MOM'S RECIPE for ORANGE ALMOND PUNCH

                                                MOM’S ORANGE ALMOND PUNCH 
                                              In Loving Memory of my Mom, Dorothy .  

 I promised this recipe and here it is.  
You will love this punch. I guarantee! 
  

recipe makes enough for 2 punch bowls

3 CUPS SUGAR 
2 CUPS WATER 
COOK UNTIL SUGAR DISSOLVES AND 
THICKENS SLIGHTLY.

ADD : 
2 REGULAR BOXES LEMON JELLO 
STIR UNTIL MIXED WELL. LET COOL.

ADD :
(1)12 oz. CAN FROZEN ORANGE JUICE 
CONCENTRATE
(1)12 oz. CAN FROZEN LEMONADE 
CONCENTRATE
(1) LARGE 46oz. CAN PINEAPPLE JUICE
MIX WELL. CHILL OVERNIGHT.


ALSO CHILL :
(3)2-LITER BOTTLES OF GINGER ALE 
PURE ALMOND EXTRACT

WHEN READY TO SERVE , MIX ½ THE MIXTURE

AND 1 ½ BOTTLES GINGER ALE AND 1 ½ -2 
TABLESPOONS PURE ALMOND EXTRACT PER 
PUNCH BOWL.
~

I like to freeze some extra pineapple juice 
in 2 Bundt Cake Pans to use as ice rings for each bowlful of punch.
You can place pineapple rings, lemon slices or orange slices in the 
pineapple juice after you position the bundt pan in the freezer. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe.
It is so refreshing.

MY ORIGINAL RECIPE for ORANGE ALMOND CAKE with CREAM CHEESE ICING

My dear Momma was a caterer.  
She and her best friend were fabulous cooks .   They used to make ORANGE ALMOND PUNCH for celebrations such as Wedding Receptions, Graduation parties, Baby Showers, Retirement parties , etc.  It was so delicious that I developed a cake to taste like it.  I am sharing the recipes for both; the cake today and the punch is next . 
                              In Loving Memory of My Mom, Dorothy. 
TAMARA'S  ORIGINAL RECIPE:  ORANGE ALMOND CAKE 

1 box Betty Crocker "Butter Recipe Cake Mix,(dry mix)
but follow these instructions:
add:
1 bar real butter,room temperature
2 teaspoons Pure Almond Extract 
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 Tablespoon orange zest, or more if desired 
1 Box Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix(just dump-in the dry mix)

3 large eggs

Mix all, in the order given. Add eggs last and only beat on medium speed, just until they are incorporated. Don't over beat.
Bake in a greased and floured Bundt cake pan, approximately 38 mins. on 350 degrees. 
Let cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes,then,cover with a cake plate and flip gently. Let cool completely. 
Frost with cream cheese frosting. Recipe follows.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

1 bar real butter, room temperature 
1 bar cream cheese, room temperature 
3 cups powdered sugar 
1 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract
**orange zest is optional in the frosting.
I added 1 Tablespoon of it to the frosting. 
Mix all and refrigerate til firm enough to frost with.  

***I will share the recipe for the Orange Almond Punch .
~Enjoy~  Check my blog for the Orange Almond Punch recipe....

 CHICKEN BROCCOLI SUPREME with ALMONDS

You will want to include this recipe in your collection .

It is a real winner .

2 bags of broccoli florets, frozen

  2 chicken breasts, boiled, cubed 

                   1 lg. onion, chpd.
In a 13x9" pan, sprayed with cooking spray, layer broccoli first,then, cooked chicken, then, chpd. onion.

In a med. bowl, mix together:
1 bar cream cheese, room temp.
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ cup mayonnaise
2 lg. eggs, slightly beaten
salt & pepper

Pour over the onion, then, top with :
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Break up the Ritz crackers and sprinkle over
casserole.  Drizzle with melted butter.
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, broken up
2 Tblsp.s melted butter

Sprinkle over entire casserole:
½ cup of sliced almonds
Bake @350°  for 30 mins. or til hot and bubbly.

Serve hot.

                     WALNUT CHICKEN STIR FRY

This is the best pic I could take of this recipe. It is from a 1985 Redbook Magazine and it was sponsored by Crisco Oil.  My boyfriend at the time, cooked this for me and I asked him to make a copy of the recipe for me, but, he was so sweet that he gave me the actual page.

5 Tblsps. Crisco Oil , divided
5 tsps. Soy Sauce , divided
3 tsps. Cornstarch, divided

2 whole boneless,skinless, Chicken Breast halves,
    cut into 1" pieces

½ cup Chicken Broth
½ tsp. ground Ginger
½ tsp. dried Red Pepper Flakes


1 med. Onion, cut into
1" pieces

1 red Bellpepper, cut into 1" strips,¼" wide

1 clove Garlic, minced



½ lb. Broccoli, cut into 1" pieces

                          ½ cup Walnuts, chopped


Cooked, Basmati Rice .







Mix 1 T. Crisco oil, 2 tsps.
Soy Sauce, 1 tsp. Cornstarch, in a small bowl.  Stir in the
Chicken, to coat; cover and
refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the Chicken Broth, Ginger & remaining 3 tsps. Soy Sauce, 2 tsps. Cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat remaining Crisco Oil in large skillet.  Stir fry the refrigerated Chicken with the dried red pepper flakes, over medium high heat until Chicken is nolonger pink.

Remove Chicken from the skillet, to a plate, then, stir fry the Onion, Garlic & Red Bellpepper in skillet, until the Onion is crisp tender. Add Broccoli and stir fry until tender.  Add Chicken and Broth.  Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Stir-in Walnuts.
Serve with Basmati Rice.
Makes 4 servings.

