"Sort of Salsa" by Valerie Ford

1 can corn, drained
1 can black eyed peas, drained
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2-4 tomatoes, diced
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 pkg. Good Seasonings Italian Dressing mix
2 avocados, chopped
lime juice from one lime

prepare italian dressing as directed on package. mix everything together except avocados. chill for a few hours, add avocados before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

(I also add a can of black beans)

Buttermilk Syrup (aka: nectar of the Gods)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a saucepan, stir together the sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda. Bring to a boil, and cook for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla.

Today, I put in canned pumpkin and pumpkin spice. I don't really have amounts. I used a spice mix from the pumpkin can label and I just did it to taste. Too spiceful, add pumpkin; too bland, add spice.

Strawberry Shortcake

And this was dessert. I'm pretty sure they said it was good like 10 times while eating it :)

Yellow or White Cake mix (I like white)
2 c. warm water
1 small pkg. Instant Vanilla pudding
2 eggs
Strawberries to top


Beat ingredients together. Pour into a greased 9 x 13in pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Cake should still be soft in the middle (still doughy).

After cake is cooled, add topping and serve with strawberries

Topping:
8 oz. Cool Whip
1/3 c. butter
1 c. powdered sugar

Melt butter and mix with powdered sugar, fold in cool whip with spatula.

Baked Ziti

Tara and I made this for the boys on Sunday and they loved it:

1 pkg. (16 oz.) ziti pasta
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 container (15 oz.) Ricotta Cheese
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese


PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Mix spaghetti sauce, ricotta cheese and reserved 1/2 cup pasta cooking water in large bowl. Add pasta and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese; mix lightly. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Cover.

BAKE 30 min.; uncover. Bake an additional 10 min. or until heated through

Strawberry French Toast

Because several have asked about it:

Strawberry French Toast/Stuffed French Toast*

Eggs & milk for dipping toast
Cream cheese
Powder sugar
White sugar
French bread (works with regular bread too)
Cool Whip
Frozen or fresh strawberries

Dump strawberries into a pot over the stove and put on warm heat. While making the toast, periodically mash berries until they create a sauce. Add sugar to sweeten, and keep on low heat until toast is served.

When slicing bread keep two pieces connected - don't slice through all the way. You don't have to keep the bread connected, but it tends to help when frying. Set aside until time to stuff.

For every 8oz. (1 brick) of cream cheese, combine 1 cup of powder sugar with it. Beat until fluffy, and all the lumps are gone. Sometimes a little extra powder sugar is needed depending upon your preference. Stuff bread with filling amply. More is better than less. If you're afraid you will run out of stuffing, fill them just a little bit than add the leftovers to even them all out.

Crack eggs into a bowl and add a little milk to make it creamy. Dip stuffed toast in, covering both sides with egg mixture. Throw on griddle, into a frying pan or on the burning hot Arizona sidewalk and fry. :)

Ladle strawberries on top and add a dolop of cool whip. Now gorge yourself in deliciousness.

*Amounts:
-For large batches a dozen eggs may be needed, for smaller batches you could probably get away with using just 6 eggs.
-People eat about 2 pieces each (boys-3). Depending upon how big the loaves are you can feed about 10-15 people with 4-5 loaves. In my family if we're feeding all of us we use about 5 loaves (that's 15 people), and that takes about 5 bricks of cream cheese. It's not hard to mix up more filling so sometimes I buy an extra brick just in case I run out of filling.

I read it!

I was going to post something, but I was wondering if people read this more than it gets updated... :)