Homemade Oreos *Lauren Perry*

This is my cute friend Natalie's recipe :) Its is chewy and totally delicious!

preheat oven to 350

Cookie
2 boxes of devils food cake mix
4 eggs
2/3 cup shortening

-mix all ingredients together- dough will be thick
-roll into little balls, place on baking sheet
-bake at 350 for 10 minutes

Frosting/Filling
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
3 TBS butter, softened

-mix together and spread over a cooled cookie
-top with another cookie to make a sandwich/oreo!
-eat 50 of them, they are totally fat free, no carb, no sugar, and they have antioxidents! (ok, maybe that is just what I tell myself so that I don't feel guily)

Jambalaya *Lauren Perry*

This is a southern favorite! Its full of flavor and its great for company or football games.

Ingredients
1 lb shrimp (shells removed)
2 chicken breasts, cube
1 package of hot links (I use Hillshire Farm), slice
1 cup rice (I use Uncle Ben's- do NOT use minute rice or boil in a bag)
3/4-1 cup of chili sauce (I use Heinz and I use about half of the jar)
1/2 cup of green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup of onion, chopped
1/2 cup of celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
3 TBS butter
2 cups water
1/4 (or less) tsp of cayenne
few shakes of garlic salt and pepper

Directions
-saute garlic and butter
-add rice and make golden (do not add water yet)
-add veggies and saute
-add chili sauce and then water, briefly stir, do not stir constantly
-bring to boil, then turn to low
-add chicken and sausage and seasonings
-keep covered (but allow a little vent to let the steam out) and stir brief and occasionally- about every 15 minutes.
-add shrimp and cook for an additional 10 minutes, it is ready when the rice is tender and you have a small amount of standing liquid. It its not supposed to be soupy, but you also don't want it to dry. You should be able to get a few TBS of liquid off of it.

Green Beans with Special Sauce *Lauren Perry*

This is sooo yummy! You must follow the directions. The horseradish gives it a slight bite and the sugar sweetens it just enough. We LOVE these beans! I had something very similar at a wonderful resturant over Thanksgiving in Arizona. This is my "mock" version with a few little changes. This is great with prime rib or a good meaty dish.

Ingredients
1 brick of cream cheese
1 tbs horseradish
1 cup whipping cream
garlic salt
pepper
1 tbs chopped garlic
1 tbs of sugar (the slight sweetness is what makes this yummy!)
1/3 cup shredded swiss cheese
*melt above on skillet

extra yummy add in's
-3-4 green onions, chopped
-5 pieces of candied bacon (4 to mix in and 1 to garnish the top)
-bread crumbs
-crispy fried onions

thaw out a bag of frozen green beans (about 2 lbs)
pour the above cheese mixture over the green beans
mix in the 4 pieces of chopped candied bacon and green onions
dump into a casserole dish
top with bread crumbs and bake at at 300 degrees for 20 minutes
top with crispy fried onions and bake an extra 5 mintues

Chicken Soup for the Soul *Lauren Perry*

There is nothing like a good chicken soup! When it's cold outside, when you are under the weather, when you need a little pick me up...chicken soup!

Ingredients
2 quarts chicken broth or stock (I use low fat or low sodium)
2 large carrots, slice and chop in half
2 large celery
1/2 large white onion
1 rotisserie chicken, shred
8 ounces of egg noodle
garlic salt to taste
pepper to taste
onion powder, to taste
1 bay leaf
a bunch of fresh parsley chopped
1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
1/2 tsp lemon juice (or less... just enough for a little kick)

1 tbs sugar

Directions
throw veggies in pot and cook on med/low with either 1 TBS butter or a little chicken broth, until the veggies are tender (5-10 minutes)

add broth, parsley, noodles- bring to boil

add shredded chicken and cheese

season

move to low heat/simmer for about 30-40 minutes