Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

Pork Roast
1 jar salsa (about soup can size)
Brown Sugar (1-1&1/2 C.)
1 can rootbeer

Cook about 4 hours or longer on low in crock pot. Shred roast, put back in juices. Cook longer after shredded in juices for better flavor (if you have time).

To make burrito:
Take a tortilla and put some meat, either black or pinto beans, mexican rice, enchilada sauce, mozarella cheese. Roll up. Top with more enchilada sauce and mroe cheese. Bake on individual plates until cheese is melted. Optional: top with salsa, cheese, sour cream, guacamole.

To make salad:
Start with tortilla on the bottom. Then lettuce. Put some meat on top. Add black or pinto beans. Mexican Rice. Mozarella cheese. Crumbled Tortilla chips. Use salad dressing purchased at Cafe Rio.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

2 C. uncooked macaroni
1/2 C. butter or margarine
1/2 C. flour
1 3/4 C. milk (I used skim)
1 C. sour cream
1/4 C. parmesan (I did not use fresh)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper (use white if you have it)
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
2 C. sharp cheddar cheese, divided (I used medium cheddar)

Boil noodles and drain. Melt Butter. Add flour while stirring with whisk. Add milk a little at a time while stirring with a whisk. Add sour cream. Add remaining ingredients except cheddar cheese. Add 1 C. cheddar. Set sauce aside. Spray 9 X 9 pan. Put noodles in. Add remaining 1 C. cheese to noodles and stir in. Add sauce and stir in. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Hubby and kids really liked. I think next time I will use velveeta instead of cheddar.

Syrup

This syrup is runny, not thick. But that's the way we like it.

Twice as much white granulated sugar as water. Bring to a boil until it turns clear (the sugar has dissolved). Add about 1 T. maple flavoring.

Can store in the fridge.

Cinnamon Sour Cream Pancakes

Makes (8) 4-inch pancakes

2 large eggs, separated
1 C. sour cream (light works fine)
1 T. granulated white sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 C. flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt (I used regular salt)

Beat egg whites with mixer until soft peaks form. Set aside. Whisk the egg yolks and sour cream together. Add the sugar and cinnamon and whisk until blended. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix into batter. Gently fold in the egg whites. Pour onto hot griddle. Cook until small bubbles form and bottom is light brown. Flip and cook other side until golden.

Note: This was not enough for my family of 2 adults and 2 kids. I would double or triple it next time. It does not have a very strong cinnamon taste. They were really good, but if you want cinnamon flavor you would need more.

Balsamic Vinegar Pork Chops

4 pork chops
S and P
2 T. EVOO
2/3 C. Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp sugar

Season chops wtih S and P. Heat oil in pan over Med-high heat for 1 min. Cook chops for 5 minutes, turning half-way through. Remove chops, place on a clean plate. Turn down heat to Med. Cook Vinegar and sugar in same pan. Cook until slightly thickened (about 2 minutes). Return chops and any juices from chops into vinegar mixture. Cook 4 minutes, turning to coat with sauce.

5 Minute Chocolate Cake

Serves 1 or 2 (in 1 mug)

4 T. cake flour (I use regular flour then add a pinch of baking soda)
4 T. sugar
2 T. cocoa
1 egg
3 T. milk
2 T. oil (3 T. will make a moister cake)

Mix dry ingr. in a microwave safe mug. Add wet ingr. Mix well. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Wait until it stops rising and sets in the mug. Tip out contents onto a plate and enjoy. I have also tried adding chocolate chips and mashed banana. It is not my favorite chocolate cake, but hey, it's fast, there are no leftovers and you won't eat an entire batch of cupcakes by yourself.

