Margaret's Jello Salad

Drain the juice from 1 large can of pears (I use bottled pears in the quart jar). Boil the juice and add 1 large jello until dissolved. Cut up one 8 oz cream cheese into chunks and put in the blender. Pour the hot liquid over the cream cheese and blend really well. Add the pears and blend really well again. Let gel until almost set. Add 1/2 pint whipped whipping cream and blend well. Let set.

You can use any flavor of jello you like but the lime is really good and so is the peach.

Priscilla's Beef Enchiladas

I can't say enough about these enchiladas.  They are better than any restaurant I've ever eaten in.  The BEST!!!!

Beef for the enchiladas:
5 lbs. beef roast or combination of beef and pork roasts
3 T. vegetable shortening
3 onions, chopped
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies
2 (7 oz) cans green chili salsa
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
4 T. flour
4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
Juices from beef roasts

Slow cook your roast in a crock pot for about eight hours on low.  I usually just do this over night, and I put a little water in the crock pot. Drain meat, reserving juices. Cool meat, then remove bones, shred meat, and set aside. Melt shortening (I use oil)  in a large skillet. Add onions and green chilies. Saute one minute. Add green chili salsa, garlic powder, flour, salt, and cumin. Cook one minute over medium-low heat. Stir in reserved meat juices and shredded meat. Cook five minutes until thick. Cool. Put about three cups mix into freezer bags and freeze for later. Makes about nine cups of Mexican Meat Mix.

Enchiladas
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
1 (16 oz) can whole tomatoes, undrained and finely chopped
Vegetable oil for frying
12 corn tortillas
3 cups of Mexican Meat mix
1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c. sour cream

Combine enchilada sauce and chopped tomatoes in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat and simmer. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a small skillet. Dip one tortilla at a time in hot oil for several seconds, then dip in hot enchilada sauce mixture. Set aside. Place about 1/4 c. Mexican meat mix on each tortilla and sprinkle with 2 T grated cheddar cheese. Roll up and place close together in a shallow casserole dish, seam-side down. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with additional grated cheese. Bake about 15 minutes, until bubbly. Spoon sour cream over enchiladas and serve hot. Makes about six servings.

Stephanie's Choco Nut Delights

Cream Together:
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar

Add:
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
Blend in and mix well:
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Spread in a 9x13 pan sprayed with PAM. Bake 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes until light golden brown. Sprinkle immediately with 1 c. chocolate chips. Let stand 2 min, then spread to cover. While baking, combine in saucepan over low heat until mixture is smooth:
1 c. chocolate chips
1/3 c. maple syrup
2 T. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
Stir in 2 cups chopped pecans and spread evenly over melted chips in pan. Bake 8 min. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Rice Pilaf

2 T butter
1 c. uncooked rice
1/4 c. minced onion
1/3 c. minced celery
3 c. hot chicken broth

Saute onions and celery with rice. Add chicken broth. Cover and simmer until rice is done. You can add parsley and slivered almonds if you like.

Caramel Apple Porkchops

1 1/2 lbs. boneless pork chops

3-4 granny smith apples, peeled, sliced and cored

3 T. packed brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

I get the nice thick pork chops from Costco and freeze half the package for the next time. Place chops in crock-pot, cover with apples. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in small bowl; sprinkle over apples. Cover; cook on low for 6-8 hours.

I serve the chops on one serving platter and the apples in a bowl for everyone to use as many apples as they like. The apples produce a lot of moisture so don't be surprised by the amount of liquid. My family likes this mashed potatoes.

Mandarin Salad Recipe

½ C sliced almonds
2T sugar
combine in skillet, heat and stir until caramelized
(it will start to smoke).
Pour onto waxed paper on a cookie sheet.
Cool and then break apart.
This can be made ahead of time and put into a baggie.

Romaine lettuce -2 heads
1 C sliced celery
1-2 green onion (depending on how well you like onion)
1 can mandarin oranges, well drained

dressing
½ tsp salt
¼ cup oil
1T parsley
1T sugar
2T vinegar (she usually uses red wine,
but says apple cider will work or the plain
 stuff is okay too)
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
dash pepper.
Can combine all veggies ahead of time.
At last minute add fruit and dressing, toss.

Chicken Con Broccoli (Olive Garden Style)

2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 tsps extra virgin olive oil
9 ounces pasta
2 cups heavy cream (I have substituted milk, and it is fine)
4 Tablespoons butter (I don't use this much,
I use 2-3 because I don't want
all the butter, but it is fine either way)
4 teaspoons garlic, minced
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup parmesan cheese (I might use a little more because I like it cheesy)
1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
black pepper ( like white pepper,
because it doesn't add any color)
salt

cook broccoli.
In a medium saucepan, cook the chicken in
the olive oil, letting each side
brown.
Leave remaining oil drippings in pan,
setting chicken aside for now.
In salted water, boil the pasta, not quite all the way
(it will simmer
later).
Drain the pasta and put back into pot.
In the remaining oil from the chicken,
over medium heat, brown the garlic,
with butter.
When caramelized add cream and cornstarch,
and stir well.
Heat until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. 

Add salt, pepper,cheese and red peppers.

When prepared, add the sauce to the pasta
and toss until well coated.
Chop chicken into cubes, toss with pasta,
add broccoli.

I usually wind up adding more cheese and
milk to keep it creamy when it is
warmed up again.
Enjoy! Serves 6 people.