I Finally Made It!

This Christmas I was able to attempt for the first time a very, very famous, yummy cherry cheesecake recipe that is a tradition on my mother's side.

I have childhood memories of all the Staniewicz men fighting over who ate the most, who gets the last piece, and so on. My grandfather, uncles, father, cousins and brothers have begged for this cheesecake from my grandmother every holiday season. Sadly, ever since my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's quite a few years back, no one has really made the effort to make the cheesecake much.

For some odd reason, I thought this bad boy was difficult! To my surprise, it was sooooo easy! I must say for my first attempt, it turned out just the way I remembered it!
It was amazing, and my hubby got to experience for the first time why all the men on my family whine every holiday for it! I have a feeling it will now become one of our traditions.

Sadly enough, I can't give the recipe away! It's top secret, so
you'll just have to get lucky one day and enjoy it with our family someday!
Just wanted to share!

Aunt's Zucchini Casserole

Ingrediants:

3 medium zucchini sliced
1 8 oz cream cheese
1 onion chopped
1 stick butter
garlic
Hi Ho Crackers

Directions:

Saute' sliced zucchini, onion, and butter together. Slowly add in cream cheese once you see zucchini is cooked. Mix well until cream cheese is melted. Place in safe oven dish. Cook for 20 minutes on 350 degrees. Remove & add crackers crumbled on top. Place back in oven for 15 more minutes.

Review:

This is my aunt Lisa's recipe that she often makes during the holidays. It is delicious. Again another great side dish for any meal & easy to prepare!

Mama's Squash Casserole

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Ingredients:

2 lbs cooked & sliced squash
1 stick butter, melted
3 cups Pepperidge Farm® Corn Bread Stuffing
1/2 pint sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 large carrot, grated
1 small onion, grated
2 tablespoon chopped pimento

Directions:

Mix butter & dressing together. Reserve 1/2 of this mixture for topping in separate bowl.

Combine cooked squash, 1/2 dressing, sour cream, chicken soup, carrot, onion, & pimento. Mix well & place in oven safe dish. Top mixture with the 1/2 dressing that was reserved.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Review: This is my momma's yummy recipe! It always reminds me of the holidays. It's a great dish to serve up if you don't want plan 'ol stuffing & some veggies in your diet. You can add zucchini too, but I never really have. Even though it's not the holidays right now, this recipe would still go good with some chicken on the side with salad. Do it up! You'll love it!

A Must Have....Cheese Ball

Ingredients:
2 - eight oz. packages of cream cheese
1- two cup package of grated sharp chedder cheese
1 tsp. very finely chopped green pepper
1 tsp. finely chopped pimento
1 tsp. worchestershire sauce
1 tsp. lemon juice (or vinegar)
1 tsp. dehydrated minced onion
1 tsp. dehydrated parsley
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 dash pepper
1 dash paprika
1 dash of cayenne pepper
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Let chill for at least half a day. When
ready to serve, shape into round ball. Roll in nuts or parsely. Serve with crackers.

Notes: This is a MUST HAVE for every holiday for our family. It's SOOOOO good. The cayenne pepper is to taste. The more you put the spicier it gets. Don't change a thing. The recipe is perfect as is.

Sweet Potato Casserole

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This is the best sweet potato casserole EVER! I'm not a big fan of the marshmallows people usually put in sweet potato casserole. This recipe was given to me from a friend. It use to be made by her grandmother. When I finally made it & ate it...it reminded me just of my momma's sweet potatoes. Ive never compared the ingredients with this recipe with my mom's, but I'm sure it's pretty close. This dish is sweet, but not soooo sweet that you can't taste the flavor of the sweet potatoes.

Ingredients:

Filling:
5 cups of smashed sweet potatoes
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:
1 c. light brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. butter
1 c. chopped walnuts

Directions:
Peel, chop & boil sweet potatoes until soft. Put all "Filling" ingredients into a bowl & mix on low with beaters. Put filling into a casserole dish. Mix "toppings" together and place on top (crumbled) of filling. Bake at 375 for 20- 25 minutes. Enjoy! MY KIDS LOVE THIS!

Swiss Vegetable Medley

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Ingredients:
1 bag frozen broccoli, carrots & cauliflower (thawed and drained)
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 jar (4 oz) chopped pimento (drained)
1 can French fried onions

Directions:
Combine vegetables, soup, 1/2 cup cheese, sour cream, pepper, pimento and 1/2 can onions. Pour into 1 quart casserole dish. Baked covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and onions. Bake uncovered 5 minutes of more.

Notes: If you have a large party, you can actually use 2 (16 oz) frozen bags of vegetables. You do not need to double the rest of the ingredients. If you do not have swiss cheese, you may substitute Italian blend cheese. I use the large can of fried onions. THIS IS MY FAVORITE VEGGIE DISH! If you are tired of the same ol' green bean casserole, try this recipe instead. I promise you won't be disappointed. This recipe was given to me by my mom. Love you mom! I saw a similar recipe on allrecipes.com, but it's missing the pimento...which is a yummy ingredient. Let me know what you think if you try this out!

Ranch Picnic Pasta Salad

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Ingredients:

16 oz. pkg of angel hair pasta (I have used spiral pasta as well)
4 firm, ripe tomatoes, diced
2 1/4 oz. can black olives, drained & sliced
2 medium cucumbers, peeled seeded & diced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 small green pepper, seeded & diced
1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded & diced
3 (1oz) pkgs ranch dressing mix
1 pkg Italian dressing mix
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Prepare Italian dressing mix according to directions, but using 1/2 the oil called for. Mix ranch dressing mix with oil and vinegar. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. Refrigerate for at least a few hours, to combine flavors. Toss again before serving.

Notes: You don't have to use angel pasta. Pretty much any pasta will work. I typically will toss in the last bit of oil last because each time I make this...I think there is too much oil in the ingredients. So I save the remainder oil for last & slowly add what I think is best so the salad is not drenched in oil. I picked up this recipe at Macey's grocery store. It's a hit for our family & great to take to social parties.