Grandma Linda’s Mashed Potato Casserole

5 lb russet potatoes
1 block cream cheese
1 to 2 sticks butter (depending on how healthy your arteries are)
1 cup sour cream
¼ to ½ cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika and fresh parsley to pretty it up

Peel and quarter potatoes. Boil 20 minutes and mash while hot.
Preheat oven to 350.
Add room temperature sour cream, half of butter and cream cheese. Mash together while slowly adding milk till you reach the consistency you like (you can leave out the milk if you like them stiff). Pack into a large, round, glass oven safe bowl. Take the back of a long wooden spoon and poke half a dozen or so holes in the mash (if you poke them close to the outer edge you get these beautiful little butter trails down the side). Cut the remaining butter into pats and place them on top of the mash. Sprinkle paprika salt and pepper on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Add chopped parsley before serving.
You can add gravy but you may want to double up on your cholesterol meds first.

Low fat option
5 lb russet potatoes
1 block Neufchatel cream cheese
1 stick of butter ( its not the same without it)
1 cup non fat sour cream or plain non fat yogurt
¼ to ½ cup skim milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Submitted by Kerry Frandsen

Sweet Potato Casserole

Submitted by Luisa Echeverria

3 Cups cooked sweet potato (Peel and cut into quarters before boiling)
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cub of milk
2 eggs (Allow sweet potato to coot before adding eggs)
1 tsp vanilla
3.4 stick of butter
1 Cup Coconut

Once sweet potatoes are cooked use mixer to combine the other ingredients leaving the eggs for last to allow the mixture to cool.

Topping:

1 Cup Chopped pecans
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 stick of butter
1/2 Cup of flour

using a pastry cutter or fork blend until lumpy, then sprinkle over sweet potato mixture.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Yummy Yams

Yams
8X8 pan
(Double the yams concoction and triple the topping to make a 9X13 pan)

3 C sweet potatoes
1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs beaten
3 Tbls melted butter
1/2 C mild
1 tsp vanilla

Mash all of this together and put in a greased pan.

Topping
3 Tbls butter
1/3 C flour
1 C brown sugar
1 C chopped pecans

Mix up and sprinkle on top

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes in a 8X8
Bake at 350 for 60 minutes in a 9X13

Submitted by Karine Romero

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Submitted by Lou Martinez
YOU WILL NEED:
1 1/2 teaspoons Olive Oil
1/4 tomato diced
1/3 cup red onion
1 large garlic clove
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 cans of Chicken Broth (14 1/2 oz. each)
2 table spoons Jalapeno peppers (minced)
1 LB bag of smoked boneless, skinless chicken Breast
Bag of yellow Tortilla Chips
Lime Wedges
2 Ripe avocados

1. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil in large (6 quart) pot.
Add 1/3 Cup diced red onion, 1 large garlic clove minced, and 2 Tablespoons seeded and minced Jalapeno pepper.

2. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are soften, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in 1/4 lb. fully cooked smoked boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced and 4 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) chicken broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove pot from heat. Add 1/2 cup fresh corn kernel, 1/3 cup fresh tomato and 1/4 cup pack fresh cilantro leaves.
3. Divide soup between 4 serving bowls. Garnish each serin with 1 small lime wedge, squeezed, 1/4 of a diced avocado and 2-3 tortilla chips, broken into pieces. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

My Grandma's Chocolate Chip Coconut/Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

1 C (2 sticks) Butter, softened
1 C White Sugar
1 C Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
2 C Flour
2 C Oatmeal
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 C Coconut, toasted (**see below)
1/2 C Nuts (I use ** toasted chopped pecans)
1 1/2 C Chocolate Chips

Cream butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Add flour, oatmeal, b soda, b powder, salt and blend all together well. Remove and stir in coconut, nuts, and chocolate chips. Bake on greased cookie sheet for approx 10-11 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool slightly before removing from pan. Yummy!

** Toasting coconut & nuts: I do this before beginning the cookies so they can cool before being stirred into cookies. Place coconut in small pan into 350 degree oven for approx 12 minutes. Remove and stir every 2 minutes or more often toward the end when beginning to brown. Remove and do the same for the nuts except 5-6 minutes stirring every 1-2 minutes.

Monster Cookies-Danette

1/2 C (1 stick) Butter, softened
1 C Brown Sugar (-2T. for elevation)
1 C Sugar (-2 T. for elevation)
3 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 C Peanut Butter
2 tsp Baking Soda
4 1/2 C Oatmeal
4 T Flour (for elevation to replace sugars)
1 1/2 C M&M's
1/2 C Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter mixing well. Then add baking soda, oatmeal, and flour. Stir in M&M's and c. chips by hand. Dough is very heavy and dense. Form into large balls (or hearts, easter eggs, footballs, etc.) and press some M&M's on top. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for approx 11 minutes. Take out and allow to cool slightly before removing so they set up a little. Most often they go into the freezer in a tightly sealed container. When thawed, they'll be soft and chewy. Enjoy!

Cereal Snack Mix

4 C Rice Chex
4 C Special K
4 C Kix
4 C Cheerios
2 C Sugar
3/4 C Light Karo syrup
1 stick margarine
1 C Whipping Cream, unwhipped

In a large bowl mix te cereals. Set aside. In a sauce pan, heat sugar, karo syrup, and margarine. Bring to a boil then add whipping cream. Stir while boiling and bring to a soft ball stage on a candy themometer. Pour over cerals and mix. Stir peridically as it cools. Store in an airtight container.