2 cups finely crushed vanilla cookies
1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar, divided
3 (8 oz.) pkgs cream cheese, softened
2 TBS spiced rum, or rum extract
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
GARNISH: 2-3 medium ripe bananas, sliced
1/2 cup chopped pecans
caramel sauce

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix cookie crumbs, brown sugar, chopped pecans and butter until well blended. Press firmly onto bottom of ungreased 13"x9" baking pan.
Beat cream cheese, remaining brown sugar, and rum in large bowl on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix until just blended. Stir in mashed banana.
Bake 30 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Toss sliced bananas with lemon juice. spoon over cheesecake and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Drizzle generously with caramel sauce and enjoy!

Mama's Turkey & Gilbert Gravy

Ingredients:

2 lb bag House of Autrey self rising corn meal
6 chopped boiled eggs
2 chopped med. onions
1 small pk cooked gizzards (save broth)
1 small pk cooked livers (save broth)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 stick butter (melted)
sage and poultry seasoning (too taste)
flour
salt,pepper
turkey broth,

Dressing:
Mix corn meal with water and bake in grease pan at 350 for 20 mins until firm, take out oven and crumble cornbread, add 4 eggs,1 onion, 1/2 gizzards,1/2 livers,1 can soup,butter,sage, p. seasoning,salt,pepper,add broth and water until very moisture and bake in greased covered pan at 350 for 30 mins, then uncovered and lightly brown on top.

Gilbert Gravy:
Put grease in frying pan and add little flour and stir until lightly brown
add remaining broth, soup,water,onions,eggs,livers,gizzards,salt,pepper and bring to a boil then turn to low heat.

Pie. crust:
1 (10 oz ) pack chocolate wafers finely crushed
1/3 C melted butter
1/4 C sugar

Filling:
1 lb cream cheese
1/2 c sugar
4 egg yolks
1 (12 oz) package semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
4 egg whites
1/4 c sugar
1 c heavy cream whipped

For pie crust:
Mix together wafer, butter & sugar. Press into 10 in. spring form pan, bottom & up sides. Bake 325 degrees, 10 minutes.

Filling:
Beat together cream cheese, sugar & vanilla, fold in egg yolks. Add melted chocolate & liquid coffee. Beat whites until stiff adding 1/4 c sugar. Fold beaten egg whites into chocolate cheese filling mix. Fold in whipped cream. Pour mixture into cooled cookie crust & freeze. Wrap in foil after frozen. Remove from freezer to refrigerator 3 hours before serving. Garnish with shaved chocolate or whipped cream. Serves 8 -10 people.

2 (8 oz.) pkgs cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes
2 (6 oz.) cans lump crabmeat, drained
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 (10 oz.) can lobster bisque soup

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and hand-stir to combine. Place in greased broiler-proof serving dish and broil on low for 10 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips and enjoy.

Aunt Bette's Casserole
2 cans white corn (drained well)
2 cans french green beans (drained well)
2 cans cream of celery soup
1/2 cup of chopped onion
2 cups of cheddar cheese (grated )
2 rolls of Ritz crackers
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup sour cream
2 sticks of unsalted butter

Using a 9"x14" pan, spray bottom and sides lightly with Pam spray. Spread corn and beans on bottom of pan. In a medium sauce pan melt one stick of butter add onion, cans of soup, sour cream, and cheese. Mix well while stirring frequently over medium heat. Pour mixture thouroughly over corn and beans. In a small fry pan melt last stick of butter and brown carefully the Ritz cracker crumbs (crushed )in butter. I usually place them in a quart size zip lock bag and hit the crackers gently with a mallet or hammer. Spread them over top of the casserole. Lastly sprinkle almonds over the top.
Bake 45 minutes with foil cover, remove and bake another 15 minutes without foil in a 350 degree oven till bubbling nicely around the edges. Place in oven on a foil covered cookie sheet to catch any dripping. Fantastico!!!

2/3 cup margarine
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup Splenda
4 eggs
1 pound can pumpkin
2/3 cup water
3 and 1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
2/3 cup raisins


Heat oven to 350. Grease two loaf pans. In a large bowl cream margarine and sugar until fluffy. Stir in eggs, pumpkin and water. Blend in flour, soda, salt,baking powder, cinnamon and cloves. Stir in nuts and raisins. Pour into pans. Bake about 70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.