Nutrition facts figured with cake flour, no baking soda and 3 T. oil
1 serving (the whole recipe)
Cal 804, Fat 49.2, Fiber 4.2

Recipe taken from www.recipezaar.com
(recipe # 312817)

Nellie's Quick and Easy Brownies

1 stick butter or margarine
½ C. Oil
1 C. water
4 T. Cocoa

2 C. Sugar
2 ½ C. Flour

½ C. Buttermilk (or regular milk soured with 1 T. lemon juice or vinegar)
1 T. Vanilla
1 tsp. Soda (mixed with 1 T. water)

2 eggs

Melt butter in saucepan. Add oil, water and cocoa. Remove from heat. Mix in sugar and flour. Add buttermilk, vanilla and soda. Add eggs. If necessary add more flour. Make about the consistency of cake batter. Pour into a large greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. When the brownies are almost done cooking, make the frosting.

Frosting for Brownies
1 stick butter
4 T. Cocoa
1/3 C. Milk
1 T. vanilla
1 lb. (4 C.) powdered sugar
1 C. chopped walnuts (opt.)

Melt butter in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Add cocoa, milk, vanilla. Add powdered sugar. Add nuts last. Pour over warm, but not hot brownies.

Pie Crust

Pecan Pie

1 C. white corn syrup
1 C. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/3 C. melted butter or margarine
1 tsp. Vanilla
3 eggs slightly beaten
1 heaping C. pecan halves

Combine Syrup, sugar, salt, butter, vanilla and mix well. Add slightly beaten eggs. Add pecans. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 45-50 minutes. It will seem a little runny when you take it out. It will set up as it cools. Allow to cool, serve with icecream or whipped cream.

Lemonade Ice-Cream Cake

1 pkg. Pecan Sandies Cookies, crushed (might not need whole pkg)
1 frozen concentrate Pink Lemonade
½ gallon vanilla icecream

Allow icecream and lemonade to thaw. Crush cookies and press into the bottom of a cake pan. (save some crumbs for the top)Use your mixer to blend the icrecream and lemonade together. Pour over the cookies. Freeze for a minimum of 4 hours.

Note: You can use the same concept with mint chocolate chip icecream and oreos. When serving the mint chocolate version top with whipped topping and carmel topping.

Chocolate Frosting

Crisco
Boiling water
Powdered sugar
Cocoa

Take about 2 big spoonfuls of Crisco. Add ½ of a bag of powdered sugar. Mix well. Add several T. of boiling water (not very much). Add several T. of cocoa. Adjust all ingredients to taste. If it tastes too much like Crisco, add more pwd sugar. If it tastes too sweet add more Crisco. If it needs to be more chocolatey, add more cocoa. If it is too thick, add a tiny bit more water.

Peanut Butter Fingers

2 cubes butter
2/3 C. sugar
1 C. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
¾ C. Peanut Butter

1 tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. Salt
2 C. flour
2 ½ C. oatmeal

Cream together butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla and PB. Add the other ingredients. The batter will be thick. Spread in an ungreased 9 X 13 AND 8 X 8 pans. Or you can use a jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 10 min or until lightly brown. Do not overcook. Cool in pans. Frost with chocolate frosting (see recipe). Cut into bars.

No Bake Cookies

¾ cube butter

2 C. Sugar
4 ½ T. Cocoa
½ C. milk
½ tsp salt

1 tsp. Vanilla
3 C. Quick oatmeal
½ C. Peanut Butter

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add sugar, cocoa, milk, salt. Mix and bring to a boil for 1 ½ minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla, oatmeal, PB. Mix well and drop on wax paper to cool. To speed things up…Put the wax paper on cookie sheets, drop the cookies on the wax paper, then put the cookie sheet in the freezer to cool.

Hot Lemon Cake

Yellow cake mix
Oil and eggs called for in cake
Cook and serve lemon pudding (not instant)
Ingredients called for in pudding

Make cake as directed. Make the pudding. When serving, put a slice of cake on the plate, then pour hot pudding over the top.

