Pretty Much Perfect Macaroni Salad

I cooked 3-1/2 cups small shell macaroni for 8 minutes in boiling, salted water. Let it cool, then added all of this deliciousness:

• 1cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
• 2tablespoons vinegar
• 1tablespoon Hellmann's Dijonnaise mustard
• 1teaspoon sugar
• 1teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1cup thinly sliced celery
• 1cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1⁄4cup chopped onion

Really tasty, light soup. I used a 12 oz. package of frozen green beans instead of canned Italian green beans--you know . . . for that pop of color. Sprinkle with Italian-Style Cheese (which is a mix including Mozzarella). Serve with Pepperidge Farm Five Cheese Garlic Bread. Yum.  

Love, Muzzer

Olive Garden Copycat Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker}

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
• 2 cups water
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 cup diced celery (3 stalks)
• 1 cup diced carrots (2 carrots)
• 1 cup diced yellow onion (1 small)
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 2 tsp dried)
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/3 cups diced zucchini (1 small)
• 1 1/3 cups shell pasta
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5 oz) can Italian green beans, drained
• 2 cups packed chopped fresh spinach
• Finely shredded Romano cheese, for serving (Parmesan works too)

Directions

• Add vegetable stock, water, tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and sugar to a 6 or 7-quart slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook on low heat 6 - 8 hours or high 3 - 4 hours.
• Add in zucchini, pasta, garlic, kidney beans and white beans and cook on high heat and additional 30 - 40 minutes until pasta is tender. Stir in spinach and Italian green beans and cook several minutes until heated through. Stir in more vegetable broth or water to thin if desired. Serve warm topped with Romano cheese.
• Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Notes

This can also be made on the stove top - heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, add carrots, celery and onions and saute 4 minutes adding in garlic during last minute of sauting. Pour in broth, water and canned tomatoes. Add herbs, sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, cover and and reduce heat slightly, allow to gently boil 10 minutes, then add zucchini and pasta, cover and gently boil 15 minutes longer, or until pasta is tender. Then add canned beans (green and legumes) and spinach and cook 2 - 3 more minutes.

CAULIFLOWER CHOWDER

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time30 minutes

Total Time45 minutes

Yield6 servings

A creamy, low carb, hearty and wonderfully cozy soup for those chilly nights!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Make Hidden Valley® Ranch Buffalo Wings.

 

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
• Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in cauliflower and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
• Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower are tender, about 12-15 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the chowder is too thick, add more milk as needed until desired consistency is reached.
• Serve immediately, garnished with bacon and parsley, if desired.

-From the Damn Delicious website. No, really. That's the name.

Cranberry Orange Relish

12 oz. bag of cranberries
1 peeled orange
3/4-1 cup sugar

Grind the cranberries and orange in a food processor. Stir in the sugar. Refrigerate.

Orange Fluff Jello Salad Recipe

From Six Sisters

Ingredients

1 large package Cook and Serve vanilla pudding (4.6 ounces)
1 large package orange jell-o (6 ounces)
2 cups water
1 16 oz Cool-Whip (lite or fat-free is fine)
1/2 bag mini marshmallows

20 ounce can pineapple tidbits (drained)

22 ounces mandarin oranges (drained)

2 to 3  bananas, sliced (Optional, put in before serving so they don’t turn brown in the fridge)

Directions
Mix together pudding, Jell-o, and water over medium heat until it boils. Remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Refrigerate until mixture has thickened (about an hour). Beat until creamy. Fold in Cool Whip, marshmallows, and fruit. Chill about an hour before serving.

I folded in 8 oz. of Cool Whip when it first calls for it, then folded in the last 8 oz. right before serving. That made it light and fluff--eee. I didn't use bananas but I think they would be good with this,

Mushroom Turkey Stuffing

1 cup butter
Two 4-oz. cans mushrooms
1/2 c. finely chopped onions
1 c.  finely diced celery
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1-1/2 tsps. poultry seasoning

Melt 1/2 cup butter in deep kettle. Drain mushrooms; reserve liquid. Add mushrooms and onion to melted butter; cook until onion is tender but not brown. Add bread cubes, celery, and seasonings. Add mushroom liquid. Mix lightly. Spread in pan. Drizzle with another 1/2 cup melted butter.

