Granny's Potato Salad (A Mix to taste recipe)

-This is a Potato Salad recipe that my husband absolutely loves! It's been in the family for 3 generations, and I make it every single Thanksgiving and Christmas.

-Now, keep in mind that these are estimates of the amounts to add. You will need more for more people, and less for less people. This batch here makes plenty for my 4 person family with enough left overs for all of us.

1.) Make real mashed potatoes (you'll need about 2&1/2-3 lb for this recipe)

2.) 5 hard boiled eggs, diced

3.) about half a medium sized onion

4.) 3-4 heaping tbsp sweet pickle relish (and squeeze a little juice out too)

5.) 1 tbsp mustard

6.) 2-3 tbsp salad dressing (you may want more or less, depending on how it tastes to you)

7.) salt and pepper to taste

-Mix Ingredients together one at a time starting with number one.

-Once everything is mixed well together cover your potato salad and refrigerate for at least 2 hours so it will chill all the way through.

Hopefully this is pretty easy to understand. Enjoy!!!!!!

The Perfect Holiday Treat

Giant sugar cookies w/ pumpkin cream cheese frosting

(not exactly healthy, but so good your family will love them!)

You will need: 1 stick unsalted butter

(for the cookies) 1 large egg

2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder 1/4 cup sour cream (you can

1/2 tsp salt substitute tofu sour cream)

1/4 tsp baking soda 1&1/2 cups sugar

You will need:

(for the frosting)

8 oz cream cheese, softened (tofu cream cheese is delicious in this recipe!! you honestly cannot taste the difference in this or the cookies if you choose the tofu route)

1/4 cup pumpkin puree (i use the stuff in the can)

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp fresh orange juice (i prefer making some from frozen concentrate for this recipe, quicker and easier, but if you have a juicer then real fresh tastes wonderful also)

1 tsp grated orange zest (optional)

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

4 cups sifted powdered sugar

Cookie Instructions:

1.) preheat oven to 350°

2.) in a medium sized mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. set this bowl aside for now.

3.) using an electric mixer on medium to med-high beat butter and sugar together until they're light and fluffy looking (about 2-3 minutes usually) Add the egg and vanilla and beat well to combine. *Don't forget that if you have a little one who is allergic to eggs there are plenty of substitutes out there for eggs that work great in most recipes!

4.) w/ your mixer on low add half the flour mixture followed by the sour cream and mix well then add the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until smooth. If the dough gets to thick for your mixer don't be afraid to get your CLEAN hands dirty! Sometimes it's more fun that way :)

5.) Drop spoon fulls of dough equal to about 3 tbsp on your ungreased cookie sheet a couple of inches apart. Bake until the edges start to firm and the cookies are beginning to brown (20 minutes give or take a few)

6.) cool your cookies on a rack and either put in your second batch or get ready to make the yummy frosting!

Frosting Instructions:

1.) Don't put your mixer away yet! Beat together the cream cheese, pumpkin, butter, orange juice & zest, and the vanilla in a large bowl until they're smooth.

2.) Add the sugar 1 cup at a time and continue to beat at medium speed until you achieve the consistency you like or until it is light and smooth.

Once your cookies are cooled, frost them w/ your pumpkin frosting and serve.

Enjoy!

The Best Cheesy Garlic Bread Ever!

You will need:

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mayo

1/4 cup margarine/butter

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 loaf french bread, halved length-wise

1.) Combine all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and load it onto your french bread halves.

2.) Place on cookie sheet/broiler pan and broil on middle oven rack until the top begins to brown. Serve warm.

You will learn about me in future recipes that my husband and daughters are all allergic to dairy products. If you have the same/similar problem DON'T BE AFRAID TO TRY THIS RECIPE or any other containing dairy! There is always a substitute!

Go check out a smith's/fry's grocery store (or your local grocery store if it has a health food section) or any health food store and try their Tofu and Soy cheeses! My husband and daughter's all LOVE soy cheese so we can still eat all the good stuff. I can't wait to get some and try this recipe with it :)

Welcome!

Welcome to my food blog!!!

I've decided I want to share all my favorite recipes w/ you!!

I've been a mom for 4 wonderful years now and a wife for a little bit longer than that and let me just admit that when I first got married I was a terrible cook. haha!

The only things I could "cook" were instant mashed potatoes, box mac'n'cheese, and toast! lol I even went through a phase where I wanted to eat out all the time to try to avoid the fact that I was such a failure in the kitchen :/

But all of that is changed now and altho I don't LOVE to cook, I LOVE the outcome of cooking and I love to make my family happy when I do cook! So this blog is going to be an ongoing compilation of my favorite recipes for everything you can think of: deserts, appetizers, main courses, and of course snacks. And maybe there will be a few good drinks in there as well!

So I hope you enjoy everything! And don't let cooking scare you. Once you get the hang of it, it's not as hard as you thought :)