Chocolate Pudding Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. (4-serving size) Jell-O Instant Pudding, Chocolate Flavor
• 1 cup buttermilk baking mix
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 egg
• Peanut butter chips or other assorted candies

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350*. Put pudding mix and baking mix in bowl. Mix together with wooden spoon. Add oil and egg. Mix together until mixture forms a ball. Take a small spoonful of dough and shape it into a 1/2 inch ball. Place ball on an ungreased cookie sheet. Shape rest of dough into 1/2 inch balls. Place balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Press your thumb into the middle of each ball to make a thumbprint. Put peanut butter chips or candies in thumbprint. Bake at 350* for 5-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove cookies from cookie sheet with spatula. Place on wire racks; cool. Makes about 36 cookies.

Recipe taken from:"Great American Cookbook, p. 378."

Colorful Candy Popcorn Balls

Ingredients:

• 12 cups popped popcorn
• 1 cup peanuts
• 3/4 cup multi-colored milk chocolate candies
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine
• 1 bag (10 1/2 oz.) Kraft Miniature Marshmallows
• 1 pkg. (4-serving size) Jell-O Gelatine, any flavor
• Margarine for greasing your hands

Instructions:

Pour popcorn into huge bowl. Add peanuts and milk chocolate candies. Mix together with spoon. Put margarine and marshmallows in large microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until marshmallows are puffed. Using pot holders, take bowl out of microwave. (Careful! Bowl will be hot!) Mix together with spoon. Add gelatin to marshmallow mixture. Stir with spoon until mixture is all the same color. Pour marshmallow mixture over popcorn mixture in huge bowl. Quickly stir with spoon until marshmallow mixture evenly covers popcorn mixture. Let mixture cool slightly. Grease your hands well with some margarine. Shape mixture into balls with your hands. Place balls on waxed paper until completely cool.

The kids and I made these popcorn balls, and had a blast! It was fun getting all greasy and making something that tasted so good and were so colorful!

Recipe taken from:"Great American Cookbook, p. 384."

Pudding Poke Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 pound cake loaf (about 12 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cups cold milk
• 1 pkg. (4-serving size) Jell-O Instant Pudding, Chocolate Flavor
• Candy decorations, if you wish

Instructions:

Remove cake from wrapper and place it on plate. Poke 25-30 holes into top of cake with handle of wooden spoon. Pour 1 1/2 cups of cold milk into shaker. Add pudding mix. Put lid on shaker very tightly. Shake very hard for at least 45 seconds. (Be sure to hold top and bottom of shaker tightly.) Pour about 1/4 of the pudding mixture quickly over holes in cake. Tap cake lightly on counter so pudding will go down holes. Pour about 1/3 of the rest of the pudding over holes. Tap cake again. Let rest of pudding stand 2 minutes to thicken. Frost sides and top of cake with remaining pudding using table knife. Put cake into refrigerator to chill until serving time. Sprinkle with candy decorations, if you wish.

Recipe taken from:"Great American Cookbook, p. 390."

Spiced Tea

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Tang instant orange breakfast drink
• 1 jar instant tea (med.)
• 1-3 oz. pkg. sweetened lemonade mix
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. cloves

Instructions:

Mix ingredients; use 2-3 tsp. at a time.

Tortilla Appetizers

Ingredients:

• 1-2 pkgs. tortillas (flour)
• 1-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
• 1-8 oz. pkg. sour cream
• 1 can chopped black olives
• 1 can diced green chillies
• 1-8 oz. pkg. shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Mix ingredients; spread on tortillas. Roll up, and chill over night. Slice and serve with or without salsa.

Texas Taco Dip

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can (15 oz.) red kidney beans, mashed with liquid
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 TBSP. chili powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped pimientos-stuffed green olives
• Taco chips

Instructions:

Combine meat, onion, & garlic in 1 1/2 qt. glass bowl or casserole. Stir to break up meat. Cover tightly with saran wrap, turning back the edge to vent. Microwave at 100% for 4 minutes, stirring twice. Drain off excess fat. Add beans, tomato sauce,chili powder and salt. Mix well. Recover, leaving vent and microwave at 50% for 8 minutes, stirring once. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Spoon into chafing dish and set over low flame or double boiler. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and olives. Serve with taco chips.