Grandma's Soft Yummy Christmas Balls

(3) 8 oz Hershey Chocolate bars (My Grandma does 2 with almonds and 1 without)
12 oz cool whip
graham cracker crumbs

Leave cool whip out for an hour or two before to soften. Melt chocolate in top of a double boiler. Blend in cool whip. Spoon into graham cracker crumbs. Roll into a ball. Place on wax paper to cool.

German Chocolate Frosting

½ c. butter or margarine
1 C. evaporated milk
3 slightly beaten eggyolks (no whites)
1 C. sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla

1 1/3 C. coconut
1 C. chopped walnuts

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add milk, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, approximately 12 minutes. (Stir constantly). Remove from heat and add nuts and coconut. Beat until cool and easy to spread. Spread on a chocolate cake.

Microwave Rice Crispies

1 C. Sugar
1 C. Karo Syrup

1 C. Chunky Peanut Butter (or smooth)

1 C. dry roasted peanuts
5 C. Rice Crispy Cereal
1 C. coconut

Microwave sugar and Karo Syrup for 3 ½ minutes, stirring several times in the middle. Add PB and stir goop. In a separate large bowl mix the peanuts cereal and coconut. Pour the goup over the cereal mixture. Stir. Pour mix into a greased 9 X 13 pan. No baking required.

Frosting for Microwave Rice Crispies
1 pkg. Chocolate chips
2 T. Crisco

Microwave for 2 minutes or less, until the chocolate is all melted. Stir several times in the middle. The chocolate will not appear melted until you stir. Pour over the rice crispies. Let the chocolate cool.

Lemon-Lime Refrigerator Sheet Cake

1 pkg. Lime Jello (4 serving size)
1 pkg. Lemon Cake Mix
oil and eggs called for in cake

Dissolve gelatin in ¾ C. boiling water. Add ½ C. cold water. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Mix and bake cake as directed in a 13 X 9 X 2 inch pan. Cool cake 20-25 minutes. Poke deep holes in warm cake with a fork (leave cake in the pan). Space holes about 1 inch apart. With a cup, slowly pour gelatin mixture into holes. Refrigerate cake while preparing the topping.

Topping for Lemon-Lime Sheet Cake
1 envelope whipped topping mix (2-2 ½ C. yield)
1 pkg. Lemon instant pudding mix (4 serving size)
1 ½ C. cold milk

Blend all ingredients until stiff (3-8 min). Immediately frost cake. Cake must be stored in refrigerator and served chilled. Frosted cake may be frozen for storage.

Crunch Cookies

1 C. sugar
1 C. Brown Sugar
1 C. butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla

1 tsp. soda
½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Baking powder
2 C. flour
2 C. oats

1 C. coconut
2 C. cornflakes
1 C. nuts
1 pkg choco chips

Cream sugars, butter, eggs and vanilla. Add the soda, salt, baking pwd, flour, oats. Add the remaining ingredients.

Bake at 350 for 4-5 minutes (But in different ovens I have had to bake for 10 or 15 minutes). Let sit on pan to cool 5-10 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting
6 oz. Cream Cheese (room temp.)
2 C. Powdered Sugar
3 T. Butter
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/8 tsp. Salt

Mix well. Add more powdered sugar or milk if necessary.

Carrot Cake

2 C. Sugar
1 ¼ C. oil
3 eggs
2 tsp. Soda
2 ¼ C. flour
2 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 C. chopped walnuts
2 C. ground carrots (carrots ground on a cheese grater)
1 C. flaked coconut (opt)
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained

Mix dry ingredients together. Then add the rest of the ingredients, except nuts and coconut. Add nuts and coconut. Bake in 9 X 13 pan at 350 for about 1 hour, until done.

Carrot Cake Frosting
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
a few T. cream or milk
¼ C. Butter or margarine
add powdered sugar to taste and thickness

Carmels

2 C. whipping cream
½ c. milk

2 C. sugar
1 ¼ C. karo
¼ tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Vanilla

Mix the cream and milk together. Put about 1/3 of the milk mixture into a heavy saucepan. Add the sugar, karo and salt. Cook over fairly low heat for about ½ hour, or until it becomes pale beige in color. Turn up the heat and add about half of the remaining mixture of milk. Do not let it stop boiling after you add the cream mixture or it will curdle. Abouit 15-20 minutes later add the rest of the cream mixture. Cook to a firm, soft ball (230-234 degrees).

