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Cleaning Oven

Remove oven racks and soak in warm water with dish detergent for 2 hours

In the meantime, mix 1 cup baking soda with 1/3 cup water until a paste forms. Use a scrubber or dishrag to coat all surface areas of the oven with past. Let sit overnight.

Scrub racks with a stiff brush. Rinse and lay flat to dry.

The next day, use a spray bottle filled with vinegar and a nonabrasive pad to gently scrub away the baking soda sludge from the oven.

For areas with baked-on grease, gently scrape with a spatula or putty knife. Wipe surfaces clean with a microfiber cloth and aim to retouch in 3-6 months

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 cans (14 oz each) diced tomatoes (undrained)
  • 1 small can mild green chilies, diced
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth (may need up to a cup more)
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • salt/pepper to taste
  • 4 corn tortillas cut in 1/4” pieces (Grandma Morgenegg likes it better with tortilla chips instead of tortillas, the tortillas get soggy)
  • 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack
  • 1 avocado, diced and tossed with lime

Cook chicken, tomatoes, chilies, onion, garlic, chicken broth, and cumin until chicken is tender enough to be shredded. Shred chicken. return to liquid and season as desired. Add tortillas and cilantro before serving. Stir well to blend. Serve with cheese and avocados.

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Six Layer Brownie Bars

  • 1 box brownie mix, water, vegetable oil and egg called for in mix
  • 1/2 cup flaked coconut
  • 1/2 cup toffee bits
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 2/3 cup(from 14 oz can) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

Heat oven to 350 degrees (325 for dark non-stick pan). Line 8 inch square pan with foil, allowing some to hang over edges of pan. Grease bottom and sides of foil with shortening or cooking spray. Make brownie batter as directed on box. Spread in pan.

Bake 35 to 38 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inch from side of pan comes out almost clean.

Top with coconut, toffee bits, chocolate chips and pecans. Drizzle evenly with condensed milk. Bake 18 to 22 minutes longer or until golden brown and bubbling along edges. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 3 hours. Using foil to lift, remove brownies from pan, and peel foil away. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.

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Key Lime Bars With Animal Cracker Crust

Crust

  • 5 oz animal crackers (about 2 1/2 cups)
  • 3 Tbsp packed brown sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Filling

  • 2 oz cream cheese, softened
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 Tbsp lime zest, grated (about two limes)
  • 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 regular limes or 20 key limes)
  • 1 large egg yolk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8X8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil, press into corners and up the sides of the baking dish, leaving and overhand to easily remove bars when done. Spray with cooking spray. For the crust: add animal crackers, brown sugar and a pinch of salt to a food processor. process until you have fine crumbs. Drizzle in melted butter and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened with butter. Press crumbs evenly and firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and fragrant, about 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the filling: Stir together softened cream cheese, a pinch of salt, and grated lime zest. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk. Add the lime juice and whisk until smooth and creamy. Last, whisk in the egg yolk. Pour mixture over warm baked crust and spread out evenly. Return to oven and bake until filling is set barely beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 17-20 minutes.

Let cool on wire rack to room temperature (about 1 1/2 hours). Cover with foil and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. Remove from pan using the foil overhand; cut into squares and serve.

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Peachy Keen French Toast

  • 1 small package (3 ounce) vanilla instant pudding
  • 1 cup finely chopped fresh or canned peaches
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • 5 eggs, beaten
  • 12 slices of wheat of whole grain bread

Prepare pudding according to package directions. Fold in chopped peaches, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add eggs and mix well. Dip bread slices into mixture. Cook on well greased skillet over medium heat, turning frequently so toast doesn’t scorch.

Peach Syrup

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 cups pureed fresh or canned peaches
  • 1 Tbs lemon juice
  • 1/3 of recipe if you don’t want a ton of syrup
  • 1/3 cup and 3 TBS sugar
  • 3 TBS water
  • 1 cup pureed fresh or canned peaches
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice

Combine sugar and water in medium saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring to boil over medium heat. Boil 1 minute. Add peach puree. Return to low and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice. Store in refrigerator in tightly sealed container.

