Manicotti With Cheese - American Beauty Blue Ribbon Classic

This was published long ago, so here is the current link to the American Beauty Classic

American Beauty Blue Ribbon Classic - Manicotti With Cheese

Ingredients:

14 pieces (8oz.) Manicotti, uncooked

1 - 3/4 cups (15 oz. container) part-skim ricotta cheese

2 cups (8oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 cups (about 28 - oz. jar) spaghetti sauce

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Cool in single layer on foil. 

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In large bowl, stir together cheeses, parsley, salt and pepper; spoon into cooled pasta tubes. Spread thin layer of sauce on bottom of remaining sauce over pasta; cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake 15 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly. 

6 - 8 servings

Make Ahead Directions: Do not bake. Cover baking dish tightly with plastic wrap; then foil. Freeze up to 2 months. Remove foil and plastic wrap; replace foil. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake 15 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly.

To make individual portions, prepare as directed in recipe above except place in seven small microwave-safe baking dishes. Cover tightly. Freeze up to 2 months.  Microwave  each dish, loosely covered, at MEDIUM (50%) 7 to 8 minutes or until hot, turning dish 1/2 turn halfway through cooking time. If individual portion is refrigerated, microwave at HIGH (100%) 2-1/2 minutes or until hot. 

Grandmother's Thanksgiving Miracles: Dressing - Cornbread - Biscuits - Giblet Gravy

Grandmother's Thanksgiving Day Turkey Dressing

Grandmother's Cornbread (Not Sweet)

Grandmother's Two-Story Biscuits

Grandmother's Giblet Gravy

Grandmother Cook's Cornbread

This is my Grandmother Cook's (Marjorie Nell Taylor/Cook)cornbread recipe used for Thanksgiving dressing, or accompanying piping hot pinto beans and salt pork, or with pre-Thanksgiving day stew.The handwriting is my mother's (Patricia Nell Cook/Clevenger). It is not a "sweet" cornbread recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cup white cornmeal
• 1/2 Cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 Cup buttermilk
• 1 Tablespoon soft meat drippings, shortening or oil

Instructions:

1. Mix and bake
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and bake in an 8x8 pan for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned

Easy Velveeta & Rotel Cheese Dip (Queso!)

Ingredients:

• 1 can Rotel-original (mild if you don’t like a little spice in your life)
• 16 oz (1 lb) Mexican Velveeta

Note: For parties, use 2 cans of Rotel and one large loaf (32 oz.) Velveeta!

Directions:

1. Cube the Velveeta and place in  1 quart dish that you can put a lid on                                         (I use corning ware 6x6 casserole dish)
2. Pour can of Original Rotel over Velveeta cubes - stir
3. Cover with lid and place in microwave
4. Microwave on High for two minutes, stir, put lid back on and microwave in 1-2 minute increments, stirring between each time until cheese is completely melted.
5. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips or eat with your favorite Mexican dish – smothered burritos – Yum!

Mom's Chicken Continental & White Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 Large family-size can cream of chicken soup
• 1 Large family-size can cream of mushroom soup
• 4 ounces of sour cream
• 1 - 2 lbs. Chicken with skin on - mixed thighs and legs enough to fill 9 x 13 casserole dish/pan
• 2 Cups uncooked white rice

Instructions:

1. Mix together wet ingredients (soups and sour cream) and pour over chicken pieces in 9 x 13 casserole dish/pan 
2. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for an hour until chicken is thoroughly cooked
3. While chicken is cooking, prepare rice per package instructions
4. Serve chicken and sauce over white rice

*Yields 6-8 servings

NOTE: To Yield 3-5 servings:

reduce chicken to 1 lb.

reduce canned soup sizes to 10.5 oz per can

use same amount of sour cream 4oz.

reduce uncooked white rice to 1 cup

Italian Pasta Salad

Full of Flavor Easy Italian Pasta Salad!

