Stephanie's Buckeye Bars

                                                                          

Stephanie's Buckeye Bars**

1 cup peanut butter*
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups grahams cracker crumbs*
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
10 ounces milk chocolate chips*
6 Tbls. oil*

Combine peanut butter, butter, graham cracker crumbs, and sugar, mix well. Pat into 13" x 9" pan. In small saucepan, melt milk chocolate chips with oil and pour over top of mixture in pan. Chill for a few hours, then cut into bars.

*Use a natural peanut butter for better health.
*Place graham crackers in a blender or food processor and make your own crumbs.
*I always use semi-sweet chips.
*Use a light olive oil (but no canola or soy in it!) or palm shortening for the oil called for in this recipe and cut it down to 1 Tbls.
**I've been making a very similar recipe, but mine is patted into a 9" x 9" pan and I add a tsp. of vanilla extract.

Stephanie's Strawberries & Cream Cloud

                                                            

This is really delicious!

Stephanie's Strawberries & Cream Cloud

2 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup strawberry preserves
1- Ready-prepared Angel Food cake (12-13 oz)
1 container (8 oz.) vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup milk
1 pkg (3 3/4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
12 oz pgk Cool Whip*
9 whole strawberries, for garnish

In small bowl, gently mix sliced strawberries with preserves; set aside.
Slice angel food cake into twenty 1/2" slices.
Line a medium sized glass bowl with large piece plastic wrap.
In a separate bowl, combine yogurt and milk. Whisk in pudding mix till thickens. Stir in two cups of Cool Whip.
To assemble, cover bottom of mixing bowl (with plastic wrap) with  five cake slices. Layer one third the strawberry mixture evenly over cake slices. Spread one third the pudding mixture. Cover with five more
cake slices and later again. Make another layer and then cover with remaining cake slices. Press down lightly after each layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours.
To serve, invert dessert onto serving platter and remove plastic wrap. Frost with remaining Cool Whip. Cut whole strawberries in half. Place strawberries stem ends down evenly around bottom edge of dessert.

*Real whipped cream could be used instead.
You could also make your own cake.

Stephanie's Hot Broccoli Dip

                                                                                                                              

Stephanie's Hot Broccoli Dip

1 round bread, unsliced (sold in bakery dept.)*
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbls. butter*
1 pound Velveeta cheese
1- 10 ounce pkg. frozen broccoli, thawed and drained
 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced, (optional)*

Cut and slice from top of bread. Remove center leaving 1" shell. Tear removed bread into bite-sized pieces. Saute' celery and onions in butter until tender. Add cheese, stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Stir in remaining ingredients (not bread!); heat thoroughly, stirring constantly. Spoon into bread 'bowl'. Serve with vegetables and torn bread pieces.

*You can make your own bread, if you like, as a sourdough would go well with this.
*Original recipe called for margarine, but to make more healthy I subbed butter.
*I added the pepper for color.

Stephanie's Cream Broccoli Au Gratin Soup

                                                                  

Stephanie's Cream Broccoli Au Gratin Soup

2 Tbls. Butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 3/4 cup water
1 pkg. Uncle Ben's Country Inn Brand Broccoli Rice Au Gratin
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
2 cups milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Cook onion in butter in 6 quart or larger pan until tender. Add water and contents of rice pkg. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Combine flour and dry mustard in small bowl. Gradually add about 1/2 cup broth and mix till smooth. Add to simmered soup, along with rest of broth nd milk. Heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Stir in cheese till melted.

Stephanie's Taco Salad

                                                                

Stephanie's Taco Salad

Layer in order given in a 13" x 9" pan:

1 head chopped lettuce
onions, chopped*
sliced tomatoes*
1 1/2 pounds browned hamburger, grease drained, mixed with dry taco mix
8 ounces shredded Taco cheese
1 cup Miracle Whip, 1 cup sour cream, 1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix, combine together and mix well
Doritos, crushed
Chill and serve cold.

*You could use chopped green onion
*You could dice the tomatoes