Cookie Wreaths

1 cup butter
8 cups cornflakes
2 Tab vanilla
64 marshmallows
green food coloring
red hot cinnamon candies

Melt marshmallows in microwave with butter. add vanilla and food coloring. Stir in
cornflakes and mix gently. Shape into wreaths/sm swags. Place on wax paper or foil.
If gets to hard to handle cooling, just heat a little again in micro or on top stove. Decorate with
cinnamon candies as shown.

Keith's Peanut Butter Chex Mix---for my son

1 1/2 c. peanut butter
1 1/2 sticks butter
3 cup choc. chips
2 teas. vanilla
2 boxes chex/crispix type cereal (24 cups)
4 cups powder sugar

Combine butter, peanut butter, choc. chips and microwave 2 minutes. Add vanilla. Stir till all
disolved adding vanilla last. Place 2 boxes of cereal in huge bowl. Pour over melted mixture.
Stir carefully not to bread coating all pieces. Place in plastic garbage bag. Pour confect. sugar
over. Toss to coat all. Store in containers. Last good month.

RUM BALLS MY VERY OWN

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 c firmly crushed vanilla wafers
1 c onfectioner's sugar
2 Tab cocoa
2 Tab. Karo corn syrup (lite)
1/4 c rum

Combine and roll into balls (1 in.). Dip in powdered sugar and let sit few days
for rum flavor to ferment.

Chicken Arribiatta Cattiatori

6 lbs chicken boneless breast tenderloin pieces thawed
3 bottles of Arriabata Italian Sauce (Trader Joe's Brand)
1/2 bottle of Chianti wine
2 tab. sugar or Nevella equiv.
1 bag thawed frozen sweet peppers (Trader Joe's)
1 lb. portabella sliced mushrooms sauted litely in non-stick spray
3 sliced red onions
1 28 oz can diced Italian tomatoes
2 14 oz cans tomato paste

Place chicken breast in large dutch oven and brown in little olive oil. Add three
bottles of Arriabata sauce, 2 lg. cans tomato paste, diced tomatoes, 1/2 bottle less of good red wine (Chianti preferred) and cook low approx. half hour.
Add red onions and simmer covered another half hour. Add mushrooms, sw. peppers, and
sugar. Simmer 1/2 hour till flavors blend. Serve over pasta (I prefer a multi-grain) or just with good
Italian crusty bread.

My Pumpkin Pie with Fresh Grated Spices

one deep dish baked pie shell

3/4 c. sugar
1/4 teas salt
2 teas cinnamon
1/2 teas fresh grated dried ginger
1/2 teas. ground clove
3/4 teas fresh grated dried whole nutmeg
2 eggs
15 oz can pumpkin
12 oz can fat free evaporated milk
(fat free is very creamy!)

Combine all ingredients in large bowl slowly pouring can of
evaporated milk, blending in well. Pour all into pre-baked
deep dish pie shell. Bake 425 oven 15 min, then reduce temp
to 350 degrees and bake 50 min or till knife inserted comes out
clean. Cool....Always tastes very best slightly heated and serve with
whip cream...

Scalloped Corn Casserole

4 cans cream corn
2 cans drained kernel corn
2 cups milk
2 1/2 rows of Ritz type cracker crush
with hands, not too finely
1 small onion chopped fine and cooked
lightly in microwave to soften
3 heaping tab. brown sugar
salt and crack pepper to taste,
I use very little salt, lots of crack pepper
1 stick butter to dot top of casserole

Mix all ingredients in very large casserole dish. Dot top of casserole with butter. Bake
uncovered for one hour till thickened and lightly brown. Great with ham or turkey.....

Snowball Cookies

2 c butter
1 1/2 c peanut butter
2 lb powder sugar
2 c coconut
2 1/2 c chocolate chips
4 c. oats
1 teas. vanilla extract
2 c powdered sugar for dipping

Combine extract and peanut butter. Add rest of ingredients except 2 c. powdered sugar for dipping, blending well. Roll into small balls and dip in powdered sugar. Set on foil lined trays. Refrigerate.

Brandied Orange Fresh Cranberry Sauce/Low Sugar

2 bags fresh cranberries
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup sugar substitue Nevella
1 shot brandy
1/4 cup orange marmalade

Boil water and sugars. Add cranberries till they pop and stir. Let cool. Add brandy and orange
marmalade. Refrigerate.

Healthy Baked Ricotta Penne

2 boxes of Multi-Grain Rigate Penne (Jewel brand)
1 pkgs. Hot Italian turkey sausage (must use hot), remove from casing
4 jars 28 oz Prego Healthy Heart Marinara Sauce
2 lbs. fat-free ricotta cheese
1 8 oz. pkgs of shredded parmesan cheese

Litely fry sausage removed from casing in olive oil breaking up into crumbled
pieces. Add marinara sauce and 1/2 cup red wine. Heat to simmer 1/2 hr.
Set aside. Boil water in large dutch oven and cook pasta a la dente. Litely
spray with cooking spray 2 9x11 baking pans. Separate drained penne into
the two pans. Pour good amount of sauce over penne, litely mix into penne.
Drop by large spoonfuls 1/2 container of the ricotta cheese to ea. pan of penne.
Litely toss some ricotta into penne and dollop some all over too leaving in dollops. Pour
more sauce over top of casserole. Cover with parmesan cheese. Bake 350 degrees 1 hour till parmesan check till hot and bubbly through. Cut into large squares. Serve leftover marinara sauce on the side to top individual servings.

