Birthdays in January. 4 th _ Barry 5 th _ Joy 10 th _ Lonnie 14 th _ Tony 15 th _ Brennen

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1 4 th _ Barry 5 th _ Joy 10 th _ Lonnie 14 th _ Tony 15 th _ Brennen Birthdays in January Mexican Vegetable Soup with Lime and Avocado ~ Serves six. Ingredients 1 tablespoon light olive oil 1 medium onion, finely diced 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 can of carrots 1 can green beans 1 can Rotel Tomatoes 3 chicken breasts, cubed (optional) 2 32oz. Boxes of chicken stock + 1 can 3 packets of Swansons Chicken Flavor Boost (optional) 1 can Shoepegcorn 2 teaspoons chipotle chilies, minced 1 avocado, peeled and diced ½ cup chopped cilantro Juice of 1 lime Shredded Monterey Jack cheese Directions -Warm the oil in a large soup pot, brown the chicken, add onion, garlic, oregano, and salt, and cook over medium-low heat until the onion softens. - And Rotels, carrots, green beans, and the broth and simmer. -After 20 minutes add the corn and then gradually stir in the chipotle chilies, about ½ cup of chopped cilantro and the juice of 1 lime. -Cook another 5 minutes; then taste for salt. Add black pepper if you wish. -Ladle the soup into bowls; garnish with the avocado and shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Serve the lime wedge on the side.

2 Birthdays in February 2nd Vincent 3rd Olivia 9th Lyndsey 20th Nick 26th Aunt Loretta 28 th Joshua Beef-and-Black-eyed Pea Chili Yield: Makes 10 cups Ingredients 2 pounds ground chili meat 1 medium-size sweet onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste 2 (14.5-oz.) cans diced tomatoes (Rotels for heat) 1 (16-oz.) package frozen black-eyed peas 1 (12-oz.) bottle dark beer (optional -I used water) 11/2 cups beef broth 1 (4.5-oz.) can chopped green chiles Salt & Black Pepper to taste 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper Preparation 1. Cook first 3 ingredients in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. 2. Add chili powder and cumin in Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until fragrant. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, next 7 ingredients; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 45 minutes. Test black-eyed-peas for doneness. Serve with desired toppings. We used shredded Monterey Jack cheese and sour cream DELICIOUS!!! Toppings: pickled jalapeño pepper slices, shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo

3 Birthdays in March One Pot Pasta Fitting a sit-down supper into your family's busy schedule can be a challenge, but with this easy, cheesy pasta, it doesn't have to be. Boil penne 6 minutes less than al dente; add broccoli florets, and cook until penne is al dente. Drain; return to the pot, and toss with a couple of crushed garlic cloves, some olive oil, the zest and juice of a lemon, salt and pepper, and plenty of Parmesan. Perfect Chicken Note: Grilled Chicken would go well in this dish. 2-4 boneless chicken breasts with or without rib meat 1/2 t. salt 1/2 t. pepper 1/2 t. garlic powder 1/2 t. onion powder 1/2 t. cayenne pepper 2-3 T. olive oil Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika in a small bowl (I use my old 1/4 cup). Coat the chicken breasts in the seasoning, rubbing in to coat. Pour olive oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven, and heat to med-high. When nice and hot, add chicken to the pan (in batches if necessary). Cook 2-3 min per side. If any chicken has been removed, add it back to the Dutch oven. Place uncovered Dutch oven in a 350 degree F oven for 25 minutes or until juices run clear. Let sit on a plate 5-10 minutes before cutting, shredding, or eating.

