Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs)

Ingredients:
3/4 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 large onion, grated
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
4 Tbs. flour
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp sage leaves
1/4 to 1/2 cup half and half (or milk) for consistency
butter

Gravy:
3/4-2 Tbsp drippings from Frickadeller
tiny butter if needed
3 Tbsp flour
1 cup heavy cream (milk works too)
1 Tbsp beef bouillon
salt and pepper

Combine beef, pork, and onion.  Add breadcrumbs, flour, eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic, and sage leaves and mix with your hands.  Slowly add half and half for a sticky consistency.  Coat the skillet well with butter.  Drop clumps of mixture (a heaping tablespoon size) onto the skillet.  Fry on medium to medium low heat until brown (press meat down lightly with a fork so it flattens out a little...it should look like a flat hamburger), then flip (approximately 3-5 minutes per side).  Add more butter with each batch.  Serve with gravy.  Don't wash the skillet because you want the brown bits and drippings for the gravy.

Add the flour to the drippings to form a roux (add butter if needed).  Slowly add cream until mixture reaches gravy consistency.  Add beef bouillon, salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe from www.favfamilyrecipes.com.

Creamy Fruit Dip

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
1 (7 oz) jar of marshmallow cream
1 cup powdered sugar
(can add 2 Tbsp. of squeezed orange juice and grated orange rind)

Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients until combined.

Recipe from www.simplyrealmoms.com.

Clam Pasta

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 (6.5 oz) canned clams
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 pound of thin spaghetti (or less)

Directions:
Sautee garlic in the olive oil until lightly browned.  Add parsley to sautéed garlic then add the juice from the clams.  Boil to reduce liquid until half then add clams.  Add cooked spaghetti and mix to coat well.  Add cheese.

Recipe from Ann Burton.

Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:
Hard boiled eggs
Mayo
Mustard
Dill pickle relish
Paprika

Directions:
Peel and cut hard boiled eggs in half the long way.  Take out the yolks and mash them up.  Then combine them with mayo, mustard, and dill pickle relish a little at a time to taste.  Take a spoon full and scoop back into hard boiled egg whites.  Sprinkle with paprika and chill.

Recipe from my mom, Margie Lanclos.

California Salsa

Ingredients:
1/2 medium onion, peeled
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and membranes removed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt (optional)
6 ripe Roma tomatoes, quartered
(I add garlic powder to mine)

Directions:
Place the first 4 ingredients and six of the tomato quarters into the Vitamix blender in order listed.  Select variable 1.  Turn on and increase to variable 5.  Blend 15-20 seconds using the tamper.  Reduce to variable 3 and add in the rest of the tomatoes.  Blend 10 seconds using the tamper.  Do not over mix; leave chunky.

Recipe from Vitamix Whole Food Recipes.

Ultimate Turtle Cheesecake

Ingredients:

24 Oreo Cookies, finely crushed (about 2 cups)
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1 pkg. (14 oz.) KRAFT Caramels
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans
3 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
3 eggs
2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate


Directions:

HEAT oven to 325°F.

MIX crumbs and butter; press onto bottom and 2 inches up side of 9-inch springform pan.

MICROWAVE caramels and milk in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 3 min. or until caramels are completely melted, stirring after each minute. Stir in nuts; pour half into crust. Refrigerate 10 min. Refrigerate remaining caramel mixture for later use.

BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over caramel layer in crust.

BAKE 1 hour 5 min. to 1 hour 10 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.

MICROWAVE reserved caramel mixture 1 min.; stir. Pour over cheesecake. Melt chocolate as directed on package; drizzle over cheesecake.

Recipe from www.kraftrecipes.com

Philadelphia Classic Cheesecake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 Tbsp sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs

Directions:
Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Mix graham cracker crumbs, 3 Tbsp sugar, and butter; press on bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.  Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla with mixer until well blended.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.  Pour over crust.  Bake 55 minutes or until center is almost set.  Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim.  Refrigerate 4 hours.

Recipe from www.kraftrecipes.com.