BUTTERY LEMON SQUARES

1 cup margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2-1/3 cups flour
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 t grated lemon peel
6 T lemon juice
1 t baking powder
additional powdered sugar for topping

Large bowl - cream margarine and the 1/2 cup powdered sugar until fluffy.  Add 2 cups of the flour beating until blended.  Spread evenly over the bottom of a well-greased 9X13 baking dish.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, in small bowl beat eggs until light.  Gradually add granulated sugar beating until thick and blended.  Add lemon peel and juice, remaining 1/3 cup flour, and baking powder.  Beat thoroughly.  Pour lemon mixture over baked crust and return to oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until pale gold.  Remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with powdered sugar.  Let cool.  Cut in squares or bars.  Makes about 20 pieces.

These are your go-to lemon squares that everybody loves.  I cut the recipe in half and used an 8x8" baking dish.  Very easy, very nice and attractive.  No problems with this recipe.

OLD FASHIONED COFFEECAKE FOR A CROWD

Grease and flour 2 9X13" baking dishes or 1 large sheet cake pan.  Oven 325 for glass or 350 for metal pan.

4 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1-1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 t salt
2 t nutmeg
12 oz. chopped walnuts
1-1/2 cup oil
2 t cinnamon
2 t soda
1 T plus 1 t baking powder
3 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk

Combine flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, nutmeg, nuts and oil.  Mix until crumbly.  Set aside 1-1/2 cup crumb mixture with cinnamon added to it.  Combine remaining crumb mixture with soda, baking powder, eggs and buttermilk.  Blend gently.  Do not overmix.  Pour into pan and sprinkle with reserved mixture.  Bake 25 to 35 minutes.  Cut into squares.  Hot or cold, good.

Well, I cut this recipe in half and made it in only one 9x13" pan.  It's very tasty, very moist, especially good warm

TURKEY PILE ON

2 large cans chowmein noodles
4 cups cooked rice
1 turkey roll (Bake and cut into cubes)
gravy (made from broth of turkey or other)
chopped celery (cut thin slantwise pieces)
1 large onion (chopped)
3 large cans chunk pineapple (heat slightly)
1 pkg. coconut (toasted)
gravy again
toasted slivered almonds.

Serve the 10 foodi tems in the above order either buffet style or at the table.  The gravy is served twice.  Make sure your guests pile the ten items on top of each other.

What a fun dish to present to guests.  They truly have fun assembling it, and of course they can leave off an item that they don't like.  It's pretty tasty too.  One of my family members said it kinds of tasted like turkey dressing.

HONEY MACAROONIES

1-1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 T honey
red or green candied cherries

In large mixing bowl combine rolled oats, coconut, walnuts and flour.  In heavy saucepan combine brown sugar, butter or margarine, and honey.  Bring to boiling.  Pour over dry ingredients.  Blend well.  For each cookie press one level tablespoon mixture into greased 1-3/4" muffin pan (For flatter, crisper cookie place dough in 2" muffin pan.)  Top with a candied cherry.  Bake in 350 oven for 15 to 20 minutes or till well browned.  Cool in pans for ten minutes.  Remove from pans and cool completely.  makes 3 dozen cookies.

I used some maraschino cherries for the decoration on top, and I only used 12 muffin molds for mixture.  Don't uses muffin pan liners.  They do pop right out after resting in pan for ten minutes.  Just run a knife around the edges. They're very cute, but a little dry.  Nonetheless, the flavor was all right, and people were eating them.  One-time thing...

ORANGE PEEL (CANDIED)

Slit rind on 6 or more navel oranges and carefully remove in uniform pieces.  Dice rind into cubes about 1/4" on a side.  Measure diced peel and empty into large frying pan with cover. (Electric skillet).  Add an equal volume of sugar to the pan.  Stir well and place over low heat.  The sugar will draw moisture from the peel making a syrup in which to cook it.  Keep stirring until syrup begins to boil.  Cover and cook gently until the cubes become translucent, about 15 minutes.  Remove cover and continue to boil stirring now and then until syrup is almost evaporated, 10 or 15 minutes longer.  Spoon mass onto a cookie sheet and let stand a day or two to dry.  Break apart and store in jar with tight lid, adding 1/4 cup brandy to each 2 cup peel.  So treated, the peel will keep for months.

