Wickenburg: Gold Rush Days 2011

February is a wonderful time of the year in Wickenburg, AZ...it's Gold Rush Days!!  That means a parade, rodeo, carnival, arts and crafts, music, dancing, and lots of celebrating!  We hope you all made it out to Wickenburg this year; we had free coffee and donuts at the dealership during the parade Saturday morning.  If you missed the parade, we've put together a quick recap of the excitement!  Take a look:

Hope to see ya'll next year!

Sugar and Spice Cookies

Submitted by: Kathy Jones   
These are one of our favorite cookies to eat during the holidays!!  And they make your whole home smell very festive!!

¾ cup shortening or butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

¼ cup molasses

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¾ teaspoon cloves

¾ teaspoon ginger

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and molasses, combine.  Mix dry ingredients together in separate bowl.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mix.  Drop by teaspoons on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes.  Let cool and top with powdered sugar.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

You better watch out, you better not cry, I'm telling you why...
Santa is coming to Casa Grande December 14-18!! 
Get a FREE 8 x 10 color picture with Santa when you stop by Glenn Jones Auto between 3-7pm, December 14-18!  Glenn Jones Auto is located on Casa Grande's auto row on the corner of Pinal and Kortsen; 1932 N. Pinal Ave. Casa Grande, AZ.

Glenn Jones Auto is an official Toys for Tots sponsor; donate a new, unwrapped toy to help less fortunate children. 

Chicken Salad Served on a Bed of Lettuce

Submitted by: Sharyn from Glenn Jones Ford

I always double this recipe-it's that good!  Keeps well; great dish served with a roll and butter.  Enjoy!

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, baked
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup toasted pecan halves

Dressing:
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup mayonnaise or miracle whip
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
salt to taste
1 can pineapple chunks

Combine chicken, celery, and pecans.  Mix dressing ingredients together in separate bowl.  Stir dressing into chicken mixture.  Serve on bed of lettuce.

Cherry Chocolate Cake

Submitted by: G. Kim Freyermuth
Been with Glenn Jones Ford in Casa Grande for 1 year

A simple, delicious dessert for the busy holiday season!

1 pkg. (18 oz.) fudge cake mix
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
1 tsp. almond extract
2 beaten eggs

Topping:
5 T. margarine
1/2 c. milk
1 cup powdered sugar
6 oz. chocolate chips

Combine first four ingredients.  Blend.  Bake in tube pan or 9 x 12 pan.  Bake 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Let cool.  Combine margarine, milk, and powdered sugar in saucepan.  Boil for 1 minute.  Add 6 ounces chocolate chips and stir until melted.  Spread over cool cake.

Carrie's Glorious Creamed Corn

Submitted by: Carrie Jones

One of our Thanksgiving favorites!!

2 packages (20 ounces) white corn (frozen)

8 ounces whipping cream

8 ounces milk

1 teaspoon salt

6 teaspoons sugar

pinch cayenne pepper

2 Tablespoons melted butter

2 Tablespoons flour

Parmesan cheese to top

Place corn, whipping cream, milk, salt, sugar and cayenne pepper in a pot.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.  Combine melted butter and flour.  Add to corn, mix and remove from heat.  Place in a baking dish and top with parmesan cheese and broil (500°) until brown on top (about 5 minutes).

Thanksgiving Recipes!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so we wanted to share some of our favorite Turkey Day recipes with you.  We hope you and your family have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Cranberry and Apple Stuffing

Submitted by: Sharyn from Glenn Jones Ford

I have been making this for over 30 years and still love it!  My children and their friends still love it, too!  This is the best dressing ever, hope you like it too!

1 lb. whole cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 pkgs (7 oz. each) Pepperage Farm stuffing (crumbled not cubed)
1 cup diced apples
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground mace

Heat cranberries with sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Continue cooking while mashing berries with a fork, about 5 minutes, or until most berries are crushed; set aside.
Melt butter in a large saucepan.  Saute onion lightly.  Stir in cranberries and remaining ingredients.
Stuff and truss turkey and roast according to directions.

Makes about 12 cups of stuffing or enough for a 12-16 pound turkey.


Sweet Potatoes

Submitted by: Sharyn from Glenn Jones Ford

This is one of our Thanksgiving favorites!

6 cups sweet potatoes (about 6 large)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk

Topping:
1/3 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mash cooked sweet potatoes.  Mix sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and milk into potatoes.  Put into a 13 x 9 baking dish.  Make topping by mixing topping ingredients together.  Sprinkle over top of sweet potato mixture.  Bake for 25 minutes. 


Cranberry Salad

Submitted by: Sharyn from Glenn Jones Ford

1 pkg. fresh cranberries
2 oranges
2 apples
1/2 lemon
Zest from 1/2 orange
2 stalks celery
Walnuts
1 can crushed pineapple
1 large box cherry Jello
1 1/2 cups sugar

Grind cranberries.  Cut apples into small pieces.  Cut orange pieces into thirds.  Use pineapple juice and water for liquid in Jello (only use 1/2 of liquid box requires).

Mix all ingredients together and place in Jello mold or cake pan overnight.

Calico Beans

Submitted by: Bobbi Culp

These beans are great to bring to parties...try them for your next potluck!

1 Medium Onion

1lb Hamburger

½  lb Bacon

½  cup Catsup

1 Tbs Salt

¾  cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp Mustard

2 Tbs Vinegar

1 #2 can Pork & Beans

1 #2 can Kidney Beans

1 #2 can Ranch Style Beans

Brown onion, bacon and hamburger (break into cubes).

