Ultimate Caesar Potatoes

Completely amazing and completely simply. Pleasing to all. These are the perfect BBQ or potluck potato. Just don't try to kiss a vampire for a few days.
5 pounds potatoes
about 2 cups of Renee's Caesar dressing
3/4 cup grated romano or parmasan or mix of both
whole pack of bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped up
salt and pepper to taste

Cube and boil potatoes with the skins on. Don't cook them too much (about 10 minutes or so)
Drain.
Mix everything together and bake in a 350 oven till warm and bubbly, or can be done of the BBQ as well. I use a throw away foil pan for easy cleanup.

Pig Cake

I gotta tell ya, this is one super yummilicious doctored up cake mix. If you don't tell anyone, they would never know. Shhhhh

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 1 box (18.25 Oz. Box) Yellow Cake Mix
• 1 stick Margarine (softened)
• 1 can (14 Oz. Can) Mandarin Oranges, Drained, 1/2 Cup Juice Reserved
• 4 whole Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

• FOR THE TOPPING:
• 1 package (4 Oz. Box) Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
• 1 can (20 Oz. Can) Crushed Pineapple, Juice Reserved
• ½ cups Powdered Sugar
• 4 ounces, fluid Frozen Whipped Topping (such As Cool Whip)
• Extra Mandarin Orange Slices, For Garnish

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For the cake, combine cake mix, margarine, 1/2 cup juice from the mandarin oranges, eggs, and vanilla. Beat for four minutes on medium-high. Add drained oranges and beat again until pieces are broken up and small. Pour batter into greased and floured 9 x 13 inch baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and set. Remove from oven and cool completely. If desired, turn out cake onto a large platter.

Once cake is cool, blend juice from drained pineapples with the vanilla pudding mix. Add powdered sugar and mix, then mix in whipped topping. Stir in drained pineapple. Spread on cooled cake and refrigerate several hours.

To serve, cut cake into squares and top each square with a mandarin orange slice.

This is stolen from a great foodie site I love called The Pioneer Woman

New York Style takeout noodles

Best noodles ever. Taken from the New York Times Magazine Spring 07. Made many, many, many batches since. All good, all the time.

1 lb egg noodles
2 tbsp sesame oil
3.5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsps minced garlic
2 tsps chili-garlic paste
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
Optional-but not necessary- ginger and sesame paste and cucumber 

1. Boil noodles until barely tender (<5 mins), drain, rinse with cold water & toss with a splash of sesame oil.
2. Whisk everything else but peanuts together in a bowl.
3. Pour the sauce over the noodles. Add peanuts (and cucumber) to garnish.

Yum. killer good, great for potlucks.

Taco Casserole/ flaming cheese dip.

I just kind of throw thigs together so all amounts are a guess

Cook some noodles, what ever you have really. Set aside
Brown some ground beef, with some red peppers, onions, jalepeno peppers, whatever you have. I have used fresh and jarred with equal success.
Add a packet of taco seasoning and a jar of salsa. Season to taste if you need it. You could add cummin, cayene, chili peppers, green chilis, salt and pepper, garlic, whatever. I usually find it doesn't need much else. Shred up some cheese. I use cheddar, but you could use monterey jack, mozzerella, whatever you have on hand. I use about 2 cups maybe? Throw that in the pan and mix it all up to melt it, and add the noodles and give is a good stir. At this point it is ready to eat, but you could also put it in the oven to keep it warm, or mix up the flavours or whatever. I serve it with a dollop og sour cream and sometimes some chopped up green onions on top.

** this also makes a great party dip if you eliminate the noodles and up the cheese content, and maybe make it a little hotter on the spicy scale. Just serve it with cut up baguettes 

Taco casserole

This is not our usual kind of supper, but my family loves it so I make it once in a while. Is is good for a pot luck gathering.
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalepeno pepper, diced (optional)
1 jar of your favorite salsa ( I use pace or chi-chi's)
1 packet taco seasoning
cheddar cheese, shredded ( a few cups)
monterey jack cheese,shredded (a few cups)
whatever kind of pasta you want,cooked (I use scoobi-doos, or penne or elbow macaroni)
green onions
sour cream

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile....

Fry up the ground beef and when it's almost done add the garlic, onions and peppers. Continue frying until the veggies soften up a bit. Spoon out as much of the fat as you can, then dump in the salsa and taco seasoning. If it looks too dry, you can add some tomato sauce or some tomato paste or just some water. After that heats up a bit add about 3/4 of each kind of cheese. Stir it in. Salt and pepper and season to taste. I often add cumin.
Stir in the cooked pasta, and dump it all in a 9x13 lasagna pan. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over top. Bake it in a 350 oven for 20-30 minutes.
To serve sprinkle the green onions over top and serve with a dollop of sour cream.
For a variation, you can omit the noodles and serve it with a baguette or tortilla chips.

Cabbage and Noodle Salad

An old favourite that always goes well. Especially at pot luck gatherings. I usually make so much that I bring it in a roasting pan. There is usually none left, but surprisingly if there is, it actually tastes good left over as well.

8 cups chopped cabbage (about 1/2 large head of cabbage)
2 green onions chopped
2 radishes, chopped (optional)
1/2 green pepper, chopped 
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 TBSP sesame seeds
2-4 TBSP sunflower seeds
1 package Mr. Noodles uncooked and separated

Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP vinegar
1/2 tsp pepper
seasonings from the noodle packet
(I add a little salt to this)

Toss together cabbage, onions and green pepper. Set aside. Toast almonds on a cookie sheet until golden brown. Add almonds, seeds, and crunched up raw noodles to veggies. Mix well. Mix together dressing ingredients, and pour over salad. Toss and enjoy.