Rustic Orange Eggs Benedict

I found this recipe last year in the local newspaper and tried it for our Easter brunch....we loved it! I'm so excited to make it again this year! I told Dave he had better tell me if he liked or not because if he did, it was going to become our Easter brunch tradition food. He said he liked it....so he is stuck with it forever! :-)

Rustic Orange Eggs Benedict

Serves: 6

1 T white vinegar

1/2 c butter, soft

6 slices of French baguette, 3/4 inch thick (I used English Muffins)

6 slices of Ham

8 eggs

1/2 c orange marmalade

Orange zest for garnish

Begin by filling a large skillet with water halfway up the sides. Add vinegar and bring to a low simmer. While water is coming to a simmer, heat a large grill pan to medium hot. Spread butter on one side of each piece of bread. Grill bread and set aside to cool slightly. While bread is cooling, grill ham slices until heated through.

Break eggs into the water to poach. Remove with a slotted spoon when whites are cooked through but yolks are still runny (approximately 3 to 4 minutes) and place on paper towels to drain.

To assemble, spread grilled bread with orange marmalade. Top with 1 slice of grilled ham and one poached egg. Pour orange holandaise over and garnish with orange zest.

Easy Orange Blender Hollandaise

2 egg yolks

1 orange, juiced

1/2 c unsalted butter, melted

1/2 t kosher salt

Put egg yolks, orange juice, and salt in a blender and pulse to combine. Place butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. With blender running, gradually add melted butter into the egg mixture until smooth and frothy. Add a teaspoon of warm water if the sauce is to thick.

If anyone has a good Easter recipe, please share!!!

Black Forest Trifle

This is a Pampered Chef recipe and it is so yummy!!!

**I added a layer of chocolate pudding**

Ingredients:

1 pkg (18-21 oz) brownie mix (plus ingredients to make cake-like brownies)
2 bars (1.55 ounces each) milk chocolate candy, divided
3 cups cherry pie filling
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup cranberry-cherry juice
2 cups cold 2% milk
2 pkg (3.3 oz each) white chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for cake-like brownies; spread batter over bottom of Large Bar Pan. Bake 18-20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

2. Loosen brownie from sides of bar pan and invert onto flat side of Large Grooved Cutting Board. Cut brownie into 1-in. cubes; set aside. Chop 11/2 of the chocolate bars using Food Chopper. Reserve remaining chocolate for garnish.

3. Combine pie filling and almond extract in Small Batter Bowl; set aside 1/2 cup for garnish. Stir juice into batter bowl.

4. Pour milk into Classic Batter Bowl; add pudding mix and whisk until mixture begins to thicken. Fold in whipped topping.

5. To assemble trifle, place half of the brownie cubes into bottom of Trifle Bowl. Layer with half of the pie filling mixture. Sprinkle with half of the chopped chocolate; top with half of the pudding mixture. Repeat layer one time.

6. Make chocolate curls with reserved chocolate using Vegetable Peeler (see Cook's Tip). Garnish top of trifle with reserved pie filling mixture and chocolate curls. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Yeld: 16 servings Nutrients per serving: Calories 380, Total Fat 14 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 45 mg, Carbohydrate 59 g, Protein 4 g, Sodium 300 mg, Fiber 0 g Cook’s

Tips: To make chocolate curls, hold the Vegetable Peeler across the short side of the chocolate bar. Using even pressure, push the blade away from you to create curls.

This trifle can be assembled several hours before serving, or even the night before.

Apple Dumplings

These are to DIE for! Everyone wanted the recipe and I have even made them once already. This is definitely a holiday favorite!

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Cinnamon
1 can Mountain Dew (12 oz)

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauce from the pan over the top.

Lemon Sheet Cake

I made this for my dads "New Recipe Night Wednesdays" along with the Hillbilly Chow. They were both a hit. (My dad couldn't cook this past Wed so I took a turn)

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) lemon cake mix
4 eggs
1 can (15-3/4 ounces) lemon pie filling
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cake mix and eggs until well blended. Fold in pie filling. Spread into a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Spread over cake. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 30-35 servings.

**Making sure the cream cheese and butter are softened are critical! Otherwise, you may end up with powdered sugar EVERYWHERE! :-) so I've heard...

Hillbilly Chow

This is a nice twist on Chili. I had it at a chili cook-off and this one won. Lucky for me the girl who made it started attending my workout classes. I, of course, had to ask for the recipe. Thanks Danielle!

