Creamy Mushroom Quesadillas

I made these for a Christmas party at our house and they were a big hit. We all love mushrooms in our family! I make these with tomatillo guacamole (recipe on blog), these are so yummy, you will love them! -Sarah

2 large leeks, white and tender green part chopped
2 T. oil
12 oz. sliced mushrooms
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
tortillas

• Saute leeks until tender, add mushrooms, cook until liquid is evaporated. Add salt to taste. Stir in cheeses and heat through.
• Spread mushroom mixture on tortilla, spread with green salsa or tomatillo guacamole, top with another tortilla.
• Cook in lightly oiled pan on both sides until tortillas are browned and filling is heated through. Cut into wedges and serve with additional tomatillo guacamole (or green salsa), salsa, and sour cream.

Tomatillo Guacamole

I serve this with Creamy Mushroom Quesadillas (recipe on blog) or with any Mexican dish. This is a unique sauce with great flavor! It's impressive like it took a lot of work, but it's easy, try it! -Sarah (confession...I got this recipe from Kristin)

3 avocados
1 pound tomatillo's husked, rinsed, and halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup sliced green onion
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 large tomato, chopped
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

• Blend all until smooth, adjust salt if needed. If you have ever had green salsa, this is the best you will ever taste!

Cameron's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Kristin and I looked for years for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. After many, many recipes, this is the result. Lots of our friends have made this their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe too. -Sarah

3 cups flour

1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
chocolate chips

• I will give the directions the way that Kristin makes them (hers always turn out awesome!)
• Take the cold sticks of butter and microwave just to take the chill off them, do not melt them!
• Beat butter till fluffy, add sugar and brown sugar (not packed), beat until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla, continue beating until well combined.
• Add the flour, baking soda and salt (this step is important, I was having problems with my cookies being too thin). The way that Kristin measures her flour is by scooping the measuring cup into the flour canister and leveling it off. I was lightly spooning flour into cups.
• Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop balls onto cookie sheet and slightly flatten balls before baking. Bake at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
• We have experimented with different add ins, our favorite's are chopped pecans, 1/2 cup peanut butter, or M&M's. Also for some reason the bigger the cookies are the better turn out.

Cappuccino Cream

My son Adam, and Kristin's daughter Hannah, love the flavor of coffee. I knew they would love this pudding like dessert as soon as they tasted it. It's very creamy and delicious! -Sarah

1 cup strong coffee
1/2 cup milk
8 oz. cream cheese
1 small box, instant vanilla pudding mix
1/4 t. cinnamon
8 oz. Cool Whip

• Beat cream cheese until smooth, slowly add the coffee and milk.
• Beat in dry pudding mix and cinnamon. Beat on low for 1 minute.
• Gently stir in 2 cups Cool Whip.
• Garnish with Cool Whip and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Great Northern Bean Stew

This soup has an awesome sweet and sour flavor, it doesn't have much broth to it, so it's kind of like a stew too. My whole family loves it, and I love that it's a quick meal! -Sarah

I like this soup with more sweetness and I add at least 1/4 cup brown sugar to the soup.  I also add more cabbage when I make it, usually at least 5 cups.  -Kristin


1 pound smoked sausage, chopped
1 cup diced onion
1 cup sliced carrots
3 cups chopped cabbage
1 T. brown sugar
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. thyme leaves
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 T. vinegar
1/4 t. Red Hot
1 T. dried parsley
2, 14 1/2 oz. cans diced tomatoes, not drained
2, 15 oz. can Great Northern Beans, not drained

• Brown sausage and onion, add carrots and cabbage, cook until cabbage is wilted. Add brown sugar and seasonings, cook a few more minutes. Add tomatoes and beans, cover and simmer at least 15 minutes. Check spices, sometimes I add more brown sugar or more vinegar, and more Red Hot is great too!

Corn Casserole

I LOVE this casserole! I hope other people love it as much as I do! -Sarah

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1 can corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
1 small (those tiny Jiffy ones) box of corn muffin mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• Mix together the sour cream, melted butter and egg. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
• Pour into greased casserole dish or 8x8 pan.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes-1 hour, till it's firm and golden brown.

Tracy's Snack Mix

Tracy is my cousin Brent's wife and I love her snack mix! This tastes like a deluxe version of the good old Chex Mix! Perfect for the holidays, which is when I first tried it. -Sarah

1 stick butter
4 1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 t. garlic salt
1 1/2 t. Lawry's
3 cups Corn Chex
3 cups Rice Chex
2 cups Cheerios
2 cups broken pretzel sticks
2 cups mixed nuts
1 cup cashews

• Melt butter and mix in seasonings.
• Stir all other ingredients in a large bowl.
• Pour seasoning mixture over and stir well.
• Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring at least twice.