Pizza Loaf

from Great American Home Baking

Prep: 45 minutes
Makes 8 servings

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. salt
4 cups flour

Filling and Garnish:

1/3 cup prepared pizza sauce
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (2 2/3 oz.)
1/4 cup chopped, pitted black olives
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

IN a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until foamy, 5-10 minutes.

STIR oil and salt into yeast mixture.

USING a heavy-duty electric mixer with paddle attachment on low speed, beat flour into yeast mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms.

ON a floured surface, knead dough until smooth and elastic, 5-10 minutes, adding more flour to prevent sticking. Place dough in a large greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover loosely with a damp cloth; let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 hour.

GREASE a 9-inch tube pan. Punch down dough. Cover again; let rest for 5 minutes.

ON a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 15 x 10 inch rectangle. Spread sauce over dough to within 1 inch of edges. Sprinkle with parmesan chees, mozzarella cheese, olives, basil and oregano.

STARTING with a long side, roll up dough tightly, jelly-roll style; pinch edges to seal. Place dough in prepared pan with seam toward center. Pinch ends to seal. Cover again; let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 1/2 hours.

PREHEAT oven to 400 degrees. Bake loaf for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350. Bake loaf until top is brown and sounds hollow when tapped, 35 to 40 minutes more. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Turn loaf out onto rack. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

Fancy Vanilla Cookies

from Great American Home Baking

Prep: 30 minutes
Makes 5 dozen cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

Garnish:

1/4 cup maraschino cherries, drained and thinly sliced
2 tbsp. granulated sugar

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees.

MIX together flour and salt.

BEAT together butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extract. At low speed, beat in flour mixture until a soft dough forms.

SPOON dough into a cookie press fitted with a clover or ring shaped disk. Press dough out onto 2 ungreased baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.

PRESS a cherry slice into the center of each clover shaped cookie. Press 8 slivered cherries around each cookie ring. Sprinkle cookies with sugar.

BAKE cookies until lightly golden, 6-8 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire rack to cool slightly. Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Mint Brownies

Prep: 1 hour
Bake 30 minutes

1 cup flour
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 can (16 oz.) chocolate flavored syrup
1 cup sugar

Filling:

2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. mint extract
3 drops green food coloring

Topping:

1 pkg. (10 oz.) mint chocolate chips
9 tbsp. margarine

MIX together the first 7 ingredients. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour batter into greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

MIX filling ingredients. Beat until creamy. Spread over thoroughly cooled brownies. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

MELT chocolate chips and margarine over low heat in a double boiler. Set aside for about 30 minutes to cool and set. When still spreadable, but cool, apply a layer over top of cooled filling. Put back in refrigerator to set overnight.

Cheesy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Bake: 45 minutes
Makes 2-4 servings, depending on size

1 can cream of chicken soup
2/3 can milk
1 package Townhouse crackers
6 oz. elbow macaroni
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. Lawry's seasoned salt (optional) or other seasoning blend
3 oz. monterey jack cheese
small amount of butter or margarine

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch square casserole dish with butter. Spread a layer of crackers across the bottom and sides.

FULLY cook macaroni. Drain and add half to the casserole dish. Spread 1/2 of the cream of chicken soup over the macaroni. Cover all areas. Add 1/3 of the can of milk. Sprinkle spices over casserole.

PLACE remaining noodles in dish as a second layer. Spread remaining soup. Add the rest of the milk and seasoning blend. Crumble remaining crackers and sprinkle over top.

BAKE for 35 minutes. Remove casserole and cover with shredded cheese. Return to oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Old World Raspberry Bars

Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 40 minutes
Makes: 24 bars

Crumb Mixture:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg

Filling:

1 (10 oz.) jar raspberry preserves or your favorite preserves

HEAT oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine all crumb mixture ingredients. Beat at low speed, scraping the bowl often, until mixture is crumbly (2 to 3 minutes).
Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture, set aside.

PRESS remaining crumb mixture on bottom of greased 8- or 9-inch square baking pan. Spread preserves to within a 1/2 inch of edge. Crumble reserved crumb mixture over preserves.

BAKE for 40 to 50 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

Cover and store in pan up to 5 days or freeze up to 1 month.

Source unknown

Picture above is my attempt to be somewhat creative. I used strawberry instead of raspberry as that is what I had in the kitchen. It was still very good.

Helpful Cleaning Tips

1. Use an empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. They stay neat and you can write on the roll what they belong to.

2. For icy steps in freezing temperatures, pour a mixture of warm water and Dawn dishwashing liquid on the steps. They won't freeze.

3. To remove crayon from your walls, dip a damp washcloth in baking soda and scrub.

4. Remove permanent marker from appliances and counter tops with rubbing alcohol and a paper towel.

5. To remove blood from clothing, pour a little peroxide on a cloth and wipe off.

6. When washing windows, use vertical strokes inside and horizontal outside. This way you can tell what side has streaks. Use straight vinegar to get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and streak.

7. Spray a small amount of perfume on a light bulb in any room to freshen it up.

8. Fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers or closets keep clothes fresh. Don't forget towels and linens.

9. Candles will last longer if placed in the freezer for about 3 hours prior to burning.

10. To remove burnt food from a pan, add a couple drops of dish soap and enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil.

11. Spray plasticware with non-stick cooking spray before putting tomato based sauces and it won't be stained.

12. When a cake recipe calls for flouring the pan, use the dry cake mix and there won't be a white mess on the outside of the cake.

13. Wrap celery in aluminum foil before putting in the refrigerator. It will keep for weeks.

14. Add a pinch of sugar when boiling corn on the cob to bring out the natural sweetness.

15. When you have a headache, cut a lime in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

16. Freeze leftover wine into ice cube for future use in casseroles and sauces.

17. Use air-fresheners to clean mirrors. It cleans well and leaves a nice scent behind.

18. When you get a splinter, put scotch tape over the splinter and pull it off.

19. (a) Clean your toilet with 2 Alka-Seltzer tablets. Wait 20 minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid cleans glassy surfaces. (b) Clean glasses or vases by filling with water and dropping in two Alka-Seltzer tablets. (c) To clean jewelry, drop two tablets in a glass of water and immerse for two minutes. (d) Unclog a drain by dropping three tablets down the drain followed by one cup of white vinegar. Wait a few minutes and then run the hot water.