Xaina’s Chocolate Banana Pie

Original Recipe from:  Kay Johnson-Tomblin

Xaina is one of my favorite village kids.  She is the daughter of my dear friend, Jeanie, and has a special place in my heart.  She is the reason Jeanie and I became such good friends.  When I first met her, she would often hang out in my office after school.  We quickly became good buddies and there wasn’t much I would say no to her about.  So, when Xaina asked me to make her a chocolate banana pie, I put my thinking cap on and created one for her.  I will have to admit…it’s a good pie!  If you like chocolate and bananas, I’ll bet you will like this pie too!  Enjoy

Ingredients

1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust

1 box Vanilla Pudding

1 box Chocolate Pudding

3 Bananas, sliced

Whipped Cream

 

Directions

Homemade White Chocolate Peanut Butter

Original Recipe from:  Jeanie Wamser-Andrews

Jeanie called me the other day and told me she was working on something new and exciting.  Later that evening she sent over a jar of her homemade peanut butter.  What a delicious surprise.  She also took a jar of her goodness to work to share with her co-workers…they were very impressed!  I’ve never attempted to make peanut butter before, although I am a huge fan.  Since Jeanie shared her recipe with me, I am impressed with how very easy the process is and only two ingredients!  No added oils, no ingredients you can’t pronounce.  Jeanie and I both agree that this recipe would make some awesome peanut butter cookies….I think that is what I am going to do with my jar.  What will you do with yours?  I’d love to hear from you.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

16 ounce jar of Planter’s Lightly Roasted Peanuts

12 ounces Nestle Premier White Chocolate Morsels

Directions

Pour peanuts into a blender.  Blend until all peanuts are smooth.  Note:  while blending you will need to stop and stir the peanuts frequently to get the peanuts to blend just right.  This is the most time consuming part of the whole process.

When peanuts are all smooth, add White Chocolate Morsels and blend some more, until smooth and creamy.

Pour peanut butter into a jar and store in the refrigerator to keep from separating. 

Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip

Original Recipe from:  Nancy Salmonson-Berz

Nancy is a dear friend of mine and a very important member of my village.  She is nice and sweet, never has an unkind word for anyone, and is a good cook too!  Everyone loves Nancy’s Buffalo Chicken Dip…..she’s famous for it within the village.  She will even prepare it for friends to take home for baking and serving!  Whether you have a potluck party coming up, or a big game night planned with the family, this dip will be a big hit with the group.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 - 8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened

Ranch Dressing

Frank’s Red Hot Sauce

1 Rotisserie Chicken (from the deli section of your local grocery store)

1container crumbled Bleu Cheese

8 ounces shredded Colby-Jack cheese

Frito’s Scoops chips and Celery Sticks

Directions

Spread softened Cream Cheese in the bottom of a Casserole or Pyrex dish (approx. 6x9 inches) or two pie pans.  Drizzle Ranch Dressing generously over the Cream Cheese.  Dice up as much of the Rotisserie Chicken as you can get, Nancy mostly uses just the white meat.  Sprinkle the entire container of Bleu Cheese over the Chicken.  Then drizzle more Frank’s Hot Sauce over the chicken.  Then top with the package of shredded Cheese. 

Microwave on high for about 3-5 minutes or until melted throughout.  You can also bake in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. 

Serve hot with Frito’s Scoops and Celery Sticks.

Super Easy Variation

Using the same ingredients as above with a few variations this becomes a very fast and super easy recipe to make.

Mix softened Cream Cheese and one can shredded Chicken Breast until well blended.  Spread on bottom of baking dish (see recipe above for sizes).  Sprinkle Bleu Cheese.  Pour Frank’s Red Hot Sauce on top of Bleu Cheese; and then add a little bit of Ranch Dressing.  Next, layer the shredded Cheese on top.  Microwave on high for a few minutes until Cheese is melted.

Jeanie’s Key Lime Pie

Original Recipe from:  Jeanie Wamser-Andrews

When Jeanie tells you she’s making Key Lime Pie, I suggest you head over to her house and be prepared to be impressed!  This refreshing pie is very easy to make.  The Village is very lucky to have Jeanie share this recipe with us….and to make it for us too!  Key Lime Pie is fabulous in the summer, but I really like it in the dark days of winter…it make me think and dream of summer’s sunshine and beauty.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup Key Lime Juice.  Fresh squeezed gives you the best flavor, but you can purchase Florida Key Lime juice in most grocery stores.

