Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup powdered sugar
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla

Combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and whip until creamy. Add powdered sugar until the desired consistency and/or sweetness is reached. Spread on cooled cake.

Ranch Mix/Dip/Dressing

5 TBSP dried minced onions
7 tsp dried parsley
4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dill

Mix together and store in an airtight container.

For dip:
Mix together 2 TBSP ranch mix and 2 cups sour cream.

For dressing:
Mix together 2 TBSP ranch mix, 1 cup sour cream, and 1 cup kefir.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 large bunches broccoli, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion or 4 green onions, chopped

1 TBSP sea salt

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

4 cups whole milk

2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

3 dashes Tabasco sauce

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

2 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried dill weed

Place vegetables in stockpot and cover up to 2/3 of them with water. Bring to a boil and add salt. Reduce heat and boil until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and when cool enough to handle, puree in a blender or food processor. Melt butter in a small saucepan and whisk in flour until smooth. Return pureed vegetables to the stockpot over medium heat and slowly blend in butter and flour mixture. Add milk, stirring constantly, then gradually add cheese. Stir until smooth. Add Tabasco, pepper, paprika, parsley, and dill, and salt to taste if needed. Heat thoroughly and serve.

Alfredo Sauce

1/2 cup butter

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in saucepan, then add cream and Parmesan cheese and stir until heated through. Serve over hot noodles or double to use in recipes like Turkey Tetrazzini.

Vanilla Smoothie

Combine in a blender until desired consistency:

1/2 cup raisins

3 cups whole milk

2 TBSP real vanilla

2 TBSP coconut oil

ice (if desired)

Blueberry Breakfast Quinoa

6 cups whole milk

3 cups quinoa

6 TBSP brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Bring milk to a boil. Add quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 15 minutes, until 3/4 of the milk has been absorbed. Stir in sugar and cinnamon and cook, covered, until almost all the milk has been absorbed (about 8 minutes). Add blueberries and serve.

Eggnog Smoothie

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1-2 handfuls raw spinach

2 raw egg yolks (from pastured chickens)

2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 TBSP maple syrup or honey

handful of ice cubes

Combine in a blender.

Adapted from PassionateHomemaking.com

Macaroni and Cheese

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pasta (elbow macaroni cooks fastest)

3 cups whole milk

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I double this) :)

Combine pasta, milk, and salt in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently (almost constantly, to avoid scorching the milk.) until pasta is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until it is melted.

Original recipe from HeavenlyHomemakers.com

Green Smoothies

1-2 cups plain yogurt

1-2 handfuls fresh spinach

drizzle of honey or handful of raisins

fruit

Blend yogurt, spinach, and honey (or raisins, if using) together in a blender. Choose any combination of fruit, frozen or fresh, and blend until smooth. If it is too thick, add milk.

Fruit combination suggestions:

*can of pineapple with juice, frozen mango chunks, banana

*cored, quartered apple, 2 bananas

*strawberries (fresh or frozen), banana

Crock-Pot Yogurt

8 cups whole milk**

1/2 cup live/active plain yogurt (store-bought or homemade)

Pour milk into the Crock-Pot. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.

After 2 1/2 hours, leave the cover on and unplug the Crock-Pot. Let it sit for 3 hours.

After the 3 hours are up, scoop out 2 cups of the warmish milk and whisk it together with the 1/2 cup yogurt in a separate bowl. When it is thoroughly combined, dump it back into the Crock-Pot and stir. Replace the lid, and with it still unplugged, wrap a heavy bath towel around and over the Crock-Pot for insulation. Let it sit for 8 hours in a warm room. (Longer than 8 hours is OK too, especially if you let it sit overnight. Keep in mind though, that the longer it sits, the tangier it will get.)

*Optional: For a slightly vanilla-y flavored yogurt, add 2-3 TBSP of vanilla with the milk.

**2% milk will also work, although you will get more whey than with the whole milk.

(The Crock-Pot Lady has the recipe, more detailed instructions and pictures of the process.)