Cinnamon rolls

 DOUGH:
1/4 cup butter
2 cups milk
6 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 package yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs

Melt butter and milk in microwave for 1 1/2 minutes until very warm. Set aside. Combine 2 cups flour, salt, yeast, and sugar. Add milk mixture. Adds eggs. Mix well. Add 4 cups flour. Mix well. Place dough on floured surface, knead until smooth. Add more flour, if sticky. Grease a large bowl. Place dough in bowl. Spray dough with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. about 30 minutes. ( I used a heating pad) Turn risen dough on floured surface and cut in half.

CINNAMON SPREAD:
1/4 cup butter (room temperature)
4 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar

Roll each piece of dough out to a 9x13 rectangle. Spread dough with butter. Mix together in a small bowl cinnamon, sugar, and brown sugar. Then sprinkle buttered rolled dough with suar cinnamon mixture. Roll up from 9" end and cut into 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch sections. Place on greased baking sheet. Repeat with 2nd half of dough. Let rolls rise for 30 minutes in a warm place, again. Bake rolls at 350 for 25 minutes.

FROSTING:
1/2 stick butter (room temperature)
1 bag powder sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
milk

Whip butter. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add milk to achieve spreading consistency. Spread frosting on warm rolls.

Additional notes:

5 star rating: *****

Time consuming, but Ooooh so delicious!

Irresistable cherry cake

CAKE:
1 package white cake mix with pudding
1 package cherry gelatin
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1/2 cup liquid from cherries
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 eggs


FROSTING:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 stick butter (room temperature)
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup chopped cherries
1-2 tablespoons liquid from cherries


Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2- nine inch round cake pans. In a large mixing bowl, combine all cake ingredients, except for the chopped maraschino cherries, using an electric mixer. ( beat 5 minutes) stir in chopped cherries. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges to remove cakes.

For the frosting:
Combine cream cheese and butter with electric mixer on low. Add powder sugar, then cherries, then the cherry liquid. Mix well. Frost cakes tops. Put one cake on top of the other and frost sides. Put any extra cherries on top, if desired.

Additional notes:
5 star rating: *****
This is my husbands favorite cake. I made this cake for the first time on Valentines day 2008. Which was our first Valentines day together. He loved it so much, he asks for it every year for his birthday!

Strawberry bagel supreme

6 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest (grated)
2 teaspoons FRESH lemon juice
3 cups diced strawberries
(8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
6-8 pkg bagels (flavor of your choice) toasted

In a skillet over high heat, add brown sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cook 1 minute until sugar melts. Add strawberries. Cook 1 minute. Spread cream cheese over toasted bagels. Top with strawberry sauce. Cut each half bagel into fourths. You can refrigerate strawberry sauce for 2 days. Or freeze up to 1 month.

Additional notes:
This is so good! Its perfect for an appetizer at a party. Or a breakfast treat!

Caramel bars

Ingredients:

 4 sticks salted butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
4 cups flour
1 (14oz) bag caramel candy
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugars until creamy. Add 2 tablespoons vanilla. Gradually add flour, mix until a soft dough forms. Preheat oven to 325. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Press 1/2 of the dough into the bottom of the dish. Place the remaining dough in the refrigerator. Bake the prepared dish in the preheated oven for20 minutes. Then let cool 15 minutes.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine unwrapped candies, heavy whipping cream, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Microwave 1 minute. Stir. If not melted completely, microwave 30 seconds and stir. Repeating until melted. Pour caramel over crust. Sprinkle with sea salt. Remove remaining dough from the refrigerator. Crumble it over the top of the caramel. Return to the oven 25-30 minutes. Let cool before cutting.

Additional Notes:
4 star rating ****

These caramel bars are very good, but ooh so sweet! Cut into small bars, I bet you can handle more than one.

Mexican Taco Meatloaf

1 egg
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup salsa
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup to 1 cup crushed doritos (flavor of your choice)
1 pound hamburger
extra shredded cheddar cheese for the top
1/2 cup salsa for the top

In a large bowl, whisk together the first 6 ingredients (except doritos, hamburger and the EXTRA cheese and salsa). Add hamburger. Mix well. Add doritos until it has the consistency of regular meatloaf. ( you may add more or less doritos as desired texture) Place meatloaf mixture in a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour or so until done. Add the extra salsa and then the cheese on top. Return to the oven just until the cheese melts. (5 minutes)

Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, black olives, salsa, and sour cream if desired.

 Additional Notes:
**** 4 star rating
We tried it plain, Since it was my first attempt to make this. Next time Ill use the extra toppings.

Sweet and tangy chicken

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 package dry french onion mix
1 (8oz) bottle russian dressing
1 small jar apricot preserves or 1/2 cup

Mix all ingredients together except chicken. Place chicken in a baking pan. Sprinkle with pepper. Pour sauce over the chicken. Roast 400 degrees 1/2 hour-1 hour or til no longer pink.

Additional notes:
5 star rating *****
absolutely delicious

Puppy Chow

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
2 cups chocolate chips (whole bag)
1 teaspoon vanilla
11 cups crispix cereal (whole box)
3 cups powdered sugar

combine peanut butter, butter, and chocolate chips in a saucepan. stirring constantly over med-low heat. After its melty, add vanilla. place crispix in a large bowl. pour over chocolate mixture. mix together until its well coated. place 1 cup of powdered sugar in a gallon size ziplock, with 1/3 of the cereal mixture. shake to coat. pour into resealable container. repeat twice.


Additional notes:
5 star rating *****
A holiday favorite of mine.