Luscious Slush Punch

2 1/2 cups white sugar

6 cups water
2 (3 ounce) packages strawberry flavored jello
1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 quart orange juice
2 (2 liter) bottles lemon-lime flavored soda

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, water, and jello. Boil for 3 minutes.  Stir in pineapple juice, lemon juice and orange juice.  Divide mixture in half, and freeze in 2 separate containers.  (I used gallon sized Ziplock bags).

When ready to serve, place the frozen contents of one container in a punch bowl, and stir in 1 bottle or soda until slushy.

Makes 50 (4 ounce) servings.

(Served at Haley and Kalob's wedding reception)

Creamy Chicken Lasagna

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded
6 cooked lasagna noodles (I used rotini and just estimated on how much to use)
3 cubes chicken bouillon
1/4 c. hot water
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
1 26-oz jar spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350.  Dissolve bouillon cube in 1/4 c. hot water.  In a large bowl, mix chicken, bouillon, cream cheese, and 1 c. mozzarella cheese (I added salt, pepper and garlic powder as well).  Spread 1/3 of spaghetti sauce in bottom of a 9" square dish.  Cover with half of chicken mixture; top with 3 noodles.  Repeat layers.  Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Serves 9.

(Slightly adapted from the Worldwide Ward Secret Recipes Cookbook)

Grilled Potatoes and Onions

1 potato per person 

1/2 small onion per person
1 Tbsp. butter per person, cut into pieces
1/4 tsp. salt per person
Freshly-ground black pepper
Smoked paprika
Aluminum foil

Tear sheets (1 per person) of aluminum foil into about 16″ pieces. Fold each in half into a sqaure-ish and set aside.  Preheat grill. Slice potatoes into pieces about 1/8-1/4″ thick.  Slice onions about 1/8″ thick.  Place 1 potato in the middle of each foil square and dot with butter pieces.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then sprinkle generously with smoked paprika. Remember, paprika is super mild, so it’s hard to add too much. Top each pile with onions.  Fold edges in and secure tightly. It’s important to get a good seal because the moisture will cook the potatoes and onions and you want all those yummy juices, so if it seems like there’s not quite enough foil, wrap packet in another layer.  Turn heat on grill to low. Place each packet on the grill. Close lid for 15 minutes. Turn and allow to cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully open each packet.  These can also be cooked in the oven at 400 for about 15-20 minutes (just check on them to see how they’re doing) or in a panini press for about the same amount of time.

(From ourbestbites.com-can you tell this is my favorite site?!)

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs, and mix well. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then add to batter. Blend in chopped nuts. Spread batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.  Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1/2 hour before slicing.

We made these into muffins and cooked them for about 15 minutes.  They were super moist and fluffy for whole wheat bread.  We also added cinnamon and extra bananas (we used 3 medium bananas).  Other people suggested using 1/4 c. honey and 1/4 c. brown sugar instead of all honey and 1/3 c. applesauce instead of the oil.


(From allrecipes.com)