Tips:

• If you are having a potluck or buffet, be sure to place the silverware, napkins and drinks at the end of the food table so your guests don’t have to juggle them while filling their plates.
• If you need a punch bowl, check out your covered cake dish. Many of them are designed so you can turn the base upside down and turn the bowl upside down to make a punch bowl out of them. If you are in a real bind, just use a pretty large bowl.
• Don’t have a dipper? Set a fancy cup (not your husband’s football mug) on a saucer next to the punch bowl.
• Don’t have a gravy boat? Serve your gravy and sauces in small heat proof pitchers. I have seen some really cute pitchers and gravy boats at the dollar stores. This is one item that would be worth buying. Not only can you use it for gravy, but it is a nice way to serve chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, pancake syrup, melted butter, etc.

Menu:

Sausage Stroganoff*
Tossed Salad
M&M Marshmallow Bars*

Recipes:

Today’s main dish recipe is a quick and easy one dish meal for these hectic days. Just mix it up, toss it in the oven and by the time you have your salad made and table set it will be ready. It’s also a great dish to make to use leftover potatoes and peas.

*Sausage Stroganoff

1 lb. bulk pork sausage
1 cup onion, chopped
2 1/2 oz. jar sliced mushrooms, undrained
2 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups potatoes, cooked, cubed
1 cup sour cream
10 oz. can buttermilk biscuits
1 cup peas, cooked

Heat oven to 375°. In a 10 inch oven proof skillet, brown sausage and onion, drain. Add mushrooms and flour. Over low heat, slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Add potatoes and heat till bubbly. Stir in sour cream. Arrange the 10 biscuits around the outer edge of the skillet and spoon the peas into the center. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until biscuits are golden. Serves 5-6.

Use red and green M&M’s on these bars to make a fun and different Christmas cookie. I haven’t tried it yet but in a pinch you could probably replace the first four ingredients with a brownie mix and just top with the marshmallows, M&M’s and peanuts.

*M&M Marshmallow Bars

1 (18 1/4 oz.) pkg. devil’s food cake mix
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup water
1 egg
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup plain M&M’s
1/2 cup peanuts

Combine dry cake mix, butter, water and egg and mix well. Press into a greased 13×9 pan. Bake at 375° for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle marshmallows, M&M’s, and peanuts on top. Bake 2-3 minutes until marshmallows melt. Cool before cutting.

Extra Holiday Recipe

In the following recipe, you can add red or green food coloring to tint for Christmas or add another food coloring to tint for any other holiday you want. You can also add 1/4 tsp. of peppermint extract if you like chocolate and peppermint flavors together.

Cookies While You Sleep

2 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Beat egg whites until foamy; add salt and cream of tartar and beat until stiff. Very gradually add sugar, then vanilla and peppermint (if you are using it). Peaks should be shiny and stiff. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoons on greased cookie sheet. Place in oven, turn off heat and leave oven closed until morning. NO PEEKING! or you will lose oven heat. Store in airtight containers.

It might be fun to experiment with these cookies and replace the chocolate chips with peppermint, butterscotch chips, chopped maraschino cherries or different types of crushed candy.

Make the meatballs from this next recipe and freeze them in a plastic bag. Lay the bag flat in the freezer to help make them freeze individually. They will keep for up to 3 months. They are so handy to keep on hand to take to a last minute activity, whether it is tailgating, a Christmas or New Year’s get together or as an appetizer for unexpected company.

Christmas Meatballs

2 lbs. ground beef
1 pkg. Stove Top stuffing for chicken
1 cup water
2 eggs
1 bottle barbecue sauce
1 (16 oz.) can cranberry sauce

Line 2 – 15 x 10 x 1 pans with foil and spray with cooking spray. Mix first 4 ingredients. Shape into balls the size of walnuts and place on pans. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes until done. While they are baking, mix barbecue sauce and cranberry sauce in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add meatballs to sauce and coat evenly.