Credit for this recipe is due to my friend/school chum Artie Quarto's original recipe. I have devised a health conscious multigrain version. Thank you again Artie! Please see Artie's
blogg for his original recipe and visit his new restaurant opening in Sycamore and more....he is
one excellent chef!!!!

Swiss Steak

2 thick lean round steaks cut in serving size pieces
1 stick margarine
2 cups flour
2 large Tab. dry mustard
cracked whole pepper
1 large bottle 28 oz catsup
3 Tab brown sugar
2-3 onions sliced

In a large bowl combine flour, cracked whole pepper sprinkles to taste, dry mustard.
Melt 2 Tab marg in a fry pan. Dredge 4-5 slices of steak into flour mixture and lightly brown
in frying pan on both sides. Place 5 slices of steak in crockpot set on low. Sprinkle third
of sliced onions on top. Combine in another bowl catsup, brown sugar, and one bottle of
the empty catsup bottle filled with water in bowl and stir. Pour third of sauce over steak and onions in crockpot. Continue same procedure heating marg in fry pan, dredging another 4-5 slices steak in flour and lightly browning and place ontop sauce/steak in crockpot. Top onions, sauce....continue till all browned steak and onions are used and pour rest of sauce over. Heat low in crockpot all day. Serve gravy over mashed potatoes. Two round steaks will serve approx. 6
people. My son Kevin's favorite dinner that I prepare.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 egg yolk beaten
10 in. graham cracker crust fitted in
a spring form pan
2 eggs
2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese or lite softened
3/4 sugar
1 can 16 oz pumpkin
1 1/2 teas gr. cinnamon
1/2 teas gr. ginger

Preheat over 350. Litely brush egg yolk onto pie crust and bake 5 min. Set aside.
In lg bowl, beat eggs, crm cheese, sugar with electric mixer till smooth. Add pumpkin, spices and beat well till blended. Spoon into pie crust in springform pan. Bake 40-45" till set. let cool, then refrigerate several hours or overnite. At serving sprinkle cinnamon.

Grandma Marion Wade's Baked Apples

What to do with left over apples in the fridge?...
6-8 apples remove core. Place in square baking dish.
Fill center of apples with few raisins and fill to the top
with teaspoons of brown sugar. Place pat of butter
on top. Add small amount water to bottom of pan.
Bake in over 350 approx one hour till tender.
Check for doneness...

Patti's Pumpkin Smashed Dacquiri's

2 1/2 oz vodka
3/4 oz Pumpkin Smash liquor
3/4 oz butterscotch schnapps
scoop of frozen yogurt
Blend and serve in dacquiri glasses. Sprinkle fresh
grated nutmeg--I get my nutmeg from Penzey's.

Chili Dip

8 oz. tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
1 can tomato soup
2 med. onions chopped
1 lg green pepper chopped
1 lb. gr. beef or gr. turkey
2 tab. chili powder
1 lb American Cheese slices or
fat-free slices

Put all except cheese slices in crockpot on high one hour. Switch to low and add cheese till
it swirls. If using fat-free cheese watch closely as it will curdle if left heated too long. Serve
with tortilla chips. I serve with small bowls--resembles a conqueso.

Witch's Brew Punch

This is my very favorite punch recipe for fall/winter---nothing like it:

2 qts apple juice, set aside 7 cups
3/4 c. sugar
1 teas ea. cinnamon, nutmeg (I grate mine fresh), allspice
1 12 oz. OJ concentrate
1 qt ginger ale

In saucepan combine apple juice setting 7 cups aside, sugar, spices. Stir over med. heat till sugar dissolves. Cool. In lg serving bowl, combine 7 c of remaining apple juice, OJ concentrate, sugar mixture with juice that has cooled and mix well. Pour gingerale over. Add ice. Garnish with orange slices.

Makes 3 quarts.

Fall Spaghetti Squash with Italian Turkey Sausage Gravy

l large spaghetti squash
3 jars Heart Smart Prego Sauce
2 pkgs of Hot Italian Sausage removed from casing

Pierce squash all over and place in microwave and cook on high 20 min. Turn over and cook another 15 min. on high. Check for tenderness. Continue to cook on high till squash is fork tender thru shell and easily sliced open lengthwise with a sharp knife. Remove seeds and squash will pull apart like spaghetti. Keep warm.

While squash is cooking in microwave, heat a dutch oven on the stove spraying with cooking spray or heat little Italian olive oil. Add 2 pkgs of hot Italian sausage removed from casing and brown and heat thru. Drain in colander and spray warm water to remove excess fat and hidden fat. Return to dutch oven. Add Prego and simmer half hour.

Serve squash with gravy over and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese. Very low fat and squash is low in calories and very healthy.

