-From the “14 Prize Winning Country Cooking Recipes” cook book.

1/2 lb bacon, diced

1 lb ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1 can (15 oz) pork and beans

2 cans (16 oz) whole tomatoes – chopped

Cornbread Topping:

1/2 cup yellow corn meal

1/2 cup flour

2 TBSP sugar

2 TSP baking powder

1/2 TSP salt

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup milk

2 TBSP butter, melted

1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles

Fry bacon until almost crisp, drain.  Add crumbled ground beef and onion.   Brown evenly and drain.  Stir in beans and tomatoes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and cover, then simmer for 45 min to 1 hour.  Grease upper inside of casserole.  Spoon in heated mixture.  Combine all cornbread topping ingredients, mix until smooth.  Spoon over top of meat mixture.  Bake at 425 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes.  Serves 8

Ingredients
2 tablespoons heavy cream
11 ounces good white chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons liquor of choice (peppermint schnapps, Sammy Hagar’s Red Head Rum, Kahlua, etc.)
1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract

Candy coating, powdered sugar, or cocoa powder for coating
Directions

Place the cream in a heat-proof bowl, and set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Cook until heated through. Using a wire whisk or fork, slowly stir the white chocolate into the warm cream until completely melted. Whisk in the liqueur and vanilla. Cover and chill for 1 hour or until pliable but firm enough to scoop.  Scoop into whatever size you want your truffles to be (teaspoon/tablespoon) onto foil or parchment lined tray and chill for 15 minutes.  Remove from refrigerator and shape into balls.  Coat in topping of choice.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

(Originally from Cooking.com)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 of an 8-ounce container cream cheese with strawberries
2 beaten eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
Powdered sugar (optional)

Mix dry, cut in cream cheese with pastry blender or fork

Add wet all at once

Mix until moist & lumpy then fold in raspberries

Bake at 400 degrees

Makes 2 dozen regular sized muffins.  Bake this size for 12 minutes

Makes 4 dozen mini muffins. Bake this size for 8 minutes.

From Arthritis Today

MAKES: 6 servings

4 pounds’ worth Hubbard squash pieces (may be one to three pieces)
Olive oil spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 large tart apples, such as Honeycrisp, peeled, cored and chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil, add the squash (skin side-down), spray the squash lightly with the oil, and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours (depending on the size of the squash pieces), or until the squash’s meat and skin easily pierce with a fork.

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil, then the onions, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes, stirring frequently, or until the onions begin to soften.

Meanwhile, use a large spoon to scoop the flesh out of the squash pieces. Chop them into 1-inch chunks, then add them to the onions, along with the broth and apples, and a little more salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Take the soup off the heat, and let cool for about 15 minutes. Carefully puree the soup until very smooth in multiple batches in a food processor or blender. Return the soup to the heat, season to taste, and serve hot.

Note on Storage: Soup can be cooled and frozen up to 3 months.

Homemade Carpet Shampoo Recipe

from thethriftymama

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons hydrogen peroxide 3% solution (This is the strength you’ll get in the first aid section.)
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dish detergent
• 5 drops essential oil (if desired)

Directions:

1. Mix the ingredients well.  I shake mine thoroughly in a lidded mason jar.  This makes it much easier to distribute the cleaning agents into the water.
2. Blend this mixture with 1-1/2 quarts of hot water.
3. Use in carpet cleaner as directed by manufacturer.

This recipe can easily be adjusted for full-size carpet cleaners.  Double or triple quantities as needed.

From mybakingaddiction

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

October 17th, 2011

Yield: 4 pints

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 12 hours

Ingredients:

Directions:

From Nomnivorous

makes four pints

• 3.5 pounds apples
• 3.5 pounds pears
• 1/4 cup water
• 6 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste [or extract – or a spent vanilla bean pod]
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

directions

1. Place all ingredients into a large slow cooker [6-8 quarts]. Turn the slow cooker on low and cover. Walk away for twelve hours.
2. Now return to the slow cooker. Using an immersion blender or potato masher, puree the fruit mixture until smooth.
3. Prop the lid partially ajar using a wooden spoon or chopstick. Keep the slow cooker on low. Let cook for up to twelve hours.
4. Around eight hours in the second cycle, return, stir and check the taste and consistency. [You can adjust the salt, sugar, and add any spices if you’d like then.] I like to let the fruit butter get very dark and cooked down, but you can adjust to your liking. My final product cooked the full 24 hours.
5. Store in the refrigerator for 2-4 weeks or water bath process. Ladle the butter in to hot, sanitized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Sesame Chicken for slow cooker

1 1/2 pound boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons dried onion
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds

Put chicken into crock pot. Combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, and garlic. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened. Cut chicken into bite size pieces and return to crock pot – can leave chicken in and simmer on low or serve. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice.

From www.diynatural.com  visit their site for more great info!!

A simple solution:

• 1 gallon white vinegar
• 30-40 drops of essential oil

Lavender-scented softener is one of my favorites, or a combination of sweet orange and lemon when I need a pick-me-up on laundry day!  A third suggestion is to use peppermint for an invigorating minty scent.

To use:

Just shake well before each use and it’s ready for the rinse cycle. For small or average loads add 1/2 cup to the rinse cycle, or a little more for large loads. (UPDATE: A helpful reader with an HE washer advises that about ¼ cup works perfectly for full loads.)

Note: Once clothes are dry you will not notice the scent of this homemade fabric softener. Many readers have asked, “So why use them?” One benefit of including the essential oils is that many contain antibacterial properties and will help disinfect laundry. (Lavender, sweet orange, lemon, and peppermint [and many more!] are all antibacterial.) Essential oils like lemon and sweet orange have also been known to brighten laundry and fight stains. Feel free to leave out essential oils if you wish…vinegar is also antibacterial. I’m a sucker for essential oils in my laundry mainly because I enjoy the aromatherapy the oils provide during this mundane chore! 🙂

Dryer Sheets are easy too

Over the past few years we have researched many alternatives to commercial dryer sheets. Why? Because there is evidence that toxic fragrance chemicals can be present in commercial dryer sheets that can be absorbed into your skin when you put your clothes on. This was enough to convince me that commercial dryer sheets might not be the best choice for my family, and the cost savings of do-it-yourself dryer sheets was an added bonus. You will love experimenting with different scents along the way, and will never have to put dryer sheets on your grocery list again! (Note: These dryer sheets will not soften laundry, and are mainly for added scent. Use vinegar in the rinse cycle of the wash to soften and decrease static.)

Cut cotton cloth into small squares. I use 5-inch squares of cotton t-shirts that I’m retiring. Add 3-5 drops of essential oil to your cloth and throw it in the dryer with your next load. These cotton dryer sheets can be used for 2 or 3 loads, each time adding 3 more drops of your favorite essential oil. Wash the cloth after a few uses and experiment with a new fragrance the next time! Some of my personal favorites are lavender, lemon, or grapefruit.

From www.diynatural.com  visit their site for more great info!!

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cups boiling water
• 1 Tbsp borax
• 1 Tbsp grated bar soap (use castile bar soap, homemade soap, Ivory, or whichever natural bar you prefer)
• 15-20 drops essential oils, optional

Directions:

1. Heat water to boiling.
2. Combine borax and grated bar soap in a medium bowl. Pour hot water over the mixture. Whisk until the grated soap is completely melted.
3. Allow mixture to cool on the countertop for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally. Dish soap will gel upon standing.
4. Transfer to a squirt bottle, and add essential oils (if using). Shake well to combine.

Now you’re ready to use your liquid dish soap just as you would use any commercial brand!