3 7 ounce cans whole green chilies, cut into strips

5 corn tortillas, cut into strips

1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated

1 cup thick green salsa

8 eggs, beaten

½ cup milk

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Paprika, for garnish

Generously grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Layer half of the chilies over the bottom of the pan. Top chilies with ½ of the tortilla strips. Top the strips with half of the cheese, then all of the salsa. Repeat layers of chilies, tortillas and cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl beat eggs, milk, cumin, garlic powder, onion salt and pepper. Pour over layers in pan. Color garnish with paprika. Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, until light and puffy. Let stand for 10 minutes, then slice.

Prep time: 25 minutes (ready in 8 hours 25 minutes)

3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger

3 tablespoons lime juice

3 tablespoons honey

2 cups cantaloupe balls

2 cups honeydew melon balls

3 cups cubed fresh pineapple

1 quart (4 cups) fresh strawberries, halved or sliced

2 bananas, sliced
In large bowl, combine ginger, lime juice and honey; mix well. Add cantaloupe, honeydew melon and pineapple; stir gently to mix. Cover; refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight, stirring once or twice.

Just before serving, stir in strawberries and bananas. Makes 20 (½ cup servings)

Prep time: 25 minutes

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

3 tablespoons orange juice

2 (8 oz.) cans Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Rolls

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12×1/2- inch pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray. In small saucepan, combine brown sugar, margarine, orange peel and juice; mix well. Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly. Set aside.

Remove dough from each can in one long roll; do not unroll. Cut each roll into 12 slices. Arrange slices evenly, cut side down, in sprayed pan. Spoon brown sugar mixture evenly over slices.

Bake at 375 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove rolls from pan with pancake turner. Serve warm. Makes 24 rolls.

Prep time: 20 minutes (ready in 8 hours 45 minutes)

Topping:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

6 tablespoons margarine or butter

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

French Toast:

3 eggs

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 (3/4-inch-thick) diagonal slices French bread
Spray 13 x 9 inch (3 quart) glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In medium saucepan, combine all topping ingredients; mix well. Cook over medium heat until smooth, stirring constantly. DO NOT BOIL. Spread topping in sprayed baking dish.

Beat eggs in shallow bowl. Add milk, vanilla and salt; beat well. Dip each bread slice in egg mixture, make sure all egg mixture is absorbed. Place bread slices over topping in sprayed baking dish. Cover; refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

To serve, heat oven to 400 degrees. Uncover baking dish; bake 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and toast is golden brown. Let stand 3 minutes. Invert onto large serving platter, scraping any extra caramel topping from baking dish onto toast. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

1 cup butter, chilled and divided

2 cups flour, divided

1 cup plus 2-3 tablespoons water

4 eggs

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

Glaze:

3 ounces cream cheese

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 tablespoon orange juice

Topping:

½ cup sliced almonds

Crumble ½ cup butter and 1 cup flour using fingers or pastry blender to make fine crumbs; sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons water. Stir with fork until pastry holds together. On a 10″x15″ baking sheet or pizza pan, pat dough out into 10″ circle.

In a medium-size saucepan combine 1 cup water and remaining ½ cup butter (cut into pieces); bring to a boil. Add remaining 1 cup flour and stir until dough pulls from pan sides. Remove from heat. With a wooden spoon beat in eggs, one at a time, until well- mixed; add almond extract. Spread evenly to cover pastry. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes or until cake is puffed, brown and looks crisp. Cool 10 minutes.

While cake cools, blend all glaze ingredients together. Drizzle over cake and top with almonds. Cut cake into wedges and serve.

1 package (18 oz.) spice cake mix

1 ½ cups uncooked fruit, nut & oat cereal

1 cup chopped dates or raisins

1 cup chopped nuts

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 ½ cups applesauce

4 eggs, well beaten

½ cup oil

In a medium bowl, combine dry cake mix, cereal, dates, nuts and spices. Stir to distribute evenly. Add applesauce, beaten eggs and oil. Fold gently until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over-mix. Spoon into paper lined muffin cups.

Topping:

1 ½ cups uncooked fruit, nut & oat cereal

½ cup butter, melted

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup four

Mix well. Spoon 1 tablespoon on each filled muffin cup. Bake at 350 degrees 25 to 30 minutes or until muffins test done. Yield: 24 muffins.

20 fluid oz. whole milk (hot)

1/3 cup pudding rice

1/3 cup sugar (brown is good)

1 T butter

Wash rice, place into a 1 ½ pint oven proof dish with sugar. Pour on milk, top with butter and stir. Bake at 350 degrees for l ½ hours.

Chocolate-Stuffed French Toast

1 loaf (1 pound) day-old French bread
1 cup  milk chocolate chips
5 eggs
1-1/4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Coat a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Slice the bread into 1-1/2-inch-thick slices. Using a sharp small knife, cut a 2-inch long slit horizontally in one side of each bread slice, cutting 3/4 of the way through, creating a pocket in each.

2. Spoon 2 heaping teaspoons chocolate chips into the pocket of each bread slice; press to close. Place filled slices into the baking dish.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. Pour mixture evenly over the bread, turning the pieces over to coat completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

4. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Bake the stuffed bread, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Recipe adapted from and courtesy of Hershey Foods Corporation

JUNK at HOME
(tune “Love At Home”)
There are knick-knacks all around when there’s
Junk at home.  Many things that can’t be found
When there’s junk at home.  Drawers and closets
will not close, there are runs in all my hose.
Certain items decompose, in the junk at home

Junk at home, junk at home
Many items decompose
In the junk at home.

In the cottage there’s no room, cause there’s
Junk at home.  Living space is all consumed,
With the junk at home.  In the garage the car
Won’t go, `cause of all the overflow.  Oh it’s
Hard for me to throw away the junk at home.

Junk at home, junk at home
Oh it’s hard for me to throw
Away the junk at home

Kindly will the family be, when no junk’s at
Home.  When the floor they’ll finally see,
Cause no junks at home.  From the neighbors
You won’t hide, you will welcome them inside.
And you’ll finally say with pride…there’s
No junk at home

De-junked home, de-junked home.
You can finally say with pride
THERE’S NO JUNK AT HOME

I wish I knew who to give credit to for these words but I have no
idea who wrote them.

- Shirley in Utah