Cranberry Cream Cheese Squares .... Christmas Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup oats
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, softened
3/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar, divided
One (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
One (14 ounce) can Eagle Brand condensed milk,... not evaported milk
1/4 cup lemon juice ( from concentrate)
One (16 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9" pan.
Mix flour, oats, butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar till crumbly.Reserve 1 1/2 cup crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture firmly in the bottom of the greased baking pan. Bake 15 minutes or till lightly browned.
 Beat cream cheese till fluffy. Slowly beat in the condensed milk until it's smooth; then stir in lemon juice. Spread this mixture over cooled baked crust. Combine cranberry sauce, cornstarch and the remaining 1 Tablespoon brown sugar. Spoon over cheese layer. Top with remaining crumb mixture.
Bake 45 minutes or till lightly browned,(golden in color). Cool and cut into bars. Store covered in the refrigerator.
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen bars

Jam Kolaches .... Christmas Cookies

1/2 cup softened butter
One (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
About 1/4 cup strawberry jam.(.or any jam of your preference. I usually choose apricot)
1/4 cup powdered sugar

In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese; beat until light and fluffy. Add the flour, mix well.
Roll dough to 1/8" thickness on a lightly floured countertop,cut with a 2" round cutter. Place 2" apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Spoon 1/4 teaspoon jam on each cookie; fold opposite sides together, slightly overlapping edges. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Makes about 2 dozen...

Cream Cheese Apricot Wafers .... Christmas Cookies

1/2 cup softened butter
One (3 ounce) package softened cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots or peaches

Cream butter and cream cheese together in mixing bowl, gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in flour and either apricots or peaches and mix well.
 Shape dough into a roll, 1" in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper and chill 3 hours or until firm. When firm, cut in 1/4" slices. Place 1" apart on ungreases cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Place on wire racks to cool...
Makes about 7 dozen..

Seven-Layer Squares ..... Christmas Cookies

1/4 plus 1 Tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate bits
1 cup betterscotch bits
1 cup chopped pecans
One (15 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
Heat oven to 325 degrees and melt the butter in the 9" baking pan....Next, ( in the buttered pan ).layer the graham cracker crumbs,coconut, chocolate bits,butterscotch bits and pecans . DO NOT STIR. Spread the condensed milk evenly over the top..Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Cut into 1 1/2" squares and remove to wire racks to cool.
Makes about 3 dozen 1 1/2" squares...
* Note: Walnuts can be used in place of the pecans.
This recipe freezes well

Butter Squares .... Christmas Cookies

1 cups softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour

 Cream butter, gradually add sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well. Gradually stir in the flour..blend well. The dough will be sticky.
Divide dough in half and place each one in it's own well greased 8" pan. With your hands floured, press dough evenly into your pans.
Place pans in a cold oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut into 2" squares while still warm. Take out of the pans and cool on a wire rack.Makes about 2 1/2 dozen

Crowd Pleasing Chili

 This recipe was brought down by Jana. She said that when her rather large family gets together and are hungry for chili..this is her go to recipe. She said this came from an older small cookbook, and this is the way she had it copied down. I haven't tested this recipe myself..it serves 10 to 12 people..and even if I cut it down, it's still quite a bit of chili. Jana says that at times, she makes this recipe and freezes it in different batches..just so she always has some on hand. Here then is the recipe...Thanks Jana.
1/4 cup oil
2 large onions..chopped
2 cloves garlic,minced
3 to 4 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut in small cubes
2 pounds pork sausage
Two (1 pound.12ounce) cans whole tomatoes, drained and chopped. Save the liquid from tomatoes
Two (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 Tablespoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
One (16 ounce) can baked beans
One (15 ounce) can pinto beans..drain them
Two (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drain them

In a large dutch oven..heat the oil. Saute' the onion and garlic till soft,but not browned. Add the beef and the sausage. Cook until brown and then drain off the fat. Add the liquid from tomatoes..and heat to simmering. Then add: chopped tomatoes,tomato paste,chili powder, cumin,oregano, cloves, saly, sugar and cocoa powder. Partially cover the pan and simmerfor 1 hour, stirring often until the meat is tender. If the mixture is slightly dry...add 2 to 3 Tablespoons water as it cooks. Add beans and continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes more. This recipe shold be enough for 10 to 12 people... Make sure it's served hot and bubbly..with all sorts of condiments.....onions, cheese, corn chips, pico relish , corn bread...........

