Lemon Cheesecake

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• CRUST:
• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• FILLING:
• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Lemon Curd Topping:
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (it is also great with lime and grapefruit juice)
• 1 stick (1/4 pound) unsalted butter cut into 1 tablespoon slices
• 1 tablespoon zest (more or less as you wish)

1. In a bowl, combine crumbs, nuts and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 10-in. springform pan; set aside. in a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, beating on low speed just until combined. Add lemon juice, peel and vanilla; beat just until blended. Pour into crust.
2. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from the oven; let stand for 5 minutes. Combine topping ingredients; spread over filling. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
3. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing.

Topping:

Remove the zest (rind) from the limes using a zester or a peeler (be careful to avoid getting any of the white pith).

Juice the lemons after removing the zest.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar. Bring just to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes. Add butter and stir until it has melted. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. NOTE: Use a heavy-based, non-reactive saucepan. Stainless steel, anodized aluminum, and enamel all work well. Aluminum or unlined copper pans will react with the acid in the lemons, discoloring the curd and giving it a metallic flavor.

Beat eggs into cooled lemon mixture until well blended. Return to heat and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, 10 to 15 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats spoon. NOTE: Do not let the lemon curd boil, as it can cause the mixture to curdle. Remove from heat. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools.

Makes approximately 2 cups.

Ya'll go on and kiss me now.

Fudge ~

my fudge is way easy… base is 3 c semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, and 2 tblsp of butter. melt that all together over low heat and consider it a blank piece of paper to create with…

for peppermint, add 3/4 to 1 tsp of peppermint extract, pour into pan (i use disposable 9 x 9 aluminum pans) and topped with crushed peppermint candies

from plain: 1 tsp vanilla (you can also add any nut to this version if you want)

I also do orange with orange extract and orange zest….

Creame de Menthe cake -- from Dana

1 box chocolate cake mix--make as directed

When cake cools top with one jar hot fudge (slightly warmed makes it easier to spread.

Mix one small container whipped cream with 1-2 tsp peppermint (or mint) extract. Top cake and fudge with this.

Sprinkle entire cake with chopped andes mints (they have these now pre-chopped in the baking aisle with the chocolate chips)

Chill cake until ready to serve. Super easy...beyond yummy.

Broccoli Salad

1 bunch broccoli chopped, including stems
1/2 cup raisins
8 slices of bacon, fried and crumbled
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, chopped into small pieces

3/4 cup mayo ( I use miracle whip)
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp vinegar

Mix broccoli, raisins, bacon and cheese.  For dressing mix mayo, sugar and vinegar in small bowl.  Pour over salad ingredients and let chill.  Better if chilled overnight

KY Derby Pie

1/2 C butter ~ Melted
1 C sugar
1/2 C flour
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c chopped nuts (I use pecans)
3/4 c chocolate chips ( I use milk chocolate)

Melt butter, mix in sugar and flour.  In small bowl beat eggs, add to butter mixture.  Mix in nuts and chips.

Pour into unbaked pie shell.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until firm in middle.  Do not overbake.

Another holiday standard in my family.

Egg Custard

4 eggs
2 Tbsp flour
2 C milk (divided)
2C sugar

Beat eggs and blend with 1/2 C milk.  Add sugar, flour and rest of milk.

Bake in 2 unbaked pie shells at 325 degrees until set.  Shake pan to test.

This recipe is a holiday standard around my house.  IT wasn't until my dad's cousin published a family cookbook that I knew that this recipe was handed down from my grandfather's step-mother ~ Minnie Curl (not to be confused with Minnie Pearl of Grand Ole Opry fame)

Best Ever Yeast Rolls -- from Mother

1 stick of butter
3/4 C sugar
4 tsp salt
3 pkg (TBSP) yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 C warm water
2 eggs
1 can evaporated milk (large)
8 to 9 C flour

slice butter and put in a large mixing bowl with 3/4 C sugar and salt.  In another bowl, mix yeast, one Tbsp sugar and warm water.  Mix milk and 1 C water in pan and scald.  Mix scalded  milk with butter and sugar mixture; stir until cooled.  Stir eggs in one at a time.  Stir one or two cups of flour and then yeast mixing well.  Add remaining flour, one cup at a  time, mixing well.  When dough is too thick to use a bread spoon, turn out onto floured surface.  Knead 5 minutes. Place into oiled bowl.  Cover tightly and refridgerate.

When ready to use remove and make into rolls or loaf. Allow to rise to double size.  Bake @ 350* for 15 to 20 minutes for rolls and 30 to 40 minutes for loaf.

Pizza Dough

My recipe is a variation on Jonni McCoy's in Miserly Mom's  --

For one pizza  (When I do it I multiply everything by 2 1/2 ~ for two large pizzas and one cheesy bread)

1 C warm water
1 pkg of dry yeast ( or 2 tsp)
1 tsp of sugar
3 C of white (or wheat) flour -- may take  more
2 T Olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried Oregano, crushed in your hand  (I usually use Pampered Chef's Rosemary Herb seasoning though)
1 clove crushed garlic

In a bowl mix yeast, sugar, and water, stirring to dissolve the yeast.  Let it rest for five or so minutes.  Add olive oil, salt and seasonings.  Mix well.  Start adding flour a cup at at time mixing well after each addition. Once it begins to ball up transfer to a floured board.  Knead on board, adding flour as necessary until the dough is no longer sticky.  Place in bowl and cover, letting rise from five minutes to two hours, the  longer it rises the more bread-like the dough/crust will be. Punch down dough, and shape/roll into large pizza crust. ( I divide it into three portions, two large and one smaller, and let the smaller one rise longer for a cheesy bread)  Once rolled out, prick the crust all over with a fork)

Pre-bake for 5 minutes @ 450 degrees.

Brush partially baked crust with olive oil.   ~ You can add pizza sauce at this point, but with my reflux, tomato products kill me so I don't use any at all.  That is the beauty of homemade pizza.

Top with desired toppings.

I use frozen 3 pepper and onion blend, frozen chopped spinach both chopped, chopped turkey or ham (lunch meat), and a variety of cheeses (Cheddar, Mozzarella, Provolone,  Monterey Jack) on ours (to make it veggie leave out the meat, obviously.  (We also experimented with canned olives and mushrooms the last time.  It worked out well!)

The kids like cheese, (again with the variety of cheeses) and chopped meat.

I make a cheesy bread using the same variety of cheeses, however I put a LOT of cheese on it, probably as much as on a regular large pizza and this is about half that size)

Bake 10 more minutes.  (I rotate mine half way through baking to keep the crusts baking evenly.)

Pork Breading

2 cups (or more) bread crumbs
3/4 cup Pecans, chopped ~ measure them after they are chopped
2T Canadian Steak Seasoning (or PC's crushed peppercorn and garlic seasoning)
1T Cavender's Greek Seasoning
1/4 Cup Parmasean cheese

Mix well -- will keep in freezer

To use, melt 1/2 to 1 stick of butter, coat pork cutlets (or whatever meat or cut you have) in butter, coat heavily in breading, bake @ 350* until done.