Cyndi's Chocolate Cream Cheese Raspberry Pie

Topping:
1 pkg. frozen raspberries
2 c. whipping cream (prepared)

Filling:
1-8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg

Crust:
1 pkg crushed graham crackers
15 chocolate stuffed oreos
1 stick butter

Directions:
Use crackers, oreos and butter to make a crust in a pie tin. Freeze solid.
Combine filling ingredients pour over crust and refrigerate to set up.
Top with raspberries stirred into fresh whipping cream (prepare this right before serving).

Delightful!

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake by Guest Chef Marli

This one isn't really cooking but it's yummy. It's also Marli's last recipe as a guest chef! Thanks Marli!

Ingredients:
17 miniature ice cream sandwiches
1 jar (12 ounces) caramel ice cream topping
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1 Symphony candy bar (7 ounces), chopped

Directions:
Arrange 14 ice cream sandwiches in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. dish. Cut remaining sandwiches in half lengthwise; fill in the spaces in the dish. Spread with caramel and whipped toppings. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Sprinkle with chopped candy bar. Cover and freeze for at least 45 minutes. Cut into squares. Yield: 15-18 servings.

Baked Beans by Guest Chef Kariann

2 cans (1 lb. 15 oz.) pork & beans
1 lb. bacon cooked & crumbled (I also have used turkey bacon and it tastes great too)
2 cups ketchup
2 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 chopped onion
3/4 cup brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together. Place in crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 2-3 hours.

Four Bean Salad by Guest Chef Kariann

1 pkg. frozen baby lima beans
1 can yellow wax beans
1 can green beans
1 can red kidney beans
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced green pepper
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Cook lima beans according to package directions; drain. Drain canned beans. Combine beans in large bowl. Combine onion and green pepper; add oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix well and pour over beans. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.

Old Fashioned Fresh Peach Pie

Basic 2 crust pastry (use any recipe you want) - enough to fill 9" pie plate top/bottom.
1 egg, beaten
5 cups sliced peeled peaches (about 5 large fresh peaches)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Line the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate with one of the pie crusts. Brush with some of the beaten egg to keep the dough from becoming soggy later.

Place the sliced fresh peaches in a large bowl, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour over the peaches, and mix gently. Pour into the pie crust, and dot with butter. Cover with the other pie crust, and fold the edges under. Flute the edges to seal or press the edges with the tines of a fork dipped in egg. Brush the remaining egg over the top crust. Cut several slits in the top crust to vent steam.

Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated 450 oven, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is brown and the juice begins to bubble through the vents. If the edges brown to fast, cover them with strips of foil about halfway through baking. Cool before serving. This tastes better warm than hot. Serve with ice cream, of course.

Fresh Peach Cobbler a'La Mode

I cannot believe I haven't posted this recipe yet. This is a summertime favorite and I would ONLY recommend it during summer, when peaches are FRESH!
Preheat oven to 400. Arrange 3 cups (or more) fresh peaches in a buttered baking dish. Mix with:
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon peel
1/4 tsp. almond extract
Place in hot 400 oven while sifting:
1.5 cups flour
1 TBS. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Cut in:
1/3 c. shortening
Add:
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 cup milk
Mix well until you have a good dough. Remove peaches from oven. Spoon dough over hot peaches. Smooth to cover fruit. Sprinkle with 2 TBS. sugar. Bake in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Easy Fruit Pizza by Guest Chef Summer

Fruit Pizza
I love to get creative and decorate with this one! You can throw the fruit on or you can make it pretty.

For a round pie pan:
Use, 1, 1/2 sugar cookie dough packages
Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes

Enjoy the other 1/2 of the cookie dough or make small sugar cookies :)

You also need all types of desired fruit (different colors)
Cream cheese topping:
1 lb cool whip
2, 8oz phil cr cheese
1, 2 lb powdered sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp vanilla
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

The key to this one is to let crust cool out of the oven then put cream cheese over it and let sit for at least 4+ hours (or overnight covered with Saran Wrap and placed in the fridge). This makes the crust very soft and perfect...even if you over bake the crust. This is always a huge hit at big get-togethers.

Tin Foil Dinners - Cheater Style

Since we haven't had the chance to go camping this summer, I made tin foil dinners at home, in the oven. Scrumptious! There are so many things you can do with tin foil dinners, so this is mysuggestion (with helpful suggestions from my old college buddy, Dani):

Ground beef - formed into little patties, seasoned well (garlic salt, pepper, season salt, all purpose seasoning)
par-boiled potatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes
Sweet Vidalia Onion, sliced
2 rings of pineapple (canned or fresh) per person
season salt, pepper
sharp sheddar cheese

Use heavy duty tin foil (or double layer regular foil), shiny side up. Spray with non-stick spray. Place meat on foil and cover with onions first, then remaining vegetables (as many as you'll eat). Top with 2 rings of pineapple. Season entire stack well and seal the foil on all sides. Place dinners on cookies sheet in preheated oven at 450 for 20 minutes, turning over once. I also made a few extra packets of just the vegetables, so baby could have some too!

When you remove from oven, carefully unwrap tin foil, sprinkle with cheddar, and serve warm!

