Squash Casserole

 I needed a recipe -- fast. I know. There are hundreds and probably thousands of Squash Casserole recipes. I have quite a few of them. But I have a secret to share: I had never cooked a Squash Casserole. Ever.

Crazy, right? In my defense, I never needed to bake one. My Mother did that. Friends baked it. Relatives too. I always liked it. I just never baked one myself.

Then came the day I had squash that were about to ruin. I didn't have the time, or the Crisco Oil, to fry them up. So I needed a Squash Casserole recipe. I found one in a senior citizen center cookbook. The bonus is that I know the woman who submitted it. She's a really good cook!

It calls for 2 lbs. of squash. I didn't bother to weigh them out. I used the ones I had and it seemed to work out just fine. We loved it! I hope you do too.

Squash Casserole

2 lbs. yellow squash

2 eggs

8 saltine crackers

1 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

1/2 stick butter

1 (5-oz.) can evaporated milk

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 onion, chopped

Wash the squash and cut the ends off. Chop it up and boil in water until tender. Drain. Return to pan and mash the squash into a batter consistency. Add salt and pepper.

Add butter and cheese to the squash. Stir in the other ingredients. Place in a casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Pie

 My husband is a chocoholic. And he loves pies. What's more natural, then, than baking (something I love to do!) a chocolate pie.

Except I couldn't find a recipe that I liked. I know. There are SO many chocolate pie recipes. Everywhere I looked.  I don't know how many I tried. Finally, I did what I always do in these circumstances. I put a little bit of this one, and that one, and then another one, and so on until I got one that seems just right. I hope you enjoy it!

Chocolate Pie

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 stick real butter, melted

1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons Hershey's Cocoa powder

2 tablespoons flour

1 unbaked, thawed pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into the unbaked pie shell.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream or Cool Whip.

Cookies and Cream Brownies

 Have you ever served a dessert and had people coming back for seconds ... and thirds? This is one of those desserts.

I found this recipe years ago in an All Recipes magazine. Of course, I tweaked it a little. But it sure is yummy and will certainly satisfy those chocolate lovers in your life.

Cookies and Cream Brownies

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup Hershey's Cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup real butter, melted

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon McCormick's Pure Vanilla Extract

1 package of Oreos (36 count)

1 (8 oz.) container of Cool Whip, thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Use extra butter or Pam to grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

Mix sugar, flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder in a bowl.

Combine butter, eggs and vanilla. I whisk with a fork.

Pour egg mixture into flour mixture. Stir only until just mixed. Don't over do it!

Crush 16 Oreos.

Pour half of the batter into the greased pan. Sprinkle the crushed Oreos over this. Top with remaining batter.

Bake for 30 minutes or until edges are browned and the center is set. (No jiggling!)

Let brownies cool completely. This will take an hour or so.

Crush another 14 Oreos.

Mix the Oreos with the Cool Whip. Spread this over the brownies.

Crush remaining 6 Oreos and use these to sprinkle on top.

Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Peanut Butter Fudge

This is SO easy! It comes from the booklet Southern Peanut Shortcut Recipes by Kathleen Royal Phillips. I picked the booklet up from a booth at The Peanut Butter Festival years ago.

Peanut Butter Fudge

1 3/4 cups creamy peanut butter 

1 16 oz. container of Betty Crocker vanilla frosting 

Line an 8x8 baking pan with wax paper. You can also use tin foil.

Stir together the peanut butter and frosting in a large microwave-safe bowl. 

Microwave on HIGH 1 minute. Stir until smooth. 

Pour the peanut butter mixture into the prepared pan, spreading to the edges with a spatula. 

Chill, uncovered, at least 2 hours or until firm. Once firm, cut the fudge into bite-sized pieces. 

Store in an airtight container at room or in the refrigerator.

Lemon-Cream Cheese Pound Cake

 

I love the taste of lemons. I always have. I love lemon ice cream. I enjoy Lemon Icebox Pie. I adore Lemon Layer Cake. And now I have found a wonderful recipe for Lemon-Cream Cheese Pound Cake.

This wasn't the first Lemon Pound Cake recipe I have tried. The others were okay. I had high hopes for this one because it reminded me of the Pound Cake my Mother baked. It came from one of those old cookbooks compiled down in Chipley, Florida. I don't know Bobbie Smith but her recipe is divine!

It surpassed my expectations. It is moist and delicious. The lemon flavor isn't over-powering but is just right. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Lemon-Cream Cheese Pound Cake

6 large eggs -- at room temperature

1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks) -- room temperature

1 8-oz. package cream cheese -- room temperature

3 cups sugar

3 cups cake flour -- sifted once

1 tablespoon lemon flavoring

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Line a tube cake pan with wax paper. Lightly spray the bottom and sides with PAM.

Cream the butter until smooth. Add the cream cheese. Add the sugar. Then add the eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Slowly add the flour. Add the lemon flavoring last.

Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until it's done. I test the cake with a wooden toothpick. If it comes out clean, it's done. Remember that every oven is different.

When done, remove the cake from the pan. You can wait until it's cool or enjoy a slice while it's warm. YUM!

Apple Butter Bars

 Do y'all ever get those free magazines from electric companies and insurance companies? Don't just toss them. Some of those magazines contain recipes that you don't want to miss.

This recipe is listed as a cake but to me it's all about cutting it into bars before serving. You can certainly do either way.

I found it not long after my husband and I returned from the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, area. We had purchased Apple Butter from a local orchard and I wanted to use it in something. This recipe is that something.

It's easy and delicious. And don't worry. The Apple Butter you find at your local store will work just fine.

Apple Butter Bars

1 cup butter -- room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs -- room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup Apple Butter

2 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with wax paper. Lightly spray the bottom and sides with PAM.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until blended in.

Mix the flour, salt and baking powder together. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Lastly, add the Apple Butter and vanilla flavoring.

Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely.

Apple Butter Frosting

1 8-ounce package cream cheese -- room temperature

1/4 cup butter -- room temperature

3 tablespoons Apple Butter

1 16-ounce box of powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 cups)

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add Apple Butter. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Mix well.

Spread over cooled Apple Butter Bars.

Cut into bars or, if you like, cut into larger pieces. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Cheesy Garlic Bread

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/ 2 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 

Shredded Cheddar cheese 

Shredded mozzarella cheese 

One loaf French bread 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the French bread in half. Place on ungreased baking sheet. 

Combine softened butter, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Spread onto the bread. Top with Cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. I sprinkle it on the bread generously. 

Bake for 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!