Ingredients

• 1 12 oz. package tri-colored garden rotini pasta
• 1 c. your favorite cheese cubed (Vermont yellow cheddar pictured here)
• 1 14 oz. jar quartered artichoke hearts
• 1 can black olives, whole
• 1 c. grape tomatoes halved
• 1 8 oz bottle Italian salad dressing
• 1/2 - 1 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 - 1/2 c.finely chopped red onion or green onion to taste
• salt and paper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package direction; drain, rinse, and pour in a large bowl.
2. Place cheese cubes, artichoke hearts, olives, tomato, and onion over pasta; stir carefully to combine.
3. Pour half the bottle of dressing into the bowl; mix well with other ingredients. Cover and place in the fridge for at least two hours before serving.
4. Add more Italian dressing before serving. Top with grated Parmesan cheese, stir, and serve.

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Prep

½ to 1 cup sugar tossed with 3 - 5 pints of sliced fresh strawberries (set aside for at least 1hr)

Single Recipe – Short Bread
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
½ cup butter at room temperature
1 egg
2/3 cup milk (for richer taste use half and half)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees - Grease and flour cookie sheet(s)
2. In a medium (large bowl if doubling recipe) combine all dry ingredients:  flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add the beaten egg(s), vanilla, and milk (or half and half) until just combined.
3. “Flour” hands with powdered sugar and separate dough into 8 equal mounds/parts. Roll each mound in the powdered sugar and fashion into a biscuit. Place on greased/floured cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Let cool partially on pan on wire rack.
4. Slice biscuits in half and layer with strawberry mixture and whipped cream (or cool whip) alternately and however you like.

Whipped Cream
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup powdered sugar for full bodied whipped cream
Whip the heavy cream and then add vanilla – add sugar last until the desired consistency

Doubled Recipe – Short Bread
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
½ cup white sugar
2 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
1 cup butter at room temperature
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup milk (for richer taste use half and half)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees - Grease and flour cookie sheet(s)
2. In a medium (large bowl if doubling recipe) combine all dry ingredients:  flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add the beaten egg(s), vanilla, and milk (or half and half) until just combined.
3. “Flour” hands with powdered sugar and separate dough into 16 equal mounds/parts. Roll each mound in the powdered sugar and fashion into a biscuit. Place on greased/floured cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Let cool partially on pan on wire rack.
4. Slice biscuits in half and layer with strawberry mixture and whipped cream (or cool whip) alternately and however you like.

Tips:

Put all your dry ingredients in a bowl and use a whisk to blend the ingredients. Have your butter at room temperature. Use a wire pastry blender to mix - the texture will be fine vs. coarse. Make a well and add your wet ingredients and combine just until they come together. As with any biscuit recipe, you don't wan to over-work the dough or it gets tough. "Flour" your hands with confectioners sugar and separate the dough into 8 equal parts. Then roll each mound in the powdered sugar and fashion into a biscuit. Allow an inch around each biscuit when placing on the cookie sheet as they will spread as they bake. This recipe makes 8 large biscuits.

Just a Cloth!

God, you give me peace, when man cannot.
When I am sad – lonely, bitter and afraid,
My only hope is in you.
My debt is paid.

 Let my eyes rest on things eternal,

 And not the pleasures of this earth.
Help me live by the Spirit, a new heart, a new birth.
The Holy Spirit in me – You are my worth.

I’ve sought approval and affirmation in all the wrong places.
With repeated mistakes leaving more empty spaces.
I long to be filled with something that lasts..
A something that is able to overcome ANY past.

I know your truths but sometimes turn away.
Living in denial, in selfishness and pride, I foolishly convince myself, “I can hide!”
But you are with me, wherever I go.
You never leave me, and you always know.

Your promises sustain me, your love is enough.
I don’t need anything, not money, not stuff.
For you are my portion, my giver of hope.            
Satan wants to steal my joy, but in your strength I say “Nope!”

I love you forever, for all of my days.
I raise my voice and my hands, You have all of my praise.
You want me to love you with all my heart, mind, soul and strength.
My neighbor comes second, with a cheerful heart I give thanks.

You never disappoint me or fall short of expectations.
We win in the end, it’s in the book of Revelation.
My eternity is yours. In heaven I’ll be.
Where my Grandmother and Granddaddy came before me.

Their legacy is their gift - not destroyed by dust or moth.
The empty tomb, our risen Lord, all that was left?
Just a cloth!

-All verse links affiliated with Bible Gateway - NIV Version

Cutest pup EVER!!

Best Friend