Low Fat Fruited Chicken Salad with Red Grapes and Almonds

5 cups boneless cooked cubed chicken
1/2 cup No Fat Miracle Whip
1/2 cup No fat sour cream
halved red grapes about 1 1/2 cups
2 stalks thinly sliced celery
handful of slivered almonds or walnuts chopped lg
white pepper optional

Combine all ingredients. Add equal amounts of no fat Miracle Whip and no fat sour cream
more as needed. I discovered recently using no fat Miracle Whip and no fat sour cream
gives a really great texture to salads and potato salads, increases creaminess and flavor without added fat. Miracle Whip gives an exta zing to salads and no fat sour cream thickens.

Chill, upon serving I garnish with strawberries, banana sticks, slivered almonds.

Patti's Chicken Minestrone

One large chicken fryer or stewing hen

one large 64 oz tomato sauce

3 cans diced tomatoes with peppers & onions

chicken boullion cubes

celery stalks 3 sliced thin

one pound carrots sliced

one lg bag mixed vegetables frozen

2 cans kidney beans

one bag shredded cabbage

crushed red pepper to taste (very scant--hot!!)

sugar or sugar sub to taste

pepper cracked

garlic minced jarred

oregano handful dried

basil fresh minced handful

box of small size penne

couple handfuls of brown rice

large handful of bay leaves

red wine (optional)

parmesan or romano cheese fresh grated

Cover chicken with water in very large pot for soup, add handul of bay leaves. Cook on low couple of hours till chicken is tender. Remove chicken, save broth and return broth to pot.

Cool chicken and debone and set aside. To pot of broth add celery, onion, spices, garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots and cabbage. Taste broth and add boullion cubes to taste, couple at a time. For a very large pot I add 3-5 cubes. Simmer till crisp/tender. Add frozen thawed veggies, box of penne, brown rice, beans drained, and amount of deboned chicken desired. If soup is to thick add water and adjust flavor with boullion. Sweeten with sugar/sugar substitute (Navella) to taste and add cup of red wine (optional). Upon serving sprinkle fresh grated parmesan/romano cheese. Freezes very well.

Optional addition is hot Italian cooked turkey sausage sliced and added to soup.

Pumpkin Cake

4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. oil
1 15 oz can pumpkin
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 teas. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. raisins

Frosting:
1 3 0z fat free cream cheese
1/3 c. lit butter
1 tbs. skim milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10x15 pan with non-stick coating. In lg bowl beat eggs and add flour, bak powder, salt, bak. soda, and cinnamon. Beat one minute on low and then add raisins. Spread in pan. Bake 25-30 min till toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool. Refrigerate and frost with cream cheese frosting.

This was my son Kevin's favorite cake since he was three. He wanted it for his birthday every year which was close to Halloween in the fall.

MY FALL APPLE BREAD

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teas baking soda
1/2 teas. salt
1 teas. cinnamon
1 teas. cloves
1 teas. nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients together.
Combine in separate bowl:
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1/2 teas. vanilla
2 apples peeled and sliced coarsely
1/2 cup or more walnuts or pecans chopped

Combine dry ingredients all together, add separate bowl ingredients, fold and stir in. Pour
in greased loaf pan (I use Pam). Bake 325 degrees 40 min. or till toothpick inserted in middle of loaf comes out clean.

FLORIDA KEY LIME PIE

1 can Eagle sweetened condensed milk or equivalent
1/3 c. fresh lime juice (from juice of limes only)
3 eggs separated
1 prepared pie crust (I prefer the Keebler butter crust)

Mix together can of condensed mik, lime juice and beaten yolks of eggs. Beat whites of eggs till stiff in another bowl. Fold whites into mixture. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake at 250 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool and chill until firm in fridge. Top with whip cream at serving time.

Scotch/Irish Shortbread

4 cups flour
2 c. lite butter
1/4 c confectioners sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 325 degrees

Measure all ingredients in large bowl. With hands knead (get some agression out) until well blended. Cough wil be soft. Pat dough and form into two nine inch round cake pans. Prick
dough with fork in many spots. Bake 45 min till very light golden. While warm, cut into squares and then cool and store in covered containers. Give a couple days to bring out flavor
of butter, great as Christmas gifts---container of shortbread.

Bavarian Meatballs

2 lbs. ground beef or ground turkey
1 cup bread crumbs
3 eggs
1 pkg onion soup mix

Sauce:
1 jar chili sauce
1 chili sauce jar of water
1 can sauerkraut, drained
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. whole cranberry sauce

Combine gr. beef or turkey, bread crumbs, eggs and soup mix. Shape in meatballs. Bake in oven in baking pan 350 15 min. Place in crockpot. Combine sauce ingredients and pour over in crockpot. Cook on high for one hour or low for two hours watching carefully they do not burn in crock.

This recipe sounds really strange with the sauerkraut in it, but it makes the best meatballs ever in my book. My Uncle Lew would ask me just to make him these for a Christmas present every year for him, that was all he wanted, lol.

My Company Meatballs

2 lbs. gr. beef or gr. turkey
1 c. bread crumbs
3 eggs
handful of dehydrated onion

Sauce:
1 jar chili sauce
1 jar low sugar grape jelly
squirt lemon juice

Combine meat mixture and make meatballs. Bake 20 min in 350 oven. Drain and place in
crock pot. Combine sauce ingredients. Pour over meatballs in crock and cook on high an hour till heated thru and keep warm.

