Chocolate Truffle Cake

1 cup pecans, (toasted for 10-15 mins) and coarsely ground (blender will do)
1 cup chocolate cookie or chocolate graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup butter, melted
2 Tbs sugar
16 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup whipping cream
6 beaten eggs
¾ cup sugar
1/3 cup flour

1. For crust, combine ground pecans, cookie/cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 2 T. sugar. Press into bottom and about 1 1/2 inches up the sides of a greased 9 in. springform pan. Set aside.

2. In medium saucepan, cook and stir chocolate chips and whipping cream over low heat until the chocolate melts. Remove from heat. Set aside.

3. In large mixing bowl, combine eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, and flour. Beat 10 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Fold 1/4 of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture. Fold the chocolate mixture back into the remaining egg mixture. Pour into the crust-lined pan.

4. Bake cake in 325 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until it is puffed around the edges and halfway to the center. The center will be slightly soft. Cool pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove sides of pan and cool for 4 hours. Store in refrigerator.

Karren Mitchell

Garlic Cheese Biscuits (like Red Lobster's)

2 cups Bisquick
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine Bisquick, milk and cheese in mixing bowl. Beat with wooden spoon till soft dough forms. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Mix butter and garlic powder and brush over warm biscuits before serving.

Nicole Larsen

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2 lg. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 c. KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce
1/2 round smoked gouda, diced
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small red onion, sliced
2 TB chopped fresh cilantro

Cook chicken on grill or stovetop using olive oil. Dice into bite-sized pieces and pour BBQ sauce over it. Cover and place in refrigerator until chilled.

Spread 1/4 c. BBQ sauce over pre-baked pizza dough. Top with diced pieces of gouda cheese and diced chicken, then add slices of red onion and chopped cilantro. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Nicole Larsen

Yummy Meat Loaf

1 can tomato soup, divided
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. oats
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1 egg, beaten
1 TBSP Worchestshire sauce
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. water

Mix 1/2 can tomato soup and other ingredients (except water) thoroughly.  Shape into 8 X 4 inch loaf. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Mix 2 TBSP drippings,
remaining soup, and 1/4 c. water. Heat in small saucepan and serve over meat loaf.

Nicole Larsen

Berry Shortbread Dreams

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 3/4 c. flour (may be more or less depending on where you live--you don't want dough to be crumbly)
1/3 to 1/2 c. raspberry jam (or other favorite flavor)

Glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
2 to 3 tsp. water
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in extract. Gradually add flour until dough forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of the ball. Fill with jam.

Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Spoon additional jam into cookies if desired. Combine glaze ingredients. Drizzle over cookies.

Nicole Larsen

Spinach Salad

1 bag spinach
1 bag salad greens with Red Leaf Romaine
1 small container feta cheese
1 small pkg slice almonds, candied in 2-4 Tbs of sugar
Craisins, about 1/2 bag
1 granny smith apple, diced
1/2 lb bacon, crumbled
1 bottle poppy seed dressing

Karren Mitchell

Baby Ruth Bars

2 cup sugar
1 cup white Karo syrup

Bring to boil and add:

1 1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
6 cups Special K cereal

Stir till well blended and spread into buttered sheet pan. (I use my sheet cake pan)
Spread over top and let melt:

1 pkg chocolate chips
1 pkg butterscotch chips
(I will put it into a warm oven to melt the chips)

Karren Mitchell

Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

1 package (12 oz) tricolor spiral pasta
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 can (3.8 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/2 cup fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup fresh cauliflowerets
1/4 cup julienned yellow summer squash
1 bottle (12 oz) poppy seed salad dressing
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water.  Place in a large serving bowl; add the tomatoes, olives, broccoli, cauliflower and squash. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Just before serving, sprinkle with sunflower kernals.

Karren Mitchell

Jelly Roll Pancakes

4 eggs

3 cups milk

1 t. vanilla

3 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 t. salt

Beat eggs with fork until well blended. Add milk and vanilla. Beat with a fork until well blended. Keep beating as you add the flour, sugar, and salt, until batter is smooth. Melt butter in a skillet or griddle, and cook like a pancake.

Top with syrup, jam, or powdered sugar, and roll up.

Stefani Hooper

Apple Toffee Dip

1 brick cream cheese

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 Skor bars

Beat together ingredients. Just before serving , add chopped up Skor bars. Eat with apple slices.

Stefani Hooper