Pink Stuff

When I was a little girl my family and I would spend our holidays at grandma's house. Just like every other family, there was something special about this time. Maybe it was the holiday's or being with family, but it is a time I cherished and still do to this day! It was at these get together's that our grandmother would make her special recipe of what she called "pink stuff".

I can remember those visits with fondness. I would run to her, give a big hug and then ask, "Did you make pink stuff grandma?" She would smile and nod.

"Yes I made the pink stuff".

I don't know where or how she came up with this recipe, but it is a definite keeper. Now, years later, I can't help but think of this wonderful dessert and how it had become a tradition with my family. My grandmother may have passed on, but her recipe still lives on and I will always remember her every time I make it. I hope you enjoy this simple pleasure as much as we have.

What you will need:

24oz Cottage cheese

8oz Cool whip (thawed not frozen)

1 Small box of Cherry Jello

20oz (2 10oz jars) Maraschino Cherries

1 cup Sugar

To Make:

In a large bowl Mix the cottage cheese and cool whip together. Add the the Jello and mix through. Next add the sugar and mix well. Drain cherries and remove stems. Cut in half and add to mixture, mixing through.

Note: do not make this will a mixer, make by hand.

Chill in refrigerator.

Homemade Cracked Peppercorn Potato Chips

Home made potato chips not only taste great, but are simple to make! All you need is the potato, a little oil and the seasonings. I first started making these when I had a craving for something salty and crunchy, but was too lazy to go out to the store to buy something. I soon whipped these up and now I make them frequently. They go great either by themselves or with a sandwich!

What you will need:

Vegetable oil ( enough to cover the bottom of the pan about an inch deep.

3 Potatoes

2 tbsp Cracked peppercorn

Salt to taste

1tsp of garlic

1 tsp of black & red pepper flakes

To make:

1) Wash & scrub potatoes

2) Slice potatoes (do not peel them) into thin slices

3) Heat the oil in a pan on medium low heat

4) Add the potatoes, fry till golden brown. Keep turning each chip to cook evenly. About 10 minutes. The longer you cook them the crispier they will be, but careful not to burn them. If you do fewer at a time, they will brown better and will be crispier. If you cook too many at a time they will clump together and become sticky, making them harder to crisp.

5) In a bowl mix the the pepper and garlic salt together

6) Remove chips from oil when done and place on a paper towel Pat a little of the oil off, but not completely as this will help the seasonings stick.

7) Sprinkle the seasonings over the chips and lightly toss (Careful they are hot!)

8) Repeat the above until all chips have been cooked, add salt and enjoy!

Butter-Sugar Crisp Cookies

If your in the mood for a crispy sweet treat, then these cookies are for you! I made these cookies with butter flavored shortening, but you can also use butter if you prefer. However, if you use butter they don't come out as crispy as they do with shortening.

Preheat oven: 375 degrees

What you will need:

2 cups Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Salt

1 cup Butter or 1/2 cup of shortening

1 cup Sugar

2 tsp Vanilla

2 eggs

To Make:

1) In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and then set aside

2) In a large mixing bowl beat together the butter and sugar then add the vanilla

3) Next add the eggs, beating one at a time

4) Mixture will look light and fluffy

5) Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes

6) Roll into balls and place on a ungreased cookie sheet

7) Using the back of a fork press down on dough in a criss cross fashion

8) Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 10-12minutes

9) Take out and let cool on pan for a few minutes before removing

10) Serve plain or with frosting

If your like me, no sugar cookie is complete without frosting! Below is my own icing recipe. This recipe is great for cookies or cupcakes.

The icing

What you'll need:

1/2 cup shortening

3 cups Powder Sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp butter flavoring

2 tbsp Caro syrup

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup Cold water

*optional* Food coloring

Mix together the shortening, salt and powder sugar. Next add the vanilla, butter flavoring, vanilla and Caro syrup. Add water slowly, mixing through. Beat on high for about 5-10minutes. Add food coloring if you like. Enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken Rigatoni

This dish is sure to satisfy any carb or cheese cravings that one might have. I love anything pasta, so it made sense that my first post would be a pasta dish. This dish is super easy to make and takes less then an hour to make. It serves approximately 4, enjoy!

Preheat oven: 400degrees

Ingredients:

2 Chicken breasts

1/4 tsp Garlic salt

1/2 tsp Sea salt (regular salt can be used)

1/2 tsp Montreal chicken seasoning

1 tsp Crushed Rosemary

1/4 tsp Basil

1/4 tsp Black pepper

2 tbsp Olive oil

1/2 lb Rigatoni

1 Jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce(any kind will do)

1 cup Mozzarella Cheese

1 cup Cheddar or Colby-Jack

To make:

1)Heat oil in a large skillet on a med-low setting(on a gas stove I use 3)

2) Cut up Chicken into small pieces and add to the hot oil along with all the spices, cook until browned (no longer pink)

3)While the chicken is cooking boil a large pot of water for the pasta

4) Once the chicken is browned, add the Jar of sauce, cover and turn heat to low

5) Add pasta to boiling water and cook for approx. 15min. or until al dente

6)Drain pasta and place in a casserole dish

7) Add the chicken & sauce to the pasta and stir

8) Add the cup of Cheddar and mix

9) Smooth pasta down and top with the mozzarella cheese

10) Cook for 10-15min. in oven to allow the cheese to melt through

11) Serve and enjoy!