Sour Cream Cookies

1 cup butter
2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sour cream
lemon juice or almond flavoring
5 1/2 cup flour

Combine above ingredients. Roll into balls and bake at 350 F unil lightly browned. Makes aproximately 6 dozen.

Lemon Drizzle

Combine icing sugar and enough lemon juice to reach desired consistency.

Chicken Parmigana

1 egg
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
14 oz pizza sauce
grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
6 boneless chicken breast halves
2-4 Tbsp butter
6 slices mozzarella cheese

Beat egg, salt & pepper together; dip in chicken and coat with bread crumbs. Saute chicken in butter in a skillet. Arrange chicken in slow cooker.

Cover with pizza sauce. Cover and cook Low 6-8 hours. Layer mozza on top & sprinkle with parmesan and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Serves 6.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp butter/marg
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp chicken bouillion granuoles
1/2 tsp sesame salt
2 lbs chicken breast
1/4 cup water
2 garlic cloves, mined
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced

Cmbne oregano, salt & pepper. Rub all of mixture into chicken. Brown chicken in butter in a skillet. Transfer to slow cooker. Place water, lemon juice, garlic and bouillion in skillet. Bring to boil, loosening browned bits from skillet. Pour over chicken. Cover & cook on High 2-2 1/2 hours or Low for 4-5 hours.

Add parsley and baste chicken. Cover and cook on High 15-30 mnutes more until chicken is tender.

Makes 4.

Chicken Cacciatore

2 onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
8 oz can tomato sauce
4 chicken breasts, cubed
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried basil
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes
4 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained

Place onions in bottom of slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours.

Serve over hot spaghetti.
Serves 6.

Swiss Steak

1 1/2-2 lbs round steak
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp salad oil
2 Tbsp flour
1 (16 oz) can tomatoes, cut up
1 large onion, sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp thick bottled steak sauce

Cut steak into serving sized pieces. Coat with flour, salt & pepper. In large skillet, brown meat in oil. Pour off excess fat. In slow cooker combine with tomatoes, onion, celery & steak sauce. Cover pot and cook o Low for 6-8 hours or until tender. Thicken juices with additional flour, dissolved in a small amount of water, if desired.

Serves 5-6.

Carolers' Hot Chocolate

10 cup milk
3/4 cup cocoa or hot chocolate mix
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 cup hot water

Measure milk into slow cooker. Turn on High. Mix together sugar, salt & cocoa in heavy pan. Add hot water. Stir & boil for 3 minutes, stirring often. Pour into milk. Cook on High 2- 2 1/2 hours.

12-14 servings.

Cherry Tomatoes with Creamy Basil Stuffing

30 cherry tomatoes
1/4 c chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt

Cut a thin slice from the stem end of each tomato with a small knife, scoop out the tomato flesh, leaving a shell (reserve the tomato flesh for another use). Set tomatoes upright on a platter.

In medium bowl, combine all other ingredients. Mix well. Spoon into tomatoes.

To freeze mixture, pack in freezer quality container. To use, thaw overnight in fridge. If mixture separates, process briefly in a blender to restore its creamy texture. Then stuff into fresh prepared tomatoes.

Hot Cranberry Apple Punch

4 1/2 cup cranberry juice
1/4 c + 1 tsp brown sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
6 cup apple juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp whole cloves

Pour juices into slow cooker. Mix in salt & sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Tie cinnamon sticks and cloves in cheese clothes and drop into liquid. Cover and simmer on High 2 hours. Remove spice bag. Keep warm on Low.

Creamy Red Potatoes

2 lbs red potatoes, quartered
8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
10 3/4 oz can cream of potato soup
1 envelope dry Ranch salad dressing mix

Place potatoes in slow cooker. Beat together cream cheese, soup and salad dressing mix. Cook on Low for 8 hours or until potatoes are tender.

Greek Chicken

4-6 potatoes, quartered
2 large onions, quartered
3 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
2-3 lbs chicken pieces
1 whole bulb garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil

Place potatoes in bottom of slow cooker. Add chicken, onions and garlic. Sprinkle with seasonings. Top with oil. Cover and cook on high 5-6 hours or low 9-10 hours.

Pesto Dip

2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup on-fat sour cream
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2 Tbsp chopped almonds
1/4 cup non fat mayonnaise

In a blender or food processor, combine the basil, bread crumbs, parm cheese and garlic. Process until smooth, scraping down sides of container as neccessary. Add mayo and sour cream. Process briefly to combine.

This recipe freezes well. Just pack in a freezer-quality container. Thaw overnight in fridge. Process briefly in a blender to restore to creamy texture

French Onion Soup

3 large onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup butter/margarine
2 tbsp instant beef bouillion
4 slices toasted french bread
4 cup hot water
1 tsp worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

In a large skillet cook onions in butter until lightly browned. In pot, combine browned onions in butter with bouillion, water, worchestershire sauce and salt. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours. Top each bowl with toasted french bread & sprinkle with cheese.

Makes 4.

