Diane's Recipes

EMMY'S LAZY CHICKEN POT PIE

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 02:45:00 +0000

1 can flaky butter flavored biscuits, 8 count size

1 family sized can cream of chicken soup

4-12 oz. cans premium chunk chicken breast

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can green peas, drained

1 can sliced carrots, drained

2 tablespoons evaporated milk

salt, pepper, thyme and garlic powder, to taste

Bake biscuits as directed on package. In the meantime, prepare the pot pie filling.

In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium low heat, add soup and 2 of the cans of chicken, including liquid. Drain the other 2 cans of chicken and add the chicken to the soup and chicken mixture. Add the corn, green peas, carrots and evaporated milk. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and garlic powder to taste. Stir frequently until bubbly and heated through.

When biscuits are done and pot pie filling is hot, add biscuits and pot pie filling as desired to a bowl and enjoy!

DI'S FLAN

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 02:46:00 +0000

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

5 large eggs, room temperature

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

12 oz. can evaporated milk

1 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350* with an oven rack positioned in the center of the oven. Bring a kettle of water to boil for the water bath and keep it at a boil while you proceed with the recipe. You will need a 9 x 2-inch round cake pan and a larger pan which the round cake pan will fit into with room for the water for the water bath.

To make the caramel, in a small sauce pan place the sugar and 1/4 cup of water and bring to a boil over medium high heat without stirring, about 3-5 minutes. Once you see the mixture begin to turn golden, start swirling the mixture in the pan until it's the color of cinnamon, about 1-2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Continue swirling until it turns amber colored, about another 30 seconds. Working quickly, immediately pour melted sugar into the round cake pan, swirling to cover the entire bottom of the pan before it sets up, using oven mitts. Careful, this stuff is like molten lava! Set the pan aside on a heat proof surface and prepare the custard.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract and salt and whisk until thoroughly combined. Carefully pour the custard mixture into the cake pan containing the caramelized sugar. Cover the cake pan with foil, tightly crimping the edges and making sure the foil doesn't touch the custard inside the pan.

Place the cake pan of custard in the middle of the larger pan and pull out the center rack of your oven. Place the pan on the oven rack and carefully pour the boiling water into the outer pan until the water reaches at least halfway up the sides of the custard pan. Make sure the boiling water doesn't reach the top of the inner pan and get into your custard. Very carefully push in the oven rack, making sure you don't spill the boiling water or splash it under the foil into your custard.

Bake at 350* for 70-80 minutes. To test to see if it's done, carefully remove the foil and jolt the flan pan. You should see a stiff jiggle in the center. If it seems too liquid/wobbly, replace the foil and bake another 10 minutes. Being very careful with the hot water, remove from the oven, uncover, place on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. There's no easy way to remove the pan from the water bath and I always end up with wet oven mitts and hot pads. Be very careful not to get water into your flan. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight is even better to ensure the flan is fully set.

To serve, run a knife around the edges of the flan, cleaning your knife periodically. Place a rimmed platter or serving dish, bigger than the cake pan, upside down over the flan. Quickly invert the flan onto the serving dish, holding the edges of both the dish and the cake pan in both hands. If the flan doesn't slide out easily, gently tap the bottom of the cake pan until you feel the flan slide out, then carefully lift the cake pan off the flan. Slice into wedges and serve, spooning caramel sauce over each portion if desired. Garnish with berries, whipped cream or as you please.

PASTA DIANE

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 13:45:00 +0000

8 oz. angel hair, linguini or other pasta

16 oz. frozen broccoli florets

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 lb. peeled and de-veined shrimp

2 tablespoons cooking oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic, more to taste

1 tablespoon flour

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 - 1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

black pepper to taste

2 teaspoons sugar

pinch of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare angel hair, linguini, fettuccine or pasta of your choice as directed on package. Remove from heat and hold in hot cooking water until needed.

Prepare broccoli florets by steaming in the microwave cooking bag or on the stove top, but only cook till just tender crisp. Set aside.

Saute chicken in a large skillet in 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat until lightly browned and just cooked through. Remove chicken to a bowl and set aside.

