Easy P.B. Cheesecake

This is an easier version of a peanut butter cheesecake that I posted a year ago.  It is excellent!  It also it a less expensive.  The other recipe is only slightly better so if you have the time and money use that one.  Here's the recipe.  I found it online somewhere...I don't remember where.

Ingredients:
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1(8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 graham cracker or Oreo pie crust

Directions:
1. Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together.  Add the peanut butter and mix well.  Fold in the whipped topping until completly blended.
2. Fill the pie crust with the peanut butter mixture and chill in the freezer until ready to serve.

Fish Chowder

Ingredients

* 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 3 stalks celery, chopped
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1/2 pound frozen salmon or cod fillets

Directions

1. In a medium sized stock pot place undrained tomatoes, celery, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Place frozen fish fillets in pot. Reduce heat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Cook until mixture is heated through and fish is opaque and flaky. Thin with a little water if desired.

Autumn Acorn Squash

Ingredients
1 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Turn acorn squash upside down onto a cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degrees oven until it begins to soften, approximately 30 to 45 minutes.

Remove squash from the oven and turn onto a plate so that the flesh is facing upwards. Place butter and brown sugar into the squash, and place remaining squash over the other piece. Place squash in a baking dish (so the squash won't slide around too much) while baking.

Place squash in the 350 degrees F oven and bake another 30 minutes.

Autumn Glazed Pork Chops and Sugarsnap Peas

This was the main dish I made for Heather on the night I proposed. It can't be too bad, right?

Ingredients:
2 boneless pork chops
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons apple cider
1/4 cup cranberry sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate
3/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 oz. sugarsnap peas
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon distilled vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons molasses
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick coating. Heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of chops with pepper. Brown chops on each side in hot skillet. Add apple cider. Cover tightly; cook over low heat for 5-6 minutes or until chops are just done. Drain off juices. In a small bowl combine cranberry sauce, honey, orange juice concentrate, half the ginger and nutmeg. Pour over chops. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until heated through. Remove chops.

In the same skillet with juices from chops, cook the peas in soy sauce, vinegar, molasses, remaining ginger and red pepper flakes for 4 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender. Return pork to pan; cook for 3 minutes or until glazed.

Blender Cranberries with Orange

Crystal asked that I publish this recreation of Collette's fresh cranberry blend.

Put about 3 cups fresh strawberries in the blender.
Add 1 orange, peeled and sections mostly removed.
Optional: 1/2 cup nuts
2 Tablespoons agave nectar.

Blend on the chop selection till well blended. It tastes great on turkey, rolls, and even the Waldorf salad Heather and Adam made.

Cherry Tomatoes Wrapped In Bacon

Because everything's better with bacon!

Harrison and I had these as an appetizer once at a restaurant, and they were amazing. When you pop the whole thing in your mouth and the tomato just explodes with flavor it's soooo good. We made them at home today for Thanksgiving and they turned out great.

Here's the recipe:


Soak bamboo skewers or toothpicks in a bowl of water for 15 minutes (so they don't burn up in the oven or something).

Cook the bacon up in a frying pan (you might want to cut the pieces of bacon in half if the tomatoes are on the smaller side) until it's no longer raw, but is still pliable.

Take the bacon out of the pan and let it rest until it's cool enough to work with.

Wrap the bacon around the tomatoes, sticking the toothpick through the middle to secure it.

Season with black pepper, freshly ground if you have it.

Place the bacon wrapped tomatoes on a broiling pan and pop them into a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until the bacon is crispy.

Remove and serve!

Hancock Pizza Dough

Makes 2 pizzas (or 1 pizza and 1 tray bread-sticks*)

Ingredients:
2 TBS yeast
1 tsp honey or sugar
2 cups warm water
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt

Directions:
In large bowl mix yeast, honey, and warm water and let bubble (about 10 minutes). Add flour and salt. Knead (adding more flour as needed) and form into ball. Let raise until double or about 1 hour. Divide into 2 balls. Roll out into pizza crust. Top pizza with sauce, cheese, and desired toppings. Bake 12-15 minutes at 425 degrees.

*For bread-sticks top with melted butter, seasoned salt, and Parmesan cheese. These are easiest to get out if you cut them prior to baking.