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Pumpkin Dessert (from Krista Loiacono)

  • 1 (29 oz) can of pumpkin (Store extra pumpkin in freezer in bags measured out for recipe because it only lasts about 1 week in the fridge)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
  • 1 box of yellow cake mix
  • 1 cup chopped nuts whatever kind you like
  • 2 sticks of butter
  • Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13 by 9 pan

Mix first 3 ingredients. Add spices and slowly blend in the milk. Pour into the pan. Sprinkle the cake mix over the pumpkin mixture. Use a fork to break up any clumps. Sprinkle the nuts. Melt the butter and drizzle evenly over the cake and nuts. Bake for 50 minutes or until firm. Serve with cool whip or plain. Enjoy!

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Crockpot Lemon Garlic Chicken

  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 lbs chicken breasts
  • 2 Tbs butter
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3 Tbs lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
  • 1 tsp minced fresh garlic

Combine oregano, salt and pepper. Rub all of mixture into chicken. Brown in butter in skillet. Transfer to slow cooker.

Place water, lemon juice, garlic and bouillon cubes in a skillet. Bring to boil, loosening browned bits from skillet and pour over chick.

Cover, cook on high 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or low for 4 to 5 hours. Add parsley and baste chicken, cover and cook on high 15-30 minutes, until chicken is tender.

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Strawberry Bread

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 1-1/4 cups vegetable oil
  • 2 cups fresh, sliced strawberries

Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bow. Add the eggs, oil and strawberries and mix just until moistened. Spoon into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool in the pans for several minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

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Kneaders Double Chocolate Peppermint Brownies

  • 1 cup butter
  • 4 oz unsweetened chocolate
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Melt the chocolate and butter in a 2 quart bowl in the microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring every 20-30 seconds until the chocolate is melted. Cool slightly.

Add sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix well with a spatula.

Add the flour and stir to combine.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread into a buttered 13 inch by 9 inch by 2 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Do not over cook. Cool.

Ingredients: Filling

  • 1/2 cups softened butter, margarine, or shortening
  • 2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 2 drops mint flavoring or to taste
  • 1 drop pink food coloring

In a small bowl, beat the confectioners sugar, butter and mint flavoring until smooth.

Add food coloring to make a light pink.

Spread evenly over cooled brownies and then chill.

Ingredients: Chocolate Ganache

  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • crushed peppermint (red and white)

Put the chocolate chips and cream into a small bowl.

Microwave on high for 1 minute stirring every 20-30 seconds until chocolate is melted. Do not over heat.

Immediately pour over brownies.

Decorate with crushed peppermint.

Do not refrigerate. Mixture will set up on brownies in about 15-20 minutes.

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English Muffin Toasting Bread

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 Tbs sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soada
  • 1 Tbs instant yeast
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 Tbs vegetable oil or olive oil cornmeal, to sprinkle in pan

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl.

Combine the milk, and oil in a separate, microwave- safe bowl, and heat to between 120 degrees and 130 degrees. Be sure to stir the liquid well before measuring it’s temperature; you want an accurate reading. If you don’t have a thermometer, the liquid will feel quite hot (hotter than lukewarm), but not so hot that it would be uncomfortable as bath water.

Pour the hot liquid over the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl.

Beat at high speed for 1 minute. The dough will be very soft.

Lightly grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 loaf pan, and sprinkle the bottom and sides with cornmeal.

Scoop the soft dough into the pan, leveling it in the pan as much as possible.

Cover the pan, and let the dough rise till it’s just barely crowned over the rim of the pan. When you look at the rim of the pan from eye level, you should see the dough, but it shouldn’t be more than, say, 1/4″ over the rim. This will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour, if you heated the liquid to the correct temperature and your kitchen isn’t very cold. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the cover, and bake the bread for 22 to 27 minutes, til it’s golden brown and it’s interior temperature is 190 degrees.

Remove the bread from the oven, and after 5 minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.