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Spanish Rice with a Texas Swing

My family and I really love this Spanish rice recipe. It is actually adapted from a recipe book that my Mom has and has had forever. It’s old red and white gingham looking Better Homes and Garden recipe book. 

This recipe is fantastic and super easy to put together and delicious. It’s not exactly the same as Better Homes and Garden recipe but it’s even better!

Ingredients:

·         8 Slices of bacon (uncooked)

·         1 cup chopped onion

·         1/4 bell pepper

·         16. oz can of diced tomatoes

·          1 1/2 cups of water

·         3/4 cup of uncooked long grain rice

·         1/2 cup of chili sauce or 2-1/2 teaspoons of chili powder

·         1 tsp. salt

·         1 teaspoon brown sugar

·         1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

·         dash of pepper

Directions:

1.      In a 10 inch skillet, cook 8 slices of bacon unlit crispy remove bacon and pour off half the fat

2.      In remaining fat cook 1 cup of chopped onion, and 1/4 cup of bell pepper cook until tender, but not brown

3.      Add a one pound can of diced tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups of water, 3/4 cup of uncooked long grain rice, 1/2 cup of chili sauce,  1 tsp. salt, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and a dash of pepper

4.      Cover and simmer 40 minutes

5.      Crumble bacon on top

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Juicy Gourmet Hamburgers

This is a yummy recipe that once again has been made famous by Kittencal. These are very juicy burgers, and the flavor is amazing!! 

A tip from Kittencal ... to keep your burgers juicy add a 1/2 tbs of margarine to the middle of the burger. Roll the meat in a ball, stick a whole in the of the meat, add the margarine to the middle and cover back up and flatten. WOW what difference it makes!!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ground beef 90/10
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup dry plain breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. In a bowl crumble the ground beef with clean hands.
2. Add in the dry soup mix, egg, garlic, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper.
3. Using clean hands mix until combined, add in more breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs if needed to just hold the mixture together (do not overwork the meat or it will be tough).
4. Divide the ground beef into 8 equal patties. 1/4 lb each approx.
5. Place the patties onto a large plate or a small cookie sheet; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or up to 24 hours to blend flavors.
6. Grill or pan fry the burgers as desired until cooked through.

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Chocolate Peanut Clusters

This is a big family favorite during the holidays. Unless you

are talking about my husband ... he can eat them

daily if given a chance! This also makes a great gift!!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of  Party Peanuts
• 1 lbs of Chocolate bark
  

Directions:

1. In a double boiler melt chocolate bark
2. Once chocolate is well melted add enough party peanuts until heavly, and well blended in the chocolate
   
3. Remove the double boiler from the heat
   
4. Spead out several sheet of wax paper
   
5. Drop spoon fulls of chocolate mixture on the wax paper
   
6. Spread out a bit to make them into cluster
   
7. Allow to cool and get hard around 1 to 2 hours
   
8. Store in an air tight container
   
9. Keeps very well
   

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Mrs. Cannat's Mazola Cookies

This is my favorite cookie of all time. It’s my Papa, its happiness, Christmas, and family. This recipe came from Mrs. Cannat my Mom's art teacher in high school.

She lived across the street from my grandparents and became a big part of their lives. This recipe is a very simple, light, and what I would call old fashioned cookie recipe.

When I was a kid my Papa would bake them because he knew I loved them so much, and my Nana would put them in my very favorite Santa cookie jar that she made. I always knew when I walked in the house Christmas Eve my cookies would be waiting in the Santa cookie jar for me.

Although my Nana and Papa have been gone for too many years I still have the cookie jar, and every Christmas I now do the baking of the Mrs. Cannat Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 3/4 cup Mazola oil
• 1 cup margarine (2 sticks)
• 1 Tablespoon buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of cornflakes (rolled lightly with a rolling pin in a zip bag to equal one cup)
• 1/2 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:

1. Mix together brown sugar, sugar and margarine until well blended
2. Add oil, buttermilk, egg and vanilla
3. Mix and add flour, baking soda, salt, corn flakes, coconut, chopped nuts
4. Drop by teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet
5. Flatten with glass dipped into sugar
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minute
7. Seal in an air tight container

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Hershey's Best Loved Chocolate Cheesecake

Please ignore the fact that my cheesecake cracked

It always cracks you could try using a water bath as it's cooking,

but that doesn't always change the outcome.

My cheesecake cracked afterit came out of the over.

Nevertheless, the creacking doesn't change the flavor

it's nice and creamy, inexpensive, and easy to make!!

