Grandma Hickman's Hot Fudge Sauce

1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 cube of butter
2 c. chocolate chips

Melt together.

Easy Fantasy Fudge

1 1/2 c. butter
6 c. sugar
2 cans (5 oz.) evaporated milk - 1 1/3 cups
2 packages (12 oz. each) chocolate chips
1 jar (13 oz.) marshmallow creme
2 c. chopped nuts
2 t. vanilla

Lightly grease 2 (13x9) or 3 (9x9) pans. Mix butter, sugar and milk in heavy 4 or 5 quart sauce pan. Bring to full rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling on medium heat for 5 minutes or until temperature reaches 234 degrees (stirring constantly). Remove from heat. Gradually stir in chips until melted. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour into pans. Cook at room temperature. Cut into squares.

Orange Sherbet Jello

1 large package of vanilla pudding (not instant)
1 large package of orange jello
1 pint of heavy whipping cream
2 cans of mandarin oranges
1 large can of crushed pineapple

Add 2 cups of water to the pudding mixture in a pan and cook until the mixture is thick. Dissolve the orange jello into the pudding mixture and stir until it is completely blended. Let this mixture cool completely. Drain the oranges and pineapple well. Whip the cream (adding 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to sweeten). When the pudding mixture is cook, gently fold the pudding mixture, whipping cream, and fruit together until uniformly blended. Chill.

This recipe comes from Trent's Christmas food traditions.

Butterscotch Bubble-Loaf

24 frozen Rhodes rolls
1 pkg. 3 oz. regular butterscotch pudding (not instant)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
1/3 c. melted butter
1 c. nuts (optional)

Mix all the ingredients, but the rolls, in a sauce pan. Heat until sugar has dissolved. Place the frozen rolls into a greased bundt pan. Pour liquid mixture over the rolls. Cover pan with plastic wrap sprayed with Pam. Let rolls rise until double or even w/top of pan. Put tinfoil underneath your pan in the oven because it usually drips. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.

This is our family's traditional Christmas morning breakfast (comes from Trent's family).

Jonah's Microwave Caramels

1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. butter (not margarine)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. karo syrup





Put all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Cook on high for 2 minutes and then stir. Repeat for 2 minutes then stir. Cook again for 1 1/2 minutes and stir. Cook for 1 minute and then pour into a well buttered 8x8 pan and let cool for 3 hours. Cut and wrap in waxed paper.

For a slightly softer caramel use these times: (2 min, 1.5 min, 1.5 min, 1 min)

For black licorice caramels add:
1/2 t. black food coloring
1/2 t. anise flavoring (before pouring into pan)

This recipe is for a high wattage microwave (i.e. 1100 watts).

This recipe is so easy! 8 minutes and you have perfect caramels. We made these for our neighbors this year and boys are already clamoring for another pan.

Monte Cristo Casserole (Pampered Chef)

1 cup milk
6 eggs
2 packages (12.5 ounces each) frozen French toast slices, thawed
8 ounces deli baked ham, diced
8 ounces deli roast turkey, diced
4 ounces Swiss cheese, grated (1 cup)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, snipped
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup strawberry ice cream topping
(frozen strawberries and jam also work)

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Heat milk in small microwave-cooker on HIGH 3 minutes or until hot. Whisk eggs in a bowl; add hot milk to eggs, whisking until blended. Cut French toast into 3/4-inch cubes; place in large colander bowl. Pour egg mixture over French toast cubes; toss gently; set aside.
2. Dice ham and turkey. Grate cheese. Snip parsley. Combine ham, turkey, cheese and parsley in a bowl; mix. Layer half of the French toast cubes in bottom of a rectangular baker. Top with half of the meat and cheese mixture. Repeat.
3. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and set in center. Remove to cooling rack; cool 10 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
4. Slice strawberries. Combine strawberries with strawberry topping in small colander bowl. Cut casserole into squares; serve. Top each serving with strawberry mixture.

We had a Christmas brunch last week. A neighbor brought this and I loved it. It reminds me of the Monte Cristo sandwiches that we had a Disneyland last May.

Sauerkraut Soup

4 c. chicken broth (2 cans)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 16 oz can sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
8 ounces fresh (or bottled) mushroom, sliced
2 medium potatoes, cubed
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 pound of polish sausage (or polska kielbasa)
2 T. vinegar
1 t. dried dill
1/2 t. pepper

Cook in a crockpot on low until veggies are tender (up to 10 hours).

(based on a recipe by Gene Orlowski)

This is a soup that Trent's mom makes all the time.

Mozarella Steak

2 lbs round steak (cut into small pieces and brown)
1 lg can of tomatoes
1/4 t. basil (or italian seasoning of sorts)
3/4 t. salt
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped

Cook for 5 hours (high) in crockpot. Just before serving add 1 1/2 c. shredded mozarella cheese (we serve the cheese separately). Serve over rice or noodles.

From Kathy Hickman

Oatmeal Pudding Cookies

1 1/4 c. flour
1 c. butter (softened)
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 to 3 1/2 c. quick oatmeal
1 c. raisins (optional)
1 t. baking soda
1/4 c. sugar
1 package instant jello pudding (vanilla or chocolate)

Mix flour and baking soda. Combine sugar, butter and pudding. Mix until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture, then stir in oats and raisins. Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto ungreased baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes.

Also from Trent's mom.

