California Salad Bowl (Heather)

1 avocado

1 T lemon juice

1/2 C mayo

1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce

1/4 C olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

*mix above ingredients in a blender

Toss with:

1 head romaine lettuce, torn up

3 oz. cheddar, shredded

2 tomatoes, diced

2 green onions, sliced

1 C crushed corn chips

*Heather adds water to thin out the dressing (about 3/4 C)

Serves 8

Avalanche Bars

I adapted this recipe from the blog cookiesandcups.com. The author is my sugar soul mate. For realsies.

18 oz (1 1/2 bags) white chocolate chips
1/3 c+ creamy peanut butter
4 1/2 c cocoa rice krispies
2 c mini marshmallows
1/2 c mini M&Ms
1/2 c mini chocolate chips

Spray 13x9 (thinner bars) or 11x8 (thicker bars) pan with cooking spray.
Melt white chips in microwave 1 minute. Stir and continue to microwave for 30 second intervals until melted. Add peanut butter. Add krispies. Let cool a little bit. Add marshmallows and M&Ms. Dump mixture in pan and pat down (not too hard). Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top and press down. Let set up in fridge.

Sweet and Sticky Chex Mix (tarryn)

Really fast and easy to make. This has become my go-to dessert when I remember at the last minute I am supposed to bring a treat (and I seem to forget often).

1 medium box Rice Chex

1/2 C shredded coconut

1 small bag sliced almonds (about 2/3 C)

1 small bag M&Ms

1 C butter

1 1/2 C Karo Syrup

1 1/2 C sugar

1/2 tsp salt

In a large bowl, toss together Chex, coconut, and almonds. Set aside.

Combine butter, Karo, and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in 1 tsp vanilla.

Pour over cereal mixture and stir well, making sure everything is well-coated. Wait a few minutes before adding the M&Ms. If you add them too soon they will melt, but if you wait too long they won't stick. Add whatever the heck you want, it all works.

'1905' Salad (Heather)

Heather made this to accompany the Onion Beef Au Jus sandwiches. It was the perfect side dish for them!!!

Salad Ingredients

4 C iceberg lettuce, broken into 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" pieces

1 ripe tomato, cut into eighths

1/2 C baked ham, julienned 2" x 1/8" or cubed (may substitute turkey or shrimp)

1/2 C Swiss cheese, julienned 2" x 1/8"

1/2 C pimiento-stuffed green Spanish olives

2 C "1905" Dressing (see recipe below)

1/2 C Romano cheese, grated.

2 Tbsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

1 lemon

Preparation

Combine lettuce, tomato, ham, Swiss cheese, and olives in large salad bowl. Before serving, add dressing, Romano cheese, Worcestershire, and juice of one lemon. Makes two full salads or 4 side salads.

"1905" Dressing

1/2 C extra-virgin Spanish olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp dried oregano

1/8 C white wine vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix oil, garlic, and oregano in bowl with wire whisk. Stir in vinegar, gradually beating to form an emulsion, and then season with salt and pepper. For best results, prepare 1 to 2 days in advance and refrigerate.

Bow Ties with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream (Heather)

This recipe really hit the spot, especially after such a rainy day. We ate it with a tossed salad. And I served the leftovers to my family, and this is one of the few dinners that ALL of my children and husband ate!!!

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package bow tie pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (28 ounce) can Italian-style plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
2. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Cook sausage and pepper flakes until sausage is evenly brown. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, cream, and salt. Simmer until mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Stir cooked pasta into sauce, and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley.

Mel's Apple Toffee Blondies

Thank you and Amen to Mel for bringing these delicious things this year. Or curses, depending on if I am thinking of my appetite or my waistline.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 cup room temperature butter
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup peeled, chopped tart apple (1 large)
• 1/2 cup toffee bits

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Spray 9×13 baking pan lightly with cooking or baking spray.
3. Cream butter and brown sugar in mixer until smooth.
4. Add eggs and vanilla and beat on medium until combined.
5. On low, add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mixing until just combined.
6. Stir in the chopped apples and toffee bits until evenly distributed.
7. Spread in prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes until the center is set.
8. Let cool completely before slicing or frosting.

BROWN SUGAR FROSTING:

1/2 C butter

1 C packed light brown sugar

1/4 C milk

2 C powdered sugar

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add brown sugar and milk and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in powdered sugar with a whisk. Let cool until it is thick enough to spread. Be sure to stir before spreading on top of blondies. Once spread, let it set for 30 minutes, then cut into bars.

From cookiesandcups.com (what a freaking awesome site!!!)

Steff's Hot Corn Dip

Steffani, thank you SO much for making this! I cannot believe how fast we downed this stuff. Apparently it goes really well with Mel's Apple Toffee Blondies because we ate those just about as fast.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp butter

3 1/2 C corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 C finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 C finely chopped red bell pepper (fresh or from a jar?)
1/4 C chopped green onion (green and white parts)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 - 1 C mayonnaise (1/2 C was plenty for mine)
4 ounces monterey jack or cheddar, shredded (used Jack)
4 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1/4 tsp cayenne
tortilla chips, for dipping

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kernels turn deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Note that if you're using frozen corn it probably won't get golden brown. Just cook for 5 minutes as the recipe states. Transfer to a bowl.

Melt remaining tablespoon butter in the skillet. Add onions and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until the onions are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the green onions, jalapeno, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Transfer to the bowl with the corn.

Add 1/2 C mayo, cayenne pepper, half of the Jack and half of the cheddar, mixing well. If you need more mayo to hold the mixture together then add it, but I found that 1/2 C was plenty, and I even added a little extra cheese.

Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish, or something equivalent and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot with tortilla chips or Fritos.

I suppose I should mention this is an Emeril recipe, but it is really a Steff recipe in my heart (and stomach).

Onion Beef Au Jus (Steffani Thomas)

1 boneless beef rump roast (4 lbs.)

Worcestershire Sauce

*Place roast in slow cooker and drizzle Worcestershire Sauce over. (This gives the roast a “browned” flavor. You can brown it in a pan with some oil if you’d rather).

Add to slow cooker:

2 c. water

½ c. soy sauce

1 envelope dried onion soup mix

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

*Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

*Sauté a 3-4 onions in olive oil and butter until golden brown. (We love the onions!)

*Slice one loaf of French bread in half lengthwise. Spread with butter and broil 4-6 inches from heat for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Top with beef, sautéed onions and shredded Swiss cheese. Broil for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with strained pan juices.