 ~Enjoy !  This one is a keeper. ~

   
       DELICIOUS , QUICK , LUSCIOUS FUDGE

This recipe is said to have been Mamie Eisenhauer's
Fudge recipe.  I do not know for sure, but, it is
scrumptious.

Ingredients :
1 bar real Butter, + 1 Tbsp. to grease a 13x9 pan
16 oz. bag Milk Chocolate Chips
1 ½ bags, or 24 oz. Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

7½ oz. jar Marshmallow Creme
12 oz. can Evaporated Milk
4½ cups of Sugar
2 cups Pecans, chpd. (you can lightly toast the pecans)
2 tsps. Pure Vanilla Extract




** line a 13x9" pan  with foil, then, butter the foil
    to keep the fudge from sticking to the foil.

In a large bowl, mix all chocolate chips and pecans with the marshmallow creme; set aside .
In a large , heavybottom pot, such as a Magnalite,
on MediumLow heat, mix butter,evap. milk and sugar.
Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, for 4½ minutes .  Add the pure vanilla extract and stir well.
Pour the hot milk mixture over the chocolate chip & marshmallow creme mixture, in the bowl and stir
until melted and creamy.

Work fast ,don't stir too much because it will harden quickly.
Pour mixture into greased 13x9 pan.

Chill in the
refrigerator until Fudge is firm.  Cut with a sharp knife;
store in an airtight container.

You can freeze fudge.
I know you will love this recipe.
~Enjoy~

MY ORIGINAL RECIPE ~ CHOCOLATE CHESS PIE

1 Box Milk   Chocolate Cake Mix ( original recipe:1 box yellow cake mix)
1 Egg

8 T. Butter, melted 

TOP LAYER :

1  8 ounce Cream Cheese; Softened

***add: 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips + 1 T. milk  (melted       in microwave)

2 Eggs

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1 16 ounce Box of Powdered Sugar

Chess Pie  Preparation :

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer.   Spread the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13x9-inch baking pan or 2 pie pans .

In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. ***add the mixture of the melted chocolate chips with milk , Add the eggs and vanilla and beat together.    Carefully add the powdered sugar and mix well.    

Spread this evenly over the cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.    Make sure not to over-bake--some of us want the the center to be a little immensely luscious and gooey.

                                   

rectangular, squares or rounds

I love it, when I create a recipe that is a true Treasure and this one is just that.  It is so far off the charts .   You will love it.  No doubt. 

Enjoy !

CHICKEN, CHEESE, GREEN CHILI TORTILLA BAKE

(This pic is why I say not to put too thick of a layer
of tortilla chips down , because I didn't have as
much chicken mixture to top it with, the 2nd time I
made this Casserole. )

3 cups ( 2 Lg. boneless )
 cooked Chicken Breasts , cubed, boiled




2 ¼ cups grated Cheddar
Cheese, divided
(2 c. & ¼ cup)



SAUCE:

2 chicken breasts, boiled, cubed

In a med. bowl, mix together:

1/3 cup mild green chilies , or more if desired.

1 bar cream cheese, room temp.

1 can cream of chicken soup

½ cup sour cream

2 lg. eggs, slightly beaten

salt & pepper

Add 2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese or more, if desired,

and chicken ,

In a 13x9 pan, sprayed with Pam cooking spray,
put 1 thin layer of Tortilla Chips, ( Cantina Style , not the thick ones) in the sprayed pan , but, don't put too thick of a layer of chips down, or you will not have enough of the chicken mixture to top both layer of chips.

Pour 1/2 of the mixture over the chips, then, a few
tortilla chips and the remaining Chicken/Cheese Mixture ,

Then, top with a sprinkling of Cheddar ( ¼ cup ). If desired....

Bake 350 degrees til bubbly. Serve over a sm. serving of crunchy Chips.

It is so delicious.

             
                CAJUN STUFFED BELLPEPPERS

These Cajun Stuffed Bellpeppers are the Bomb.  So flavorful .  They freeze very well.  You will love them.

½ bunch of gr. onions, chopped
6-8 medium bellpeppers, cored & dice the cap
2 strips bacon, fried, bacon drippings reserved
1 large onion, chopped fine


4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. celery, chopped
½ can Rotel tomatoes
1 cup rice, cooked
       

1 lb. pure pork sausage                    (like Hillshire Farms)




½ lb. ground chuck , browned & drained

1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper



Topping:
1 tsp. Italian bread crumbs per bellpepper
1 tsp. of Parmesan cheese per bellepepper
1 tsp. of real Butter per bellpepper

Cook ½ cup rice ; it will yield 1 cup when cooked.

Cut the cap off of the bellpeppers, chop the, de-vein
and seed the bellpeppers.  In a large pot, bring water
to a full rolling boil; place bellpeppers in boiling water
for 4 mins. to partially cook. Remove carefully.  Drain.
Set aside to cool.

Fry bacon until crisp, remove to paper towel.
In 2 T. bacon drippings, saute onion, garlic, celery,
and the bellpepper caps that you diced, until soft.
Remove to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, saute the ground beef  with the salt &
black pepper until amost done; add chopped sausage and continue browning. When done, add ½ cup Rotel tomatoes and the crumbled bacon and simmer for 2 minutes.

Next, add the ground beef-sausage mixture to the bowl,
along with 1 cup cooked rice and stir well.  Fill each bellpepper with the mixture, then, top each bellpepper with 1 tsp. Italian bread crumbs, 1 tsp. grated Parmesan Cheese  and finally, 1 tsp. Butter on top of each bellpepper.

Bake 350° 20-25 minutes.

**if you are freezing them, wrap each one in foil,
making a pouch, then,
place in a ziploc freezer bag.