This recipe is perfect for the holidays or anytime of the year (the red & green really makes it festive). This is a super fast appetizer for the busy time of year. It can be made ahead. Leftovers can be frozen, but probably none left to save!! The best part…everyone loves it….…

Italian Appetizer/Cheese Spread


Makes - approx 4 cups

3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pkg of provolone cheese...10 slices
8 ounces pesto
Optional: 3 oz of pepperoni finely chopped. (can be added as one of the layers)
Directions:

1. Bring a small saucepan boil. Boil sun dried tomatoes for approx 5 minutes. Allow to cool before draining. Drain and finely chop.
2. In a medium bowl , mix cream cheese and garlic.
3 Line a medium bowl or loaf pan with a large piece of dampened cheese cloth. ( or you can use dampened coffee filters). Layer with 3 slices of the provolone cheese. Spread with 1/2 the pesto. Spread 1/2 the cream cheese and garlic mixture. Layer with 1/2 the sun-dried tomatoes. Layer with 3 slices of provolone, remaining pesto, remaining cream cheese and garlic mixture and remaining sun-dried tomatoes. Top with remaining provolone cheese.
4. Press the layered mixture into a bowl to mold and remove excess oil from the pesto. Chill in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap for 3 to 4 hours,
5. When ready to serve turn upside down onto a large dish. Remove coffee filters or cheese cloth.
6. Serve with crackers or Melba toast.
ENJOY

1 lb. Fresh or frozen green beans, cut in 1 in. pieces
1 T. vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, halved lenghtwise and thinly sliced
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
1 T. fresh parsley, minced

If using fresh green beans, cook green beans for 10-12 min. or steam 2-3 min. until barely fork tender. Drain

Heat oil in skillet. Saute onion until golden.

Stir in green beans, salt, pepper. Heat through.

Toss w/ parsley before serving.

2 tbsp veg oil 8 cups 1 inch cubed french bread
1 lb Italian sausage cubes with crust
1cup diced onion 1 cup milk (whole)
1cup diced, peeled cored apple 1 cup low salt chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tbs (1/4) stick melted
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 3 large eggs
3 ribs celery
2 tsp minced fresh sage
2 tsp dried tyme

Heat oil in large skillet over med heat. Add sausage saute until cooked through and brown, breaking into pieces with spoon, about 8 min. Transfer sausage to large bowl . Add celery and onions and next 6 ingredients to drippings. Saute over med heat until veg are soft,about 5 minutes. (can be made a day ahead) Cover, chill. Reheat to lukewarm before continuing. Preheat oven to 350 Butter
13x9x8 inch baking dish , add bread to sausage mix. Whisk milk , broth and butter in bowl to blend. mix into stuffing season with salt
and pepper. Mix in eggs. Transfer to prepared pan. Baked uncovered until brown about 50 min.




















discard

Baked Sweet Potatoes:
3 c. - mashed sweet potatoes (bake in skin then scoop out & mash)
2 - eggs
1/4 c. - sugar
1/2 c. - soft margarine
1/4 c. - milk
1 tsp. - vanilla
Mix above ingredients together and place in a 9x12 baking dish -- sprinkle topping (see below) over entire dish and bake in the oven for 30 min. at 350 degrees (ENJOY!)
Topping:
1 c. - brown sugar
1/3 c. - flour
1 c. - chopped pecans
1/3 c. - melted butter
Mix together and sprinkle on top of above ingredients, bake . . .

HOLIDAY FRUIT SALAD with CREAMY FRUIT JUICE TOPPING

1 large can fruit cocktail
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 large can mandarin oranges
2 3 oz packages mixed fruit jello

Drain fruit, reserve juice.

In a 13 x 9 oblong baking dish, dissolve jello in 2 cups hot water.
Add 1 cup of reserved juice, cool, add fruit. Refrigerate.

TOPPING

1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 egg
1 cup of reserved juice

Blend together. Cook , bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until thick.

Add 2 tablespoons of butter, stir well and cool in refrigator. When totally cooled,

Stir in 1 cup "Cool Whip" or prepared package of "Dream Whip"

Spread over jello and garnish with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cut in squares to serve

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
small can (4 oz) Pet Milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter- softened
1/2 tsp ground cloves
Beat well and pour into lightly buttered baking dish

Topping
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup flour

Mix these 3 ingredients well, and sprinkle on top of sweet potato mixture. Then drizzle a 1/4 cup butter-melted.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Definitely not a fat free recipe - but DE-licious!