Sweet Chex Mix

1 cube butter (margarine won't work)

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 t. vanilla

Mix all ingredients in saucepan and boil for 2 minutes. In a large bowl mis" 17 oz. Rice Chex, 1/2 bag coconut, 1 cup slivered almonds. Slowly pour syrup over mix, and stir until well coated.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I got this recipe from mom. It is as easy as it gets:

1 small can pumpkin
1 spice cake mix
1 egg
chocolate chips

Stir together. Place golf ball sized balls on pan and bake for 10 min. at 350. Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.

Mashed sweet and white potatoes

Ashley's sister-in-law, Emily, makes these. Just throw in a couple of sweet potatoes (peeled and cut up) into the water with your white potatoes when you are boiling them up. Mash and add lots of butter and a bit of salt. So easy a chimpanzee could do it! You don't even need gravy on top, they are very flavorful. And sweet potatoes have more nutrition than regular potatoes do, too!

One-Dish Chicken with Vegetables

1 envelope onion soup mix

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 c. olive oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

4 medium potatoes, cut into chunks

4 medium carrots, cut into slices

Preheat oven to 425.

In small bowl, combine the soup mix, garlic powder and oil. Spoon half into a large resealable plastic bag; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat. Spoon the remaining marinade into another large bag and add potatoes and carrots. Seal bag and turn to coat.

Arrange chicken and vegetables in a n ungreased 9 by 13 pan. Cover and bake for 15-20 minutes. Uncover, bake 15-20 more minutes or until chicken is done and veggies are tender.

Chicken Pot Pie

This is Jud's mom's recipe. I like it because you don't have to make a crust or waste all the thick parts of a nasty crust. And, it is super easy. And, Jud LOVES it, and so do I, and so does James.

Filling-
1 2/3 cup frozen veggies (carrots and peas- sometimes I add corn too)
1 cup cooked chicken
1 can cream chicken soup

Crust-
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

Mix filling ingredients in an 8 x 8 pan (a lot of times I double it and do a 9 x 13 for leftovers). Stir crust ingredients together and pour over filling. Bake at 400 for 30 min. until browned.

Egg Nog

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law Emily. I've only had it once, but it is DELISH!

1/3 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups milk
2 egg whites
3 Tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup whipping cream

Beat 1/3 cup sugar into yolks and stir in milk. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until right before boiling. Remove from heat. Beat egg whites. Add 3 Tbs sugar. Beat until soft peaks form, add to milk and egg mixture. Add vanilla. Chill 3-4 hours. Serve in mugs- add dollop of whipping cream on top- this is a must. Cathy adds a few sprinkles of cinnamon and nutmeg which makes it even better!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup

With cooler weather coming, here is a recipe I made up. I actually tried to copy what I have tasted at Ye Lion's Den Restaurant in Ogden.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into cubes OR 1 can chicken
2 cans of chicken broth
1/2 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
1 can evaporated milk
3 cups milk
1 cup Swiss cheese
1 c. ham, diced

Heat the chicken broth in a large saucepan until it starts to boil. In a separate bowl mix the flour and the sour cream. Then gradually add heated broth to bowl, a half cup or so at a time, stirring with a whisk, until smooth and thin. (about a cup total broth). Then add that back to the rest of the broth in the saucepan. (This little trick keeps your soup very smooth, not lumpy) Return to a boil, but don't turn heat up to above medium , stirring constantly so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. When it starts to thicken, add the can of milk and the other 3 cups of milk. Then don't cook above medium heat, but keep stirring until it thickens again. Turn off heat and add the cheese and ham. Stir until melted. Serve.

I will add the photo when I make it again.