Put into casserole dish and add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Butterscotch Apple Dip

Submitted by: Kathy Jones

This recipe is a favorite for fall entertaining.  It is great served with any kind of apple.

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup butterscotch chips

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons white vinegar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Cook in heavy sauce pan over low heat milk, chips, and salt until melted.  Remove from heat.  Stir in vinegar and cinnamon.  Serve warm with apple wedges.  Then refrigerate.

Congrats Kimmie!

Our own Parts & Service Director at Glenn Jones Ford in Casa Grande, Kim Salazar, was named one of Pinal Ways' People of 2010!  We completely agree; she is most certainly a 'service guru'!  Kimmie likes to be hands-on with her work, eager to distribute job tickets to the right technician for the job.  She has won the prestigious Ford Employee Excellence Award for two years in a row!  Pick up a copy of Pinal Ways to read all about her (she's on page 22 of the Autumn 2010 issue).  Or better yet, stop into the dealership and meet her in person!

Praline and Cream Pumpkin Pie

Submitted by: Wendy Jones

This recipe is perfect for autumn entertaining!  It's delicious!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups of graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups canned pumpkin

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs

3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 egg

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 cup chopped pecans

1 8-ounce container whipped cream (optional)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Stir in melted butter and mix until well blended. Press into an ungreased 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until well blended. Add eggs and blend well. Pour cream cheese mixture over pie crust and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, and eggs until blended. Stir in pumpkin pie spice. Pour pumpkin mixture over cream cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.

In a small bowl, blend together egg, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and pecans. Spread over baked pie and place back in oven for 10 minutes. Cool pie completely before cutting. May top with whipped cream.

Help us help our community

The holidays are nearly upon us and there is a large need for non-perishable goods in our community.  Because of this great need, we’re hosting a food drive to benefit the Wickenburg CAP office.  We’re collecting “truckloads” of canned food to help those in need.  Drop off your canned food donations to Jones Ford in Wickenburg to receive avoucher for a FREE car wash!  Together we can make a huge difference in our community-let's fill up their cupboards! 

 

Baked Salmon

You've gotta try this recipe even if you don't like salmon.  It turns those who dislike fish into fish-lovers!  Delicious!

Baked Salmon

From: Kathy Jones

Ingredients:

1 T butter, melted

3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard (course ground)

1½ Tablespoon honey

¼ cup bread crumbs

¼ cup finely chopped pecans

4 teaspoons minced Italian parsley

4 salmon fillet pieces (about 6 ounces each)

salt and pepper

Instructions:

Mix butter, mustard, and honey.  Mix crumbs, pecans and parsley (whiz them in a mini chopper).  Lightly season the salmon with salt and pepper on lightly greased baking sheet (I use broiler pan).  Spread salmon generously with mustard mix and sprinkle the crumbs on top.  Bake in 450° oven until just cooked through, 10-15 minutes.  Serve with lemon wedges.

Recipes Galore!

Jones Auto Centers is turning 40 and we're celebrating by sharing 40 of our favorite recipes!  Check back each week for another scrumptious recipe!!  Here's our first recipe:

Smothered Chicken Enchiladas

From: Brittany (Jones) Johnson

Ingredients:

4 T butter

½ large onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

3 T flour

2 cups chicken broth

Dash of hot sauce, to taste

7 ounce can of diced green chiles

1 ½ cup sour cream

2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded

1 10 or 12-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

½ T cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

8  8-inch flour tortillas

2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Instructions:

To make the sauce, melt butter in pan over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic.  Sauté until soft, about 4-5 minutes.  Add flour, stir, and cook about 1 minute.  Whisk in chicken broth and cook until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.  Add hot sauce and green chiles, heat through.  Remove sauce from heat and stir in sour cream.

For the filling, combine chicken, spinach, cumin, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Add ½ of the sauce to chicken mixture and stir.  Place small amount of chicken mixture in the center of the tortilla, top with about 2 tablespoons of cheese, and roll up the tortilla.  Place in greased 9” x 13” baking dish.  Repeat until all of chicken mixture and tortillas are used and placed in baking dish.  Top with remaining sauce and cheese.  Bake at 350° until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly, about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, top with cilantro, and enjoy!

 

(and you can click here to see Brittany and her hubby preparing this recipe on Good Morning Arizona!)

Hot news for Arizona car owners

Here is some hot news for Arizona car owners: Summer is the season for the majority of car-battery failures.

According to the Car Care Council, the average life of a battery is 3½ years and can be even shorter in extremely hot climates such as ours.  This is because extreme heat causes the battery fluid to evaporate, which damages the internal structure and reduces the amount of electricity that powers your vehicle.  That combined with the use of devices such as portable DVD players, GPS systems, and radar detectors can be a recipe for disaster on a hot Arizona day.

Contrary to popular belief, your car’s battery will not give you any real warning about it being on the verge of dying.  They are more like light bulbs; they can work fine one time and be dead the next time you “flip the switch.”

It is recommended that you have your battery tested at least once a year but definitely at the three year mark.  If there are signs that it is starting to fail, it should be replaced as you don’t want to wait until you are stranded on the side of the road to realize that your battery issue is a serious one.

From now until October 31^st 2010 Glenn Jones Auto Center will test your battery, free of charge, with any service.  Just ask for it!

Happy Motoring!

Kim Salazar

Parts and Service Director

Glenn Jones Auto Center

Casa Grande, AZ