The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever

This one is from Kristi, who I visit teach:

My mom clipped this recipe out of a newspaper in like the 20's or something. It's the recipe we have always used and is, in my humble opinion, the best chocolate chip cookie out there (I am sure you all have the best chocolate chip cookie recipe as well).

Mom’s Chocolate Chip Cookies:

½ cup of white sugar
1 cup shortening
1 t vanilla
1 C brown sugar, well packed
2 eggs
2 ¼ cups of flour
1t baking soda
1 t salt
1 C choc chips

Cream together shortening, sugar, vanilla, eggs. Add salt and soda, mix well. Add 1 ¼ cups of the flour, mix well. Add the last cup of flour and mix by hand, add choc chips and mix by hand. Bake @ 350 for 7-10 minutes. The trick to these cookies is to not over bake them. Pull them out when they first start to crack on top or are just barely turning golden. You will not be disappointed. Well, if you over cook them you might be, so don't.

Texas Sheet Cake

CAKE

Mix in a large bowl:

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda

In a sauce pan melt:

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
4 Tbsp cocoa
1 cup water

Bring the cocoa mixture to a rapid boil and pour into large bowl over dry ingredients. Mix together with beater. Add:

1 cup buttermilk (you can sub - 1 tbsp lemon juice and then add milk to make a cup)
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs beaten

Mix well and put in greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 13 - 15 minutes. Cool.

FROSTING

1/2 cup of softened butter
4 Tbsp cocoa
6 TBSP buttermilk
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
chopped pecans

Mix ingredients (except pecans) with mixer. Frost cooled cake and sprinkle chopped pecans on top. This is always a crowd pleaser and is so easy. Sprinkle nuts only on half if your worried about nut haters. But it's not a true Texas sheet cake without them.

Dump Cake

Dump Cake by Luz L.

1 can cherry pie filling
1 can (14 to 16 oz) crushed pineapple (don't drain)
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick butter or margarine (more if needed)

Mix cherry pie filling and crushed pineapple and spread in a 9x13 inch pan (ungreased). Sprinkle dry cake mix over the fruit, covering all of it. Slice the butter in thin slices and place on top of cake until entire surface is covered. If needed, use more butter. Bake at 350 degrees until brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Hawaiian Haystacks

This is an old favorite that we brought back into the mix recently. Easy to double.

1/2 lb diced or shredded chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth (or just a cup of water and one chicken bouillon cube)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare chicken. (I boiled a frozen chicken breast, then shredded). In sauce pan over medium heat melt butter, add flour, mix well, then add broth, mix until thickened, then add soup and milk, salt and pepper and I like to add some parsley flakes. Heat until boiling for about 1 minute, it will thicken as it cools. Serve over steamed rice. Top with favorites. We like to have these various toppings available:

Diced celery
Diced green onion
Diced tomatoes
Diced green peppers
Pineapple tidbits
Shredded coconut
Shredded cheese
Dried chow mien noodles
Soy Sauce

Betsy's BBQ Meatballs w/ Mac and Cheese

I got this recipe from our ward cookbook and we love it.

Mix together:
1 lb (LEAN) hamburger (or ground turkey)
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs (I used just one egg and it turned out fine)
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Shape into meatballs and drop into Greased casserole pan. Pour sauce over meatballs.

Sauce:
1 cup brown sugar ( I used about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tsp mustard
1/2 bottle BBQ sauce (I used 1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray's and 1 cup ketchup)
2 tsp worcestershire sauce

Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 30 - 35 minutes. Turn meatballs and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes.

This is great with Mac and cheese as a side. I like this recipe. We eat with steamed veggies and a green salad too to help with the guilt.

Blueberry Cake

Here is a recipe from my mom's grandmother's Grange Cookbook.

Blueberry Cake

Cream:
1/c shortening (I use butter)
1 egg
1 c sugar
1 t vanilla

Add 1 c sour milk (I like to sour it with lemon juice, but you can use vinegar)
Stir in:
1 t baking soda
2 c flour
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 c blueberries (also good with blackberries)

Sprinkle top with cinnamon and sugar

Bake at 350 for 30 min. in a 9x 11 pan.

I always double the recipe and make in my BIG glass pan...I think it is 10x13. Check with inserting knife.