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.  

Menu Plan - Worksheet

It is my goal for 2016 to cook a little more at home.  Use things up before they look like a science project that somehow made it to my fridge.  So I am keeping this basic log of what we had and it could actually help me in future years, too.  We seem to have the same holiday meals every year.  Apparently, this is a requirement at my house.  So some of the post holiday meal leftovers will probably be the same.  Gosh, I hope I don't get too bored doing this.  We'll see.  I created this blog for my own and possibly for the interested family members who wanted my recipes.  But anyone is welcome.  It is not fancy, but if it helps, I say, "Go for it!"  Sometimes we have lunch, and sometimes not.  (I am a bad mom).  On the weekends, we go camping in the summer and often have breakfast, but then usually don't have lunch.  And we are actually more likely to have "breakfast" for dinner.  Who knows, I might actually save a few bucks this way, too.  We'll see.  (Be prepared for lots of take out meals though.  My family loves Steak 'n' Shake and our hometown non-chain pizzas from Tobin's, Grady's and Beningo's.)  

By Date:

December 24 - Roast beef, noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans, veggie platter, ranch dip, rolls butter, black olives, sweet midgets, pumpkin pie, whipped cream, French silk pie, Verdi moscato (from Schnuck's) for adults, pepsi and coke for kids

December 25 -  Lunch - Hot roast beef open faced sandwiches, mashed potatoes with gravy on both, veggies platter, pie 
Dinner - frozen Butch's White Garlic pizza, and Totino's sausage pizza for son

December 26 - Romaine mixture salad with either 1000, or sprayed with olive oil, sprinkled with pomegranate red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and teaspoon sugar. Also a pretzel rod and a spoon of leftover Ranch dip.






Camping Food


May - 

Dessert Pineapple Cake (Angel Food Cake/20 oz. Pineapple in own juice - Mix. 350 degrees 30 minutes.  

June



July - 

August

September  

Drunken Pups pkg little smokies, 3/4 cup Sweet Baby Ray's 1/4 cup Jim Beam

October