Crites Family Stuff

Description

Heather Johnson entered this cookie in the 2015 Farmer Family Reunion cookie contest. It's yummy!!

Ingredients for 24 servings

• 1 box lemon cake mix (Duncan Hines)
• .33 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 lg lemon, juiced
• .5 tsp lemon extract or 6-8 drops lemon essential oil
• .25 cup crushed lemon drops
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Parchment paper

Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1.5 cups powdered sugar
• .5 tsp vanilla
• 1 lg lemon
• .25 tsp lemon extract or 3 drops oil
• Yellow sprinkles (optional)

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Combine cake mix, oil, eggs, lemon juice, extract or oil, crushed lemon drops and flour (everything but the powdered sugar) and mix until incorporated and smooth. Batter will be slightly sticky. If it is too sticky, add a little more flour-careful not to add too much.
3. Make balls of dough slightly smaller than a golf ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place dough balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes, just starting to turn golden but not brown. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Make frosting

1. Whip cream cheese until smooth, then add powdered sugar and mix.
2. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and extract or oil.
3. Taste and adjust for sweetness by adding more sugar or more lemon juice for tartness.
4. Frost completely cooled cookies and add sprinkles. (The easiest way to pip on frosting is to put the icing in a Ziplock bag and snip a corner. Swirl it on top of each cookie.)

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Description

These cookies were entered into the 2015 Farmer Family Reunion Cookie Contest

Ingredients for 60 servings

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1.5 cups light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2.25 cups flour
• 1 (3oz) container Marshmallow Bits
• 2 cups coarsely chopped Milk Chocolate Hershey Bars (about 6)

Garnish

• 20 large marshmallows, cut into thirds
• 20 Hershey Bars broken into sections (snack sized ones)

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spray pan with cooking spray. (I use a low sided mini muffin pan that holds about an inch sized ball of dough when pressed into the cup-you can make the cookies on a regular cookie sheet as well.
3. In a bowl cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in eggs and vanilla, mixing till smooth.
4. On medium speen, add in graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt. Mix until incorporated. Add flour until just combined.
5. Stir in Marshmallow Bits and chopped Hershey Bar.
6. Form 1 inch balls of dough and press evenly into each sprayed cup. Bake for 6 minutes, remove from oven and press a third of a marshmallow on top of each cookie. Continiue baking for 3-4 minutes until marshmallow is puffed and slightly golden.
7. Remove and immediately press reserved broken sections of chocolate onto the top of the cookie. It will melt from the heat of the cookie.
8. Allow cookies to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes. Loosen edges with a knife and carefully remove form pan, transferring to a wire rack to continue cooling.

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Description

Years ago, I used to make this casserole for my family because I could serve one of the two pans and freeze the other for another quick meal in the future. I recently made it again for the family, this time for 2 year old granddaughter Livy who loved it. It's nice to go back to old recipes and comfort foods every now and then!

Ingredients for 10 servings

• 1 lb hamburger
• .5 onion, diced
• 8 oz cut tomatoes
• 6 oz tomato paste
• .5 tsp basil
• .5 tsp oregano
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 lb spaghetti noodles
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 beaten eggs
• 1/2 cup Kraft Parmesan cheese
• 16 oz cottage cheese
• 1 lb grated Mozzarella cheese

Steps

1. Cook meat and onions together. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings. Simmer while pasta is cooking.
2. In a large pot, cook pasta in salted water. Drain. Return drained pasta to pot and add butter. Stir till melted. In a separate bowl beat eggs and Parmesan cheese together. Add to the buttered pasta and mix well.
3. Divide the pasta equally into two greased deep dish pie tins. Spoon 8 oz of cottage cheese onto each pile of pasta. Spread 1/2 lb of Mozzarella onto each dish.
4. Top each dish with the hamburger mixture, dividing it equally between the two tins. Bake at 350 until bubbly, about 30 minutes.
5. If both dishes are not needed, freeze one before baking. Wrap tightly with foil and safe for later. Can be baked frozen but don't preheat your oven and plan for up to 1 and 1/2 hours for cooking time.

