***Joe's Favorite Pancakes***

Our most used, go-to recipe

3/4 cup milk

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1egg

2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 tsp vanilla 

cooking spray

1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

recipe found here

Chocolate Chocolate Chip

recipe found here

1 cup (2 sticks), unsalted butter, cubed
1¼ cup sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup cocoa powder
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2½ cups milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix in the cocoa powder until well blended. Add the flour, salt and baking powder to the bowl and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead briefly by hand to be sure the ingredients are well combined. Shape in small ball. Place on the prepared baking sheets, a few inches apart. Bake 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

***Best Cheese Ball***

Jessica S.

2 (8oz) packages cream cheese
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained (8oz)
1/4 Cup chopped fine green onion
2 teaspoons chopped fine green bell pepper
dash of season salt (or just plain salt)
1/2 Cup chopped walnuts

Mix and roll in a ball ( or just put in a dish). Roll in another 1/2 cup chopped nuts (or if in bowl cover top. Refrigerate and serve with crackers.

Melanie's Punch

Note: Fresca contains aspartame. Orangina would be a good substitute for the Fresca if that is a concern.

Fresca Soda (64oz for 1 bottle)
Apple Raspberry Juicy Juice (34oz for 1 bottle)

1 whole bottle of Fresca, to 1 bottle of juice. Mix and serve! The proportions end up being 1/3 juice to 2/3 soda.

***Cheesy Chicken and Wild Rice***

recipe found here - adapted

start to finish: 1 hour
 

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely diced
3 stalks celery, finely diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 Tablespoons fresh minced garlic
2 Cups shredded, cooked chicken breast
2 Cups steamed white or brown rice, prepared - or more if you want more servings, 4 cups at the most
16 oz prepared wild rice (I use two 4.2oz boxes of rice-a-roni)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
______
Cheese Sauce
4 Tablespoons butter
1/4 Cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 Cups chicken broth
2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion, celery and carrots until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in chicken, both rices, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Reduce heat to low.

2. To prepare cheese sauce melt butter into a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper then slowly pour in chicken broth whisking continuously. Whisk until thick and nearly boiling then stir in cheese until melted. Pour cheese sauce into rice mixture and stir. Serve! Salt & pepper to taste if needed.

Vegetable Tian

from Barefoot in Paris, Ina Garten
also found here

Serves 4 to 6 (I will make a larger one next time)

3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 large yellow onions, cut in half and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled (2 potatoes)
3/4 pound zucchini (1 zucchini)
1 yellow squash
1 1/4 pounds medium tomatoes (plum/roma tomatoes)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs (I used dried crushed)
2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (I used Parmesan)
3 tablespoons Panko crumbs (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush a 9x13x 2-inch baking dish with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. In a medium saute pan, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.

Slice the potatoes, zucchini, squash and tomatoes in 1/4-inch-thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only one layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs and drizzle with 1 more Tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle with cheese* on top, and bake for another 30 minutes, or until browned. Serve warm.

*I wait unitl it is done and out of the oven to add the cheese

Can be made ahead of time, refrigerated and reheated at serving time.

***Snickerdoodles***

This is an easy recipe to double if you want a large batch. I can get 30 cookies from a single batch if I make them small, about 1 inch balls.

recipe found here

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

For rolling:
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with an electric mixer on high speed. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.

2. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar.

3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.

4. Preheat oven to 300 degrees while you let the dough rest for 30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator (or 20 min in freezer).

5. In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the cinnamon for the topping.

6. Take about 2 1/2 Tablespoons of the dough and roll it into a ball (I make them smaller and get about 30 cookies). Roll this dough in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and press it onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining cookies.

7. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes. When the cookies have cooled they should be soft and chewy in the middle.

Roasted Parmesan Green Beans

Recipe found here

12 oz green beans, trimmed (make sure they are dry)
2 teaspoon olive oil
kosher salt + fresh cracked pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons shredded parmesan

Directions: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum for easy clean-up. Lay green beans out on the baking sheet and drizzle oil over them. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder and toss to evenly coat.

Spread them out on the sheet so that they all lay flat and place on the lower third section of your oven. Bake 10 minutes, shake the pan to turn; bake 5 additional minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Shepherd's Pie

Another fabulous recipe for Shepherd's Pie is found at Once Upon a Chef, it is more work, but very "restaurant quality."

1 pound ground beef
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (14oz ) can cut green beans, drained
1 (10 3/4 oz) can tomato soup (can substitute can tomato sauce in a pinch)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Mashed potatoes (I just buy pre-made in the refrigerated section)

Brown ground beef until no longer pink, drain. Add onion powder, salt and pepper. Mix well. Put into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with drained green beans. Spread tomato soup over beans. Spoon potatoes over mixture. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.