Annette's Meatloaf

2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup finely crushed saltines
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. rubbed sage
dash pepper
1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, saltines, onion, salt, sage, and pepper. Add ground beef and mix well. Shape into a 9-1/2" x 5-1/2" loaf in an ungreased shallow baking pan.

2. Combine remaining ingredient; spread 3/4 cup over meat loaf. Bake at 350℉ for 60-65 minutes or until no pink remains; drain. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining sauce.

Coconut Cream Pie

4-1/2 cups milk
2 cups sugar
heaping 1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
4 egg yolks
2 TBS butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup coconut
*toasted coconut

1. In a heavy saucepan, add sugar, cornstarch, salt, milk, egg yolks, and butter. Cook and stir constantly over medium heat until it comes to a slow boil. When the boiling starts the mixture should thicken. Cook and stir for 2 minutes while boiling then remove from heat.

2. Add vanilla and stir to incorporate. Cover with waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate to cool. Stir it every hour or so, while cooling.

3. When cooled, stir in 1 cup coconut until well mixed. Spread in 2, prebaked 9 or 10 inch pie crusts. (This time I used baked graham cracker crust (recipe below) or you can use a regular pie crust.Top with whipped cream or cool whip, and toasted coconut.*  I topped this with stable whipped cream.

*To toast coconut put in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 325℉ for about 8 minutes stirring often. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.

Baked graham cracker crust:

1-1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers (about 12-13 graham crackers processed until fine)
1/4 cup sugar
6 TBS butter, melted

1.  Mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar together.  Stir in melted butter until well combined.  Place in a 9 or 10 inch pie pan.  Bake at 350℉ for 8 minutes.  Let cool completely before filling with pie filling.

Stable Whipped Cream

from Coleen's Recipes

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract, optional
2 cups heavy whipping cream

1. With electric mixer beat cream cheese, sugar, and extracts together until smooth. Scrape bowl down a couple of times.

2. While beaters are going slowly add whipping cream. Continue to beat on high until stiff peaks form. Scrape bowl a couple of times while beating.

This is enough whipped cream to generously cover a 10 inch pie.  I used it to cover two 9 inch pies. It just wasn't as thick. This recipe pipes well.

Chocolate Zucchini Snack Cake

from lick the bowl good

2-1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1-3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or use applesauce)
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cups chopped walnuts, optional

1.  Grease and flour a 9x13 inch cake pan.  Preheat oven to 325℉.

2.  In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together.

3.  In another bowl cream together the sugar, butter, and oil until well mixed.  Add eggs one at a time and then add the vanilla.

4.  Mix in the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk in 3 additions.  Mix in the grated zucchini.

5.  Pour into prepared cake pan.  Spread evenly.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts if using.

6.  Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean.  Let cool completely and cut in squares.

Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

from Realmomkitchen

2 cups flour

2 TBS. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

2 cups buttermilk, well shaken (more if you want thinner batter)

2 large eggs

¼ cup vegetable oil

1. Mix dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.

2. Add all wet ingredients. Stir until ingredients are just combined. Don’t overmix; the batter will be slightly lumpy. The batter will be pretty thick, if you prefer it thinner add more buttermilk.

3. Cook on a medium low skillet that is greased or buttered lightly. Drop 1/4 cup batter on greased skillet. Cook first side until bubbles begin to form and underside is golden brown . Flip and cook until done. About 2 minutes per side.

4. Makes about 12 pancakes.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Bars

from Real Mom Kitchen

• 2- 1/8 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 12 TBS butter (1 -1/2 sticks, 3/4 cup), melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups chocolate chips (whatever kind you want)
  

1. Preheat the oven to 325℉. Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position.
2. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan by about 1 inch so you can grab those edges and pull the cookies from the pan after they have baked. Spray the foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well.
4. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.
5. Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 24-28 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature.
6. Remove the bars from the pan by lifting the foil overhang and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Sweet Potato Bread

adapted from Allrecipes

2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potato (about 3 sweet potatoes)**
2 cups sugar (I used one brown sugar and one white sugar) + more for sprinkling if desired
4 eggs
1 cup oil (I used applesauce instead)
3/4 cup orange juice
3-1/2 cups flour (I used 2-1/2 wheat and 1 white)
1-1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. allspice
pecans, optional

1.  Preheat oven to 350℉.  Grease and flour (or sugar) two- 9x5 inch loaf pans.

2.  In large mixing bowl beat together sugar, eggs, and oil.  Add mashed sweet potatoes and orange juice.  In seperate bowl mix flour, salt, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.

3.  Add dry ingredients to sweet potato mixture until just combined. Fold in pecans if desired.

4.  Pour into prepared pans.  Sprinkle lightly with sugar if desired. (I sprinkled it with brown sugar)  Bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of bread comes out clean.  Remove from pan and place on cooling rack to cool.  Eat warm or cool.

** To cook sweet potatoes either wash and cook them in the microwave for about 6-7 minutes or until tender; let cool, remove peel, then mash.  Or wash them and slice lengthwise, place on a lightly greased baking sheet; bake at 350℉ for 30 minutes or until tender.  Let cool, remove peel and mash.

Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

1/4 cup butter, softened (4 TBS)
3/4 cup sugar
1 TBS almond flavoring
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
5 tsp. poppy seeds.

1. Preheat oven to 400℉.

2. Cream sugar and butter together. Add almond flavoring, then eggs one at a time beating well after each.

3. In another bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. Add flour mixture alternately with milk.

5. Add poppy seeds and mix well. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups 1/2 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Makes about 18 muffins