Freezes well. For fast results buy a good grade of meatballs and pour sauce over in crock and you are done....

Pork Chops and Risotto

1 onion chopped
1/2 c. celery chopped
1 cup brown rice uncooked
1 1/2 c. water
2 Tab. brown sugar
1/2 teas. salt
2 eight oz. tomato sauce
4 pork chops

Saute onion and celery in olive oil. Sprinke shops with salt and pepper and brown. Rmove the chops. Add water brown sugar, salt and pepper, and 1 1/2 c tomato sauce. Stir to boiling and the brown rice and stir. Return chops to skillet and cover and simmer 30 min till rice has absorbed sauce and is tender, adding little more water if needed. Pour on remaining sauce, cover and simmer 15 more min.

The risotto is so tasty just by itself without the chops. Often I make it alone to serve with chicken or by itself.

3 Bean Salad

1 cab kidney beans drained
1 can yellow beans drained
1 can greeen beans drained
1 cup celery sliced very thinly
1 small onion chopped very fine
1 green or red sweet pepper chopped
3/4 cup vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 Tab oil

Mix sauce and pour over beans. Add little salt and pepper to taste. Chill to blend flavors.

Instead of 1 cup of sugar, I use 1/2 cup and add Navella 1/2 cup (natural stevia sweetener
no calories). Sometimes I also double this recipe for picnics.

Aunt Mickey's Vinegar and Oil Dressing from the Heritage Inn

2 heaping tab mustard
2 cups Wesson oil
1 1/2 cps cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tab salt
2tab parsley
1 tab. crushed garlic fresh

Mix sugar and mustard together. Add salt, oil, garlic. Add vinegar gradually. Throughout
whole recipe mix all ingredients in gradually.

Aunt Mickey's Thousand Island Dressing from the Heritage Inn

Prepared French dressing in previous blog set aside
3/4 to 2/3 quart of mayonnaise
2 chopped hard boiled eggs
1 cup drained pickle relish

In a 3/4 to 2/3 quart of mayo add the eggs, relish, and enough french dressing
to fill the jar and stir....

Aunt Mickey's French Dressing from the Heritage Inn

1 quart sugar or 4 cups
1 1/2 cooking spoons paprika
3/4 cup dry mustard
1 Tab. salt
1 Tab. garlic powder
2 cups vinegar
2 cups oil
2 cans tomato soup

Mix altogether and you got it....pour in containers and keep in fridge or give as gifts to friends...at Christmas...

Rose Wade's Baked Beans

4 large cans of B&M Baked Beans (larger cans)
1/2 box brown sugar
2 or 3 onions chopped
1/2 large bottle of chili sauce
1/2 bottle pure maple syrup only!
1 lb bacon cut small

Fry onions and add bacon till onions are glazed, drain off grease. Mix brown sugar, maple syrup, chili sauce and beans together. Place bean mixture in a large baking dish, lay onion and bacon mixture on top. Bake in 350 oven about one or more hours till congealed and not liquidy. Makes about 3 quarts.

Aunt Rose was known to have the best baked beans. Anywhere I have brought this recipe, I am asked for it and told never have tasted better...

Aunt Mickey's Chicken and Dumplings

One stewing or roasting chicken or 2 chicken fryers
carrots cut in chunks
celery sliced
onion chopped

can of drained peas


Place chicken in large dutch oven covered with water and simmer till chicken is cooked thru. Skim fat. Remove chicken and cool and set aside deboned chicken in a dish. To broth add as many carrots to your liking, few stalks celery sliced, and onion chopped. Simmer till carrot is crisp tender. Add little yellow food coloring if preferred and chicken bouillion cubes to taste.

In seperate bowl:
combine 2 cups flour
6 eggs beaten
2 teas. baking powder
dash of salt

Knead into a bowl and roll out thin. Do not dry noodles out. Cut into small squares. Add to 6 cups of the broth set aside from chicken. Simmer till dumplings are plump and taste test for doneness. Thicken broth with little flour and water if needed. Add reserved carrots, chicken pieces, celery, onion, and a jar of pimento slices (optional).

This is the recipe my cousins Judy and Joanne gave to me when I asked for my Aunt's recipe.
I am sure hers tasted so much more as the best, she had the special touch! We couldn't wait
till dinnertime, I remember my dad driving to Lincoln and every hour or so would mention how
he was looking forward to seeing his sister and her chicken and dumplings!

As I mentioned in my intro Aunt Mickey was head chef of the Heritage Inn in Lincoln, IL. The judges and lawyers in Springfield frequented the restaurant hearing of her marvelous dishes. With our big Irish clan at Thanksgiving one year in particular, I remember her serving
Thanksgiving dinner to us at the Heritage Inn, just too many of us...us kids thought that was the coolest thing...some of her recipes amost 40 yrs since she passed are still served at the Tropics Restaurant in Lincoln. Visiting my cousins some years past I was in awe as my cousin Judy brought me to the salad bar and hinted I should try some of the salads---I looked and there were her salads & dressings...

