This is mine and my husband’s absolute favorite. A dear friend would bring us a plate every year. Sadly, she is gone now, but we think of her every time we make her recipe.

2 cups sugar

3 Tbls cocoa

1 stick butter

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter (she always used crunchy)

In large saucepan combine sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. DO NOT STIR!

Bring to a boil and continue to boil for one minute. Remove from heat.

Add vanilla, peanut butter and oatmeal. Drop by teaspoonful onto waxed paper.

It wasn’t until moving to South Dakota that I had pepper jelly. I serve mine poured over a block of cream cheese with crackers.

1/4 cup hot peppers, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup green peppers, seeded and chopped

1/4 water

1 1/2 cup cider vinegar

6 1/2 cups sugar

6 oz liquid pectin

6-8 pint jars and paraffin wax for sealing

Put peppers in large kettle with water.

Add vinegar and sugar. Bring to a rolling boil.

Boil for one minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat. Skim off foam with metal spoon. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add pectin and stir well. Pour into sterilized jars and seal with paraffin wax.

This is the perfect Christmas cookie for those of us who don’t like making cookies!

6 squares white chocolate (1 oz each)

1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

3 egg whites

2 Tbls milk

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup crushed candy canes

Heat oven to 350. Line two 8x8 baking pans with foil. Melt 2 squares chocolate in microwave and cool slightly. Beat butter and sugar for 1 minute. Add cooled chocolate and vanilla, beat another minute. Add egg whites and milk, beating constantly. On low speed, beat in flour and salt.

Fold in 1/’4 cup of the crushed candy canes. Spread evenly between both pans, smoothing tops. Bake at 350 for 13 to 15 minutes, or until top is dry.

Use foil to lift bars form pans and cool on wire racks.

Melt remaining chocolate. Spread half on one square. Top with the second square. Spread remaining chocolate on top and sprinkle with remaining crushed candy canes. Cut into squares. Refrigerate until firm.

This is one cake that is easy to mail!

Combine in large bowl:

10 cups popped popcorn

1 small can salted peanuts

1 (8 oz) bag M&M’s (can use seasonal colors for holidays)

Melt:

20 unwrapped caramels

2 1/2 cups marshamllows

1 stick margarine

Combine all together. Press into bundt pan and allow to cool. Can add more candy decorations if desired.

6-8 slices white bread*

about 1/4 C softened butter (just for buttering the bread slices)

1 1/2 cups grated Colby jack cheese,

1 cup grated Havarti Cheese, 1 1/2 cups grated Monterey jack cheese

12 oz pork sausage, browned and drained

1 4 oz can green chilies, or a 7-oz can if you like chilies or 1 cup

chopped sweet peppers

6 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dry mustard

Start by removing the crusts from your bread and lightly buttering one side.

Place bread butter side down in a 9?13 baking dish. I usually need 6 pieces of bread, plus 1 cut in half to finish up the bottom row. You just want the bottom of the pan covered with no big gaps.

Grate your cheese and sprinkle it evenly over the top of the bread.

Spread the browned sausage on top of that, and top with the green chiles. If using sweet peppers, saute them till soft in the sausage drippings.

In a bowl, whisk eggs. Add milk and then seasonings and whisk to combine well. Slowly stir the egg mixture while you pour it evenly on top of the assembled casserole. You’ll want to keep stirring or else the spices will all gather in one spot and drop onto one single piece of casserole.

Cover well and place in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake (uncovered) for 50-60 minutes. You’ll want the center to be set and the outside edges to be golden brown. It’s important to let it cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into it or it will just fall apart.

This is my daughter’s MUST HAVE holiday recipe!

2 pkg cherry Jello

1 (no. 303) can crushed pineapple

2 pkg frozen strawberries

2 cups boiling water

1 pint sour cream

Thaw strawberries. Strain them and the crushed pineapple. Save 1 cup of juice. Dissolve Jello in boiling water. Add pineapple and strawberries and the 1 cup of juice. Blend together, and then pour half the mixture in a 9x13 glass pan and refrigerate until set. Top with sour cream and pour the rest of the mix over the top; refrigerate until set and then enjoy.

Fudgy Chocolate Cherry Cookies

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 jar maraschino cherries

Frosting:

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Juice from maraschino cherries

Stir together flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder; set aside. Beat together butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla to butter mixture, and then add all to dry ingredients. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place on cookie sheet. Place a cherry in the center of each cookie. In a small saucepan, combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in cherry juice. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of frosting over each unbaked cookie, spreading to cover cherry. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool several minutes before removing to cooling rack.

Grandma’s No-Roll Pie Crust

Makes 2 crusts

3/4 cup cooking oil

1/4 cup boiling water

1 tsp milk

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

Measure cooking oil, boiling water and milk while beating with wire wisk until combines. Mix flour and salt together; add to the beaten ingredients. Mix with fork just until combines. Divide and pat onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch pie pale. Bake like any pie crust.