Collins Family Sweet Potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes
1/4 cup of butter in small pieces
2 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
mini marshmallows

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch slices, layer them in the bottom of a baking dish. Put a small piece of butter on the top of each slice and salt them lightly. Cover with foil and bake 350 degrees until fork tender. Crumble brown sugar and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Bake uncovered until brown sugar has carmelized (5 minutes?) then top with marshmellows. Turn oven heat up to 400 degrees and place pan in the oven (watch it carefully) in less than 5 minutes the marshmallows will start to brown on top and melt on bottom. When that happens it's time to eat.

Darlene's Corned Beef Tacos

1 can of corned beef
12 corn taco shells
3 cups shredded cabbage
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
diced red onion
diced tomato
El Paso HOT Taco Sauce

Mix taco sauce and meat in a sauce pan and simmer. Heat up taco shells. Layer meat, cheese and then cabbage into a taco shell. Top with onion or tomato to your liking. Serve.

Gerty's Divinity Recipe

(this picture was taken from the internet, thanks)

4 cups sugar
1 cup Karo (white)
3/4 cup cold water
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
2 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir only until sugar has dissolved. Do not stir after this point. Cook syrup mixture bringing it to a hard ball stage.

While the syrup is cooking, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Once the sugar mixture reaches 250 degrees F, carefully pour a slow steady stream of syrup into the stiffly beaten egg whites, beating constantly at high speed. Add the vanilla and continue to beat until mixture holds its shape, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in pecans.

Using 2 spoons, drop the divinity onto waxed paper. Cool the candies on racks completely.

Penny's Popcorn Cake

INGREDIENTS
4 quarts popped popcorn
1 pound candy-coated chocolate pieces
1 cup peanuts
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter
1 pound marshmallows (or half marshmallows and half caramels)

DIRECTIONS

Mix popcorn, M&Ms, and peanuts in large bowl.

Heat oil, butter, and marshmallows in pan until melted. Pour over popcorn and blend together with heavy spoon or hands.

Spray Bundt cake pan with vegetable spray. Press mixture lightly into pan and refrigerate until cool.

To remove cake from pan, put pan in warm water, then turn upside down until cake comes out.

Grandma Cindy's Penuche

1 lb. (2 1/4 c.) firmly packed light brown sugar

3/4 c. milk

1/8 tsp. salt

2 1/2 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Combine sugar, milk and salt in thick saucepan. Place over moderate heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Cook without stirring until candy reaches 238 degrees. Or soft ball stage. Remove from heat.

Add butter or stick butter without stirring. Cool to 110 degrees lukewarm.

Add extract and nuts, stir continuously until thick and creamy. Turn into buttered

pan at once when firm cut into squares.

Fudge with Pecans

4 c. sugar

1 stick (1/2 c.) unsalted butter, cut into bits

12 oz. can (1 1/2 c.) evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk

1 lb. bar Hershey's milk chocolate, broken into pieces

2 c. (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

2 c. marshmallow creme

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

pecans

In a large heavy kettle, combine the sugar, butter and the milk and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring, until it comes to a full boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove the kettle from the heat, stir in quickly the milk chocolate, the chocolate chips, marshmallow cream, vanilla and the salt, and stir the mixture until it is combined thoroughly. Fold in pecans.

Pour the mixture into a greased pan. Refrigerate until firm and then cut into pieces.

Makes about 5 pounds soft, creamy fudge.

Penny's Cranberry Relish

My Aunt Penny gave me this recipe when I first moved out from living with my parents. Her only request? Make it only at the holidays...that's what keeps it special. So I'll ask that you do do the same.

Ingredients:

1 jar rasberry preserves
1 bag whole cranberries
1-2 T freshly grated ginger
1/4 c apple or orange juice
1 T orange or lime rind
2 apples (diced)

Directions: Place cranberries and apples in the food processor. Blend until the consistancy of pickle relish. Stir in ginger, rinds and rasberry preserves. Add apple juice until the consistancy that you like. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge *up to 6 days* or freezer.

