Brown Sugar Cinnamon Peach Pie

INGREDIENTS
Prepackaged Pillsbury Pie Crust
8 large fresh ripe peaches
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tbsp. butter, cup into pieces
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 tbsp. granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS
Peel peaches, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; cut slices in half.  Stir together brown sugar, next three ingredients; add peaches, stirring to coat.  Immediately spoon peach mixture into piecrust in pie plate with bottom layer of pie crust already in and dot with 1 1/2 tbsp. butter.  Place the rest of the pie crust on top of mixture and seal edges.  Brush with beaten egg mixture and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tbsp. butter.  Cut to vent. Freeze pie for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat a jelly-roll pan in oven for 10 minutes.  Bake at 425 on lover oven rack for 15 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 375; bake for 4o minutes.

Peanut Butter Icing

INGREDIENTS
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS
Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.S

Pecan Chicken

INGREDIENTS
4 skinned and boned chicken breasts
3 tbs. honey
3 tbs. Dijon mustard
3 tbs. finely chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS
Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and flatten to 1/4 inch thick. Stir together honey and mustard; spread on both sides of the chicken and drench with pecans. Arrange in a lightly greased glass baking dish. Bake at350 for 15 to 18 minutes or until fully cooked.

Strawberry and Tomato Salsa

I saw this recipe today at Barnes and Noble in a cooking magazine.  I'm definitely in love with cookbooks and cooking magazines. So, although I didn't write the recipe down, I tried to remember the ingredients. It turned out to be so refreshing on tortilla chips.



INGREDIENTS
cherry tomatoes
strawberries
cilantro
green onions
1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
3 tbs. olive oil
DIRECTIONS
I just tried my best to cut an equal amount of strawberries and tomatoes. I just used the good old taste test for how much balsamic and olive oil to mix in with the salsa.  I think that’s definitely your own personal preference.

Chocolate Chip Dip

This weekend we’re going to have some friends and their kids over for dinner and I have been looking for a new dessert to serve. Not only is this recipe good, but it is easy and very kid friendly.



INGREDIENTS
1 pkg. cream cheese (I always use 1/3 less fat and you can never tell the difference)
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients together and serve with gram crackers.

Northern Italian Shells and Cheese

INGREDIENTS
3 pkgs. of frozen chopped spinach
3 lbs. of ground beef
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. of cream cheese
1 large onion
2 jumbo eggs
1 pkg. jumbo pasta shells
2 cups spaghetti sauce

DIRECTIONS
Place frozen spinach in a strainer and run under hot water until thawed.  Cook meat, drain.  Place meat in same bowl as spinach and still in cream cheese, blend.  Cut onions and saute.  Add grated cheese.  Let cool and add in eggs.  Preheat oven to 350.  Stuff shells with mixture and place in a glass baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake for one hour.

Scotcheroos

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
6 cups rice crispies
1 pkg. (11 oz.) butterscotch chips
1 pkg. (11 oz.) chocolate chips (semi-sweet)

DIRECTIONS
Stir sugar, peanut butter and corn syrup in pan until soupy.  Pour over rice and stir.  In cake pan, pour in and flatten.  Melt chips for topping and place on top.  Put in fridg. to chill for at least an hour.

Swedish Pancakes/Crepes

INGREDIENTS
3 eggs
1 tsp. salt
2 tbs. sugar
1 cup milk
3/4 cup flour

DIRECTIONS
Mix well, and cook like regular pancakes.  Top with syrup or fruit.  For a fun dessert, top with nutella and bananas.