Mom's Amazing Homemade Brownies

-Margo (This is from my Mom)

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil or butter

4 eggs

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

1 cup chocolate chips

mix all the ingredients, adding the chocolate chips after everything has been mixed. Do not over mix. Bake at 350 for at least 20- 25 minutes. When fork comes out clean.

Bruschetta

-Margo (from a friend)

2 containers of grape tomatoes sliced in half

1 bunch of green onions

1/2 red onion

One yellow sweet pepper diced

1-2 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 cup Olive oil

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Mix all into a bowl and let it sit overnight.

Serve with small thinly sliced garlic toasts. Take a french bread loaf, slice it up and toast it in oven with butter and a little garlic.

Delicate Pear Cake with Carmel Sauce

-Margo (from a friend)

Cake:

1 16 oz. can pear halves in extra light syrup

1 pkg. white cake mix

1/3 cup oil

3 egg whites

Heat oven to 350 degree. Grease and flour a 10 inch spring form pan. Drain pear halves, reserving 1/3 cup liquid. Place pear halves in a blender or food processor blend until smooth. In a large bowl combine cake mix, pureed pears, 1/3 cup of reserved liquid, oil and egg whites. Mix at low speed until moistened. Pour into pan. bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let stand and cool completely.

Frosting:

1 cup whipping cream

2 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 16 oz. can pear halves in extra light syrup drained

1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts or walnuts

In a small bowl beat whipping cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in vanilla. Frost cooled cake. Cut pears in half lengthwise into about 32 slices. Arrange on top of the cake slightly overlapping. Press nuts into sides of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sauce:

1 cup firmly packe brown sugar

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup butter

In a sauce pan bring all to a boil. Boil over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cool slightly. Drizzle over each piece of cake.

Note:

You will need to get 2 16 oz. cans of pears

2 cups of whipping cream

My Brother Jareds Cookies

-Margo

These are the best cookies ever. I always double this recipe because you can never have enough cookies.

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 brown sugar (i usually do half dark and half light brown sugar)

cream these until white and fluffy, usually at least 5 minutes

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

add and cream again

2 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

mix the dry ingredients then add to wet in 3 parts

2 cups chips

Use a variety of chips. This really gives it a unique taste. I will add semi-sweet, milk and white. My brother adds butterscotch or peanut butter.

To give the cookies an extra bit of love add about 1/4 of a grated chocolate cooking bar.

The KEY, put the dough in the fridge for at least an hour. I think it is even better over night. The dough has to get cold and the flavors really come out.

Form 1/4 cup balls and cook at 350 degrees for at least 11 minutes. Depending on your oven you might need to cook them longer.

makes 2 dozen.

Bar-b-que Meatballs

-Becky

1 lb ground beef (chuck)

1 lb sage sausage

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

1/2 cup dry oats

2 slices of bread, torn small

2 eggs

Mix well and form into walnut-sized balls. Bake on jelly roll pan at 375 degrees for 15 minutes (or you can bake it like a meatloaf for 45 min, then cube it). Pour over your favorite barbeque sauce (I like Bullseye original).

Stir Fry Noodles

-Chanda

Soak noodles in hot water for 1 hour to soften noodles needed for recipe. They are called "Rice Stick Noodles." Regular noodles may be used.

Chopped Cabbage

chopped 1 onion

garlic

bean sprouts

salt

pepper

sugar

soy sauce

sausage

1. Put hot oil in skillet and brown garlic

2. cook sausage

3. add salt pepper, 1 tsp sugar and soy sauce.

4. add chopped cabbage and onion

5. cook till cabbage is soft

6. add water 1 cup

7. add noodles and bean sprout

8. cook until noodles are soft

Tomatillo Salsa

-Ashley M.

1/2 lb tomatillos

2-3 avocados

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 cup cilantro

1 jalapeno

2 tsp salt

1/4 cup sour cream

Bring tomatillos to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Then add all the ingredients except sour cream to a food processor. Stir in sour cream. You can save the tomatillo water to add if you want thinner salsa.

Easy Mexi-Corn Dip

Easy Mexi-Corn Dip

-Maren

2 or 3 cans Mexi-corn drained (corn with green and red peppers)

1 can Rotel drained

1 cup mayo

8 oz. sour cream

2 or 3 cups Mexican cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

1 dash onion powder

Mix all the ingredients together and serve chilled.

Garlic French Bread

Garlic French Bread

-Karianne

1 Loaf French Bread

1/2 stick softened Butter

2 tsp Garlic Salt

2 tsp Salad Supreme Seasoning

Slice Bread not quite completely through so the slices will stay together. Stir the butter and the seasonings then spread generously on each slice of bread. Warm in the oven at 275 degrees for 12 minutes.