Geppetto's Fruit Dip - Want a great way to serve fresh sliced apples?  This dip has a smooth caramel-like flavor and goes great with lots of other fruits, too.

Woodcutter's Seasoning Salt - This is a great all-purpose seasoning salt handed down from "Granpa Clark."  I sprinkle it on steaks, chicken, chops and fish about a half hour before grilling.  This adds a great flavor to a pot of stew, soup, or beans.  Need a way to spruce up leftovers?  This will do it.  Liberally coat the inside of a turkey, chicken, or Cornish hen before roasting and the flavor goes all through the meat.

Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookies - These soft-style cookies are always a hit.  Very rich.  Perfect for dunking in a glass of milk!

McGregor's Onion Blossom - You've eaten them at some of your favorite restaurants.  Why not serve a couple at your cast party!

Troll's 7-Layer Dip - Great Mexican dip for chips.

3 Pigs' Chestnut Wraps - Better make a lot.   These morsels are finger licking good!

Pinocchio's Artichoke Dip - Our all-time favorite Cast Party dip!

Little Red's Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter-Chocolate Frosting - You'll know why the Wolf goes nutz over it!

Kevin's Marinade - Add the Wolf's Seasoning Salt to this and you have some delicious meat!

Geppetto's Fruit Dip

8 oz pkg  cream cheese (softened)
¾ cup brown sugar (lt or drk)
¼ cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix everything in a bowl until creamy.  Let set in refrigerator an hour or so to let the sugars dissolve.  Great with apple slices or spoon on bananas.

Wolf's Seasoning Salt

2 lb Salt (you may elect to use 1 lb salt and 1 lb salt substitute)
1 lb MSG or Accent Meat Tenderizer (really adds to the flavor, but can be left out)
1 lb paprika
1 lb garlic powder (or garlic salt, if you can't find plain garlic powder)
1 lb black pepper
1 lb ground celery (or Celery Salt, if you can't find plain Ground Celery)
1 lb corn Starch (just to help prevent caking)

(recipe reduction:  easy!  To make a small batch-- just change the lbs to oz or Tbsp)

Combine everything in a big (HUGE!) mixing bowl.  Make sure everything's mixed really well.  Put in shaker containers (grated parmesan cheese shakers are ideal).  This seasoning is great in stews or beans, as a dry rub meat seasoning prior to grilling, even adds to fresh steamed veggies and baked potatos.  Wonderful as part of the Wolf's Mainade (see recipe below). Be creative!

Wolf's Marinade

1 oz Seseme Seed Oil
2 oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 oz Balsamic Vinegar
2 oz Mogen David Marsala Wine (optional)
2 oz Soy Sauce
2 Tbs Liquid Smoke (Hickory prefered, any is acceptable)
6 oz pineapple juice (prefered) or Guava Nectar
½ cup Wolf's Seasoning Salt (see recipe, above)

Mix everything in a container (I use a salad dressing mixing cup or sports drink mixing glass).  Add Seasoning Salt and mix well.  Add meat to 1 Gallon bag (Zip-Lock Freezer Bag) and pour mixture in, removing exess air from bag before you seal it up. Allow meat to marinade as long as possible (ever-night is ideal, but a half-hour is enough), turning bag every few hours so the spices don't settle.  After you put the meat on the grill, use the leftover marinade as a basting liquid during grilling (use sanitary care). This really adds the flavor throughout the meat. Great marinade for Steaks, Chicken, pork and grilled veggies.

Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter (softened)  [margarine will work, but not preferred]
1 cup Sugar
1 cup brown sugar (lt or drk)
2 medium size eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract (don't use imitation)
2 cups flour
2½ cups rolled oats (uncooked oatmeal)
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chunks)
1/3 cup baking cocoa (optional)
1 cup black walnuts, (or English Walnuts, Macadamia Nuts, Pecans, etc.)

1.  Cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
2.  Place oats in blender and process until turned to powder (I like to process only 1 cup of oats and leave the other 1½ cups as is, for more texture)
3.  Mix together flour, all oats, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
4.  Mix butter-egg mixture (step 1) with flour-oats mixture (step 3) until just blended.
5  If you prefer more chocolate flavor, add the baking cocoa
6.  Lastly, add nuts (if desired) and chocolate chips.  Mix into dough until just blended.
7.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Let dough set in refrigerator while oven preheats (harder dough is easier to work with)
8.  Roll into golf ball-sized balls (don't make too big!) and place about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.
9.  Bake for 12 minutes or until done.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

McGregor's Onion Blossom

DIPPING SAUCE:
1 cup mayonnaise
4 tsp ketchup (Heinz is what I use)
4 tbsp cream-style horseradish
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp dried oregano
dash of black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper

Mix all the ingredients for the dipping sauce and let refrigerate for at least an hour to let all the different flavors mix well.  Be sure to mix well right before serving.

