Pam's Vegetable Lasagne

1 cup zucchini -- diced
1 cup yellow squash -- diced
1 cup fresh mushrooms -- sliced
1/2 Teaspoon garlic -- minced
6 tablespoons margarine
1 Teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 1/4 Teaspoons salt
1 cup carrots -- steamed and diced
1 cup broccoli florets -- steamed
6 Tablespoons flour
1/2 Teaspoon white pepper
3 cups 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese -- freshly grated
1 Package lasagna noodles -- (16 oz.)
1 Pound Low-fat mozzarella cheese -- shredded 1
2 Cups Cottage Cheese
1 Package frozen spinach -- (10 oz.) thawed, chopped and drained
3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese -- freshly grated
Fresh parsley -- chopped

Sauté zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms and garlic until tender in 2 tbsp. margarine. Add Italian seasoning and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir in carrots and broccoli; set aside and cool. Melt remaining margarine in saucepan; add flour, pepper and remaining salt. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes. Stir in milk and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. Set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse in cool water and drain. Grease lasagna pan. Spoon only enough white sauce into lasagna pan to barely cover the bottom. Line with 3 noodles; spoon 1/2 the vegetable mixture over noodles, placing it down the center of each noodle; sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese over the vegetable mixture. Cover with another layer of pasta; spread with 1/2 the spinach; cover with 1/2 the remaining white sauce. Repeat the layering; 3 noodles; remaining vegetables, 1/2 remaining mozzarella; 3 noodles, remaining ricotta, spinach and white sauce. Cover with remaining mozzarella; sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley over top. Bake 45 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Serve with crisp green salad and fresh bread.

Honey Apple Salad

3 1/2 Cups Diced Red Apples -- unpeeled
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
2 Cups Green Grapes -- halved
1 Cup Thinly Sliced Celery
1/2 Cup Craisins or Raisins
2 Tablespoons Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans

In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. Add grapes, celery, and raisins. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, salt and honey. Mix Well. Pour over apple mixture and stir to coat. Refrigerate. Stir in nuts just before serving.

Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies

1 Cup Butter
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 1/4 Cups All-purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Quick Cooking Oats
1 Cup Grated Coconut -- I put shredded in food processor to cut up
1 Cup Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Toffee Bits

Preheat oven to 375° In a large electric mixer bowl, cream butter sand sugars together until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until fluffy. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with the dry oatmeal.

Stir in coconut, chocolate chips and toffee. Drop by teaspoonsful onto cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Makes 5 dozen


NOTES : I always double the recipe. After you bake the first pan, if they spread out to much, add some more flour. They are really good

Banana Pudding Pie

Crust:
2 cups vanilla wafer cookies (about 1 1/4 cups crumbs)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter -- melted
Filling:
2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas -- (2 to 3)
For The Topping:
1 cup heavy cream -- chilled
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325° F.

To Make The Crust: In a food processor, finely grind the cookies. Add the sugar and pulse until combined. Slowly add the butter and pulse until well incorporated and moist clumps form. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan. Press the crust evenly into the bottom and up the sides. Bake until set, about 8-10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack, or overnight
.
To Make The Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla. Over medium-low heat, cook, whisking continuously, until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Place plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding and place in the refrigerator and cool completely, at least two hours or overnight.
Assembly: Spoon half the cooled pudding evenly over the bottom of the crust. (My pudding was very thick, so I thinned it out slightly with a little milk prior to assembling the pie). Peel the bananas and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. Create a layer of banana slices, reserving some for garnish. Spoon the remaining pudding evenly over the bananas. Place the pie in the refrigerator to set while making the whipped cream topping.

To Make the Topping: In the large bowl, place the cream, sugar, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form (You want the cream stiff enough to hold it's shape but not over whipped or it will curdle.) Spoon or use a pastry bag to pipe the whipped cream evenly over the pie filling. Chill the pie until set, at least 4 hours or overnight. Before serving garnish with extra vanilla wafers or bananas, if desired.


NOTES : I usually do my cream pies in the microwave. Check out Mom's Cream Pie in this blog.

Snickerdoodle Bread

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup butter -- softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. sour cream
1 pkg. Hershey’s cinnamon chips
TOPPING:
3 T. sugar
3 t. cinnamon


Cream butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon until fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix well. Mix flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add to wet ingredients and mix until all combined. Add cinnamon chips and stir into batter. Set aside. Spoon batter into 4 mini loaf pans until about 2/3 full.
Mix 3 T. sugar and 3 t. cinnamon in a bowl and sprinkle over the batter in each loaf pan.

Bake at 350° for 35-38 minutes. Let cool before removing from pan.


NOTES : Makes 4 Mini Loaves.

Snickerdoodle Muffins

1 1/2 Cups Self-rising Flour
1 Cup Quick-cooking Oatmeal
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Large Egg
4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
1 Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Topping:
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Mix all dry ingredients together; flour, oats, 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Mix egg, butter, vanilla and milk together. Add wet mixture to dry mixture until combined, mixing by hand. Fill muffin cup 3/4 full and bake at 400° for 12 to 14 minutes.

While baking, mix the topping together - 1/3 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Once they are out of the oven, put topping on muffins. If you prefer, brush muffin with some melted butter before you put the topping on, it will help it stick better.

Pizza Sandwich

1 pound Hamburger
5/8 tablespoon Chili Powder
1/4 tablespoon Garlic Salt
1/4 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1/4 tablespoon Oregano
1 can Pizza Sauce

Brown hamburger. Drain and put in a large pan with the remaining ingredients. Simmer for approximately 45 minutes.

To serve, grill sour dough bread and top with Swiss or Mozzarella cheese.