The Cookbook

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The Prairie Moon Ranch Cookbook

All our favorite recipes gathered in one place. We're still featuring a Recipe of the Month, so this page will continue to grow. We hope you find a new family favorite!

Recipe of the Month

February 2012

I'm not sure why this recipe is called Macaroon Pie, because to me, "macaroon" implies that there's coconut somewhere in the recipe, but such is not the case here. However, since that's what we've always called it, I'll still be calling it that. It's an old recipe of my grandmother's, very easy, and oh, so good . . .

Macaroon Pie

3 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond flavoring
12 crackers, crumbled
12 dates, chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Beat egg whites till foamy. Add sugar gradually.
Beat until stiff.

Add almond flavoring, and fold in crackers, dates, and nuts.

Put in a greased 9" pie plate.

Bake 30-35 minutes at 325 degrees.

Top with whipped cream, and sprinkle with more chopped pecans.

January 2012
Skillet Enchiladas

6 flour or 10 corn tortillas (you can use whichever type you like better, either one will work)
1/2 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
2 small cans (or 1 large) enchilada sauce

Pour one can of enchilada sauce in a large skillet.

On each tortilla, place a little bit of ground beef and some shredded cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in skillet on top of the sauce.

Repeat until the skillet is full. Then pour the remaining can of enchilada sauce over the top.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover with a lid, and simmer over low heat till heated through and the cheese is all melty.

Serve with sour cream and whatever your other favorite enchilada fixins are.

December 2011
Gingersnaps

1 cup molasses
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground ginger
4 cups flour, sifted

Mix in the order given, and roll into balls about 1" in diameter. Place the balls on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Optionally, you can roll the balls in sugar before baking. If you want chewier cookies, bake them for a shorter time. If you like your gingersnaps crisp, bake them a tidget longer.

November 2011
One-Dish Corn Casserole

1/2 cup butter
Heat butter in a 9 x 13 dish until melted.

Into the melted butter in the baking dish, stir the following ingredients:

1 can whole kernel corn, drained, but keep just a tidget of the juice (yes, tidget is a proper measurement)
1 can cream-style corn
1 9-oz. package of corn muffin mix (I use Jiffy)
1 4-oz. can chopped green chilies
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Once that's all mixed in, you'll need:

1 cup sour cream
Drop the sour cream by spoonfuls evenly over the top of the mixture in the baking dish, then gently fold it in.

Sprinkle the top with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. I say 1 cup, but hey . . . be generous. It's cheese, for pity's sake!

Bake, covered with foil, at 350 degrees, for 35-40 minutes or until set.

October 2011
Pumpkin Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Cream together butter, shortening, sugar, and pumpkin in a mixing bowl. Beat in egg.

Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; gradually add to pumpkin mixture. Fold in nuts.

Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

August 2011
Perfect Iced Coffee

In lieu of posting a recipe of my own this month, I'm instead linking to the recipe for something I've become completely addicted to this summer. Try it once, and you, too, will become just as addicted . . . I'm pretty sure of it. It's The Pioneer Woman's Perfect Iced Coffee.

June 2011
Easy Breakfast Danish

2 cups baking mix, such as Bisquick or JiffyMix
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup preserves, your favorite flavor

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Mix baking mix, sugar, and butter till crumbly.
Stir in milk until dough forms; beat 15 strokes. (Not 14, not 16 . . . FIFTEEN . . . very important! Just kidding . . . )

Drop by spoonfuls about 2" apart onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Make a well in the center of each one, and fill with about a teaspoon of the preserves.

Bake until golden, about 10-15 minutes. While still warm, drizzle with a glaze made of 2/3 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon warm water, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, beaten until smooth.

This makes about 6-8 danish, depending on how big you make them.

Fruit Danish

This recipe uses an 8-count tube of refrigerated crescent rolls. However, they make crescent dough in a sheet these days, so if you can find that where you live, you can use it instead.

1 8-count tube of refrigerated crescent rolls
4 tablespoons cream cheese, softened (or get the spreadable kind)
4 tablespoons jam, your favorite flavor

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Carefully unroll the dough on a lightly floured surface. Separate it into 4 rectangular sections, and squeeze the crease to close up the diagonal lines. Stretch each piece of dough to form a square.

Place 1 tablespoon of cream cheese, and 1 tablespoon of jam in the center of each square. Fold each corner of the square to the center, pinching them together to seal.

