Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda; set aside.

Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into about 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 7-8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and remove from pan.

Rice Crispy Chocolate covered Balls

3 cups crisp rice cereal
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons shortening
Add all ingredients to list

In a large bowl, mix butter, sugar, peanut butter and crisp rice cereal together thoroughly.
Roll into small balls and set aside.

Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in a small saucepan over low heat being careful not to burn. Once melted remove from heat. Coat the small balls in the chocolate and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Christmas Peppermint delights Candies

2 cups of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of light corn syrup
1/4 cup of water (not hot or cold)
2 large egg whites  (room Temperature)
1/3 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3/4 cups of chopped hard peppermint candy or canes



Mix together sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan;  Place pan over medium/high, and cook, gently stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until you see the sugar dissolving and mixture boils. Once the sugar syrup is clear and thick, cook, without touching with a spoon until it reaches 255°F (hard-ball consistency), about 6 to 8 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Place egg whites in a bowl and whisk,  beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to high, and beat until egg whites are thick and hold a soft peak.

Set mixer on low speed, carefully pour the hot syrup into beaten egg whites, pouring slowly  (Do not scrape the pan).

Increase the speed of the mixer to high, and continue beating until syrup is well mixed into the egg whites, scraping down sides of the bowl, add vanilla. Continue beating on high speed until the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape, 6 to 10 minutes.

Mix in 1⁄2 cup chopped peppermint candy, and beat on medium speed just until combined throughout the mixture.

Scoop mixture into small balls of candy (about 1 tablespoon each), placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper, and don’t have them touching one another.

Top candies quickly with leftover chopped peppermint and let cool, until set about 1 to 2 hours.

Once all set place candies to an airtight container/tin, place parchment paper/wax paper between layers.

Green beans and Bacon

1 pound Green beans washed and snipped
dash of salt and pepper
2 slices of bacon
1 tablespoon lemon juice or red cider or red wine vinegar

Boil green beans    4-5 minutes  or until tender once cooked set aside

Cook the bacon until crispy while the green beans are cooking.  Once bacon cooked remove from pan. 

Pour fat from pan leaving about one tablespoon, saute green beans on medium heat about 2 minutes, cut up bacon and add to mixture cook another minute of 2.  Sprinkle with lemon juice, red cider, or red wine vinegar. 

Sweet Potatoes and Apples

2 tablespoon of olive oil
4 sweet potatoes peeled and diced
3 medium mac apples
1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons of maple syrup


Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the sweet potatoes and cook until tender, add the apples, cinnamon and nutmeg continue cooking until the sweet potatoes and apples are tender.  Drizzle with maple syrup and stir and serve hot.


Serves 6

Moist Pumpkin Bread

3/4 Cup of flour
3 3/8 ounces of vanilla pudding (do not prepare from the package)
1 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
1/2 melted butter or any type oil except olive oil
1 cup of granulated sugar
15 ounce can of puree pumpkin
1/3 chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Powdered Sugar
Preheat oven 350


In a large mixing bowl mix flour, dry pudding, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice.  Whisk together evenly.

In another large mixing bowl mix together melted butter/oil, sugar, and pumpkin and eggs.  Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well until dry ingredients are mixed well.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, top with chopped nuts.

Bake 65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool the bread 15 minutes remove from pan and cool on a rack, sprinkle with powdered sugar and slice when ready to serve.

Yummy Pineapple Pie

2 large eggs
1 teaspoon of salt -free butter
1 can of crushed pineapple non-drained
1 homemade or premade pie crust
3 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar, mixed together well

Preheat oven 450 degrees
Line bottom crust to pie plate

Make the egg wash:

Beat 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of water

Pie Ingredients:

In a small bowl mix crushed pineapple together 1/2 cup sugar
In a medium size mixing bowl,  beat 2 eggs lightly, add remaining sugar, add the pineapple mixture
Pour the pineapple filling to the piecrust and drizzle with the butter cover with top crust
Brush egg wash over  top crust  and sprinkle with the brown sugar/granulated mixture
With a fork punch the pie crust about 6-8 times with fork in order for steam to escape while baking

Bake pie 12 minutes at 450 lower heat to 350 for 30-40 minutes until crust appears golden brown and firm


Enjoy all!   Enjoy Angelo Jr!

