Turtle Bars

These are SO yummy! I've loved them for years. I make them anytime I need to take something to a potluck.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 tsp. soda
1/3 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup quick oats
2 cubes softened butter

Mix above ingredients (mixture will be crumbly). Spray a 9x12 pan. Spread 2/3 of above mixture on bottom of pan. Press down to flatten. I use my mini rolling pin to make it really good and smooth. Bake 7-8 minutes at 350.

Remove and sprinkle 1 cup chocolate chips and drizzle the caramel sauce over the chocolate chips. Put remaining mixture over the top. Put back into the oven and bake an additional 10-12 minutes.

Caramel Sauce: 35 caramels and 4 TBSP. milk, melted together either in microwave or on the stove. Be careful not to scald.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Here is yet another one of my favorite salads. I've tried quite a few different dressings, combining some and I've settled upon two that I really like. I'm listing both the dresing recipes. Either one will be yummy. I love this served as the entire meal. My kids love it when I make scones to go with it. It's perfect for a shower or luncheon. The only disadvantage is that the next days leftovers are soggy if you premix everything. I typically keep everything seperate in ziploc bags in the fridge so I can enjoy it for a few days.Ingredients:
4 Lg chicken breasts (you can cook various ways. If you want fast, cook in a covered dish in microwave in 1 Cup soy sauce and 1 TBSP sugar, cooking in five minute increments and stirring everytime until done) Then cube.
1 pkg won ton skins (cut into strips and fry till crisp)
1 pkg rice stick (oil needs to be very hot. I cook the won tons first and then turn oil up high to do the rice stick. Just drop the rice stick in the hot oil. It will blow up and you immediately remove it from the oil.)
2-3 heads of lettuce shredded
3-4 bunches green onions

Dressing:
1 cup salad oil (I do use olive oil)
1/2 c rice vinegar
8 TBSP sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp accent salt
1 tsp pepper

Combine in a jar and shake. Toss over salad right before serving. The regular recipe calls for twice this much salt. I've found that I'm sensitive to a lot of salt, so I half the salt. Start with this amount that I've listed. Taste it and if you want more salt, go for it.

Dressing #2:
1/4 c. sesame oil
1/4 c. salad oil
4 tbsp. sugar
6 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine in a jar and shake. Toss over salad right before serving.

Mongolian Beef

Tonight I wanted to make stir fry for dinner and wanted to try a new recipe. I found this recipe for Mongolian Beef and decided to just throw in a bunch of veggies with it. It turned out yummy and I wanted to save the recipe. I doubled the recipe for the sauce and it was perfect. I did fry the meat tonight. Next time I wont. But I do have to say, it was sure good fried! Even if it wasn't healthy!Ingredients:
Vegetable oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root (I used the canned minced ginger)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 pound beef flank steak, sliced 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal
1 cup vegetable oil for frying
2 bunches green onions, cut in 2-inch lengths

Directions:
Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the garlic and ginger until they release their fragrance, about 30 seconds. Pour in the soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. Raise the heat to medium-high, and stir 4 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce boils and slightly thickens. Remove sauce from the heat, and set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in a deep-sided skillet. Drop the meat slices into the hot oil and fry until the edges become crisp and start to brown. Remove and drain on paper towel. Pour the oil out of the skillet or wok, and return the pan to medium heat. Return the beef slices to the pan, stir briefly, and pour in the reserved sauce. Stir once or twice to combine, and add the green onions. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook until the onions have softened and turned bright green, about 2 minutes.

That's the official recipe. Of course, I sauteed my veggies in a little oil, added the meat and then put the sauce over the entire thing right before serving.

Apricot Chicken

This is one of those standards thats been in our family for years. It's an easy dinner that you can throw in the crockpot or in the oven. It's easy, very few ingredients and the kids eat it up because it's so sweet and yummy. Apricot Chicken:

16 oz. Russian Salad Dressing
16 oz. Apricot Jam
2 packets lipton onion soup mix

Mix it all together and pour it over the chicken and bake until the chicken is tender. Serve over rice.

Favorite Banana Bread

It's taken me awhile to find a recipe for the BEST Banana Bread. For years, everytime I make banana bread I'd try a new recipe. Funny thing is, this recipe I didn't have to go searching for. My friend, Cody (there you go Cody - you are officially mentioned!) brought it into work, let me have a piece and I was hooked. Of course I asked for the recipe! It's my all-time favorite recipe now for banana bread. Warren requested chocolate chips in it, so I tried it today. I DON'T recommend it. The only thing differently that I like doing is blending the bananas in your blender and I do prefer to use the bread flour instead of all purpose.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2-3 bananas, blended
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup oil

Mix really well in mixer, then add:

• 1 cup flour (I prefer bread)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Pour in greased pan and bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Makes 1 loaf.