RED SAUCE

28 oz can crushed tomatoes
Small can tomato sauce, 8 oz
2 TB tomato paste
¼ cup red wine
1 package no sodium beef broth
1 tsp each salt and pepper
1 TB sugar
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped green pepper
1 bay leaf
1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning
Olive oil for sauté 

Sauté garlic, onions and green pepper in olive oil

Add all ingredients to slow cooker or large sauce pan.
Stir well.
Cook on low heat for most of the day, at least six hours,
stirring occasionally.

Remove bay leaf before serving.

Leave thick and chunky or puree in blender for a smoother sauce.This makes a small batch, double for a larger batch. It freezes well. 

SEX IN A PAN

1 stick of butter, melted
1 cup flour
½ cup chopped pecans

8 oz Philly Cream Cheese, softened
8 oz Cool Whip
1 cup powdered sugar
2 small packages of instant
chocolate or butterscotch pudding
3 cups milk

Topping Choices: Shaved chocolate
                               Grated chocolate
                               Chocolate chips
                               Chopped nuts

Blend melted butter, flour and chopped pecans.
Press into an un-greased square pan and bake at 350°for
about 15 minutes or until the crust is pale beige.
Watch carefully so it doesn’t burn. Remove and cool.

Using a mixer, blend cream cheese, one cup of Cool Whip
and powdered sugar. Gently spread this over the cooled crust.

Mix pudding and milk according to pudding box directions and
then spread this over the cream cheese mix. Top with remaining
Cool Whip then top with desired topping.
Cool in fridge several hours or overnight.  

BEEF STEW

1-1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
2  tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 TB olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TB tomato paste
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup red wine
2 cups beef broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp savory
1/2  tsp parsley
1 tsp sugar
3 carrots cut into chunks
2 ribs celery cut into chunks
Frozen peas
Loaf of good French bread
Optional potatoes

Salt and pepper beef pieces.
Heat oil and sauté in small batches making sure all sides of beef are browned.
Remove beef from pan, set on a plate.

Add onions, garlic and red wine to pan and stir briskly,
scraping any beef bits from pan. Add tomato paste and continue stirring.
Put beef and juices back in pan, sprinkle flour over mixture and stir until flour is dissolved.

Add broth, bay leaf, savory, parsley and sugar. Stir until well thickened.
Cook on low for 2 hours. Add carrots/celery and cook another hour,
until vegetables are tender.
Remove bay leaf, add frozen peas in last five minutes.
If you want potatoes in this cook them separately
and add in the last ten minutes, they get too mushy otherwise. 

BURNT ORANGE CAKE

2 sticks butter, softened
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 c. flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
2 (8 oz.) cans Mandarin oranges, drained

Glaze:
3/4 c. brown sugar
3 TB milk
3 TB butter

Cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating after adding each egg.
Add the rest of the cake ingredients and beat well.
Pour into a greased bundt pan.
Bake 350° for 30 to 35 minutes.
While the cake is still warm, but slightly cooled, poke holes all over
the cake with a chopstick.
Bring to a boil in small saucepan; the brown sugar, milk, and butter.
Pour over warm cake, slowly over the poked holes so glaze will
drizzle down in the holes










                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

MINT HOT COCOA MIX

1 cup powdered nondairy coffee creamer
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
8 mint hard candies or some broken candy canes, crushed
½  cup miniature marshmallows (optional)
½ cup chocolate chips (optional)

Combine all ingredients; store in an airtight container.

Three tablespoons of mix to one cup hot water

TOMATO SOUP

1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
Olive oil for sautéing
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth, 1/2 cup to start, add as it cooks down
1 5oz can V8
Salt and black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tsp Worcester sauce
2 tsp sugar
Basil to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream, (optional - for cream of tomato soup)



Sauté chopped vegetables in oil until tender. 
Add vegetables to other ingredients (except cream)
Cook on medium until soup starts to bubble, then reduce to low for one hour. 
If using cream, add after soup comes off the heat. 
Let soup cool a bit then puree in blender. 
Serve with oyster crackers or goldfish crackers.

Makes 2 servings. Double or triple as necessary.

BREAD MACHINE SWEET POTATO ROLLS

3/4 cup milk, room temperature

1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato (about one large sweet potato, baked)

3 TB melted butter plus more for the tops when the rolls come out of the oven

1 large egg, beaten

3 3/4 cups bread flour

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

WATCH THE DOUGH, IF IT IS TOO WET, ADD FLOUR

Bake the sweet potato, let it cool to room temperature, while letting milk come to room temperature.

Add all ingredients to the bread machine in the order given. Use the basic dough cycle. When the cycle finishes, dump the dough onto a floured surface and cut in half, then cut each half into 9 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place on a large greased baking pan (I use a large pizza pan). I make the balls about 1 3/4 ounces each and get 18 rolls.

Cover with a cloth and let rise for about 45 minutes in a warm, draft-free place.

Bake in a 375° oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, until nicely browned. Brush the tops with melted or softened butter while they're hot.