Not Your Ordinary Green Bean Casserole

From my sweet friend, Debi. This is even better than traditional green bean casserole!

2 cans French cut green beans, drained (or thawed frozen)
3 T. butter
2 heaping T. flour
1 t. salt
2 t. sugar
4 t. grated onion
1 c. sour cream
8 oz. grated Swiss cheese
2 c. crushed corn flakes
1/4 c. melted butter

Cook beans according to package directions. Place in a 9x13 dish. Melt butter in a saucepan and blend in flour. Add salt, sugar, onion, sour cream, and cheese. Pour over beans. (You can add milk to thin it, if desired.) Top with buttered corn flakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Ginger Crinkles

I received this recipe from a woman who worked with my mom. It makes a double batch, which is about 7 1/2 dozen according to my last baking day!
Ingredients

1 1/3 c. vegetable oil (I use canola)
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
8 T. molasses (not black strap)
4 c. sifted flour
4 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
2 t. ginger
sugar for dipping

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix oil and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Stir in molasses.3. Sift together dry ingredients. Add to molasses mixture.4. Form into balls and roll in sugar.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
I use a teaspoon scoop to make the balls. You just scoop and then plop them in sugar and flip over. I also bake them until just done. They stay moist and get gobbled up quickly!
Enjoy!

Big Batch Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 c. chopped onions
1 c. thinly sliced celery
2 t. Italian seasoning
3 (14 1/2 oz) cans chicken broth [I use 5 1/2 c. water and 5 t. Better Than Bouillon chicken base]
1 can diced tomatoes
2 T. tomato paste
8 c. vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans, peas, potatoes, lima beans, zucchini, squash)

Directions:
1. Cook onions and celery in oil with seasoning until onions are translucent (medium heat about 5-8 minutes)
2. Add broth, tomatoes (in juice), paste, and 3 cups water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook uncovered 20 minutes.
3. Add veggies. Simmer uncovered until tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
*I used the following vegetables for my "8 cups"--3 medium-sized carrots, 2 zucchini, 2 squash, 1 cup corn, 1 drained can of green beans. I also happened to have a piece of leftover chicken, so I shredded the meat and threw that in too!

Apple Betty

I love fall! My friend Kristin said she's come to realize she loves the first part of every new season. I'd have to completely agree! I do love every season and the fresh start it brings. (Although, I love all of summer!) I love the cooler, crisp air of fall. I love the smells associated with fall -- cinnamon and apples in particular.
I stumbled upon this recipe last week and decided I just had to make it. The twins and I went to a local store that was having apples on sale for 77 cents/lb and I loaded up.
Apple Betty
4 cups thinly sliced apples (peeled if you want, I didn't bother)
1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash each cloves and allspice
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 inch pie plate.

Mound sliced apples in the pie plate. Sprinkle with orange juice.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugars, spices, and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Scatter over the apples.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Serve warm.Rylee was so cute because we have an "Auntie Betty" at GFA. She kept talking about Auntie Betty as we were getting the dessert ready and then enjoying it's sweet goodness. My kids love Auntie Betty and they loved thinking about her as we were enjoying the ooey-gooey apples and topping with ice cream.

Best Ever Popcorn Balls

I discovered this recipe in the fall of 2008 while my in-laws were visiting around Thanksgiving. I had lots and lots of popcorn and decided it would be fun to make sweet, sticky popcorn balls. After trying several recipes, we (my MIL and I) decided this was the best!

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 2 teaspoons cold water
• 2 5/8 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup marshmallows
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
  
• 5 quarts plain popped popcorn (I use my large Pampered Chef Micro Cooker and put just plain popcorn kernels in it. I microwave on high for about 3-5 minutes until it stops popping. Good, pure, plain popcorn!)
  

DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the corn syrup, margarine, cold water, confectioners' sugar, marshmallows, and vanilla. Heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Carefully combine the hot mixture with the popcorn, coating each kernel.
2. Grease hands with vegetable shortening and quickly shape the coated popcorn into balls before it cools. Wrap with cellophane or plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

The process of pressing it into balls can be really, really sticky (I know...they're popcorn balls!). But, we found that we liked it just as much if we tossed the sugar mixture with the popcorn, spread it on a sheet to cool, and just ate it as sweet popcorn crunch!