You don’t need to stir while they are cooking, except when adding the liquid, and at the last when the syrup becomes thick and might stick to the bottom of the pan.

Pour into a 9 X 13 pan and let cool.

Cake Cookies

1 cake mix (chocolate works well)
1 egg
2 C. cool whip

Mix all ingredients. (Do not add the normal ingredients you would to make a cake). Spoon into powdered sugar. Roll in pwd sugar. Flatten with a fork. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 for 10-12 min.

Honey Butter

½ C. (1 cube) margarine or butter, melted
½ C. honey

Beat well. Put in fridge or freezer to cool and thicken.

Corn Bread

½ C. margarine or butter, melted
2/3 C. sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp. Baking soda
1 C. milk
1 T. lemon juice or vinegar
1 C. corn meal
1 C. flour
½ tsp. Salt

Combine milk and lemon juice or vinegar and set aside. Combine melted butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat. Add baking soda to milk, then stir into egg mixture. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well blended. Pour the cornbread into a greased 8 X 8 inch pan. Bake at 375 for 30 min or until it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Serves 12.

Fiber 1, Calories 196, Fat 8.7
4 points per serving

Pizza Dough

1 C. Hot water
1 pkg. yeast
1 T. sugar
1 ½ tsp. Salt
2 T. salt
2 T. oil
2 ¾-3 C. flour

Mix yeast, 1 C. flour, sugar and salt. Add oil and very hot water. Beat for 2 min. Add ½ C. flour and beat until thick and elastic. Stir in rest of flour. Knead 5-10 min. Stretch on pan, form edge. Add sauce and toppings. Bake at 425 for 15 min. I have also included a pizza sauce recipe (in Main dishes).

Dinner Rolls

1 pkg yeast

3 eggs
½ C. sugar
½ tsp salt
½ C. butter, melted
4 ½ C. flour

melted butter

Dissolve yeast in ¼ C. warm water. In a separate bowl beat eggs. Add sugar, salt, ½ C. melted butter. Add yeast and an additional 1 C. water. Add 4 ½ C. flour. Mix well and let raise until it doubles. Fix into rolls, bread, sweet rolls etc… The way we do rolls is pinch off a small amount. Roll in butter, then place seam down on pan. Or pinch off 3 smaller pieces, roll in butter and put into a muffin tin. Once the rolls or bread have been fixed, let raise, until double (about 2-3 hours). Bake at 375 for 10 min, or until golden brown. Brush melted butter on top. For Sweet rolls add ¼-1/2 C. extra sugar.

Bisquick Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

2 C. Bisquick
2/3 C. milk
½ C. shredded cheese

2 T. melted butter
1/8 tsp. Garlic powder

Heat oven to 350. Mix first 3 ingredients to form a soft dough. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Mix butter and garlic powder. Brush over warm biscuits.

Banana Bread

1 ¼ C. sugar
2 eggs
4 T. sour milk (milk with 1 T. lemon juice added, let sit until it curdles)
1 tsp. Soda
½ tsp salt
½ C. oil
1 C. brown bananas (about 2 bananas) (Do not use yellow, normal, ready to eat…wait until they turn brown)
2 C. flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 C. chopped walnuts (opt)

Mix all ingredients. Line bread pans with wax paper. Pour batter into pans. Bake at 325 for 45 min-1 hour.

Sherbet Drink

Solid color sherbet (not rainbow-it turns brown)
Sprite

Put a scoop of sherbet in each glass and top with sprite. Or pour sprite into punchbowl and scoop sherbet into sprite.

