Butternut Squash Puree

This is another fabulous recipe off the Pioneer Woman's website. I love squash but getting my family to eat it is not so easy. I usually end up with it all to myself....I really don't mind- especially with this stuff. It is creamy deliciousness!!! -Kristin

1 Butternut Squash
1/2 stick butter
2-4 T. maple syrup
Dash of salt

• Slice the squash lengthwise and clean out the seeds.
• Place face down on a baking sheet and pour a cup of water on it.
• Bake at 350 for 30-50 minutes until a fork goes in easily.
• Remove from oven.
• Cut the butter into a bowl.
• Scrape the flesh out of the squash and place over the butter.
• Pour the maple syrup over.
• With a potato masher, mash the squash until large chunks are gone.
• Add a dash of salt.
• Place the mixture into a food processor or blender and puree.
• Taste and add more maple syrup if desired.

Pumpkin Bread

This has a wonderful fall flavor! You will get two beautiful pumpkin flavored loaves with this recipe.-Sarah

1 cup oil
4 eggs, beaten
15 oz. pumpkin
3 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. salt
1/2 t. cloves
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. allspice
1 t. nutmeg

• Mix oil, eggs and pumpkin until well combined.
• Mix dry ingredients and add to wet. Combine well, the batter will be very thick.
• Spread into two greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.

Ham Loaf with Sauce

I've adapted this recipe from a cookbook and I am so excited! I grew up eating ham loaf with this sauce and I loved it! I never make it because the ham loaves that you buy are so expensive and never go on sale. This dish was just like I remembered, and my family loved it too!-Sarah

ham loaf (makes 2)
1 pound fully cooked ham, ground (4 cups)
1 pound ground pork
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1 t. ground mustard
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

ham loaf sauce
1 can cream of tomato soup
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 t. dry mustard
1/4 cup water

• For the ham loaves: mix all except the meat together in a bowl.
• Add the meat and mix well.
• Form into 2 loaves and place in a greased 9x13 pan.
• For the sauce: mix all ingredients together and pour over loaves.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/4 hours until meat is 160 degrees. Baste occasionally with sauce and serve with remaining sauce spooned over meat.

Mom's Quick Gravy

My Mom came up with this recipe and I've been using it for years. It comes together in a snap and tastes good every time.-Sarah

1 cup milk
1 1/2 t. chicken bouillon
2 T. flour or Wondra

• Mix all together and heat on the stove in a small saucepan until thickened.

Curry Chicken Casserole

My mother in law, Gail gave me this recipe before we got married, it was a favorite meal of my husband's growing up, and it's still delicious!-Sarah

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 large can chop suey vegetables, drained
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 t. curry pow. (I use a LOT more, we love curry!)
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1 t. lemon juice
2 cups diced cooked chicken

rice, cooked
rice noodles

• Mix all in a casserole dish, stir in a little milk if you think it's too thick.
• Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
• Serve over rice with rice noodles on top.

Beef Barley Soup

A big thank you to my sister in law, Jasmine for passing along this recipe, it's absolutely delicious!-Sarah

1 1/2#'s ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2/3 cup barley (quick cooking barley is fine)
4 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
28 oz. tomato sauce
3-10.5 oz. cans beef broth (I used 4 cups water with 4 t. beef bouillon)
3 bay leaves
2 cups water
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper (I also added Lawry's)

• Brown beef, onion, and garlic till no longer pink. Drain fat from meat.
• Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours.
• Or cook in a crock pot on high for 1 hour or on low 5-6 hours.

Apple Brownies

WARNING: Do not be alone in the house with these brownies...you might eat the whole pan without accountability there with you!!!! I love these...they are chewy, moist and delicious and so stinking hard to stay out of! This is another great recipe from tammyrecipes.com. I just upped the amount of cinnamon she recommended. -Kristin

2/3 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 t. cinnamon
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 c. chopped apples
1/2 c. chopped nuts, optional

powdered sugar, for dusting the top with

• Cream together the butter and brown sugar.
• Add in the eggs and vanilla; mix well.
• Sift together the dry ingredients and mix into the creamed mixture.
• Stir in apples and optional nuts.
• Spread into a greased 9x13 pan (the batter is thick) and bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes.
• Cool and the dust with powdered sugar.