Sweet Pumpkin Dip

2 8 ounce boxes of cream cheese softened
1 15 ounce can 100% pumpkin
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger

Blend cream cheese and pumpkin in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add sugar, cinnamon and ginger. Mix thoroughly cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Serve with fresh fruit, bite-size cinnamon graham crackers, ginger snap cookies, pretzels or vanilla wafers.

Tomato, Avocado Salad

5 small tomatoes cut up
2 cucumbers peeled cut up
1/2 purple onion thinly sliced
2 ripe avocados cut into bite size pieces
1/2 bottle any Italian dressing
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all together and add dressing just before serving.

Dill Cucumber Salad

5 small tomatoes cut up
2 cucumbers sliced up
1/2 purple onion thinly sliced dressing
1/2 cup mayo
1 teaspoon dill (dry or fresh)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Mix together in a bowl and add dressing mixture

Turkey Wild Rice Salad

2 cups cubed turkey breast
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup seedless red grapes
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
4 green onions, sliced
1/3 cup raspberry vinaigrette

In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Stuffed French Toast

1 8 ounce package cream cheese
1/2 cup strawberry jam or your favorite flavor
1 loaf french bread or Texas toast
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Soften cream cheese and mix in jam. Set aside. Cut the french bread into 1 inch slices. Cut a hole into the side of each slice of bread. Put cream cheese mixture into a Ziploc bag cut a corner to use as a pipping bag. Fill each with cream cheese mixture. Mix together egg, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Dip each slice on both sides. Fry them up and serve with syrup.

Very Vanilla French Toast

1 cup milk
1 package (3 oz.) cook and serve vanilla pudding mix
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 slices Texas toast
3 teaspoons butter

In a bowl, whisk the milk, pudding mix, eggs and cinnamon for 2 min. Or until will blended. Dip toast in pudding mixture, coating both sides. Melt butter on a griddle, cook french toast for 2-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown

serves 4 (can be doubled)

Mom's Banana Shake

3-4 chunks frozen bananas
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Right before your bananas go brown, break them into chunks and freeze in Ziploc bags. In a blender put milk, vanilla, cinnamon and 3-4 banana pieces. The bananas will make the drink icy with out adding any ice. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes.

Eggs to Go

6 eggs lightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cups chopped deli ham
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon minced chives (optional)

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm.
Yield 12

Stuffed Zuchini Boats

5-6 small zucchinis
½ cup carrots, thinly sliced
½ cup celery
½ cup onion
½ cup mushroom
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups cooked rice
2 cans mushroom soup
1 pound ground beef
1 cup cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

In a large saucepan, sautee carrots, celery, onions, and mushrooms in oil. Cut ends off of each side of the zucchini. Cut in half and cut the half length wise. Scoop out seed with a mellon baller.
Blanch in boiling water for 5 minutes. Place in 9x13 pan, sprayed with Pam. Brown hamburger and cook rice. Add veggies and two cans of mushroom soup. Stuff each zucchini.
Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until heated thoroughly. -Barbie Squires

Breakfast Apple Cobbler in a Crock-pot

4 medium sized apples peeled
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. butter, melted
2 cups granola cereal

Spray inside of crock-pot with nonstick cooking spray. Place apples in the slow cooker and mix remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or on high for 2-3 hours

Serve with milk. Makes 4 servings.

Tamale Casserole Supreme

1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound chorizo (Mexican sausage)
1 -14 1/2 ounce can whole kernel corn
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes cut up
3 1/2 ounces sliced black olives
1 tbsp. seasoning salt
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1 egg well beaten
1 1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 grated jack or cheddar cheese

Brown beef and chorizo together. Drain most of fat. Pre-mix egg, milk and cornmeal. Put all the other ingredients except cheese into crock-pot (Including meat). Mix thoroughly. Place egg, milk, cornmeal mixture on top. Cook 5-6 hours on High or 10-12 hours on Low.

Add cheese 5-10 minutes before serving.

Creamy Italian Chicken

4 boneless chicken breast halves
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1 cube butter
1/2 cup water
8 ounces cream cheese
1 can condensed cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup undiluted
1 - 4 ounce can mushroom stems and pieces drained

Place chicken in bottom of crock-pot. Combine salad dressing mix and water. Pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and soup until blended. Stir in mushrooms, pour over chicken. Cook one hour longer, or until juices tun clear. Serve over pasta.

BBQ Pork Sandwiches

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 1/2 pound boneless pork shoulder roast netted or tied
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's condensed French onion soup
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
12 round sandwich rolls or hamburger buns

Heat the oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium high heat. Add pork and cook until brown on all sides. Stir ketchup, vinegar and brown sugar together in a 5 quart slow cooker. Add pork roast and turn to coat. Cover and cook on Low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until pork is fork tender.

Remove from cooker and place on cutting board. Let stand 10 minutes. Using two forks, shred pork and return to cooker. Divide the pork and sauce mixture among the rolls.

Cranberry Mellow Dessert

16 oz. can whole-berry cranberry sauce
8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups whipped topping
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 tsp. lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine the cranberry sauce, marshmallows, pineapple, and lemon juice. Fold in whipped topping. Transfer to a serving dish. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Pumpkin Squares

2 cups pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix pumpkin, eggs, oil, vanilla. Then mix all the dry ingredients together and slowly add to the wet. Pour into ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Cool before frosting.

FROSTING
2 lbs. powdered sugar
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 cube butter, melted
4 Tbs., or more of canned milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream together and frost the cooled bars. Top each square with a walnut half or a candy pumpkin.

Leftover Turkey Casserole

2 boxes Stovetop Stuffing
2 cups cooked turkey
gravy
mashed potatoes
1 cup cheddar cheese

Cook stuffing according to package directions. Place in bottom of 9X13 pan. Top with Turkey. Cover with gravy then mash potatoes and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Cook at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes until heated through.

Moms Jam Pocket

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup shorting
8oz. cream cheese
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups flour
Jam (any flavor)

Cream together butter and shorting with cream cheese. Then add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Wrap dough in wax paper and chill for one hour. Then half the ball and roll it out, to 1/4 in to 1/8, then using a round cookie cutter, cut as many circles as you can. Place a teaspoon of jam on one side of the circle and fold over and press closed with a fork around the edge. Poke holes with a fork and brush with can milk. bale at 375 for 15 min.

*This is a Diamond family favorite at Christmas time. We like to make a lot to give away.

Moms Pie Crust

2 cups flour
3/4 cups shorting
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 Tbs. vinegar
1 Tbs. water

Cut in flour and salt with shorting to pea size. Mix water, vinegar and egg together- pour over other ingredients. Form into ball and chill. Cut in half, this will make two 9" pie crust or some on top and bottom.

*This pie crust is very flaky and we have had it for 4 generations.

Can Can Taco Soup

1 can tomato (Mexican flavor) and juice
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 package taco seasoning mix
2 cans beef broth
2 cups water

In a pan, cook hamburger and onion together until meat is cooked through. Drain. Add all of the other ingredients and cook for 10-15 minutes. Toppings: Olives, cheese, sour cream, and fritos chips. -Barbie Squires

Cheddar Ham Soup

2 cups diced peeled potatoes
½ cup sliced carrots
¼ cup butter, cubed
2 cups milk
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ cups cubed, fully cooked ham
2 cups water
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup frozen peas, thawed

In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, water, carrots, and onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add the milk, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Stir into un-drained potato mixture. Add ham and peas; heat through. -Barbie Squires