Place on a baking sheet, and bake until golden, about 18-20 minutes. This recipe only makes 4, which is perfect for me and My Cowboy, but if you need to feed more people, just use more tubes of dough!

May 2011
Amy Cake

Dissolve a package of lemon jello in 1 cup boiling water, and let cool.

Mix 1 box yellow cake mix, the jello, 3/4 cup oil, 4 eggs, and 1 1/2 tsps. lemon juice.

Pour batter into a greased 9" x 13" baking pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until tested done.

Poke holes in the top while the cake is still warm and glaze it with the following mixture:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Top with whipped cream when serving. You could experiment with different flavors of jello for variety.

April 2011
Refrigerator Basic Cookies

Cream together:
        2 cups butter
        4 cups brown sugar (OR 3 cups brown sugar and 1 cup white)

Add & beat until smooth:
        4 eggs
        2 tsps. vanilla

Sift together, then sift into mixture:
        6 cups flour
        1 tsp. salt
        2 1/2 tsps. baking soda
        1 1/2 tsps. baking powder

Mix until dough is smooth. This makes a big batch and can be used to make different kinds of cookies. Before forming into rolls, divide into different bowls and add ingredients such as chopped dates, chopped nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, coconut, oatmeal, or even melted chocolate. (If you use melted chocolate, you may have to add just a bit more flour.)

Form the dough into rolls 1 1/2" thick. Wrap in wax paper, and chill or freeze. When you're ready, slice and bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes. You can make as many or as few as you wish doing it this way.

March 2011
Mozzarella Meat Pie

1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
dash pepper
1 8-oz. can refrigerated crescent rolls
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown the meat with the onion, and drain the grease.

Add tomato paste, half the cheese, and seasonings. Mix well.

Unroll crescent dough, and press as a sheet into the bottom of a 9" x 9" baking dish to make a crust.

Fill the crust with the meat mixture. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until crust is done.

February 2011
Aunt Ruby's Special Sugar Cookies

In lieu of posting a new recipe this month, I'm instead referring you to one I posted on my blog last year. They're cookies . . . they're good . . . they're fun . . . go check 'em out . . . and make some for yourself or someone you love.

Aunt Ruby's Special Sugar Cookies

You can thank me later . . .

January 2011
Pete's Stuffed Jalapenos

Rubber gloves
12 jalapeno peppers
1 lb. roll of Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage
1 8-oz. package cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Put on the rubber gloves! Trust me on this.

Wash the peppers and break off the stems. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise. Clean out the seeds and veins with a spoon.

In a medium skillet, brown the sausage until no longer pink, then drain off the grease. Put the sausage back in the skillet.

Cut the brick of cream cheese into chunks and add it to the skillet with the drained sausage.

Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheeses are melted and thoroughly mixed into the sausage.

Spoon the mixture into the peppers. Place them on a baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. The peppers will shrink some. If your peppers are smallish, you may be able to stuff more than 12. If you're making these for a crowd, you'll want to, because they WILL go fast!

December 2010
Cheese Bites

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon flour
sliced jalapenos

Toss cheeses together in a glass 9" x 13" pan.

Combine milk, egg, and flour. Beat together well. Drizzle over cheeses. Sprinkle jalapenos over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. The edges should be browned and a bit crunchy.

Cool a bit, and cut into bite-sized squares.

October 2010
Congo Bars

1 1/2 sticks melted butter
1 pound brown sugar
2 2/3 cups flour
2 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 12-oz. package chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients together, and spread in a greased sheet cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cut in squares and watch them disappear!

September 2010
One-Hour Rolls

3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups flour

3 Tbsp. sugar
2 pkgs. dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 stick softened butter

Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.

Add warm milk, water, and butter. Mix 2 minutes with a mixer.

Add 1/2 cup flour. Beat 2 minutes.

Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead until smooth. Let rise 15 minutes in a greased bowl.

Make into dinner rolls or cinnamon rolls. Let rise in pan 15 minutes.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

You can make Parkerhouse, plain, or clover-leaf rolls, or pat the dough out, brush it with butter and sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar, roll it up and slice it, and have cinnamon rolls. You can do lots of different things with this recipe, and it's so quick. Enjoy!

August 2010
Simple Syrup

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

Bring these two ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan, and cook for 3 minutes. Store it in a glass container in the fridge.

