4 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 C. butter, softened
1 1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) pkgs. instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 C. semisweet chocolate chips
2 C. chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

75 Club crackers
1 C. butter
2 C. graham cracker crumbs
1 C. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 C. whole milk
1/3 C. white sugar
2/3 C. creamy peanut butter
1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C. butterscotch chips

Line an ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan with 1 layer of crackers, cutting to fit. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add cracker crumbs, brown sugar, milk and sugar.  Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and pour half of the butter mixture over crackers.  Place another layer of crackers evenly over butter mixture.  Pour remaining butter mixture evenly over crackers.  Top with remaining crackers.

In a small saucepan, combine peanut butter, chocolate and butterscotch chips. Melt over medium low heat, stirring constantly.  Spread evenly over crackers.

Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.  Cut into bars and store in refrigerator.

1 C. creamy peanut butter
2/3 C. butter, softened
1 1/2 C. sugar
1 1/2 C. brown sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla
2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
12 oz. chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees  and grease 9 x 13″ pan.  Cream peanut butter, butter, and sugars until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix til smooth.   Add flour, baking powder, salt. Spoon into greased pan.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake 5 minutes.  Using a butter knife, swirl melted chips through the dough.  Bake 40 more minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean (some chocolate may stick to the knife).  Cool one hour.  Cut.

Sweet potatoes, boiled in skins
1/2 stick margarine
1 T. to 1/2 C. brown sugar, to taste
Miniature marshmallows

Boil potatoes in skin until done. (Note: Be sure to pick out sweet potatoes of similar size for even cooking. Don’t poke potatoes. Only check them when you’re pretty sure they’re done – if you poke them too many times, can make them icky.) Drain and hold under cold water to peel. Mash them and add butter and brown sugar. Bake at 350º until bubbling around edges. Add marshmallows about 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Can do the day ahead.

2 lbs. hamburger, browned
1 – 10 oz.. pkg. lasagna noodles, dry
1 – 12 oz. container cottage cheese
4 C. mozzarella cheese
1 – 12 oz. can “V-8” juice
2 – 6 oz. cans tomato paste
1 – 16 oz. can whole tomatoes, cut up
2 C. canned tomatoes
1 pkg. Tones dry spaghetti sauce

Mix “V-8″ juice, tomato paste, tomatoes, spaghetti sauce mix and mix with brown hamburger; bring to boil. Spray a 10×14″ pan. Put dry noodles in pan, top with 1/2 cooked sauce. Add 1/2 cottage cheese, 1/2 mozzarella cheese, then make another layer of noodles, sauce, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Bake, covered, 1 hour at 375°. Remove the cover for last 15 minutes of baking time to let it brown.

12 oz. multigrain elbow macaroni
1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
4 slices multigrain bread, torn
1/2 C. flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 T. olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 C. grated extra-sharp Cheddar (6 oz)
1 1/2 C. reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 C. percent milk
1 T. Dijon mustard

1. Heat oven to 400º F.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding cauliflower during the last 3 minutes of cooking time; drain.
3. Meanwhile, pulse the bread in a food processor until coarse crumbs form.  Add the parsley, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and pulse to combine; set aside.
4. Return the pasta pot to medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil.  Add the onion, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, just until soft,  5 to 7 minutes.  Mix in pasta, cauliflower, cheese, sour cream, milk and mustard.
5. Transfer to a shallow 3-quart baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6

2 T. olive oil
1 medium white onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp. cumin, ground
2 C. chicken stock
2 – 10 oz. cans tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel)
2 – 15 oz. cans black beans, drained
1 1/2 C. Frozen corn
Salt, to taste
Sriracha hot chili sauce, to taste
Sour cream, to garnish

Heat olive oil in a quart saucepan and sweat the onion until translucent. Add garlic and cumin and cook another two minutes.

Add stock, tomatoes and chilies, and beans. Bring to a boil. Puree part of the soup (a little more than half) to give it some body. Add the corn and season to taste. Serve in warm bowls garnished with crumbled tortilla chips and dollops of sour cream.

Serving size: 6

1 lb. sausage, browned
1 pkg. crescent rolls
1 1/2 C. frozen, loose hash browns
1 C. Cheddar cheese
1 C. Swiss cheese, shredded
5 eggs
1/4 C. milk
2 T. Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Divide rolls into triangles. Place on pizza pan. Press edges together. Push up along sides of pan. Sprinkle meat, hash browns and cheese. Beat together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over pizza. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350º for 25 minutes.

NOTE: Can use mozzarella cheese in place of Swiss cheese.

1 bunch broccoli, broken
1/2 C. red onion, chopped
1 C. celery, chopped
1 lb. bacon, fried crisp, drained and crumbled
1/2 C. sunflower seeds
1/2 C. raisins

DRESSING:
3/4 C. mayonnaise
1/4 C. sugar
2 T. vinegar

Combine the first 6 ingredients. Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour over salad.

This here post is for all you folks who LOVE brownie edges.  If you’re at all like me – you tend not to venture too far away from the edge of the brownie pan.  In fact, you eat all around a pan of warm brownies, enjoying every morsel of chewy-edge bliss before leaving the comfort and safety of the brownie pan.

I was fortunate to receive a modern baking miracle called the “Baker’s Edge” baking pan for Christmas.  The designer of this pan is an absolute genius, I wish I had thought of this first.  See the pictures below and purchase one of these bad boys for yourself.  It surely won’t disappoint.