14 ounce can of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

3 Egg Yolks (the whites can be used to make a meringue if whipped topping is not preferred)

9 inch Graham Cracker Crust

Directions

Blend Condensed Milk, Egg Yolks, and Lime Juice until smooth.  Jeanie uses a mixer for this step.

Sourdough Cheese Bites

Original Recipe from:  Kay Johnson-Tomblin

The original recipe is from a pre-school mom’s recipe exchange over 30 years ago, and I’ve made a few changes over the years.  Quick and easy, but tastes so good.  You can make the spread early in the day and refrigerate until ready to make and serve.  Perfect for parties and potluck events.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

1/2 cup Mayonnaise

1/8 cup grated Onion (you can substitute dried, minced onion)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper

Sourdough Cocktail Bread (you can substitute with Rye Cocktail Bread)

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except bread, and mix well.  Spread on Cocktail Bread slices.

Broil until cheese is melted and golden brown.  

Makes about 24 slices.

Blueberry Pie

Original Recipe from:  Virginia Bowers-Johnson

My mother loved everything Blueberry!  She looked forward to Blueberry Season every year.  To her it was the sign that summer was really here.  This recipe is very easy to make and tastes delicious.  I’m sure your friends and family will love it.  Enjoy!

Ingredients and Directions

Note:  you will need a total of 4 cups of Blueberries for this recipe.

1cup Blueberries

2/3 cups Water

In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.

In a small mixing bowl blend the following ingredients.

1 cup Sugar

2 teaspoons Cornstarch

1/3 cup water

Add to the Blueberry mixture.  Bring to a boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and let cool.

In a baked, cooled pie crust spread 3 ounces softened Cream Cheese on the bottom.  Add 2-1/2 cups uncooked Blueberries on top of the Cream Cheese.  Cover with the cooked mixture and garnish with the remaining 1/2 cup uncooked Blueberries. 

Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.  Top with whipped cream when serving. 

Rotini and Mushrooms

Original Recipe from:  Kay Johnson-Tomblin

If you are looking for a quick and easy side dish for dinner, this is it.  Plain pasta with dinner is just plain boring.  Tomato sauces and Alfredo sauces don’t always go with your main dish.  This recipe gives you a beefy flavor with onions, garlic, and fresh parsley to spice it up a bit.  Great with grilled meats, steaks and hamburger dishes.  If you are cooking for a crowd, it is very easy to double this recipe (as I did in these pictures).  It also reheats well in the microwave, so left overs are good too.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped Onion

1 clove Garlic, minced

2 tablespoons unsalted Butter or Margarine

1-1/3 cups (8 ounces) sliced Mushrooms with liquid

2-1/2 cups Water

3 Beef Bouillon cubes

8 ounces Rotini Noodles (uncooked)

1/2 cup chopped fresh Parsley

Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

Sauté onion and garlic in unsalted Butter or Margarine until tender, but not brown. 

Add Mushrooms with liquid, Water, and Bouillon; bring to a boil.  Stir in uncooked Rotini.  Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until Rotini is tender. 

Stir in Parsley and Pepper to taste. 

Serves 4-6

Tossed Broccoli Salad

Original Recipe from:  Kay Johnson-Tomblin

When I was a child I hated broccoli!  As an adult, it’s one of my favorite vegetables.  I could eat it every day and never grow tired of it.  To me it’s a perfect food….tastes great and has so many health benefits.  This salad is quick and easy (a must for busy households) to make, plus makes a great presentation on your table.  Make this refreshing salad for your friends and family today…you can even get the kids involved.  Statistics prove that when kids participate in making vegetables, they are more apt to actually eat them.  This recipe can be cut in half for smaller households.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh Broccoli, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 pound sliced Bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/2 medium Red Onion, chopped

Dressing

1 cup Mayonnaise

1/2 cup Sugar

2 tablespoons Cider Vinegar

Directions

In a large salad bowl, combine Broccoli, Bacon, Cheese and Onion.

In a separate bowl, combine dressing ingredients.  Add to salad and toss.

