Cajun BBQ Shrimp (Featured on WIBW)

1/2 cup Caesar dressing (Cardini's is my favorite - available at Topeka Hy-Vee)

1/4 cup woozy sauce (Worcestershire)

2 Tbs. butter

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 Tbs. chipotle sauce

1 Tbs. dried oregano

1 Tbs. paprika

1 Tbs. dried thyme

2 tsp. black pepper

5 bay leaves

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 lbs. large EZ-Peel shrimp, raw (available from the Hy-Vee Topeka Seafood Dept.)

1/2 cup white wine

1 loaf French bread or baguette, sliced and toasted

In large deep sauté pan, combine first 11 ingredients and bring to a boil, whisking often. Add shrimp and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in wine and cook an additional 3-4 minutes or just until shrimp begin to turn pink in color - don't overcook! Transfer shrimp and sauce to large platter, placing grilled bread or baguette slices around outer edge of platter. Serve at once - your guests will love using the slices of grilled bread to sop up the sauce!

Sams Smoothie

1 Cup Frozen blueberries (can use strawberries or mixed berries)

1 Frozen banana

½ Cup Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt

¼ Cup Orange Juice

1 Teaspoon Honey (Optional)

Mix all ingredients in a blender. Blend for thirty to forty five seconds or until your desired consistency.

Momma's Sugar Cookies

This recipe is a lot of fun for the whole family. When you get done baking them then the fun begins with all of the decorating.

3/4 Cup Crisco

2 Cups sugar

1/4 Cup Milk

2 Eggs

3 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg

1 1/2 Teaspoons of Graded Lemon rinds

2 Teaspoons of Lemon Juice

4 Cups Flour

Pinch of Salt

Cream sugar and shorting add eggs, In another bowl sift dry ingredients together and alternately add rind, milk, lemon juice, then vanilla, Chill at least an hour, cover tightly roll an 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters (Gingerbread men, Stars, Christmas trees, Bells, and Santa's). Bake at 350 7-8 minutes. Do not brown.

After you are done baking here is the fun part. Take regular cream cheese icing (not whipped) and either paste food coloring or the gel and dye your cream cheese icing the colors you want. Hopefully you are doing Christmas colors (red, green, yellow, blue) and decorate. Typically adding sprinkles or other cute decorating candies you have. It is not Christmas in my house if we don't do this every year. Always saving a couple for Santa. I hope you and your family enjoy this as much as mine has.

Raisin Cream Pie

This pie recipe is so simple an inexperienced cook can make this delicious pie for their family or friends. If you don't have time to make the pie crust purchase a pre-made pie shell and bake before filling. Enjoy!

9 inch Baked Pie Shell, cooled

Brown Sugar Meringue

1 TBS plus 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1 cup plus 2 TBS sugar

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 1/2 cups dairy sour cream

3 egg yolks (extra large eggs)

1 1/2 cups raisins

1 TBS lemon juice

Mix cornstarch, sugar, salt and nutmeg in a 2 quart saucepan. Stir in sour cream. Stir in egg yolks, raisins and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Pour into pie shell.

Spoon meringue onto hot pie filling, spread over filling, sealing meringue to edge of crust to prevent shrinking or weeping. Bake until delicate brown, about 8 - 10 minutes. Cool away from draft.

Brown Sugar Meringue

3 eggs whites

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

6 TBS brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 TBS at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not under beat. Beat in vanilla.

Karen's Chicken Tortilla Soup!

1 1/4 hours | 15 min prep

Serves 12

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 small can green chilies

1/2 medium green pepper

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cups frozen corn

1 4 oz can black olives

2 cans seasoned black beans, drained

1/2 cup dry white wine or water

2 teaspoons cumin

1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth

2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce

2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, with juice

1. In a large pot sauté onion, garlic, jalapeño and green pepper with olive oil until soft.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the large pot and bring to a boil.

3. After about 15 minutes, remove the chicken breasts and shred.

4. After about 20 minutes return shredded chicken to the pot and simmer an additional 20 minutes.

Serve, topped with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and sliced avocado if desired.