4 Birthdays in April Iceberg Wedge Salad Servings: 4 INGREDIENTS 2 heads iceberg lettuce ¾ cup Bacon Bits 1/4 cup egg, hard-boiled, chopped 1/4 cup tomato, chopped 1/4 cup blue cheese 1 1/2 cups Morton's Blue Cheese Dressing (below) Morton's Blue Cheese Dressing Ingredients 1 cup real mayonnaise 1/2 cup plus 1 tbssour cream 2 tbs buttermilk 1/2 tspdurkeefamous Sauce -or Mustard 1/4 tsp seasoned salt Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3.5 oz(about 1/4 cups) blue cheese, crumbled DIRECTIONS FOR DRESSING 1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and sour cream. Add the buttermilk, Durkeesauce, and seasoned salt. Whisk until well mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper and whisk again. 2. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the blue cheese. Transfer to a storage container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for at least 1 day and up to 4 days. DIRECTIONS FOR SALAD 1.Remove any wilted outside leaves from lettuce head. Strike bottom of lettuce head on a flat surface to loosen core. Pull core out. Place lettuce head on cutting board and slice from top to bottom. Remove approximately one inch off each side, depending on the size of the head. Slice two 2-inch thick slices from center of head. Repeat with second head. 2. Ladle dressing across wedge so that it runs over one side. In this order sprinkle: bacon bits, chopped egg, chopped tomatoes, and blue cheese over the top of the salad.

5 22nd Amanda 23rd Jaidyn Birthdays in May Dorothy s Green Salsa 1 large can tomatillos Set ½ liquid aside Blend 1 jalapeno sliced 2 Tbsp. sour cream ½ package of holy guacamole 2 pkgs. dry ranch dressing Add handful cilantro-blend stems & all Blend all together serve with tortilla chips. Delicious on grilled chicken, shrimp, fish, steak just about anything. QuesoBlanco Dip 1 1/4 (1.25) lbblock White American Cheese (Land O'Lakes brand preferred), cut into 1-inch cubes 1/4 cup diced green chiles 2 pickled jalapenos, chopped 1 ounce pickled jalapeno juice 2/3 cup whole milk 1/2 cup cold water pinch of cumin (optional) Toss all ingredients into a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, stopping to stir after every minute. The mixture might seem watery during the first few stirs, but should come together as a nice runny dip after all the cheese is melted. Serve immediately as a dip with tortilla chips or as a sauce over your favorite Mexican dish. *Recipe Note: White American cheese is found at most deli counters in your local grocery store. *Reheat Instructions: Store any leftover cheese dip in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until creamy and hot.

6 20th Carol 24th Grandmother Birthdays in June Campfire Beans ~ By Dorothy & Eric 1 Lb. Bacon 1 Package Jimmy Dean pork sausage 1 Bag frozen Seasoning Mix (onion, bell pepper, celery, etc) 1 Large (gallon or #10 can) Bush s original Baked Beans 1 (6-8 oz) Bottle of Tiger Sauce 1 Tbsp Pancake syrup Directions: To feed a large group (12 people) or can cut in half. All of this can be cooked in one pot. Cut one lbof bacon into pieces about the size of half-dollars and fry until all white fat is gone. Remove and drain on paper towel. Cook one pack of Jimmy Dean pork Sausage (not the hot sausage), until it is hard. Separate into very small crumbles and cook well done. This gives it a nutty texture and taste. Remove and drain on paper towel. Sauté one bag of frozen Seasoning Mix (Onions, Bell Peppers, Celery, etc.). Cook this until all of the water has cooked out. Add a large (gallon or number 10 can) can of Bush's original Baked Beans. Cook on low for 20 minutes. Add one small (6-8 oz) bottle of Tiger Sauce. (June just uses half the bottle.) Add one table spoon of Pancake syrup. 10 minutes before serving, sprinkle cooked bacon and sausage over the top. And mix in.

7 7th Jan 10th Laurie 12th Annabelle Birthdays in July Patriotic Marshmallow Popcorn Ingredients 1/2 cup of butter 2 10 ozbags of marshmallows 3 bags of microwave popcorn In a large pan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows to the pan and coat with the melted butter. Stir marshmallows over low heat and continue to let the marshmallows melt. Add some blue gel food coloring to the melted marshmallows. You can adjust the amount of food coloring to how vibrant you want your color to be. Stir until the food coloring is mixed well. Pop your popcorn in the microwave then remove the kernels. I like to put my popcorn in a strainer and shake the popcorn gently to let the kernels sink to the bottom. Put the popcorn in a bowl, then cover with the melted marshmallow mixture. Mix until the popcorn is well coated.

