"V8" Juice

This recipe comes from my mom through her sister-in-law, Roma.

12 quarts tomato juice

3 medium onions

6 celery sticks

2 medium green peppers

1/4 cup salt

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup lemon juice

In a large pot, combine tomato juice, celery, onions, peppers. Bring to boil over medium  heat and boil gently, stirring often for about 20 minutes. In a covered blender, whirl a small amount at a time until smooth. Press through a wire strainer, discarding pulp. Stir in salt, sugar, and lemon juice. Chill the juice. This can be frozen in containers in the freezer or canned by putting into quart jars and boiling for 50 minutes.

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

This recipe comes from our sister-in-law.

3 Tbsp raw honey

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 cup olive oil

Put in bottle and shake well.

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.