Spiced Cranberry Sauce

I know what you're thinking - you don't like cranberries, right? I first tried this when my sister made them for thanksgiving, and I loved them so much, I made it for a ward relief society dinner. Most of the women claimed to not like cranberry anything, and most of them loved this!

Spiced Cranberries
1 (12 oz) bag of fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 small can of manderine oranges

Directions: Drain oranges and set aside. In a 2 quart sauce pan, cook cranberries over medium high heat until they start to pop. Once they begin to pop, add 1 cup of sugar. After sugar is added and mixed in, cook and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium, and add in vanilla and cinnamon. Cook until all cranberries have popped. Mixture will be thick. Let cool for 10 minutes. Stir in manderine oranges. Chill for several hours or over night.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

3 cups shredded zucchini
4 eggs
2/3 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups flour

Make sure your oven rack is on the lower level. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix zucchini, eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake for 50 minutes. Let cool in loaf pans for 30 minutes. Turn out onto a cooling rack and cool additional 30 minutes before slicing.

Do you want a healthier version? Trust me, your kids will still snarf it up!
* For the flour - use 2 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour, and 1/2 cup of quick oats.
* Add 1/2 cup of ground flax seed.
* Decrease the sugar by a half cup, you won't miss it, I promise!

Easy Sweet n' Sour sauce

This is one of my favorite recipe's! It's so quick and SO easy!

1 small bottle of Russian Salad Dressing (french or catalina will work - but not the creamy version)
1 jar of apricot, apricot/pineapple, or peach jam
1 pkg. lipton onion soup mix.

Bake your chicken in this sauce and serve it over rice. Steamed Asparagus on the side is my favorite with this dish!

Great with meat balls too!

Cheese ball

If you haven't heard of Delectable Addictions, check them out! I love using their dip spice packets to make cheese balls and other yummy stuff. They are a huge hit every single time! Delectable Addictions is small Utah company. And if you are from Utah, you can find their products year round at The Quilted Bear in Ogden and Midvale. You can also find them at a boutique that happens a few times a year here in Utah, called Kottage Kupboard! And there, you get to sample all their yummy stuff, and they usually run specials that will save you a little $ when you stock up :) And of course, you can always order online!

Here's what you'll need:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/4 cup cottage cheese
1-2 TBSP. mayonaise
1/4 cup shredded mozzerella cheese
1 Scrumptious Spinach Dip mix

Mix all ingredients with an electric mixer. Form into ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and referigerate atleast 5 hours to soften the spices and to let the flavors blend. Enjoy with your favorite cracker (or my kids like pretzles with them).

Apple Pie Filling

For 1 Quart
3 1/2 cups fresh apples, washed, peeled & sliced
1/4 cup clear jel *
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp. lemon juice



For 7 Quarts
6 quarts fresh apples, washed, peeled & sliced
5 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups clear jel *
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/4 cup water
5 cups apple juice
3/4 cup lemon juice

Soak the apples in water with lemon juice to prevent browning.

Combine sugar, clear jel, cinnamon, nutmeg in a large kettle with water and apple juice. Stir on med-med high heat until mixture starts to bubble and thinkens. Add lemon juice and continue stirring and boil for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, drain apples and fold them into sugar mixture.

Pour into hot jars, leaving 1 inch head space. Adjust 2 piece lids and process - pints 25 minutes, quarts 30 minutes.

*Replace clear jel with tapioca. 1 jar - 2 tablespoons, 7 quarts - about 1 cup (it's like 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have had quite a few requests for this recipe. I don't know what makes it different than your normal recipe - but apparently, some of you think it's better - so - here you go!

In a large bowl combine and mix the following:
2 eggs
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Then add:
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups flour
1/2 - 1 full bag of your favorite chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate - but my husband likes using the semi-sweet mini's)

Put rounded spoonful dough onto UNGREASED cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 11 minutes. Let cool on the sheet for atleast 5 minutes before transfering to a cooling rack.

Apple Crisp

4-6 medium to large apples - washed, peeled, and cored

Lay slices in the bottom of an 8x8 lightly sprayed baking dish

Crumble topping:
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup butter (soft, not melted)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Sprinkle ontop of sliced apples, bake at 375 for 30 minutes - serve with ice cream!