Add shrimp to the skillet and saute for 4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly to ensure the garlic doesn't burn. Remove shrimp from the skillet and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to skillet. After butter has melted, add flour and stir until combined and bubbly. Add whipping cream and milk, stirring vigorously and scraping pan to prevent sticking. Cook and stir constantly until thickened, adding more milk if needed to get the consistency you like. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in sugar and cayenne pepper or pepper flakes. Stir in shredded Parmesan cheese, reserving some for garnish. Cook and stir until Parmesan cheese is melted and blended into sauce, then add reserved chicken, shrimp and broccoli. Heat and stir until heated through. Remove from heat.

Drain pasta and add portions to serving plates as desired. Top each portion of pasta with sauce, chicken, shrimp and broccoli as desired and garnish with additional shredded Parmesan cheese. Excellent served with a green salad and hot garlic bread.

Notes: You can make this recipe your own by using any kind of chicken, including canned chicken breast or use boneless, skinless thighs, etc. Use only shrimp, only chicken, or neither one if you prefer it without meat or just don't have any at the time. You can tailor this recipe by doubling the ingredients, or half them to make a smaller amount. Use any variety of pasta you have on hand. If you prefer you can drain the pasta and mix everything together before serving. The ingredients are very simple, but the real butter and whipping cream are what makes the dish, so don't substitute those ingredients for lower fat.

JESSICA'S TIRAMISU

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 03:16:00 +0000

ground coffee, espresso grind if possible

2 (8 oz.) packages of mascarpone cheese

2 packages of lady fingers

4 eggs, separated

4-5 spoons sugar, not too full

Cocoa powder for dusting on top

Brew coffee in a moka pot. Place brewed coffee in a flat bottomed dish and add a little water to it. Set aside to fully cool.

Separate eggs, placing yolks in a larger mixing bowl and whites into a medium mixing bowl.

Beat egg yolks and sugar, then add mascarpone cheese and mix thoroughly. With clean beaters, whip egg whites until stiff, then fold stiff egg whites carefully into cheese mixture.

In a lasagna pan, place a layer of the cream mixture, then dip each lady finger in the cooled brewed coffee and layer onto the cream mixture. Continue until all lady fingers and cream mixture are used, then dust with cocoa powder if desired. Cover tightly with lid or foil.

Refrigerate over night or until thoroughly chilled. Keep any leftovers refrigerated.

JESSSICA'S RED WINE PASTA SAUCE

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 02:34:00 +0000

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

6 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dry red wine

2 tablespoons sugar

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

28 oz can Italian style diced tomatoes

1 cup water; may also use pasta water or chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes OR a pinch of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

Optional: 1 lb. ground beef, pork or Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled. I use ground beef, salted.

If using meat, brown in skillet and drain on paper towel lined plate. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium high heat. Add onion and saute for 2-3 minutes until the onion begins to soften. Add garlic and oregano. Saute for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring frequently to scrape the bottom of the skillet to ensure the garlic doesn't burn. Add Italian seasoning, basil, black pepper and salt, and saute for an additional 30 seconds or until fragrant. Reduce heat to low.

Add wine and sugar. Stir to combine and allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes to reduce. Add all tomatoes, water or broth, bay leaves, pepper flakes and paprika. Stir to combine, cover and simmer on low for at least an hour, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced to your desired consistency.

Remove the bay leaves. If desired, you may add the sauce to a blender or use an immersion blender if you prefer your sauce to be smooth. This is a personal thing and completely optional. Do not blend if you prefer a chunkier sauce; I don't blend mine.

If using meat, add cooked meat to the sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes before serving. Serve hot over pasta. I love this sauce with ground beef over rotini pasta.

JESSICA'S ROASTED GARLIC AND PARMESAN SPAGHETTI SQUASH

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 17:56:00 +0000

1 spaghetti squash

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

salt to taste

1/2 - 3/4 cup Greek nonfat plain yogurt

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup grated Parmesan and Romano cheese

1 - 2 tablespoons minced garlic

onion powder to taste

Shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish

chopped parsley for garnish, fresh or dried

Preheat oven to 400*.

Cut squash width-wise and remove seeds. Brush with olive oil and salt to taste. Place squash halves cavity side down on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

While squash is baking, in a medium sized bowl combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic and onion powder if desired (I prefer it without).