Chill

Makes 8-10 servings

Dump Cake

Original Recipe from:  Virginia Bowers-Johnson

The cake is great any time of the year, but particularly refreshing in the summer.  It was very popular in the 70’s and 80’s.  Everyone was making this cake back then….and then it fell out of popularity.  Like clothing fashions, recipes tend to run in cycles.  Then someone comes along and makes a dish from the past and we wonder why we stopped making it.  I found that to be true with this cake.  Make one and see for yourself just how tasty and different it is.  It’s the easiest cake to make you will ever make.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 can (20 ounces) Crushed Pineapple

1 can (20 ounces) Cherry Pie Filling

1 package white or yellow Cake mix

2 sticks Butter or Margarine

1/2 to 1 cup chopped Nuts, any kind, optional (I use Walnuts)

Whipped Cream

Directions

Village Honey Barbeque Sauce

Original Recipe from:  Kay Johnson-Tomblin

This blog has had several requests for my barbeque sauce…another recipe I have never written down.  Each time I would make it, it would be a little different.  So, I worked on it and actually wrote it down as I was making it.  I believe I finally have a finished product that is worthy of sharing with you.  This is a sweet barbeque sauce that goes great with ribs and poultry, baked or grilled.  The Village Taste Testers declared this recipe a winner, I hope you do too.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 cup Cider Vinegar

8 ounce Tomato Sauce

1/2 cup Honey

1/2 cup light Dark Brown Sugar

1/3 cup Ketchup (I use Hunt’s No High Fructose Corn Syrup)

1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika

2 teaspoons Chili Powder

Note:  I forgot to include the Ketchup in this picture….sorry.

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan.  Heat to a boil then simmer for at least an hour, stirring frequently.  If you like it sweeter, add more honey or brown sugar.  If you like it spicier, add more chili powder. 

Brush on ribs or poultry during the last part of the cooking process.  For ribs I brush the sauce on the last hour of cooking; for Poultry the last half hour. 

Store extra barbeque sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator. 

Ambrosia

Original Recipe from:  Virginia Bowers-Johnson

When I was a child Ambrosia was the family favorite for every cook-out and family get together.  Either my mother or one of the other female family members would bring this dish.  Throughout the 60’s and 70’s Ambrosia was an immensely popular dish for almost every family I knew….everyone made it.  Take a trip down memory lane and make a dish of Ambrosia for your friends and family.  I will bet many of them have never heard of it, or have fond memories from their childhood.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 cup Mandarin Oranges

2 cup Pineapple Tidbits

1 cup Coconut

1 cup Mini-Marshmallows

1 cup (1/2 pint) Sour Cream

1 cup chopped Walnuts (optional)

Directions

Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Refrigerate 45 minutes before serving.

Our Family Salad Dressing

Original Recipe from:  Lucy Griffin-Bowers

I found this recipe in Grandma’s collection from the 1950’s.  To be honest, I never knew we had a family salad dressing, but I do remember this dressing being around a lot when I was a kid.  Of course, back then there weren’t very many good prepared salad dressings available at the local grocery store.  With the growing popularity of prepared foods, we all got away from making foods from scratch.  Today I worry about foods with ingredients that I can not pronounce.  It seems if you can not pronounce it, it is probably going to be damaging to your body or your diet.  Making foods from scratch with wholesome ingredients seems to me to be the best gift you can give yourself and your family.  I am making an effort to reduce those ingredients I can not pronounce or have no clue what they are, I hope you will too.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups Salad Oil (Vegetable or Olive Oil)

1 tablespoon Sugar

1 tablespoon Salt

2 tablespoons Vinegar

1 teaspoon Celery Seed

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon Mustard Seed

1 tablespoon onion juice (or powder)

1 tablespoon chopped Parsley

1/2 teaspoon Thyme (optional)

1 clove Garlic, minced or whole (add whole clove to salad dressing bottle and leave there)

Directions

Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Store dressing in the refrigerator.  When ready to serve, mix 1 part sweet cream to 3 parts of dressing and mix just before serving.  Makes 2 cups basic ingredients. 

Village Tuna Macaroni Salad

Original Recipe from:  Kay Johnson-Tomblin

Throughout the years this salad has been a staple for my family.  One of the most requested when everyone gets together.  I have often asked if they wouldn’t like something different and the answer is always a resounding NO.  This is a recipe that has always been in my head, never written down.  When I started this blog, my kids reminded me to make sure I included the Tuna Macaroni Salad.  So this one is dedicated to my kids….just because you asked!  Feel free to cut the recipe in half or double it depending on the size of your crowd.  It tastes great the next day too!  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 pound package of Elbow Macaroni (Small Sea Shell pasta also works well)

8 hard-boiled Eggs

1 cup diced Celery

3-4 ounces diced Cheese (Cheddar or Colby Jack)

2 small or 1 large can Tuna Fish (I use light tuna packed in water)

Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip (whichever you prefer)

Directions

Prepare Macaroni as directed on package.  Rinse in cold water and let cool.

