My name is Pat Elder and I LOVE trying new recipies, provided they're fast to prepare, don't require a thousand ingredients, and don't cost a lot. On this blog I'll post some of my favorites and tell you why I like them so much.


Super Simple Sweet and Sour Beef

Did you know that you can make a super simple sweet and sour sauce out of
grape jelly and ketchup? That's right! I said grape jelly and ketchup. It
might sound odd, but together they make a wonderfully rich, dark plum-colored sauce that's wonderful with ground beef and white rice. Here's how to make it:

Brown a pound of ground beef and drain. In the same skillet, add 1 cup grape
jelly and 2/3 cup of ketchup. (HINT: use the cheap brands - they work just as well.) Stir together and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the jelly melts. Turn it down a bit and let it simmer until the sauce starts to thicken (usually about 20 to 30 minutes). In the meanwhile, prepare some white rice (I use Minute Rice, because it's fast and easy!). When the sauce and beef are ready, serve it over a bed of the cooked rice.

This is absolutely delicious! I've served this to company who were never able
to guess the two ingredients in the sauce. I've never tried it, but the sauce
should also be wonderful with cooked chicken or in a stir-fry.

Are you a vegatarian? Just leave out the meat. I frequently make just the sauce
and rice for a quick lunch and it's entirely delicious that way, too!
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Chocolate Revel Bars

Do you like the taste of semi-sweet chocolate? Eagle-brand Sweetened Condensed Milk? Oatmeal cookies? Then you'll LOVE this desert! While it's not as quick to prepare as some things, it's well worth the extra little bit of time.
They're an absolute favorite in our household, and we fix them for every
holiday or anytime we want something special for desert!

Heat your oven to 350 before you start assembling the incredients.

1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda2 eggs2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats1
1/2 cups semisweet chocolate pieces
1 14 oz can (1 1/4 cup) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts if desired2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions: Set aside 2 tablespoons of the butter. Then, in a large mixing bowl, beat the remaining butter with an electric mixer until it's soft. Add brown sugar and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in the remaining flour and the oats. The mixture will be very stiff.

Press about 1/2 off the mixture in the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 13 baking
pan. (HINT: it's sticky, so keep a paper towel nearby and a bit of flour to
dust on your hands so you won't get quite so messy.) Set aside.

For the filling, combined the reserved 2 tablespoons of butter, the chocolate
pieces, and the condensed milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat until the chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. (You'll LOVE the smell of this as
it's heating!) Remove from heat and stir in the nuts (if desired) and the
remaining 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Spread the filling evenily over the oat
mixture. With floured fingers, dot small, flattened pieces of the remaining
oat mixture over the top of the filling, leaving gaps in between. (HINT: the
main reason for this is to make the revel bars easier to eat, as the chocolate
filling retains it's stickiness after baking. The dots of oats on the top help
you to hold it while eating.)

NOTE: You'll have about 1/4 of the oat mixture left over. You can refrigerate and save this to bake into oatmeal cookies later. If you press your thumb into each cookie prior to baking, you can add a dollop of your favoite fruit preserves to the cookies when they've cooled. YUM!

Back at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. NOTE:
the chocolate filling will still look moist. Let it cool, cut it into bars,
and enjoy!
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That's all for now. I've got tons of other great recipes to share, including
Diet Coke Chicken (Heavenly!), Candy Strawberries (My sister's multi-winning
recipe!), and Easy Honey Mustard Cresents (One of my favorites!).
So, stop in often for more Super Recipies That You've Never Tried!

Pat Elder