CHOCOLATE ECLAIR DESSERT

I like this dessert because it has a mild chocolate flavor.

I am not chocolate's biggest fan and sometimes

chocolatey desserts just overpower my taste buds.

I love the way the filling makes the graham crackers moist too!

* This recipe is from Jonna

Filling:
1 Box graham crackers
2 reg size French vanilla instant pudding
3c. milk
8oz. Cool Whip

Icing:
2 1/2 tbs. butter
3-4 tbs. milk
1 1/2c. powdered sugar
4 envelopes Nestle Pre-Melt Chocolate
2 1/2 tbs. Karo syrup
Mix together.
Cover bottom of 9x13 pan with graham crackers. Beat milk and pudding mix till blended. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour 1/2 mix over crackers ~ repeat~ cover with crackers and ice.

Refrigerate overnight.

DIP RECIPES

One of my all time favorite things is DIP

I NEVER had dip at my house growing up.

When I got old enough to babysit, the first thing

I would go for in the parent's fridge was DIP.

When I worked for the hospital and Dr. Kindred,

the office girls requested my dips every time

we had a pitch in.

So here are a few of my favorites!!

This recipe is from Judy and Wanda.

When I started dating Wes, we had this at every holiday.

The different flavor of bread cubes is what gives it

an extra "kick"

DILL DIP

1 cup sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp. dill weed

1 tsp. parsley flakes

1 tsp. seasoned salt1 tsp.

1 tsp. minced onion

or dried onion powder

dash garlic powder or garlic salt
Mix all ingredients together thoroughly.

Ready to eat immediately,

but tastes best after setting overnight.

Serve with bits of Rye and Pumpernickle bread.

MY VEGETABLE DIP

This is the recipe I tweaked and made my own. It also became the most requested at holiday parties and from the office girls at Dr. Kindred's office.

1 cup miracle whip

1 cup sour cream

1 package vegetable soup mix

1 tsp Mrs. Dash

Mix well, refrig. overnight. Serve in a bread bowl, made from Hawaiian bread,

with chips or crackers.

* you can also put in a small frozen box of spinach.

*Just make sure you dry the spinach well

before adding.

I have friends that use KNORR dried vegetable soup mix in their dip. It is

really good too!

Gregg Purcell taught me this recipe:

BACON RANCH DIP

1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dip

1 container sour cream

1 cup mayo

1 package shredded cheddar cheese

1 package bacon bits

MIX ALL, SERVE WITH RITZ CRACKERS

and also:

This one is really hot, but SOOOOOO good!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

3-4 cups shredded chicken

1 package cream cheese

1 jar Franks hot sauce

1 jar Ranch Dressing

Bake in oven 350 x 30 minutes

or crock pot for a few hours until heated through.

Serve with Fritos and Celery sticks.

TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

They are another tradition around the Green Household.

~Simple~

&

Delicious!!

1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons butter, melted
1 pinch salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Toss seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt.

Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet

bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown

stir occasionally

VENNISON STEW

Wes has been quite "the chef" lately.

He searched around for some recipes for Deer Stew:

2 pounds venison stew meat
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 can chopped tomatoes

1 can mixed vegetables

2 diced potatoes

1 can white beans

1 large can tomato juice

2 tsp. Worst. Sauce

spices: cayenne pepper, Mrs. Dash, Salt, Pepper

Wes has made two versions of stew.

The first was made from Deer Steaks that he grilled out on the grill, then

cut up for larger chunks of meat.

The second was made from ground vennison, so it was more

like a vegetable soup.

*with the addition of the spices, it does not taste gamey*

You can also use lemon juice or Italian dressing for a marinade before grilling

HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY JELLY

Making homemade Jelly is not hard at all!!!

It is just TIME consuming!!

The hardest part is preparing the jelly jars.

Make sure you follow the directions on the box

(washing, boiling, inspecting...)

There is NOTHING like the taste of homemade jelly!

I grew up with homemade jelly, and I just do not like the flavor

of store bought jams and jellies.

We have been" living off" of Granny's and Grandma's

Strawberry jelly donations for the past couple of years, and I thought it

was time to make our own.

I have always called it jelly, but it is really a jam

(with all of those wonderful pieces of fruit)

STRAWBERRY JAM

4 c. sugar

2 c. crushed strawberries

1 envelope fruit pectin

Add sugar to crushed strawberries in a large pan; mix well.

Add pectin, bring to boiling and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Continue stirring about 3 minutes. (There will be some sugar crystals remaining.)
Quickly ladle jam into jars and cover with tight-fitting lids.

Let stand until "set".

Use the next morning, store in freezer, or give to friends!

HAM & POTATO SOUP

It is that time of year again! Soup Time!!

Here is a variation of our favorite Pot Soup. Wes & the kids LOVE ham!!

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through.

Top with Bacon Bits & Shredded Cheddar Cheese

HOT APPLE CIDER

I had the best Hot Apple Cider while on Spoon River Drive. It has been

so cold and rainy, I decided to find my own recipe:

6 cups apple cider
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
1 orange peel, cut into strips
1 lemon peel, cut into strips

Pour the apple cider and maple syrup into a large stainless steel saucepan.
Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, orange peel and lemon peel in the center of a washed square of cheesecloth; fold up the sides of the cheesecloth to enclose the bundle, then tie it up with a length of kitchen string. Drop the spice bundle into the cider mixture.
Place the saucepan over moderate heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cider is very hot but not boiling.
Remove the cider from the heat. Discard the spice bundle. Ladle the cider into big cups or mugs, adding a fresh cinnamon stick to each serving if desired.