Lemon Whippersnappers

This is Aunt Mary's famous lemon cookies recipe.

1 package Pillsbury lemon cake mix (17 1/4 oz)

2 cups (4.5 oz) whipped topping, thawed

1 egg

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Combine cake mix, whipped topping, and egg in a large bowl. Stir until well-mixed. Drop by teaspoon into powdered sugar, rolling to coat. Place 1 1/2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 15  minutes until light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cool. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Lemon No Bake Cheesecake

I got this recipe from my friend who makes an insane number of pies for Thanksgiving every year.

1 package cream cheese

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 large lemons, squeezed until you can squeeze no more

Beat cream cheese and milk until smooth with no lumps. Add lemon  juice. Mix thoroughly. Pour into crust and chill it (overnight, if possible).

Crème Brûlée

This is a crème brûlée recipe that I enjoy!

2 1/2 to 4 cups of heavy cream (depending on how creamy you like it)

6 egg yolks

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sugar (or a little less)

*You will need additional sugar for torching and hardening on top

Pour cream in saucepan. Heat until simmering. Remove from heat. In separate bowl, mix egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. Add cooled cream a tablespoon at a time to prevent cooking the yolks. Mix all together. Put in a double boiler and heat until it coats a spoon (about 3 minutes). Spoon into ramekins. If there are bubbles, pop them with a toothpick. Put ramekins into cake pan. Fill the pan with the hot water from the double-boiler so that the water reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes. Cool for about 30  minutes. Refrigerate at least an hour. Take out of fridge at least 30 minutes before serving. Top with a layer of sugar. Brûlée with a torch.

Cream Puffs

This is the recipe I would consistently make. It has morphed over time until I got it where I want it!

Puffs

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Heat butter and water to a rolling boil and add flour, stirring vigorously for about a minute on low heat until it sticks together and forms a ball. Remove from heat and beat in eggs with a wooden spoon until it's smooth. It takes a while to incorporate it all. Put dough into plastic baggie, seal it, and cut the corner. Squirt dough out to desired size of puffs onto baking tray. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 - 40 minutes for large puffs or 25 - 30 minutes for small puffs. Don't open oven too soon. Puffs should start to brown and crisp up and should puff up in the oven. To prevent from sticking, immediately remove from baking tray. Cool, cut off tops, remove any excess dough and fill with filling.

Filling

2 small Jello pudding packets (my favorites are white chocolate with cheesecake or chocolate with white chocolate)

2 cups milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Beat Jello pudding packets with milk for 2 minutes on low. Add cream and beat on medium for about 2 minutes until peaks form. If you like a more firm cream filling, use 1 cup of milk and 2 cups heavy cream.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is the recipe for chocolate chip cookies that Mom and Dad used to make. It makes about 72 cookies.

2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

In a mixer bowl, beat butter and shortening on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugars and beat until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Add the dry ingredients after sifting them together. Bet well until blended. Stir in chocolate pieces and nuts. Drop from a spoon 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until done. Remove, and cool on a cooling rack.

Cheesecake

This is the first cheesecake recipe I ever tried.

4 pkgs cream cheese

4 eggs

1 1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 - 2 tsp almond extract

Soften cream cheese at room temperature. Beat cream cheese with sugar. Add cream and almond extract. Beat in eggs.

Place in a 10 inch spring form pan in crust or as a crustless cheesecake. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes with a pan of water to steam the top so it doesn't crack.

Apple Pie

I got this recipe from a roommate. It quickly became my favorite apple pie recipe. She made it with the favorite pie crust recipe.

Favorite pie crust - 2 crusts

Granny Smith apples, about 8 - 10 (any apples work, but tart ones are the best for this pie)
1 1/2 cups sugar (she filled a mug with sugar, so I'm guessing on the quantity)
1 Tbsp flour
Cinnamon
Nutmeg

1/8 cup butter

Milk and sugar (optional)

Peel apples and slice them with the slicer side of a cheese grater. Fill mug with sugar and add flour. Add cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. Mix with apples. Place pie crust in pie dish. Fill with apple mixture. Place about 4 small pats of butter on top of apples. Cover the pie with the top crust with a couple of holes for vents. Brush top of crust with milk and some sprinkles of sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and then turn it down to 350 degrees to bake for another 45 minutes.

Favorite Pie Crust

I got this pie crust recipe from a roommate who would make the best apple pie. It's the best pie crust recipe I've found that I like. It makes enough for about 2.3 crusts, or if you roll it thinner, 3 crusts. I don't usually roll it thin enough for 3 crusts, but in theory, you could.

