Brown Sugar Shortbread

Brown Sugar Shortbread

1 cup flour
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
Cinnamon, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350°. Using an electric mixer, combine the flour, butter and sugar. Press the dough evenly into a 9-inch square baking pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. Bake until golden around the edges, 18 to 20 minutes.

Let the shortbread cool slightly in the pan, then cut into 16 squares and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

These were OK, but not nearly as good as my old recipe. Though these are ridiculously easy and fast!

Adapted from

Catalina Taco Salad

Catalina Taco Salad

1 lb ground chuck
1 pkg low sodium taco seasoning mix
1 16 oz can chili beans
8 oz Catalina salad dressing
1 bag assorted salad greens
1 large tomato, chopped
Shredded Cheddar
Tortilla Chips
Sour Cream
Salsa

Brown and crumble ground chuck in a skillet over medium-medium high heat, stirring often. Add taco seasoning, chili beans and Catalina dressing and stir well. Simmer over low heat until all ingredients are hot.

Serve over salad greens with tomatoes, Cheddar, tortilla chips, sour cream and salsa.

This was good, but a tad sweet for my taste...John liked it better than I did. I'd rather have spicy taco meat personally.

Adapted from Taco Salad I at allrecipes.com

Brunswick Stew

Brunswick Stew

2 quarts water
1/2 whole fryer chicken, cut up
Salt and Black Pepper
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 (15-ounce) can baby lima beans, undrained
1 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 yellow onion, diced
2 splashes Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
2 cups frozen baby lima beans
3 small potatoes, peeled and diced
1(15-ounce) can cream-style corn
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
3 teaspoons hot sauce
1 tsp McCormick's Salt Free Garlic & Herb seasoning
Drizzle of Pickled Jalapeno juice

Bring water, chicken, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning to a boil in a Dutch oven. Reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes or until tender.

Remove chicken, and set aside. Reserve 3 cups broth in Dutch oven. Pour canned lima beans and liquid through a wire-mesh strainer into Dutch oven. Reserve beans. Add tomatoes and chopped onions to Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, for 40 minutes or until liquid is reduced by 1/3.

Skin, bone, and shred chicken. Mash reserved beans with a potato masher. Add chicken, mashed lima beans, Worcestershire sauce and Liquid Smoke and continue cooking another 40 minutes.

Add frozen beans, potatoes, corn, butter, garlic-herb seasoning and hot sauce to Dutch oven. Taste and adjust seasonings. Cook over low heat, stirring often, for an additional 40 minutes or so.

I added the last couple of ingredients and the extra hot sauce to try to cut the sweet taste. The original recipe called for 1/4 cup of sugar (!) and even though I only used half that amount I thought this tasted unreasonably sweet. Next time I'd only add about 1-2 TEASPOONS of sugar, if I add sugar at all! This was definitely good enough to give it another try!!!

This is adapted from a Food Network recipe "courtesy of Bob Garner; Author North Carolina Barbecue".

Lemon Cream Chicken with Pasta

Lemon Cream Chicken with Pasta

1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp Maggi instant chicken bouillon
Sea Salt
1 lb thin spaghetti (or pasta of choice)
1 lb chicken tenderloins
McCormick's Garlic & Herb Salt Free Seasoning
Lemon Pepper
4 tbsp butter
Zest of 1 large lemon
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/2 tsp thyme
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 - 3/4 cups grated Parmesan

Add the lemon juice, bouillon and sea salt to enough water in a large pot to cook pasta and bring to a boil over hight heat.

Cut chicken into bite-sized cubes and season with Garlic & Herb seasoning and Lemon Pepper. Melt butter in a large skillet until sizzling. Add chicken and cook over medium heat until chicken is completely cooked. Stir in lemon zest and juice, thyme and cream and heat until barely simmering over low to medium heat. Stir in Parmesan and stir frequently until sauce is well combined.

In the meantime, cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Toss pasta with sauce and chicken and serve hot.

Yum-OH!! Best Lemon Chicken Pasta I've ever made!!!

Roasted Smoked Sausage with Mustard Sauce

Roasted Smoked Sausage with Mustard Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp Grey Poupon Spicy Brown Mustard
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp horseradish sauce
1 tsp Montreal Steak seasoning
1 tsp honey
1 splash Hot Pickled Pepper juice
1 tsp lemon juice
1 large sweet onion, cut into 1/2-in.-thick wedges
3 carrots, cut in 1 1/2-in. pieces (or 2 cups baby carrots)
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut lengthwise in quarters, then halved crosswise
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
14-oz pkg smoked sausage, cut into 2" pieces

Combine the first 8 ingredients and whisk until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat the oven to 450^F. Place the onion, carrots and potatoes in a 9x13" baking dish. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat. Roast for 15-20 minutes. Add sausage pieces to vegetables and return to oven. Roast another 15 minutes or until vegetables are completely cooked. Serve with Mustard Sauce .

This tasted good, but was way too greasy! Probably won't make it again.

Adapted from a Woman's Day magazine recipe.

Cheese & Onion Meatloaf

Cheese & Onion Meatloaf

1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup catsup
2 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1.5 lb meatloaf mix (combination of ground chuck and ground pork)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
3 tbsp catsup
4 oz shredded Cheddar
3 oz can French Fried Onions, lightly crushed

Preheat oven to 350^F. Gently combine the breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, catsup, mustard, Worcestershire, meat, salt and pepper until well mixed and lightly pack into a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Combine 1 tbsp mustard and 3 tbsp catsup and spread over the top of the meatloaf. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour.

This was OK. Barely.

Cinnamon Ice Cream

I was throwing things out of the garage the other day and found my Deni Ice Cream Maker. I'd completely forgotten I had one of those! So I'm making ice cream this afternoon to top an Apple Pie for dessert tonight.

Cinnamon Ice Cream

1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon

Mix milk and sugar together using a wire whisk or hand mixer so that the sugar completely dissolves. Stir in heavy cream, vanilla, and cinnamon, making sure that the cinnamon is well blended throughout. Pour mixture into your ice cream maker. Mix about 20-25 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 quarts

Helpful Hint: Cinnamon has a tendency to sink to the bottom of the ice cream mixture, so make sure that the ice cream is freshly stirred before pouring it in the ice cream maker!

This needs a pinch of salt! And next time I'd reduce the amount of heavy cream and increase the milk by the same amount.

From