Category	Title	Author	Ingredients	Directions	Notes
APPETIZERS	Cheese Ball	Karie Apel	2 (8 oz.) cream cheese 10 oz. Cracker Barrell sharp cheese, shredded 4 ½ oz. deviled ham 2 t. grated onion	Mix thoroughly. Roll into ball and into finely chopped pecans. Serve with crackers.
	Mushroom Logs	Karie Apel	2 (8 oz.) cans Crescent rolls 1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened 4 oz. can mushroom stems and pieces, drained and chopped 1 t. seasoned salt 1 egg, beaten 1-2 T. poppy seeds	Separate crescent rolls in 8 rectangles; press perforations to seal. Combine cream cheese, mushrooms and salt, mixing well. Spread mushroom mixture in equal portions over each rectangle of dough. Starting at long sides, roll up each rectangle jellyroll fashion; pinch seams to seal. Slice logs into one inch pieces; place seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush each log with beaten egg, and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen.
	Prosciutto Wagon Wheels	Karie Apel	1 box (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed 2/3 c. Dijon mustard, divided 3/4 pound prosciutto, very thinly sliced, divided 2 c. provolone, shredded, divided	Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease large baking sheet. Working with one sheet of the puff pastry, keeping remaining sheet wrapped and cold, roll out on lightly floured surface to 14 in. square. Brush with thin layer of mustard. Cover with half of prosciutto slices, slightly overlapping and leaving ½ inch border around edges. Sprinkle with one cup of cheese. Roll pastry tightly, from long side. Pinch seams to seal and tuck ends under. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet. Cut into ½ inch pieces and place, cut side up, one inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.	This is an incredibly easy favorite.
	Spinach Artichoke Dip	Karie Apel	14 oz. artichokes 1 pkg. frozen spinach, cooked and drained 1 c. mayonnaise ½ t. Tabasco 1 pkg. Knorr vegetable soup mix 1 c. (8oz.) sour cream 1 ½ c. fresh Parmesan cheese, grated	Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Chop artichokes. Add all ingredients except spinach to artichokes and blend thoroughly. Add spinach, mix. Put into baking dish, bake 45 minutes until browned. Serve warm. Can be mixed and refrigerated for 24 hours before baking.
BEEF	Lasagne	Karie Apel	1 large can peeled tomatoes 1 large can tomato puree 2 small cans tomato paste 5 garlic cloves, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 2 T. olive oil 2 T. sugar salt and pepper 1 T. oregano 2 T. parsley flakes 2 Bay leaves 1 lb. ground beef 8-10 oz. sliced pepperoni 1 lb. Mozzarella cheese, grated 1 lb. Gouda cheese, grated Parmesan cheese Lasagne noodles		This is my very favorite dish! Serve with a salad and crusty bread for a perfect meal!
CHICKEN	Apricot Bbq Chicken	Karie Apel	1 T. olive oil 2 cloves garlic, pressed 28 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes 3/4 jar (18 oz.) apricot preserves 3 T. balsamic vinegar salt and pepper 5 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless	Heat olive oil; add garlic and cook one minute. Add tomatoes, apricot preserves, vinegar, and salt and pepper. Simmer til thick and gooey. Place chicken in 9 x 13 pan and salt and pepper. Pour sauce over and scoop tomatoes up on chicken breasts. Bake at 400 degrees for one hour. Serve over wild rice.
	Penny's Hot Chicken Salad	Karie Apel	2 c. chopped cooked chicken (seasoned w/Lowrey's) 2 c. chopped celery 1/2 c. chopped pecans 1 c. Miracle Whip 1/2 t. salt and pepper 2 T. lemon juice 2 t. minced onion 1 c. cheese, grated (Monterey Jack/Cheddar 1 c. Ritz crackers	Combine first 7 1/2 ingredients. Pour in greased dish. Mix 1/2 cheese and crackers and put on top of casserole. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees.	Serve with croissants.
