Chocolate Poke Cake

I think that I got this recipe from Melody Taylor when we lived in Little Rock.  It is one of my favorites!

1 box chololate devil's food cake mix
2 cans Eagle Brand MIlk
1 tub Cool Whip
Hershey's chocolate syrup
bag of chopped Heath bar bits

Bake cake according to box instructions. 

Poke holes in it with the end of a wooden spoon.

Pour 2 cans of Eagle Brand milk over the cake. 

Drizzle generously with chocolate syrup.

Cover with Cool Whip.

Top with Heath bits.  Drizzle more chocolate to make it look pretty.

Keep refrigerated.

Teresa's Mexican Layer Dip

1 can Frito bean dip
1 container guacamole (by sour cream)
jar of thick salsa
package of taco seasoning
16 oz. sour cream
Mexican shredded cheese
Tostito rounds

Mix sour cream with taco seasoning.

Layer into 9x13 pan as follows...
bean dip
guacamole
salsa
sour cream/ taco seasoning mix
shredded cheese

Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serve with tortilla chips.

(To make it heartier, you can brown a pound of ground beef with taco seasoning, and add that as an additional layer.)

Barbara's Shepherd's Pie

I had this for the first time on one of our beach trips.  Barbara made it for us all to eat after we came in from doing a beach session.  It was delicious.

chuck roast
Dry onion soup mix
dry  mushroom gravy mix
8 Yukon Gold mashed potoatoes
butter
salt and pepper to taste
Pam

Cook chuck roast overnight with dry onion soup mix.  No liquid added.  Low heat

Remove meat.  Spray casserole pan with Pam.  Spread roast shreds into casserole pan.

Make gravy with dry mushroom gravy mix and beef juice.

When it thickens, and boils, pour over meat.

Make mashed potatoes with the 8 Yukon Gold potatoes, butter, salt and pepper.  Spread over top.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Mimi's Pound Cake

I grew up eating this pound cake.  Mimi would butter and toast it for us, and that is always my very favorite way to eat it!!

2 sticks butter
1/2 cup Crisco
3 C sugar
3 C flour
1 C milk
5 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream shortening, butter and sugar.

Add eggs, one at a time.

Add baking powder, flour and milk alternately.  (Begin with 1/3 of flour, then 1/2 milk, 1/3 flour, 1/2 milk, 1/3 flour.)

Add vanilla.

Bake in 2 greased and floured bread loaf pans.

350 for 1 1/4 hours.

Don't open oven door until baking time is almost up.

Check to see if cake test done.

Mimi's Sugar Cookies

Mimi makes the softest, lightest, most wonderful sugar cookies at Christmas.  She often gives them as gifts in cookie tins.  They are addictive, and I could eat a million of them!

1 C sugar
1 C powdered sugar
1 C oil
1 C butter

2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
4 C flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
dash salt

Mix first 4 until creamy.

I separate bowl- flour, soda, tartar, salt.  Mix, then add to above.

Roll into balls, then press with glass.

Bake 350 for 15 minutes...until brown along edges. 

Makes a lot!

Chicken and Ritz Casserole

This is a basic recipe that everyone always likes.

chicken breasts

8 oz. sour cream

2 cans cream of chicken

1 3/4 stick butter

3 rolls Ritz crackers

salt and pepper to taste

Boil and season chicken breasts. 

Chop or tear into small pieces.  Mix with soup and sour cream.

Crush crackers, and mix with melted butter

Layer crackers, filling, then crackers again.

Bake 350 for 30  minutes or until bubbly.

Barbara's Cherry Cream Cheese Cake

This is Corey's favorite dessert!  Nana has made it many, many times for him!

8 oz. cream cheese
1 can Eagle Brand milk
1/4 C lemon juice
1 can cherry pie filling
1 graham cracker crust

Soften cream cheese and beat with milk.  Stir in lemon juice and pour into crust.  Top with cherries.  Chill well.

Jackson's Pocket Rolls

Our long-time family friends, the Jackson's  (from Tyronza) shared this easy and delicious roll recipe with us.

3C Pioneer Mix (Original Biscuit Bake Mix)
1 C milk- warm
1 pkg. yeast
1/4 C sugar
(about) 1 T. more sugar (?)

Microwave milk 1 minute (until warm).

Drop in sugar and yeast.  Stir.  Let sit 5 minutes. 

Pour into flour and stir.  Pour onto floured surface.  Flour top. 

Knead a little.  Roll to 1/4 inches thick.  Cut circles.  Dip in melted butter.  Fold over and put in pan.

Put in "off" oven.  Turn to 425.  Bake 10-12 minutes, or until turning brown, and inside is done.

Put pat of butter in each pocket. and serve warm. 

Mimi's Cornbread (For Dressing)

We all LOVE Mimi's holiday dressing!  This is the cornbread recipe that she uses when she makes it. 

This was also my Nannie's cornbread recipe...Mimi's mother.

When making dressing, Mimi makes 2 batches of this recipe...so, 2 pans.

2 C corn meal (white, NOT self-rising)
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. soda
1 egg
1/4 C hot oil
1 3/4 C buttermilk

Mix meal, salt, and soda.  Add buttermilk and egg.  Mix well.  Add hot oil that has been heated in iron skillet.  Stir, then pour into hot skillet.  Bake at 450 for 20-25 min.

Unless for company, 1/2 recipe, and use small skillet.

Mimi's Sweet Potato Casserole

This is a family Thanksgiving tradition that Mimi has been making for years.
The topping makes it especially delicious!

3 C cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C milk
1/4 t. salt
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/2 stick butter, melted

Mix all ingredients.  Crumble topping on top.  Bake 350 for about 30 minutes.

Topping (can double for extra topping)
1/2 C flour
1 C pecans, chopped
1 C brown sugar
3/4 stick butter, melted