Great Summer Salad w/ Great Homemade Dressing/Marinade

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 small bag spinach or baby greens mix
1 green onion, chopped all the way from white to green
1/2 carton strawberries, sliced
1/2 c. almonds, chopped
1/2 c. mozzarella, shredded
1-2 TBS. butter
1 TBS. sugar

Wash, chop and refrigerate greens. Slice onion and strawberries. Place butter in pan with chopped almonds. Coat with sugar until sugar carmelizes on nuts. Place sugared almonds in a bowl with greens, onions and strawberries. Cover with dressing (recipe below - I only use about 1/4 of the dressing and save the rest for later). Toss with mozzarella. If you need more bulk, you can add grilled chicken to this salad. We like it with and without.

Dressing:
1 whole strawberry, large
3 green onions
3/4 c. olive oil
2/4 c. white vinegar
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. mustard
1/2 tsp. poppy seeds (optional)
Mix in blender until smooth. Pour desired amount over salad.

Cucumber Limeade

CUCUMBER LIMEADE (courtesy of Nanette at Hosenfeld Happenings)

3 cans limeade concentrate

crystal light lemonade powder ( 2 quart package)

1 liter sugar free sprite, 7-up

2 quarts water

1 cucumber, cut into slices, leave skin on

3 limes, cut into slices

1/2 bag ice

Perfect Plain Potato Salad

So, I'm really picky when it comes to potato salad. To be honest, I don't love it all that much - some have too much onion, some have too much pickle (or any pickle for that matter), some are made with Miracle Whip (eeeewwww)...You get the idea. So, I had some last summer that I really liked, it's plain, but just up my alley for potato salad. Let me know if you like it!

6 medium whole potatoes - peeled boiled for about 15 minutes. Once they are soft enough to cut (don't overcook), let them cool slightly, and then dice.

1.5 cups Mayo
1 TBS. white vinegar
1 TBS. prepared mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper (fresh ground)
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/2 white or vidalia onion, finely chopped

Mix the above ingredients together. Add diced potatoes, onions, and if you like celery (I didn't have any in my kitchen this time), you can add 2 stalks, chopped up. Mix it all together to coat. Add 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped. Let it all sit together in the fridge overnight, or at least 4 hours, to enhance flavor. Serve with BBQ!

Lemon Fruit Dip

This fruit dip recipe is from my friend Shalyse.
4 eggs

2 C. Sugar

2/3 cup Real Lemon Lemon Juice from Concentrate

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 C. water

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 C (1 pint) whipping cream, whipped

In bowl, beat together eggs, 1 C. sugar, and lemon juice. In saucepan, combine remaining sugar and cornstarch; stir in water. Cook and stir until thickened; remove from heat. Gradually beat in egg mixture. Over low heat, cook and stir until slightly thickened. Add vanilla; cool. Fold in whipped cream. Serve with fresh fruit. Refrigerate. Makes 6 cups.

Easy Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

4 cups mashed strawberries
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 c. heavy whipping cream (or add more if your ice cream maker is larger than 4 quarts)

Crush strawberries. Mix well with sugar. Add beaten eggs; then, all other ingredients. Mix well and pour into container. Add enough milk to come to the line in the container. Mix according to ice cream maker instructions, or if you do not have an ice cream maker, stir well, then freeze. Makes 4 quarts.

Spinach & Corn Salad

1/4 cup lime juice (fresh)
1 Tbsp. honey
1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups frozen whole kernel corn thawed, or 6 ears of fresh corn
1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup seeded, chopped cucumber

In a large bowl whish together lime juice and honey until well combined. Stir in jalapeno pepper, cilantro, and salt. Add corn or carefully cut corn kernels off cobs. Add to lime juice mixture. Stir in spinach, tomato, and cucumber. Serve immediately.
Makes 9 - 2/3 cup servings.

Review - I made this for a BBQ, it is a refreshing side salad, that has quite the kick to it! I used picked jalapeno peppers, since I didn't have a fresh one, and I think I would use less next time. Let the frozen corn sit out for a couple minutes so it's not crunchy. A nice summer salad.

Chunky Apricot Slush

6 c. (46 oz) Apricot Nectar

2 c. Pineapple juice

1 Lemon or Orange – peeled and juiced (pulp can be added)

2 Mashed Bananas

1 c. Mashed Strawberries (optional)

3/4 c. water

3/4 c. sugar

Combine all ingredients, mix well. Freeze overnight, or for serving that day, freeze for at least 4-6 hours. Let thaw until slushy. Serve with 7-Up or Sprite.

Banana Split Pie

Banana Split Pie

2 banana's
1 Tbls. lemon juice
1 pint strawberry ice cream (softened)
2 Tbls. chopped walnuts
Quick fudge sauce.

Thinly slice bananas, sprinkle with lemon juice. Arrange bananas on the bottom of a chocolate cookie crust.
Spread ice cream on top of banana's . Freeze until firm Spread cool whip over ice cream. Top with nuts. Freeze until firm

Chocolate cookie crust
15 oreo's finely crushed
2 Tbls. butter
crush cookies, blend in butter
spread crumb mixture in 8 inch. pie pan. Press down.
Chill 1 hour before adding ice cream