Easy Food Recipes

Try this delicious moist cake for a little something different when visiting for a holiday dinner.  Everyone is used to the typical chocolate or white cakes.  Add some flavor this year and surprise everyone with how well you know how to bake.

Banana Cake

Ingredients

½ pound butter
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
½ cup mashed ripe bananas
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour

Directions
Preheat Oven to 350°

Cream your butter and sugar together then add your bananas and mix until smooth add your eggs one at a time now add your sour cream, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and flour, mix on low speed for 1 minute and then on 2nd speed for about 2 minutes or until smooth.
Place your cake mix in a well greased and floured 10 inch x 3 inch tube pan and let bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 25 to 35 minutes, test cake by inserting a pick in the center and if it comes out clean then it is done.

Icing on the cake:

Ingredients

4 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Add the flour to the cold milk and stir with a wire whisk and then cook it on the stove until it is thick, remove from stove without burning it and let it cool.

In a mixing bowl add ½ cup butter, ½ cup shortening, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, mix all for 1 minute then add the mixture that you cooked and whip for 2 or 3 minutes or until it is as fluffy as you desire using a paddle on your mixer and not the whip.

This is a cheesecake that I have been making for over 20 years if you follow the recipe to the tee you won’t have any problem, it is also colorful as well as the most lucious piece of pastry that you ever put in your mouth.

Bring this delicous Christmas dessert to the table at your parties and you will be loved!

Christmas Cheesecake

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter ir margarine melted
2 pounds cream cheese
1 cup sugar
8 ounces sour cream
2 eggs
1 cup flour
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cup in total
chopped candied cherries,
red and green
raisins, walnuts, candied pineapple
1/2 cup small chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat Oven to 275°

In a 5 quart mixing bowl place 2 pounds of cream cheese and 1 cup granulated sugar and mix on low speed until cream cheese is softened and smooth, place in bowl 8 ounces sour cream and continue mixing until well blended, at this time add 2 eggs, mix for 2 minutes then add 1 cup flour, and 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, mix on second speed until your cheesecake batter is smooth and creamy.

At this time your cheesecake mixture should be fluffy like ice cream as it comes out of the ice cream machine. Add the candied fruit, raisins, walnuts, pineapple, chocolate chips, fold everything together.
Prepair your 10 inch x 2 inches springform pan, in a large bowl place your graham cracker crumbs and 2 tablespoons sugar, and your melted butter or margarine, then with a wire whisk, whisk them together until well combined, brush onto the sides of your springform pan a little softened butter so the crumbs have something to hold to, place the crumbs on the sides and bottom of the pan. Now you add slowly to the pan your cheesecake mix as not to disturb the crumbs too much, now you should have a full pan.

The total weight of the cheesecake with the crumbs on the sides should be 5 to 5-1/4 pounds if you have some batter leftover just chill it, put some whip cream on it and enjoy.

Preheat your oven to 275 degrees and not more, when your oven is hot place the cheesecake in it and bake for 55 minutes then shut off the oven and leave it in there for 3 hours, at the end of this time you should have the most beautiful cheesecake you ever seen, let the cheesecake sit on the table for 1 1/2 hours then place it in the refrigerator for about 2-3 hours. Now remove it from the pan and enjoy.
Before serving sprinkle some red and green edible glitter that you can purchase at any store that has cake decorating supplies.

Nothing tastes better than fresh picked strawberries.  For many people, making homemade jams and jellies conjures up memories of grandmother in the kitchen preparing bushels of fruit, stirring and straining, and sterilizing jars. 

Actually, nothing could be simpler.  The key to making jam is small batches.  Do not double the recipe. The jam will not set up.  This strawberry jam keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.  But, we’ve never been able to keep it around that long!  It’s also great as an ice cream topping. 

Try this quick and easy recipe with your kids.  It makes a great Mother’s Day present for family and friends.  And, if you’re lucky, they may even save some for you.

Strawberry Jam

Ingredients

 1-pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
 2-tablespoons fruit pectin
 ½ teaspoon butter
 1-cup sugar
 2  8-ounce jelly jars

Directions

In a medium sized bowl, crush the strawberries with a potato masher
In a skillet, combine the crushed strawberries, pectin, and butter.
Stirring constantly, cook over medium-high heat, until the mixture boils. 
Add the sugar and bring to a boil.  Boil for 1 minute and remove from the heat. 
Pour the jam into the jars.  Seal.  Refrigerate until the jam is set, approximately 6 hours.  Keep jam refrigerated. It will keep for up to 3 weeks.

