1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup yellow ballpark mustard
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. soy sauce
6-8 pieces of chicken

Whisk all the ingredient together in a large bowl. Add your chicken pieces and turn to coat. Place in fridge to marinade or grill them now.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick butter (not margarine!) softened
8 Tbsp. butter-flavored Crisco (I buy the sticks)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (not imitation please!)
2 large eggs
2 cups (12 oz. bag) chocolate chips - any brand will work

Preheat your oven to 375 and get out 1 or 2 cookie sheets. If you use 2, then you will have to rotate them half-way through the baking so they’ll thoroughly bake.

In a small bowl, combine/whisk the flour, baking soda and salt. Beat the butter, Crisco, sugars and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out the dough and plop down on the ungreased cookie sheet. Place only 6 per batch because they spread.

Bake about 22-25 minutes (oven times vary!) or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. These are so delicious that it’s really hard to share, but try to. ; )

2 cups cooked ham
8 med potatoes - peeled & sliced thin
1 med onion - peeled & sliced into rings
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 Tbsp. diced butter

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2-3 quart casserole.

Layer as follows: ham, potatoes, onions, and sift some flour over this layer; repeat about 2 more times. Season all over with sprinklings of kosher salt and ground black pepper. Pour the milk slowly over all and with a spatula press down gently to make sure it gets around evenly. Dot butter over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes; uncover and bake 15 minutes more.

This recipe makes one 32-ounce drink:
2 cups club soda - cold!
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 tsp. + 1 good pinch cherry-flavored unsweetened Kool-Aid
1/2 tsp. cherry extract - (baking section of grocery store)
Crushed ice

Using a blender, put 1 cup of the club soda in. Add sugar, Kool-Aid and cherry extract. Blend this until all the sugar is dissolved - will take about 1 minute. Add the crushed ice and blend on high until it becomes a smooth, slushy consistency but there are no chunks of ice left. Add the rest of the club soda and blend this very briefly, just until mixed. Stopping the blender to mix will probably be a good idea at this point, so you can stir up the contents from the bottom of blender.

1-2 pounds steak (any cut you want)
1 tsp. ground pepper (black or a mixture)
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning (odd, but works)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Place the steak on a plate, mix all the spices together in a small bowl and rub it all over both sides of the steak. Set aside and place oil in your pan and heat. Cook steak to desired doneness.

I have a George Foreman Grill (which I simply love!) and I cooked this steak for about 15 minutes. If you have a counter top type grill, then definitely use it for this recipe.

4 tea bags of your choice
4 cups boiling water
1 thawed can frozen cranberry-raspberry juice
Cold water

Place the tea bags in a pot and add the boiling water. Cover and steep for 5 full minutes. Remove and toss out the teabags. Cover and refrigerate the tea for several hours. When you are ready to serve it, combine the thawed juice and 4 cups cold water in a pitcher, add tea and stir. Serving with some fresh mint leaves is optional, but good.

A whole chicken cut into 8 pieces OR your choice of pieces
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup unseasoned bread crumbs OR matzo meal (I used matzo)
1 packet Good Season’s Salad Garlic & Herb Salad Dressing
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
4 Tbsp. melted butter

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Take out a rimmed cooking sheet. Rinse chicken & pat dry. Pour buttermilk into a pie plate or bowl; on another pie plate or plate, add the breadcrumbs/matzo with the salad dressing and parsley and mix well with a fork.

Dip each chicken piece in buttermilk; coat with the dried mixture and place skin-side up on the cooking tray. Drizzle butter over all - you can use more butter if you wish. Place in the oven for 50 minutes, or until done.

These meatballs are delicious when served over egg noodles or with mashed potatoes. True comfort food.

1 lb. ground chuck
1 lb. ground pork (or 2 lbs. ground chuck)
1 small onion, peeled & diced
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
Beef stock as needed - canned is fine
1 tsp. minced parsley
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. dried thyme

Sauce:
2 cups chicken stock - canned is fine
4 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. onion salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 bay leaf

Into a large bowl, mix all the meatball ingredients just until combined - don’t overmix it or it will be tough. Cover the bowl and put into the fridge for 2 hours before you form it into meatballs - this mixture has to firm up a bit.

When 2 hours is up, preheat oven to 350 and form your meatballs onto a single layer in a baking dish. Beke for 25 minutes, pour off the fat and bake for 10 minutes more. Set aside.

Now, in a medium saucepan bring the broth to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.  While it’s simmering, into a large skillet melt the butter over low heat then stir in the flour. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in the stock and cook until thickened. Add the spices and lemon juice then cook for 5 more minutes. Add the meatballs to the suce and serve over noodles or with mashed potatoes.

16 oz. sour cream
16 oz. (2 8 oz. blocks) cream cheese
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup cooled, black coffee
2 Tbsp. chocolate syrup
2 pkgs. (3 oz. each) ladyfingers, split
1-2 Tbsp. sifted unsweetened cocoa powder

Take the sour cream & cream cheese out of the fridge and place on counter to come to room temperature - this takes about 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, beat on high with an electric mix the sour cream, cream cheese, sugar, milk and vanilla.  In a separate small bowl, whisk together the coffee & chocolate syrup.

In a 2-quart casserole pan, layer one package of the cookies - cut side up. Brush with half of the coffee/chocolate mixutre, spread half of the cream cheese mixutre then repeat. Sprinkle the cocoa powder over top (through a sifter) cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or at least 12 hours. This really does need a long fridge set time.

4 cans green beans, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/3 cup fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix beans, soup, milk, and 2/3 cup of the fried onions. Empty into a casserole dish and bake for 25 minutes. Top wtih the remaining fried onions and bake 5 more minutes.