Walnut Crescents

These tasty crescents are my all time favorite Christmas cookie.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup oleo
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbs water
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
powdered sugar

Directions:
Cream butter, shortening & sugar. Add water & vanilla. Add flour & nuts. Chill for 3 or 4 hours. Mold cookies into crescent shapes. Bake 15 minutes at 325. Dip into powdered sugar when slightly cooled. Makes 4 dozen.

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Sugar Icing

Rating: 6 stars. These sweet cookies are what I plan on taking to the office cookie exchange this year.

Cookie Ingredients:
1 cup Crisco
1 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 cup Pumpkin
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 cups Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Icing Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. Oleo
4 Tbsp. Milk (preferably canned or 1/2 & 1/2)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla

Cookie Directions:
Cream together crisco, sugar and egg. Mix in pumpkin and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon. Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Icing Directions:
Boil oleo, milk and brown sugar for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool, then use mixer and add powdered sugar and vanilla.

Cranberry Jello Relish

Rating: 3 Stars, an adult pleaser.
This is my favorite Thanksgiving Recipe.

Ingredients:

1 bag fresh cranberries
1 small 3 oz. package cherry jello
1 can crushed pineapple, strained. Juice reserved
1 cup sugar
1 cup chopped nuts (I use walnuts)
1 cup cherries, chopped coarsely
¼ cup hot water

Directions:
Boil cranberries until skins pop. Drain. Smash cranberries in a bowl. Dissolve jello in ¼ cup hot water. Add pineapple juice plus whatever amount of water is necessary to make 1 cup liquid. Add to dissolved jelllo mixture. Combine cranberries, jello mixture, crushed pineapple, nuts, cherries and sugar. Mix well. Refrigerate overnight, until set.

Home-made Mac 'N Cheese

Rating: 5 stars
This is the real deal. Cheesy with crispy edges. Madeline's favorite food to request.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Vegetable oil
1 Pound Elbow Macaroni
9 Tablespoons Butter
2 ½ Cups Shredded Cheese (use your favorite and combine for a total of 2 cups: Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Muenster, etc.)
2 Cups Half and Half
8 ounces Velveeta, cut into cubes
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter a deep casserole pan. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the oil, then the elbow macaroni. Cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain well. Return macaroni to pot. Melt 8 Tablespoons of the butter in with it. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Transfer to casserole dish. Sprinkle with additional ½ cup of cheese if desired. Dot with additional 1 Tablespoon butter. Bake about 35 minutes or until bubbling around edges.

Chocolate Covered Fall Pretzels

Rating: 6 Stars
My friend from work inspired this creation! Easy and impressively good! You could cut this recipe in half, but why not make enough to share? Also, you can vary the sprinkles to match any holiday or special occasion: heart for valentines day, red/white/blue sprinkles for the 4th of July, etc. I used colorful fall leaves.

Ingredients:
2 pounds milk chocolate
2 T margarine
2 pounds pretzel rods
Decorative sprinkles

Directions:
Melt milk chocolate with margarine in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Then, dip pretzel rods into chocolate. Lay them on wax paper and sprinkle with decorative sprinkles. Let cool 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cake

Rating: 5 Stars My oldest son doesn't care for dry cakes... so, he passed on this one. But, I think it is a perfect taste of fall. Just serve it with some whipped topping and a cup of spiced cider and you are sure to have a hit! I couldn't snap a picture fast enough before someone swiped a piece to enjoy.

Ingredients:
3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. pumpkin
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
dash of salt
1 c. cooking oil
4 eggs

Directions:
Combine ingredients and mix. Bake 35 minutes in 350 degree oven in ungreased 9 X 13 in. pan. Test with toothpick to see if it needs a few more minutes.
Serve warm or cooled... with whipped cream if you like!

Peanut Butter-and-Jelly Muffins

Rating: 6 Stars

This is a great recipe to make with children. There is a job for everyone! Here's a picture of the children spooning the jelly into the middle of the muffins! What fun.

Ingredients:
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 Tbs butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
Your Favorite Jelly

Directions:
Heat oven to 350. Line muffin pans with liners.

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, with an electric mixer on high, beat brown sugar, peanut butter and butter 1 minute; beat in egg and vanilla.

Mix in flour mixture alternately with milk.

Fill muffin cups halfway with batter. Add 1 tsp of jelly to each muffin cup. Then, top off the jelly with the remaining batter, dividing evenly among muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes.

Pina Colada Zucchini Bread

Rating: 6 Stars
This Zucchini Bread recipe uses up a lot of zucchini, makes 3 large loaves that freeze well, and is super moist and sweet!!

Ingredients:
3 cups peeled & grated raw zucchini
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 Eggs
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 20-oz can crushed pineapple, drained (to make 1 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon coconut flavoring
1 teaspoon rum flavoring
(You can substitute all vanilla for the flavorings if you would like - by just adding 3 tsp vanilla)

Directions:
Mix the first four ingredients and beat. Add the three flavorings and the pineapple. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add to zucchini mixture and mix well. Stir in nuts. Bake in three greased and floured loaf pans for 40 - 50 minutes at 350 degrees until tester inserted comes out clean.

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookie Logs

Rating: 6 Stars
These sweet little cookies are surprisingly simple and delicious! I got the recipe at a cookie exchange at work this year and modified it slightly.


Ingredients:
1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 cups mini-semisweet chocolate chips
3 Tablespoons margarine
1/4 cup finely chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Cream together sugar and butter. Mix in the vanilla, flour and 1 cup of the mini chocolate chips. Shape dough into 2.5 inch logs or crescents. Bake 10-13 minutes until firm. Let cool for 3 minutes on cookie sheet. Transfer to cooling rack. Melt remaining mini-chocolate chips with margarine. Drizzle over cooling cookies and quickly sprinkle with chopped nuts.