Year after year you’ve cooked the same ham for your Christmas Dinner.  Baked ham with pineapple on top, or at least that’s what we have at my house.  Try this ham recipe that is sure to please all the family..even the picky relatives.

Apple Baked Christmas Ham

Ingredients

1 large pre-cooked holiday ham
5 cups apple juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 light brown sugar
1/4 cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Clean ham and remove skin. Place in a roasting pan. Pour apple juice, cloves and brown sugar over the top; cover. Bake per package directions for 20 minutes per pound. Baste periodically during cooking. Remove from oven, cool slightly. Slice ham and baste with drippings from the pan. Serve with scalloped potatoes, apple sauce, vegetables, rolls and other holiday favorites.

Try this great Christmas cookie recipe that your family will love. 

Ingredients 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup shortening 1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar 1 egg 1 1/2 teaspoons almond flavoring 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring Crushed Peppermint Sticks(optional) Sugar(optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°

Cream the shortening and butter; mix in sugar, egg, almond and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt and add to shortening mixture. Divide dough in half.

Blend red food coloring into one half.  Let dough chill.  Roll 1 teaspoon of the red dough and 1 teaspoon of the white dough on lightly floured board into 4 inch strips. Place strips side by side and press lightly together and twist. Do not pinch. Curve top of rope down in to the shape of a candy cane. Make one complete cookie at a time. If the dough of one color is shaped first, the rolls will become too dry to twist.

Bake 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove while still warm. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup crushed peppermint stick candy and 1/2 cup sugar (optional).  This recipe will make two dozen.

We’ve been open for a few days and we’ve been rolling on the posts. 

We’re very excited to be able to offer recipes to fit everyones likings.  From cookies to delicious hams you can find just about anything you like.

We are working hard to make this the best recipe blog out there!

This is a picture of all of the words on our blog so far.  We can’t wait to work with you and offer you what we consider great tummy filling recipes and kitchen tips everyone should know.

Thanks to wordle.net for this awesome picture!

So fancy, yet so easy! This recipe is great to do with the kids.  Instead of doing the typical sugar cookies or chocolate chip cookies try this recipe for a little something different.   This is great to take to dinner parties or to have at your dinner party.  Your guests will like them so much they’ll think you bought them.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried cherries

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°

In small bowl over saucepan of hot (not boiling water) melt 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips; let cool.

Beat butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla, then melted chocolate.

In a separate bowl stir flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; stir into butter mixture. Stir in cherries and remaining chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for about 12 minutes or until edges are firm and centers still soft.

Colorful cookies that your kids will love to help with!

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour (more if dough seems too thin)
finely chopped pecans, almonds, or other nuts, optional
Jam

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°

Beat butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and flour, blending well. Chill dough 2 1/2 hours. Roll dough into small balls, then roll in the chopped nuts; place on lightly greased cookie sheets.

Make an indention in the middle of each cookie and fill with jam. Bake at 300° for about 25 to 35 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned on the bottom.  Makes about 6 dozen

Delicious cookies with a chocolatey surprise inside!

 Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 bag chocolate kiss candies, unwrapped (7 ounces)
powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°

Cream together your butter, sugar, and vanilla. Blend in Flour. Wrap one tablespoon of dough around each chocolate candy kiss. Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes, or until dough is set but not browned. Roll each cookie in powdered sugar while still warm.  This recipe makes about 2 to 3 dozen cookies.

These melt in your mouth classics can be made with cut outs or rolled in to balls.  You can also add a favorite topping, like crushed almonds or coconut.

Ingredients1/2 pound unsalted butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon vanilla pinch of salt

 Directions

Preheat oven to 300°

Mix ingredients well, roll out in to about 1/4-inch thick, and cut into shapes. Or, roll into small balls then roll in finely chopped nuts or coconut; place on lightly greased cookie sheet and flatten with the bottom of a glass.

Bake at 300° F. for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.