In a separate small bowl mix grated cheese and bread crumbs. Add 1/4 of the cheese and bread crumb mixture to the yogurt mixture and mix well.

Once squash is tender, slice off enough of the round end of the squash so that when you turn them upright they will sit flat. Turn them upright and divide the yogurt mixture between the two squash halves, placing it into the squash cavities. Top each squash with the remaining bread crumb and grated cheese mixture. Garnish with shredded Parmesan and parsley if desired. The residual heat from the roasted squash melts all the cheeses and yogurt and the bread crumbs help meld all the flavors and juices together. Serve hot and enjoy!

JESSICAS SWEET CHILI BRUSSELS SPROUTS

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 17:24:00 +0000

2 - 12 oz. bags frozen Brussels sprouts

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons Buffalo Wild Wings Asian Zing Sauce

1 - 2 tablespoons honey

Cook each bag of sprouts in the microwave according to package instructions, minus 1 minute of cooking time for each bag. Empty both bags of cooked sprouts into a microwave safe dish and add all remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly and microwave another 1 - 2 minutes or until piping hot. Serve and enjoy!

JESSICA'S SNICKERDOODLE COOKIES

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:13:00 +0000

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar (for less tang, use 1 teaspoon)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon-sugar mix:

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350*. Prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter an sugar for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla. Cream for 1-2 minutes longer.

Stir in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt, just until combined.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and ground cinnamon.

If time allows, wrap the dough and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Roll into quarter-sized balls until round and smooth. Drop into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and coat well. Using a spoon, coat for a second time, ensuring the cookie balls are completely covered. Place on prepared baking sheets.

*To make flatter snickerdoodles, you may press down in the center of the cookie balls before baking. This helps keep them from puffing up in the middle.*

Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for several minutes before removing from the pan to wire racks to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.

JESSICA'S SNOWBALL COOKIES (SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK COOKIES)

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:53:00 +0000

1/2 cup butter, cubed and chilled

1 cup + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup icing sugar (confectioners sugar)

Preheat oven to 350*. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chilled, cubed butter, all purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Rub the mixture together with your fingertips until it resembles a wet, sand-like texture.

Pour in the sweetened condensed milk. Using your hands, gently mix the dough until it comes together. Avoid over mixing to ensure a tender, melt-in-your mouth texture. Carefully roll into 10-12 equal sized balls, handling as little as possible. Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Bake in preheated 350* oven for 12-15 minutes until bottoms are just lightly brown. The tops of the cookies should remain pale. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.

While still warm, roll the cookies in the confectioners sugar and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cookies have cooled, roll them in confectioners sugar again for a thick snowy finish. Yields 10-12 cookies. Store in air tight container.

JESSICA'S CHRISTMAS TREE CAKE BALLS

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:26:00 +0000

4 (5-count) boxes vanilla Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes, crumbled

2 - 8oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 - 7 oz. package white candy melts

1 - 24 oz. package white almond bark

Red and green colored sanding sugar or sprinkles

Instructions:

Prepare a baking sheet with waxed paper or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat together the crumbled cakes and cream cheese until well combined.

Using a small cookie scoop, portion the cream cheese/cake mixture into 1 inch balls and roll into a smooth ball. Repeat with remainder of the mixture, placing onto the paper lined cookie sheet.

For best results, place the rolled balls in the freezer until very firm before proceeding with dipping and decorating.

Place the white candy melts and white almond bark in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir vigorously to allow the candy to continue melting with the residual heat. Return the candy to the microwave and heat in 15-second intervals, stirring well between each, until the candy mixture is smooth. If the candy is too thick for dipping, add up to 1 tablespoon of vegetable shortening or coconut oil and stir well.

Dip each ball into the white melted candy mixture, tapping on the side of the bowl to remove excess melted candy, then place dipped candy back onto the paper lined cookie sheet, decorating immediately with colored sugar or sprinkles if desired.

Place the dipped candy on the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for about 1 hour or until firm. Keep stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper.

