"The Jam of Life" aka Rhubarb/Blueberry Jam

7 Cups Chopped Rhubarb
4 C Sugar
1 Can Blueberry Pie Filling
2 - 3oz pkgs Rapsberry jello

Cook rhubarb, sugar and pie filling over low-med heat. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in jello until dissolved. Pour into jars. When cool, put in freezer.

This is our family's favorite jam.   I have to make sure to make enough to last all winter.

YUM!!!!!!!

Zucchini Bread

3 Eggs
2 C Sugar
2 C Grated Zucchini
1 C Oil
1 Tbls Vanilla
3 C Flour
1 Tbls Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 C Chopped Nuts (Opt)

Beat eggs until foamy. Stir in sugar, zucchini, vanilla and oil. Mix well. Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda and nuts. Mix well. Pour into greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for one hour. Let rest about 20 minutes before removing from pans. Yield: 2 regular size loafs or approx 6 small.

Tin Foil Chicken

4-6 chicken breast halves (depending on how many you're feeding and how much you want for leftovers)
1 bag of pasta accents cheddar flavor for every two chicken breast halves
mayo
Dijon mustard

Mix desired ratio of mayo and dijon mustard. I like more mayo and less mustard (not a mustard fan but like a little for flavor) I probably do about 1/2 cup mayo to a few TBS of mustard. Play around with it you'll find a flavor you like.
Pound the chicken breast with a mallet until thin. Place in a sheet of tin foil and spread a layer of mayo/mustard mixture. Cover with half a bag of pasta accents and fold up tin foil. Repeat for each chicken breast. Bake at 350 until chicken is cooked through. (Mom can you give a better time on it. I just watch it.)
The pasta accents are in your frozen veggie section of the grocery store. They are made by Green Giant I think. They include the pasta, broccoli, carrots, and the cheese sauce. If you don't like cheese sauce there is a garlic option that is still good we just prefer the cheese one.

Best Pancakes!

1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 egg
1 1/4 cup buttermilk (or substitute, see below)
1/4 cup oil

Mix it all up and pour onto a preheated skillet in desired pancake sizes and shapes. My kids prefer Mickey Mouse shaped ones. I like em big and fluffy. We have these at least once a week for dinner. So easy and yummy. I freeze the leftovers if/when we have any for breakfasts for the coming week. I like mine with peanut butter and syrup and with summer coming I have more fruit in the house so I'll start doing that instead. My kids like them with syrup and sometimes jam or peanut butter. So yum!

**Buttermilk substitution. I never have buttermilk so I use the one TBS of vinegar for one cup of regular milk. I mix that together at the beginning and let it sit until I have everything else mixed together then add it. Comes out perfect every time. To make dairy free make the buttermilk with Soy milk.

Red and White Mostaccioli

1 lb uncooked mostaccioli or other tubular pasta
Alfredo Sauce
1 26 oz jar meatless spaghetti sauce
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain
Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer half the pasta, half the Alfredo sauce, half the spaghetti sauce and 1 1/2 cups cheese. Repeat the layering with the remaining pasta, alfredo, spaghetti sauce, and cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake about 30 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly.
Serve with green salad and French bread.

Verdict: This is a favorite at our house and one I try to keep all the ingredients for in my pantry. It's so easy and is a really yummy filling meal that everyone loves.

Yummy Sandwiches

One package of Homestyle Rolls - cut in half. Put the bottom in a 9 x 13 pan. Top each with a slice of thinly sliced ham or turkey and a slice of cheese. Use any kind of cheese to your taste preference. We like Turkey with Pepper Jack, most of the family likes ham and swiss (although I don't know how any one can each swiss cheese).
In a small bowl or pan, melt 1 cube butter and stir in 1 1/2 Tbs poppy seeds, 1 1/2 Tbs mustard, 1 1/2 Tbs worcestershire sauce and 1 tsp onion flakes. Pour over the top of the rolls. Cover with foil and refrigerate over night. When ready to cook, put in a 275 deg oven for 30 minutes, remove the foil and cook for another 5 minutes.

Hot Fudge Cake

1 C Packed Brown Sugar
1 C Flour
3 Tbsp Cocoa
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 C Milk
2 Tbsp Melted Butter
1/2 Tsp Vanilla

3/4 C Packed Brown Sugar
1/4 C Cocoa
1 3/4 C Boiling Water

Mix together 1 C brown sugar, flour, 3 Tbsp cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla. Spread this over the bototm of a crock pot. Mix together 3/4 C brown sugar and 1/4 C cocoa. Sprinkle over mixture in crock pot. Pour boiling water over top. DO NOT stir!! Cover and cook on high 2 to 3 hours or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream

Cream Cheese Mints

3 oz cream cheese
3-4 C Powdered Sugar
Granulated Sugar
Flavoring and coloring

Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar & flavorings and coloring. Add powdered sugar as needed. Roll into balls and coat with granulated sugar. Press into mold. Popout and let dry.

Banana Cream Pie

Combine 1/3 c Flour, 3/4 C Sugar, 1/8 Tsp Salt, then stir in 2 beaten eggs. Slowly add to 2 C Scalded Milk. Cook until thick and smooth, over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add 1/2 Tsp Vanilla and 2 Tbs Butter. Cool, pour into pastry shell. Top with Bananas, coconut, etc and serve with whipped cream.

Thanks mom for this recipe.

I Promise

To do better at posting our favorites.....notice the next one for a great easy cobbler....love you all

Easy Dessert Cobbler

This is my new favorite dessert.....

Put two cans of pie filling - I like peach - in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan

Put one dry yellow cake mix on top of pie filling. Melt one cup of butter and pour over cake mix. Bake for 25-35 minutes at 350, until golden brown on top.

This is great with ice cream.

Yum!!

Cheesy Volcano Meatballs

I got these from one of my Kraft foods magazines. I never knew meatballs were so easy and fast. My kids love this!

1 lb ground beef (I always use ground turkey)
6 Ritz crackers, finely crushed
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
3/4 cup spaghetti sauce, divided
12 Kraft Cheddar Cheese Cubes (I just make my own with whatever cheese I have in the fridge)
4 hot dog buns

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix meat, cracker crumbs, parmesan and 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce. Shape into 12 meatballs, using about 2 Tbsp meat mixture for each.

Place, 2 inches apart, in shallow baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Press 1 cheese cube deeply into center of each meatball.

Bake 14 minutes or until meatballs are done (160 degrees). Meanwhile, microwave reamaining sauce in microwaveable bowl on High 30 sec. or until heated through. Spoon onto buns, fill with meatballs, and enjoy!

These take a max of 20-25 minutes.