GROCERY BAGS

I've taken on a new hobby of making/selling cloth grocery bags.. keeping with the theme of food! :)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/HomeMadeByShar

Almond Cookie Bite

These are really good! but boy it doesn't make much. i would double the recipe. this one only made me 9 !!

ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup butter

1 egg

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup chopped almonds

Almond glaze

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp almond extract

enough milk to make a glaze ( 2-3 tsp)

[mix together in a bowl]

Directions:

preheat oven to 325. line 9 muffin cups with paper bake cups

In a small saucepan, stir brown sugar and butter over med heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat, cool slightly, add in egg, almond extract and vanilla

in a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda. Add the brown sugar mixture, stir together with 1/3 cup of the chopped almonds.

Spoon batter into each cup. sprinkle with remaining almonds.

Bake 13-15 min until browned. cool on rack for 5 min. drizzle almond glaze.

bacon perogies

this recipe is just so basic and easy...

Ingredients:

bag of Perogies [potato and cheddar is my choice]

half a package of bacon

one onion

2 tsp butter

cream of mushroom soup

salt/pepper to taste

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Boil the perogies as directed on bag. Drain

cook bacon & saute onions in some butter

mix together with one can of mushroom soup.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes in the oven.

serve with sour cream if desired.

Chunky Salsa

i really wanted to create my own salsa, one that i 'love' that has all the things i love.. and this is what i came up with. it's yummy!

this recipe makes 24 - 250 mL jars of salsa

remember, recipe doesn't 'need' to be canned.. cut the recipe down and make it for the fridge. or cut in half and freeze it.. canning just keeps it a fresh taste.

INGREDIENTS:

30 tomatoes

1 jalapeno pepper

3 green peppers

3 corn on the cob

1/2 bunch of cilantro (more if you like the taste, i prefer subtle)

1 chopped onion

1/2 chopped red onion

4 cloves of garlic, chopped or minced

1 cup of salsa spices mix ( by epicure) (optional)

1 can (2 cups) tomato paste

1 can (2 cups) tomato sauce - onion, herbs and spices

1/2 cup chilli seeds (more if you like spicy hot, this is just a nice mild/med)

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup vinegar

salt for taste

Directions:

roast your green peppers by placing them on a cookie sheet and broiling on high for 15 minutes in the oven. turning them every 5 minutes, so all sides are roasted

they look like this

cut up in diced pieces ( i like thick chunks) i removed some of the skin as i cut them

measure and place all other ingredients in a bowl, while the peppers cool

also prepare your corn, by boiling it first for 10 minutes (again, this is just what i do.. everyone is different, some bbq it)

then roast it in the oven on high broil for 15 minutes, much like the green pepper, turning every 5 minutes. let it cool

when cool, take a knife and glide it down each side, removing the corn

cut up your tomatoes in chunks/sizes you prefer

make sure your jars are clean and ready to go (i clean them on the top cycle of the dishwasher, with no detergent, just a little vinegar in the wash

mix all the ingredients together in a huge bowl, may need to divide it, to stir properly

place in your canner, and boil for 25 minutes

salsa is ready to go!

Chocolate Graduation Caps :)

I made these for my daughters Grad BBQ... they are very easy, and you can do them various ways, online shows smaller reeses cups, etc.. but i did it this way..

all you need are:
"enough reese peanut butter cups for your party"

a bag of M&M's.. (but i'm sure you can use ANY various round candy)
Icing tubes (again, can make your own, there's no need to spend extra money if you don't have to.. a little icing sugar/butter/food coloring).. I went the lazy way for mine :)

Abox of After Eights chocolates

(really you can pick any square chocolate, if you have other choices, this was just mine)

put some icing on top of the Reese peanut butter cup, stick the after eight onto it, put a dot and slight "string" look of icing along the square of the hats "top".. then add an M&M in the middle..

.

and a package of Straws, to put them on.. i picked straws with a spoon type end to them, so they were easier to put on each hat. Some sites showed they just put the grad hats on a plate. I liked the idea of it on a 'stick' for easy grabbing :)

CONGRATS to my daughter Kori on her big day :)

Pretzel Salad / Dessert

I like Recipes that are unique.. and i saw this one here.. so thought i'd give it a try :) & it's pretty cool! tastes like cheesecake!!!!! however, don't make the same mistake i did.. the jello hardened way faster than i expected, i put it in the fridge for maybe 5 minutes and it was too late.. make sure to pour it over your icing as soon as it starts to get that jelled look to it.