Photo By: André di Lucca

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I love Christmas Trees! The worst part of Christmas is taking down the tree. It’s great to sit and watch the tree lights twinkling at night all through December. There’s just something about Christmas lights in the evening that is so soothing! I love it so much that I turn my Christmas tree lights on in the morning and leave them all day. About 9 years ago, I came up with the idea to keep a small three foot tree up all year. Then I would make or collect ornaments for it and change it each month depending on the holiday or season. Of course about 2 years after I came up with it, someone else did too and now you can find mini ornaments in every store.

Here are a couple of pictures of my tree at different times. 

This one is for fall. I think I spent about $7.00 on all of it. The tree was $2 at an after Christmas clearance sale and then I collected the decorations at after Halloween sales and at yard sales.

For September, it has leaves and mini pumpkins on it for ornaments.

In October, I put little ghosts, Jack O’ Lanterns and bats. Then I put some garland or black and orange ribbon around it.

After Christmas one year I bought all snowman stuff for my January tree. I spent about $3 on everything. I used leftover fake snow to put around the base too.

The first year for my Valentine’s tree I made all red and white hearts out of construction paper. Then one year I found heart ornaments on clearance at Hobby Lobby.

I keep a tree up each month: Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, and of course for spring I bring out my favorite collection of gnomes!  For each tree I’ve spent less than $5 and it’s always so nice to have something festive all year. 

Tawra

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Here’s a cake that you can use all year long for almost every holiday. You can make it into a cake or cupcakes.

Holiday Cake

1 pkg. white cake
1 pkg. Jello*
1 pkg. coconut

Place coconut and 1 heaping tablespoon of Jello into a jar or container and shake. Set aside. Add rest of Jello to cake mix and then mix and bake according to the directions on the cake box. When done, frost with white frosting and sprinkle with coconut.

*You can use different colored and flavored Jello for different seasons. Use orange for Halloween, red for Christmas, green for St. Patty’s Day, red for Valentine’s Day, etc.

Photo By: eek the cat

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Fourth of July Recipes

Most of us have our favorite dishes and traditions for the Fourth of July so, instead of giving you a menu, I thought I would give you some new dishes to add to our old standbys and favorites like hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, potato salad and baked beans.

• Don’t wait until Christmas to make pretzels rolled in chocolate. Roll pretzel sticks in melted white chocolate and then in red and blue sprinkles. Serve in a pretty glass or vase.
• Add a tablespoon of sugar to your deviled eggs for extra flavor.

Recipes

Pig and Cow Burgers

1 lb. hamburger
1/4 lb. Italian sausage (or any sausage)
1 egg
1/2 onion, chopped

Mix everything and make into patties. Chill for 30 minutes. Grill. Add a slice of pepper jack cheese and a dollop of barbecue sauce and serve on an onion bun.

Tomato Cucumber Salad

2-3 tomatoes, cubed
2-3 cucumbers, cubed
Fresh dill, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. sour cream

Mix ingredients and serve.

Grilled Mixed Veggies

1 med. yellow squash, peeled and sliced
1 med. zucchini, peeled and sliced
6 fresh mushrooms
2 large tomatoes, cut in 6th’s
1 sweet red pepper, julienned
1 green pepper, julienned
1/2 cup baby carrots
1/4 cup prepared Ranch dressing
1/4 cup prepared Italian dressing

Mix veggies and divide onto 6 squares of heavy duty foil. Mix dressings and drizzle on veggies. Seal well. Grill on each side for 10-13 minutes.

I haven’t tried this recipe myself but these cookies sure sounded good. They seem perfect for the Fourth so I thought you might like to try them.

Independence Cookies

2 cups butter flavored shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
12 oz. white chocolate chips
12 oz. dried cranberries
12 oz. dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream shortening, sugars and eggs. Add flour, soda and salt. Fold in chips and berries. Chill until firm. Roll into balls about golf ball size and press to 1/2 inch thick. Bake 10-12 minutes.

linking to:

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Is it too hot to bake?

• Drag out the good old homemade Rice Krispy Treats recipe for the Fourth of July but try adding a new twist. Add red or blue food coloring to the melted marshmallows and then, using a large star cookie cutter, cut them into stars to pile high on a plate.