Then . . . use it to make . . .

Iced tea:

Put 2-4 tbsps. of the syrup into your glass of unsweetened brewed tea (or to suit your taste).

Lemon or Lime Tinkle:

Combine 3-4 tbsps. of the syrup with 1 1/2 tbsps. lemon or lime juice and 1 cup carbonated water. Or you can use plain water and make regular lemonade!

Be sure to use lots of ice and stay cool!

July 2010

Hoss's Tater Salad

8-10 red-skinned potatoes

1/2 small onion, chopped

1/3 cup sweet pickle relish

2 tbsps. sugar

2 tbsps. yellow mustard

1 cup mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

Peel the potatoes, cut into chunks, and boil them in a pot of water until they're fork tender, but not too done. (You don't want them turning to mush.) Drain them in a colander and rinse under cold water to halt the cooking process and help them cool down. Let them cool.

Mix together the remaining ingredients, then stir in the cooled potato chunks. Mix well and refrigerate. Make this early in the day for supper, or make it the night before. It's better when it's good and cold, and the flavors have been given time to blend. It's easily doubled if you have a big crowd to feed, too.

June 2010

Unbaked Cookies

Combine in a saucepan:

2 cups sugar

1 stick butter

1/2 cup milk

Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat, and add:

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix well, and stir in:

3 cups quick-cooking oats

Mix quickly and drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let cool and enjoy!

May 2010

Prairie Moon Ranch Chops 'n' Taters

6-8 pork chops (I use the ones without bone that have been tenderized, but the regular ones work fine as well)

1-2 tbsp. vegetable oil

flour

seasoned salt

2-lb. frozen shredded hash browns, thawed

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar and jack cheese

Sprinkle the chops with seasoned salt. Put some flour in a large Ziplock bag, and drop the chops in one at a time and shake them till they're coated. (Farm Girl's Shake 'n' Bake!)

Heat the oil in a skillet, and brown the chops on both sides. You can sprinkle on some more seasoned salt, if you want.

Mix the melted butter, onion powder, salt, pepper, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and 1/2 cup of the cheese together in a large mixing bowl.

Mix in the hash browns. Put this mixture out into a greased 9" x 13" baking dish.

Lay the browned pork chops on top. Cover with foil and bake in a 350-degree oven for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven, sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top, and return it to the oven until the cheese is melted. All that's left is to dig in and enjoy! Try not to founder . . .

April 2010

Easy Carrot Cake

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 4.5-oz. containers of baby food carrots

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cloves

Combine sugar and oil; beat well. Add eggs, carrots, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Combine the next 6 ingredients. Add to the creamed mixture and beat well.

Pour batter into a greased 9" x 13" pan, and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

When it's cooled, frost it with this:

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

1 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (nuts are optional)

Combine cream cheese and butter and beat until fluffy. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat till smooth. Stir in the nuts, and frost your cooled cake. Mmmmm . . .

March 2010

Porcupine Meatball Supper

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup uncooked white rice

1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 beaten egg

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. black pepper

3 tbsps. butter

2 cups tomato juice

4-5 small potatoes, peeled and quartered

4-5 carrots, peeled and chunked up

Mix the first 8 ingredients together and form into balls. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place the meatballs in the skillet and brown on all sides.

When the meatballs are browned, fit the potato and carrot pieces down in around the meatballs, and pour the tomato juice over the whole thing. Cover and simmer on low heat for 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables and rice are cooked through.

February 2010

Banana Oat Bread

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas

1/4 cup milk

1 cup quick oats, uncooked

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

In a large bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs.

Mix flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Mix the milk into the mashed bananas.

To the creamed mixture alternately add some of the flour mixture and some of the banana mixture, until all three mixtures are added together.

Stir in the oats and nuts. Pour into a greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until tested done. Cool 10 minutes. Turn out of pan and cool completely.

January 2010

Coconut Shortbread

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups flour

1 cup coconut

Beat butter until creamy.

Beat in sugar until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla.

Gradually add flour.

Stir in coconut.

Shape dough into a 12 x 3 x 1 brick, wrap in waxed paper and freeze for 2 hours or refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Slice dough 1/4-inch thick and arrange slices 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 27-30 minutes until edges begin to turn golden.

The dough can be made ahead. Just wrap it up good and freeze it for up to 2 weeks. Slice off what you want as you want it! This makes about 40 cookies.

