Snickerdoodles

Submitted by Nicole Loscher

2 3/4 Cup flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 Cup sugar
2 eggs
cinnamon(about 2 tsp)
sugar( about 1/2 cup)

Mix together flour, tartar, soda and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time; beating well. Add flour mixture slowly. Chill dough for 1 hour. Roll in balls and roll into cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Banana Bars

Submitted by Kara Titus

• 1/2 Cup butter (softened)
• 1 1/2 Cup sugar
• 1 Cup sour cream
• 2 Cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2-3 medium ripe bananas (or I use my frozen ones)

Mix all ingredients together, then stir in bananas. Grease a sheet cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Cream Cheese frosting:

• 1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 Cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 3/4 - 4 cups powdered sugar

Mix together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add extract and then powdered sugar. Frost completely cooled bars.

Ricotta Frittata

Submitted by Stacey Hutchings

I based this on a recipe found at the SimplyRecipes website. I have a friend with celiac disease and made this for her this week--she loved it. It's great for people with diabetes or anyone that needs to follow a low-carb diet. It's delicious and travels well--a hungry teenager can grab a slice and take it on the run. It's also an excellent refrigerator magnet. You can throw anything in it you like, but here's what I chose:

Onion, Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, Swiss Cheese, Bacon

If you aren't using left-overs and are starting from scratch, take three slices of thick bacon, give them a rough chop, and cook on low heat in a skillet until some of the fat has rendered (about 5 minutes). Add anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 an onion, finely chopped. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cook low and slow for about 10 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add a bunch of spinach (I used 1/2 a bag), season with a little more salt and pepper, and toss until wilted. I don't like big pieces of spinach throughout my frittatas, so I pour the whole thing onto a cutting board and give it a good rough chop. This also cools things down enough so that when I add it to the base it doesn't immediately start cooking the eggs.

Grate about 1/2 cup swiss cheese, and cut any tomatoes in half if you think they're a little on the large side. How many tomatoes? Mmmmmm, however many you'd like. :)

To make the base, you need:

6 large eggs
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
pinch of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta, Swiss, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and beat to combine. Fold in the spinach mixture, cheese and tomatoes.

Next you need to grease your pie plate (mine's a 9" glass plate). If you're lucky, you've got bacon grease on hand to use, if not, butter is a good substitute. But I've found bacon grease adds great flavor and does a better non-stick job. Then pour your frittata mixture into the plate. Cook in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until it is golden on top. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Enjoy!

Luscious Slush Punch

Submitted by Julie Twitchell

This is a family favorite during the Summer. It is really easy to put together.

2 1/2 Cup white sugar
6 cups water
2 (3 oz) packages strawberry Jell-O
1 (46 oz.) can pineapple juice
2/3 Cup lemon juice
1 quart orange juice
2 (2 liter) Sprite or 7 Up

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, water and Jell-O. Boil for 3 minutes. Stir in pineapple juice, lemon juice and orange juice. Divide mixture in half and freeze in 2 separate containers.

When ready to serve, place the frozen contents of one container in a punch bowl and stir in 1 bottle of Sprite or 7 Up. This makes a lot of drink. Great for a big family gathering.

Cook's Note: I usually freeze mine in 2 jello ring pans. It looks really nice for a party. You can also freeze the mixture in ice cube trays and serve them individually.