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Ingredients for 20 servings

• 3 cups unsalted, roasted or unroasted cashews
• .75 cup granulated sugar
• .5 tsp dried crushed chili
• .5 tsp cayenne pepper
• .25 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp oil

Steps

1. Spread cashews out on a baking sheet and place in a preheated 350 degree oven. Allow to bake about 15-30 minutes until cashews appear golden brown. If your cashews are already roasted, allow to bake for 10 minutes to crisp them.
2. Remove from oven and and slide nuts onto a plate to cool slightly.
3. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add the oil and chili flakes and cayenne pepper. Stir. When oil is hot, add the nuts. Stir-fry until the nuts are coated with chili oil.
4. Add the salt and sugar. Stir-fry about 1 minute or until the sugar has dissolved. Don't over-cook, or the sugar will burn.
5. Remove from heat. Slide the nuts onto a sheet of parchment to cool. While cooling, taste-test. Add another sprinkling of dried flakes if not spicy enough or salt to your preference.
6. Store in a covered container when completely cooled.

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Description

This recipe comes from our friends, Joe and Diana Free who make a killer chocolate chip cookie!

Ingredients for 48 servings

• 1.5 cups granulated sugar
• 1.5 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup butter
• 3 eggs
• 1.5 tsp baking soda
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 5 cups flour
• 3 tsp vanilla
• 11 oz chocolate chips

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350. Mix sugars, shortening, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop by spoonful about 2 inches apart onto engrossed cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes.

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Description

This frosting was used on the Red Velvet cupcakes at Annie Crites' wedding reception.

Ingredients for 24 servings

• 1 cup whole milk
• 5 Tbsp flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar

Steps

1. Combine the milk and flour in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk constantly until thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Add the vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cooled milk mixture and beat well. It may look separated, which means you have to keep beating until fully combined. It should be fluffy and light, similar to whipped cream.

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Ingredients for 8 servings

• 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese (Dubliner aged cheddar at Costco is good)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 tsp dry mustard
• 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 cups cream
• 3 cups cauliflower, frozen works fine

Steps

1. Shred cheese to make 3 cups. Set aside.
2. Saute diced onion in butter until soft. Stir in dry mustard. Cook for several minutes, stirring continuously. Add broth, whisking till smooth.
3. Add cauliflower and simmer over moderate heat for 30 minutes. Add cream. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

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Description

These were sent by Alli for the 2013 Farmer Family Christmas Cookie Exchange.

Ingredients for 48 servings

• 1.75 cups brown sugar
• 1.75 cups butter
• 7.2 oz pkg instant chocolate pudding
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1.75 tsp baking soda
• .25 tsp salt
• 4 cups flour
• 1.5 cups white chocolate chips
• .75 cup milk chocolate chips
• dried fruit ( I used cried cranberry and cherry mixture)

Steps

1. Mix together the sugar, butter and pudding.
2. Add the eggs and vanilla.
3. Add the baking soda, salt and flour.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips and dried fruit.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes on a greased cookie sheet.

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Ingredients for 8 servings

• 1 cup pecans halves
• 1 tbsp corn syrup
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 heads butter leaf lettuce
• 3 oz bleu cheese, crumbled
• 2 pears, cored and sliced

Dressing:

• 1 tbsp mayonaise
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• .25 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 cup oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

Steps

1. Prepare the pecans by spreading them into a oven safe dish. Place them in a preheated 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Stir in the corn syrup and honey. Bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove and separate onto Pam sprayed foil. Allow to cool.
2. Mix together dressing.
3. Clean and tear lettuce. Add the bleu cheese, pecans, and pears. Toss with the dressing.

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Description

This salad was served at the 2013 Family reunion.

Ingredients for 12 servings

• 4 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 3 stalks celery (inner light green stalks) finely diced
• 2 ears fresh corn
• .25 whole medium red onion, finely diced
• 1.5 cups blueberries
• 3 tbsp fresh dill, minced
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• 4 tbsp sour cream
• .25 cup half and half
• 1 whole lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp sugar (more to taste)
• Salt and pepper (additional) to taste
• .75 cup crumbled feta

Steps

1. Place chicken breasts into large plastic storage bad. Pound with a mallet to flatten to 1/4 inch uniform thickness. Season with salt and pepper. Heat grill and drizzle with olive oil. Grill chicken on both sides until done, about 7 minutes per side. Remove from pan and allow to cool.
2. With a sharp knife, shave kernels off each cob. Combine with the onion and celery. Set aside.
3. Mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, feta, and half and half. Stir in sugar, squeeze in lemon juice, and add salt and pepper. Stir, then taste, Add more salt if needed.
4. Slice chicken on the bias to create flat, randomly shaped pieces. Toss into a bowl with celery, onion, and corn. Stir to combine. Pour half the dressing over the ingredients and toss gently. Add more dressing as desired.
5. At the end, toss in the blueberries to lightly coat them in the dressing. Sprinkle with more feta and serve.

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