Mango Tango Tea

Mango Tango Tea

Ingredients
5 family-size tea bags
2 cups hot water
1 (12-oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 (6-oz.) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1 (33.8-oz.) bottle mango nectar
4 cups cold water

Preparation
1. Combine tea bags and hot water in a 4-cup glass measuring cup, and steep 10 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags.

2. Stir together tea, lemonade and limeade concentrates, mango nectar, and 4 cups cold water. Cover and chill 3 hours. Serve over ice.

Southern Living, MARCH 2010

*This tea was a little too tangy for my liking but I wanted to post it because I think many of you would like it.

Berry Splash Punch

Berry Splash

Ingredients
1 (0.13-oz.) package unsweetened Kool-Aid cherry drink mix
6 cups white cranberry juice
1/4 cup sugar
Garnish: fresh mint sprigs or strawberry leaves

Preparation
1. Stir together first 3 ingredients and 2 cups water in a large pitcher until sugar is dissolved. Cover and chill. Best if served over blueberry ice cubes.

Southern Living, MARCH 2010

Stuffed Mushrooms with Pecans

Stuffed Mushrooms with Pecans

Ingredients
2 medium leeks
1 (16-oz.) package fresh mushrooms (about 24 medium-size mushrooms)
1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Garnish: fresh basil sprigs

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Remove and discard root ends and dark green tops of leeks. Thinly slice leeks, and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to remove grit and sand.

2. Rinse mushrooms, and pat dry. Remove and discard stems. Place mushrooms, upside down, in a pan and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt.

3. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

4. Sauté leeks, shallots, and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, pecans, basil, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt until well combined. Spoon 1 heaping teaspoonful of the mixture into each mushroom cap. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until golden. Garnish, if desired.

Southern Living, APRIL 2010

Guacamole

Guacamole
by: Lori Boyd Pigott

Hint: Buy your avocados when they are black and slightly soft.
INGREDIENTS
• 5 big avocados, cut in half and scoop out the insides (save one seed)
• Cilantro leaves finely chopped
• 2-3 small tomatoes finely diced
• Garlic salt to taste
• Dash of lemon or lime juice
DIRECTIONS
1. In a bowl, mush avocados until slightly chunky.
2. Add tomatoes, cilantro leaves, lemon/lime juice and garlic salt. Mix together.
*Tostitos Hint of Lime chips make this recipe even yummier!!:)

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Wing Dip
by: Sheila Boyd

2 large (12.5 oz.) cans of fully cooked chicken, drained
2 blocks of 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 c. (8 oz.) Colby Jack cheese, shredded
1 c. Franks RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce
1 c. Ranch dressing

Mix it all together in a 2 qt. (8 x 11) casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350 F.

Use crackers, pretzels, or celery sticks for dipping. Enjoy!

Zucchini and Tomato Casserole

Zucchini and Tomato Casserole
by: Karen Blackburn

3 large or 4 medium zucchini, washed & sliced crosswise
3 large tomatoes, peeled & sliced
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 1/2 c. cracker crumbs
1 c. grated sharp cheese
salt & pepper
1 can tomato paste, diluted
1 stick butter
1 tbsp. brown sugar

Sprinkle brown sugar over tomatoes. Alternate zucchini, tomatoes, and onions in a buttered casserole, sprinkle each layer with crumbs, cheese, salt, and pepper and dotting with bits of butter. Put a layer of tomato paste over it all. Lastly, put a top layer of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Chocolate Oatmeal Candy

Chocolate Oatmeal Candy
A delicious and easy dessert, great for anytime!
by: Sheila Boyd

1 stick of butter, melted
4 tbsp. cocoa
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
3 c. oats (instant)
1/2 c. peanut butter

Combine sugar and cocoa; add milk and melted butter. Bring to a boil slowly. Add peanut butter and oats. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper. Let cool.

*Makes 20 small candies or 15 large.

Chocolate Octopuses

Chocolate Octopuses

For ten octopuses, you will need:
2/3 c. soft butter
2/3 c. sugar
1 medium egg
3 tsp. cocoa powder
1 1/3 c. flour
1 small bag of M&M candies (for eyes)
greased cookie sheet

Preheat oven to 375 F.

1. Mix the sugar and butter in a bowl.
2. Sift the flour and the cocoa into the bowl. Add the egg and mix them well to make dough.
3. Use your hands to press the dough into a large ball. Wrap it in plastic food wrap.
4. Put the wrapped dough in the freezer for 30 minutes or into the refrigerator for an hour.
5. Cut the dough in half and then each half into 5 pieces.
6. Gently flatten each piece and use a blunt knife to make four cuts for legs.
7. Gently pull the legs apart. Pinch their ends into points and bend them out.
8. Bake the octopuses for 10-12 minutes.
9. Let the children help put M&Ms for the eyes.

*You can also make other sea animals. See if you can guess what the other sea animals are in the pictures I took.

*Recipe found from an incredible children's book:
What shall I cook? by: Ray Gibson (Usborne Publishing)

Breakfast Pie

Breakfast Pie
by: Jamie Palmer Wise

1 large pie crust (refrigerator section of grocery store near the cookie dough)
8 oz. sausage (cooked & drained) - I use turkey sausage
1 c. eggs (about 4 eggs)
3/4 c. skim milk
6 oz. cheese
1 c. chopped (optional):
-mushrooms
-onions
-bell pepper
1 tsp. salt & pepper

1. Bake pie crust (350 F for 10 min.) and let it cool.
2. Cook sausage and drain it.
3. Put 1/2 of the cheese in the crust and spread sausage over it.
4. Then add veggies and the rest of the cheese.
5. Lastly add the mixture of salt, pepper, milk, and eggs.
6. Bake 45 min. at 375 F.

This makes for a pretty & delicious dish.