Mom's Rolls

1 C. Milk
1/2 C. Warm Water
3 T. Sugar
2 Eggs
1 T. Yeast
1/3 C. Butter, melted
1 tsp. Salt
4 C. flour-approx.
Scald Milk.  Add but, sugar, and salt.  Cool to lukewarm.
Combine yeast and water.  Add a pinch of sugar to help activate the yeast.
Add eggs to large bowl and beat until frothy.  Add milk and yeast and then add flour to form a soft dough.  Stir well.  Cover and let rise to double. 
Divide dough into thirds and form into rolls-whatever desired shape.  Let rise about 20-30 minutes.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 10-20 minutes.  Do not over bake.

To form rolls into crescent shape:  divide dough into 3 equal sections.  Roll each section into an 8" circle.  Spread butter on circle.  Cut into 8 equal pie shaped slices.  Roll up starting at wide end of slice.

Wild Rice Soup

Wild Rice Soup

Heather Olsen O’Brien

Ingredients:

1 large onion

2 Carrots
3 Celery Stalks
½ cup Butter
2/3 cup Flour
6 cups Water
2 Tbsp McCormick Chicken Base (or 4 Bullion Cubes)
2 pkgs Rice-A-Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice
5 Chicken breasts (cooked and cubed)
2 cups Half and Half
½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Pepper

 DIRECTIONS:

Prepare Rice-A-Roni as directed on box.

Chop vegetables and place in large soup pot.   (Sometimes I cook these in the microwave to save time.)Melt butter and sauté vegetables until tender.

 Add flour and stir until vegetables are coated. Slowly add water and stir vigorously until flour dissolves.  Add Rice-A-Roni to the soup.

 

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer on low until well blended, usually about 1 hour.

 (Last thing- to make it healthier you can use fat free half and half and it still tastes great.)

Santa Hat Chex Mix

 

Santa Chex Mix

{Feel free to play around with the ingredients and make it your own!}

3 cups mini pretzels

1/2 cup craisins

1 cup salted dry roasted peanuts

2 cups Rice Chex

2 cups holiday colored M&M’s

8 oz. white chocolate for melting

Santa Hats (see directions below)

Put all your ingredients, EXCEPT M&M’s and santa hats, in a large bowl.  Melt your white chocolate according to package directions and drizzle over the pretzel mix. Stir until evenly coated with chocolate.  Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. When chocolate is set, sprinkle M&M’s and Santa hats over the mix.

 

How to make the Santa Hats:

What you will need:

Caramel Bugles

Red melting disks (you can find this at the craft store)

Mini Marshmallows

White nonpareils

Melt the candy melts according to directions on package.  I added a little shortening to help thin the melted candy – about 1-2 Tablespoons. 

Dip the bugles and set them on parchment paper to set up.  Re-dip the bottoms of the bugle “hats” and dip into the white sprinkles. Flip to the other side, re-dip the top of the hat and press on a mini marshmallow.

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.