Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey or beef

1/2 onion, diced

2-3 Tbsp. taco seasoning (or 1 package)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 lime, juiced (or 1/8 cup bottled)

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup fresh cilantro (minced)

*1/4 cup dried if fresh is not available

Tortilla chips (your preference)

Garnishes:

Chopped tomatoes, onions or green onions, avocados

Sliced black olives

Shredded lettuce and cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Taco sauce

Directions:

Brown hamburger and onion in skillet over medium-heat high. Combine salsa and seasoning (and dried cilantro, if using) and mix into meat, turning heat down to a simmer. Add lime juice.  While meat and seasoning simmer and thicken (add water if it becomes too thick for your liking, chop garnishes and set out in individual bowls for service. Add fresh cilantro just before you transfer the meat from skillet to a serving dish.

Spread chips on a plate (either whole or crush, your choice), spread cheese, meat, and preferred garnishes. Top with sour cream, taco sauce, or both and enjoy!

Variations:

Use hard shells or corn/flour tortillas as the base.

Vary your tortilla chip flavor (Tostitos’ Hint of Lime is a favorite for us)

Substitute rice for meat for a vegetarian option.

Add a can of kidney beans.

Cut top off of individual bags of Doritos, crush the contents, and have guests spoon toppings into the bag (á laWalking Tacos).

6 oz. frozen orange juice

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

12 ice cubes

Directions

Combine and process in a blender for few minutes.

• 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 15 large marshmallows, cut up
• 1 (16oz.) pkg frozen strawberries, thawed & drained
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup crushed pineapple
• ½ teaspoon red food coloring
• 1 cup whipped cream

Directions

• Combine cream cheese & mayo; blend well. Add marshmallows & strawberries, reserving several strawberries. Add pecans, pineapple and food coloring; blend well.
• Fold in whipped cream. Pour into heart-shape pan or other gelatin mold. Chill until firm.
• Garnish with reserved strawberries.

Serves 12.

Run through a food processor or finely chop:

• 1 quart or 1 bag raw cranberries
• 6 apples, your favorite red variety, cored not peeled

Add to this mixture:

• 1 bag miniature marshmallows
• 1 small can crushed pineapple with juice
• 1 ¼ cup sugar or sugar substitute
• Let stand for 15 minutes. Fold in 2 cups whipped cream. Add ½ cup favorite chopped nuts (pecans or English walnuts)

Refrigerate or freeze. If freezing, place in loaf pans and when ready to serve place pan in warm water to release from sides, turn out and slice. Best when made at least 24 hrs ahead.

• 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon apple pie spice blend
• 1 package 100-calorie microwave popcorn
• 2/3 cup dried tart cherries
• Butter-flavored non-stick cooking spray

Directions

• Stir together sugar and apple pie spice in a small bowl; set aside.
• Pop popcorn according to package directions. Carefully open the package and pour into medium bowl.
• Add cherries. Lightly spray with no-stick cooking spray.
• Sprinkle with sugar mixture; toss until coated.

Makes about 2 (2-cup) servings.

• 1 can (20oz) crushed pineapple
• 1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla or banana pudding
• 2 cups colored mini-marshmallows
• 2 medium-sized bananas, sliced
• 1 cup Lite Cool Whip

Directions

• Mix undrained pineapple and dry pudding together. Add Cool Whip and marshmallows and stir. Add bananas right before serving.

Kids love it!

• 6 cups Chex, Crispex or Flavorite Crispy Hexagons cereal
• 2 cups pecan halves
• ¼ cup butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup Praline Mix (by Savannah Cinnamon Co. in the ice cream topping aisle)
• ½ tsp. baking soda

Directions

• Stir together cereal and pecans in 9 x 13 pan. Melt butter, sugar and praline mix. Bring to a boil, gently cooking for 2 minutes. Stir in baking soda until foamy. Pour over mixture and stir to coat.
• Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour. Stir once during baking.

COOKIE:

• 1 cup flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ stick of butter
• 1 egg
• 6 oz. ricotta cheese
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2-3 T lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest

GLAZE:

• ½ cup powdered or confectioners’ sugar
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, mix dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking powder) and set aside. In a medium to large bowl, beat butter and sugar until the mixture becomes fluffy. Add egg and ricotta cheese and beat until combined. Add lemon juice, stir. Add dry ingredients and stir. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Make them whatever size you like.
• Bake for 15 minutes. After removing the cookies let them rest for 20 minutes. To prepare the glaze, mix powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. When cookies are cool, spoon glaze onto each.

DOUGH:

• 13 ½ oz all purpose flour
• 1 package instant dry yeast
• 1 egg
• 7 oz of plain yogurt
• 3 ½ oz warm milk
• Pinch of salt

PUFFED or FLAKY DOUGH:

• 5 ½ oz flour
• 3 ½ oz margarine, unsalted
• Pinch of salt

FILLING:

• As much as you like: cheese (Gouda), tomato
• (pizza) sauce, oregano. Or something else you
• would like: ham, bacon, salami or veggies

WASH:

• Egg white to use as adhesive
• Egg yolk & some milk to brush @ the end

Directions

• Make first dough by mixing all ingredients and let it rise in a warm place. In the meantime, make puff dough with second batch of ingredients, and then mix it into the risen dough (yes, mix them together) and work it well on a floured surface. Roll the dough and with a round cookie cutter (or coffee cup) cut out circles about 3 inches in diameter or desired size. Leave some dough for ears and noses.
• Make filling with cheese, pizza sauce and oregano. You can be creative and use different kinds of ingredients to make a filling of your own.
• Place half of circles onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush edges with egg white wash. Put some filling in the middle & cover with other half of circles and press the edges together to assure nothing will come out while baking.
• Remainder of the dough use to make smaller circles for nose (maybe cut with a bottle cap) and for ears by cutting smaller circles in quarters. (See photo.) Use egg white wash as adhesive for nose and ears. For nose make somewhat smaller circles. For eyes and nostrils use a  toothpick to make little lines and then inside, put some rosemary, cumin or pepper for each nostril. Can use mustard seed for eyes (kid friendly) or peppercorns (adults.)
• Now that you have little piglets, let them rise again for a little while and then brush them with a little bit of egg yolk wash mixed with a little bit of milk. Bake for about 20-25 minutes @ 385-405 degrees, depending on your oven.

• 2 cups fresh strawberries
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons orange liqueur

Directions

• Cut the strawberries into quarters and sprinkle them with sugar.
• Leave for a couple of minutes before sprinkling with lemon juice and orange liqueur.
• The mixture will be juiciest at room temperature.
• You can substitute orange juice for liqueur for kids.