Sweet & Salty Cookies

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 cup crushed pretzels

HOW TO MAKE IT:

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Cake Mix Blueberry mini Muffins

What you need:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1-2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix dry cake mix (don't follow directions on the box), baking powder, flour, milk, oil, and eggs together thoroughly.  Fold in the blueberries very gently, only stirring a couple of times so that your batter doesn't turn blue/purple.  Pour into lined mini muffin tins, filling about 2/3 full, and bake for 11-15 minutes. Makes 72-80 mini muffins.

Banana Bread

What you need:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Recipe makes 1 - 9x5 inch loaf.

Heavy Duty Powdered Laundry Detergent

LOVE this so far...

This is a sample jar we're giving to a friend.

What you need:

1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax

1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean

2 Bars of Fels Naptha

1 (4 lb) Box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda

1-2 (55 oz) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener

How to make it:

Grate the soap into a large mixing bowl. I took a layering approach to mixing everything together. Pour about a third of each ingredient into your container, (we are using a 7.5 gallon trash can with flip lid, a 5 gallon would work even better but we couldn't find one when I wanted to start making this) stir well with a large mixing spoon, pour another third of everything on top of that, mixing those ingredients together and then into the rest, repeat with the last of all ingredients. This was much easier than dumping all the ingredients in at once and then trying to mix it well.

Use 2 T for HE washers, (we're using a coffee scoop)

Use 1/4 C for top loaders

Biscuit & Sausage Gravy Casserole

What you need:
1 lb pork sausage
1/4 medium size sweet onion 
1 8 oz pkg softened plain cream cheese
2 pkgs crescent rolls

How to make it:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Saute the onions in a skillet for a minute or two just to get them to start softening. Add the pork sausage and brown. Do not drain sausage. Add the cream cheese and stir until smooth. 
Spray the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray. Layer one pkg of crescent rolls along the bottom. Pinch all of the pieces so there aren't any separations, flattening along the pan as you go. 
Spread the sausage mixture on top of the crescent rolls. Roll the remaining pkg of crescent rolls lightly over the top of the sausage mixture. Pinch the edges and also the sides so no mixture seeps through. {Easier said than done. I ended up having some come through one side but it wasn't a big deal.}  
Bake 22-28 minutes, depending on your oven and how dark you like it.

Katie's Ginormous Tomato Salsa

Katie grows her tomatoes with love!

What you need:
2 of Katie's GINORMOUS tomatoes (or 4-5 regular sized ones)
1 medium sweet onion
1/2 jar (15o.z) roasted red peppers
1/2 can (4oz.) diced jalapeno peppers
1 t minced garlic
1 T chopped parsley
4 t lime juice
1/2 t black pepper
1 t salt
1/2 T sugar
EVOO

This really is tomato not watermelon chunks!

How to make it:
Cut onion into eighths, spread on foil lined baking sheet, sprinkle with EVOO, bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
Chunk up tomatoes, removing seeds.
Cut red peppers into chunks.
add all ingredients to food processor and puree to desired consistency.
Refrigerate at least 3 hours, to combine flavors, before serving.

Spice it up:
This is an awesome basic recipe but each of us likes our salsa a little different:

Dave & Aaron - MORE PEPPERS - hot

Beth & Katie - corn & black beans - chunky

Crock Pot Cheesy Hashbrowns

What you need:
1-2 bags frozen hashbrowns (I like the diced not shredded potatoes)
Cheese Sauce ingredients

How to make it:
Spray your crock with non-stick cooking spray.
Dump in potatoes.
Mix cheese sauce ingredients in a large bowl (if I'm making a big batch, 2 bags of hashbrowns, I use the whole can of c of m soup and add a little extra sour cream, shredded cheddar and 6 green onions).
Pour mixture over potatoes and spread over top.
Cook on high about an hour or until sauce starts to thin and potatoes are no longer frozen, mix well, cook an additional 2-3 hours on high or until heated through and looking yummy!