Southern-Style Baby Lima Beans

I've never been 100% happy about how I cook lima beans, but these were really good and easy. Try for yourself!

2 cups water

1 chicken bouillon cube or 1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules

1/2 TBS. margarine

1 lb. frozen baby lima beans

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Place water, bouillon, and margarine in 2-quart pot with lid. Cover, place over high heat, and bring the liquid to a boil. Remove the lid, and add the frozen lima beans. Recover and bring back to a boil (about 5 minutes).

Uncover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-high, and maintain a moderate boil for 20 minutes until the beans are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir frequently. Do not let the water completely cook out or the beans will burn. Season with black pepper and serve.

Makes 6 1/2-cup servings.

Potato Skin Ghosts

A Clark family Halloween tradition. These potatoes are really tasty and fun for the kids!

washed, unpeeled potatoes (depending on size of potato, expect about 3 ghosts per potato)

olive or vegetable oil

seasoned salt

onion powder

garlic salt

sour cream

scallions or lives to decorate

Cut each potato into 1/2-inch slabs. Cut rounded tip off one end to create ghost shape.

Grease a baking sheet and lay potatoes on it. Brush top of each slab with oil and sprinkle with seasoned salt, onion powder, and garlic salt.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until a fork inserts easily into potato.

Remove potatoes from oven and cool 10 minutes. Frost with sour cream and add sliced scallions or sliced olives for eyes and/or a mouth.

Corn Pudding

I brought this dish to a ward swimming party that turned into a ward thunderstorm under a metal tent! I had many comments about this "unusual" dish I grew up with. Our family considers this a vegetable side dish and not a dessert. You decide your own preference. This is one of those recipes you can make for last-minute dinner guests, as long as you have a can of creamstyle corn on hand.

2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup milk (original recipe called for 1 cup milk)
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 cups (1 can) creamstyle corn

Melt butter in baking dish. Add eggs, sugar, flour, and milk and mix well. Stir in corn. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or microwave 4 1/2 minutes, stir, and cook 4 1/2 more minutes.

Dolloped Sweet Potatoes

This recipe came from the November/December 2006 issue of simple&delicious, page 10. Very elegant and easy.

4 small sweet potatoes
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 TBS. butter, softened
2 TBS. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Scrub and pierce sweet potatoes. Either microwave, uncovered, on high for 10-13 minutes (or until tender, turning twice) or wrap with aluminum foil and bake for about an hour at 350 degrees. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, brown sugar, and pumkin pie spice. Make a slice in the top of each potato; fluff with a fork. Dollop with cream cheese mixture. Yield: 4 servings.