Veggie Pizza

This veggie pizza recipe is a family favorite. My Grandma Hutch used to make it as well as my Mom. I love the flavor combinations in this easy appetizer - a flaky crust with a creamy base topped with fresh chopped veggies. I made it for the first time myself in December when I got together with some of my best girlfriends. It makes a nice big batch and is perfect for any get together.

Veggie Pizza
Recipe from my Mom 
Printable Version
Ingredients
2 rolls of crescent rolls
1 8oz block of cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon dill (we didn't have this, boo)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Fresh chopped veggies of your choice to equal about 3/4 cup total (I use broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, black olives, red and green peppers) 
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese 

Directions

Pat crescent rolls flat into a jelly roll pan. Bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile mix together the softened cream cheese, mayo and spices. 

Spread evenly onto cooled crust and sprinkle on chopped veggies. Top with shredded cheese. Refrigerate for at least two hours or until ready to serve. 

My favorite salad ever: Avocado & Orange Salad

When I made my favorite salad the other night for the 1,000th time it dawned on me that I have never put this recipe on the blog! I kind of couldn't believe it because I've shared over 300 recipes yet this is one of my most favorite things to eat of all time. The recipe is my Mom's and she made it all the time when I was growing up. I really can't get enough of this salad, with big chunks of creamy avocado, the pop of citrus from the Mandarin oranges, and the crunch of baked almonds and fresh green onions. A basic vinaigrette finishes off this salad. Make this for yourself and the people you love immediately. You will be so happy you did!

Avocado & Orange Salad
From My Momma
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 head of lettuce
1 sliced avocado
1 small can of mandarin oranges, drained
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 small package of slivered almonds, baked at 400 degrees for 6 minutes
For the dressing:
1/4 cup oil (olive or vegetable)
3 tablespoons vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash of fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons sugar


Directions
Whisk ingredients for dressing and toss with all other ingredients just before serving. Use dressing sparingly!

Ice Cream Dessert

A couple of weeks ago hubby and I had some friends over for dinner and they all had little kids so I wanted to make a kid friendly dessert. My Mom's Ice Cream Dessert came to mind right away. This was a win-win dessert because kids love ice cream and because ice cream has been one of my pregnancy cravings (along with millions of other women, right?). It's a cinch to make - a crushed Oreo crust with a vanilla ice cream layer and homemade hot fudge frosting. I added sprinkles to the top to make it even more appealing to the kiddos. Everyone gobbled this up. If you have left overs they keep well in the freezer. Just unthaw it for a couple of minutes before serving!

Ice Cream Dessert
From My Momma
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 package of Oreo cookies
1/2 gallon of vanilla ice cream - you can go crazy here and substitute whatever ice cream you want!
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
3 ounces semisweet chocolate


Directions
Crunch 25 - 30 Oreos and place in the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Soften ice cream by keeping on the counter for about 20 minutes and then spread evenly over the Oreo crust.

Cover and place in the freezer until hard - about 1 hour. Make the chocolate sauce by combining the powdered sugar, butter, evaporated milk, and chocolate in a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Whisk until thick. Cool the sauce for about 5 minutes, then pour over the ice cream. Add sprinkles if desired. 

Cover and freeze again until serving time. Thaw for about 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

My Grandma's Frozen Strawberry Pecan Sandie Dessert

My beloved Grandma Hutch recently passed away at the age of 97. She lived a long and beautiful life. She was the last of my living Grandparents and her passing in the same year that I will give birth to my first baby is surely not a coincidence. In honor of my Grandma, I wanted to share with you my absolute favorite recipes of hers. Grandma made this Frozen Strawberry Pecan Sandie Dessert especially for me all throughout my childhood. 

I have always loved strawberry desserts but this one, because it was made with love by my Grandma, is very special to me. When my Mom came to visit a couple of weeks ago we made it together and reminisced about the wonderful woman my Grandma was and how much we will miss her. This recipe will be one that I will make for my children and someday  for my grandchildren and when they eat it I will share with them memories of my loving Grandma Hutch.

Grandma's Frozen Strawberry Pecan Sandie Dessert
Printable Version
Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh is best)
1 10 ounce container of frozen strawberries, thawed slightly in the refrigerator
3 egg whites
1 8 ounce container of Cool Whip
1 package of Keebler Pecan Sandies
4 tablespoons melted butter

Directions
Crush 2/3 of the cookies and mix them in a large bowl with the melted butter. Press them into an even layer in the bottom of an ungreased 9X13 pan. Beat sugar, lemon juice, strawberries, and egg whites for 8 minutes on high speed. The mixture will become thick and fluffy. 

Fold in Cool Whip. Spread over the cookie crust in the pan and spread with a spoon. Crush the remaining cookies and spread over the strawberry fluff. Freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight and serve frozen to eat.

Hot Chicken Salad

I made this hot chicken salad last week when I wanted a taste of home. This is one of my Mom's recipes that I ate growing up. I'd never tried making it myself but knew that hubby would enjoy it - mostly because it's topped with crushed potato chips! It's a simple and filling casserole that has a nice balance of texture and flavors. 


Hot Chicken Salad
From My Momma
Printable Version
Ingredients
2 cups (2 whole chicken breasts) cooked chicken, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup grated onion
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup crushed potato chips

Directions
Mix everything together in a large bowl except for the almonds and chips. Spread in a 9 inch baking pan and top with chips and almonds. 

Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Week of Holiday Treats: Almond Bars

I have so many goodies to share with you for the holidays that I decided for the next week I will only post yummy treats. Today I am starting with my Aunt Chris' Almond Bars. These bars are a family favorite and every time Aunt Chris makes them they're gone in a flash. Pure almond paste is the shining star in this recipe. I had never bought it before and still haven't! A friend who was moving gave me a can of it (Thanks Racheal!) and right then and there I knew I had to make Almond Bars. 

These bars are like a thick almond sugar cookie bars, sprinkled with toasted almonds. I brought these to a neighbor's going away party and everyone complimented me on them. Perfect for the Holidays when you are tired of chocolate and frosting (if you get tired of chocolate and frosting that is!).

Almond Bars

From my Auntie Chris

Printable Version

Ingredients

1 cup butter or margarine

8 ounces almond paste

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt (I omitted this since I used butter that had salt)

2 cups flour

1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray. Cream together butter and almond paste, beat in sugar and eggs. Add in flour and salt. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with almonds. 

Bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and and cut into bars. 

Pea, Almond, and Blue Cheese Salad

This scrumptious pea salad recipe is from my wonderful sister-in-law (who is truly like a REAL sister to me). The flavors in this pea salad might sound interesting but they work together beautifully especially with the vinaigrette of mustard, olive oil, garlic, mint, green onions and lemon juice. It's savory, tangy, and has excellent textures from the pop of the peas to the crunch of the toasted almonds. I've made this salad twice since Marg gave me the recipe, once with goat cheese crumbles and once with blue cheese and I must say the blue cheese is much better. But if you aren't a blue cheese or goat cheese fan it would also be delicious with chunks of fresh mozzarella or even grated fresh Parmesan cheese. It only takes as long to make as it does to boil the peas and goes great with just about anything you're making for dinner! 


Pea, Almond, and Blue Cheese Salad
From my lovely sister Margaret
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 package of frozen peas
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh mint, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted in a pan for about 5 minutes over medium low


Directions
Boil peas in salted water according to directions on package. Drain and cool, the pat to remove excess water. In a large bowl whisk all of the remaining ingredients except for the blue cheese and almonds. Add the peas to the vinaigrette and combine. Top with blue cheese and sprinkle with almonds. 

Peanut Butter Pie

I'm really mad at myself. I have had this peanut butter pie recipe in my family collection for years and had never made it before! What is wrong with me?! It's seriously the best peanut butter pie in the world. It's fluffy, creamy, light, perfectly peanut butter-y and topped with chopped peanuts and drizzled chocolate. 

I made it for hubby's birthday and was one happy man. He ate it for lunch the next day and that was the end of it. (I may have eaten it for breakfast, but you won't tell, right?!) It's ridiculously easy to make for how extremely delicious it is. I am telling you, GO! MAKE! THIS! PIE! RIGHT! NOW! Trust me on this one!

Peanut Butter Pie
From My Gram and My Mom
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
6 tablespoons milk
8 ounces cool whip
1 9 inch graham cracker pie crust
1/2 cup crushed peanuts (optional)
1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions
Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and peanut butter in a large bowl or electric stand mixer. 

Beat at medium speed until blended, about four minutes. 

Fold in cool whip. 

Spoon filling into crust.  

Sprinkle with crushed peanuts.

 Melt chocolate chips in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium heat. Drizzle onto pie using a fork. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve chilled.

Grandma Hutch's Ice Box Rolls

I grew up eating these rolls of my Grandma Hutch's. She often made them at Thanksgiving and I remember very clearly using them to sop up gravy and mashed potatoes. My Grandma Hutch was an excellent baker so anything that came out of her oven was delicious. 

There are many things I love about this recipe - the fact that it is from my Grandma and has been handed down to her daughters (my aunts) and now to me. The fact that they are called "Ice Box" rolls because you must refrigerate them overnight before letting them rise. 

And I also love that this recipe allows you can to make three separate things: dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, or pizza dough. I think this recipe is a wonderful example of how inventive and creative women in my Grandmother's generation were!  They couldn't run to the store for pre-made pizza dough or rolls in a can or frozen cinnamon rolls...they made all of that from scratch. I have now made all three and I like the cinnamon rolls the best but my husband  votes for the dinner rolls with a dab of melted butter on top. 

Grandma Hutch's Ice Box Rolls
From My Grandma
Printable Version
Ingredients

1 tablespoon Crisco

¼ cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cup hot water

1 egg

4 cups sifted flour

1 package yeast

Directions

Put Crisco, sugar & salt in bowl.  Add hot water.  Stir to mix and melt Crisco and dissolve the sugar and salt.  Add 2 cups of flour and yeast and stir.  

Add beaten egg and mix well.  

Add the last 2 cups of flour, mix well.  Cover and place in refrigerator overnight.

For Dinner Rolls:  For rolls, shape & put in greased pan to let rise for 3 hours.  Bake @ 425 degrees for 17 minutes. 

For cinnamon Rolls:  Can be made into cinnamon rolls too!  Roll out dough, spread with margarine, brown sugar, sprinkle with cinnamon & nuts if you like. 

Roll up as a jelly roll, cut and place in greased pan with a little margarine & brown sugar in the bottom of the pan which will make a caramelized topping on the rolls.   Let rise for 3 hours, bake at 425 degrees for 17 minutes.  After removing from oven, immediately flip out onto wax paper to cool.

 

For Pizza Dough:  Use as is, roll out and place in pizza pan, no need to rise. Grease the bottom of the pan before placing the dough on it. Top with sauce and your favorite pizza ingredients. Bake at 425 for 17 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.