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup shortening

Cut/mix all these ingredients together.

1 egg

1 Tbsp vinegar

Cold water

In a 1 cup measuring cup, add egg and whisk it. Add vinegar and fill the rest of the cup up with cold water. Add to dry ingredients mixture. Roll out. It will be sticky. Roll it out with more flour. Divide in halves or thirds for use!

Honey Cinnamon Orange Glazed Carrots

This is the recipe I made up from a few sources, inspired by some orange-glazed carrots I had at a bed and breakfast in Jackson Hole once. I serve these often at Sunday dinner.

1 small package of cut and peeled baby carrots

1/2 cup orange juice (or to taste)

1/4 - 1/3 cup honey (or however much)

1 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)

1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 2 Tbsp cold water

Place carrots in saucepan with lid. Add about 1 centimeter of water to bottom of the pan and put on the lid. Bring to boil. After it reaches boiling point, turn heat down to low to simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain liquid from pot and place back on stove still on low, squeezing about 1/4 cup of honey in the bottom of the pan with carrots. Add orange juice and cinnamon. Turn the heat up to boiling or simmering point and stir frequently. When the liquid is hot enough, add cornstarch solution. Stir frequently so it doesn't burn but turns into a glaze. When the glaze is at desired consistency, take off heat and serve!

Vegetable Dip

This is the recipe for vegetable dip I used to take to family gatherings sometimes. I got it from my friend Emily.

1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp seasoned salt

1 tsp parsley flakes

1 Tbsp celery salt

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp onion powder

1 Tbsp minced onion

1 Tbsp dill

Mix everything together in a bowl and taste to make sure the flavor is to taste. Chill. Serve with fresh chopped vegetables.

Potstickers

This is the recipe I got from my friend Sarah who got it from her sister-in-law who is of Taiwanese descent. It's the recipe I would use when making them for our New Years parties.

1 pound lean ground pork

1 head cabbage, finely chopped

4 - 5 green onions, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 egg

2 - 3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 - 2 tsp white pepper

1 tsp salt

About 100 or more wonton skins

Mix everything together and fill wonton skins with a spoonful of mixture. Wet half of the edges of the wrappers and pinch closed. You can flash freeze them separately from each other at this point and fill freezer bags full of the potstickers for cooking later.

To cook, steam or boil in a pot of water or pan fry them with a little bit of oil and then steam them with the lid on. Enjoy!

For a quick potsticker dipping sauce, I add half soy sauce and half rice vinegar, a splash of sesame oil, and maybe a tiny bit of cayenne or maybe a tiny bit of garlic powder. You can also add green onions or sesame seeds, but I usually don't.

Cheese Fondue for Five

This is the recipe I got for "the best" fondue or "the right recipe" for cheese fondue for picky people (my coworkers).

1 cup dry white wine (just get the cheapest bottle)
1/2 pound shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 pound shredded Gruyere cheese

2 Tbsp flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp Kirschwasser (sometimes I skip this)

Cut up french bread for dipping or other items for dipping

Simmer white wine. Add cheese a quarter cup at a time. Stir in flour. When all the cheese has melted, stir in salt, nutmeg, and Kirschwasser. Serve and enjoy!

Shrimp Tacos

This is the recipe for shrimp tacos I like to use. 2/2 of my kids have enjoyed these!

3 or 4 pieces of shelled and deveined shrimp per taco you're making
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
Olive oil for frying
Corn tortillas
Lettuce
Avocado

Diced tomatoes

Shredded cheddar cheese
Lime wedges

Place shrimp in bowl and sprinkle cumin and garlic powder around shrimp to evenly coat.

To make taco shells, heat oil in pan over medium low heat. Place corn tortillas in oil for a minute and flip to other side. Immediately fold over and place on plate. To soak up extra oil, put a paper towel on the plate. Repeat for number of taco shells desired.

In separate pan, heat butter over medium low heat. Place shrimp one at a time in pan and heat until bottom half of shrimp is no longer translucent. With tongs, flip over each shrimp so the other side cooks, as well. Remove when fully cooked through. Fill taco shells with shredded cheese, shrimp, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and sliced avocado. Top with fresh lime if desired.

Tilapia with Honey-Orange Glaze

This is a recipe that Banana made before, and I enjoyed it a lot!

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp honey
3/4 cup orange juice (or freshly-squeezed juice from 1 orange)
Tilapia fillets

Rinse tilapia and place in baking dish. Salt to taste. Melt butter over stove top. Add honey to mix with butter. Take off heat, add orange juice and mix. Pour over tilapia and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until fish is flaky.