Pan Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 12-ounce bag chocolate chips

Combine flour, soda and salt. Set aside. Combine butter and sugars, mixing well. Add vanilla and eggs, beating well after each egg. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread mixture in a 10" x 15" sheet pan (slightly greased). Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Mustard Sauce

1/2 cup tomato soup

1/2 cup mustard

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup butter or margarine

Mix all ingredients together, making sure that egg yolks are well mixed before adding to mixture, and the butter is added last. Microwave for about 3 minutes. Goes great with ham.

Cheesy Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower

1/4 teaspoon minced onion (opt.)

1 tablespoon mustard

1/2 cup cheese

1/2 cup mayonaise

Steam cauliflower head. (Can place in microwave with 1-2 inches of water in bottom of a microwave safe bowl for 7-8 minutes on high power.) In a separate bowl, combine mustard, mayo, and onion. Place mixture on top, then place shredded cheese on top and melt in microwave for 30 seconds.

Chicken Ham Rolls

6 slices ham

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons parsley

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup saltine crackers (crushed)

1/4 cup water

1 egg

1 1/2 cup shredded chicken

1/2 pound cheese

Mix up all ingredients except for ham. Roll up the mixture inside the ham, and place in a shallow baking pan. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, removing foil for the last 5 minutes.

Lemon Butter Chicken

The ingredients are incredibly simple, but left to marinate for a few hours, this chicken is some of the most flavorful I've had!

Ingredients

1 stick margarine

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

Melt all ingredients together and marinate chicken. Grill or bake.

Penne with Tomatoes, Eggplant, and Mozzarella

from Real Simple

Total Time: 30 minutes

1/2 pound penne

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium eggplant (about 1 1/4 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pot.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, red pepper, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and cook, tossing, until the tomatoes soften, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Add the tomato mixture to the pasta, along with the mozzarella and reserved cooking water, and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the mint. Serves 4.

Suddenly Dinner

1 box Suddenly Salad, any flavor except Chipotle

1/2 cup mayonaisse

6 to 8 strips of bacon

1 to 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 red pepper, chopped

spinach

Prepare pasta salad as directed, but do not rinse with cold water. Meanwhile, cook bacon and remove from pan along with excess drippings. Saute' red peppers in the bacon pan and cut bacon into bite-size pieces. Mix together pasta, dressing, and the remaining ingredients and serve warm. Serves 4 to 6.

Beef burritos

As a warning, this is one I kind of made up, recalling something my mom used to make. I like to adjust the recipe to may feelings that day, so feel free to add spices that you like.

Ingredients:
Beef Chuck Roast ~ 2# (will serve 4-6 people)
Garlic Salt
Cumin
Chili Powder
Onion, sliced into half rings
Black beans
Green Chile (optional)
Potatoes, the frozen cubed kind (or o'brien, which has a few extra ingredients)

Season the chuck roast* with garlic salt (~1 tsp per side), cumin (~1/2-1 tsp per side), and chili powder (~1/2 tsp per side). You can also add other spices you like, such as oregano, real garlic, cayenne, etc. Slice onion into thin half rings. Place meat and onion in slow cooker (crock pot) on low for ~6-8 hours or until the meat is easy to shred. Remove meat and shred and place back in slow cooker.

*Any cut of meat will generally work, such as round or rump roast. Use a cheap cut of meat because the slow cooker will allow for the tougher stuff to be broken down and shredding the meat makes it plenty tender.

Drain can of black beans and add. Add a small can of green chiles or fresh roasted chiles as desired. If you have access to Bueno's green chile sauce (usually in the frozen section), it is really good. Sautee potatoes (~1 cup) in 1 Tbls butter until golden brown. Add to slow cooker. Mix and season to taste.

Serve on warm tortillas with your choice of toppings: sour cream, cheese, guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, etc.