Meat Loaf

1 lb. Ground beef
1/2 cup ketchup (or more if mixture doesn't seem moist enough)
1 egg
1 packaging saltine crackers (crushed as fine as you can get it)
steak or BBQ sauce (optional)
pepper (just spinkle a little on)

Mash with hands until well mixed. Shape into loaf pan. Bake at 350 for approx. 1 hour.
*** Keep an eye on top of meat loaf. If it starts to harden or dry prematurely cover with tin foil.

Lasagna

Preheat oven to 350

16 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese (mixed with 1 egg and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg)
mozerella cheese
parmesan
1 large jar/can spaghetti sauce
9-12 pre cooked lasagna noodles
thinly sliced smoked ham

Layer ingredients in order listed above. Repeat until reaches desired size for your family/guests.
Top with Mozerlla/parmesan and bake 30-45 minutes.

Royal Icing

(This icing is will stiffen. It works well for decorating sugar cookies, or constructing ginger bread houses!)
3 tbsp. Meringue Powder
1 lb. (4 cups) sifted confectioners sugar
6 tbsp. warm water

Beat all ingredients together until icing forms peaks.
***For even stiffer icing, add less water.

Murder Inc. Cake (courtesy Carrie Olson)

(***Warning: Very Decadent!)
5 tbsp. cocoa Frosting
1 cup water 1/2 cup margarine
2 sticks margarine 3 tbsp. milk
2 cups flour 2 tbsp. (heaping) cocoa
2 cups sugar 1/2 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Put sugar and flour in a bowl. Set aside. In a saucepan heat cocoa, water and margarine till melted. Pour over remaining dry ingredients. Mix thorougly and add to sugar/flour. Beat together. Batter will be thin. Pour into greased (not oiled) and floured 9 x 13. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Frost after cooling 10 minutes. Otherwise cake will fall.

Karen's Meat Dish

4 oz. dried beef
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (halved)
6 slices bacon
2-3 cans (small) Cream of Mushroom
1 Cup Sour Cream

Rinse dried beef to remove salt. Lay beef out in 9 x 13 dish. Lay chicken over beef. Place bacon over top. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 min.
Combine soup and sour cream in sauce pan, stir over low heat until blended. Pour mixture over chicken and bake 45 min. to 1 hour longer. (May be slightly runny!)

Healthy Banana Oatmeal Cookies

2 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 very ripe banana
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour, fluffed to aerate before measuring
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1.5 cup oatmeal (old fashioned or quick, not instant)

Preheat oven to 350

Melt butter in a small dish in microwave. Transfer to mixing bowl. Thoroughly mix in sugars, banana, egg and vanilla.
Add flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in Oatmeal. Drop onton cookie sheet, and bake 11-14 minutes. Cool five minutes before removing from tray.

Chocolate Dipped Creams

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup corn starch
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powder sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix flour and cornstarch together. Cream butter and sugar gradually. Cream well, add salt and vanilla.
Add flour/cornstarch mixture and chill dough
shape into small rectangles.
Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes
cool, and gently dip into melted chocolate. Sprinkle with decorations.

Perfect Pie Crust

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter
3 tbsp. margarine or chilled crisco
1/4 cup ice water

In a large bowl, sift flour and salt. Cut chilled butter and margarine into 1 tbsp. pieces and add to the flour. With a pastry cutter, work flour and shortening together until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add water little by little, pressing pastry together into a ball. Wrap and chill for at least an hour. It is very important to work the pastry as little as possible. Don't overhandle. A secret to light, flaky pastry is to keep the mixture cool. Add as little water as possible and mix only as much as necessary.
Roll out pastry to about 1/8 inch thickness. Bake according to filling directions.

Ella's White Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1.5 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla
2.5 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt

Cream butter, add sugar gradually. Add egg, almond extract, and vanilla. Cream well. Stir flour and salt together, add to creamed mixture. Roll 1/8 inch thick on floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.
*** Use the "royal icing" recipe that comes with meringue powder for icing the cookies!