Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach Artichoke Dip
from Cooking Classy 

• 8 oz. cream cheese, well softened
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 garlic clove, minced (1 tsp)
• 2/3 cup (76g) finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup (56g) finely shredded mozzarella cheese
• Pepper, to taste
• 1 (14 oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, can liquid drained, squeeze artichokes to drain excess liquid, chopped
• 6 oz. frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain excess liquid

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a small (1 quart) baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
• In a mixing bowl stir together cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, parmesan, mozzarella and pepper.
• Stir in artichokes and spinach.
• Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven until heated through and melty, about 20 minutes.
• Serve warm with tortilla chips, crackers or toasted baguette slices

Ginger's Sweet Potato Souffle

 Ginger's Sweet Potato Souffle
A Thanksgiving and Easter staple

6 sweet potatoes - bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until soft to mash

Add to mashed sweet potatoes:
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. evaporated milk

Topping: 
1/2 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 c. chopped pecans

Melt butter and brown sugar and bring to a boil.  Add flour and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and add pecans. 

Put sweet potato mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan and pour topping over the top.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Chicken Doodle Foods

Chicken Doodle Food 
from some guy on facebook
He calls it Cockadoodle Noodles but I can never remember to be that cute.
https://pressureluckcooking.com/wp-json/mv-create/v1/creations/279/print
It's a little heavy on the cream and cheese but sometimes that's what you need.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced into 1/4-inch thick cutlets and cut into small bite-size pieces
1 pound baby bella mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 (12-ounce) bag egg noodles (or whatever pasta, I like bowties)
20 ounces frozen veggie mix (I use peas)
1 cup heavy cream or half & half
1/4 cup ranch dressing (not mix, but actual dressing)
2 cups shredded cheese blend of your choice (I like Colby Jack)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (5.2-ounce) package Boursin cheese (any flavor - or make my version) or 4 ounces of a brick of cream cheese, cut into small chunks
1-2 tablespoons hot or buffalo wing sauce (optional)

Instructions
1. Add the butter to the Instant Pot. Hit Sauté and Adjust so it’s on More or High setting. Once melted and bubbling, add the chicken and mushrooms (if using) and sauté for 5 minutes, until the chicken is white in color and the mushrooms are softened and browned. (NOTE: If not using the mushrooms, only add 2 tablespoons of butter)
2. Add the Worcestershire Sauce and deglaze (scrape) the bottom of the pot, getting up any browned bits from the chicken and mushrooms.
3. Add the broth, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Stir well.
4. Layer in the noodles, smoothing down with a spatula, followed by the frozen veggies, but do not stir.
5. Secure the lid, move the valve to the sealing position, hit Cancel and then hit Manual or Pressure Cook on High Pressure for 2 minutes. Allow a 10-minute natural release followed by a quick release (see Jeffrey's Tips).
6. Add the cream, ranch, shredded cheese, Parmesan, garlic herb cheese, hot or wing sauce (if using) and seasoned salt (to taste, if using). Stir until fully melted and serve.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup
from Gina Gephart Adams, when my baby was getting born
Taken from my old baby blog 

*****

October 4, 2010
Last fall when we were in Texas meeting Jesse's birthmom, we stayed with my cousin and her family for about a week. She made us these delicious pumpkin pancakes a couple mornings while we were there, and I've been dreaming about them ever since. Come on cool mornings when pumpkiny pancakes warm you up!

Mmmm Pumpkiny Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup

Pancakes:
2 c. flour (she used 1 c. all-purpose, 1 c. whole wheat)
1/4 c. brown sugar
2t baking powder
1t baking soda
2t pumpkin pie spice (or mix your own w/allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger)
1/4t salt
1 3/4 c. milk
1 T Mexican vanilla
1 c. pumpkin
1 egg
2 T oil
2 T vinegar

Mix all ingredients and cook on the griddle! serve with warm cinnamon syrup.

Syrup:
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. light karo syrup
1/4 c. water
3/4 t ground cinnamon
1/2 c. evaporated milk

Combine first four ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat; boil 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in evaporated milk.

Macaroni Shells and Tuna Salad

Macaroni Shells and Tuna Salad
from Linda Castillo

 Cook and cool small shell macaroni according to package directions. 

Add
Finely chopped onions
Finely chopped celery
Chopped hard-boiled eggs
Canned tuna, chunked
Pickle relish
Mustard
Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip (or a combination, sometimes add sour cream)
Salt and pepper as needed

Combine and chill before serving.

