Bacon Wrapped Smokies

• 1 lb. Oscar Mayer Little Beef Smokies
• 1 package of Oscar Mayer Center Cut Bacon
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar for topping
• wooden toothpicks

1. Cut the bacon strips in thirds.
2. Wrap each Little Beef Smoky in a piece of bacon. Secure with a wooden toothpick.
3. Place in a glass 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
4. Melt 1 stick of butter.
5. Stir into melted butter 1 cup of light brown sugar until melted.
6. Pour the mixture over the wrapped smokies.
7. Sprinkle with the remainder dry light brown sugar.
8. Bake at 375 degrees in the middle oven rack for 20 minutes.
9. Turn heat up to 400 degrees and continue to bake until a pretty brown color. (Mine took 15 more minutes, but check often).
10. Remove and serve.
11. Enjoy.

Jim and Ray Barbecue Beef Sandwich

• 1 cup leftover roast beef (chunked or pulled)
• ½ cup Sweet Baby 
• Ray's barbecue sauce
• 2 tablespoons Jim Beam Bourbon
• 2 tablespoons water
• 4 slices bread or 2 buns
• olive oil spray
• minced garlic
• Kosher dill pickle spear

1. Reheat the chunked or pulled roast beef in a saucepan with the water.
2. Add the barbecue sauce.
3. Add the Jim Beam and stir.
4. Heat until warm.
5. Spray bread lightly with olive oil spray.
6. Rub with minced garlic.
7. Toast in oven at 400 degrees until both sides of the bread are brown.
8. Remove from the oven.
9. Add beef mixture.
10. Serve with a kosher dill pickle spear.

Makes 2 sandwiches.  

Butterfly Fruit Plate

• Oranges
• Lemons
• Strawberries
• Black Grapes
• Kiwi Fruit
• Red Grapes
• Green Grapes
• Starfish fruit

1. Make template for butterfly.  
2. Trace on to foam board.
3. Cut out the foam board.
4. Wrap with aluminum foil.
5. Slice oranges, oranges,  and kiwifruit.
6. Place fruits on it and serve with picks nearby.
7. Enjoy.

Peach Upside Down Cake

• 1/4 cup butter 
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2-2 cups sliced, peaches
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened 
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk

1. Place 1/4 cup butter in a round cake pan.
2. Warm in a 350 degrees F oven about 5 minutes or until butter is melted. (Be sure to watch carefully to avoid overbrowning the butter). Remove pan from oven. 
3. Mix the cinnamon well into the brown sugar. 
4. Add brown sugar, stirring until sugar is completely moistened. Spread sugar mixture evenly in pan. Arrange peach slices evenly over brown sugar mixture. Set aside.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. 
6. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
7. Beat in granulated sugar until well combined.
8. Blend egg and vanilla for 1 minute in the blender
9. Alternately. add the flour mixture and milk to beaten butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. 
10. Spread batter evenly over the peaches in the pan.
11. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
12. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. 
13. Invert on a plate and continue to cool.
14. Serve with ice cream if you desired, and enjoy.

Meltaways

This is the only sugar cookie that I will be making from now on unless they are to be rolled and cut into shapes. These cookies are wonderful!  The dough seems a little dry to handle but it will make GREAT cookies with a delicate texture.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• ¾ cup cornstarch
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• granulated sugar for topping

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter with powdered sugar. 
3. Add the cornstarch and mix well.
4. Add the flour, a little at a time, and mix well.
5. Scoop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into your hands, making the dough into balls. 
6. Place on a cookie sheet with a silicone liner. 
7. Place 12 cookies on each cookie sheet.
8. Flatten each cookie slightly with a glass bottom.
9. Sprinkle with sugar.
10. Bake 12 minutes on the middle rack of the oven.
11. Remove from the oven and let cool two minutes.  Then loosen from the silicone sheet by lifting a portion of the sheet and letting the cookie slide carefully into your hand because these cookies are somewhat fragile.  Transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
12. Frost if you wish with your favorite frosting (optional).
13. Makes 36 cookies. 
14. Enjoy.   

Lemon Cake Mix Cookies

• 1 box Duncan Hines lemon cake mix
• ½ cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• granulated sugar for topping

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, oil, eggs, and lemon juice.
3. Mix well. 
4. Put the powdered sugar in a separate bowl.
5. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the mixture into the powdered sugar and roll until completely covered. 
6. Put each coated cookie dough on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone liner.
7. Flatten each cookie slightly with the heel of your hand.
8. Sprinkle with as much granulated sugar as you desire.
9. Bake for approximately 12 minutes (oven times may vary and mine seems a little slow).
10. Cool one minute on the sheet and then remove to a rack with a spatula to continue cooling.   
11. Enjoy. 

Broccoli and Grape Salad

1		large broccoli
8		slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2		cup finely chopped red onions
1/2		lb sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1		cup low fat mayonnaise
2		tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4		cup sugar
1		cup sunflower seeds
½		Cup grapes

1.	Prepare broccoli by washing it well, trimming off large leaves and stems, cutting florets into bite-size pieces.
2.	Place in a large bowl and add crumbled bacon, and onion and cheese.
3.	In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine mayo, vinegar and sugar.
4.	Pour over salad ingredients and toss well; refrigerate for at least 4 hours to let flavors blend.  Just before serving, add the sunflower seeds and grapes.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

•  ½ cup light mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 2 cups white chicken, chopped in marble sized chunks
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• ½ halved seedless grapes
• ½ cup salted cashew halves
• fresh baby spinach leaves
• croissants

1. Mix the light mayonnaise, lemon juice, black pepper, and paprika
2. Add the chopped chicken, celery,  seedless grapes, and cashews and mix well.
3. Slice croissants in half to make a croissant type bun
4. Cover with baby spinach leaves.
5. Scoop chicken salad on to the lower part of the croissant, top with the croissant.
6. Serve and enjoy. 

Beverage Suggestion:  Homemade Lemonade

Pineapple Angel Food Cake

 My thanks to Candace Summers for the recipe.  It was delicious and so easy.

• 1 box angel food cake mix
• 1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple in its own juice
• Cool Whip
• Fresh strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a 9 x 13 glass pan with non stick spray.
3. Mix the angel food cake mix and the crushed pineapple in its own juice.  (Do not drain the pineapple.)
4. Pour into the glass pan.
5. Bake for 30 minutes at 350. 
6. Allow to cool.
7. Top with Cool Whip.
8. Garnish with strawberries.
9. Serve and enjoy.

Drunken Pups

• 1 package of Hillshire Farms Little Smokies
• ¾ cup Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce
• ¼ cup Jim Beam whiskey

1. In small crockpot (appetizer sized crockpot), cook the Little Smokies for 3 hours.  
2. Add the barbecue sauce and whiskey and cook for 2 more hours.
3. Serve using a supply of toothpicks.  

Sydney's Buffalo Chicken Dip

Sydney made a very delicious but simple Buffalo Chicken Dip for us tonight.  Everyone in the house loved it, even the pickiest eater.  

• 1 pre-baked chicken breast with Montreal Steak Seasoning, shredded
• 4 teaspoons Louisiana Supreme Chicken Wing Sauce
• 2 - 8 oz. Neufchatel Cheese

Combine these three ingredients together and serve with corn chips and celery.