Irene's Apple Banana Bread

                                                                           
Irene's Apple Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 Tbls. sour cream
1 banana, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 apples peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 9"x5" loaf pan; set aside.
Cream butter and sugars; add eggs and beat well. Stir in sour cream, banana, and vanilla. In separate bowl, combine flour with baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Gradually add to batter, mixing well. Gently stir in apples and walnuts. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour, testing with a toothpick to make sure it is done. Let cool 5 minutes in pan, then invert onto cooling rack. Once cool, wrap well in plastic wrap and let ripen overnight. This can be frozen if wrapped well.

Irene's York Sensational Brownies

                                                                       

These are a cake-like brownie. For a more dense brownie, omit the baking powder and bake about 40-45 minutes.

Irene's York Sensational Brownies

1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
3 cups sugar
1 Tbls. vanilla extract
5 eggs
2 cups flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
24 small Peppermint Patties, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease 13"x9" pan; set aside.
In medium bowl, beat together butter, sugar, and vanilla till light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, till well incorporated. In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add to the creamed mixture and blend well. Reserve 2 cups batter. Pour remaining batter into prepared pan. Arrange Peppermint Patties in single layer over batter, about half inch apart. Spread the remaining batter evenly over top. Bake 50-55 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan.
Cool completely on wire rack. Cut into squares. Makes about 36 brownies.

Irene's 14 Carat Cake

                                                                               

Irene's 14 Carat Cake

1 3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups sugar

2 tsps. baking powder
1 1/2 tsps. baking soda
2 tsps. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups oil*
8 ounces crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup shredded or flaked coconut
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup apricot jam
3/4 cup walnuts, ground

Cream Cheese Frosting

1- 8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick real butter, room temperature
1 pound box powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp. real vanilla extract
1-2 Tbls of milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour three 9" round pans.
Sift together flour, wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Add 1/2 cup walnuts; set aside.
Combine oil*, pineapple, and carrots. Mix with eggs and coconut, beat well. Add dry ingredients and blend well; mix for about 2 minutes on medium speed of electric mixer.
Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until tests done. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then invert onto wire racks to cool.
While cake is cooling make frosting. Cream together the cheese and butter till well blended. Add sugar and vanilla; beat well. Add in about 1 Tbls of milk and beat till well mixed and fluffy. Add the other Tbls of milk, if needed.
When cake is cool, melt jam in a small sauce pan, brush middle layer with the jam. Frost top of each cake (including over jam in middle layer) with frosting, placing one layer on top of the other till you have all 3 layers together. Frost sides and top of cake. Place ground walnuts on sides of cake. Keep leftovers in fridge.
Serves 12-15 people.

Irene's Sausage Stuffing

                                                                       
Irene's Sausage Stuffing

 1 1/2 pound pork sausage
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored, and chopped fine
1 Tbls. dried parsley
2 tsps. dried sage
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 ts. dried thyme
1 1/2 tsps. real sea salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
2/3 cups walnuts, chopped
24 ounces unseasoned toasted bread cubes
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups hot chicken broth or water

Cook sausage in a skillet, breaking up with a fork, until browned and no longer pink; drain fat.
Place sausage, celery, onion, apples, spices, and walnuts in a large bowl, combine with bread cubes, pour butter and broth over top; toss gently.
Spoon some stuffing into turkey cavity and the rest in a casserole dish.
Bake stuffing at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Irene's Amish Dressing

                                                                              
Cousin Renie makes a lot of good rib-sticking foods for her family. She is a lot of fun to be around, likes to get together with family, and loves her kids and grandkids. She makes a 'famous' sausage dressing, which she didn't share here, but here is a dressing she also likes to make. Her three children would tell you she's a wonderful cook as she loves to make wonderful meals for her family.

Irene's Amish Dressing

Two- 1 pound loaves good quality bread (white or wheat, or a mixture), cut in 1 inch cubes
 2 pounds poached chicken thighs
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup shredded carrots
1 1/4 cups finely chopped boiled potatoes
1 Tbls. rubbed sage
1 Tbls. celery seed
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
5 eggs
1- 12 ounce can evaporated milk, shaken
2 1/2 cups homemade or canned chicken broth

On 2 cookie sheets, toast the bread cubes for 15 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. Place bread cubes in large mixing bowl or pot. Bone the chicken and chop the meat fine, reserve the skin for gravy or stock. Add all the chopped vegetables and meat to the bread, along with seasonings. Toss to mix.
In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, and broth. Pour over the bread mixture and stir. Will be quite moist.
Allow to stand for one hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour dressing into a large casserole pan at least 3 inches deep, if possible, or divide between pans. Do not overcrowd. Either cover well with foil and freeze for the future (within 2 months of making, thaw before baking) or place into oven to bake now. Bake for 2 hours or until dressing puffs up in center and is golden brown on top.

Becky's Chicken And Rice Casserole

                                                                      
Becky is my ex-daughter-in-law and the mother of four of my grandkids. Becky would rather wire a lamp, fix one's brakes, or plumb a bathroom than cook.. This is one of her kids' favorite meals.

Becky's Chicken And Rice Casserole

4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 small box of instant white rice
1 jar salsa (12-16 ounce)
32 ounce container of V-8 Hot and Spicy drink
8 ounces finely shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place chicken strips in a 9"x13" casserole pan. Cover with rice, pour salsa over top, then add 3/4 of V-8. Bake until rice and chicken are done, about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more V-8 as needed. Sprinkle with cheese and bake till melted.

Aunt Cathy's Stromboli

                                                                     

Aunt Cathy's Stromboli

3 loaves of raw frozen bread dough, thawed*
olive oil
oregano
Sharp Cheddar cheese slices
1/2 pound boiled ham slices
4 ounces sandwich pepperoni slices
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbls. butter
2 medium onions, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
2 small cans (4 ounces each) mushrooms, drained
Marinara sauce, warmed

Punch down dough and roll into large rectangle. Brush with oil and sprinkle with oregano, to taste. Lay on cheese slices and meats. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
Saute' onions, green peppers, and mushrooms in the butter in a skillet. Place this on top of cheese. Roll up like jelly roll and seal edges. You can brush with a bit of oil and oregano on top, if desiired.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cut in slices.
Serve with warmed marinara sauce.

*You can make your own bread recipe~including making it whole wheat bread.

Aunt Cathy's Chicken Enchiladas

                                                                              
Everyone needs an Aunt Cathy! She's fun, to the point, and easily riled. She is there when you really need her, and she has been part of our family for more than 40 years. Most of my memories have her as part of them, and she also played an integral role in helping us to birth our babies. Cathy makes many good dishes, but she only sent a couple my way which I will post here.

Aunt Cathy's Chicken Enchiladas

2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 pkg (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
1 jar (8 ounces) salsa, divided
8 (6 inch) flour tortillas
3/4 pound (12 ounces) Velveeta cheese, cut up
1/4 cup milk

Stir chicken, pepper, cream cheese, and 1/2 cup salsa in sauce pan on low heat until cream cheese is melted.
Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place seam side down in lightly greased 12"x8" baking dish.
Stir processed cheese and milk in sauce pan on low; heat till smooth. Pour cheese sauce over tortillaas; cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Pour remaining salsa over tortillas before serving. Makes 4-6 servings.