Island Pork Roast

5 lb. Pork Roast
1 onion chopped
1 green pepper hopped
1/4 c. brown sugar
salt,pepper to taste
1 lg can crushed pineapple not drained
2 Tab tomato paste
2 Tab. soy sauce

Broil roast, then place in crock pot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over roast in crock pot. Cook in crock all day on low. Sauce is delicious over rice. Easy for entertaining.

Patti's Carmelized French Onion Soup Au Gratin

5 cups sliced onions
1 teas. sugar
1 stick or less lite butter
2 cans beef or vegetable broth
3 cans water
1/2 teas. salt
toasted slices French bread
shredded mozzarella

Sprinkle onions with sugar and saute in butter slowly until delicate gold in dutch oven Add borth and water. Simmer half hourand season with salt. Placein ovenproof crockery small
bowls. Top each bowl with slice of toasted French bread and cover with shredded mozzarella
Bake at 400 degrees 8 min.

I came up with the idea of camelizing the onions and it was sooooo good....

Chicken and Wild Rice

6 chicken breast pieces boneless
1 pkg Uncle Ben's original wild rice
2 cans crm of chicken soup, healthy request
1 c. water or white wine (I prefer white chardonnay wine)
paprika
8 oz fresh mushrooms

Lay chicken in 9 x 11 baking pan. Sprinkle chicken with paprika. Mix soup, water, and rice in
bowl. Pour over chicken. Bake 1 1/2 hrs in 300 degree oven covered with double foil. Sliced fresh mushrooms can be added. Also white wine can be subsituted for water if desired.  Can be all place
in crock pot and cook on low 3-4 hrs. if desired also.

Red Pepper Pesto Dip

One 8 oz lite cream cheese
1 lg. red bell pepper chopped
1/2 c. mozarella shredded or blended shredded
lite cheese
2 Tab. basil pesto sauce spread

Bake 15" till hot and bubbly and serve with crackers.

World's Best Teriyaki Sauce, and I got it here!!!!!!

1/4 c. soy sauce
3 Tab. honey
2 Tab. vinegar
1 1/2 teas. ginger
1 1/2 teas. garlic powder
1/2 c. olive oil
1 onion chopped fine

Combine marinade. Pour over steaks, chicken, pork. For steaks, stab all over, preferably lean
flank steak. Marinate overnite. Turn next day. I use Tupperware marinader. Broil with
pineapple slices. Heat marinade and pass at the table. Great for outdoor grilling or baking,
whatever nothing beats this teriyaki.

This is a highly coveted Sawisch girls recipe, lol....

Pulled Pork

6-7 lbs. pork roast, rolled and boneless
2 Reg. bottles Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce
1 Tab. chili powder
1 teas. cumin powder
1 teas. garlic powder
2 large onions sliced
3/4 can beer optional, or
7-up can (sugar free fine) or cup water

Place pork in crockpot and add 3/4 can beer or water and 1 bottle of BBQ sauce.
Cook 4 hrs low then till pork is fork tender and pulls apart
easily shredding pork in crock with two forks. Add onions, Tab of chili powder, one teas. cumin, and teas. garlic powder. Add second bottle of BBQ sauce and cook on low till onion is tender.
Adjust spices to liking. Serve on buns.
Freezes well.

Blue Cheese Coleslaw

2 bags coleslaw shredded
one container blue cheese
real bacon jarred
Miracle Whip fat-free
fat free sour cream
container of cherry tomatoes

Combine coleslaw, bacon, crumble blue cheese. Mix cup Miracle Whip and 1 cup f.free sour
cream. If needed add more Miracle Whip and f. free sour cream in equal portions. Add to coleslaw mixture. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Add little sugar substitute if desired. Pour in serving bowl and and garnish with halved cherry tomatoes, lots. Refrigerate several hours to soften cabbage and blend spices.

I have found that combining Miracle Whip free and fat free sour cream gives a lite very creamy taste with a great consistency.

Bavarian Casserole

3 Polish kielbasa rings cut in chunks diagonally or
   turkey kielbasa cut in chunks
3 cans sliced potatoes drained
2 large bell peppers prefer red chop larger pieces
   or 1/3 bag mini tri peppers sliced
3 cans Frank's Bavarian kraut drained
3 onions chopped in large chunks
4-5 apples cut in chunks with skins in tact

Spray bottom of large fry pan with non-stick spray and add sausage chunks and brown  in batches in fry pan. Add onion slices to last batch of sausage & brown. In crock pot layer 1 can kraut drained, half the sausage, layer potatoes, couple of apples sliced, and sliced peppers in very large crock pot and repeat.  Heat thoroghly couple hrs & keep warm in crock. I sweeten with a little Stevia sugar sub for added sweetness to cut tartness in kraut if you prefer. My family esp. my sons LOVE this.

Tomato Cabbage Soup

1 bag coleslaw mix with carrot
4 cans tomato soup healthy variety
2 cans diced tomatoes 16 oz
cinnamon
5 bay leaf
caraway seed (optional)
salt, pepper
sugar or navella sub to taste
2 cups prepared cooked brown rice

Saute coleslaw min in 4 Tab. lite butter. Add soups, tomatoes with juice, and spices to taste.
Simmer. Add rice last. If too thick add another 1-2 cans water. Great on a fall day.

I comprised this recipe after tasting similar cabbage soups in restaurants. I prefer this healthy variety and think mine tastes best, hee,hee....