Chex Mix

3/4 stick of butter
1 1/4 t. all season salt
4 1/2 t. worcestershire sauce
2 2/3 c. each of Corn, Rice and Wheat Chex
1 c. + mixed nuts
1 c. + pretzels

Melt the butter and mix in theseasoned salt and Warcestershire sauce. Mix all the dry ingredients together and then coat with the melted butter mix. Spread out on baking sheet and cook at 250 for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

This and fudge are our annual Christmas "snacks."

Orange Julius

6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 1/2 c. of water
1 tray of ice cubes
2 T. sugar
1/4 c. powdered milk
1/2 t. vanilla

Brisket

Trim fat from brisket (but leave about 1/2 inch on top). Sprinkle fat side of brisket liberally with garlic salt. Wrap securely in tin foil (so that juices will not leak out). Place into cake pan (fat side up). Cook at 275 for 5 hours.

Taco Soup

1 lb. hamburger browned and drained
1 onion, chopped
1 can stewed tomatoes and juice
1 can kidney beans and juice
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can corn and juice

Brown beef and onions together. Put all items together in a soup pot. Bring to a boil. Simmer for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with grated cheddar cheese.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

3/4 c. brown sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. ginger
3 slightly beaten egg yolks
3/4 c. milk
1 1/4 c. canned or mashed cooked pumpkin
3 egg whites
1/3 c. sugar
19 inch graham-cracker or regular crust

In saucepan, combine brown sugar, gelatin, salt and spices. Combine egg yolks and milk. Stir into brown sugar mixture. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in pumpkin. Chill until mixture mounds slightly when spooned (test every now and then - don't let it get too stiff). Beat egg whites until s oft peaks form. Gradually add white sugar, beating to stiff peaks. Fold pumpkin mixture thoroughly into egg whites. Turn into crust. Chill until firm. Garnish with whipped cream.

This is the traditional pumpkin pie recipe at the Hickman's house.

Eileens Candied Yams

Boil Yams until soft throughout. Then cool until you can peel them. Slice them about 1 inch thick and place them in 9x13 pan. Then this is what she says about the recipe.

"About the yams. I do a little water with some, butter, brown sugar and melt them together. I boil the yams and add to the brown sugar, butter and water mixture and add marshmallows on top. Then back and turn them over after awhile. I bake them until they liquid is thick. I don't have amounts of what I put in. I put about half inch water and half cube of butter and a couple handfuls of brown sugar. Write and I'll try to help some more if I can."

I had to add this because I look up the email every Thanksgiving. Jared really like marshmellows so that's a must for the Yams. I actually bake the yams with the rolls and then turn the broiler on for a minute to brown the marshmellows (if you add them too early they just melt)

Fettuccini with chicken breasts

1 lb fettuccini
4 single chicken breasts cut into thin strips (I use less than this)
3 Tablespoons butter
6 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
6 scallions, finely chopped (I use green onions - I don't know which you have)
1/3 cup heavy cream (I usually double the liquid parts of this to make it more saucy)
1 Tablespoon flour
1/3 cup grated gruyere or swiss cheese (I actually just use mozzerella and I use a lot more than it calls for)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup parmesean cheese
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1. While the pasta is cooking, saute the chicken breasts in hot butter for three minutes until firm and white.
2. Stir in the garlic and scallions and fry over moderate heat for three minutes. Discard the garlic. Stir in the flour. Add the cream and lemon juice an d stir until hot.
3. Add the cheeses and season with salt and pepper. It says to toss the pasta and the sauce, but we just serve it over the pasta like spaghetti.

Prosciutto-and-mushroom sauce

2 oz (60g) dried procini mushrooms (we just use regular mushrooms and skip the hydrating process)
1/4 lb (115g) prosciutto
1/4 lb (115g) boiled ham (I really just do 1/2 lb of diced ham instead of prosciutto and boiled ham)
1 red onion, peeled an dminced
1 tablespoon utter,
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can (14-oz / 400g) chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup (125ml) whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste
cooked pasta for 4
parmesean cheese

1. Cover dried mushrooms with boiling water and let stand 15-20 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid for another dish. (like I said above we use fresh and skip this step)
2.Finely chopped togheter prosciutto, ham and mushrooms.
3. Saute onion in butter and oil 2-3 minutes. Do not brown
4 Add meat mixture and chopped tomatoes and stir well.
5 Bring to a boil and cook, paritally cobered, 10-15 minutes to thicken sauce.
6 Stir in cream, heat and season with salt and pepper. Spoon over pasta and serve with greated parmesan cheese

Penne With Black Kale, Sausage, and Roasted Peppers (or sun dried tomatoes)

1 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 lb hot italian sausage, cut into chunks
1 lb penne pasta
1 lb black kale, leaves torn into 2 inch pices, stems discarded (I tried to make this for mom and she accidently got red-leaf lettuce instead of kale - it's not quite the same)
1 (12 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained, cut into strips - I can never find this so I use sun dried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded parmesean cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat; add sausage. Cook until browned and halfway cooked through, about 7 minutes. At this point, add pasta to boiling water, stir a few times, and cook according to package directions
3. Add Kale to sausage; cover skillet and cook 2 minutes, tossing once or twice, or until kale is wilted. Stir in peppers (or tomatoes)and garlic; cook 7 minutes longer, or until sausage is cooked.
4. drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return pasta to pot; add sausage mixture and reserved cooking water, and toss. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.