Loaded baked potato dip.

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/3 cup chives, diced or 6 green onions, sliced
• salt, pepper and cayenne to taste (optional)

Instructions

• Mix everything and enjoy scooping with potato chips.

Notes

This dip is even better when made a day ahead to give the flavors a chance to come out.

Apple Cinnamon Bread

Apple Cinnamon Bread!

 1/3 cup brown sugar (not packed)

 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 2/3 cup white sugar

 1/2 cup butter, softened

 2 eggs

 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

 1/2 cup milk

 1 apple, peeled and chopped 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

 Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside.

 Beat white sugar and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated; add vanilla extract. Combine flour and baking powder together in another bowl; stir into creamed butter mixture. Mix milk into batter until smooth. Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

 Next add half the apples and half the brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Lightly pat apple mixture into batter. Pour the remaining batter over apple layer; top with remaining apples and add more brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. Lightly pat apples into batter; swirl brown sugar mixture through apples using a finger or spoon.

 Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

Barley Bake

 BARLEY BAKE: 

6 servings

Ingredients:

-1 medium onion, chopped 

-1 cup medium pearl barley 

-1/2 cup slivered almonds or 1/2 cup chopped almonds 

-1/4 cup margarine or 1/4 cup butter or 2tsp of canola oil 

-3 teaspoons dried (or fresh) parsley flakes 

-1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

-1/4 teaspoon salt 

-2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans beef broth 

Step 1: In a skillet, over medium heat, saute' the barley, onion, and almonds in the butter until lightly browned. **

Step 2: Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish.

Step 3: Add the parsley, pepper and salt; stir to mix.

Step 4: Add the broth, stir to mix.

Step 5: Bake in the oven at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the barley is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

** I leave out the almonds.

Spaghetti soup

Spaghetti soup

Ingredients:

4 cups water

4 oz. (1 cup) uncooked ready-cut spaghetti (short curved pasta) or broken spaghetti noodles

20 frozen cooked meatballs or  3/4 pound ground Italian sausage, fried (or the amount you prefer)

1 (27 to 30-oz.) jar spaghetti sauce

optional: 1/2 tsp chopped garlic, 1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

Bring water to a boil in large saucepan. Add spaghetti and meatballs or fried ground meat; cook about 10 minutes or until spaghetti is tender. Do not drain.

Stir in spaghetti sauce. Cook until thoroughly heated. If desired, sprinkle individual servings with grated Parmesan cheese. Mmmm.

Beef Jerky and seasoning mix

Seasoning blend

 2 1/2 Tbl. paprika

2 Tbl. salt

2 Tbl. garlic powder

1 Tbl. black pepper

1 Tbl. onion powder

1 Tbl. cayenne pepper

Mix and keep in jar for use in casseroles, chili, bbq's, jerky and much more.

To make Beef Jerky I mix:

1 1/2 Tbl. of above seasoning blend  to

1/4 cup worchestershire sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tbl. Liquid smoke

 2 lb. lean beef roast (size is a guess, could be 3 lbs. :) )

Pour over evenly sliced raw beef roast ( 1/8 thick) and marinate over night to 2 days. I mix several times a day, but do it gently, the meat gets very tender as it marinates.

Place in single layer in dehydrator until dried out but not burnt. Time depends on thickness of meat and machine.