Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

4 lbs. peeled, cubed potatoes

5 T. real butter

1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

6 cloves roasted garlic

1 - 1 1/2 cups warm skim milk (any milk will do)

1 T. salt, or to taste

1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste

Place potatoes in a large pot of cold water. Place onto stove top over high heat & bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain & transfer to the work bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix on low until potatoes are mashed then add butter, Parmesan, garlic, milk, salt & pepper. Season to taste if needed. For thinner mashed potatoes add more milk, slowly until your desired consistency.

Scoop mashed potatoes onto serving plates & top with pork chops & soup gravy from crock pot.

**Roasted garlic: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bulb of garlic with skins on, wrap tightly in tin foil & bake for 1 hour. Remove from foil & let cool for 15 minutes. Remove garlic from skins, place in a bowl & mash with a fork until completely mashed.

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops

6 pork chops, 1/2" thick

1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning

10 oz. can cream of chicken soup

Place pork chops, ranch seasoning & soup into crock pot over high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6 hours.

Serve with Parmesan mashed potatoes.

via:Picky Palate

Sparkling Holiday Punch

3 cups cold water

3/4 cups sugar

5 cinnamon sticks

1 bottle Welch's Sparkling Red or White Grape Juice Cocktail, chilled

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup lemon juice

3 bottles (16 oz each) lemon-lime soda, chilled

ice cubes made with Welch's Sparkling Red or Sparkling White Grape juice cocktail

Preparation

In medium saucepan, combine water, sugar & cinnamon sticks to make cinnamon syrup. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat & simmer 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks, cover & refrigerate 2 hours. IN a large punch bowl, combine cinnamon syrup, Sparkling White Grape Juice cocktail, orange juice, lemon juice & soda. Add ice cubes. If desired, garnish with additional cinnamon sticks or float fruit-filled ice cubes, orange, lemon or lime slices.

Makes about 30 one-half cup servings.

Caramel Toffee Fruit Dip

1 8oz. package cream cheese (you can use light cream cheese)

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla (or more for taste)

Toffee bits (look by the chocolate chips & try to find the chocolate covered ones if you can.)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Combine cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg & vanilla with an electric mixer. When ready to serve, stir in about 1/2 bag of toffee bits with more sprinkled on top. Serve with fresh fruit.

Recipe via: Our Best Bites

Chicken & Spinach Alfredo

1/2 lb. fettuccine noodles

1 lb. chicken breasts, baked & cut into bite-size strips

2 (10 oz.) containers refrigerated Alfredo sauce or make Alfredo sauce from recipe below

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, drained well between paper towels

3 cups lightly packed baby spinach

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (omit if using Alfredo sauce recipe below)

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Place chicken in a skillet with Alfredo sauce & tomatoes. Cover & cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until hot & bubbly. Stir in spinach & cheese (if using containers of Alfredo sauce) and cook until spinach is wilted & cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve over cooked fettuccine noodles with additional cheese, if desired.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

1 cup half and half or heavy cream

4 T. butter

1 cup Parmesan cheese

3 cloves garlic, pressed

Melt butter in saucepan over medium high heat. Add the garlic & saute' for a minute. Add the half & half or heave cream. Heat thoroughly, but do not boil. Gradually ad Parmesan cheese. Stir continuously until cheese is melted. Salt to taste, if desired.

Recipe from Kathy Jensen

Laine's 4 Layer Ganache & Raspberry Cream Cheese Cake

Cake

Bake a 2 layer chocolate cake mix as per directions.

Freeze cakes, then slice in half (keep cold)

Ganache

2 cups dark (semi sweet) chocolate chips & 1 cup cream

Place chips in a glass bowl. Bring cream to a boil on stove, stirring frequently-DO NOT scald.

Pour hot cream on chips & shake bowl to settle them. Leave to melt. Stir in 20 minutes until smooth, then refrigerate. (leave wire whisk in bowl while in fridge)

Cream Filling

1 & 1/2 cups whipping cream, whipped

1 pkg. cream cheese

1/2 tsp. raspberry glaze (see below)

Blend glaze & cream cheese until smooth. Fold in cream & refrigerate.

Raspberry Glaze

Boil 2 cups raspberries & 1 cup sugar until liquidy. Add 1 T. corn starch. Cool.

