Spinach Squares

Recipe courtesy of: Gail

These spinach squares are delicious & easy to make- great for dinner any time of year.

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp butter, melted in a 9 x 13 pan
• 3 eggs
• 1 Cup of flour
• 1 Cup of milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 lb of grated Monterey jack cheese
• 2 10-oz boxes frozen chopped spinach, defrosted (wring out most of the water)

Steps:

1. Melt butter in pan in oven (watch so it doesn't burn).
2. Beat eggs, flour, salt, baking soda, and milk.
3. Add cheese and spinach and then turn the mixture into the pan.
4. Bake at 350° for about 35 minutes.

Notes: These are good as leftovers too :-)

Thanks Gail!!

Oatmeal Chunky Monkeys

Adapted from Quaker Oatmeal "Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies"

These delicious cookies cut back on the fat without compromising on taste by substituting banana for some of the butter. The original recipe these come from is called "vanishing" for a reason... they are so tasty it's hard to keep them around!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 stick margarine or butter, softened at room temp
• 3 cups of oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 package of chocolate chunks
• 1 large Banana

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350°
2. Beat together in a large bowl: Butter, banana, and sugars until creamy
3. Add eggs and vanilla to the large bowl & mix well
4. Mix together in a small bowl: Flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.
5. Add the flour mix to the ingredients in the large bowl. Mix well.
6. Stir in oats (and raisins if using original recipe).
7. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

For the original recipe, use 2 sticks of butter instead of banana, and add 1 cup of raisins.
Want a holiday version? Try using the original recipe but with dried cherries or cranberries and white chocolate chips.

Tomato Pie

Recipe courtesy of: Weezie M.

This is one of the dishes we love to have when we have dinner on Cape Cod with our good friends Weezie & John. The pie is great as an accompaniment to a meal, or as the main course itself. It is delicious and light-tasting, perfect for summer.

Ingredients:

• 1 Pillsbury Pie Crust
• Swiss cheese, sliced, enough to cover pie
  
• 3-4 Tomatoes
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• Garlic
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 8-10 Ritz crackers
• 1 Tablespoon of butter

Instructions:

1. Cook pie crust as directed for one crust baked shell and let cool.
2. Line bottom of pie crust with thin slices of Swiss cheese.
3. Cut tomatoes into thick slices and put on top of cheese. Do not overlap.
4. Mix one cup of parmesan cheese with one cup of mayo. Add a pinch of garlic. Spread this mixture over the pie.
5. Top with crushed Ritz Crackers(8-10) and dot with butter.
6. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

Scotcheroos!

(AKA Butterscotch Rice Krispie Treats)

It's amazing what some butterscotch chips can do! My first experience with these incredibly addictive sweet treats was on my high school lacrosse team- various team members would bring post-game treats, and one of favorites was the scotcheroo. (Originally, they were covered with a layer of chocolate, but I actually prefer them without now). This recipe is so simple it barely requires an ingredient list and steps, but I'll indulge you.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups Rice Krispie Treats
• 1 bag of marshmallows (regular-sized big ones)
  
• 3 Tbs butter or margarine
• 3/4 of a bag of butterscotch chips

Steps:

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-low heat.
   
2. Add the marshmallows and continue to melt, stirring occasionally.
3. When the marshmallows are almost completely melted (they still have a little shape to them but have blended together) add 1/2-3/4 of the bag of butterscotch chips.
4. Stir until melted, only 1-2 minutes more.
   
5. Add in the rice krispies and mix quickly to coat.
   
6. Immediately transfer to a greased pan and spread into pan. You may need to wait a few minutes until the mix has cooled a bit to spread it evenly.

Notes: As mentioned, these can be addictive. Cut them in smaller pieces than you usually would, as they are very sweet (but that doesn't stop people from eating them up quickly!) These are a great party addition, and are becoming my new 4th of July staple treat.

Variations: For a while I was drizzling melted chocolate over the top, to stay closer to the original scotcheroo. You can also go all-out and do the full chocolate topping: melt chocolate in a saucepan (baker's chocolate, follow package instructions for sweetening) and spread over the krispie treats in the pan.