Beth's Chocolate Chip Cookies--Allrecipes

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup butter-flavored shortening

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 TBSP vanilla

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

-Preheat oven to 375

-Mix everything together well.

-Bake 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until centers are set and very lightly browned. Cool 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet, then move to cooling rack.

Pretzel Salad

PART 1

1 cup salted pretzels, any kind

1/2 cup sugar

1 stick butter

-Melt butter; break pretzels into smaller pieces. Add broken pretzels into butter bowl and add sugar. Stir until pretzels are coated.

-Spread coated pretzels onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper (for easy clean up).

-Bake at 350 for 7 minutes.

-Let them cool, break apart, and then set aside until RIGHT before you serve the salad.

PART 2

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 can crushed pineapple

12 oz tub of Cool Whip

-Mix cream cheese and sugar together until well blended. Add pineapple and mix well. Fold in Cool whip.

-Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Mix in pretzels just before serving so they don't get soft.

MMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!

Strawberry Watermelon Slushy-Our Best Bites

2 cups seedless watermelon

1 pint of strawberries

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

5 ice cubes

-Cut watermelon into cubes, and take the stem off of each strawberry

-Put everything in a blender, and blend until everything is blended really well.

-Enjoy!

These are SOOOOOO awesome on a hot day!

Artichoke Dip

14.5 oz can of artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/4-1/2 cup shredded mozzerella cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Spray 8x8 or 99 baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. Serve with baguette bread or crackers.

Cinnamon Pecan Popcorn--Our Best Bites

12 C popped popcorn (about 1/2 C kernels)
1 C roughly chopped pecans
1 C brown sugar
3/4 t cinnamon
1/4 C Karo syrup (or honey makes a good substitution)
1 stick real butter (1/2 C)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
3 squares almond bark OR white chocolate wafers

1) Preheat oven to 250 degrees

2) Combine popped popcorn and chopped pecans in a LARGE bowl and set side.

3) Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup (microwave safe!!). Pour Karo syrup on top. Cut the butter into chunks and put it on top of the Karo syrup. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir to combine.

4) Put the brown sugar mix in the microwave for another 2 minutes; remove and stir. One more time...2 minutes in the micro and stir.

5) Add the baking soda and vanilla and stir well. Pour the brown sugar mix over the popcorn and pecans. Mix well...REALLY well. For probably about 4 or 5 minutes to make sure everything is coated.

6) On a large cookie sheet/jelly roll pan, lay down foil, and then spray it with cooking spray (for easy clean up). Pour popcorn mix on cookie sheet and spread evenly.

7) Bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes, pulling it out to stir and move around every 10 minutes (so three times total, one time after the 30 minutes of baking is up). While the popcorn is baking, melt your almond bark or white chocolate according to the directions.

8) After the popcorn is done, pour it onto wax paper to let it cool. After it has cooled, drizzle the melted bark/chocolate all over the popcorn. Let it set. EAT, EAT, EAT. MMMMMMMMM!

Cheeseburger Soup

*Recipe from my friend, Lisa*

1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
4 tablespoons butter
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups cubed potatoes (or frozen hash browns)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups cubed Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup sour cream

1. In a large pot, melt 1 tablespoon butter or margarine over medium heat: cook and stir vegetables and beef , until beef is brown.
2. Stir in basil and parsley. Add broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes.
3. Melt the remainder of butter and stir in flour. Add the milk, stirring until smooth.
4. Gradually add milk mixture to the soup, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Stir in cheese. When cheese is melted, add sour cream and heat through. Do not boil.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

*Nestle website, through one of my FAVORITE websites, ourbestbites.com

1 unbaked pie crust, homemade or store bought

2 large eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup REAL butter, softened

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Vanilla ice cream

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2) Beat eggs on high in mixing bowl until foamy.

3) Beat in flour, granulated sugar, and brown sugar and mix well.

4) Beat in butter.

5) Stir in morsels and nuts (I just mixed it in my Kitchen Aid for about 20 seconds until it was well blended).

6) Stir into pie shell.

7) Bake for 55-60 minutes, until knife inserted between the edge and center of the pie comes out clean.

8) Leave in pie plate, and cool. Just like chocolate chip cookies, this pie needs to set up before serving or else it will fall apart.

9) Serve with a generous scoop of ice cream!

**I liked this pie better second day after having been refrigerated**