Arendt's Hot Beef aka Lick the Air Beef

1 (4-5lb) roast (rolled rump or chuck)

2 large yellow onions or 4 small yellow onions quartered

1 (6oz) bottle of soy sauce

pepper to taste

Put all ingredients into a large crock pot on high for 8-10 hours if using frozen meat, and 6 hours on high of fresh meat.  

When you come home from a long day of work you will want to lick the air it will smell soooooooooo good!

Mash with potato masher or Pampered Chef Mix ‘N Chop.  Remove any fatty pieces.

 Serve on buns and reminisce on Arendt's Meat Market's Hot Beef from back in the day. Num!

Turkey Casserole

Ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of sweet peas (drained)
1 cup of chopped turkey (bite size pieces)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 bag of large egg noodles
crushed pepper to taste

 

Start by boiling water on stove top.  Add egg noddles and let cook until desired firmness.

In another skillet saute onion and pepper.  Add turkey and mix.  Heat thoroughly.

Put egg noodles into a large microwaveable casserole dish.

Add turkey mixture to noodles.

Stir mixture, noodles and cream of chicken soup together.

Add peas and mix gently.

Toss in the microwave on high for 30 minuets.  Serve with wheat bread and butter... NUM!

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients:
Almond Bark or White Chocolate melting squares or 1 bag (12oz) White chips/morsels
12 broken candy canes

Unwrap candy canes and place into two plastic zip lock bags and mash.

Melt almond bark/white chocolate in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring each time.  Once squares are completely melted add candy cane pieces and stir.

Spread mixture onto a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet and place into refrigerator for an hour.

Break into bite size pieces and store in air tight container.

Classic Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can Cream of Mushroom Soup

3/4 cup milk

1/8 tsp. black pepper

2 (9 oz. each) pkgs. frozen cut green beans, thawed* or 2 cans of Cut Green Beans drained


 1 1/3 cups FRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions

Mix soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2 -qt. baking dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup French Fried Onions.

Bake at 350°F for 30 min. or until hot.
Stir. Top with remaining 2/3 cup onions. Bake 5 min. until onions are golden.

Simple Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 can mixed fruit (fruit cocktail) - drain
1 can pineapple - drain
1 can mandarin oranges
1 banana - sliced
1 cup walnut pieces
1/2 small container of Cool Whip

Easy peasy... drain all the fruits.  Slice banana.  Add all remaining ingredients and stir.  Num!

Note: This is best served as soon as it is made.  This is not something I would not make before hand.  After a day the juices left in the fruit will seep out and bananas will turn brown.

Cheesey Cornflake Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 Bag (2 lbs) Frozen Hashed Brown Potatoes (the cube kind)
1/2 cup butter - melted
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 pint sour cream
8-10 oz shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups cornflakes, crushed
1/4 cup butter - melted

Combine potatoes with 1/2 cup melted butter, salt, pepper, onion, soup, sour cream and cheese in 13x9 ungreased pan. 

Ummmm BUTTA...

Mix Cornflakes with 1/4 cup melted butter.  Sprinkle on top of potatoes mixture.

Bake, uncovered at 350 for 1 hour.


Crushed bacon is a nice added touch :)

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

So my friend Micaela of Striving Bean made these once for a treat day back when I was in corporate world.  Ever since that day I have wanted these bars/cake again.  I finally made them the other day... and made only one mistake, but, it was still delicious!

Ingredients
Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. NOTE: When sifting flour measure first, then sift.  Not the other way around (which, yes, is what I did... duh!).

Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth.

Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.

Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined.

 

Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

 

See how thin my "cake" is... well that's because of the sifting of the flour and then measuring!  

This should be more like a cake than like a bar.

Crockpot Pot Roast

Ingredients:1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut in half
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup beef broth
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 medium onions (about 3/4 pound), quartered
1 (16-ounce) package baby carrots
2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons water

Place roast, soy sauce, and garlic in a large ziplock plastic bag. Marinate in refrigerator at least 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Boil beef broth in a small saucepan; add mushrooms. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 20 minutes. Drain mushrooms through a colander over a bowl, saving broth mixture.

Remove roast from bag, saving marinade. Sprinkle roast with pepper, gently pressing pepper into roast. Combine reserved marinade, mushroom broth mixture, and tomato paste; stir well, and set aside.

Place mushrooms, onion, carrot and potato in a 6-quart crockpot; toss gently.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add roast, browing well on all sides. Place roast over vegetables in crockpot.

Pour tomato paste mixture into skillet, scraping to loosen browned bits. Pour tomato paste mixture over roast and vegetables.

Cover with lid; cook on high-heat setting 1 hour. Reduce to low-heat setting, and cook 8 hours or until roast is tender. 

Place roast and vegetables on a serving platter; keep warm. Reserve liquid in crockpot; increase to high-heat setting.

Place flour in a small bowl. Gradually add water, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add flour mixture to liquid in crockpot. Cook, uncovered, 15 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring frequently.

Serve gravy with roast and vegetables.