Italian Escarole and Cannellini Beans Soup

• 1 1/2 teaspoon of Virgin Oil 
• 1 small chopped onion
• 5 cloves of minced garlic
• 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (do not drain)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning 
• 1 cup orzo pasta
• 10 cups chopped Escarole or spinach if you prefer
• 1 can Cannellini beans

• In a large pan, set at medium heat, add oil, onion and garlic. Cook until tender, add the broth, tomatoes, Italian seasoning and pepper
• Bring all to a slow boil lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes
• Stir in the orzo and escarole and return the pan to a boil
• Cook 20-25 minutes until the Orzo pasta is tender
• Add the beans and stir occasionally so that the ingredients to do not stick to pan
• Sprinkle cheese over the soup
• This soup can be frozen once cooled
• Makes 8 servings

This was a family favorite and my Mom would  often add other ingredients to change it up a little.

 

Buttered Spiced Edamame

• 1 package of frozen edamame pods
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 3/4 ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/4 crushed red pepper flakes
• 6 tablespoons of melted butter

• Cook the edamame in boiling water covered for 8 minutes until tender
• Drain
• Add to a large bowl
• Add all the seasoning and butter and mix well to coat the edamame
• 6 servings

      Was introduced to this at a cooking session I went to and added my own ideas to it.

Summer Mediterranean Chicken Salad

• 2 cups uncooked Orzo or small shell pasta
• 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken  (great with leftover chicken)
• It you cook your own chicken reason with Italian seasoning during cooking
• 14 cherry tomatoes halved
• 1/2 cup Feta cheese
• 1 can sliced olives drained
• 1/4 chopped red of sweet onions
• 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
• pinch of salt and  dried oregano 

• Cook the pasta per the package directions.  Drain pasta and rise with cold water making sure to drain well.
• In a large bowl mix together the pasta, chicken, tomatoes, cheese,olives and onions.
• In a small bowl mix together rest of ingredients until blended well.  
• Drizzle the Olive oil over the salad to flavor well, and toss to coat.
• Serves 6

Italian Spinach Potato Pie

• 6 large Eggs  (beat Lightly)
• 4 cups of frozen hash brown potatoes
• 2 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 8 strips of bacon cook and chopped up
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 4 plum tomatoes washed and sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

• Preheat oven to 350

• In a large mix together the first 10 ingredients and pour into a greased 9 in pie plate
• Bake 40 minutes
• Take out of oven and arrange the tomatoes over the top, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese
• Bake 15 minutes longer, check when knife comes of clean
• let stand for 10 minutes
• Serves 6

Italian Ribs

• 4 racks of Baby Back ribs (4pounds)
• 3 cans Guinness beer
• 1 1/4 gallon of water
• 4 Tablespoons Carolina Rub
• 1/2 teaspoon of parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon of oregano
• 1 bottle of Barbecue Sauce 

1. In a large pot bring water and beer and rub to a boil  and stir.
2. Cut each rack of rib in half and place in boiling Rub mixture.
3. Lower heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours partially covered.
4. Remove ribs and place on a greased rimmed baking sheet and coat with barbecue sauce.
5. Finish cooking ribs on hot grill.
6. You can also cook them in 350 oven for 20-30 minutes.
7. You can serve with extra barbecue sauce.
8. Serves 4

Carolina Rub

• 2 Tbsp
  salt
• 2 Tbsp

  sugar
• 3 Tbsp

  Light brown sugar 
• 2 Tbsp

  ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp

  chili powder
• 2 Tbsp

   ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp

  minced garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp

  dried, minced onions
• 1 Tbsp

  cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup

  paprika

Easter Baked Ham

1 cooked ham  8 pounds
1 cup Brown sugar
4 tablespoons of pancake syrup
1 teaspoon of mustard
3 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup color water
1 jar of pitted cherries do not drain
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon of almond flavor

Preheat oven to 325
Place ham on a rack in roasting pan, slice surface of ham, cutting 1/4 in deep.
Mix brown sugar, syrup and mustard, pour over ham and into slices made. Bake covered 1 3/4 hours.

In a saucepan mix cornstarch, sugar and water until smooth.  Add cherries, bring to a boil.  Cook and stir until thickened about 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat stir in lemon juice and extract and pour over ham and serve.

I also cook the ham with Pineapple and cherries

Serve warm.
Serves 12