JESSICA'S LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:57:00 +0000

5 lbs potatoes

5 carrots

24 oz. bacon

2 tablespoons butter

1 small white onion, diced

64 oz. chicken broth or chicken bone broth

12 oz. can evaporated milk

4-6 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar or a cheddar blend

sliced green onion or chives for garnish if desired

Peel and dice potatoes and carrots into 1/2-1 inch cubes. Set aside. Peel and dice onion.

In a stockpot, cook bacon until crisp. Either fry slices and then crumble when cooked, or dice raw bacon and cook. Remove bacon from pot and reserve. Drain bacon drippings, leaving 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the pot. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the bacon drippings along with the diced onion. Saute onion until soft. Add peeled and diced potatoes and carrots to the pot, then add the chicken broth or chicken bone broth (for fuller flavor and more protein) and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Using a potato masher, smash at least half of the potatoes until smooth, leaving some chunks of potato for texture. In a cup or small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the evaporated milk until smooth. Add to soup mixture, stirring constantly until soup returns to a boil. Continue stirring until soup thickens and reduce heat to low.

Add garlic salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, yogurt and shredded cheese, stirring frequently to prevent the soup from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add crumbled bacon and remove from heat. Serve with additional shredded cheese, sliced green onions or chives, and/or reserve some of the bacon crumbles to add to individual portions.

**Mom's serving suggestion: Hot garlic toast would be wonderful with this hearty soup.**

SAUSAGE BALLS

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 13:11:00 +0000

3 cups baking mix such as Bis*Quick

1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 lb. bulk breakfast sausage

1/2 cup milk or water

*NOTE: Any type or combination of cheeses to equal 16 ounces may be used, including any type of cheddar, American, Swiss, Parmesan, pepper jack, etc. I do recommend using bulk cheese and grating it yourself but packaged shredded cheese is perfectly acceptable. Just be aware that the anti-caking agents added to packaged shredded cheese will make a difference in the texture of the baked sausage balls and make them a bit dryer than if you grate your own cheese. Also, in my humble opinion Jimmy*Dean bulk sausage is the best for this recipe, and I particularly like the hot sausage. But any sausage flavor works for this recipe.*

Preheat oven to 350*.

In a large mixing bowl, break up raw sausage and add remaining ingredients. Using well scrubbed hands and/or plastic gloves, mix all ingredients together until well combined and no dry mixture is seen. Roll into quarter-sized balls and place onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or foil. Bake at *350 for 20-25 minutes or until set and lightly browned on bottom. Remove from pans to cooling racks. Serve warm if possible.

Keep refrigerated in a tightly covered container if not used immediately. To reheat, microwave in 10-second intervals until warm.

For longer storage, may be frozen by wrapping tightly in plastic wrap then placed in freezer bags or another air tight container. Thaw in the refrigerator before warming in the microwave.

DI'S LEMON CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Tue, 14 May 2024 03:20:00 +0000

2 sticks softened real butter, not margarine or spread

2 - 8 ounce packages softened cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

2 tablespoons lemon extract or flavoring

3 1/2 cups self rising flour

grated lemon peel from one lemon, plus the juice

For the glaze:

1 cup of sugar

1 1/2 cups water

grated peel from one lemon, plus the juice

1 tablespoon lemon flavoring or extract

Preheat oven to 300*.

Generously grease and flour a tube pan or 3 loaf pans and set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, sour cream and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add lemon peel and juice of one lemon, then gradually add flour until all is well combined. Spoon batter into prepared tube pan or loaf pans. If using a tube pan, don't fill more than 2/3 full as this cake rises a lot during baking but subsides as it cools. It may be necessary to grease and flour a small cake pan or loaf pan for any excess batter.

Bake in preheated 300* oven until no longer gummy in the center and golden brown, 55-80 minutes depending on pans used. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out almost clean, but not gummy. Don't over bake; better to remove it a little early than to over bake it. Place on wire rack to cool.

Prepare glaze:

In a medium sauce pan, combine water and sugar. Stir and bring to a medium boil for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Add grated lemon peel, juice of 1 lemon and lemon flavoring. Stir well and pour hot glaze slowly and evenly over the still warm cake(s) and allow to cool on wire rack to room temperature.This will soak into the cake and make it moist and delectable.