  Get out some of those red paper plates you bought on sale after Christmas or Valentine’s Day to serve your treats on the Fourth of July.

• Here’s another twist to the Rice Krispy Treats: Add 1/3 cup peanut butter to the melted marshmallows and substitute frosted flakes for the Rice Krispies. You now have Tony the Tiger Treats.

• Instead of serving the same old Rice Krispy Treats, add things like chocolate chips, M&M’s or nuts. You can also use different cereals like Honey Nut Cheerios, Fruit Loops or Fruity Pebbles. Of course, try to buy these in the off-brands to save.

• You can also drizzle a little melted chocolate, butterscotch, white chocolate or peanut butter chips over the top of homemade Rice Krispy Treats. By drizzling things on top of cakes or cookies like this you can save by using less compared to spreading it all over.

• Rice Krispy Pops – Sometimes Rice Krispy Treats can get sticky and gooey in the heat and humidity of summer so, for your next outside get-together, try rolling them into balls and stick a popsicle stick into each one. You could also roll them in sprinkles, candies or melted chocolate.

The sky is the limit. You can pretty much melt the margarine and marshmallows and throw anything in. Use up the last bits of leftover cereals, nuts, candies, sprinkles, etc.

Basic Rice Krispy Treats

1/4 cup margarine
4 1/2 cups (10 1/2 oz. pkg.) marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies

Melt margarine and marshmallows in large pan. Add cereal and pour into a well greased 9×13 pan.

You can also make them in the microwave. Put margarine and marshmallows into a glass bowl and microwave for 45 seconds on high until marshmallows melt. Add cereal and pour into a greased pan.

      -Jill

photo by: catbeurnier

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Independence Day Games!

I can’t believe the 4th of July is already here. It feels like I just put away my Christmas decorations last week. Well, many of you may have just put them away last week. HA!HA!

I was thinking (I know– that always gets me in trouble) that for something fun this year you might try having an old-fashioned 4th of July. Instead of just spending the day sitting around barbecuing and waiting for fireworks, why not plan some activities like gunny sack races, rope pulls, wheelbarrow races or just a good old-fashioned water balloon fight?

If you’re able, you can tie a gunny sack stuffed with straw in a tree for the kids (and adults) to swing on or, if nothing more, sit and have a watermelon seed spitting contest. I know that we usually think of apple bobbing for Halloween but apple bobbing would be great for July 4th and would help keep everyone cool!

Have a few fun, silly, inexpensive little prizes to give away or even simple blue ribbons for the winners!

      -Jill

photo by:fort_vancouver_national_trust

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Here are some easy tips for your 4th of July picnic:

• It’s hot. Keep it simple. We often love to take our fanciest desserts or dishes to a potluck but if you can’t do something elaborate, don’t worry. Whenever I go to a potluck, it is the simple dishes that disappear first.

• Something as easy as a platter of sliced tomatoes layered with sliced cucumbers on a bed of lettuce will look and taste lovely on a hot summer day. A plate of fruit lined up in rows on a pretty platter will disappear quickly. If you have some whipped topping to use as a dip for it, great! If not, don’t worry. They will eat it anyway!

• A pan full of brownies or a pile of rice krispy treats never last long either. Of course, plain old chunks of cold watermelon and cantaloupe are a must for July 4th picnics!

• To reduce your expense for soft drinks, serve cold sweetened ice tea or lemonade instead. One thing to remember when making tea, lemonade or Kool aid is to be sure to not add as much water as the recipe calls for because if you are going to add ice later, the ice will dilute the drink. There is nothing worse than a watery tasting drink. Of course you can freeze some of the drink itself to use for ice and that will help prevent the dilution.

• Add 1-2 tsp. of mint apple jelly to your iced tea for something different.

• Add any of the following to lemonade for a cool and refreshing drink:

  • 1/4-1/2 cup cranberry juice

  • 1/4-1/2 cup cherry juice

  • 1-2 tsp. of Kool-aid powder– strawberry, cherry, raspberry, lime or punch.

      -Jill

photo by: genbug

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