Heavenly Hash Fudge

One (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
One (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 package Coconut Pecan frosting mix
2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

 Line a 9" square pan with foil and then butter the foil. In a saucepan,over low heat, melt the chocolate chips in the condensed milk. When the chips are melted, take off the heat, stir in vanilla, the frosting mix and the marshmallows. Spread the mixture in the pan, smooth evenly if you can. Chill till it firms...and then cut into squares. Store the candy in a tightly covered container...... makes about 55 to 60 pieces.

Tostado Bar

2 dozen corn tortillas
One (16 ounce) can refried beans,heated
3 pounds lean ground beef, crumbled and fried
3 cups cooked and shredded chicken breast
1 large head lettuce, finely shredded
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
3 cups chopped tomatoes
2 cups sour cream
1 cup green onions, dice the white and the green parts
3 cups guacamole
One (7 ounce) can Ortega red salsa
oil for frying

Pour oil 1/4" deep in a medium skillet. Fry each tortilla in the hot oil until light brown and crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels; set aside till needed for party.
To serve..... arrange all the tostada components in a row to allow each guest to assemble their own tostada. Stack the tortillas at beginning of assembly line....Place the following ingredients in their separate bowls, in the order they are needed.... Refried beans, ground beef, chicken, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, green onions, guamacole and salsa.
This is great party food for a group of friends..we do this often.

Guacamole

4 medium avocados
2 small tomatoes,chopped
4 Tablespoons onions, minced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
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Peel avocados, cut in half lengthwise, remove and discard the seed. In a large bowl,mash the avocado with a fork until smooth. Stir in tomatoes, onion, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt. Serve immediately.

Bean Dip

One (16 ounce) can refried beans
One (4 ounce) can Ortega green chilies, diced
One (7 ounce) can Ortega chili salsa
One package taco seasoning
8 ounces whipped cream cheese
1 pound Cheddar cheese, grated
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In a large bowl, mix together beans,chilies, salsa, taco seasoning, and cream cheese. Stir in 3/4"s of the grated cheese and pour mixture into a 9" x 13" baking dish.Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. For serving, keep warm in a chafing dish or on a hot plate..

Waldorf Salad

6 medium red apples, cored and diced..do not peel
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts,coarsly chopped
2/3 to 1 cup mayonnaise
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In a large bowl, stir all the ingredients together..add just enpugh mayonnaise to make sure there is a creamy consistency...Cover and chill till ready to serve, at least 2 to 3 hours.
** Note:
This recipe is larger enough for a party or a crowd... and will feed 16 to 18 people. The recipe can of course be halved or taken even further down.

Carrot-Pineapple Toss

4 large carrots, peeled and shredded
1 cup raisins, soaked in 2 cups of water until plump
1 cup drained pineapple chunks
1/2 cup mayonnaise
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Place shredded carrots,raisins and pineapple in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise and toss to coat. Cover and chill till ready to serve.

Sauce for Stir Frying

1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon water
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup peanut oil
4 Tablespoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
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In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch and the water together until it's smooth. Stir the rest of the ingredients together in a saucepan. Bring the mix to a boil.While you're stirring constantly, add the cornstarch mixture and cook until slightly thickened, maybe 2 to 3 minutes. Cool to room temperature and pour into a container with a lid. Refrigerate at least 8 to 10 hours for the flavors to mellow and blend together. It's better to leave overnight.
This makes about 2 1/2 cups of stir fry sauce.... you would have enough to package in a pretty little jar with a sweet cloth cover, and share with a friend.
To use the sauce....use about 2 to 4 Tablespoons of the sauce into every 4 cups stir fry veggies with or without meat.