Wrap tightly in aluminum foil or place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

WHIPPED CREAM

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Tue, 14 May 2024 02:36:00 +0000

1 cup very cold heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon confectioners sugar, more to taste

Optional: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or flavoring, or flavoring of your choice

For optimal fluffy whipped cream, chill your bowl and beaters in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before proceeding.

To the chilled bowl and with chilled beaters, add the whipping cream and whip on high speed for about 2 minutes, or until cream is thickened but not stiff. Pause the mixer and add the powdered sugar and flavoring if used, then whip until cream is thickened to your liking. Be aware that if you over beat the cream, it will begin to separate into butter and buttermilk, and there is no recovering from that. Use immediately or place in an airtight container for longer storage. Keep in the refrigerator.

Recipe may be increased, just keep the proportions for cream, flavoring and confectioners sugar as you increase it.

Whipped cream made with confectioners sugar will stay stable and firm for several days at least. The cornstarch in confectioners sugar is the secret to firm, stable whipped cream.

Another variation: Add a tablespoon or more to taste of baking cocoa to the whipping cream when you add the confectioners sugar. You will also need more confectioners sugar so add more sugar to taste and continue beating until firm.

You may also add food coloring, a drop at a time, mixing well after each addition, until you get the color you like. This works well for shower themes, etc.

DI'S CHICKEN SALAD

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 21:07:00 +0000

1 small can chicken breast, drained

1/4 cup diced water chestnuts

1/2 cup sweet relish or to taste

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

4 boiled eggs, diced

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup mayonnaise or to taste

Mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours for best flavor and texture, but it's great immediately. Serve as a sandwich, with crackers, on lettuce cups or on wraps.

BUTTER SHORTBREAD MELTAWAYS

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 21:07:00 +0000

2 sticks real butter, room temperature

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla if desired

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. On a floured surface, roll out 1/3 of the mixture evenly until about 1/4 inch or less in thickness. Cut into small rectangles, about 1 1/2 inches by 2 inch strips.This dough does not spread much, so make the cookies the thickness and size you want the finished cookies to be. Using an offset spatula or wide bladed knife, transfer to prepared baking sheets. Dock each cookie by pricking with a fork evenly 3 or 4 times down the length of the cookies.

Bake until just golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and transfer carefully onto wire racks to cool.

Repeat with the remaining dough. Dough may be refrigerated if it becomes difficult to work with.

After cookies are completely cool, place into an airtight container for storage.

BEST EVER COCONUT BAR COOKIES

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 20:46:00 +0000

Crust:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) real butter, melted

Filling:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 eggs

1/4 cup real butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups sweetened shredded coconut, divided

Preheat oven to 350*F and lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish, or line with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine all crust ingredients thoroughly until they form a dough. Transfer dough to the prepared baking dish and use a spatula or your hands to press into an even layer.

Bake crust for 13-15 minutes or until just golden.

As crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a large mixing bowl, add all filling ingredients except for 1 cup of coconut saved for topping. Combine well and pour over baked crust, spreading into an even layer. Top with remaining 1 cup of coconut.

Bake for an additional 25-28 minutes or until set in the middle and coconut begins to brown. Remove pan from oven and place on a wire rack to cool before cutting.

CREAM CHEESE BUTTER COOKIES

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 02:18:00 +0000

1/2 cup, (1 stick) real butter, at room temperature

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

powdered sugar for dusting if desired

Preheat oven to 375*F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. Add sugar and beat 1 minute. Add egg and vanilla and mix to combine.

Combine baking powder, flour and salt. Add to wet mixture in three portions, mixing to combine with each addition.

Cover dough and chill for 1 hour.

Once chilled, dust hands lightly with flour and roll dough into 1-2 inch balls. Place onto prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart and flatten gently with fingers.

Bake 9-11 minutes. Tops should remain pale and bottoms should be just barely golden.

Transfer from baking sheet to wire racks to cool, then lightly dust with powdered sugar to serve if desired. Enjoy!

Yields 3-4 dozen cookies according to how large you make them.

