Basic Meat Brine

1/4 cup salt
1 quart warm water
1/4 cup sugar- any kind, optional

Mix salt and sugar into warm water until dissolved. Place chicken or pork chops into large ziplock bag, pour in liquid. Keep refrigerated for 1-2 hours. Even 30 minutes is okay. Cook meat as desired.

*Brining chicken and pork makes such a difference! Even if you overcook the pork or chicken a little it will not dry out. I always brine before I grill pork chops or chicken breasts.  The sugar helps the meat brown.

Texas Sheet Cake

Source: Lavona Richardson

1 cup butter

1 cup water

4 Tbsp cocoa

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sour cream

2 eggs

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter

2 tsp cocoa

2 Tbsp milk

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Boil butter, water, and cocoa for one minute. Mix dry ingredients with sour cream and eggs, add cocoa mixture. Pour into greased sheet pan. bake 20 minutes.

Frosting: Boil all ingredients for one minute. Spread over cake while hot.

Teriyaki Chicken

Source- Tricia's friend Penny's mom!

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp ginger
1 cup beef broth
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 1/2 T cornstarch mixed in 3 Tbsp cold water
2 T corn syrup or honey
2 Tbsp ketchup
4 chicken breasts

Mix together sauce ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened.

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, cook in olive oil or other cooking oil until browned very well on one side before turning, cook through. Add chicken to sauce, serve over rice.

Key Lime Pie

Source - the Joy of Cooking

1 - 15 oz can sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup strained fresh lime juice
3 tsp lime zest
1 graham cracker crust

Whisk all ingredients, pour into pie crust. Bake at 325 ° for 15-17 minutes. Let cool completely and refrigerate until cold. Top with fresh whipped cream.

*My love for Key Lime Pie began at Joe's Crab Shack when I lived in AZ. Tricia and I may have made complete fools of ourselves with our excitement there.

Raspberry Pretzel Salad

2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup melted butter
3 Tbsp melted butter
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz Cool Whip
1 cup sugar
1- 6 oz pkg. raspberry jello
10 oz frozen raspberries

Spread crushed pretzels in bottom of 9x13 glass pan. Sprinkle 3 Tbsp sugar over pretzels and drizzle butter overtop. Bake at 350° for 10 min. Let cool.

Cream sugar and cream cheese. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread mixture over pretzel crust and chill. Stir jello into 2 cups boiling water. Stir in raspberries. Chill for 10 min. then pour over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until firm - at least 4 hours. Overnight is best.

*Not really so much a salad as it is  a dessert, but we always have this for Thanksgiving, and this can't be the dessert!

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Source: Six Sisters Stuff

4 cups corn, fresh or frozen (I like Costco's)
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp mayonaise
4 oz cotija cheese (can sub feta)
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 Tbsp red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Sautee corn in olive oil until slightly charred, 6-7 minutes. In separate bowl combine remaining ingredients. Stir in cooked corn.