Chipped Beef Dip Appetizer
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
9 oz. sandwich chipped beef (pressed beef in deli meat section)
1/4 cup chopped green onion
Bread bowl or loaf of french bread (cut open and insides dug out). Mix ingredients and fill bread bowl. Put the top of the bread bowl back on and cover with foil. Bake at 300° for 1 1/2 hours. Serve with wheat thins, bread cubes, or any other crackers. This also is a favorite Christmas Eve appetizer as well!
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
This is so tender and so versatile to serve so many different ways.
1 3-4 pound boneless pork roast
3 cups barbecue sauce (more if you want)
Cider vinegar
Tabasco (optional)
Season the pork with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker. Pour bbq sauce over the pork, cover, and cook on low 8 hours or more until the pork is fork-tender and falling apart. Transfer meat to a bowl and let cool. Turn off slow-cooker and let liquid in the cooker settle for 5 mins, then skim fat off the surface. Season the sauce with vinegar, Tabasco, and salt and pepper to taste. Shred meat, discarding excess fat and gristle. Toss the shredded meat with 1 cup of the the sauce, add more if needed to keep moist. Serve passing the remaining sauce separately. Serve on rolls or buns as sandwiches with grated cheese on top, or don't shred, but just break into peices and serve with your favorite potato side (fries, baked or cheesy potatoes, potato salad, etc.)
Corn Muffins
(You can use this recipe for regular or mini-muffins.)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
¾ cup sour cream (can use light if you want)
½ cup milk
Adjust oven to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Generously coat muffin tins with vegetable oil spray. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together, then whisk in melted butter, sour cream, and milk until smooth. Gently fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined, don't overmix. Fill regular muffin tins about 2/3-3/4 full, do not level or flatten the surface of the mounds. Bake until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out with just a few crumbs attached, about 13-18 minutes. (For mini-muffins, use about 1 Tbs batter for each cup and bake about 8-9 minutes.) Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 mins., then flip onto a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes and serve warm.
Beehive Honey Butter
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine softned butter, honey, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on hight speed for about 3 minutes until thickened. Spoon into small jars or containers and refrigerate. Keeps in refrigerator up to 4 weeks. For a yummy variation, try Raspberry Honey Butter by using 1 cup softened butter, 4 oz. Honey, 4 oz. Raspberry jam, and ½ tsp vanilla. This is so yummy on whole wheat bread.
Raspberry Lemonade
2 cups raspberries (can use fresh or frozen)
½ -1 cup sugar (to taste and depends on how ripe fruit is)
12 oz. Can Minute Maid frozen lemonade concentrate
Optional garnishes: lemon or lime slices, or chopped fresh mint
In a blender, combine raspberries, sugar and 1 cup water. Blend until smooth. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl (will get about 2 cups juice), discard seeds. In a large pitcher, pour lemonade concentrate and mix with approximately 6 ½ –7 ½ cups water (to taste). Add raspberry mixture to pitcher, stir and chill. Serve over a glass of ice. Add thinly sliced lemon or lime or chopped mint sprigs (I like to use lime). Try serving in Sugar Frosted Glasses.
Sugar Frosting a Glass: Wash and dry your glasses (you can use tempered glass or even plastic, but do not use crystal if you're going to put them in the freezer!) Pour some granulated sugar in a small bowl. Cut lemon or lime slices. Cut a slit in a slice and rub the slice around the top rim of each glass, then immediately dip the rim in the sugar to coat the juice. You can also slide the slice on the edge of the glass and put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes to chill the glass before serving.
Black Bottom Cupcakes
(This recipe can be used for regular or mini cupcakes)
Filling:
8 oz cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 c. sugar
1 (6-oz) pkg semisweet chocolate chips (mini chocolate chips work great)
Cake: (I use a devil’s food cake mix made according to package directions, but if you are ambitious here is a scratch recipe)
1 ½ c. sifted flour
1 c. sugar
1 tsp soda
¼ c. cocoa
½ tsp salt
1 c. water
1/3 c. oil
1 T. vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
Beat cream cheese, egg, sugar and salt in a bowl. Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside. Beat all cake ingredients until blended. Fill cupcakes liners 1/2 full. Top each with a spoonful of cream cheese mixture. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes for regular size cupcakes or 10-12 minutes for
mini cupcakes, then frost after the cupcakes cool. Makes approximately a dozen regular or a few dozen mini-cupcakes.
Frosting:
6 T. softened butter
2 2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
In a medium bowl, beat the butter. Then add the sugar and cocoa; alternating with milk. Beat to desired consistency and add more milk if necessary. Stir in vanilla.
Ideas for Fun…
- Decorate bikes and wagons for a parade after dinner.
- Use fireworks as table decor and then light them off when it gets dark. Decorate a snack bucket for all the spectators.
- Remember inexpensive yard games such as a three legged race or an egg relay, complete with an awards ceremony!
- Talent shows or karaoke is a great way to get family members moving.
Pioneer Fun...
- Use pie tins as plates and bandanas as napkins, on the table a treat wrapped in a bandana (cut the bandana into 1/4th, for 4) and tie with jute for a cute party favor. Play pioneer games together. “Google” for a list of many fun games!
- Have an old fashioned taffy pull and share stories about your heritage while pulling. and/or make homemade butter by using ½ c. whipping cream, 1 Tb. sour cream, and a pinch of salt. Put in a small canning jar and take turns shaking for about 15 minutes. Pour off liquid and press with a spoon on a plate to remove remaining liquid.
