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This is a staple on my Christmas cookie tray, but occasionally I make them at other times of the year. They are easy to put together and don't take long to bake. Plus they are a favorite at potlucks. My friend ate 4 during the coffee hour after worship this past Sunday! NUTTY DATE SQUARES 1/4 cup butter 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg 1 2/3 cups Bisquick 1 cup chopped dates 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans) Powdered sugar (optional -- I don't use this because I don't like the sugar falling on my clothing) Preheat oven to 350. Mix butter, sugar and egg thoroughly. Stir in Bisquick, dates and nuts. Spread in a greased and floured 9-by-9-inch pan or baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool. Cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Roll in powdered sugar, if desired.

This is so flavorful and satisfying -- perfect for a cold winter night. And better the next day! I found this in a Betty Crocker publication that's sold in the supermarket checkout lane. But I get it in the mail because my Aunt Laura subscribes to it for me. SLOW COOKER FRENCH ONION BEEF 1 1/4 -pound boneless beef round steak (1/2- to 3/4-inch thick) ...

In the past month I've made two kinds of cupcakes -- both to rave reviews. I made chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting for the concession stand at a theater production. My daughter had a small role in "The King & I." I packed them in adorable cupcake boxes made from scrapbook paper. To see that technique, visit my scrapbooking blog . They sold for $2.25! I made them again for a scrapbooking crop and I had four requests for the frosting recipe. Recently, I needed a snack for a Girl Scout meeting. I had a lot of quickly ripening bananas and a yellow cake mix. I remembered a recipe for banana cupcakes with a caramel frosting. I made them and most of the Girl Scouts liked them. I took leftovers to the scrapbooking crop the next day and they went fast. The frosting reminds me of a candy I've blogged about before: January Thaw . They are similar in ingredients and cooking method. This is a perfect cupcake to make this time of year. "The Cak...

Served with bacon, these filling pancakes were a comforting breakfast-for-dinner on a cold, snowy winter night. I took a photo of this one because I thought it kinda looked like ... something ... maybe a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Princess Leia or Nancy from the old comic strip. But instead of selling it on eBay, we ate it. SPICY PUMPKIN PANCAKES 2 1/3   cups Original Bisquick® mix 1/3   cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) 1 1/4   cups milk ...

I know the secret to flavorful, tender, easy barbecued chicken. It involves a Crock-Pot and two kinds of seasoning. These barbecued drumsticks are going to be part of my New Year's Eve goodies tonight. But you can do it with wings or any cut really. And it's good any time of year -- and in summer it won't overheat your kitchen because it barely uses the oven. You could even start the chicken in the slow cooker and finish it on the grill. I have worked on this recipe for more than a year an I've learned from Cook's Country magazine and WhatMegansMaking.com. PERFECT BARBECUED CHICKEN LEGS 1 4-pound bag frozen chicken drumsticks 1 package McCormick Hickory BBQ Wing Seasoning 1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce Put the McCormick seasoning mix in a slow cooker liner. Add the chicken. Gather the bag closed and shake. Place the bag in the Crock-Pot. You can put a half cup of sauce in with the chicken but it's not critical. Cook the chicken on low for 4-6 ...

Have you kept your resolutions? Are you thinking about making new ones? If you follow this blog, you know I haven’t kept to my resolution to update weekly. If one of your resolutions has to do with meal planning, I have a review for you that may be helpful. It is never too late to adopt this skill that will be so helpful in running your household smoothly. I have been a meal planner for years. I look at my calendar and figure out which nights are busy and will need a quicker meal. Some nights might be a church or family dinner for which I will have to take a covered dish. Some occasions mean we will be eating out. I look up all the recipes, take note of the ingredients and make a grocery list for that week. I don’t just think about dinner, I consider lunches and sometimes breakfasts. There are some meal planning services that will give you a week of dinners and a grocery list. Emeals.com is one that I tried is focused on saving money and it makes up the menus and lis...

Most of the recipes below were provided to me in a subscription to Emeals.com in 2011. Click to see my review of this meal planning service . BAKED POTATO SOUP 8 medium Idaho potatoes (Aluminum foil) 1 package bacon – cooked & crumbled, divided 1 bunch green onions, divided 2/3 cup butter 2/3 cup flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 6 cups milk 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided 8 ounces sour cream   1 bag blueberry muffin mix Wash and dry potatoes. Wrap in aluminum foil; place in 400-degree oven approximately 1 hour. Remove; let cool. Fry bacon until crisp; drain. Crumble; set aside. Slice top part of clean onions into small pieces about half way down. Set side. Peel skins off cooled potatoes; smash with a fork, leaving some chunks. Set aside. Melt butter in large soup pot. Gradually add flour, salt & pepper, stirring constantly. Cook about 1 min. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until cream base thickens. Add mo...