Stuffed Potatoes

5-6 large baking potatoes
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
chopped chives

Wash potatoes but do not dry. Place damp potatoes in slow cooker; cover pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until tender. Removed from pot.

Cut a thick, lengthwise slice from top of each potato. Scoop hot pulp into a mixing bowl. Save the shell. Add butter,milk, sour cream, salt & pepper. Beat until fluffy, adding more milk if neccessary. Spoon mixture into shells, mounding tops. Sprinkle with cheese. Place in a shallow baking pan and bake in 45 F oven for 15 minutes or until hot and lightly browned.

Top with chives (and bacon). Makes 5-6 servings.

Chili Tortilla Strips

1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
8 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 400 F. Coat large bakig sheet with non-stick spray. In a small bowl, combine spices. Mix well.

Brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Sprinkle with spice mixture. With kitchen scissors, cut each tortilla in half and then each half into 6 strips. Arrange strips in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake in 2 batches, if neccessary, to avoid crowding.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with salsa.

Strawberry Punch

15 oz frozen sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed
3 cup orange juice
2 cp pineapple juice
1 cup apple juice
4 cup 7-Up

Run berries and syrup through blender to smooth. Pour into a punch bowl. Add juices and stir. Gently stir in pop just before serving.

Makes 12 cup (3 L)

Fruit Dip

200 gram jar marshmallow cream
8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 pkg dream whip

Prepare Dream Whip. Add remaining ingredients & mix well in blender. Let sit a few hours before serving.

Christmas Wreath

1/4 cup margarine
5 cups mini marshmallows
vanilla
green food coloring
5-6 cups corn flakes

Melt butter or margarine & marshmallows. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and food coloring. Ad corn flakes and stir until coated. Form into a wreath. Top with maraschino cherries. Cool. Add red bow to bottom for appearance.

Orange Cranberry Muffins

1 cup whole unpeeled orange, washed and cut up
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup chopped dates (optional)
1 egg
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Measure flours, sugar, baking powder and soda in a medium sized bowl. Make a well in the center.

Cut orange into pieces. Remove seeds. Combine orange pieces and juice in a blender. Puree. Add dates, egg and olive oil to blender. Blend.

Pour orange mixture into the well in the dry ingredients. Stir just to combine.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Place muffin pan in oven. After 5 minutes, lower the temperature to 350 F. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the muffins are lightly browned and tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

Makes 12 large or 16 medium muffins or 3 mini loaves.

Found this recipe at lauraleacooks.com (She has a lot of great looking diabetic recipes there so check it out!)

For the kids Yummy treats!

Puffed Wheat Cake

1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup Roger's syrup
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp Fry's cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
8 cups puffed wheat cake

Bring first 5 ingredients to a "soft boil" in a large pot. STir in puffed wheat. Shape into greased pan. Cool, cut, serve.

Rice Krispie Cake

1/4 cup butter or margarine
4 cup mini marshmallows or 40 large ,arshmallows
1/2 tsp vanilla
5 cups Rice Krispies

Melt first 3 ingredients together (low heat or double boiler). Mix in Rice Krispies. Shape into greased pan.

Dirt Cups

4 oz pkg Jello chocolate instant pudding
500 mL tub thawed cool whip
20 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
Gummy worms

Prepare pudding according to package directions. Fold in whipped topping and half the crumbled cookies. Put 1 Tbsp crushed cookies in bottom of 6 dessert dishes. Fill dishes 3/4 full with pudding mixture. Top wuth remaining crushed cookies. Garnish with gummy worms. Chill until ready to serve.

Cheddar Pear Pie

4 large ripe pears, peeled and thinly sliced
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inch)

Topping:
1/2cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt

In bowl, combine pears, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Puor into pastry shell. Combine topping ingredients until crumbly and sprinkle over filling.

Bake at 425 for 25-35 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted. Cool on a wire rack for 15-20 min. Serve warm.

I had this at my friend, Dixie's a couple of summers ago and it was delicious!!!

Greek Stewed Potatoes, Green Beans & Zucchini

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 large potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 medium zucchinis, halved lengthwise, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 cups frozen green beans, thawed
796 mL canned diced tomatoes
1/2tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp dill
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes. Stir in potatoes until well combined. Add 3/4 cups water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook 10 minutes until half tender. Stir in zucchini, beans, tomatoes (with liquid) and oregano. Return to simmer, cover and cook 15 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir in parsley, dill, salt pepper. Sprinkle with crumbled feta.

(Thanks to my vegan friend, Cheryl, for this great recipe!)

Simon G's Famous Trail Mix

This recipe comes from a friend of mine's son...

2 cups unsalted roasted cashews
2 cups unsalted roasted sunflower seeds
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 cups homemade granola
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, optional
Sea salt to taste


Recipe for homemade granola:

melt 2 Tbsp each of margarine and honey and 2 tsp molasses. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp vanilla and stir. Pour over 2 cps of old-fashioned rolled oats, mixed with a dash of cinnamon. Mix well and spread on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 F, stirring partway through the baking time. Let cook before adding to the trail mix.


MMMM...mmmm....mmmm...Simon, this is really good!