Peanut Blossoms

Shalise's favorite cookie.   We love making this at holiday time!
From Hershey's Holiday guide.

48 Hershey's Kisses milk chocolate
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup granulate sugar for decorating.

1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  remove wrappers from Hershey Kisses.
2.  Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended.  Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar.  Beat until light and fluffy.  Add egg, milk, and vanilla and beat well.  Stir together baking soda, flour, and salt.  Gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
3.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls.  Roll in granulated sugar to coat. and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Immediately press and Hershey's Kiss into the center of each cookie.  Cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet and cool completely on wire rack.

Pork with Pizzaolla Sauce

This sauce tastes great on all kinds of meat.  You can substitute pork chops, chicken, or steak for the meat here.

1 large pork loin
1 can sliced,stewed tomatoes
1 onion, sliced
flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. Herb de Provence
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Roast pork loin in baking dish at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until cooked through.
2.  In large pan, add olive oil and onions.  Sautee onions until soft.  Add salt and pepper.
3.  Add tomatoes with juice to onions and simmer.
4.  Add red pepper flakes and Herb de Provence.  Simmer for 15 minutes.
5.  Slice pork loin into small medallions and place on plate.   Top with pizzaiolla sauce and fresh parsley.

Margherita Pasta

Pestos are easy to make, quick, and taste great.  We love them.  This one uses Basil Pesto.

1 package Bow Tie pasta (16 oz.)
2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 package grape or champagne tomatoes, halved
2/3 cup olive oil
1 package asiago cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a large bot, bring water to boil and cook pasta according to directions.
2.  Meanwhile to prepare the pesto, in a food processor, blend the basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, salt and pepper and grind thoroughly.
3.  As the food prodcessor runs, add the olive oil slowly until the pesto is smooth in consistency.
4.  Add 2 handfulls of cheese and blend with the food processor again.
5.  Empty pesto into large serving dish and add pasta.   Mix the pasta with the pesto adding about 1/2 of the pasta cooking liquid.
6.  Add tomatoes and extra cheese and mix thoroughly.  Makes about 8 servings.

Pumpkin Bread

This recipe makes 3 regular loaves of bread.
Originally from Margaret Lawton.

3 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
1 can pumpkin (16 oz.)
3 1/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1.  In very large bowl, mix sugar and oil.   Blend in eggs.
2.  Add water and pumpkin and mix well.
3.  In separate large bowl, sift dry ingredients together.  Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
4.  Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture.  Mix well.
5.  Fold in walnuts (optional).
6.  Grease loaf pans.  Separate batter evenly into three loaf pans.
7.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Chicken Spaghetti

Originally given to us by Pat Pratt and modified to our tastes.  One of Shalise's favorite comfort foods.

1 lb chicken breast
1 large onion chopped
1 orange sweet bell pepper chopped
1 package fresh portabella mushrooms sliced
1 lb 2% velvetta
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 box whole wheat thin spaghetti
1 can Rotel
1 can Campbell's 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1.  Boil chicken in several cups of water until cooked through.   Remove chicken from pot and let cool.  Chop chicken.   Save 1-1/2 quarts of cooked broth.
2.  Heat 1-1/2 quarts of broth to boiling and cook spaghetti as instructed.
3.  Meanwhile, sautee onion, pepper, and mushrooms in olive oil until tender.
4.  Once noodles are cooked, add rotel and Worcestershire sauce to spaghetti pot.  Cook 5 minutes.
5.  Add soup, mushrooms, onions, and peppers to spaghetti pot and stir well.
6.  Add velvetta in chunks and stir until melted.
7.  Add chopped chicken to pot and stir thoroughly.
8.  Transfer to 1 extra large or 2 medium casserole dish(es).  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
We bake ours in 2 dishes so we can have one for leftovers later in the week.