Construct Cake, frost & garnish & put in the fridge

how to construct: from the bottom-up

cake

ganache

cream filling

cake

cream filling

raspberry glaze only

cake

ganache

cream filling

cake

**Do not press layers down while assembling cake.**

This cake is SO GOOD!! We won it at an auction that the boys had at church to raise money for Scout camp. We paid $65.00 for it & I'd have to say...it was worth it!!!

Farfalle with Herb-Marinated Grilled Chicken

1/4 cup olive oil

2 T. balsamic vinegar

1 T. lemon juice

1 T. finely chopped fresh basil leaves

1 T. finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 tsp. finely chopped fresh oregano leaves (optional)

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 box (16oz.) farfalle or penne pasta, cooked & drained

1 jar (26oz.) Bertolli Tomato & Basil pasta sauce

in shallow bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, basil, parsley, oregano and red pepper flakes. Add chicken & toss to coat. Cover & marinate in fridge for 30 minutes.

Remove chicken from marinade & discard. Grill or broil chicken until thoroughly cooks.

Spoon pasta sauce on to hot farfalle & top with sliced chicken. Garnish, if desired, with additional parsley.

**We love this recipe! If I don't have fresh herbs I just use dried. And you can use whatever pasta sauce you like.

Double Chocolate Cheesecake Layered Cake

2 8 oz packages softened cream cheese

1/2 Cup sugar

2 eggs

1 brownie mix 9x13 inch size

1 chocolate cake mix

Favorite Chocolate Frosting Recipe, prepared (tripled)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cream cheese and sugar into a stand or electric mixer bowl. Beat until softened. Beat in the eggs until smooth. Pour into a wax paper lined and greased 9 inch springform pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until middle is set and not jiggly. Remove and let cool completely. Refrigerate overnight or for 2-3 hours. Carefully remove sides and transfer to wax paper (I used a giant spatula to help, it's ok if it breaks a little, just piece it together and freeze cheesecake for 30 minutes to firm).

2. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and divide evenly into a wax paper lined and greased 9 inch cake pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center. Let cool completely then carefully turn over onto wax paper; set aside.

3. Prepare cake mix according to package directions and pour into 2 wax paper lined 9 inch cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center. Let cool completely then carefully turn over onto wax paper; set aside.

4. Place one of the chocolate cake layers onto a cake stand. Spread with a thin layer of chocolate frosting then layer with the brownie. Spread brownie with a thin layer of frosting then top with cheesecake layer. Spread with a thin layer of frosting then layer with remaining chocolate cake layer. Spread entire cake with remaining chocolate frosting. Chill until ready to serve.

Recipe from Picky Palate

Note: When I was removing my cheesecake from the springform pan it stuck to the bottom. It came apart in pieces, so I just had to piece it together. It still turned out ok.

I made a butter cream frosting from the powdered sugar recipe. I did the one with 4 cups of powdered sugar. It wasn't enough for the whole cake, so I had to make 1/4 of another batch.

Apple Stuffed Pork Loin Roast

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped

8 fresh sage leaves

2 cups thick-cut white bread cubes, crusts removed

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper

1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth, plus more if needed

1 (3 pound) pork loin roast, butterflied

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, apples and sage. Saute until softened. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the bread, egg, butter and salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth gradually until everything is moistened. Let the stuffing mixture cool completely before putting it in the pork loin. Spoon the stuffing down the pork, horizontally, in a line. Roll the pork over the stuffing, jelly roll style, ending with the seam down and fat side up. Lightly score the fat, in a diamond pattern, with a sharp knife. Tightly tie the pork roast up with butcher's twine, season it with more salt and pepper, and transfer to a roasting pan. Roast the pork in a preheated oven for about 90 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with apples and fresh herbs.

** I used rubbed sage instead of fresh sage leaves

from Paula Deen via Food Network.com

Mini Smoky Bacon Wraps

27 small cocktail franks

9 slices of bacon

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup ketchup

cayenne pepper to taste

Set oven to 400. Line baking sheet with foil. Cut bacon slices into thirds & roll each frank in bacon. (Secure with a toothpick). Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile mix ketchup, brown sugar,and cayenne in a bowl. Remove franks from oven after 10 minutes and brush with sauce. Put back in oven until bacon is lightly crisp but not burned.

Remove and eat!!!!