Grandma's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 c. pumpkin
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Optional Ingredients:
1/2 c. nuts
1c. raisins
1c. chocolate chips

Blend shortening and egg. Add sugar and cream together until light and fluffy. Add sifted dry ingredients to the mixture. Add pumpkin. Fold in any optional ingredients and the vanilla. Drop on greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

Grandma Wilson's Karo Casserole

1/4 c. onions
1/4 c. peppers
1 lb. hamburger
1 qt. tomatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. light karo syrup
1 bay leaf
2 tbs.cornstarch
chili pepper to taste
3 c. cooked macaroni
1 c. cheddar cheese

Use 1/4 c. of liquid from the tomatoes and mix with cornstarch. Set aside. Brown hamburger and add the peppers and onions. Saute. Add everything except the cornstarch, macaroni, and cheese. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add cornstarch and macaroni. *Place in an oven-safe baking bowl and cover with cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove foil and cook for 10 additional minutes.

* I still remember Grandma's green pyrex baking bowl that she used. I like to use my pampered chef stone baking dish. A 9x13 works nicely, too.

Crock-Pot Chocolate Lava Cake

1 package devils food cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cups water
1 package Jell-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding Mix
2 cups cold milk
1 bag (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Prepare cake mix into batter using eggs, oil, and water. Pour into crock-pot.

Prepare Jell-O Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix using milk. Pour this over cake mix in crock-pot. Sprinkle chocolate chips all over the top of the batter.

Cook in crock-pot on high setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until cake is moist but not jiggly, and little volcanoes of spitting chocolate appear on top. Serve with ice cream, whipped topping, or on its own for a really special dessert.

Homemade Laundry Soap

1 Fels Naptha Bar (laundry bar)
1 c. Borax
1 c. Arm & Hammer washing soda

Grate the bar of fels naptha (using the smallest holes on your grater works best even though it's a pain to do). In a pan, put 3 c. COLD water. Mix with grated fels naptha and bring to a boil. Cook until it all dissolves, stirring the whole time. Get out all the lumps (I like to use a whisk). In a 5 gallon bucket, mix in the melted soap, borax and washing soda with 1/4 bucket of hot water. After it is mixed well, fill the bucket the rest of the way up with hot water.Mix, mix, mix. Let sit for 24 hours or more. It will gel. You will need to mix it 1 more time (It is easiest to mix with your hands.  Just break it all up.  It's a great jewelry cleaner I found out while I was mixing).  It will not gel again. Store in gallon jugs.
To use: Shake bottle before use. Add 1/2 c.-3/4 c. per load. This recipe can be used in front loaders and is great for people with sensitive skin. It totally dissolves and leaves no residue on your clothes.  It doesn't have all the additives like store bought soap so it's not the prettiest soap you've ever seen, but it washes well and rinses clean.  We've been using it since October and I love it!  It has helped with our skin irritation so much.  Plus- it's really cheap!

Granola

4 cups oats
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 Tbs. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt (I cut this down to 1/2 tsp. and couldn't tell a difference)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup oil
2 Tbs. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Dried fruit (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine oats, coconut, nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl; stir well.  Stir honey, oil, milk, vanilla in a small saucepan over low heat until mixture fizzes around edges. Pour over oat mixture and stir well.  Spread onto greased baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until light brown, stirring often. Cool for 1 1/2 hours. Add dried fruit at this time. Makes 8 cups.  Store in an airtight container.

Kid-Friendly Wheat Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F) 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 envelopes active dry yeast  (4 1/2 tsp) 2 cups all-purpose flour

4 cups whole wheat flour 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 2 teaspoons salt 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup milk, room temperature

Directions:

1.	Measure the water into a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer and stir in 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.
2.	Add 1 cup of the all-purpose flour and 3 cups of whole wheat flour to the bowl along with the brown sugar, salt, vegetable oil and milk. Mix on low speed to blend ingredients. Continue to mix on medium speed, adding the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough clings to the hook and cleans the sides of the bowl. You may not need to add all of the flour. Mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes. Oil the bowl and turn the dough to coat. Cover loosely and set aside to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
3.	Punch down the dough and place on a floured surface. Divide into two equal portions and use a rolling pin to roll each one into a rectangle that is about 16x8 inches. Be sure to press out all of the air bubbles. Roll the rectangles into loaves and pinch the seam together.
4.	Place loaves seam side down into greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cut a few slits across the top of each loaf using a sharp serrated knife. Set aside to rise until your finger leaves a dimple when you press into a loaf, 30 to 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
5.	Bake the loaves for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until loaves are deep brown. Remove from pans to cool on a wire rack.    This is a very forgiving recipe.  For a thinner crust- use more brown sugar.  You can also add more whole wheat flour and decrease the white , or add more white flour and decrease the whole wheat depending on your taste.  I usually use 100% whole wheat.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 1/3 c. frozen peas and carrots
1 c. diced potatoes (cook them partially or used canned)
2/3 C. butter
2/3 c. flour
2/3 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 1/2 c. chicken broth (2 cans)
1 1/3 c. milk
6 c. cooked, cubed chicken (I never measure- just whatever looks good)

Rinse frozen peas and carrots under running water to separate. Drain and set aside. Heat butter on low until melted.Stir in onions, flour, salt, and pepper. Cook stirring constantly until mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in broth and milk. Heat to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Stir in chicken and vegetables.

Pour into a 9x13 pan ( I use a glass pyrex). Place 2 refrigerator pie crusts over the top (the kind you find rolled up by the refrigerator rolls and pizza crust). You have to trim them because they come round and you are putting them on a square pan. It won't look to beautiful- but it makes up for it in taste! Bake at 425 until the crust turns golden brown.