MS - Strawberry Rhubarb Slab Pie

Ingredients

• For the Crust

  • 5 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 2 cups (4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup ice water

• For the Filling

  • 2 pounds strawberries, hulled and halved (6 cups)
  • 2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (6 cups)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup quick-cooking tapioca
  • 1 1/2 packed teaspoons grated orange zest, plus 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons water
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup sanding sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Make crust: In a food processor, pulse flour, granulated sugar, and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. With machine running, add 1 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed; do not overmix. Divide dough into 2 disks, wrap each tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make filling: In a large bowl, toss together strawberries, rhubarb, granulated sugar, light-brown sugar, tapioca, and orange zest and juice.
3. Lightly flour a work surface and rolling pin. Roll out 1 disk to a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Transfer dough to a 10-by-14-inch jelly-roll pan. Press gently to fit into pan and fill with fruit mixture. Roll out remaining disk to an 11-by-15-inch rectangle. Place atop pie, pressing along edges to seal. Trim edges of dough, leaving 1 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold overhang under, tucking it into pan. Crimp edges. Brush crust all over with egg-yolk mixture and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired.
4. With a paring knife, cut slits on top to vent. Place pie in oven, then reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Bake until crust is deep golden brown and juices are bubbling in center, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack, 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

MS - Bean, Corn and Tortilla Salad

Ingredients
1 can (15.5 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels (2 cups)
1/4 cup prepared medium tomato salsa, plus more for serving
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
3 plum tomatoes, thickly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 bag (12 ounces) romaine hearts, cut into bite-size pieces
3 cups (3 ounces) broken baked tortilla chips
3/4 cup coarsely grated pepper Jack cheese

Directions
1.In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine beans, corn, and salsa. Microwave just until warmed through, 1 minute. Stir in scallions, avocado, and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Set bean mixture aside.

2.In a large bowl, toss lettuce and chips together. Divide evenly among plates; top with bean mixture and cheese. Serve immediately, topped with additional salsa, if desired.

MS - Carrot Cake

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
1 pound carrots (8 to 10 medium carrots), peeled and shredded on a box grater or in a food processor (about 2 3/4 cups)
2 cups pecans (1 cup finely chopped for batter, 1 cup coarsely chopped for decorating sides of cake)
Cream Cheese Frosting

Directions
1.Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper, and butter parchment. Dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.

2.Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat 3 minutes. Add vanilla, water, and carrots. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture, then finely chopped pecans.

3.Scrape batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen, and turn out cakes onto rack. Turn right side up, and let cool completely.

4.Using a serrated knife, trim rounded top of 2 cakes. Place one trimmed cake, cut side up, on a serving platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake. Top with second trimmed cake, cut side down. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake. Top with remaining cake. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides. Gently press coarsely chopped pecans onto sides of cake. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

MS - Veggie Lasagna

Ingredients
1 pound whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound fresh mozzarella

Marinara
Fresh Lasagna Noodles, cut into 4-by-13-inch strips and cooked, or store-bought dried noodles, cooked
5 ounces coarsely grated Parmesan cheese, (about 1 3/4 cups)
Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375. Combine ricotta, egg, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Season with pepper. Coarsely grate 1/2 of the mozzarella, and stir into ricotta mixture. Using your fingers, shred remaining mozzarella into 2-inch strips, and reserve.
2.Spread 1/2 cup marinara in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place a layer of noodles over marinara. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over noodles, and sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan. Place a layer of noodles over the cheese layer. Spread 1 cup marinara over noodles. Repeat layering (noodles, marinara, noodles, ricotta mixture, Parmesan) 2 more times. Spread remaining marinara over cheese layer, then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.
3.Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until cheese is golden brown and sauce is bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

CROCK POT BROCCOLI SOUFFLE

CROCK POT BROCCOLI SOUFFLE

Ingredients:

2 pkgs. frozen chopped broccoli (2 lbs.)
1 can cream of celery soup (undiluted)
1 cup real mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons grated onion
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Ritz crackers
1 stick melted margarine

Directions:

1. Cook broccoli; drain and cool. Mix soup, mayonnaise, onion, egg, and cheese and add to cooled broccoli.

2. Put in a lightly greased 3 1/2-quart crockpot.

3. Mix 1 stack Ritz or buttery crackers (crushed) with margarine or butter. Put on top.

4. Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours

Classic Christmas Cookies and Icing

1950's Cookie Recipe

Cookie Dough Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or other flavoring
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour

Preparation:
Cream butter with sugar; add beaten egg yolks, flour, baking powder, salt, milk, and stiffly beaten egg whites. Add enough more flour to make of consistency to roll. Cut off small pieces of the dough; roll on floured surface, sprinkle with granulated sugar, cut out with cookie cutter and bake on greased cookie sheets at 350° for about 10 minutes


Icing Ingredients:
2 teaspoons milk
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
assorted food coloring colors

Directions:
In a small bowl, stir together the milk and confectioners sugar until smooth.
Beat in corn syrup and the vanilla extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If the icing is too thick, add additinal corn syrup to thin slightly.
Divide the icing into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to the preferred color intensity. Paint the icing onto the cookies or pipe with decorator icing tubes and tips.
Top with candy decorator balls, holiday sprinkles or any other festive design. Enjoy, these are as much fun to decorate as they are to eat!

Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding - PD

Ingredients
2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream
Directions
Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.