JESSICA'S MONGOLIAN BEEF

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 03:30:00 +0000

2 lbs. top sirloin steak, cut into very thin strips

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon minced garlic (optional)

1 tablespoon minced onion flakes, OR 2 tablespoons diced fresh onion

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

4 teaspoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon olive oil preferred, divided, but vegetable oil can be used if needed

2 cups uncooked rice

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce, optional

Prepare rice as directed on package. I used Basmati and added butter.

While rice is cooking, slice steak into very thin strips. Place steak strips in a large skillet with 1/2 tablespoon of oil and cook thoroughly until browned; remove from skillet and set aside.

While steak is browning, in a medium bowl combine cornstarch and chicken broth, stirring until smooth. Add soy sauce, hoisin sauce and sesame oil. Stir to combine thoroughly.

After steak has been removed from the skillet, add garlic and onion along with remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil and cook 1 minute on high until fragrant. Slowly stir in broth mixture. Add sriracha if using and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then add reserved cooked beef strips to the sauce mixture and stir to combine. Remove from heat.

Serve Mongolian beef over cooked rice. Serves 4-6.

JESSICA'S APRICOT CHICKEN

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 02:09:00 +0000

2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized cubes

2 tablespoons of cooking oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup diced onion

1 cup apricot preserves

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons ketchup

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or sriracha to taste, optional

1-2 teaspoons of sesame seeds, optional

In a skillet, brown chicken in 1 tablespoon of oil and cook until done, stirring constantly. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to skillet along with diced onion and garlic. Cook until barely golden brown. Add apricot preserves, soy sauce, ketchup, red pepper flakes or sriracha if using. Stir and bring back to a bubble over medium heat. Add chicken back to sauce mixture and stir until heated through and sauce thickens to a glaze. Serve over rice if desired, and sprinkle with sesame seeds to garnish.

DI'S PICKLED SHRIMP

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Sat, 13 Aug 2022 17:55:00 +0000

1 lb. cooked, peeled and deveined large shrimp

1 lemon

1/2 small onion, sliced thin

2 tbsp. vegetable oil or olive oil, optional

1/4 cup white vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 tbsp. Old Bay seasoning

1/2 tsp. seasoning salt or plain salt

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. mustard seed

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper

1 tsp. dried parsley flakes

4 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. celery seed

1 tsp. black pepper corns

Using a wide mouth quart canning jar or other large container with a tight fitting lid, thinly slice half the lemon and set aside; squeeze the juice from the other half of the lemon into the jar and drop the squeezed lemon into the bottom of the jar. Add some of the onion slices and a bay leaf and a lemon slice, 1/4 of the shrimp and continue layering until all the lemon slices, onion, bay leaves and shrimp is used.

Add the oil if using, Old Bay seasoning, seasoning salt or plain salt, minced garlic, sugar, mustard seed, crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper, parsley flakes, celery seed and black pepper corns. Pour vinegar over all and fill with cold water to cover the shrimp. Cover jar or container with lid and shake to distribute spices throughout the jar and refrigerate until chilled, up to 5 days, if they last that long.

They're better after they marinate at least 24 hours. Recipe may be doubled, and you may use any size shrimp and tweak the recipe to suit your tastes.

WATERGATE SALAD

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 13:59:00 +0000

1 pkg. instant pistachio pudding mix

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups thawed whipped topping

1 cup maraschino cherries

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Cover tightly and chill for 1 hour or until serving time. Keep refrigerated. Recipe may be doubled.

TRES LECHES CAKE (Three Milks Cake)

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 15:35:00 +0000

1 Duncan Hines butter recipe golden cake mix

4 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1 stick (1/2 cup) real butter, not margarine, melted

1 quart heavy whipping cream, divided

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk such as Pet or Carnation

1 can sweetened condensed milk such as Eagle Brand

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350*.

Spray a 9x13 baking pan or glass dish with cooking oil spray. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl prepare cake batter using the boxed cake mix, melted butter, 4 eggs and 3/4 cup milk. Mix with electric mixer for 3-4 minutes until well combined and thickened. Pour into prepared pan and bake for time recommended on the box, or until a pick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake and cake springs back when touched. Don't over bake. Place on cooling rack.