ONION:
1 Egg
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp cumin
1 giant Yellow Onion-- Valencia is ideal! (¾ lb or more)
vegetable oil for deep frying

1. For the dipping liquid, beat the egg and combine with milk in a medium bowl that's big enough to hold the onion.
2.  For the dry batter, in a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, peppers, oregano, thyme, and cumin.
3.  To cut the onion, just do yourself a favor and go to Walmart and spend $5 on a handy-dandy onion cutter-- or you can even use an apple wedge cutter and then use a knife to double the number of cuts.  Depending on the size of the onion, there should be up to 16 diameter cuts (or, 32 petals).  Smaller onions will have slightly less.
4.  Without ripping them off, spread the petals apart so the coating will get into all the little crevasses.
5.  Dip the onion into the dipping liquid (#1) then coat it well with the dry batter (#2).  Be sure to spread the petals so it gets lots of batter.  When you're sure it's done well, dip it back into the liquid and put on a second coating.  This is the important part!  Let the coated onion set in the refrigerator for 15 minutes while the oil in the deep fry heats up.
6.  Pour enough oil into the fryer to cover the onion completely.  Heat the oil to 350°. 
7.  Fry the onion for 10 minutes, or until the whole thing turns medium to dark brown (not burned, but not undercooked-- your first one is trial and error).
8.  Drain the onion on paper towels or a rack.
9.  Pry the middle of the onion open enough to put a small bowl containing the dipping sauce.  Serve warm.  You can also use ketchup for dipping!.

Troll's 7 Layer Dip

In a pie plate or quiche dish, layer the following in the order below (Bean Dip on the bottom, etc.).  Refrigerate until time to eat.   Serve with tortilla chips.  You will most likely want to double the recipe if you have more than 15 or 20 people-- it gets scooped up fast.

1.  16 Oz refried beans or Bean Dip (i.e.  Taco Bell)
2.  1 cup Sour Cream with one package dry taco meat seasoning mixed in
3.  1 cup salsa
4.  1 cup avocado dip or guacamole dip
5.  1 cup shredded lettuce
6.  1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese (the sharper, the better!)
7.  chopped green onions, black olives, tomatoes, etc. to taste

3 Pigs' Chestnut Wraps

Ten strips of bacon
20 water chestnuts
1 cup Brown Sugar

1.  Take the bacon and cut it in half.
2.  Roll it in Brown Sugar and wrap it around water chestnuts.
3.  Sprinkle more Brown Sugar on top of the wrapped water chestnuts.
4.  Put them on a cake pan or cookie sheet in the oven and bake at 350º for about 18 or 21 minutes.
5.  When the bacon is cooked they are done.  Stick toothpicks in them and serve warm.
6.  Don't get skimpy on the  Brown Sugar because that is the "secret" of the recipe!

Pinocchio's Artichoke Dip

1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts -- drained and chopped
1 cup (4 oz) grated parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip)
1 tomato, chopped
sliced green onions (about 6-8.  Use the green parts, too)

Mix the artichoke hearts, parmesan cheese and mayonnaise together.  spoon into a pie plate and bake at 350º for about 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and sprinkle the onions and tomatoes on top.  Serve with crackers, chips or hot bread and enjoy!

Little Red's
Chocolate Cake with
Peanut Butter-Chocolate Frosting

CAKE:
Just go to the store and get a good moist cake mix.  It's much easier and cheaper.  Make sure it's good and moist!  A single-layer cake is much easier than a layer cake for cast parties.  While the cake is cooling, make the frosting.

FROSTING:
Over medium heat, combine:
    1 Stick butter (please use real butter)
    ¼ cup milk
    4 tablespoons (heaping!) powdered coco
Bring briefly to a "rolling" boil (regular boil) then take off heat and add:
    1 teaspoon vanilla (please use real-- not imitation)
    ½ cup smooth peanut butter
    1 lb powdered sugar
Mix well until smooth.  Add milk (or more powdered sugar) for desired consistency (but the Wolf likes it thick!).  Spread the frosting over the whole cake.  If the frosting's not at LEAST ¼" thick, you're cheating your guests! 

Mighty Meaty No-Bean Chili

• 2 lbs ground beef (browned, crumbled, drained)
• 2 lb round roast (browned, cut into 1" cubes)
• 1 12-ounce can tomato paste
• 2 29-oz cans tomato sauce
• 1 29-oz can whole tomatoes (diced)
• 3 bunches (about 10 per bunch) green onions (stems and all, sliced thin)
• 1 12-oz can regular Rotel Chilies & Tomatoes
• 1/4 cup diced celery (1 stalk)
• 1/4 cup chopped coriander/cilantro (1" length of 1" circumference bunch)
• 1 clove garlic, chopped or thinly sliced
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 3 TBS chili powder
• 1 ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup Heinz Ketchup
• 3 TBS Tobasco Chipotle pepper sauce
• 2 cups water

  Add all ingredients into 6 qt crock pot. Heat on high for 4 hours (or low for 6+ hours)  Serve with hot corn bread muffins and cheddar cheese, black olives, pickles, sour cream for garnish.
  Spiciness Scale of 1-10: 6

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  No-Bake Cookies

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 tablespoons cocoa
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 3 cups oatmeal
  • Waxed paper
  
  

  In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil, the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Let boil for 1 minute then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. On a sheet of waxed paper, drop mixture by the teaspoonfuls, until cooled and hardened.

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  NOTE: None of these tasty recipes were created by our staff. They are usually old family recipes handed down and "edited" to our liking. No copyrights have been violated.