Family Favorite- Apple Coffee Cake

Succulent, flavorful and perfect for any time of the day or night!

The Good: This is an absolutely delicious cake that is easy to make and perfect for any occasion.

The Bad: This cake never lasts long.

The Ugly: My coworker keeps threatening me because it took so long to post this.

Suggestions before starting:

As with all recipes I make, I set out the eggs so they will be luke warm when I am ready to make the cake.

Usually 2 apples are enough for this recipe.  We always use Granny Smith apples because they are perfect for baking.  Make sure to dice them fairly small.  My parents usually use a grater for the apples but I like them larger; however, if they are too large it will not bake properly.

The recipe calls for 1 cup of walnuts... I leave these out.  I do not like walnuts but my parents always add them.

Immediately after removing from the oven I cover the cake with a clean towel to keep in the moisture.

Family Favorite- Meatloaf twist

It seems every family has their own version of meatloaf.

This has always been one of my favorites but this time we improvised.

The Good: Simple, tasty and cheap, it is hard to go wrong with a good meatloaf.

The Bad: Every family has their own style of meatloaf so sometimes its hard to make one you know everyone will be familiar with.

The Ugly:  If you're looking to go on a diet, do not use ground beef!  There is a lot of fat released from the meat but if you are just looking for great tasting comfort food you are in for a treat!

Suggestions before starting:

Due to the oils released from the meat I always cover my pan with foil with a very light layer of cooking spray before starting so it is easier to clean.

The recipe below has saltines, onion and spices; however, if you followed the Stuffed Pork Tenderloin and had a lot of extra stuffing leftover, you can substitute most of the ingredients with the stuffing you had leftover.  The fresh spices are incredible but you can also use dried herbs. The bread crumbs just make the meat softer.  For a harder meatloaf use the saltines.

When making this, if you think the measurements do not look how you would like them to, change it.  Add anything you want and as much or little as you like.  That's the great thing about meatloaf, it can be made however you would like.  I have seen people add celery, peppers, salsa, raisins... you name it!

To mix/combine means use your hands in this recipe.  I always sit the ingredients out early so they will be at least luke warm.  Otherwise this can be painfully cold.  Dish soap is the best cleaner to cut the grease off your hands afterward.

I always mix the seasonings together before mixing in order to make sure they are evenly spread.  If using fresh spices make sure they are minced first.  If using dried, just use more than you would if fresh.

For a healthier option: do not be afraid to try Turkey meat.  It will just be a little dryer.  When using ground chuck we tend to get 80% lean.

Italian Cavatini-Family Favorite

Scrumptiously easy and easily scrumptious!

The Good: Delicious, easy to make for groups, low cost and freezes well.
The Bad: Unfortunately the sauce is not homemade.
The Ugly: If you are not good at multi-tasking it may be difficult for you to cook the sausage and the mushrooms at the same time.

Suggestions before starting:
Feel free to add or subtract ingredients to this recipe.  It is also great with onions and peppers.  Just remember if sauteing all the vegetables together be sure to cut them the same size so they saute evenly.
Our family traditionally uses Prego for the sauce.  My favorite is the Mushroom Prego.
It has become increasingly hard to find Tri-Noodles.  Any noodle will work but I still like to mix at least shells and rotini (50/50).
If it is too difficult to cook the sausage at the same time as the mushrooms, precook the mushrooms before even starting the water.
To save time warm the sauce up in the microwave before putting in casserole dish.

Salted Peanut Chews-Family Favorite

Chewy, crunchy, sweet and Ooooo so tasty!

The Good: This recipe is great for carry-ins, parties or whatever occasion!  Also, I am not a fan of salty foods and I love this dessert.  It does not taste salty at all.
The Bad: The original recipe calls for yellow cake mix plus but it no longer exists... I've found the newer version (super, I believe) is harder to get to set right.
The Ugly: Since bringing this dish into work I have had coworkers threatening to do terrible things to me if I do not give them the recipe.

Suggestions before starting:
It is important to make sure the butter is completely softened before mixing.  Otherwise it is increasingly difficult to mix the cake batter.
Although the recipe says the base will be crumbly, it needs to be moist enough to hold the base ingredients together.  Egg size can be an issue for this step.  If you use too small of an egg it will just fall apart.  It is almost better to have too much egg than not enough.  One extra-large egg would be best for the recipe but using two small and gradually mixing it in will do just as well.
If you are someone who like to jump ahead on a recipe, DON'T! Timing is everything for this recipe, follow the order the recipe gives you and the timeline it gives you.
Easy cutting tip: Use a knife to run around the inside edge of the pan. Then take a large cutting board and sit it on top of 13 x 9 pan and flip until it breaks free from dish.  If you have a second cutting board you can flip it again and cut the bars while they are free from the pan.

Potato Casserole- Family Favorite

Another devine family favorite

A dish that is craved at all family gatherings and is always the first to run out

This is an 8x8, the recipe makes 9x13

The Good:  This recipe is simple, delicious and great for children wanting to help in the kitchen.  It is another recipe you can make ahead of time and freeze if needed.
The Bad: You shouldn't eat it the second it comes out of the oven... it will burn you.
The Ugly: I'm serious, let it cool down first or it will burn you!

Suggestions before starting:
My mother always leaves the butter out of the mixture but puts butter with extra corn flakes to spread on top.
Don't forget to buy cornflakes and account for the butter in the topping.
An interesting twist, make with french fried onions on top instead of the cornflakes.
My sister has used the frozen hashbrowns with peppers and veggies already in it and it was incredible!