Grandma's Brownies

(Jessica, this isn't the same recipe I used when you guys were here. It's much better!)

1 1/2 C sifted flour
2 C sugar
10 Tbsp. cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 C. crisco
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 C. nuts (optional)

Mix ingredients together and bake at 350 degrees for 30 min in 9x13 pan.

Swedish Thumb Cookies

1 C. butter, softened
1/2 C. white sugar
2 C. sifted flour
1/2 C any flavor jam

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter an sugar until light and fluffy. Add sifted flour and mix well. Shape dough into 1 inch diameter balls and place on cookie sheets. Imprint your thumb in the center to make 1/2 inch indentation. Fill with your favorite preserves. Bake for 15-20 min (I do 15 and they come out perfect) or until golden brown at the edges.

Hot drinks for cold winter days!

I got these recipes from Jocelyn, me and Jessica's sister in law. Just wanted to share. The cider in particular is fantastic.

Wassail (Hot Fruit Punch)

5 qts. water
1 stick cinnamon
2 Tbs. whole cloves
3 c. sugar
1 12-oz. can pineapple juice
1 12-oz. can frozen lemonade
1 12-oz. can frozen orange juice

Combine water, cinnamon and cloves in large pot; boil together 5 minutes. Add sugar and juice concentrates. Simmer 30 minutes (do not boil). Serve warm. Makes 6 quarts. (This is my Grandma Ernst's recipe)

Hot Mulled Cider

2 qts. apple cider
1 lemon, spiral cut (or slices, it doesn't matter)
1 orange, spiral cut
1 1" stick cinnamon
2-3 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. whole cloves

Combine all ingredients and simmer 20 minutes. DO NOT BOIL. (My Mom has used 1 gallon of cider instead of 2 qts. and it works fine.)

Chicken Chow Mein

A quick, easy and tasty Chinese dish!

1 cup chicken broth
2 tsp soy sauce
salt to taste
1/2 lb. cubed chicken (I used 3 large cans of canned chicken)
2 T. corn starch
4 stalks celery sliced
1 can bamboo shoots, sliced
1 can water chestnuts, sliced
1 can mushrooms, sliced
vegetable oil

Put cold broth in bowl, add soy sauce and season with salt until salty. Stir in cornstarch. In frying pan over high heat, add 2 T. oil. When hot, add chicken and stir for 1 minute (oil WILL splatter, so put chicken in carefully). Remove chicken. Heat 2 T. oil and stir fry celery for 1 minute. Add bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and mushrooms. Stir broth mix and add to vegetables. Cook and stir until hot and sauce is thickened. Add chicken and stir until hot and the sauce turns clear. Serve immediately over rice and top with chow mein noodles!

Soft Sugar Cookies

Cookie Dough
Cream together...
2 cups of white sugar
1 cup of butter

Add...
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3 eggs
5 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt

Sift in 1 cup at a time...
5-7 cups of flour

Roll out 1/2 of the dough onto floured board, try not to roll too thin, cut into desired shape with cookie cutters

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown

FROSTING
Combine...
1 lb. powder sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 egg white

Add milk for thickness

Chicken and Broccoli

This is delicious, you have to try it! So easy!

1 lb Chicken tenders

1/4 c soy sauce

2 T sugar

1/4 c apple juice

2 T cornstarch

1 c water

2 c fresh broccoli florets

4 T vegetable or olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp sesame oil

Cut chicken into small cubes; set aside. Combine soy sauce, sugar, juice, cornstarch, and water in a small bowl; set aside. In a large skillet, stir-fry broccoli in 2 T oil for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Do not overcook. Place broccoli in another dish. Pour remaining oil in the same skillet and heat on medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, not more than 1 minute. Pour soy sauce mixture over meat and cook until slightly thickened. Stir in sesame oil. Remove from heat. Stir in broccoli. Serve over hot steamed rice.

{Caramel Popcorn}

I LOVE caramel popcorn! My absolute favorite is my grandma's recipe, but it takes forever to make, so when I have no time, but want yummy caramel popcorn, I use this quick and easy recipe.

You will need:
1 Bag of microwave popcorn
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
10 large marshmallows

Prepare popcorn in microwave according to package directions.
Then melt together butter, brown sugar, and marshmallows.
While the ingredients are melting, you can sift out the kernels from the popcorn.

Once the butter, brown sugar and marshmallows are all melted together, you pour it over the popcorn and mix together!

Now you have a Yummy treat!