Quick Dill Refrigerator Pickles

This comes from Rachael Ray and is SO good to use up those fresh cucumbers that my neighbor brings me from her garden!

Quick Pickles
1/2 cup white vinegar, eyeball it
2 rounded teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove cracked garlic
1 teaspoon dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh dill leaves, chopped or snipped
1 bay leaf
4 kirby cucumbers, cut into 1-inch slices on an angle

Directions
Heat small saucepan over medium high heat. Add vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, salt, and garlic to the pan and cook until it begins to simmer and sugar dissolves. Toss the dill, bay leaf, and sliced cucumbers together in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the simmering liquid over the cucumbers and stir to evenly coat. Allow to cool to room temperature or chill before serving.

My Friend's Awesome Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Polleen's Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 eggs
1 cube butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar (1/2 c. light brown 1/2 c. dark brown)
2/3 cup shortening
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla (1 tsp. pure vanilla/ 1 tsp. vanilla extract)
1 tsp. baking soda
3 cups flour
1 pkg. semi sweet chocolate chips

Cream butter eggs and sugar.  Add vanilla.  Add sifted dry ingredients.  Blend in chocolate chips
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 miutes.

HAM AND CHEESE SLIDERS

These are pretty much my favorite.
From:  http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/04/ham-and-cheese-sliders.html

HAM AND CHEESE SLIDERS

• 24 white dinner rolls
• 24 pieces honey ham
• 24 small slices Swiss cheese
• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup miracle whip

Poppy seed sauce:

• 1 Tablespoon poppyseeds
• 1½ Tablespoons yellow mustard
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 Tablespoon minced onion
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. You do not have to use all of the sauce! Just use enough to cover the tops. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm. Note: Sandwiches can be assembled ahead of time. I don't like to do it more than a day ahead because they can get soggy from the mayo mixture.

Master Freezer Jam Formula

I feel like a moron.  Every time I make freezer jam I screw it up somehow.  You look at the recipe and think, "Anyone could make this!" and then I screw it up!

I like to think it's not entirely my fault.  According THIS ARTICLE that I found online, Sure Jell is up in the night with their freezer jam recipe.  I used the master freezer jam recipe included in the aforementioned article and FINALLY my jam set.  I want to put these instructions in a place I will find them again.  Here.

Master Freezer Jam Formula (Same for any fruit)

4 cups fruit

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 cups sugar

1/3 cup pectin (the amount contained in one box of Sure Jell).

Bring the fruit to a boil with the lemon juice, then add the sugar and return to a boil, then finally, add the pectin and boil the mixture hard for 1 minute.

That's 1 minute, not five, not even 1½. In this case, more is not better.

If you overboil it, you boil the 'set' right out of it,

The lemon juice acts as a catalyst to help the pectin do its job. The 2 tablespoons in the master formula is calibrated to bottled lemon juice, which has a consistent level of acidity; for that reason, it is advised against using fresh lemon juice.

And THIS is a nice little website explaining how to measure strawberries, which I always have to reference when making freezer jam.

1 quart of berries = 1 1/2 pounds of berries = 4 cups of berries

1 pint of berries = 3/4 pounds of berries = 2 cups of berries

Most recipes call for 1 quart of strawberries.

NO-FAIL Freezer Jam- Seriously even Strawberry Jam Sets
2 Cups Fruit
1 1/2- 2 Cups Sugar
1 small (3 oz. pkg) Jell-O

Wash and prepare fruit blending to the desired consistency.  Bring Fruit and sugar to a boil, add Jell-O and boil for 1 more minute.  Put in freezer safe containers and allow to cool for up to 24 hours to set.  Put in the freezer for up to one year.

*Note to self, when making jam, do it one batch at a time, not all at once, or you will burn the jam.  Jam fail #22

Best Cornbread Recipe Ever

I have been searching my whole life for a cornbread recipe that wasn't so crumbly and dry that it was impossible to spread butter on without it just coming apart in my hands, but also used ingredients that I had on hand and didn't require a special trip to the store.

This. Is. It.

Moist Cornbread Recipe:

§  1 c. cornmeal

§  3 c. all-purpose flour

§  1⅓ c. sugar – I used 1 cup

§  2 Tablespoons baking powder

§  1 teaspoon salt

§  ⅔ cup vegetable oil

§  ⅓ cup. melted butter

§  2 Tablespoons. honey

§  4 eggs, beaten – I used 3

§  2½ cups whole milk – I used 2 cups 2% and 1/2 cup whole

Instructions

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.

2.      In a large mixing bowl, stir the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

3.      Pour in the vegetable oil, melted butter, honey, beaten eggs, and milk, and stir just until moistened.

4.      Pour the batter into the greased baking dish and bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. (I had to bake for 50 mins) Watch the cornbread towards the end, you want it to be turning golden and starting to show some cracks.

5.      Remove from oven, serve warm with butter or honey or simply plain. It’s amazing!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole 

1 lb. Pasta (I used penne-you could use any fun shaped pasta)
1 cup Chicken Breasts, cooked and cubed
1 cup Ham, cooked and cubed
1 1/2 cups Milk
8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
2 Tbsp. Dried Minced Onion
2 cups Swiss Cheese, shredded
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne Pepper(optional-add to cheese mixture)
1 cup Panko Crumbs
1/2 cup Butter, melted

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over med-high heat. Salt it and add the pasta; cook until al dente (about 11 minutes-I used whole wheat pasta which takes a bit longer than regular pasta). Drain and return to the pot. Add in the chicken and ham and toss to combine.

Preheat the broiler. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream cheese and minced onion over low-medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it becomes a smooth texture (about 5 minutes). Stir into the pasta mixture. Stir in the Swiss cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer pasta to a baking dish and top with Panko crumbs. Pour melted butter over crumbs and broil until browned (I gave it 4 minutes).

Pizza Hash Casserole

Pizza Hash Casserole

Ingredients:

Rotini pasta
Spaghetti sauce, 
Cooked and seasoned ground beef
Pepperoni, 
Olives, 
Mozzarella cheese 

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 until warmed through and cheese melted and bubbly.