German Potato Salad

10-11 potatoes
one lb bacon
1 1/2 c. donion
2 Tab flour
4 tab sugar
1 teas salt
2 teas celery seed
dash pepperceler
3/4 c. water
1/3 c. vinegar

Boil potatoes in jackets. Cool and slice in small pieces, leave skin on. Fry bacon in skillet, remove bacon when crisp. Cook onion in bacon drippings till golden and blen in flour, sugar, salt, celery seed and pepper. Cook low till bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in water and vinegar. Heat to boil. Add crumbled bacon and potatoes heat to coat potatoes well. Freezes well.

An old world recipe from Germany from my sister-in-law Judy uses real celery chopped in
placement of celery seed. Sometimes I add celery now, including the celery seed. If needed
add little more sugar to sauce if it is not quite sweet enough.

Often a staple at our family gatherings.

Pickles

6 c. sliced cucumbers
1 c. thinly sliced onions
2 c. sugar
1 c. vinegar
1 teas. salt
teas. celery seed

Mix sugar, vinegar, salt, and celery seed in pot. Bring to a boil and cool. Pour over cucumbers and onions. Refrigerate 24 hours. Keep a couple of months in the fridge.

These are the best darn pickles you'll eat....

Patti's BBQ Beef

3 lb boneless lean sirloin beef roast
1 c. catsup
1 c. chili sauce
1 teas. lemon juice
2 med. onions chopped
1/4 c. brown sugar or equivalent
of Nevella
2 Tab. Worcestershire sauce
1 teas. salt
2 Tab. red wine vinegar

Cover roast with water in crock pot and simmer on high for 4 hours or till meat shredds easily.
Drain off water, place meat in crock and shred with two forks. Add rest of ingredients and simmer on high till onion is tender adding tap water to thin to consistency you prefer. Freezes well, great for parties...my friends say I should bottle this, lol.

German Short Ribs in Wine Sauce

4 lbs. boneless pork short ribs
4 tab. flour
dash salt/pepper
2 large onions sliced
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 c. chili sauce
3 tab. brown sugar
3 tab vinegar
1 Tab worcestershire sauce
1/2 teas dry mustard
1/2 teas. chili powder
2 tab flour

Coat ribs in flour, salt, pepper. Brown in sparse amount of oil. Pour off fat and place in crock
pot. Combine remaining ingredients except the 2 tab flour. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hrs.
Turn to high. Thicken with 2 tab flour dissolved in small amount of water. Add to pot and cook on high till thick, bout 10 min. Serve over wide noodles, preferably multigrain. Serves 5...

Low Fat Pineapple Taco Dip

12 oz. fat free cream cheese, softened
1 bottle chunky taco sauce
1 large can crushed pineapple drained very well
or you can use tidbits and slice drained tidbits in
half
1 green or red sweet pepper chopped
lettuce chopped
lite cheddar shredded cheese 16 oz

in 9x11 pan spread cream cheese. Top with taco sauce, layer of crushed pineapple or tidbits,
layer of sweet pepper, layer of lettuce, layer of cheddar shredded cheese. Chill.

Serve with tortilla chips. I've added a layer drained black beans recently and it was good too.

Spinach Artichoke Alfredo Dip

10 oz spinach thaw and drain,
squeeze off moisture with paper towels
2 jars of artichokes drained
and chopped
1 jar lite Alfredo sauce (Ragu)
1 c. mozarella cheese lite
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
4 oz fat-free crm cheese cut in pieces
equivalent of 4 cloves garlic
(I use minced jarred)

Combine in microproof bowl and microwave approx 10 min. turning and stirring every
few minutes on high. Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips, crackers.

Traditional Irish Potato Soup from Dublin

6 med. potatoes peeled and chopped
2-3 stalks celery chopped
1 large onion chopped large pieces
corn (optional)
garlic salt
salt and pepper
1 c. butter (only pure butter, 2 sticks)
Milk

Boil potatoes, onion and celery with water to cover till crisp tender. Drain off water and add milk to cover potatoes and add butter. Add optional corn. Sprinkle garlic powder to taste and salt/pepper. I am sure light butter will work....

My Son Keith's Chocolate Peanut Butter Belgium Waffles

Pancake Mix
Peanut Butter
Chocolate Chips

Prepare pancake batter for waffles in directions on pancake mix on side of box . Add few Tablespoons of peanut butter to batter and mix in. Heat waffle iron and spray wakith non-stick
spray. Pour enough batter on iron to cover. Sprinkle chocolate chips and close cover on Belgium waffle iron and bake till done--litely brown. Great with light pancake syrup or maple
syrup.

My son Keith always has loved Reese's peanut butter cups since he was a tot and I came up with idea for his waffles. It's his favorite breakfast for 18 years, lol.

Novishka---Grandma Sawisch's Czech Bread Dressing

1 stick butter
2 c. celery
2 medium onions
4 loaves day old bread torn in small bits
1 Tab salt
2 Tab. poultry seasoning
1/2 teas. pepper
5 eggs beaten
2 c. milk
1/2 c. parsley

Saute celery and onions in butter till crisp tender, set aside. In roasting pan or large bowl combine bread, seasoning. Pour eggs and milk evenly over dressing. Sprinkle parsley. Pour celery and onions sauteed evenly over bread. With hands lightly mix and combine all together.
Use the dressing to stuff turkey or chicken, perfect baked in a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake 350 1/2 hour or till lightly browned. As an option, I have also added chopped
apple, pecans or walnuts.

