2 C. Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing (blue bag)

Place chicken breasts in baking dish.  Cover with slices of Swiss cheese.  Make a sauce with soup and milk and pour over chicken.  Mix butter and stuffing and sprinkle over top of chicken and cheese.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake and additional 30 minutes  or until chicken is done.

"Funeral" Potato Casserole

In small saucepan, melt and stir until smooth, the ingredients below:

• 2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1/2 Cup Butter
• 1 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1/3 C. Chopped green onion or equivalent onion flakes
• 1 pint sour cream (2 cups)

Frozen Shredded Hash Browns (I like the ones from Costco)

Put a layer of hash browns in a 9 x 13 pan.  Pour half of the above mixture on the hash browns and smooth with spatula to cover the hash browns.  Repeat with another layer of hash browns and then another layer of sauce.

Combine:  1 C. Crushed cornflakes (or more if you like ), and 2 Tbsp. melted butter.  Sprinkle on top of casserole and bake uncovered for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Vegetable Pizza

2 Cans Refrigerated Crescent Roll Dough
2- 8 oz. Pkg Cream Cheese, Softened
1 Envelope Buttermilk Ranch Style Salad Dressing
1/2 C. Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Milk
1/2 C. Each-- Finely chopped Broccoli, Cauliflower, Celery, Shredded Carrots, Radishes, Onion, or whatever veggies you like  (I might have used green peppers, broccoli, and cauliflower at M & M...can't remember).
1 C. Grated Cheddar or Mozzarella Cheese (I used Cheddar)
1 C. Chopped Tomatoes-(I add these on top of the cheese just before serving)

Unroll 2 cans of dough and arrange on large cookie sheet.  Press edges of dough together to form a solid layer.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minues.  Cool.

Combine:  Cream cheese, salad dressing mix, mayo, and milk.  Beat until smooth.   Spread creamed mixture on cooled crust.  Sprinkle vegetables evenly over cream cheese layer.  Top with grated cheese.  Chill until served.  Add tomatoes just before serving.  I use cherry  or grape tomatoes-quartered.

Candied Coconut Sweet Potatoes

4 C mashed Sweet potatoes (5 med sweet potatoes or 2 large sized cans)

2/3 C Sugar

1/2 C butter

2 eggs

1/2 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 t vanilla

Topping:

2 C brown sugar

2 C sweetened coconut flakes

1/2 C melted butter

3/4 C chopped pecans

If using fresh sweet potatoes, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick each sweet potato with a fork and place on foil in the oven. Cook for 40-60 minutes or until tender.

Cool, then slice in half and scoop out the insides into a mixing bowl.

To the mixing bowl add in sugar, butter, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla.

Spread this mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 pan.

For the topping, combine brown sugar and coconut and then pour melted butter over and combine. Add pecans. Sprinkle evenly over the sweet potatoes in the pan.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40-50 minutes.

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 c. softened butter
• 1 c.granulated sugar
• 1/2 t.salt
• 1 box (7.4 oz) Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink mix -not sugar free- all 10
• packets (I found this in my grocery store near the hot chocolate mixes.)
• 2 eggs
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• 3 c. all purpose flour
• 1 bag Kraft Caramels (14 oz)

Method:

· Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment. (You really need the parchment!)

· In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.

· cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until light and fluffy.

· Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well.

· Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined.

· Refrigerate for about an hour. 

· When you are ready to bake, unwrap your caramels.

· Scoop out cookie dough ball about the size of a walnut.

· Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand. Press the unwrapped caramel into the center of your dough and seal the dough around it, covering it completely. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets 2 inches apart.

· Bake 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. Once the cookies are done, slide the parchment off of the baking sheet right out onto the counter. Allow cookies to partially cool on the parchment. When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully twist off of parchment and allow to finish cooling upside down (either on the parchment or on a rack.)

Cream Cheese Lemon Pie

Cream Cheese Filling:

Ingredients:

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened.
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Method:

Beat until light and fluffy. Spread into the bottom of pre baked pie crust. Refrigerate to set,

Lemon Filling:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• Dash of salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 tsp lemon peel
• 1/3 cup lemon juice

Method:

Mix sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually stir in water. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and set aside. Beat eggs yolks. Gradually stir 1 cup of hot filling into egg yolks. Return to saucepan, stir and bring to a gentle boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon peel and butter. Stir in lemon juice and cool. When cooled. Spread filling over cream cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Cover with sweetened whip cream to serve.