Lemon Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add flour and form a stiff dough (best to use your hands).  Bake at 325   for 15 - 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  While crust is baking, prepare next layer:

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Grated rind of 1/2 lemon (optional)
Powdered sugar

Beat eggs; set aside. Mix sugar and flour in separate bowl and gradually beat into eggs.  Add lemon juice and rind and mix until incorporated.  Pour over hot crust after it has finished baking.  Bake another 15 - 20 minutes at 325  .  Remove from oven and sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar.

Let cool and set for several hours before serving.

Bean Dip / Refried Beans

2 cups dry pinto beans

6 cups water

5 jalapeno rings (more or less for more heat)

2 tsp. seasoning salt

2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. chili powder

¼ cup butter

¼ cup milk or cream

Place beans and water in a slow cooker on high for 5-6 hours. Or in an instant pot for 30 minutes on high (90 minutes total)  Drain water and place in a food processor. 

Add rest of ingredients except cheese and pulse until smooth (adding more water to make desired consistency).  Mix in cheese if desired.

Serve with chips, or make burritos or quesadillas on tortillas with cheese and heat on griddle - top with lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, corn, cilantro, and homemade ranch dressing.

 HERE.

Sloppy Joes

1 lb. ground beef
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. sage
2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1 1/2 tsp. onion
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. corn starch
brown sugar (optional and to taste)

Brown beef then add remaining ingredients and stir well.  Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with buns.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

2 pounds pork roast
2 cans Coke (not diet)
½ cup brown sugar
½ tsp. garlic salt
1/4 cup water
1 4-oz can diced green chilies
1 10-oz can Old El Paso enchilada sauce
1 cup brown sugar

Put the pork in a re-closable bag to marinate, pour in one of the cans of Coke and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Marinate for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of Coke, water, and garlic salt in crock-pot on high for about 3-4 hours.

Remove pork from crock-pot, drain off liquid, shred pork.
Mix together (in a bowl or in the blender) other 1/2 can of Coke, can of chilies, enchilada sauce and brown sugar.

Put shredded pork back in the crock-pot, cover with sauce, heat just until warmed through.  Serve with tortillas, cheese, cilantro rice, black beans, lettuce, Pico de Gallo and tomatillo dressing.

Funeral Sandwiches

24 Dinner rolls
24 slices Ham
24 slices Swiss cheese
1 cube butter, melted
¼ cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. poppy seeds
1 tsp. onion powder

Make sandwiches with rolls, ham and cheese.  Place on jellyroll pan with edges all touching.

Mix together the rest of ingredients and brush tops of sandwiches liberally with sauce, then pour remaining sauce over all.  Cover pan with foil and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake rolls, covered, for 10 minutes, then remove foil and bake another 10 to 15 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Hummus

1 pound slow cooker chickpeas, cooked & cooled
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
5 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup water
1/3 cup tahini, stirred well
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place the chickpeas, garlic, and kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 15 to 20 seconds. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and process for another 15 to 20 seconds. Add the lemon juice and water. Process for 20 seconds. Add the tahini. Process for 20 seconds, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil.

Serve with chips, pita bread or veggies.

Ham & Bean Soup

8 cups chicken broth
4 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
1 lb. 16-bean-soup-starter pkg.
1 lb. cooked ham, chopped
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

Combine all ingredients except ham and tomatoes in large slow cooker; cover.  cook on low for 8 - 10 hours.  Stir in ham and tomatoes; cover and cook 15 minutes longer until hot.  Season with pepper to taste.