ORANGE SAUCE

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
¼ cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest (grated)
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon ginger root (minced)
½ teaspoon garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons green onion (chopped)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Directions:
In a large saucepan combine 1 ½ cups water, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil. Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens.

This recipe came from the blog www.blogchef.net that has some awesome Chinese food recipes! The sauce was from the Orange Chicken recipe but it also good with other kinds of meats, egg rolls, etc.

BEST CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE.....EVER!

There's no reason for me to re-post what Pioneer Woman has already posted in great detail on her blog. So...I'm just going to provide the link for Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Sheet Cake.
(http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_chocol/)

Make and enjoy - I double dog dare you!!!

Recipe by Ree Drummond a/k/a Pioneer Woman a/k/a my hero!

MEXICAN CHICKEN

Ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 10 oz. can Rotel tomatoes
4 c. cooked chicken
1 pkg. flour tortillas (burrito size)
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (I used Mexican blend)
sour cream, optional

Directions:
Combine soups and Rotel in large bowl. Add chicken. In a greased 9x13 baking dish, layer the tortillas and chicken mixture, beginning and ending with tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese over the casserole. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve with sour cream on top.

Recipe shared by Amy Davis and found in 7th Inning Stretch - Homerun Recipes cookbook our baseball team published this year.

CHILI CHICKEN SPAGHETTI CASSEROLE

Ingredients:
4-5 chicken breasts cooked and chopped (I use a rotisserie chicken if I’m in a hurry and works great)
½ c. chicken broth
1 can chopped rotel (drained)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery or chicken soup
1 can water chestnuts chopped (drained)
7 oz thin spaghetti cooked and drained
2 c. cheddar cheese grated
1 pkg fresh parmesan cheese (or the dry in can is fine)
½ pkg. Chili seasoning mix

Directions:
Mix all together EXCEPT parmesan cheese & place in a 9x13 dish. Top with parmesan cheese and bake @ 350 for 30-35 min. (I think I told you, but I’m not sure – I used chopped black olives (1/2 small can).

Recipe shared by Joyce Hankins

SOPAPILLA CHEESECAKE

Ingredients:
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
2 (8 oz) packages refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or almond extract
1/2 C margarine or butter, melted
1/2 C cinnamon sugar (combine about 1/2 cup sugar with 1 T cinnamon)

Directions:
Using a 9x13 baking pan, unroll one package of refrigerated crescent rolls and line the bottom of the pan and flatten. In separate bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, and extract. Spread over the crescent rolls. Unroll the other can of crescent rolls and place on top of cream cheese mixture. Pour melted butter or margarine over the top and sprinkle with about 1/2 cup of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Recipe came from LPM Blog, posted by Beth Moore's daughter, Amanda. So yummy - and almost NO calories! *Ü*

PAULA DEEN'S CORNY CORN BREAD

Ingredients:
1 C self-rising cornmeal
3/4 C self-rising flour
1/2 C vegetable oil (plus 1/4 C for skillet)
8 oz. can cream-style corn
2 eggs
1 C sour cream
1 C grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a heated cast-iron skillet that has been well greased with oil. (I heat the 1/4 C oil in the skillet in the oven while it is preheating.) Bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes.

Recipe found in The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook. Not your traditional "southern" cornbread, but it is very tasty!

HOT ITALIAN SAUSAGE SOUP

Ingredients (my variations in italics):
1 lb. bulk hot Italian sausage
1 can (14.5 oz.) Italian stewed tomatoes (used 2 cans)
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce (I forgot to use this!)
1 cup frozen Italian vegetables (used 2 bags)
3/4 cup julienned green, sweet red and/or yellow pepper (chopped green)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth (used 3 cans chicken broth)
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp minced fresh parsley (didn't have)
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (used 1.5 tsp.)
1/8 tsp salt (to taste)
1/8 tsp pepper (to taste)
Also added garlic pepper salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:
In large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Drain sausage; add to soup and heat through.

Recipe found in Simple & Delicious (Nov/Dec 2007) magazine.