This is our traditional Thanksgiving dressing, a recipe brought over from Prague and taught
to the Sawisch girls. All us girls have our own version and this is my mother's. I also add raisins, cranberries, apples, pecans to suit the occasion.

Patti's Butterscotch Pumpkin Trifle--Sugar Free/Low Fat

1 pkg of gingersnap wafers (16 oz box)
4 pkgs sugar free instant butterscotch pudding
15 oz can pumpkin
4 c. fat free milk (skim)
1 1/2 teas cinnamon
1/4 teas. ground ginger
1/2 teas. ground nutmeg (I grate fresh nutmeg)
1/4 teas. ground allspice
12 oz lite or fat-free whipped topping

In lg bowl combine milk and pudding mixes. Whisk for 2 min. and chill few minutes till thickened. Stir in pumpkin and spices till well blended.

In very large trifle bowl layer gingersnaps, facing them to decorate sides of bowl. half the pudding, layer of gingersnaps, half of the whip topping, and repeat layers.

Chill till serving. It goes very fast, lol! Served it on New Years Day for a brunch spread
I prepared---it's light and somewhat nutritious.
few gingersnaps in center of bowl and small dollops of cool whip. Chill.

Parisien French Green Beans

16 oz. frozen green beans
1 sm. onion chopped
lite butter and garlic powder

Cook green beans in water with raw onion. Drain when onion is fork tender. Add 1/2
stick lite butter and sprinkle garlic powder to taste. Simmer.

This family recipe is from a French friend from Paris I have kept with me many years.

Traditional Italian Biscotti---recipe from Italy

1 stick marg.
3/4 c sugar
3 eggs
1/4 teas. salt
3 cups flour
3 teas. baking powder
1 teas. vanilla extract
1 teas. lemon extract
almonds, walnuts, or pecans
as desired.

Cream marg, add sugar and beat well. Add eggs and flavorings.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to liquids and add nuts.
Beat in and knead with hands. On floured surface lightly knead and form into
four loaves. Bake 350 20 min.

This is a traditional recipe from Italy taught to me by two elder Italian women
friends of mine many years ago, their son is my daughter's godfather. These biscotti were always served at their home after dinner and the home was filled with the aroma of the lemon/walnut biscottis esp. at Christmas time and in preparation for the huge crowd they served for the Italian Feast in Melrose Park. I prefer this biscotti over many others as it is light
flavorful and great with coffee and as Christmas gifts for friends.

Irish Shepherd's Pie

1 16 oz. can green beans or
frozen thawed
1 lb. lean ground sirloin or
lean ground turkey
1 onion chopped
1 small tomato sauce
1 cup catsup
slices American cheese--fat free works well
prepared mashed potatoes/or garlic, red skinned mashed potatoes
paprika

Place green beans in bottom of deep dish pie plate. Brown meat with onion, drain off grease rinsing under warm water in colander. Add sauce and catsup. Spread over green beans. Place slices of cheese over meat in pie plate. Mound garlic red skinned mashed potatoes over cheese. Sprinkle paprika over potatoes. Bake 350 oven 20 minutes. Turn oven to 425 and bake till potatoes are crusted 15-20 minutes.

My son and daughter's favorite cold snowy nite dish. This is my own version of the usual dowdy sherpherd's pie flavored one step up....

Grandma Sawisch's Heirloom Date Nut Bread

1 lg egg
2 Tab. butter
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teas. baking powder
dash salt
1 pkg dates cut-up

Pour 1 cup boiling water over dates and 1 teas. baking soda. Allow to cool.
Cream butter and add sugar and egg. Beat well. Add date mixture and dry ingredients. Add one cup chopped walnuts. Backe 350 oven one hour in waxed paper lined pan.

This is a traditional Chez Christmas bread prepared in memory of our late grandmother, recipe is from Prague. It should be cooled and sliced very thin and served with cream cheese. I serve with fat-free cream cheese.

Jambalaya Designed for my son Keith

3 boxes of Zataran's Jambalaya mix prepared
2 lg. sweet red peppers, chop and saute in lite olive oil
2 lg. onions chopped
3 stalks sliced celery
1 can tomatoes and green chiles
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
3 cans. tomato soup (healthy variety)
2 cans kernel corn drained
2 cans black beans rinsed and drained to remove excess sodium on beans
1  package of andouille sausage sliced and sauted in pan sprayed with cooking spray
3 boneless chicken breasts cooked and cut in small pieces
1 large package of uncooked shrimp (optional) thawed and drained cooked tail on or
also small shrimp can be used
shakes of bottled crushed red chili pepper flakes

Saute onion and celery in olive oil. Set aside.  Cook and prepare 3 boxes of Zataran's prepared Jambalaya mix in a large dutch oven. Add celery and onion andrest of ingredients except shrimp and sweet peppers and simmer half hour. Shrimp can be cooked and served in sidedish for those who are not seafood eaters or allegic to seafood. Saute peppers  and add to rice mixture and simmer another 15 min. Add crushed red pepper to taste, carefully as it is very hot. Serve with sweet or jalapena cornbread if desired or garlic bread.
Freezes well and great for a Sunday football game.