Ingredients
2 c crushed pretzels
3/4 c margarine, melted
3 Tbsp sugar
1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz)
1 c sugar
1 (8 oz) frozen cool-whip topping, thawed
1 pkg strawberry gelatin (6 oz)
2 c boiling water
2 pkg (10 oz) frozen strawberries


Directions
1
Mix crushed pretzels, margarine and 3 Tablespoons sugar together and press into a 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 400 for 8 minutes. Cool.
2
Mix softened cream cheese and 1 cup sugar. Fold the 2 cups thawed whipping topping into cream cheese mixture and spread over cooled pretzel crust. Dissolve strawberry gelatin in bioling water and add frozen strawberries. Chill until syrupy, then pour over the cream cheese layer and refrigerate. cut into squares and garnish with whipped topping and a whole strawberry. Enjoy!

uniquely made Shepherd's Pie

this is a neat idea!!! and really good.. just a bit time consuming with the digging the potato out of the shell, but worth it! serve it to a guest and they'll love your unique idea of it in a potato! :)

approx 6 LARGE potatoes (russet)

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup water

1 - 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegies

2 tsp chopped fresh oregano (dried is fine)

1 tsp ground pepper

1/2 cup sliced green onion

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

INGREDIENTS:

wash potatoes and pierce with a fork on each side.

cook in a microwave on high for approx 20 - 25 minutes. it takes awhile for large potatoes.. keep watch on them, and do make sure they are completely soft, or you'll get hard spots in your peel

while cooking the potaotes. Brown your ground beef in a skillet. Add the onion and cook another 3 minutes. Stir in soup, water, frozen vegies, oregano and pepper.. simmer on low until you need it for the potatoes. when the potatoes are done, cut them in half lengthwise.. be careful not to burn yourself. I used a towel to hold the end. Scoop out the insides, keeping the peel in tact, and place the insides in a bowl. Add the beef mixture into each potato peel

mash the potatoes (i used 2 tbsp butter into it 7 beat them with an egg beater for a smooth blend) and scoop them on top of the beef mixture.

Top with little bit of cheese on each, and cut up green onion.

Put your oven on high Broil & place these in the oven for approx 5 minutes.

Watch them, and when they get a golden color on top, they're ready! the end result looks so good :)

Breaded Roast Beef

This is my moms recipe, passed down to me :)

it'd Delicious!!! Guests will thank you :)

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INGREDIENTS:
1 roast beef (med side)

1-2 packages of salted soda crackers

approx 1/2 - 1 cup butter for frying

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp butter

salt/pepper to taste

-

Cut roast beef in slices.. not too thick.. a little over 1/2 an inch.

Heat up skillet, coating the bottom with butter as needed. Keep a good layer of butter to fry the roast pieces in.

Dip each piece into flour (you can put it on a plate), then into the eggs (in a small bowl) , finally into the crackers (on a seperate plate), coating both sides fully.
fry each piece until golden brown. Salt and pepper to taste.
While frying, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a casserole dish, add water and 3 tbsp butter. Then pile the pieces of roast on top

Cover with tin foil, or use a lid on your casserole. Bake for 1 hour. Then take the foil/lid off and bake for last 10 minutes to crisp the top.

Serve with whatever you desire :) I usually like to make a gravy and mashed potatoes :)

Chicken w/ Pineapple

when i found this recipe, i actually was looking for something "different" than what i usually pick.. and this stood out for me.. i didn't really know what to expect, but it was really good! I enjoyed the two flavors together, could taste the salt of the onion mix, with the sweet of the pineapple. I didn't do the cherries on my recipe..

INGREDIENTS:

3 - 5 chicken breasts

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks in natural juice, undrained

1/4 cup maraschino cherries, halved (optional)

1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Recipe Soup Mix

DIRECTIONS:
On heavy-duty foil in shallow baking pan, arrange chicken brushed with butter. Broil 10 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides. Reduce oven to 350 degree. In medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients pour over chicken. Fold foil, sealing edges airtight with double fold. Bake 45 minutes or until chicken is done.