Fresh Apple Cake

This is my mom's recipe and it is quite good. It is a heavy dense cake but very moist. You can put either cream cheese icing or the caramel icing (my favorite), below.

Ingredients:
Cake:
4 cups apples (winesap, rome or delicious are best) peeled and chopped
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup cooking oil
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cups flour

Icing:
1/2 cup Pet Milk
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Cake:
Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Pour into greased and floured tube pan. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Icing:
Put brown sugar into large saucepan and mix in Pet Milk. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Cool and add powdered sugar and vanilla, stirring well. Spread over cooled cake and sprinkle pecans over top of cake.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

My 16-year-old son likes to make this (hunger is a great motivator!). It is a delicious cake - the cake is not too sweet so the fudge-like icing makes a great compliment. I'd recommend eating it as soon as you finish putting on the icing and be sure to have a large carton of cold milk on hand.

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 stick butter
4 heaping teaspoons cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups flour
1 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Icing:
1 stick butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons mile
1 box powdered sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Cake:
Add baking soda to buttermilk and set aside. put butter, cocoa and water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Put flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add butter/cocoa/water mixture. Mix well. Add eggs, buttermilk and soda, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix well. Pour on greased 15.5 inch by 10.5 inch by 1 inch cookie sheet (that's right, cookie sheet, not cake pan - the cake is thin but the icing is rich!). Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Directions:
Icing:
Note: Make icing about 5 minutes before cake is done and pour over hot cake.
Put butter, cocoa and milk in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add powdered sugar in thirds, stirring after each addition. Add nuts and vanilla.

6-Cup Fruit Salad

My son's favorite - great for the holidays and super easy to make:

Ingredients:
1 cup coconut
1 cup sour cream
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup mandarin orange sections
1 cup pineapple chunks
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Directions:
Put all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix carefully until well-mixed. Refridgerate until time to serve.

Nana's Punch

If you want a cold punch, this recipe came from my mother-in-law (Nana). Not only is it a family favorite, but my kids' classmates always request this for their holiday party at school!

Ingredients:
1 large box Strawberry Jello
7 ounce frozen lemon juice
2 large cans pineapple juice
2 2-liter bottles of ginger ale
4 cups hot water
3 cups cold water
3 1/2 cups sugar

Directions:
Mix jello, hot water and sugar. Cool. Mix in lemon juice, cold water and pineapple juice. Freeze in 1/2 gallon plastic containers. When ready to serve, pour 1 bottle ginger ale to 1/2 gallon punch. It should be icy when served.

Wassail

A great hot holiday punch recipe - I got this from a friend many years ago. Some trivia - wassail means "be thou well".

Ingredients:
4 small oranges
1 box whole cloves
2 quarter sweet apple cider
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 large can pineapple juice
1/2 stick cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sugar

Directions:
Stud oranges with cloves and bake 20 minutes on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees. Heat cider, fruit juices, and cinnamon in a large pot to boiling point. Add sugar. Add oranges. Serve hot. Serves 30.

Cranberry Apple Bread

A holiday favorite - serve with whipped cream cheese for breakfast!!

Cranberry Apple Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup shortening
1/3 cup orange juice
1 egg, beaten well
1 cup cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 cup apples, coarsely chopped

Directions:
Sift dry ingredients in large bowl. Cut in shortening. Combine juice and egg in a small bowl. Add to the dry ingredients, mixing just until moistened. Fold in the fruit. Spoon into a greased 9"x5" loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool on wire rack. When cool, place in plastic bag with 2 to 3 slices of fresh apple. Refridgerate several days.

Fast and Easy Tiger Butter

This is my favorite fast and easy candy with a heavenly taste! It really takes only about 5 minutes to make and is always a hit.

Tiger Butter

1 lb. white chocolate, broken into pieces
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces

Line a 9X12 inch cookie sheet with waxed paper.

Break chocolate into pieces (it is usually scored) and put into medium-sized bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat until chocolate is melted.

Add peanut butter to melted chocolate and stir until thoroughly mixed.
Pour into cookie sheet and spread evenly.

Melt semi-sweet chocolate pieces in a small bowl (1 minute, stir, 30 seconds, stir, until melted).

Drizzle melted semi-sweet chocolate over white chocolate mixture and swirl with a knife.

Refridgerate and serve!