Sweet and Sour Sauce

Recipe from my mom. Serve with chicken and rice.

1 can crushed pineapple
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T soy sauce
2 T corn starch

Drain pineapple, saving the juice. Add water to reserved juice to make 3/4 cup. Stir ingredients except for pineapple together in bowl. Microwave 2-3 minutes,or until thick, stiring every minute. Add pineapple. Microwave until warm.

Jambasta

This recipe origionated from Rachel Ray, but I have changed it quite a bit to suit my own tastes. This is yummy!

1 lb sausage (ground or cut up links is fine, italian or spicy)
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2-1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 can chicken broth
1 can diced or crushed tomatoes
thyme
milk
penne pasta (other types work fine)

start boiling pasta
Brown sausage and remove from pan, leaving the grease. Add butter (more or less depending on fat content of sausage) Cook vegetable with salt and pepper. Add flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add chicken broth. Add thyme and tomatoes. Let sauce come to a boil, then lower heat and add a splash of milk. Stir in pasta and sausage.
Options: Top with Monteray Jack Cheese; Add hot sauce
Origional recipe has both chicken and shrimp. I like it with just sausage.

Porcupine Cookies

2 cups butterscotch chips
1 cups peanut butter
3 cups marshmallows
4 cups chow mein noodles

melt chips over very low heat
remove from heat, mix in pb
add mallows and noodles. stir well
drop by spoonful on wax paper

These were once my favorite cookie. still love them though.

Easter Egg Dye

No need to buy easter egg coloring kits! this is so simple.

2 t. vinegar
2/3 cups water
few drops of food coloring

stir, dip eggs

Calzones

I rarely make this because I think I prefer pizza because its simpler. But this is really good!

Dough:
(or use my other recipe posted for favorite pizza crust)

Dissolve:
1 pkg yeast
1 c. warm water
1 T sugar

Add:
2 T oil
1 t. salt
2 3/4 - 3 1/4 cup flour

mix in enough flour to handle. knead until smooth. grease. let double. divide into 5-6 equal parts. (more if you prefer thin dough) roll in circle.

Sauce:
1 can 8 oz. tomato sauce
1 t. basil
1 t. oregano
1 clove garlic (I have used garlic powder, works fine)

spread sauce on dough. put toppings on half of circle, (careful not to overfill) fold over, pinch seals.

brush with egg. bake at 375 for 22-25 minutes

Mrs. J's Fudge

I got this recipe from my HS Chemistry teacher. It is THE best fudge I've ever tasted. We made it to sell for fundraisers. I haven't made it since because it is probably one of the most fattening things you can eat...but I'm sure I will want to make fudge again someday.

2 sticks margarine
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 can evaporated milk
10 oz. marshmallow cream
3 cups chocolate chips (I prefer peanut butter chips for peanut butter fudge)

melt butter on med heat
add sugar and milk, raise heat to high
bring to roaring boil
start timer for 9 minutes
reduce to medium heat
stir constantly till timer goes off
remove from heat, add chips
let melt partially, add marshmallow cream
stir till dissolved
pour into greased 9 x 13 pan
refrigerate

If you cook it too long it will be hard and dry, not long enough and it will be soft and mushy. its kinda tough to get it just right

Chicken and Rice Casserole

This is a very easy but still really yummy go-to one dish dinner! perfect.

Ingredients:
2 cups any kind of vegetable (broccoli is my favorite. Mixed veggies work good too)
1 cup dry rice
1 cup cooked and diced or shredded chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/3 cup milk or water
1 cup cheddar cheese (plus more for top)
1 medium onion OR 1/2 t. onion powder (I choose powder)
1/4 t. black pepper

mix in 9x 13 pan. Top with more cheese. (or you can add it after baking) Bake at 375 for 50 minutes or until the rice is tender. Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes.

Note: If I am in a hurry, I will throw the rice in a rice cooker while the chicken is cooking. Then I let the broccoli in the pan and cook in oven alone for about 10 minutes. That way once the chicken is done, the broccoli will be mostly cook, and the rice is done, so you can just throw everything together and cook until cheese is melted. Saves about half an hour.