Stir Fry for 2

Slice across the grain into 1/4" slices : 4-6 oz. tender steak (top round, sirloin)
Fry until crisply brown in: 2 tbsp. olive oil.
Remove from frying pan,
Add : 1/4 med. onion, coarsely chopped
          1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
Fry : 1 pkg. frozen broccoli, thawed (if using fresh broccoli it needs to be parboiled)
           or : 1 pkg. frozen sugar peapods

Add meat and onion / celery back to pan.
Salt and pepper as desired (1 tspn. salt, 1/2 tspn pepper)
Add: 2-6 tbsp. soy sauce
         1 tbsp. hoisin sauce
         1 tspn. nutmeg
If you like this soupy like chop suey add 2 cups boullion water. Then let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve with rice.


(Almost any vegetable can be fried with this recipe. If using a longer-cooking veggie like carrots then slice thinner or cook in water  for a few minutes first.)

Tex-Mex dip

Spread on large platter : 2 cans of bean dip (10 1/2 oz.)

Peel and mash : 2 med. ripe avocados
Mix with : 2 tbsp. lemon juice
                 1/2 tspn.salt
                1/4 tspn.pepper
Spread on top of bean dip.

Mix together : 1 cup dairy sour cream
                 1/2 cup mayo
                       1 pkg. taco seasoning mix.

Spread on avocados.
Sprinkle with : 1 large bunch of chopped green onions
                        3 med. tomatoes, skinned, seeded, chopped
                                            (2 cups)
                        2 cans (3 1/2oz.) pitted, ripe olives, drained, and
                                                  chopped
                        8 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded


Chill.
Serve with large round tortillas chips  - 2 pkgs.


Will serve 6 people if it's the only appetizer. Will serve 30 people if everyone brings a dish. Don't plan on having any left over!

Soft Pretzels

Cover and let rise: 1 loaf, frozen white or whole wheat bread dough , thawed.

When doubled in size, divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each into a 16-inch rope.
Twist ends of rope and loop back to middle of rope. (pretzel shape)
Put on greased cookie sheet.
Brush with:1 egg white, beaten with 1 tbsp. water.
Sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake at 400'F for 15 - 20 minutes

Rice Crispy Treats

1/4 cup butter
1 bag mini marshmallows
6 cups rice crispies

In a large pan melt butter, add marshmallows. Stir until melted. Remove from heat, stir in rice crispies. Pour into greased 9x13 pan, press firmly with greased spatula.

Mud Pie

Crust:
32 oreos crushed, centers and all
1/3 cup melted margarine
Pie:
1/2 gallon coffee,ice cream, Haggen - Daaz
1 jar of favorite hot fudge topping
   whipped cream

Mix crust ingredients thoroughly and press into bottom of spring form pan. Freeze. Slightly soften ice cream, and spread onto crust. Freeze until hard.
Remove from spring form pan,and cut into slices.It's very rich, so cut the pieces small. Cover all slices with hot fudge and a dallop of whipped cream.
ENJOY!!!

Chocolate Trampolines

(This is a recipe I made up when I was 5, I call it this because when the chocolate comes out of the microwave the M and M's look like they are bouncing off the chocolate. )

ingredients:
15 chocolate candy melts (15 will make plenty chocolate, unless you hope to feed an army)
Truiscuits - non broken (the # of treats you are hoping to make depends on how many crackers you should use.  ex: I want to feed 15 people and everyone wants 1. I should use 15 crackers.)
2 M and M's for every Triscuit. (ex:15 crackers = 30 M and M's)


This recipe is very easy to make.

Melt candy melts in microwave for 1:00 and 30 sec.
Take candy out and spread over warmed triscuits.
Lastly, put 2 M and M's on each triscuit and then

ENJOY!!!     


 

Old Fashioned Lemonade

Squeeze 3-4 lemons to make 1 cup juice.
Dissolve: 1 cup sugar in lemon juice in large pitcher.
Add: 2 1/2 cups cold water.
Add a handful or 2 of ice cubes.
Can add a slice of lemon for looks.

Hot Apple Cider Punch

Serves 24 (3 quarts)
Combine in crock pot. Stir to blend and then stir occasionally.
1 orange , sliced 1/4 inch thick, stud with whole  cloves (float on top)

2 qt. Apple cider
2   7oz bottles/cans 7-up
2 cups orange juice
1/4 tspn. nutmeg
1/4 tspn. ground cloves
1  tspn. cinnamon
1/2 tspn. allspice
1/4 cup brown sugar

No-Fail Pie Crust

Mix: 1 1/2 cups flour
        1/4 tspn. salt
        1/4 tspn. baking powder
Cut in: 2/3 cups solid shortening
until it looks like pea gravel.
Beat: 1 egg until yellow and fluffy.
Add: 1 tspn. white vinegar just barely.
If dough is too floury to make into a big ball,
add a couple drops of ice water.
Divide dough in half.
If using pastry cloth, rub it with flour.
If not, sprinkle small drops of water on counter top and cover w/ layer of flour.
Brush off excess.

Rub flour on rolling pin, Roll 2 times in each direction, pick up pie crust and turn over.
Dust lightly w/ flour if necessary. Roll big enough to cover pie pan.

Roll pie crust very lightly up on rolling pin and unroll on top of pan.

MAKES 2 CRUSTS

Bess Damm Toffee

(Bessie Tyler Damm)

Butter 9 in. pan
Pour into pan, 1 cup of chopped nuts.
In heavy pan,boil:                    1 cup brown sugar
                                                3/4 cup butter
for 7 min. or until 260'F on candy thermometer.
Pour over nuts.
Sprinkle with semi-sweet chocolate chips and more nuts.
Press down firmly (use aluminum foil) Chill.
Break into chunks.

Mud Bars

Preheat oven to 375'F.
Cream: 1/2 cup of butter
             3/4 cup of brown sugar
             1 tspn vanilla
Add: 1 egg stir well.
Stir in:1 cup + 2 tbspn  flour
          1/2 tspn baking soda
          1/2 tspn salt
          12 oz package chocolate chips
          1/2 cup of chopped nuts
Spread into foil-lined 9-inch square pan.
Bake at 375' F for 23-25 minutes.

Remove from oven. Sprinkle 2/3 cup choc. chips  over top. Allow
to stand until chips are shiny. Spread with spatula. Let cool. Cut into 3x1 1/2 inch bars

MAKES 18 BARS

Oreo Truffles

1 package of oreos
18 oz pkg of cream cheese
chocolate for dipping (I use wilton's melting chocolate )

-put oreos in food processor and process until dust.
-combine oreo dust and cream cheese in electric mixer until combined
-roll oreo cream cheese mixture into small balls
-dip balls in chocolate that has been melted in a double boiler or microwave
-ENJOY!!!!!!!

Baked Apple Doughnuts

Sift together : 1 1/2 cups of flour
                      1 3/4 tspn. baking powder
                       1/2 tspn. salt
                      1/2 tspn. nutmeg
                      1/2 cup of sugar

Cut in: 1/3 cup of shortening
Add in: 1 beaten egg
            1/4 cup of milk
            1/2 cup of grated apple (2 small)

Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full.

Bake at 350' F for 20 to 25 min.

Remove from pan.

Roll in 1/2 cup of melted butter, then roll in 1/3 cup of  sugar + 1 tspn. cinnamon.


MAKES 12                          

Hello

As you might see, I have created a new blog called It's a sweet life.  This blog will be filled with recipes, so any time you need ideas for desserts, dinners, breakfasts, or drinks you can come to this site and I will publish a new recipe every week. Thanks!

                                              -  Nikki