Pizza Crust (from Buffington's)

2 cups warm water
1TBSP yeast
2 TBSP sugar
1TBSP oil

Let sit and activate. Then add:

1 tsp salt
4-5 cups flour

Knead; let rise until double. Press in deep cookie sheet. One batch makes two sheets of pizza. Bake at 425 for 12-14 minutes. I like to brush on melted butter before baking. For added yumminess, I flip the pizza crust, once it's baked, and bake it on the other side for a few minutes. Once done, flip back over. I spread on plain old tomato sauce, sprinkled with garlic salt, oregano and parsley.

Royal Icing (Gingerbread Houses Icing)

3 egg whites
2tsp Cream of Tartar
4 cups powdered sugar
(scooped, not packed)

Beat until thick; minimum of 10 minutes. Easy icing and it works. Turns hard as a rock! For really easy gingerbread houses, use graham crackers. But, you all probably already knew that!

Thanksgiving Turkey

Ok, so I know this is a little late... but I thought I did a good job.

My mother in-law asked me to do an appetizer for Thanksgiving.

I found this on familyfun.com  and I modified it a bit.

A fruit and Cheese Turkey.

Elf Yourself 2008

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Zuppa Toscana, Soup from the Olive Garden

1 lb. ground Italian sausage, browned with crushed red pepper to taste
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 white onion, diced
10 cups water
5 cubes chicken bouillon
3 medium russet potatoes, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced
1/2 pint whipping cream
2 cups kale, cut in half lengthwise then sliced
1/4 cup crumbled bacon (we like it with the bacon, but it tastes great without it too)

-After browning the sausage, use some remaining grease to saute onions and garlic
-Simmer in a large pot: water, bouillon, sausage, onions and garlic
-Add potatoes and simmer until potatoes are tender but not crumbling
-salt and pepper to taste
-Stir in kale, cream, and bacon before serving

-Serves 10

Better Than "Anything" Cake

A popular chocolate cake with loads of chocolate, caramel topping, candy bars and whipped topping. This is perfect when you don't have a lot of time.
INGREDIENTS:
• 1 German chocolate or other chocolate cake, baked, 13x9x2-inch
• 3/4 cup fudge topping
• 3/4 cup caramel or butterscotch topping
• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 6 chocolate covered toffee bars
• 1 tub of whipped topping or 1 envelope Dream Whip, prepared with milk
PREPARATION:
Do not remove cake from pan. After the cake has cooled, make holes in the entire top of the cake using a large fork or the handle of a wooden spoon. Pour (one at a time) fudge, butterscotch, and condensed milk over the top of the cake and let each flavor soak in before adding the next.

Crush 3 of the candy bars and sprinkle on the top. Frost the cake with the whipped topping and crush the 3 remaining toffee bars to decorate the top. Try to keep your hands off of this great cake before serving!
Serves 12

Tip: I like to make things pretty... so i pour fudge sauce in a zip lock back or a piping bag and drizzle it out zig zag style all the way across the cake. and then do the same for the caramel but zig zag the other direction. (it looks like a grid)

Pear Green Salad

2 heads Romaine – or other leafy types of lettuce
2 heads Mixed Greens
½ lb. Bacon (fried and crumbled)
4-5 Ripe pears, chopped
½ C. Slivered almonds toasted
1 pkg. Craisins (approx. 1 C.)
4 oz. Gorgonzola Cheese or Blue Cheese

Dressing: (Only ½ is really needed for the amount of salad above)
2 C. Sugar
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Poppyseed
½ C. Oil
2 tsp Dry Mustard
1 C. Red Wine Vinegar

This is a hit to everyone! Even my hubby who thinks any salad is just "rabbit food".

Breakfast Bake

1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 lb. cooked sausage
Chopped Ham
6-8 eggs
1/2 C. milk
1/2 tsp. pepper
1-2 C. cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Unroll dough in 9x13 pan; press to cover bottom of dish, firmly pressing holes and seams together to seal.

Spread sausage on top of crust and then sprinkle ham on top. Beat eggs, milk and pepper with whisk until blended. Pour over ham and top with cheese.

Bake 25 minutes or until center is set.

Pumpkin Sheet Cake (Pumpkin Bars)

OK. This is seriously DE-LISH. I could eat the whole dang thing!

Cake:

2 c. sugar

1 c. oil. (Can also do 1/2 c oil and 1/2 apple sauce and it’s just as good)

1 pinch salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

2 c. flour

4 eggs

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 16-oz can pumpkin

Mix together (I do dry ingredients first, then wet, and a wire whisk does the job great for mixing). Bake @ 350 for 20-22 min in large greased baking sheet. Cool completely before frosting. store in refrigerator.

Frosting:

3 c. powdered sugar

3/4 stick margarine or butter (softened to rm temp)

1 pinch salt

4 oz cream cheese (softened to rm temp)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbs. milk (as needed)

cream butter, salt, cream cheese, vanilla and milk. Add powdered sugar. I use a hand mixer.

Need Cookie Recipe

Heather will appreciate this...

Does anyone have a GOOD Sugar Free Cookie Recipe??? Yesterday I attempted a recipe I got from allrecipes.com using bananas, applesauce, apple chunks, oats and a little flavoring...they were HORRIBLE! They tasted like cardboard on the outside and mushy nastiness on the inside. Jeremy wouldn't take more than a couple of bits, and he'll eat anything! What I don't get is this recipe rated 4 out of 5 stars! Who's rating these things...tree huggers (no offense)?

Anyway, if you don't have a good sugar free cookie, post a good sugar free dessert!