Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

1 pound ground beef, lean

1 pound Sweet Basil Italian Sausage, casings removed and crumbled

2 cups grated carrot

1 medium onion, finely chopped

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp. Parsley

1 Tbsp. dried Oregano

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Olive Oil

salt & pepper

Garlic powder

2 28 ounce cans concentrated crushed tomatoes

1 23 ounce can tomato sauce

Cook hamburger with some garlic powder. Drain and set aside . Cook Italian sausage until almost done and add grated carrot. Cook the rest of the way. Transfer both meats to crock pot. In saucepan, saute onion in a little olive oil. Add garlic, parsley, oregano, salt & pepper until onions are soft. Transfer to crock pot. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and brown sugar and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

***This feeds a lot of people or gives lots of left over sauce to freeze. For picky eaters or young children I put some sauce in a food processor and puree. To make it a little thicker (if you like thick sauce) puree half and add back to sauce.

French Cherry Cream Pie

This is one of my favorites.  My mom would make it for me every year at Christmas when I was little.  You can use a regular pie crust of graham cracker crust if you prefer.  This year I tried it with a sugar cookie crust and it was awesome.

1 recipe cookie pie crust (below)

1 PKG. Cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tea. vanilla
1 cup heavy whipping cream (whipped)
1 can cherry pie filling

 
 Add sugar and vanilla to Creamed cheese and beat until smooth and fluffy. Fold cream cheese mixture into whipped cream carefully. spread over bottom of baked and cooled pie shell. cover with canned cherry pie filling and chill thoroughly.

Cookie Pie Crust:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/42 cup sugar

2 egg yolk

2 flour

Combine sugar with butter and egg yolk.  Using a pastry blender, gradually mix in flour until crumbs form. Press into bottom and up sides of a 9 inch pie plate.   Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until edge is browned.  Cool and fill.

Pumpkin Junk

I got this from a friend a long time ago and it has become a family favorite  Thanksgiving dessert. It is very simple and oh so yummy served warm with whipped cream.

1 15 oz. can canned pumpkin

1 12 oz. can evaporated milk

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 package yellow cake mix

chopped pecans (optional)

3/4 - 1 Cup butter melted

In large bowl combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and pumpkin pie spice.   Transfer to greased 13x9x2 inch pan.  Sprinkle with dry cake mix and drizzle with butter.  Top with pecans.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. 

Top with Ice Cream or Whipped Cream

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is by far the best Chocolate Chip cookie recipe I have found as of yet and I have looked far and wide. If you like big,moist, yummy cookies you will LOVE this recipe!

2 Cups All Purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 Cup unsalted butter, melted
1 Cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease cookie sheets or use nonstick cookie sheets.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt: set aside. Cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in vanilla, egg and yolk until light and creamy. Mix in sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand with wooden spoon. Drop dough 1/4 cup at a time on sheets 3 inches apart. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in oven or until edges are lightly toasted. Cool on sheets a few minutes then transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

I wish I could take credit for the recipe but I think I found it on Taste of Home and actually followed the recipe for once, only because my cousin made it the first time. Regardless it is a keeper.

Macaroni and Triple Cheese

Who doesn't love homemade Mac and Cheese?

1 box (14 ounces ) Elbow macaroni
2 eggs
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 to 1 tsp. pepper
8 ounces Velveeta cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided.( A good white cheddar is really yummy if you can find it.)

Cook macaroni. Meanwhile whisk the eggs, milk, butter, seasoned salt and pepper until combined. In large skillet over low heat, melt Velveeta with a little of milk mixture. Once melted, add remaining milk mixture and one cup each of mild and sharp cheddar cheese. Stir until all cheese is melted. Add macaroni to cheese mixture. Pour into greased 3 quart baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are bubbly. Serves 6.

I adapted this recipe from a recipe I found in a Taste of Home magazine, it reminds me of the Mac and Cheese my Grandmother used to fix and has become a family favorite. You will often find my husband and girls picking the top off :) after dinner before the food is put away. A friend adds green chili's to the top, which is yummy too.

We eat our macaroni and cheese with Blueberry Muffins. Strange I guess, but it's another family tradition. Up until I met my husband I thought everyone did it, like peas and carrots, they just went together. Not the case I found out.