Amy Amann's Sugar Cookie Bars

Amy Amann's Sugar Cookie Bars*
modified from
https://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/sugar-cookie-bars/

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4.5 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest optional

Frosting:

• 4 T butter room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 4-5 cups powdered sugar
• 5 Tablespoons milk
• food coloring if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda and stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan). Bake at 350 degrees for 11-12 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean (they won't look done so do the toothpick test). Cool completely and frost.

For the frosting:

1. Whip the butter until creamy.  Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, then add vanilla and milk a little at a time and mix until smooth and spreading consistency. You may not need all the milk! Spread over cooled cookie bars.

*Amy bakes them with extra love, and I'm using Amy's frosting recipe (no cream cheese) instead of the girl who ate everything's.

Challah!

Our Rosh Hashana favorite tradition! 
from https://toriavey.com/how-to/challah-bread-part-1-the-blessing-and-the-dough/

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, divided
• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 1/2-6 cups flour

Egg Wash Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp cold water
• 1/2 tsp salt

Optional Ingredients

• Raisins, chocolate chips (1 ½ cups of either)

Instructions

1. Note: This recipe will make 1 very large challah, 2 regular challahs, or 24 mini challah rolls. I usually divide the dough in half to make 2 medium challahs, which are more manageable and easier to braid than a large one. Choose what works best for you!
2. Pour ¼ cup of the lukewarm water (about 110 degrees) into a large mixing bowl. Add 1 packet of Active Dry Yeast and 1 tsp of sugar to the bowl, stir to dissolve. Wait 10 minutes. The yeast should have activated, meaning it will look expanded and foamy. If it doesn’t, your yeast may have expired, which means your bread won’t rise—go buy some fresh yeast!
3. Once your yeast has activated, add remaining 1 ¼ cup lukewarm water to the bowl along with the egg, egg yolks, honey, canola oil and salt. Use a whisk to thoroughly blend the ingredients together.
4. Begin adding the flour to the bowl by half-cupfuls, stirring with a large spoon each time flour is added. When mixture becomes too thick to stir, use your hands to knead.
5. Continue to add flour and knead the dough until it’s smooth, elastic, and not sticky. The amount of flour you will need to achieve this texture varies—only add flour until the dough feels pliable and “right.” If you plan to add raisins or chocolate chips to the challah, incorporate into the dough as you knead.
6. Place a saucepan full of water on the stove to boil.
7. Meanwhile, remove the dough from your mixing bowl and wash out the bowl. Grease the bowl with canola oil. Push the dough back into the bottom of the bowl, then flip it over so that both sides are slightly moistened by the oil.
8. Cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel. Place the bowl of dough on the middle rack of your oven. Take the saucepan full of boiling water and place it below the rack where your dough sits. Close the oven, but do not turn it on. The pan of hot water will create a warm, moist environment for your dough to rise. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.
9. Take the dough bowl out and punch it down several times to remove air pockets. Place it back inside the oven and let it rise for 1 hour longer.
10. Take the dough out of the oven. Flour a smooth surface like a cutting board. Punch the dough down into the bowl a few times, then turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Knead for a few minutes, adding flour as needed to keep the dough from feeling sticky.
11. Now your dough is ready to braid. If you plan to separate and bless the challah, do it prior to braiding. Click here to learn how to braid challah.
12. After you’ve braided your challah, place it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (this will catch any spills from your egg wash and keep your challah from sticking to the cookie sheet). Note: I usually only put a single challah braid on a cookie sheet, since they tend to expand a lot when baking.
13. Prepare your egg wash by beating the egg, salt and water till smooth. Use a pastry brush to brush a thin layer of the mixture onto the visible surface of your challah. Reserve the leftover egg wash.
14. Let the braid rise 30 to 45 minutes longer. You’ll know the dough is ready to bake when you press your finger into the dough and the indentation stays, rather than bouncing back.
15. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. The challah needs to bake for about 40 minutes total, but to get the best result the baking should be done in stages. First, set your timer to 20 minutes and put your challah in the oven.
16. After 20 minutes, take the challah out of the oven and coat the center of the braid with another thin layer of egg wash. This area tends to expand during baking, exposing areas that will turn white unless they are coated with egg wash.
17. Turn the tray around, so the opposite side is facing front, and put the tray back into the oven. Turning the tray helps your challah brown evenly—the back of the oven is usually hotter than the front.
18. The challah will need to bake for about 20 minutes longer. For this last part of the baking process, keep an eye on your challah—it may be browning faster than it’s baking. Once the challah is browned to your liking, take the tray out and tent it with foil, then place it back in the oven. Remove the foil for the last 2 minutes of baking time.
19. Take the challah out of the oven. At this point your house should smell delicious. You can test the bread for doneness by turning it over and tapping on the bottom of the loaf—if it makes a hollow sound, it’s done. Let challah cool on the baking sheet or a wire cooling rack before serving.