4 chicken halves
1 pkg. taco seasoning
2 cans stewed tomatoes (Mexican style)
1 can kidney beans un-drained (15 oz)
1 can pinto beans un-drained (15 oz)
1 can tomato soup
1 cup salsa
4 oz. can chopped green chilies

Put all ingredients in a crockpot. Cook on high for 6 hours if chicken is frozen cook for 8 hours. Once finished take out the chicken breasts and shred them. After chicken has been shredded mix it back into the chili. Top off with cheese.

THE BEST Carrot Cake

This is another one of my moms recipes. This is the best carrot cake around and it is SO easy!

2 cup sugar
2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 eggs
1 cup oil
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3 cup grated carrots (can buy grated carrots)

Mix well. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup nuts (opt)
1 small pkg cream cheese (3 oz)
1 3/4 cup icing sugar

PS Icing sugar=Powdered sugar ... for all of you that don't speak Canadian..haha...love you mom!

Potatoe Casserole (Side Dish)

This is my moms recipe and it is SO good!

7 medium potatoes
1/2 cup butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 pint sour cream
1/4 cup onion flakes

Boil, cool and grate potatoes. Heat rest of ingredients in saucepan. Pour over potatoes. Mix. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Sloppy Joes

I am usually not a fan of Sloppy Joes but Dave likes them, so, I started looking for a new recipe that I would like and I LOVE this one!

2lb hamburger
1 can tomato soup
1 cup ketchup
1 cup tomato juice
1 tsp mustard
1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar
Pepper, to taste
2-3 bay leaves

Cook hamburger in Worcestershire sauce, add other ingredients and simmer 1/2 hour. Remove bay leaves before eating.

Italian Meatballs

Courtesy of Lindsay Ball

1 lb ground beef
1 large egg
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cub red onion
1 t Worcestershire sauce
3/4 t garlic salt
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Combine ingredients and shape into balls. place balls on cookie sheet and bake at 350 10-15 minutes on each side. Put in spaghetti or marinara sauce in crockpot to simmer.

Pumpkin Sheet Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 can (15 ounces) solid-packing pumpkin

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

24 candy pumpkins

In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar, pumpkin, oil and eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cloves; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

Pour into a greased 15 in x 10 in x 1 in baking pan. (I used a cookie sheet and it worked just fine) Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Spread over cake; garnish with candy pumpkins. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Yield: 24 servings.

Triple Chocolate Cake

This is for you Lindsay!

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter-softened
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup flour
1 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
12 oz chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bundt pan with bakers spray.

Cream butter and sugar together and add eggs, sour cream, water and vanilla, stir together and set aside. Sift flour, cocoa and baking soda together and add to the creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips last. Spread into the bundt cake pan and bake 50-55 minutes. Take out of oven and set on cooling rack, still in pan, let cake cool in its pan on rack at least 30 minutes. When cooled invert onto rack.

Drizzle chocolate syrup on top

Fudgy Brownie Trifle

1 box (1 lb 2.3 oz) fudge brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box
1 box (4-serving size) chocolate fudge instant pudding and pie filling mix
2cups cold milk
1bag (8 oz) toffee bits
1container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray.
2. Make brownie mix as directed on box, using water, oil and eggs. Spread batter in pan. Bake

as directed on box. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3. Cut brownies into 1-inch squares. Place half of the squares in bottom of 3-quart glass bowl.

Make pudding mix as directed on box for pudding, using milk. Pour half of the pudding over

brownies in bowl. Top with half each of the toffee bits and whipped topping. Repeat with

remaining brownies, pudding, toffee bits and whipped topping.
4. Cover; refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Store covered in refrigerator.

I saw this on the Betty Crocker website and had to try it. Very chocolaty but very good. I think next time I am going to mix caramel topping in with it to help break up the chocolate. My family loved it! They said it tasted like it came from a restaurant. A must try dessert!

Salsa

1 red pepper
1 green pepper
3 tomatoes
3 green onions
1 can black eyed peas-drained
1 can shoepeg corn-drained (I know Walmart carries this)
1 can black beans-drained
Dash of garlic salt
1 packet Italian Dressing-make according to directions on the back **DO NOT ADD WATER**

This is SOOO good! It is great for parties!