Easy Cobbler

Easy Cobbler
by: my mother, Teresa

1 stick of butter
1 c. of flour
1 c. of sugar
1 c. of milk
2 c. of fruit of your choice (blueberry is my favorite!!)

Mix together melted butter, flour, sugar, and milk and pour in baking dish.
Spoon in fruit but do not stir.

Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Best if topped with vanilla ice cream! So yummy!

Butterfly Cake

Butterfly Cake

This was Olivia's 1st birthday cake!

Ingredients:

* 1 box yellow cake mix
* Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
* Frosting and Decorations
* 1 container (1 lb) vanilla frosting
* 1 candy stick or decorative straw (8 to 10 inches long)
* Food color (in desired colors)
* decorating gel (from 0.68-oz tube) in any color
* Decorating sugar crystals (any color)
* 8 jelly beans or candy covered almonds

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make and cool cake as directed on box.
2. Cut cake in half crosswise; cut each half into 1/3 and 2/3 pieces (as shown in diagram on http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/butterfly-cake-recipe/2/). Place cake pieces on platter to form butterfly. Gently separate cake pieces to form wings.
3. Reserve 1/2 cup frosting. Frost cake pieces with remaining frosting. Place candy stick (or decorative straw) between cake pieces for butterfly body.
4. Stir food color into reserved frosting until well blended. Spread over cake in desired pattern on wings. Outline wing patterns with gel. Sprinkle with sugar crystals. Place jelly beans (or candy covered almonds) on corners of wings.

*For help with cutting and assembling the cake, visit http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/butterfly-cake-recipe/2/

*To watch an instructional video, visit http://www.bettycrocker.com/videos/videolibrary/birthday-cakes/how-to-make-a-butterfly-cake?WT.mc_id=paid_search_200100_636117&WT.srch=1&esrc=11151

Crescent Butterflies

Crescent Butterflies

If you like "Pig in the blankets", you'll love these crescent butterflies!

Olivia had a butterfly themed birthday party and this was one of the finger foods I prepared. The recipe is from Taste of Home and I simplified it a little. The URL for the original recipe is http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Crescent-Butterflies.

Ingredients

* 2 tubes of refrigerated crescent rolls
* 1 small pkg. of Little Smokies sausages
* 2 tablespoons butter, melted
* 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

* Unroll crescent dough on a lightly floured surface; roll into a 12-in. x 9-in. rectangle. Seal seams. Cut with a butterfly cookie cutter dipped in flour. Place 1 in. apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Press a Little Smokies sausage in the middle of each butterfly.
* Brush wings with butter. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

No Fail Sugar Cookies

I got this great recipe from a sweet friend, Amy, in Macedonia. She also had a butterfly theme for her daughters 1st birthday and the cookies were so delicious! I asked her for the recipe and she said she had found it on www.food.com. The URL is http://www.food.com/recipe/no-fail-sugar-cookies-108172.





No Fail Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

6 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs and vanilla.
3. Mix dry ingredients and add to butter mixture.
4. Mix well.
5. Chill for 1 to 2 hours.
6. Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes.
7. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges.

Santa Fe Soup

Santa Fe Soup (some call it "Taco Soup")
by: Barbara Childs

Ingredients:

* 1 lb ground beef
* 1 med chopped onion
* 1 pack Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
* 1 pack Taco Seasoning mix
* 1 tsp. garlic
* 1 28oz. can diced tomatoes
* 1 can Rotel tomatoes, undrained
* 1 can pinto beans, undrained
* 1 can black beans, undrained
* 1 can kidney beans, undrained
* 1 can shoe-peg corn, undrained

Directions:

Brown beef and drain. Next add the onion and seasoning packets, adding ½ -1 cup water with seasonings. Put in large pot then add all the cans. Stir and cook on low for 2 hours. You may have to add extra water. You can add another pound of meat and another package of taco seasoning if you are serving a lot of people. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream.

You can also make this in the crock-pot very easily! Cook your meat and add it to all the other ingredients in the crock pot. Wa-la! So incredibly yummy!

Best Mexican Cornbread

It's soup and stew weather! These cornbread muffins are delicious with any soup!

Best Mexican Cornbread

Ingredients:

1 c. self-rising corn meal
3/4 c. milk
1/3 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 14oz. can cream-style corn
1 1/2 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 chopped fresh jalapeno pepper
1 4 oz. can chopped mild green chilies (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
3. Bake until slightly brown.

Momosita's Amazing Ground Turkey Meatloaf

Momosita's Amazing Ground Turkey Meatloaf

I found this recipe on www.food.com. I tweaked the recipe just a little bit to make the ingredients easier to find. It's very delicious!!

Ingredients:

1 c. milk
1 c. breadcrumbs
1 lb. ground turkey
1 carrot, grated (approx 1/4 c.)
1/2 zucchini, grated (approx. 1/4 c.)
1/2 medium onion, diced (optional)
1 egg
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
2 tbs. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. seasoning salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (optional)
ketchup, to drizzle on top


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place milk and breadcrumbs in a bowl and let soak while mixing the rest of the ingredients.

Pat and squeeze the shredded zucchini and carrots between paper towels to soak up extra moisture.

Place ground turkey, carrot, zucchini, onion (optional), egg and cheese in a large bowl and mix.

Once the breadcrumbs have soaked up all of the milk, mix in the 2 Tbs of Italian seasoning and add to the turkey mixture.

Stir in the seasoned salt, pepper, and worcestershire (optional).

Place mix in a greased loaf baking pan and drizzle the ketchup on top.

Bake at 400 degrees for 55 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees. Remove from the oven, cover tightly with tin foil and let sit for 10 minutes.
Enjoy!:)

Ultimate M&M Cookies

I got this recipe from a holiday cookie exchange in Wake Forest, NC during our seminary days.

Ingredients

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 12-ounce package M&M’S® MINIS® Milk Chocolate Candies
3/4 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt; blend into butter/sugar mixture. Stir in M&M’S® MINIS® Milk Chocolate Candies and nuts, if desired. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and centers are still soft. Do not overbake. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; cool completely on wire racks. Store in tightly covered container. Makes about 3 dozen 3 inch cookies.