Cheesecake Ingredients:

• 3 Packages of Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 (8 ounce) container of dairy sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Hershey's cocoa
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs

Quick Chocolate Crumb Crust Ingredients:

• 1 cup of Oreo cookies crumbs (removing the cream center)
• 1/4 cup margarine

Quick Chocolate Crumb Crust Directions:

1. Add  Oreo cookies (removing the cream center) to a pastic zip bag
2. Using a rolling pin crush cookies into crumbs repeat if needed to equal 1 cup
3. Combine cookie crumbs and margarine
4. Press into a 9 inch springform pan
5. Makes one 9 inch crust

Cheesecake Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees
2. Beat cream cheese and sugar until blended.
3. Add sour cream and vanilla and beat until blended
4. Beat in cocoa and flour
5. Add eggs, one at a time, but beat just until well blended
6. Pour into crust
7. Bake 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees bake 40 minutes or until cheesecake is 150 degrees
8. Remove from oven to wire rack
9. With a knife loosen cake from side of pan
10. Cool completely then remove the side of the springpan
11. Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours
12. Store covered in refrigerator

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Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas

This is a bragging recipe. The enchiladas are sooo good!!

I didn't say they were easy, or not messy, but

VERY good!!

Enchilada Ingredients:

• 2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Shredded
• 2 Cups Cheddar Cheese
• 12 Corn Tortillas
• 1/2 Onion Chopped
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

Chili Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 3 cups Chicken Broth
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• Salt to taste
  

Chili Sauce Directions:

• Make a light roux by heating Vegetable Oil in a skillet and stirring in flour.
• Stir and cook until flour has browned the color of peanut butter.
• Add chili powder, water, and salt.
• Sauce will be a thin liquid keep
• Set aside, but keep warm

Enchilada Directions:

1. Grease a 9x13 pan
2. Chop onion and grate cheese
   
3. Set aside
   
4. Heat oil in a second skillet
   
5. Dip corn tortillas in the hot oil for 15 seconds until the tortillas are easy to work with (warm chicken broth can be used instead of oil for reduced fat)
   
6. Take each corn tortilla from the oil and drain for a few seconds
   
7. Coat each side of the corn tortilla in the chili sauce
   
8. Add cheese and onion to corn tortilla
   
9. Roll up and place seam side down in 1 greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish.
   
10. Repeat until all 12 are added to the pan
    
11. Pour remaining sauce over the top.
    
12. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.
    
13. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees, for 10-15 minutes
    

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Your Favorite Nut Brittle

Another amazing recipe from I got this recipe out of the Taste of Home magazine.

What a great holiday gift this would make. I made 2.25lbs last night!

I doubt we have a pound left tonight!! What a hit!

(Makes 2.25lbs)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 cup butter, divided
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup water
• 2-1/4 cups unsalted cashew halves
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Directions


Butter a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. pan with 1 tablespoon butter; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Reduce heat; cut remaining butter into cubes and carefully stir into syrup. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 280° (soft-crack stage). Add nuts; cook and stir until candy thermometer reads 295°.

Remove from the heat; stir in baking soda. Immediately pour into prepared pan. Cool; break into pieces. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 2-1/4 pounds.

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Caramel Corn with Nuts Recipe

 

I got this recipe out of the Taste of Home magazine. I LOVE their mag!! This would make a nice gift or something to bring to a holiday party! You don’t have to heat up the house, it’s delicious, and it’s inexpensive. I don’t think you can ask for more than that!

OK so you probably can ask for more than that… like more of this amazing recipe! You can’t possible eat too much. OK So maybe you can?

Ingredients:

• 10 cups popped popcorn (I microwave it in a brown paper bag)
• 1 Cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 Cup butter, cubed (1 stick)
• 1/4 Cup dark corn syrup (I used light)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 Cup mixed nuts

Directions:

1. Place popcorn in a large bowl; set aside. 
2. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Cook and stir until candy thermometer reads 238° (soft-ball stage). 
3. Remove from the heat; stir in baking soda (mixture will foam). Quickly pour over popcorn and mix well; stir in nuts.
4. Transfer to two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pans. Bake at 200° for 45 minutes, stirring once. Remove from pans and place on waxed paper to cool. Break into clusters. Store in airtight containers. 
5. Yield: 2-1/2 quarts. 

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Homemade Pizza with Pizza Hut Style Pizza Dough (Bread Machine)

This was a super simple meal, and it turned out fantastic!

We had fun making them, and more fun eating them too!!

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups water
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon msg (Accent*)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Directions


1   Add ingredients (except for cornmeal) to machine bread pan in order as per manufacturer's instructions.

2   Set to "Dough" cycle.

3   Lightly grease one 9 x 13-inch pan or individual pans and sprinkle with cornmeal.

4   When the dough cycle is complete, roll out dough and place in pan.

5   Let rest in pans for 10-15 minutes.

6   Add toppings of your choice.

7   Bake at 350°F until done (approximately 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of toppings).

8   I made these as 4 personal pan pizza's so each person can choose them toppings.
 

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