DESSERTS	4 Minute Butter Frosting	Karie Apel	1/3 c. soft butter or margarine Pinch of salt 3 c. powdered sugar 1/4 c. milk 1 1/2 t. vanilla Chocolate: add 3 squares melted unsweetened chocolate to butter or margarine. Lemon: Use lemon juice in place of milk and omit vanilla. Orange: Add 2 T. grated orange rind and 1 unbeated egg yolk to butter or margarine. Substitute orange juice for milk and substitute lemon juice for vanilla.	Cream thoroughly butter, salt, and one cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add remaining sugar and milk alternately blending until smooth and of spreading consistency. Add vanilla. Fills and frosts top and sides of two 9" layers.
	Blonde Brownies	Karie Apel	1/3 c. margarine 1 c. brown sugar 1 egg 1 c. flour 1/4 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt 1 t. vanilla 1 c. chocolate chips 1/2 c. nuts, chopped	Melt margarine in saucepan; add brown sugar. Beat in egg. Add flour, soda, salt and vanilla. Mix together. Add chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.	These can be doubled. These are also best hot out of the oven. And they're great with ice cream!
	Cheesecake	Karie Apel	Crust: 1 pkg. chocolate wafers, crushed 1/4 c. melted butter 2 T. sugar 1/4 c. finely chopped almonds Filling: 4 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened 1 c. sugar 4 t. cornstarch 4 eggs 1/3 c. whipping cream 3 t. vanilla 1 1/2 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips Topping: 3 squares (1 oz. each) semi-sweet chocolate, melted 1 T. butter, melted 1 c. powdered sugar 1/4 c. whipping cream	In a bowl, combine crust ingredients. Press onto the bottom and one inch up the sides of a 10" springform pan; refrigerate for 15 minutes. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Combine sugar and cornstarch; beat into cream cheese. Add eggs, beat on low speed just until combined. Add the cream, vanilla, and chocolate chips. Pour into prepared crust. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until center is nearly set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool one hour longer. (Cheesecake top may crack, but topping will cover.) For topping, combine chocolate, butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Slowly beat in cream until mixture achieves spreading consistency. Spread over cheesecake. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. Refrigerate leftovers.	Yummy cheesecake. With all of the cream cheese, eggs and cream...it is aptly called Heart Attack on a Plate...but it sure tastes good!!!
	Chocolate Chip Cake	Karie Apel	2 Jiffy yellow cake mixes 1 chocolate fudge instant pudding mix 4 eggs 1 c. oil 8 oz. sour cream	Mix and beat all ingredients for 4 minutes. Cover and let set for 20 minutes. Pour 1/2 batter in Bundt pan and then sprinkle 1 c. chocolate chips on batter. The pour remaining batter over chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. Invert at once and cover.	Another great cake!!
	Johnson Special Chocolate Cake	Karie Apel	2 c. sugar 3/4 c. butter 2 eggs 2 c. flour 1 t. baking soda 1 t. salt 1/2 c. cocoa 1/2 c. buttermilk 1 t. vanilla 1 c. hot water Frosting: 1/4 c. melted butter 4 oz. cream cheese 1 box (1 lb.) powdered sugar 1/2 c. cocoa	Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8" round pans. Blend sugar and butter until creamy. Add eggs and beat. Sift flour, before measuring and resift with soda, salt and cocoa. Add flour mixture to butter/sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, making about three additions of each. Beat after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla and hot water. Beat until well mixed. Divide into pans and bake 35-40 minutes or until they test done. Frosting: Cream butter and cream cheese. Mix sugar and cocoa and add to mixture, creaming until well mixed. May need to add a little milk to make frosting smooth. Spread on cake.	This is my favorite cake of all time! This is our family's celebration cake.
	Quick Chocolate Cake	Karie Apel	1/2 c. flour 1 c. sugar 1/2 t. salt 3 T. cocoa 1 t. baking soda 1 c. cold water 1 t. vanilla 6 T. oil 1 T. vinegar	Sift together in a mixing bowl: flour, sugar, salt, cocoa, and soda. Add in order listed: cold water, vanilla, oil, and vinegar. Stir until smooth. Pour into greased 9" pan or make cupcakes. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.	This is a great "pantry cake." You always have these ingredients on hand. Good for cupcakes. Frost with basic buttercream frosting.
