Streusel Nut Coffee Cake

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar, divided
4 eggs
2 tsp vanill aextract
2 tsp almond extract
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups (16 oz) sour cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 tsp instant chocolate drink mix
2 tsp ground cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and 2 cups sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Combine flour and baking soda. Add to the creamed mixture althernately with soure cream. Spoon half into a greased 10 intu tube pan.

In a bowl, combine the walnuts, drink mix, cinnamon and remaining sugar. Sprinkle half over batter. Top with remaining batter and nut minsture. Bake at 350 for 60-70 minute sor until a toothpick insreted near the encter comesout clena. Cool for 10 mintues before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completley.

Chili Pie

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chpped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1 141/2 oz can diced tomatoes
salt
1 15oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 8oz box corn bread mix
1 larege egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400'. Warm vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add ground beef and cook, stirring to break up meant, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, tomatoes and 1/2 tsp salt; cook mixture, stirring occasionally, until iquid is almost evaporated, another 5 minutes. Stir in beans and season to taste.

2. White chili is cooking, combine corn bread mix, egg, milk and cheese. Scrape chili into a 9 inch pie plate. Spread batter over chili. Bake until golden, 15-20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes and serve.

Tips: You can use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef. Or use 2 more cans of beans instead of meat. For more of a bit, try pepepr jack cheese insetad of cheddar. Or add a dash of hot sauce to the meat mixture.

Spinach and Cheese Lasagna

2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
salt
1 15 oz container ricotta
1/2 cup grated parmesan
16 oz grated part skim mozzarella
12 lasagna noodles
1 10 oz packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1. Combine tomatoes, garlic, oregano and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. In a seperate bowl, stir together ricotta, parmesan and 3/4 of mozzarella.

2. Spoon 1/4 of tomato mixture into bottom of a slow cooker. Top with a layer of noodles, breaking to fit, if necessary. Sprinkle 1/3 of spinach over noodles. Spoon 1/3 of ricotta mixture over spinach. Top with 1/4 of tomato mixture. Repeat iwth two more layers of noodles, spinach, ricotta micture and tomatoes. Top with a layer of noodels and remainign mozzarella.

3. Cook on low heat until noodles are soft and lasagna is warmed through, 2 to 3 hours.

Tips: This recipe calls for the regulare lasagna noodle, not the no-boil variety. To make sure the lasagna is cooked insert the tip of a sharp paring knife into the nodles; it should pierce them easily. Try different veggies: try broccoli and mushrooms.

Marbled Sour Cream Cake

Nonstick vegetable cooking spray
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1 package (18.25 oz) yellow cake mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs

1. Position rack in center ov oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Spray a 10 inch bundt pan with the cooking spray.

2. In a medium glass bowl, microwave chocolate morsels on high for 30 seconds. Stir to blend. Continue to microwave until morsels are melted and smooth, about 30 seconds longer. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, sour cream, water, oil, sugar and eggs. Using an electric mixer, beat until very well blended, about 2 minutes.

4. Spoon 2 cups of cake batter into melted chocolate, then mix throroughly to form chocolate batter. Spoon chocolate batter and yellow batter alternately into prepared pan.

5. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of ckae comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer pan to a cooling rack and cool completely, or refrigerate for 30 mintues. Inver cake into a plattter, then carefully remove pan.

Cover tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

White Layer Cake with Raspberry Jam

Cake:
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk at room temperature
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar

Frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter,at room temperature
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

1. Preheat oven to 350'. Butter 3 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper, then butter parchment. Spoon a small amount of flour into pans, swirl to coat sides and bottom, then tap out and discard excess flour.

2. Make Cake: Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together milk, egg whites and vanilla in a medium glass measuring cup or bowl.

3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat utter and sugar until well combined and light. Reduce speed to low and add 1/3 of flour mixture. Add 1/2 of milk mixture, beating constantly and scraping down sidea of bowl as necessary. Beat in another 1/3 of flour, the remaininging milk, beating just untl blwnded. Mix in remaining flour just until blended. Divide batter evenly among pans and smooth tops with a rubber spatula (don't worry if batter looks curdled).

4. Bake cakes for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center of each cake comes out clena. Transfer cakes to wire racks; cool in pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around sides of pans, invert cakes onto wire racks and remove parchment. Let cool completely.

5. Make frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in alarge, deep bowl until ight and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in confectioners sugar in 2 batches until smooth and creamy. Beat in vanilla just until combined.

6. Assemble cake: Using a serrated knife, gently slice horizontally across top of each cake layer tomake level. Place 1 cake layer on serving plate. Spread 1/4 cup jam evenly over layer. Add another cake layer and spread with 1/4 cup jam. Top with final cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake.

Apple Walnut Rice Stuffing

2 tbs margarine or butter
1/2 cup each chopped celery and chopped onion
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 tart apples, chopped
1 1/2 cups minute original rice, uncooked
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Melt margarine in large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add celery, onion and poultry seasoning; cook and stir until onion is tender. Add broth, bright ot boil.

Stir in apples, rice and cinnamon; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 mintues. Stir in walnuts and parsley.

Makes 8 servings.

Cruchy Onion Chicken

2 cups original or cheddar french fried onions
2 tbsp flour
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten

Crush Frech fried onions with four in plastic bag.
Dip chicken into egg, then coast in onion crumbs.
Bake at 400' for 20 minutes until cooked through.