Stuffed mushrooms

Mushrooms, regular 1 1/2 kind, whole
cream cheese, softened to room temperature
bacon
parmesean cheese, shredded

Wash and destem mushrooms and let dry completely, this may take up to an hour. Meanwhile, cook bacon and remove excess fat and chop into bits. (Food processor works great for chopping into bits, or just use the premade real bacon bits.)

Combine and mix well the cream cheese, bacon bits, and parmesean cheese and put into a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off. Or into a frosting bag with just the cupler, no fancy tips.

Squeeze filling into mushrooms and put in dish.

Bake on 350 degrees until cheese is melted and mushrooms are cooked. Takes about 15 min.

Eat!


*add chives, sub bacon for sausage, or get creative, this is the basic recipe, and I think it is the best. It was the first thing to go at Thanksgiving even though no one had them before.

Tomato Carrot Spice Cake

Serves: 16
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Condensed Tomato Soup
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large carrots, finely shredded (about 3 cups)
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoon orange-flavoring

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup fluted tube cake pan. Mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a 2-quart bowl. Beat the eggs with a fork or wire whisk in another 2-quart bowl. Beat in the soup, oil, sugar and vanilla. Stir in the carrots. Add the soup mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just to moisten. Fold in the raisins and nuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on the wire rack. Mix the cream, orange peel and liqueur in a 1-quart bowl. Beat with mixer at high speed until stiff. Serve with the cake.

*Great way to use up tomato soup cans from a case lot sale. From krazycouponlady.blogspot.com

Tomato Soup Spice Cakes

1 box (about 18 ounces) spice cake mix
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Condensed Tomato Soup
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
Cream Cheese Frosting

Directions:Heat the oven to 350°F. Place liners into 24 (2 1/2-inch) muffin-pan cups. Combine the cake mix, soup, water and eggs in a large bowl and mix according to the package directions. Spoon the batter into the muffin-pan cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and let cool completely. Frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting. After frosting, you can sprinkle the cupcakes with toasted chopped pecans or walnuts.

*Great way to use up tomato soup cans from a case lot sale. From krazycouponlady.blogspot.com

Oreo Gobblers

Saw this idea on www.familyfun.com and wanted to give them a try so...we did. They were fun to make!

Each gobbler consists of two double-stuffed Oreo cookies, one whopper candy, and five candy corns. Use Royal Icing to "glue" the little guys together and for their eyes and beaks. Easy peasy. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Cranberry Jello

Family favorite during the holidays!!!

1-6oz. pkg. raspberry or cran-raspberry jello
3 1/2 c. cranberry juice
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 c. cream

Boil 2 cups of the cranberry juice then add the jello, stir until it is dissolved. Add the rest of the juice then chill until the jello just starts to set up (checking every 15-30 minutes. Whip the cream. Beat the mayonnaise into the jello then fold in the whipped cream. Pour into a jello mold or 9x13 pan refrigerate until set.

Turkey Safety

ASK A SPECIALIST: DO YOU HAVE TIPS FOR SAFELY PREPARING MY THANKSGIVING TURKEY?

Answer by: Darlene Christensen, Utah State University Extension family and consumer sciences agent, Tooele County

Turkey, like all poultry, often carries Salmonella, a common type of bacteria that can cause food-borne illness. Under ideal conditions, bacteria can double every 10 to 20 minutes. That means one cell can increase to over 16 million cells in eight hours. For this reason, perishable foods such as poultry should never be held at room temperature for more than two hours. To safely prepare your Thanksgiving turkey, consider these tips.

• Thaw it properly. You can safely thaw turkey in your refrigerator at 40 F or below. Allow 24 hours for every 5 pounds of whole turkey. Using this method, fully thawed turkeys can remain in the refrigerator for one to two additional days. After thawing, remove the neck and giblets from the body cavities. Then wash the turkey with cold water, inside and out, and drain it well.

• Turkey may also be defrosted in cold water in its airtight packaging or in a leak?proof bag. Submerge the turkey or cut?up parts in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes to make sure water remains cold.

• If you purchased a smaller turkey, it may be possible to thaw it in the microwave. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for the size of turkey that will fit in your microwave, the minutes per pound and the power level to use for thawing. Remove the giblets, rinse the turkey and roast it immediately after thawing.

• It is never safe to thaw your turkey or other meat on the counter. This is putting the meat in what food safety experts call the danger zone – 40 to 140 F, which is where bacteria multiply rapidly.

• To roast a turkey, set the oven temperature no lower than 325 F. It is not safe to cook a turkey for a lengthy time, such as overnight, at a very low temperature. This encourages bacterial growth. To check for doneness, use a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh. Meat thermometers are available at reasonable prices in most supermarkets and variety stores. To be safe, the thigh meat should reach 165 F. If the bird is stuffed, the stuffing should reach 165 F as well.

• After the meal, refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers. A habit of many families is to leave turkey and other perishable items out all day for people to “graze on.” Remember this is not safe. Place perishable items in the refrigerator. If people want to snack, they can get the food out of the refrigerator.

For more information on turkey preparation or storage, contact your local USU Extension office. You can also contact USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline toll free at 888?MPHotline (888-674-6854).

(Source: "Let's Talk Turkey Safety," Darlene Christensen, Utah State University Extension family and consumer sciences agent, Tooele County)

Grape Ice

It's a tradition with my mom's side of the family to make this with Thanksgiving every year. Sorry no picture.

2 c. sugar
4 c. water
2 c. grape juice
1/4 c. lemon juice
2/3 c. orange juice
a few drops of lemon extract (optional) - the one I made a week ago that a few of you tried had about tablespoon of lime juice instead.