I created this dish for my son Keith as he loved the jambalaya from a mall food court that had the added corn and black beans.

Broccoli/Spinach Casserole

1 lg. 16 oz. broccoli frozen chopped
8 oz spinach frozen chopped
2 cans cream chicken or mushroom soup (healthy option)
1 sm. onion chopped saute in 1 Tab. lite butter
1 cup cooked brown rice
16 oz light cheeze whiz type cheese or 16 oz. light cheddar cheese
1 large package of sliced fresh mushrooms (optional)
sprinkle of crushed red pepper
grated fresh nutmeg to taste

Thaw broccoli and spinach, drain well and squeeze dry spinach. In lg. bowel mix together
spinach, broccoli, soups, onion, brown rice. Add cheese.
Pour in large crock pot.
Add a very light dash of cayenne red pepper (very hot, careful)
sprinkle fresh grated nutmeg. Stir in these seasonings. Heat on high
in crock for 2 hours, check frequently, stir slightly, till heated thru and cheese
is melted.

My sister-in-law Deb created this recipe one day--had run out of broccoli and added the
spinach to substitute when to our surprise it was so delicious and unique. I've added the
spices. This dish is great to bring as a side dish to a party---I am always asked to bring it...
best of all kids love it and adults can't seem to get enough....also freezes well.

Mexican Chicken Ole

2 pkgs chicken breast pieces (approx. 8 pieces)
2 pkgs. taco seasoning mix
3 cans tomatoes with green chiles
2 sweet red peppers sliced
2 cans black beans
1 can white cornkernels

Place chicken pieces in 12" x 15" baking pan at least 2" depth. Sprinkle with taco seasoning.
Spread black beans and corn over chicken. Sprinkle red pepper slices. Spread tomato w/chiles over chicken. Cover with foil and bake 350 oven 1 hour till juices in chicken are clear. Serve with rice or tortillas.

My own creation that serves a nice company dish.

Chicken a l'Orange

3 fresh sweet potatoes peeled and sliced
6 chicken breast pieces
1 1/2 c. flour
dash salt
2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
cracked fresh pepper
couple good dashes of garlic powder
2 cans cream of chicken or celery soup (healthy choice)
1 lb fresh mushrooms (optional)
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp. fresh orange grated peel
2 tab brown sugar or sugar sub (stevia prefer)

Place sw. potatoes sliced in crockpot. In separate bowl combine flour, spices, garlic powder. Coat chicken and place ontop of sw. potatoes. Combine soup, oj, peel, brown sugar/ or substitute, mushrooms and pour over chicken. Cook on high 3 hours or till sw. potatoes are crisp tender to taste.

My Fresh Eggplant, Zucchini, Sweet Pepper, Mushroom Medley----Ratatouille...French/Italian Old World Entree.

olive oil
garlic 3 cloves smashed/chop
2 eggplants chopped
1 very large garden zucchini chopped or 5 zucchini & yellow squash combo
4-5 sweet pepper red/green sliced large
3 med yellow onions sliced
2 lbs. sliced fresh mushrooms
4 jars low carb marinara or
3 large cans Italian tomato sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
few shakes of crushed red pepper
sea salt to taste
1 cup red wine chianti or Italian house red (I used fine homemade Italian
blend red wine)optional
handful of herbs d'provence (make sure it contains lavender)

In large dutch oven saute garlic in thin covering of olive oil in pot. Add chopped eggplant and zucchini slices and onion. Saute in oil till slight crisp brown.
Slowly pour over marinara or Italian tomato puree. Cover and simmer half hour. Add 1 cup of red wine (optional) and sweet peppers and mushrooms. Sweeten if you prefer with sugar or Nevella (stevia sugar free sweetener). Sprinkle with crushed red pepper very lightly, overnite pepper will intensify. Stir and cool overnite. Serve over pasta (whole grain preferably) or brown rice. Also good just by itself or with a crusty Italian bread. Sprinkle with Romano cheese or fresh fine shredded parmesan cheese.. More crushed red pepper tableside.

To create this dish French style I use herbs de provence and merlot wine.

I was introduced to Italian style ratatouille by my daughter's godfather's Italian mom and aunt who brought this similar recipe from Italy. I spent many nights observing them as they prepared different dishes from the old country this being a favorite. I changed it by adding the
wine and crushed red pepper. .Freezable.

Sugar-Free, Fat-Free White Chocolate Strawberry Almond Trifle

4 boxes Jello brand sugar-free white chocolate pudding

4 cups fat-free skim milk

1 pint strawberries sliced, leave few whole for garnish

1 box vanilla wafers

slivered almonds

12 oz fat-free whipped topping



Mix pudding and milk in large bowl, whisk or low speed on mixer. In a large trifle bowl, layer wafers, whipped topping, sliced strawberries (edging strawberries to show on bowl), pudding. Repeat layers to fill bowl and top with slivered almonds. Add dollops of whip topping , and garnish with whole strawberries. Chill at least two hours.