Vegetable Chunk Salad

1 cucumber

3 ripe roma tomatoes

1 green bell pepper, seeded

1/2 red onion, peeled

4 ribs celery from the heart, including leafy tops

1 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 head of iceburg lettuce (or spinach or romaine)

1 carrot peeled and thinly sliced

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(Use all of the above, or mix and match using the vegetables that you like.)

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2 tablespoons vinegar

1 lime or 1 lemon, juiced

1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce, for mild to medium-hot heat level (recommended: Tabasco)

1/8 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, (or canola oil)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut cucumber, tomatoes, pepper, onion and celery into bite-sized chunks. Chop lettuce into small chunks. Combine vegetables in a bowl. Sprinkle cilantro or parsley over the vegetables. Combine vinegar, lime or lemon juice and hot sauce in a small bowl. Whisk in extra-virgin olive oil in a slow stream. Pour dressing down over the salad and toss. Season salad with salt and pepper and serve.

Chicken Alfredo

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. Cream cheese
1 pkg dry Italian dressing mix
1/3 soup can of water
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley (optional)

Place all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 5-6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. When chicken is done shred into small pieces. Serve over rice, potatoes, or pasta. Top with fresh chopped parsley.

Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

2 c. brown sugar
2 c. sugar
2 c. margarine
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
5 c. flour
5 c. oatmeal
chocolate chips (optional)

Cream brown sugar, sugar, and margarine. Add baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and eggs. Add flour and oatmeal. Add chocolate chips if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for 7-10 min. Do not overbake.

Tip: Drop dough close together on cookie sheet (without touching). Place in freezer. Once frozen, remove from cookie sheet and put in freezer zip lock bag. Keep in freezer up to 2 months. Bake frozen dough at 350 degrees for 12-15 min.

Pumpkin Roll Cake

3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin (plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs on high for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in white sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Add pumpkin and lemon juice.

In another bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg; fold into the pumpkin mixture.

Grease a 15x10x1 inch baking pan; line with waxed paper. Grease and flour the paper. Spread batter into pan; sprinkle with walnuts.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.

Immediately turn out onto a linen towel (or plastic wrap) dusted with confectioners' sugar. Peel off paper and roll cake up in the towel, starting with the short end. Cool.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, butter, and vanilla until fluffy.

Unroll pumpkin cake when cool, and spread with filling. Roll up again. Unroll long sheet of waxed paper. Put pumpkin roll on waxed paper. Dust pumpkin roll with powdered sugar. Twist ends of waxed paper like a piece of candy. Put pumpkin roll in refrigerator and chill overnight. Before slicing, dust with powdered sugar. Serve chilled.

Berry Sauce

Fresh or frozen and thawed berries
Sugar to taste

Puree (blend lots) and strain berries (I don't strain strawberries). Gently heat and add sugar to taste, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

Optional:
You may thicken this sauce by mixing cornstarch with a little water, adding it to the berry sauce and bringing mixture to a boil, but the flavor intensity will be compromised.

Uses:
Serve with angel food cake, pound cake with lemon curd, chocolate soufflé, chocolate truffle cake, mousse, cheesecake, waffles, custard, ice cream, yougurt, hot chocolate, fruit salads, pavlova, tarts, foie gras, pork wellington, duck, crème brulee, soft (poached) meringue, baked brie, crepes, in vinaigrettes or drizzle on dessert plates. [I don't know what all of these are, but if you do, go for it. :) ]

Cheesecake

3 packages (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened (room temp)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
5 eggs

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In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sugar, vanilla and salt; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Either: Spoon into paper-lined miniature muffin cups, 2 tablespoons in each. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes or until set.

Or: Pour into 2 already made graham cracker pie crusts. Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes or until set. (The edges will be firm and the center should jiggle slightly.) Cool completely.

Or: Make your own graham cracker crust, press into one 9x13 dish. Bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes or until set.

*Cooled cheesecakes can be frozen up to 4 weeks in an airtight container. Before serving, thaw at room temperature.

Top with fruit or favorite toppings.

Italian Chicken and Potatos

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Boneless skinless chicken breasts

Potatos

Peel and dice enough potatos to fill the bottom of a 9x13 glass dish (more is fine). Lightly cover with canola oil. Sprinkle about 2 tsp of Italian Seasoning on potatoes. Add 1/2 to 3/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Mix so the potatos are lightly coated with oil and spices.

Place a couple of chicken breasts (or more depending on how many you are preparing for) on top of the potatos. Sprinkle with Salt and pepper.

Cover dish with aluminum foil. Cook 45 min to 1 hour, or until potatos are soft and the chicken in cooked through. Remove tinfoil for the last 10 min.

Optional: serve with diced tomatos, salsa, ketchup, sour cream, chopped green onions, etc.

Sweet Honey French Bread

SWEET HONEY FRENCH BREAD

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3/4 cup water
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons olive oil
2/3 teaspoon salt
2/3 teaspoon white sugar
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey (optional)

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In a large bowl, combine water and yeast. Add the rest of the ingredients until well blended.
Shape into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn once. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled.

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Punch dough down, and divide in half. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each half into large rectangle. Roll up, starting from a long side. Moisten edge with water and seal. Taper ends. (*OR just pat into desired shape without rolling out.)

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Grease a large baking sheet. Place loaves, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly beat the egg white and brush on. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until nearly doubled.
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With a very sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across top of each loaf.

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Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for 15 minutes. Brush again with egg white mixture (optional). Bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until bread tests done. (Can also drizzle extra honey on the bread at this point.) If necessary, cover loosely with foil to prevent over browning. Remove from baking sheet, and cool on a wire rack.

Fruit Pizza

Sugar Cookie Crust: (This will make 2 jelly roll pans full.)
1 cup margarine
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk
5 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
-Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
-Add milk.
-Blend in flour, soda, baking powder, and salt.
-Roll out dough on floured counter and move onto cookie sheet.
-Bake at 350 degrees until barely brown on bottom.
-Frost when cool.
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Cream Cheese Frosting: (This will frost 2 jelly roll pans.)
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Make sure your cream cheese and butter are room temperature. Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Frost.

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Slice any fruit that you would like and place on top. Keep refrigerated. Enjoy!