Originally this recipe it called for OJ and orange rind...but I'm allergic so I adapted it

If your cranberries are very bitter...you might need to add a tablespoon or two of sugar.

I make this recipe at least two days before I want it. It gets better with time...plus it saves on the amount of things you do on an actual holiday!

Darlene's Waldorf Salad

Ingredients:
3 cups chopped apples
2 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows
1 cup thin celery slices
1/2 cup PLANTERS Walnut Pieces
1/2 cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing

Directions:

Mix all items together in a bowl, chill and serve.

Aunt Lois' Angel Food Cake

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup cake flour, sifted

12 egg whites (the closer to room temperature the better)

1/3 cup warm water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or extract of your choice

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor spin sugar about 2 minutes until it is superfine. Sift half of the sugar with the salt the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside.

In a large bowl, use a whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water,extract, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer.

Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.

Carefully spoon mixture into an ungreased tube pan.

Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer.Cool upside down on cooling rack for at least an hour before removing from pan.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground chuck

1 c. chopped onion

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

8 oz. tomato sauce

8 oz. crushed tomatoes

8 lg. bell peppers, cut in halves and seeded

1 1/2 c. cooked rice

1 c. thawed and drained frozen corn

Cook meat, onion and garlic until done. Drain. Add seasonings, tomato sauce, corn & crushed tomatoes. Simmer covered for 10 minutes. Stir in rice. Cool.

Stuff and bake peppers just until bubbly in 350 degree oven. Top with grated cheese Once pepper is done cooking (fork tender) and broil until cheese is bubbly.

(ok who am I kidding... I bake the pepper, throw the cheese on it and turn of the oven and leave it sitting there until the cheese is melted.)

Darlene's Tamale Pie Casserole

CASSEROLE:

1 1/2 lb. hamburger

1 med. size onion, chopped

2 c. stewed tomatoes

1 sm. can tomato sauce

2 c. whole kernel corn

1 c. sliced ripe olives

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 c. green pepper, chopped

TOPPING:

1 1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. cornmeal

2 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 c. shredded cheese

Brown hamburger and onion. Add tomatoes, sauce, corn, olives, green pepper and seasonings and cook for about 20 minutes. Pour into well greased 8 x 12 inch baking dish or large casserole.
For Topping: Mix the milk, cornmeal, butter and salt; cook until thick. Add the eggs and cheese; e mix well and pour over meat mixture. Bake until top is browned at 350 degrees, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Butter Pie Crust

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced
1/4 cup ice water

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

NOTE: This recipe is for 1 single pie crust. If your pie needs a top of any kind you would need to double this recipe!

Lazy Housewife Cobbler (Peach)

Cobbler Mix:

1 c. self-rising flour

1 c. sugar

1 c. milk

1 stick butter

Fruit:

1 qt. fruit (your choice), peaches, cherries or blackberries

1/2 c. water

1/2 c. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in 9x13 pan in oven. In saucepan, mix fruit, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. (If you are truly a lazy housewife you can skip this step and use a large can of peaches. In medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, milk and melted butter. Pour fruit mixture into the 9x13 pan and pour batter over it. Bake 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown at 350 degrees.

Penny's Pretzel Salad

Ok I must admit I googled this picture. The last two times I've made this recipe it's been totally so I could eat the whole dish myself and not because I wanted to give it a photo opp. This is a recipe I vividly remember from my childhood. Recently someone else made it at a BBQ and I had a great childhood flashback. So I thought I'd share it for all to enjoy.

Crust:

2 ½ cups crushed pretzels

3 T sugar

½ cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Mix all ingredients and spread in a 9 x 13 pan.Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese

1 cup sugar

8 oz. cool whip

Blend all topping ingredients.Spread on top of baked crust.

Jello Topping:

1 (6 oz) pkg. strawberry jello

2 cups water

1 (16 oz) pkg. frozen strawberries

Boil water and mix with strawberry jello.Add frozen strawberries.Let jello cool slightly and begin to gel.Pour strawberry mixture on top of cream cheese mixture.Chill.