Dice Eggs, Celery and Cheese.  Thoroughly drain Tuna Fish. 

Combine all dry ingredients and mix.  Then add Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip.  I start out with one cup and then add more until it reaches the desired consistency.  Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. 

Old Fashioned Green Beans

Original Recipe from:  Lucy Griffin-Bowers

Grandma’s Green Beans, what a wonderful memory from my childhood.  Grandma would snap the beans in a bowl on her lap and tell me stories.  It didn’t matter what the story was, it was the time I spent with her that meant the world to me.  I snap beans just like Grandma….with a bowl in my lap and remember Grandma and Mother and all the other wonderful family members who inspire me.  Who inspires you?  Who do you think of when you cook?  Sit a spell and snap some beans and take a moment to remember those who are important in your life.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup cooking or olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1-1/2 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup water

2 pounds green beans

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat oil in medium-large sauce pan.  Cook onions and garlic until tender.  Add water and green beans and cook all afternoon, until green beans are tender.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Mrs. Scholnick’s Chocolate Apple Pie

Original Recipe from:  Diane Scholnick

The first time I tasted this pie, I knew I had to have the recipe.  Mrs. Scholnick was the wife of a gentleman for whom I worked many years.  She was a great cook and often sent leftovers to the office.  This delicious pie looks so impressive and yet is remarkable easy to make.  The Village Taste Testers give it rave reviews!  I’m sure your Taste Testers will be amazed too.  Great for family dinners, potluck events, and holidays.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 frozen Apple Pie, large is best.  (Mrs. Scholnick preferred Mrs. Smith’s brand)  Note:  You can also use your favorite homemade apple pie for an extra special treat. 

3/4 cup Brown Sugar

1.5 cups (12 ounces) Whipping Cream

1.6 ounce chocolate bar (regular size Hershey Bar)

1 cup Nuts (Mrs. Scholnick used mixed nuts, I prefer Walnuts or Pecans)

Directions

Bake pie according to package directions and let cool.  After about an hour, invert the pie onto a serving plates (one that the rim curves up is best) and continue cooking.  Mrs. Scholnick usually makes the pie the day before completing the recipe, but you can do this all in one day.

Combine all other ingredients, except nuts, in a medium sauce pan.   

Bring to a boil for 15 minutes or until the mixture coats a wooden spoon.

.

 Add nuts and cool for 45 minutes 

Pour the chocolate mixture over the upside down pie.  Refrigerate 3-4 hours. 

Mrs. Scholnick prefers to serve the pie at room temperature (or at least with the chill off).  I like it served cold.  Either way, it’s absolutely delicious! 

Church Windows

Original Recipe from:  Bernie Thrush-Bowers

Aunt Bernie made Church Windows all year-around, but especially at Christmas.  I think they make a great warm weather treat because they don’t heat up the house and you serve them chilled.  Whatever season you decide to make them, I know you’re going to love them.  Filled with chocolate, marshmallows and nuts; what’s not to like?  These have always been a family favorite at my house.  Make a batch and see how your family likes them.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 stick Margarine

12 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 cup Walnuts, chopped (optional)

1 bag colored Mini-Marshmallows

Shredded Coconut

Directions

Melt margarine and chocolate chips; remove from heat and allow it to cool.  Add nuts and marshmallows.  Mix together and shape into two logs.  Sprinkle coconut on foil or wax paper.  Wrap logs in same.  Refrigerate until firm then slice.  Keep refrigerated. 

Peanut Butter Apple S’mores

Original Recipe from:  Kay Johnson-Tomblin

Kids, Summer and S’mores just seem to go together.  The only problem is that you don’t always have a bonfire or grill going to make the roasted marshmallows.  This recipe doesn’t need a bonfire, just some marshmallow crème.  You can make these year ‘round.  You also get the added nutritional value of the protein and fruit.  Just don’t tell the kids….they’ll never guess.  Adults without kids in the house will also love this recipe and get in touch with their inner-child.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 Cinnamon Graham Cracker sheets

4 teaspoons Creamy Peanut Butter

8 teaspoons Marshmallow Crème

1 Apple, sliced

Directions

Cut Apple into 12 slices.  Divide Graham Cracker sheets in half.  Spread 4 of the halves with 1 teaspoon Peanut Butter on each and cover with 3 Apple slices.  Spread 2 teaspoons Marshmallow Crème on each of the remaining Graham Cracker halves.  Top each of the Peanut Butter/Apple Graham Crackers with a Marshmallow covered Graham Cracker.

Makes 4 S’mores