OTHER	Apple Cider	Karie Apel	2 T. lemon juice 1 c. Karo syrup 4 c. apple cider 1 c. orange juice 4 c. cranberry juice	Put all ingredients in a big pot and simmer on the stove.	Makes your kitchen smell yummy! This is my favorite cold weather drink!
	Blue Cheese Quesadillas With Mango Salsa	Karie Apel	Mango Salsa 1 mango, peeled, pitted, and finely chopped 2 T. red onion, finely chopped 2 T. jicama or apple, finely chopped 2 T. red bell pepper, finely chopped 1 t. mild salsa to 1 T. hot salsa 2 T. fresh cilantro, minced 2 T. fresh lime juice 1/4 t. salt Quesadillas 4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (3/4c.) 4 oz. Monterey Jack or Caciotta, shredded (1 c.) 8 (8") flour tortillas 4 sprigs fresh cilantro, leaves only 3-4 T. vegetable oil 4 sprigs cilantro, for garnish 1/4 c. red bell pepper, diced, for garnish	For the Mango Salsa, place the mango in a medium bowl. Add the onion, jicama, bell pepper, salsa, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Mix briefly to combine and set aside. For the Quesadillas, combine the blue cheese and Jack cheese. Lay 4 tortillas out on a work surface. Sprinkle an equal amount of cheese on each tortilla, spreading it to within 1/2" of the edges. Place one fourth of the minced cilantro on top of each. Place the remaining tortillas on top to form quesadillas. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Heat an 8-10" nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush both sides of the quesadillas with oil, using about 2 T. in all. Brush the pan with some of the remaining oil. Place 1 quesadilla in the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, turning once. Remove to a baking sheet. Continue with the remaining quesadillas. Place quesadillas in the oven and heat for 5-10 minutes, u ntil the cheese is melted and oozy. To serve, remove the quesadillas from the oven and cut each into quarters. Place 4 overlapping wedges on each individual heated serving plate. Top with 2 T. of salsa. Garnish with cilantro and red bell pepper. Serve warm.
	Pasta Primavera With Mascarpone	Karie Apel	salt 4 T. unsalted butter 4 oz. snow peas, cut on the diagonal, 1" pieces 4 oz. asparagus, cut on diagonal, 3/4" pieces 1 carrot, cut into long strips with veggie peeler 1/4 red bell pepper, julienned 2 scallions, trimmed, thinly sliced on diagonal 10 large spinach leaves, stems removed 8 oz. mascarpone 9 oz. fresh pasta, fettucine 3 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated Fresh ground pepper, to taste	Place a large pot of water over high heat, bring to boil, and add 2 t. salt. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the snow peas and saute a few minutes. Add the asparagus and saute for 4 minutes. Add the carrot shreds, bell pepper, and scallions and saute for 2 minutes. Add the spinach and immediately remove from heat. Add the mascarpone and stir gently to distribute it. Set aside. Drop the pasta into the rapidly boiling water. Cook until al dente, about 5 minutes. Reserve 1 c. pasta water and drain the pasta in a colander. Shake briefly, then add to the skillet with the vegetables and mascarpone and place over low heat. Toss well with tongs and or two forks to distribute the vegetable evenly. Sprinkle with the Parmigiano and salt and pepper to taste and lightly toss again. Add some of the reserved pasta water if necessary to moisten the pasta. To serve, divide the pasta among four heated plates or place on a heated serving platter, arranging it so the vegetables are showing on top of the pasta.
