Lion House Rolls

This recipe can be found on the Internet.  I have not changed a thing.  They are almost fail proof.  Putting the recipe here just helps me find it again.  There is also a video on the Internet showing you how to roll them out.  Can I say I just love bread, any kind of bread.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups warm water
• ⅔ cup nonfat dry milk
• 2 T dry yeast
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 t salt
• ⅓ cup butter
• 1 egg
• 5-5½ cups flour


Directions:

In electric mixer, combine water and dry milk; stir to dissolve milk. Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg and 2 cups flour. Mix for 2 minutes. Keep adding flour until dough is not overly sticky and not stiff. Turn dough into an oiled bowl. Let rise to double the size. Cut into desired shapes. Place on baking sheet. Let rise approx 1 to 1½ hours. Bake in a 375° oven for 15-20 minutes. Brush with melted butter. Makes 2 -2½ dozen rolls.

Sloppy Joes

This recipe is one my mother cooked all the time I was growing up.  As all recipes go, through time I have changed it to be just the way I like.  Somethings you just can't put in a recipe!  When I give this recipe to someone it never tastes the same!  The amounts are a guesstimate.  Just don't be afraid of the mustard, season the ground beef, and cook it until it reaches the consistency you like.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 onion chopped
• ½ green pepper chopped
• 2 cans chicken gumbo soup
• ½ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup mustard
• Hamburger buns

Directions:

Brown ground beef. Spoon off extra grease, add onions and green peppers. Add soup, ketchup, and mustard; simmer to desired consistency. Serve on buns. Some like a slice of cheddar cheese on the sloppy joe.

Green Beans with Bacon

Bacon in anything makes it better!  That holds true for green beans too.  I tried this recipe I found on the Internet mixed with other ingredients.  Loved it!  The small amount of heat makes your taste buds wake up and say, "What is the heat in the green beans? Ummm, yummy bacon!" 

Ingredients:

• 2½ lb green beans trimmed
• Kosher salt
• ½ lb bacon roughly chopped
• 1 sm onion finely chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 t red pepper flakes
• ½ cup pecans chopped and toasted (optional)
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Freshly ground pepper


Directions:

Toss the green beans into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook until bright green and crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the beans and shock in a large bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain beans again and pat dry.

Cook the bacon in a large frying pan until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Spoon off excess bacon grease. Add onions to pan, cook until translucent, add mushrooms, garlic and rd pepper flakes. Cook until mushrooms are limp. Add green beans and pecans; cook until heated through. Return bacon to the pan, pour in lemon juice and toss. Salt and pepper to taste.

Spinach Salad with Cranberry Vinegarette

When I visited the beautiful city of Seattle with my son, he took us to meet many of the people he worked with while on his mission.  One awesome family fed us a yummy dinner.  My favorite thing on the menu and the only thing I can remember was this Spinach Salad.  My son made sure I got the recipe.  Whenever I make this salad I remember the great family that broke bread with us and the great time we had.

Ingredients:

Dressing
4 T rice wine vinegar
1½ t Dijon mustard
¼ t pepper
½ cup canola oil
4 T cranberry juice concentrate
Salad
8 cups spinach
1 avocado
½ cup red onion thinly sliced
1 cup pomegranate seeds
OR
½ cup dried cranberries

Clam Dip

Chips and Dip!  What celebration doesn't include chips with some kind of dip?  This dip recipe is a big hit at my parties.  You can spice it up by how much horseradish you put in the dip.  Add more horseradish than suggested for a spicier dip and less if your not so much a horseradish fan.  It is guaranteed when my daughter brings the dip it will be on the spicy side. 

Ingredients:

2 cans minced clams
1 pint sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbs. horseradish
2 Tbs. dried minced onion

Cheeseball

The holidays are right around the corner.  This year is the ON year, meaning all the kids will be home for Thanksgiving.  What a great time of year!  My son says it is his favorite holiday because it includes Family, Food, and Football.  I don't really know in what order.  One  recipe that is sure to be made during the holidays in our home would be this cheeseball recipe that has been handed down from my husband's mother.  It is served with crackers of all sorts. 

Ingredients:

16 oz. cream cheese
1 small bottle sharp cheese
1 small onion minced
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 pkg. Hidden Valley bleu cheese mix
walnuts chopped

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together except the nuts.  Form into two balls and cover with nuts.

Baked Rigatoni

When I looked in the cupboard and saw a huge bag of rigatoni I thought I should use some of that for Sunday dinner.  I started looking for recipes that included the ingredients that sounded delicious to me.  Of course sausage and rigatoni had to be the biggest players.  I couldn't settle on one recipe so I combined a few together.  It turned out just how I wanted.  For me, the very best part was the toasted Parmesan and asiago cheese on top! 

Ingredients:

1 lb. Italian sausage

1 lb. rigatoni pasta

24 oz. spaghetti sauce

1 roasted red pepper chopped

½ onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 cup mushrooms sliced

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup mozzarella cheese grated

½ cup Parmesan cheese grated

½ cup asiago cheese grated

 

Directions:

 

Cook pasta until almost tender.  While pasta is cooking, fry sausage in large pot.  When sausage is no longer pink, remove from pot. Add onions, cook until translucent.  Add garlic, mushrooms, roasted red pepper, cook until mushrooms are limp.  Add sausage back into the pot along with the basil and cooked pasta.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Place mixture in a baking dish.  Top with cheeses.  Cover and bake 45 minutes at 350˚.  Uncover and broil for the last 15 minutes to toast the cheeses.