While cake is baking, combine 2 cups of whipping cream, the evaporated milk and the sweetened condensed milk in a medium bowl. Stir to mix well. As soon as you remove the cake to the cooling rack, slowly pour the milk mixture over the hot cake until all is used. The cake will absorb all the milk as it cools.

Continue cooling on wire rack to room temperature, then prepare the whipped cream.

In a medium mixing bowl, using clean beaters, beat the remaining 2 cups of whipping cream until slightly thickened. Stop the mixer and add 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar. Start mixer on lowest speed until combined then increase speed and mix until the whipped cream is thickened to your taste. Spoon onto prepared, cooled cake and spread evenly. Cover with a well fitting lid or cover tightly with foil and refrigerate until well chilled. Serve cold and keep any leftovers refrigerated.

This is my granddaughter Emmy's favorite cake.

*Notes: You can use any cake mix for this, including white or even chocolate. I have made my own version of this with a white cake mix and added cream of coconut with the milk mixture that you pour over the cake, then added shredded coconut on top of the whipped cream topping. I'm sure many other combinations can be made by using a little imagination.

DI'S JAMBALAYA

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 03:11:00 +0000

3 tablespoons oil

1 large onion, diced

1 large green bell pepper, diced

1 lb. sausage of your choice*

1/2 cup diced celery

1 cup diced cooked ham

1 cup diced raw chicken or duck breast

1 large can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste

1 teaspoon seasoned salt, such as Lawry's

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste

1 tablespoon sugar

3 or 4 bay leaves

1 - 2 teaspoons of thyme, or to taste

1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic

1 1/2 cups raw white rice

3 1/2 cups water

1 lb. raw shrimp, thawed if from frozen, and peeled

*Smoked sausage, Andouille, Boudin or any type you like can be used. Also you can add any type of meat or game that you like.*

Prepare sausage by removing casings if you like, then slice. In a large Dutch oven or pot, place oil, sliced sausage, onion, bell pepper, celery, ham, chicken or duck meat or any other meat or game of your choice. Over medium high heat, stir to combine. Place a lid on the pot and cook, stirring every few minutes, until vegetables are translucent and sausage begins to brown a bit. Don't let the meats get too brown.

Add remaining ingredients except the shrimp. Stir to combine thoroughly. Cover with the lid and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until rice is tender. You may need to add a little more water if it starts getting too dry.

When rice is just done, stir in the raw shrimp and cover. Bring back to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more seasoned salt, cayenne, black pepper and thyme if desired.

Serve hot. Recipe may be increased if you have a pot large enough to hold it.

DI'S DEVILED EGGS

noreply@blogger.com (Diane@Diane's Place) — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 02:13:00 +0000

12 large eggs

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon of salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon yellow mustard, or to taste

black pepper to taste

2 - 3 heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise

paprika to sprinkle if desired

Place eggs in a large saucepan and just cover with water. Place on stove, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then turn off heat and leave on the burner, covered, for 15 minutes.

Remove lid and set aside. Pour off hot water and run cold water over eggs, pouring off water several times. While eggs are still warm to the touch, pour off all water except for about 1 inch in the bottom of the pan, then toss in a handful or 2 of ice cubes. Place the lid back on the pan, grasp pot handle and lid firmly, and shake vigorously several times. You'll hear the eggs and ice colliding and cracking the shells.

Now remove the lid and run more cold water over the eggs. They should be cracked and the shells should be very easy to finish removing now. Some may have slipped from their shells entirely.

Keep the cold water running over the eggs as you peel them, and by the time you finish peeling all the eggs they should be room temp or fairly close.

Cut the eggs open lengthwise as shown in Jessica's photo above, and place the egg yolks in a medium sized bowl. Place the eggs on a platter or other serving dish.

Mash the yolks with a potato masher or a fork, making sure all the lumps are mashed out and they have a fine consistency. Add the vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper, mixing well. Add mayo until it reaches a consistency that pleases you. Start with low amounts, because you can always add more, but you don't want it so runny it won't stay in the eggs.

Either spoon filling into each egg half, or you may place the filling in a zip-top bag and snip a small hole in one corner and squeeze to fill each egg. Sprinkle prepared eggs with paprika if desired.

Chill until serving time, and keep any leftovers refrigerated. Recipe may be increased as needed.