8 5th Debbie 13th Gandy Birthdays in August Linguine With Shrimp Scampi Vegetable Oil Kosher salt 1 1/2 pounds linguine 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter 5 tablespoons good olive oil 3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves) 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley Grated zest of 1 lemon 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons) 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Meanwhile, in another large, heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 tablespoon of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine. When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

9 1st Darnell 15th Sarah 16th Lisa 17th Tommy 18th Charles 18th Sam 24th June Birthdays in September Oven-Fried Chicken ~ Ina Garten (Serves 6) 2 chickens (3 pounds each), cut in eight serving pieces 1 quart buttermilk 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper Vegetable oil or vegetable shortening Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour the buttermilk over them. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Take the chicken out of the buttermilk and coat each piece thoroughly with the flour mixture. Pour the oil into a large heavy-bottomed stockpot to a depth of 1 inch and heat to 360 degrees on a thermometer. Working in batches, carefully place several pieces of chicken in the oil and fry for about 3 minutes on each side until the coating is a light golden brown (it will continue to brown in the oven). Don t crowd the pieces. Remove the chicken from the oil and place each piece on a metal baking rack set on a sheet pan. Allow the oil to return to 360 degrees before frying the next batch. When all the chicken is fried, bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Serve hot.

10 4th Derek 9th Ursin 20th Vincent, Jr. 22nd Charles, Jr. 26th Buddy Birthdays in October Apple Crisp Pizza Ingredients: Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches) 2/3 cup sugar 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon 4 medium apples (like Gala, Fiji, Braeburn, Empire) peeled and diced into 1/4 inch pieces TOPPING: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 cup salted butter, softened 1/2 cup caramel topping Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll pastry to fit a 12 inch pizza pan; fold under edges to give the pizza a bit of a raised crust. Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add peeled, diced apples and toss. Arrange the apples in a single layer over the pie crust to completely cover it. I didn t use all of my apples because I had really big apples. For the topping: Combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and butter in a bowl. Mix well. I like to use my clean hands to get in there and mush it together until it s the texture of wet sand. Sprinkle topping evenly over the apples. Bake at 350 degrees for minutes or until apples are tender. Remove from oven and immediately drizzle with caramel topping. Cut into pizza slices and serve warm with ice cream. Makes 12 servings.

11 11th Jodi 20th Jessica 21st Tanya Birthdays in November Ruth s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole Serves 6 CRUST 1 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup flour 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans preferred) 1/3 stick butter --melted (Do not omit or reduce this amount) SWEET POTATO MIXTURE 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (I bake mine first) 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 eggs --well beaten 1 stick butter --( 1/2 cup) melted (You can leave it out or reduce it, if you wish) Combine brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter in mixing bowl. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in a mixing bowl in the order listed. Mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into buttered baking dish. Sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture evenly with the crust mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving. Serves 6 Hint: Double the recipe but not the crust and not the Amount of sugar. People will love the leftovers, which also freeze beautifully.

12 22nd Barbara 26th Larry 28th Jeff Birthdays in December German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars Yield: 24 bars (about 2-inch square) Ingredients 3 cups pecan halves 1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar 3/4 cup cold butter, cubed 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 & 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 3 large eggs 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 3/4 cup light corn syrup 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut Instructions Preheat oven to 350. Arrange pecans in a single layer of a shallow baking pan. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Stir halfway through baking. Line bottom and sides of a 9"x 13" baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on two short sides. Grease foil. Whisk together flour, confectioners' sugar, and cocoa. Add butter, and combine with a pastry blender* until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press mixture into bottom and about 3/4-inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake crust for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over crust. Allow to cool on a wire rack at least 30 minutes. Place eggs in a large mixing bowl, and beat lightly. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and melted butter. Whisk together until smooth. Stir in coconut and pecans. Pour evenly over partially baked crust. Bake minutes, or until edges are golden and filling has set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Then, refrigerate for an hour. Using foil overhang, lift bars from pan and place on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into bars.