Homemade Oreos

• One chocolate cake mix

• 1/3 cup oil (for softer, puffier cookies) OR 1/3 cup shortening (for flatter, drier cookies)

• 2 eggs

• frosting of choice

• small bowl of sugar

Combine cake mix, oil, and eggs in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Dough will be thick and sticky. Shape dough into golf ball-sized pieces, then coat in sugar. Place cookies one and a half to two inches apart on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 7-8 minutes for a softer, chewier cookie, or 9-10 minutes for a drier cookie. After removing cookies from the oven, tap cookie sheet on counter- or oven-top so that cookies fall flat. Once cookies have completely cooled, spread frosting between two cookies and serve.

Note: If you are only making the cookies, you may use any flavor of cake mix, like yellow or confetti. Children love to make these cookies!


Submitted by Sarah Boman and Maria Nicole Seely Jones

Oreo and Fudge Ice Cream Cake

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed
1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 pkg. (4 serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
8 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, chopped
12 vanilla ice cream sandwiches, unwrapped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pour fudge topping into medium bowl. Add 1 cup of the whipped topping; stir with wire whisk until well blended. Add dry pudding mix; stir 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in chopped cookies; set aside.
   
2. Arrange 4 of the ice cream sandwiches, side-by-side, on 24-inch-long piece of foil; top with half of the whipped topping mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 4 ice cream sandwiches. Frost top and sides of dessert with remaining whipped topping. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to loosely seal packet.
   
3. Freeze at least 4 hours before serving. Store leftover dessert in freezer.

This delectable dessert was made for Claire's birthday.
Recipe submitted by Maria Jones thanks to allrecipes.com.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

1 box yellow cake mix
1 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 container chocolate frosting
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup chopped peanuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper caking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs adn 3/4 cup peanut butter with electric mixer on low spead 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffing cups (about 2/3 full).

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 3o minutes.

In medium bowl, stire together frosting and 1/4 cup peanut butter. Frost cupcakes with frosting mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts; press lightly into frosting.

Submitted by Maria (and Tim) Jones

Dinner Crepes

12 prepared crepes
1/4 cup butter
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup chopping onion
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 chicken bouillon cube (or Lipton soup mix)
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups diced chicken
1/2 cup sliced olives
Parmesan cheese

In a skillet, melt butter on medium heat. Sautee onion and celery until crisp and tender. Add flour, salt, and buillon cube. Stir until well blended. Gradually add milk; stir and cook until thickened. Fold in chicken and olives; heat through. Put 1/3 cup filling in the center of each crepe. Fold/roll crepes and place in appropriate sized pan. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes.

submitted by Maria Jones

Easy Never Forgotten Guacamole

Prep Time:
10 Minutes
Ready In:
40 Minutes
Servings:
16

INGREDIENTS:
3 avocados - peeled, pitted and diced
1 tablespoon sour cream
2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons salsa
1 pinch salt
1 dash ground black pepper
1 dash garlic salt
1 dash onion powder

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, mix together the avocados, sour cream, cream cheese and salsa. Blend to desired consistency.
In a small bowl mix the salt, pepper, garlic salt and onion powder. Stir into the avocado mixture. Cover and chill in the refrigerator 1/2 hour before serving.

submitted by Maria Jones