CHERRY LIMEAIDE

1 Cup Sprite
1/4 Cup Cherry Juice
2 to 2 Lime Wedges


Pour sprite into a glass over ice. Add the cherry juice. Add 2 or 3 lime wedges, squeezing slightly before dropping each one in. This will make one glass.

CUCUMBERS AND RED PEPPER SALAD

3 Medium cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Rice Vinegar, seasoned or regular
1/2 Cup Water
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
2 Tablespoons Minced Red Onion

In a strainer place the cucumber slices and put in a bowl to drain. Salt the cucumbers and toss well. Let sit in ref. for 1 hour. Prepare the marinade.
Combine the vinegar, water and sugar and the red pepper in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook until it is reduced to around 1/3 cup. Cook for around 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the onion. Let this cool to room temp. Take the cucumbers out of the ref. They should be drained. Draining them pulls the mositure out of them so they will be crisp. Mix the marinade with the cucumbers. Put in ref. until ready to serve. Best if let sit a few hours in the ref. for the flavors to combine.

CANDY BAR COOKIES

1 Box Club Crackers
1 Cup Graham Crackers, crushed
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup White Sugar
1/3 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Blue Bonnet Marg. (1 stick)
2/3 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Pack Milk Choc. Chips

In a 9 x 13 pan place 24 of the club crackers. In a kettle place the graham crackers and brown sugar and white sugar and the milk and marg. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. It will turn to like a caramel mixture and then pull away from the side of the pan. Pour this mixture over the crackers. It is very hot so do not get burned. Press another layer of the crackers over it. Put in the ref. and chill for 30 minutes. In the microwave put the peanut butter and choc. chips and micowave for 2 minutes until melted. Put this over the cracker layer. Put in the ref. until firm. Cut into squares.

MELODY'S SPAGHATTI

1 Lb. Ground Chuck
1 Onion, chopped
1 Green Pepper, chopped
Garlic Powder to your taste
1 Box Spaghatti(thin kind)
1 Can Basil and Garlic Tomatoes
Cheese Whiz (save a lot brand dip like cheese whiz)
1 Jar Garlic and Onion Ragu (or any kind with garlic in it)
1 Pack Coby Jack and Monterey Cheese, shredded

Fry the hamb. and drain. Add the onion and pepper and garlic powder. Do not let scorch in pan. Then add the tomatoes and ragu. Let simmer. Cook and drain the spaghatti. Put spaghatti in a bowl then put meat mixture in another bowl. Put some spaghatti on your plate. Then add the meat mixture. Then put some of the cheeze whiz on top of the meat mixture. Stir. Let the cheese wiz melt or you can add it to the spaghatti when you put it in your plate then add the meat mixture.  Top with the coby jack and monterey cheese. Very good.

KAYLA'S OATMEAL CHOC. CHIP COOKIES

1 Cup All-purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soday
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Rolled(old-fashioned) Oats
1/2 Cup Coarsely Chopped Pecans
8 Tablespoons(1 Stick) Unsalted Butter, at room temp.
1/2 Cup Lightly Packed Light Brown Sugar
1 /2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Large Egg
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3/4 Cup SemiSweet Choc. Chips

Set two racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350. In a medium bowl stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, oats and pecans together with a wisk or a fork. In a large bowl beat the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar together for 30 seconds until blended. Beat in the egg until smooth and barley fluffy. With mixer running on medium drizzle in the maple syrup and vanilla until mixed. Turn mixer down to lowest setting and add the flour oatmeal mixture. Blend just to combine and then add the choc. chips. Drop walnut sized dough onto sprayed or parchment lined cookie sheet three inches apart. With moistened fingers, flatten and round out the cookies a little. Bake at 350 for 9 minutes. Turn the pan once for even baking. The cookies will be light brown. Cool on racks.

EASY MEXICAN LASAGNA

11/2 Lb. Ground Chuck
1 Can Black Beans, rinsed
1 Can Kidney Beans, rinsed

2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
3/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
12 Corn Tortillas
1 (16oz.) Jar Salsa
2 Cups(16oz.) Sour Cream
1 Cup Black Olives, or to your taste
1 Bag Mexican Shredded Cheese

Preheat the oven to 350. In a nonstick skillet, cook meat and drain. Then add the beans, oregano, cumin and garlic powder and heat through. Place 6 tortillas overlapping in a 9 x 13 sprayed pan. Cover with 1/2 of the meat mixture. Sprinkle 1/2 cup olives on top. Pour half jar of the salsa over the meat mixture. Spread 1 cup sour cream over top. Repeat with tortillas, meat, olives, salsa and sour cream one more time. Bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

BAKED CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

1 Cut-up Chicken
1 Lb. Thin Spaghetti, broken into 2 in. pieces
2 Cans Mushroom Soup
2 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Small Onion, finely diced
1/4 Cup Green Pepper, finely diced
1 Jar Pimientios, diced and drained
1 Teaspoon Seasoned Salt
Black Pepper to taste
1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350. Add the chicken to a stockpot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is cooked about 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the water using tongs and set it aside on a plate to cool. Remove 2 cups of the chicken broth and sit aside. Bring the remaining broth back to boiling and add the spaghetti. WIth two forks remove the chicken from the bones. Shred or cut into bite-sized pieces. Place the cooked spaghetti in a large bowl. Add the cream of mushroom soup and 2 cups of the shredded cheddar. Then add the onion, green pepper and piniemto. Add the seasoned salt, black pepper, cayennie if you can handle the heat. Add the chicken and broth. Stir together and taste. Pour mixture into a sprayed baking dish. Add the remaining cheddar cheese and bake for 35 to 45 minutes until cheese is bubbly.