Homemade Root Beer

5 lbs. Sugar
5 gallons water
5 lbs dry ice
1 bottle root beer extract

Dissolve sugar in hot water. Add the rest of the water and the other ingredients. Use a large container (more than 5 gallons). Use the lid to keep fizz in. You need to let the dry ice carbonate the root beer (let sit for at least ½ hour-1 hour).

Pineapple Sherbet Drink

½ gal. Sherbet (a solid color, not rainbow)
½ gal vanilla
1 really large can pineapple juice

Soften sherbet and icecream. Mix and Freeze. When ready to serve, mix with sprite.

Orange Julius

2 C. orange juice
2 C. milk
1/3 C. sugar (opt)
1 tsp. Vanilla
10 ice cubes, or more

Mix all ingredients in a blender. Add 5 icecubes at a time until desired consistency.

Lemon Water

4 qt. Water (1 gallon)
2 C. sugar
1 T. lemon extract
1 tsp. Citric acid (buy at your local pharmacy)
1 qt. Ice
lemon slices on top

Mix water, sugar, lemon extract and citric acid. Serve with ice and lemon slices.

Easy Lime Punch

1 can (46 oz) pineapple juice
2 pkg. lemon-lime Koolaid
1 C. Sugar

Mix the ingredients. Then add enough water to make a total of a gallon. Freeze. When ready to serve, mash up and serve with sprite.

Easy Italian Stew

2 T. Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 lb. Italian Sausage
2 cans chicken broth
1 package frozen stir-fry (onions and peppers)
(I couldn’t find one with just onions and peppers, so mine also had green beans, carrots, broccoli, etc)
1 can white beans, drained
1 can Italian Style diced tomatoes
1 cup elbow macaroni
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Heat dressing in large skillet. Add sausage and cook 8 minutes or until done, breaking sausage. Add everything else except the cheese. Cook 8 minutes until macaroni is done. Top with cheese and serve.

Weight Watchers Soup

Makes 4 servings (1 C. each)
This is a weight watchers recipe and is 0 points.

2/3 C. Sliced Carrot
1/2 C. diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 C. fat-free broth (beef, chicken or vegetable flavor)
1 1/2 C. diced green cabbage
1/2 C. green beans
1 T. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C. diced zucchini

Spray a large saucepan with nonstick spray. Saute the carrott, onion, and garlic over low heat until softened, about 5 min. Add broth, cabbage, beans, tomato paste and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered about 15 min or until beans are tender. Stir in zucchini and heat for 3-4 min. Serve hot.

I have used other veggies before, or omitted some veggies and it turns out fine. I have also used canned green beans before and it's fine. Hamburger or sausage added is also good.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

This is the chicken noodle soup my Mom always makes. It is taken from the Lion House Recipe Book (called Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup).

2 tsp. chicken soup base (this is a little tricky to find, IT IS NOT BROTH)
3 C. Chicken soup stock (Broth) (Or 3 boillion cubes plus 3 C. water)
2 C. chopped carrots (you can buy them already chopped in the produce department) (otherwise it is about 5-6 big carrots)
2 C. chopped celery (about 4-5 stalks)
3/4 C. chopped onion (yellow, white or purple) (about 3/4 of a regular size onion)
2 cans (about 10 oz each) cream of chicken soup, do not dilute
1/4 C. evaporated milk or 1/2 C. whole milk (I used skim and it was fine)
Roux (see below)
2 C. cooked diced chicken
2 1/2 oz. (about 4 C.) cooked noodles (I use the Country Pasta-Homemade Style Egg Pasta)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat soup base and stock together. Add vegs and simmer until vegs are tender. Add soup and milk. Thicken with roux as desired, then add chicken and noodles. Add S and P to taste. Makes 2 1/2 quarts or 10 one cup servings.

Roux
Melt 1/2 C. butter or margarine and add 1 C. flour with a wire whisk. Store in refrigerator. When ready to use add roux to hot liquid a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency. The amount used depends on individual taste.