Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies A modified version of the Quaker Oats VORC (look under the lid). As with all cookie recipes, freezing your chocolate chips and cranberries will make a huge difference in the finished cookie. The chips will hold together under heat and cranberries won't puree in the mixer. Let these cookies cool completely! Ingredients: 2 sticks unsalted butter 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3 cups Quaker Oats - regular, not the instant or overnight 1 tsp baking soda 1 cup chocolate chips - not minis 2 cups cranberries Process: Cream both sugars and the butter until soft and fluffy Add the eggs and vanilla and mix Mix the flour, baking soda, cranberries, and chocolate chips in a large bowl and then add to the mixer and combine at low speed for a minute at most Add the oatmeal and combine at low speed Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper Roll the dough into 1" to 1-1/2" balls and place on the baking sheets Flatten them if you want crispy cookies, otherwise leave them as balls to get chewy centers Bake 13-15 minutes or until the edges start to get brown Cool completely on racks. Yields around 3 dozen cookies

Here are some recipes that I like that are either casseroles or could be kept warm in a crock pot. Husband's Delight Submitted by: Cathy Makes 6 servings Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 25 Minutes Ready in: 45 Minutes Average Rating: ***** 155 Ratings 103 Reviews " Being a farm wife, I'm always looking for recipes that can go out to the field. I got this one a number of years ago from my friend who is also a farm wife. It's rich, creamy and filling. " Ingredients 10 ounces egg noodles 1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes with juice 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon white sugar 1 1/2 cups sour cream 3 ounces cream cheese 1/2 onion, chopped 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese Directions 1Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. 3In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef. Add the tomatoes with juice, salt and sugar and simmer for 15 minutes. 4In a separate medium bowl, combine the sour cream, cream cheese and onion and mix well. In a 9x13 inch baking dish, place half of the egg noodles, then all of the meat mixture, then the cream mixture. Top with the remaining noodles and sprinkle with the cheese. 5Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes. Makes 6 servings MARILYN'S SAUSAGE NOODLES MARZETTI 5 oz. packaged noodles; cook & drain 1# bulk sausage (I use the kind with sage.) 1 medium onion chopped 2 stalks celery; chopped 1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes (Italian seasoned are good.) ¼ cup dry white wine (optional) ¼ cup water 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce 1 tablespoon brown sugar (dont leave this out!) salt & pepper to taste In a large skillet, combine sausage, onion and celery. Cook until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes, wine, water, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt and pepper; stir well. Simmer 15 minutes. Add noodles; heat and serve (Keep warm in a crockpot) Chicken Dumpling Casserole (Cindy 5 NY) 1/2 cup onion, chopped 1/2 cup celery, chopped 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup flour 1 tsp salt pepper to taste 4 cups chicken broth 4 cups cooked chicken, bite size pcs Saute onion and celery in butter until tender. Stir in flour, salt, pepper until smooth. Add broth, bring to a boil, cook and stir one minute. Add chicken, pour into greased 13x9 casserole. Dumplings: 2 cups bisquick 2 tsp parsley 2/3 cup milk Combine all, stir with fork until moistened. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto casserole (12 dumplings) Bake uncovered at 350 fo 30 minutes. Cover and bake 15 minutes more until dumplings are done. 6-8 servings. Debbie 814's Chicken Riggies 1 stick butter, melted 1 onion minced 3 cloves garlic, minced 20 oz. jar of sweet peppers (sliced with seeds removed) 3 sliced hot cherry peppers (packed in jar with oil) Saute above ingredients. Add: 1 cup parmigiano cheese 2 lbs. boneless chicken breast, cubed 1 can chicken broth 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz) Cook for 1 hour. Pour over 1 1/2 boxes of cooked Rigatoni pasta. Serve with fresh Italian bread. Marilyn's Chicken Enchiladas 2 seasoned chicken breast; grill, rest and slice 1/2 jar (15 oz.) green chili salsa 1 Jalapeno pepper; chopped (optional) 1 cup heavy whipping cream 4 flour tortillas (depends on size) 2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese Mix chicken with salsa and Jalapeno. Pour whipping cream into a shallow bowl. Dip each tortilla in cream then place each tortilla in a baking dish. Spoon chicken mixture into tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Roll tortillas and lay seam side down in dish. Pour remaining whipping cream over tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes

Lizzann, glad you enjoyed the Velveet fudge. It is delicious. My family doesn't question what I make cause they enjoy my cooking. Here's one, that I haven't tried: Chocolate Chip potato chip cookies 1 cup butter 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 2 eggs 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 2 1/4 cups crushed potato chips (I used Lays Classic Potato Chips) 1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Directions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Combine the flour and baking soda and slowly add to the creamed sugar mixture. Mix well. Stir in the crushed potato chips and chocolate chips. Drop by small spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. If you are making large cookies you may want to keep them in the oven for about 14 minutes. Cool for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lilyfinch, My problem is I have too many favorite foods! Pittsburgh does not have a single, specific, signature food. I would think a Primanti sandwich, with your whole meal held between two big pieces of bread, especially your French fries, is unique to Pittsburgh. You can get the fries put on the side, but the sandwich isn't the same that way. The best pierogies are homemade, then church pierogies. My cousin Deloris said the ladies at St. Jehosaphat's, claimed theirs were the best. Those dear, old time ladies are long gone. My Aunt Mary made the best pierogies. They were huge, about the size of 4 Mrs. T's pierogies. She used a large Crisco can as the dough cutter! No wonder! What memories! My mother couldn't make good pierogi's. She didn't have the touch! Hers fell apart at the seams, but they were still delicious. Oakmont Bakery cannot be matched. You can breathe in their cakes while you're eating their cookies, twice the joy, in half the time. That's the only way to do it! Eat n' Park has a senior lunch buffet on Tuesdays. I taught English at Colfax School in Springdale, PA, many years ago. I am very knowledgeable of the river towns along the Allegheny. Cheswick is a nice place to live. There is a productive Bald Eagle's nest in Harmarville, on the cliff above Freeport Rd., at the Hulton Bridge (newly built..recently opened). Bald Eagles have returned to the Pittsburgh area after a 150 year absence! There you go, Lilyfinch, a little stroll down memory lane for both of us! Keep well. Moses