Harvest Squash Soup

1 small to medium butternut squash peeled, seeded
1 small onion chopped
2-3 stalks of celery chopped
2 large carrots peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons of butter
 6 cups good chicken stock
1/2-3/4 cup half and half
salt and pepper to taste
Nutmg

Directions

Cut squash into 1 inch chunks.  In a large pot melt butter, add onion, carrots and celery cook until softened. 
Add squash and stock.  Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 mins to 20 mins.  Remove the vegetables and put into blender or use stick blender and puree.  Return the blended squash to pot.  Stir and season with salt and pepper and pinch of nutmeg.  Add half and half and heat a little longer and serve with crusty bread.

Cream Cheese Almond Bars

1 cup butter (softened)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. Cream cheese (softened)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp.pure almond extract

Frosting
1/4 cup butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Milk or cream
1 tsp pure almond extract
Sliced almonds (optional)

Directions
Combine butter, flour, and powdered sugar, beat until well blended. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 cake pan. Bake for 20 mins at 350. Beat cream cheese until smooth, add eggs, sugar, and almond extract until well blended. Spread on top of crust and bake 15-20 mins more. Allow to cool before frosting.
Frosting:
Combine softened butter, powdered sugar and small amount of milk and beat until smooth. Add more milk if it is too thick or more powdered sugar if too thin. Add almond extact. Spread on top of the bars and enjoy!
These bars are so good! Perfect for graduation parties or heck anytime!

Macaroni Salad

1-6oz. Pkg corkscrew pasta
3 cups cooked chicken chopped up
1 cup italian dressing
1 cup miracle whip
3 T sweet pickle juice
3 green onions chopped
1 cup celery chopped
Salt to taste
Mortons Nature Seasoning- few shakes

Cook pasta, drain and cool. Mix everything else together and add pasta.
And of course Enjoy!

Cornaroni

2 cans of whole kernel canned corn
2 cans creamed corn
2 sticks of butter
2 cups uncooked macaroni
1 med jar of cheese whiz.

Put everything in a crockpot. Do not drain the corn!!
Cook in crockpot on high for 3 hours, stir and check noodles for doneness. You may want to turn down to low depending on how fast noodles are cooking.
This can easily be cut in half to serve less people.  Serve as a sidedish.  Maybe even think about adding bacon, hamburger or some other kind of meat.

Glazed Spicy Sweet Potatoes

2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tsp ground allspice
1 Tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tsp ground Chiles (chipotle, cayenne)
about 2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled, and cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, brush some oil into the baking dish.  In a large bowl whisk together the butter, honey, lime juice, allspice, cinnamon and chiles until blended.  Mix in potatoes and arrange the slices in a single layer in the baking dish and add salt and pepper.  Bake for about 20-25 mins, or until tender and the sauce is caramelized.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

2 Tbsp hot sauce (Franks)
8 green onions
4 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp dried thyme or 2 Tbsp fresh
2 Tbsp ground allspice
2 Tsp cinnamon
1 Tsp nutmeg
1/2 Tsp ground cloves
2 Tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 lbs. chicken parts (boneless is best)

In a blender or food processor, puree all ingredients (except chicken) until smooth.  Pierce the chicken with a fork all over.  Put the chicken in a large ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the chicken, seal and marinate overnight.  Remove chicken 30 mins before cooking.  Chicken can for grilled, broiled or grilled on the stove top grill pan.

Mango & Avocado Salad

5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2  Tbsp fresh orange juice and some zest
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
2 ripe Haas Avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced
2 mangoes, cut along each side of pit and score each half into diamonds and spoon out of shell
1/2 red onion finely chopped
red pepper flakes, optional
Mixed salad greens

Make Vinaigrette- Whisk together the first five ingredients and set aside.  In a bowl mix the salad greens and half the vinaigrette to coat.  In another bowl, gently mix the avocados and mangoes with the remaining vinaigrette.  Arrange greens and top with the fruits.