	Savory Summer Pie	Karie Apel	½ (15 oz.) pkg. refrigerated pie crusts 1 small red pepper, chopped ½ purple onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 T. olive oil 2 T. chopped fresh basil leaves 4 large eggs 1 c. half & half 1 t. salt ½ t. pepper 8 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1/3 c. fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded 3 plum tomatoes, cut in 1/4 inch thick slices	Fit pie crust into a 9 inch deep dish tart pan; prick bottom and sides of pie crust with a fork. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Saute bell pepper, onion, and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet 5 minutes or until tender; stir in basil. Whisk together eggs and next three ingredients in a large bowl; stir in sauteed vegetables and cheeses. Pour into crust; top with tomatoes. Bake at 375 degreees for 45-50 minutes or until set, shielding edges with strips of aluminum foil after 30 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
PORK	Breaded Pork Chops	Karie Apel	6 Pork Chops, cut 1" thick 1 1/4 c. dry bread crumbs 3-4 T. fresh lemon juice 1/2 c. olive oil salt and pepper 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 T. water 1/3 c. fresh Parmesan cheese, grated 2 T. parsley 2 T. butter	Combine lemon juice, 1/3 c. olive oil, the salt and pepper. Marinate the chops in this mixture for two hours. Drain the chops and pat them dry on paper towels. Mix the egg and water. Dip the chops in this mixture. Combine the bread crumbs, cheese, and parsley. Coat both sides of the chops with the crumb mixture. In an ovenproof skillet, brown the chops in the remaining olive oil mixed with the butter. Cover, and bake the chops in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to one hour.	These are yummy! Serve with a potatoe dish and baked beans. These are great to make ahead up to the baking part, so they are perfect for when you have company.
SALADS	Baby Blue Salad	Karie Apel	3/4 pound mixed salad greens Balsamic Vinaigrette (below) 4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled 2 oranges, peeled and thinly sliced 1 pt. fresh strawberries, quartered Sweet and Spicy Pecans (below) Balsamic Vinaigrette ½ c. balsamic vinegar 3 T. Dijon mustard 3 T. honey 2 garlic cloves, pressed 2 small shallots, minced 1/4 t. salt 1/4 t. pepper 1 c. olive oil Whisk together first seven ingredients until blended. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Sweet and Spicy Pecans 1/4 c. sugar 1 c. warm water 1 c. pecan halves 2 T. sugar 1 T. chili powder 1/8 t. ground red pepper	Toss greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette and blue cheese. Place on 6 individual plates. Arrange orange slices over greens; sprinkle with strawberries, and top with Sweet and Spicy Pecans. Sweet and Spicy Pecans: Stir together 1/4 c. sugar and warm water until sugar dissolves. Add pecans; soak 10 minutes. Drain, discarding syrup. Combine 2 T. sugar, chili powder, and red pepper. Add pecans, tossing to coat. Place pecans on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring once.
	Mandarin Salad	Karie Apel	1/4 c. sliced almonds 1 T. Plus 1 t. sugar Mandarin Dressing (below) 1/4 medium head Iceberg Lettuce 1/4 medium bunch romaine 2 medium stalks celery, chopped 2 green onions (with tops), thinly sliced 1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained Mandarin Dressing 1/4 c. vegetable oil 2 T. sugar 2 T. vinegar 1 T. parsley ½ t. salt dash of pepper dash of red pepper sauce Shake all ingredients in tightly covered jar.	Cook almonds and sugar in heavy skillet (cast iron is best) over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is melted and almonds are coated. Cool and break apart. Prepare Mandarin Dressing. Tear lettuce and romaine into bite size pieces; toss with dressing, celery, onions, oranges, and almonds.	This is Charlotte’s favorite salad!!!
SEAFOOD	Winter White Salad With Pan-seared Scallops	Karie Apel	2 pounds sea scallops, patted dry Salt and freshly ground pepper ½ c. flavored olive oil (basil oil, chile oil, or rosemary oil) **I prefer lemon flavored oil. Juice of one lemon ½ c. raspberry vinegar 1 t. Dijon mustard 1 T. sugar 1 T. poppy seeds ½ c. extra virgin olive oil 12 c. mixed light colored baby greens, such as bibb, Boston, romaine, frisee, and Belgian endive, torn into bite size pieces 1 c. sliced mushrooms 1 c. chopped walnuts, lightly toasted 1 c. fresh raspberries	Season scallops with salt and pepper. Heat the flavored oil in a 12 in. skillet over med. high heat. Add the scallops and saute until cooked through, turning once, about 3 minutes. Drizzle with lemon juice. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, mustard, sugar, ½ t. salt, 1 t. pepper, and poppy seeds. Add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly until the vinaigrette is thick and emulsified. Set aside. In a large bowl toss together the greens and mushrooms. Divide the greens among 4 individual serving plates. Arrange the scallops on top of the greens. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and raspberries. Drizzle with half of the vinaigrette and pass the remainder separately.	My very favorite main dish salad!