December 2009

Southern Pralines

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

1 1/2 cups half and half

3 Tbsp. butter

2 cups pecan halves

In a heavy 2-quart saucepan stir together the sugar, brown sugar, and half and half. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.

Cook over medium-low heat to the soft ball stage, about 16-18 minutes, stirring only as necessary to prevent sticking.

Remove from heat, add the butter, but DO NOT STIR.

Cool WITHOUT STIRRING to 150 degrees, about 30 minutes. Quickly stir in pecans.

Beat candy for 2-3 minutes or till candy is just beginning to thicken but is still glossy.

Drop candy from a tablespoon onto waxed paper. If the candy becomes too stiff to drop, add a few drops of hot water and stir. (Kate says you'll need to add the hot water every time!)

This makes about 30 pralines . . . and no, you can't have any of mine!

November 2009

Apple Crisp

5-6 cups peeled & chunked apples

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/3 cup melted butter, cooled

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

Place peeled and chunked apples in a greased 9 x 13 pan.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and egg till crumbly. Sprinkle over the apples. Drizzle the butter over the top.

Mix the cinnamon and brown sugar together and sprinkle over the entire thing. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

October 2009

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 small pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 12-oz. package chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix flour with baking soda.

Combine butter, the sugars, pudding mix, and vanilla in a large mixer bowl; beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs.

Gradually add flour mixture; then stir in chips and nuts. (Batter will be stiff.) Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2" apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

This recipe is easily doubled, which I usually do, but I don't double the amount of chocolate chips, and it seems to be enough. If you like lots of chocolate chips in your chocolate chip cookies, though, go ahead and throw more in! These cookies freeze well, too. I think the secret is in the pudding . . .

September 2009

Baked Oatmeal

This was probably the favorite of my kids. It didn't matter if I put the fruit in or left it out. You could also add some chopped walnuts, if you like. It's almost like cake, but you can add milk for a rich stick-to-your-ribs breakfast.

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup applesauce

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 to 1 cup raisins or blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl. Stir wet and dry together, and add the raisins or berries (or nuts, if you prefer).

Spread in a greased 9" x 9" pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Serve warm, either as it is, or topped with milk.

Baked Oatmeal

This one is even more like a dessert, and my kids liked it, too. We alternated recipes so they could have each of them regularly. The raisins and nuts are optional, but you could add a few extra apples if you leave them out. My kids liked adding just a bit of milk.

4 cups milk

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbsps. butter

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. cinnamon

2 cups old-fashioned oats

2 cups chopped apples

1 cup raisins

1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring milk, sugar, butter, salt, and cinnamon to a boil in a heavy pot. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into a buttered casserole dish and bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes.

Amish Baked Oatmeal

I have a lot of Amish friends, and I've never seen them eating this, but that doesn't mean they don't. All I know is my kids liked it.

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 egg

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all the ingredients, and mix well.

Spread evenly in a greased 9" x 13" baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are browned. Serve warm with milk, and topped with brown sugar, fruit, or nuts, if you like.

August 2009

Wonder Pie

Crust:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 sticks margarine or butter

2/3 cup chopped pecans

Mix and press in the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Do not let it brown. Remove it from the oven and let it cool completely.

Layer 1:

8 oz. cream cheese (not low-fat or no-fat)

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 of an 8-oz. carton of Cool Whip

Mix together and spread on top of cooled crust.

Layer 2:

3 cups milk

2 packages (4 1/2-oz.) INSTANT pudding

Mix and put this on top of the cream cheese layer.

Layer 3:

Spread the rest of the Cool Whip on top and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Refrigerate until serving.

July 2009

Black Bean and Corn Salad

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup lime juice

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. salt

dash of crushed red pepper

2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups frozen yellow corn kernels, rinsed in cold water

1/2 of a green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 of a yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped

1/2 of a red bell pepper, chopped

2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced

6 green onions, chopped

Mix together the first five ingredients in a shaker jar with a lid, and mix well to make the dressing (or whisk thoroughly in a small bowl).

Lightly mix the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl, pour the dressing over the top, and toss it all together.

June 2009

Sweet & Sour Wings

2 packages chicken wings, 12-14 wings per package, cut apart into drummies and flappers

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 tbsps. soy sauce

2 tbsps. ketchup or BBQ sauce

Mix together the sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and ketchup.