This is one of the weirdest things I've made.  First of all, I don't know what I would do with candied orange peel.  Possibly put it in fruit cake?  I seem to remember her making this, and hers looked a lot better than mine came out.  I just made a 1/2 batch since I just wasn't into it.  It tastes good I guess, but I'm not sure why it came out like this.  On the second boil without lid it said to boil an additional 10 to 15 minutes until liquid almost evaporates.  I boiled it a lot longer than that, and nothing changed, so I finally just used a spoon to take it out of the pot.  Hmm......

BEEF AND BROCCOLI WITH PEANUTS

1 pound beef top round steak cut 1" thick
2 T peanut oil, divided
2 T soy sauce
1 T cornstarch, divided
4 cups broccoli flowerets
2/3 cup water, divided
1/8 to 1/4 t crushed red pepper
3/4 cup red pepper strips
1/2 cup 1" green onion pieces
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts

Trim excess fat from steak.  Partially freeze to firm.  Slice steak diagonally across the grain into strips 1/8" thick.  Combine 1 t peanut oil, soy sauce and 1 t cornstarch.  Place steak strips in plastic bag.  Add marinade, turning to coat.  Tie bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes.  Combine remaining 2 t cornstarch with 1/3 cup water.  Reserve.  Stir-fry beef strips (1/2 at a time) in remaining hot oil in wok or large frying pan 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove steak strips from pan.  Reserve.  Reduce heat.  Add broccoli, 1/3 cup water, and crushed red pepper to wok.  Cover and simmer 4 minutes.  Add red pepper strips and continue cooking 2 minutes.  Return beef to wok.  Add green onions, peanuts and reserved cornstarch mixture.  cook and stir until sauce is thickened.  4 servings.

I enjoyed this a lot.  I thought it was very tasty.  I used green pepper strips because that's what I had on hand.  Cheap and good to make.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

3/4 cup flour
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 T water
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts

In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  In small saucepan combine butter, sugar and water.  Bring just to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Add 1 cup chocolate chips and vanilla.  Stir until chips melt and mixture is smooth.  Transfer to large bowl.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Gradually blend in flour mixture.  Stir in remaining 1 cup chocolate chips and nuts.  Spread in 8" square pan.  Bake at 325 for 350 to 35 minutes.  Cool completely and cut into squares.  Yields 16 squares.

This is a basic brownie recipe, nothing fancy.  The good thing about this is that you probably have all these ingredients on hand already, so this is a good recipe to have around.

DUTCH HARVEST BREAD

2 cups sifted flour
4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/3 cup citron
1/4 cup currants
10 cut up candied cherries
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
4 T oil

Sift flour, baking powder salt & sugar.  Add fruits and nuts.  Beat eggs, combine with milk and oil.  Add to flour mixture and stir just enough to moisten flour.  Pour into greased loaf pan.  Bake at 375 for 50 minutes to an hour.

This bread is very pretty and tastes good, but I found it a little dry and crumbly, kinda fell apart when you sliced it.

BUTTERSCOTCH BROWNIES

1 cup sifted flour
1/2 t soda
1-1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup melted margarine or oil
1 t vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

Sift flour and soda together.  Add all ingredients to flour and mix well.  Bake in 8 x 8" greased baking dish about 40 minutes at 325.  When cool, cut into bars and turn in powdered sugar.

These are good for something fast.  I like chocolate brownies better, but not bad.

MARBLED TOP MELTAWAYS

1 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
1 T milk
1 t vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Cream margarine & sugar.  Blend in milk and vanilla.  Add flour and walnuts and blend well.  Spread in 9 X 13 ungreased baking dish.  Bake at 325 for 35 minutes or until light brown.  Sprinkle immediately with:  1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels and 1/2 cup butterscotch morsels.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Spread to make a marbled frosting.  Cut into bars after chocolate is nearly cold.

This is a family favorite.  They love the melty frosting on top.  There's no leftovers for sure.  Easy and fast to make too.