White Texas Sheet Cake

Ingredients

         1 cup butter, cubed

         1 cup water

         2 cups all-purpose flour

         2 cups sugar

         2 eggs, beaten

         1/2 cup sour cream

         1 teaspoon salt

         1 teaspoon baking powder

         1 teaspoon almond extract

         1/4 teaspoon baking soda

         FROSTING:

         1/2 cup butter, cubed

         1/4 cup milk

         4-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

         1/2 teaspoon almond extract

         1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

         In a large saucepan, bring butter and water just to a boil.

         Immediately remove from the heat; stir in the flour, sugar, eggs,

         sour cream, salt, baking powder, extract and baking soda until

         smooth.

        

                     Pour into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at

         375° for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick

         inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 20

         minutes.

        

         For frosting, in a large saucepan, bring butter and milk just to a

         boil. Immediately remove from the heat; stir in confectioners' sugar

         and extract. Stir in walnuts; spread over warm cake. Cool

                     completely. Yield: 20 servings.

Recipe from http://www.tasteofhome.com

Holiday Potpourri

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp whole Jamaican allspice

2 Tbsp whole cloves

1 sliced orange (dried if giving as gift)

2 bay leaves

2 1/2 inch sticks of cinnamon

Directions:

Empty into 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil.  Then reduce to simmer and add more water as needed.  This mix should last for several days.

Recipe from Shalana Robinson for Grove Creek 4th Ward's Super Saturday.

Old-Fashioned Gingerbread

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 large egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup hot water

Directions:
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add sugar; beat well.  Add molasses and egg; beat well.  Combine flour and next 4 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with hot water, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Mix at low speed after each addition until blended.  Pour batter into a light greased and floured 13 x 9 inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  cool slightly in pan on a wire rack.  Yields 15 serving.

Recipe from The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook.

Chunky Chicken-Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
1 (3-pound) broiler-fryer; skinned, or 2 1/2 pounds chicken pieces (I use a rotisserie chicken and debone it to save time)
6 cups water (I used 8 cups)
3 fresh celery leaves (I added a dash of celery seeds)
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup sliced carrot
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley (I used dried)
1/2 tsp salt (I left this out)
1/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules (I used 1 Tbs since I use rotisserie chicken) or 1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup of uncooked fine egg noodles (I used 16 oz. Grandma's Fresh Frozen All Natural Egg Noodles, Wide, Homestyle)
1 bay leaf

Directions:
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes.  Remove chicken from broth, and cool.  Strain broth; discard celery leaves and solidified fat.  Return broth to Dutch oven; add green onions and next 8 ingredients.  Cover and simmer 20 minutes (this is when I add the frozen egg noodles and cook).  Bone and chop chicken; add to broth.  Cook 5 more minutes.  Discard bay leaf.  Sprinkle soup with pepper, if desired.  Yields 7 cups.

*Crock Pot:  Place water, celery, thyme, green onions, carrots, parsley, salt, pepper, bouillon and bay leaf in crock pot on high with 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  After 4 to 6 hours, shredded cooked chicken breast and return.  Add frozen noodles or egg noodles and cook according to directions.

Recipe from the Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract
2 Tbsp poppy seeds
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup milk

Icing:
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.  Combine sugar, oil, eggs vanilla, and lemon extract in a large bowl; mix well.  Stir in poppy seeds.  Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  Add flour mixture and milk to sugar mixture alternately; mixing well after each addition.  Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.  Bake loaves for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Loosen edges from sides of pan.  Cool loaves in pans for 10 minutes.  Turn out onto wire racks.  For icing, blend lemon juice and confectioners' sugar in a small bowl.  Drizzle over warm loaves.  Serves 20.  You can also divide the batter evenly between miniature loaf pans and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Recipe from Easy Everyday Cooking.

Peach Crisp

Ingredients:
About 8-10 peaches, skinned and cut up
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
6 Tbsp butter, chilled

Place peaches in a casserole pan.  Mix the rest of the ingredients, cutting butter in until crumbly.  Sprinkle on top of peaches.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.  Serve with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Recipe from www.joyofbaking.com.

White Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
10 flour tortillas
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (I boiled 4 chicken breasts)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (or more)
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies (I used (7.76 oz) can Salsa Verde)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 pan.  Cut or tear up tortillas into strips.  Lay half on the bottom of the pan.  Spread chicken and half of the cheese on top.  Lay the other half of the tortillas on top of the chicken and cheese.  Spread remaining cheese on top.  In a sauce pan, melt butter and stir in flour.  Cook 1 minute.  Add broth and whisk until smooth.  Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  Remove from heat.  Stir in sour cream and chilies.  Pour over enchiladas and top with more cheese.  Bake 20 minutes.  Broil on high for 3 minutes to brown cheese.

Recipe from joyful-mommas-kitchen.blogspot.com.