Combine the above ingredients. Pour into a container with a lid and freeze. To serve we crush it up (usually with a knife or ice cream scoop depending on how much it's thawed out) and serve it in small bowls.

Yam Casserole

Sue's recipe for yams - delicious!

1 (26 oz.) can yams
6 apples

Peel and slice apples (as you would for apple pie), drain yams and
cut into chunks. Put into greased casserole. Pour butter sauce (see
recipe below) over top and bake covered, 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Butter Sauce
1 cup sugar
4 T. cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1 square butter (Not margarine-hey it's thanksgiving! :)
2 cups water

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Melt butter in a medium saucepan.
Add Sugar, cornstarch, salt mixture. Stir. Add 2 cups water. Bring
to boil stirring often.

Onion Chip Dip

1 (16 oz.) container cottage cheese
1 (16 oz.) container sour cream
1 pkg. Lipton Onion Soup dry mix

Mix ingredients together in a medium size bowl. Store in refrigerator for at least one hour before serving to let flavors mingle. Serve with potato chips or fresh cut vegetables (ie. carrot sticks, celery sticks, broccoli, cauliflower, jicama, green peppers, etc.)

Cranberry Sauce

1 cup sugar

1 cup water
4 cups (12-oz. package) fresh or frozen cranberries
Optional: Pecans, orange peel, raisins, currants, blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice

Wash and pick over cranberries. In a saucepan bring to a boil water and sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add cranberries, return to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries burst.

At this point you can add all number of optional ingredients. Mix in a half a cup of roughly chopped pecans with or without a few strips of orange peel. You can add a cup of raisins or currants. You can add up to a pint of fresh or frozen blueberries for added sweetness. Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice can be added too.

Remove from heat. Cool completely at room temperature and then chill in refrigerator. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Cranberry sauce base makes 2 1/4 cups.

Green Bean Casserole

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5 oz) cans cut green beans, drained
1 1/3 cups French-fried onions (French's)

Combine soup, milk, and pepper in a 1.5 quart baking dish; stir until blended. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup fried onions. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes or until hot. Stir. Sprinkle with remaining 2/3 cup fried onions. Bake 5 minutes more or until onions are golden.

Pumpkin Pie Squares

Bottom:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix (dry)
1 egg
1/2 cup margarine, melted

Mix together and reserve one cup. Press into 9x13-inch pan. Grease bottom only.

Filling:
3 cups pumpkin
1 1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves

Mix filling ingredients together and pour over bottom layer.

Topping:
1 cup reserved bottom
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Sprinkle topping on filling and bake in oven for 60 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Chocolate Cream Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie.

9-inch baked pie shell
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla
Sweetened Whipped Cream

Bake pie shell. Mix sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt in 1 1/2-quart saucepan. Stir in milk gradually. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir at least half of the hot mixture gradually into egg yolks. Blend into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour into pie shell; press plastic wrap onto filling. Refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 48 hours. Remove plastic wrap; top pie with whipped cream.

Vanilla Cream Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie.

9-inch baked pie shell
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla
Sweetened Whipped Cream

Bake pie shell. Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in 1 1/2-quart saucepan. Stir in milk gradually. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir at least half of the hot mixture gradually into egg yolks. Blend into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in margarine and vanilla. Pour into pie shell; press plastic wrap onto filling. Refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 48 hours. Remove plastic wrap; top pie with whipped cream.

Cookie Pie Crust

Makes one 9-inch pie crust.

1 1/2 cups cookie crumbs (vanilla or chocolate wafers or gingersnaps)
1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted

Heat oven. Mix crumbs and margarine. Reserve 3 tablespoons mixture for topping if desired. Press remaining mixture firmly against bottom and side of pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 minutes; cool.

Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Makes one 9-inch pie crust.

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted

Heat oven. Mix crumbs, sugar and margarine. Reserve 3 tablespoons mixture for topping if desired. Press remaining mixture firmly against bottom and side of pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 minutes; cool.

Pink Peppermint Pie

9-inch Graham Cracker Crust or Chocolate Cookie Crust
24 large marshmallows
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 drops peppermint extract
6 drops red food color
1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 tablespoons crushed peppermint candy

Bake pie crust. Heat marshmallows and milk in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, just until marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla, salt, peppermint extract and food color. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon.

Beat whipping cream in chilled bowl until stiff. Stir marshmallow mixture until blended; fold into whipping cream. Pour into crust. Refrigerate at least 12 hours. Just before serving, sprinkle with crushed candy.

Dad's Banana Cream Pie

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups milk

Mix first four ingredients. Add 1/2 cup milk and mix until smooth. Add rest of milk and cook until boiling. Boil 2 minutes. Add beaten egg while stirring briskly. Cook one minute longer. Add butter and vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Pour into baked crust layered with bananas (about 2 for a large pie.) Serve with whipped cream. Garnish with banana slices.

Debbie's Lemon Pie Filling

1/3 cup cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup water

Bring to a boil and clear in color. Take off heat and add:

1 beaten egg
1 juice of lemon (more if you want tart)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

When mixture cools, pour in cooked pie shell. Chill. (Makes enough to fill one pie.)

Pastry Pie Crusts

3 cups flour
1 1/4 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt

Cut with pastry blender until fully mixed. Then add:
1 beaten egg
5 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon vinegar

Mix with spoon or fork. Roll out on waxed paper and place in pie plates. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add desired filling after cooling. (Or use uncooked shell to make pies that must be baked.)