Marinate the wings in the sauce overnight, stirring occasionally.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, turning and basting with the sauce 2 or 3 times while baking.

If you have a lot of wing lovers coming to your party, you can double this very easily.

May 2009

Peanut Banana Salad

2 packages instant vanilla pudding, prepared according to package directions

1 12.5-oz. can of Spanish peanuts, chopped

4-5 fresh ripe bananas

Put a layer of pudding in the bottom of a 2-quart serving bowl.

Sprinkle a layer of chopped peanuts on top of the pudding layer.

Peel the bananas, slice, and make a layer of banana slices on top of the peanuts.

Repeat these layers until you've used up all the ingredients, ending with a layer of peanuts on top.

Refrigerate until time to serve. When serving, stand back so you don't get trampled!

April 2009

Kate's Delectable Pot Roast

1 chuck or arm roast

2-3 cups baby carrots

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 envelope onion soup mix

1 cup water

Put the carrots in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the roast on top of the carrots.

Mix the soup, soup mix, and water together.

Pour in on top of the roast and carrots.

Cook on low 8-10 hours (depending on the size of your roast). Remove the roast and carrots to a serving platter, and serve the gravy in a separate bowl.

March 2009

Canned Donuts

1 can of plain refrigerated biscuits

(I get the ones that have 10 per can. Sometimes these come 4 in a package for around $1 -- the cheap little ones work great for this)

oil for cooking

Pour oil about an inch deep in a small saucepan, and heat over medium heat.

While oil is heating, open the can of biscuits and separate them. Use a donut hole cutter or a bottle lid to cut a hole in the middle of each biscuit and make a donut shape.

Drop the biscuits in the hot oil a few at a time. When they are browned on the bottom, turn them over to finish cooking, then remove them from the pan. You don't want them to cook too fast, so they will be done in the middle, yet not burnt on the outside.

Drain on paper towels, and roll in sugar or powdered sugar. You can let them cool and put frosting on, if you prefer. Kids love helping with this!

February 2009

Swiss Beans

2 tbsp. butter, twice, melted

2 tbsp. flour

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 cup sour cream

2 cans French-style green beans, drained

1/2 lb. shredded Swiss cheese

Seasoned bread crumbs

Melt 2 tbsp. butter, and stir in the flour and seasonings. Add the onion. Gradually fold in the sour cream, then the beans.

Put into a 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish, and top with the shredded Swiss cheese. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top, and drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp. butter over that.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

January 2009

Prairie Moon Ranch Chili

1 pound ground beef

1 10-oz. can Ro-Tel Chili Fixins (seasoned diced tomatoes and green chilies)

1 15.5-oz. can Brooks Chili Beans (red beans in chili sauce, HOT & Spicy)

1 envelope Williams' Tex-Mex chili seasoning

Brown the ground beef and drain or blot any grease. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes to let the flavors blend.

We serve this up with chopped onions, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese as garnish, and it's hard to have leftovers. It's easily doubled if you're making it for a crowd, too -- but when doubling, still only use ONE envelope of seasoning, not two!

December 2008

Grandma Hyde's White Fudge

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

12 oz. white almond bark

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Melt the almond bark in a double boiler or in the microwave. Fold in the cream cheese mixture and pecans. You can leave the nuts out if you're allergic or just don't like them.

Spread in an 8" x 8" pan and chill, then cut in squares. How easy is that?

November 2008

Deer Camp Corn

1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, NOT drained

1 15 oz. can cream-style corn

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

salt and pepper to taste

Spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with non-stick spray, and mix the above ingredients together right in the dish. Dot the top with a little bit of butter, and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until the edges are golden and it's set in the middle.

If you need more (which could easily happen) you can double this recipe and bake it in a 9" x 13" baking dish, just make sure to bake it a bit longer, around an hour or so.

October 2008

Enchilada Casserole

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

Brown the onion with the beef, and drain.

20 corn tortillas, torn into small pieces

1 10-3/4 oz. can condensed tomato soup

1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies

1 10 oz. can enchilada sauce

Mix the above together and then mix with the ground beef mixture, and put into a greased 9x13" baking dish.

Top with 2-3 cups of shredded Monterrey Jack cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until the cheese is golden around the edges and bubbly all through. Serve with chopped tomatoes, sour cream, and whatever other fixins you like.