Sloppy Joes

2 lbs. lean gr beef (15% fat)
1 cup ketchup
3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 onion
4 Tbs. cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs, chili powder
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp. pepper

Brown the beef with the onion....stirring frequently to break up the meat. Drain the beef when it is all browned...to remove the excess grease. Combine all the other ingredients in a bowl....stir together...and then pour into the beef mixture. Cook on a med-low burner for at least 1/2 hour. if too much liquid evaporates.. just add some water.

Moms Macaroni and Cheese

1 7oz pkg. of elbow macaroni (or two cups uncooked)
2 Tbs. Butter
2Tbs. flour
1 tsp Salt
2 cups WHOLE milk
2 cups of sharp cheddar (shredded)
1 cup of med. cheddar (Shredded)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

For Bread Crumb topping:
2 cups buttered bread crumbs (cut up enough french bread into cubes to cover the top of the macaroni and cheese...Drizzle and toss with about 3 Tbs of meted butter. This is optional)

1 cup (or less) of tiny tomatoes ... cut in half (also optional)


Prepare macaroni as the package directs. Drain the cooked macaroni. In a med saucepan, melt the butter (but do not brown it). Stir the flour and salt into the melted butter until tit is a smooth paste. Add the milk and stir with a whisk until it is blended with the flour...stir as you heat it up.. .it will thicken slightly. Once thickened...add the shredded cheese to the milk and flour mixture and stir until the cheese is melted. Stir in the parsley. Add the macaroni to this mixture and stir until well blended.(it looks very soupy at first... but will firm up as it cooks) If you are adding the tomatoes do it now. Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish. (if you like macaroni and cheese with lots of nice brown cheese on top...make the dish less deep and more wide so you will have more surface to brown.) If you want to have bread cubes on top...add them now and bake at 350 for about 30 min...until brown on top. ( if it starts to brown too quickly...you can stop the browning process by7 laying a piece of heavy duty foil gently over the top for the remainder of the cooking time.

Best Onion Rings EVER!

I made these for my family when we were vacationing at my parents ranch house in Gualala California. So many people said they didn't like onion rings but they would try just one.....I don't think anyone had less then 8. They are truly the best onion ring you will ever eat.

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk, or as needed
• 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• seasoned salt to taste
• 1 quart oil for frying, or as needed

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
2. Separate the onion slices into rings, and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Dip the onion slices into the flour mixture until they are all coated; set aside. Whisk the egg and milk into the flour mixture using a fork. Dip the floured rings into the batter to coat, then place on a wire rack to drain until the batter stops dripping. The wire rack may be placed over a sheet of aluminum foil for easier clean up. Spread the bread crumbs out on a plate or shallow dish. Place rings one at a time into the crumbs, and scoop the crumbs up over the ring to coat. Give it a hard tap as you remove it from the crumbs. The coating should cling very well. Repeat with remaining rings.
4. Deep fry the rings a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain. Season with seasoning salt, and serve.

Maryland Peach and Blueberry Pie

Crust:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
10 TBS cold butter or margarine
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup or more ice water
2 Tbs milk, for glazing

For the Filling
3 cups peeled, pitted, and sliced fresh peaches
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup flour
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp almond extract
2 Tbs butter cut in pea-size pieces

1. For the pastry, sift the flour, salt and sugar into a bowl. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients as quickly as possible until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

2.Mix the egg yolk with the ice water and sprinkle over the flour mixture. Combine with a fork until the dough holds together. If the dough is too crumbly, add a little more water, 1 Tbls at a time. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a dist. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate at least 20 min.

3. Roll out two-thirds of the dough between 2 sheets of wax paper to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Use to line a 9-inch pie pan. Trim all around, leaving a 1/2- inch overhang. Fold the overhang under to form the edge. Using a fork, press the edge to the rim of the pie pan.

4. Gather the trimming and remaining dough into a ball, and roll out to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Using a pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut strips 1/2 inch wide. Refrigerate both the pie shell and the strips of dough for 20 min.

5. Preheat the oven to 400.

6. Line the pie shell with wax paper and fill with dried beans. Bake until the pie shell is just set, 7-10 min. Remove from the oven and carefully lift out the paper with the beans. Prick the bottom of the pie shell all over with a fork, then return to the oven and bake 5 min more. Let the pie shell cool slightly before filling. Leave the oven on.

7. In a mixing bowl, combing the peach slice with the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, flour, almond and nutmeg. Spoon and fruit mixture evenly into the pie shell. Dot with the pieces of butter.

8. Weave a lattice top with the chilled pastry strips, pressing the ends to the baked pie-shell edge. Brush the strips with the milk.

9. Bake the pie 15 min. Reduce the heat to 350 and continue baking until the filling is tender and bubbling and the pastry lattice is golden, about 30 min more. If the pastry gets too brown, cover loosely with a piece of foil, Serve the pie warm or at room temperature.

Banana Nut Coconut Cake

This Recipe is super sweet and really DELICIOUS! It's full of Banana goodness, and for me that, combined with coconut is a recipe for success!!

Cake Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed (if the bananas are small I add another)
2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut

Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioner's sugar
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp vanilla extract


1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans or one 9x 19 inch pan.

2. In a med bowl, cream together white sugar and 1/2 cup butter. Mix in eggs and 3 mashed bananas.

3. Sift together flour and baking soda in a bowl. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing well after each addition. Blend in 1 tsp vanilla extract. Fold in 1 cup of pecans and 1 cup coconut. Pour batter into prepared pans.

4. Bake 45 to 50 min. in the preheated oven. Cool completely before frosting with Banana Nut frosting.

5. To make frosting: Cream together 1/2 cup butter and 4 cups confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in 1 med mashed banana, 1 cup pecans, 1 cup coconut and 1 tsp vanilla. Use to frost cake.

Rice Pilaf

2 cups of Uncle Ben's rice...uncooked
3/4 of a green pepper...diced
3/4 of med onion..diced
1/2 tsp rosemary..crushed in the palm of your hand...or buy it crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1 can of Campbell chicken soup broth
2 Tbs of olive oil

In a saucepan with a lid...cook the pepper, onion, rosemary and salt in the olive oil until the onion in translucent...but not brown. Pour the broth into a measuring cup and add enough water to the broth to make four cups of liquid in all. Pour the water mixture into the vegetables and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling ....add to cups of rice an turn the temperature down to low. Cover the rice and cook for 20 - 30 min until the water is absorbed.

Buttermilk Syrup

1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter2 Tbs corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract

In a saucepan, stir together the sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda. Bring to a boil, and cook for 7 min. remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.