SOUPS	Baked Potato Soup	Karie Apel	1 can chicken broth ½ can water 1 T. instant minced onion 5 T. butter 5 T. flour ½ t. salt 2 c. half & half 1/8 t. oregano 1/8 t. parsley ½ t. pepper 4 c. cubed potatoes with skin	Mix broth, water, onion, oregano, and parsley to boil and simmer for 5 minutes; melt butter and stir in flour, salt, and pepper, add half and half and cook until bubbly. Add potatoes and cook until potatoes are done. (Cook very slow!) Top with grated cheese, green onion, and bacon.	This is my very favorite soup!
VEGGIES	Asparagus Casserole	Karie Apel	1 tube Ritz crackers, crushed 1 stick margarine, melted 2-4 cans asparagus, drained (more is better) ½ c. slivered almonds Sauce: 1/4 c. butter 3/4 c. milk 3 T. flour 1/4 t. salt 1 jar Old English cheese, or ½ lb. Velveeta, melted	Mix melted butter with cracker crumbs. Spread 1/3 of the mixture into casserole dish (9x13) Put asparagus on top and sprinkle with almonds. Pour sauce over top of asparagus. Top with remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
	Basil Potatoes	Karie Apel	1 T. olive oil ½ c. dry sherry 1 small onion, chopped 2 shallots, chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped 5 med. thinly sliced potatoes (Yukon Gold) 2 T. Basil leaves (roll up leaves like cigar to jullienne) 1 c. whipping cream ½ c. fresh parmesan cheese, grated	Saute onion, shallots, and garlic in oil until you can smell aroma. Add sherry and reduce by half. Layer in baking dish...three layers each in this order: potatoes, saute mixture, cream, basil, and parmesan cheese. Bake 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender at 375 degrees. Usually takes 50 min.- 1 hour.	Great when you want a lighter potato dish.
	Sam & Kim’s Au Gratin Potatoes	Karie Apel	3-6 medium potatoes, about 2 pounds 1/4 c. butter ½ medium onion, chopped 2-3 T. flour 1 t. salt 1/4 t. pepper 2 c. milk 2 c. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (8 oz.) 1/4 c. dry bread crumbs paprika	Heat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare potatoes as directed.(peel and slice) Cut into enough thin slices to measure about 4 cups. Heat butter in 2 qt. saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion in butter about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook stirring constantly, until bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk and 1 ½ c. cheese. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute. Spread potatoes in ungreased 1 ½ qt. casserole dish. Pour cheese sauce over potatoes. Bake uncovered one hour. Mix remaining cheese and bread crumbs. Sprinkle over potatoes; sprinkle with paprika. Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until top is brown and bubbly. **Do not double–potatoes will not cook. Best if you let it set up for 15-20 minutes before serving.	These are the best au gratin potatoes ever!
	Sweet Potato Casserole	Karie Apel	4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 1 T. olive oil 6 oz. pancetta, diced 1 med. onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, chopped 3 shallots, chopped 2 red bell pepper, julienned 1 c. dry sherry salt and black pepper to taste ½ c. fresh Parmesan cheese, grated 1 c. grated Gouda cheese	Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place potatoes in water to cover, and set aside. In a medium size saute pan, heat olive oil until hot. Add pancetta and cook until crisp and brown. Add onion, garlic, shallots and peppers and cook until you can smell the aroma, about 2 minutes. Add sherry and boil over high heat until reduced by about half, 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool. Grease a 2 quart baking dish with a bit of olive oil or cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with a layer of potatoes. Top the first layer with one third of the onion mixture, then one third of each of the cheeses. Repeat the two more layers. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook until potatoes are fork tender about 15 more minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes before cutting into pieces. Serve hot.	This is Charlotte’s special request every year for the Apel Christmas dinner!! Super Yummy!!!

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Charlotte has compiled this list of recipes from friends and family for your pleasure. There are more to come!