I'm not sure how long I cooked it. Maybe 10 minutes at 325 degrees. Then I cooked it for 5 minutes at 425 degrees--so it gets brown and crunchy on top.

Geoffrey's Most Excellent French Onion Soup. Deluxe Plus Plus.

• 2 oz. (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, more for the baking sheet
• 4 medium-large yellow onions (about 2 lb.), thinly sliced (8 cups)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1 small baguette (1/2 lb.), cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 quarts Roasted Beef Broth or lower-salt canned beef or chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups grated Gruyère

Melt the butter in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Stir in the onions and season with 1 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper. Reduce the heat to low. Press a piece of foil onto the onions to cover them completely, cover the pot with a lid, and cook, stirring occasionally (you will have to lift the foil), until the onions are very soft but not falling apart, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove the lid and foil, raise the heat to medium high, and stir in the sugar. Cook, stirring often, until very deeply browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the croûtes (baguette toasts), position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a rimmed baking sheet and arrange the baguette slices on the sheet in a single layer. Bake until the bread is crisp and lightly browned, turning once, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.

Add the broth and bay leaf to the caramelized onions and bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Discard the bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, position a rack 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler to high. Put 6 to 8 broilerproof soup bowls or crocks on a baking sheet. Put 2 or 3 croûtes in each bowl and ladle the hot soup on top. Sprinkle  with the cheese and broil until the top is browned and bubbly, 2 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Make Ahead Tips

The soup and croûtes can be made up to 2 days ahead. Store the soup in the refrigerator and the croûtes in an airtight container at room temperature.

Popcorn Shrimp Tacos

Jim and Geoffrey loved these. And I forgot the honey and the taco sauce. :-) Pretty sure there are fancier versions of this, but the recipe is fast and easy.

Makes 3 servings.

INGREDIENTS

1 package (20 oz) popcorn shrimp, frozen

10 soft flour tortillas, heated according to package directions (can substitute crispy corn tortillas)

1 (16 oz) bag of fresh slaw (or 1/2 head of shredded cabbage)

1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, drained

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 avocado, diced

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped (optional)

2 tablespoons lime luice (about 1 lime)

1 tablespoon honey

  package Taco sauce

8 ounces Sour cream

1 package (1 oz) ranch dressing mix

1 package (1.25 oz) taco seasoning

INSTRUCTIONS

PREHEAT oven to 425F.
BAKE popcorn shrimp according to package instructions.
MIX sour cream, ranch dressing and taco seasoning. (You can use a little milk to thin the sauce if desired.) Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve
PLACE slaw (or shredded cabbage), mandarin oranges, black beans, avocado, cilantro in a large bowl.
PLACE lime juice and honey in a small bowl and stir together. Pour over slaw mixture and toss until well mixed and coated.
ASSEMBLE tacos. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of taco sauce onto a tortilla. Add slaw mixture and top with hot popcorn shrimp. Serve immediately.

Sonic Cherry Limeade

I haven't tried this yet but I've heard that it's good.

12 oz (or 1 can) Sprite
3 lime wedges
1/4 cup cherry juice (Libby's Juicy Juice is best). 

Fill a 16 oz glass with 2/3 ice. Pour Sprite over ice. Add 3 lime wedges. Add cherry juice & serve with straw. From Top Secret Recipes

Golden Beef Stroganoff

2 lbs. beef stew meat
1 large onion, chopped
2 10-3/4 oz. cans of golden mushroom soup
2 4-oz. cans sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 8-oz. package cream cheese
1 c. sour cream

1. In slow cooker, mix beef, onion, soup, mushrooms, and pepper.
2. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until beef is very tender.
3. Stir cream cheese and sour cream into beef mixture until melted.
4. Serve stroganoff over noodles or rice.

Makes 8 servings

The original recipe called for 1 can of golden mushroom soup and 1 can of cream of onion. I have never run across the latter in all my born days, so I used 2 cans of golden mushroom soup.

Geoffrey gave this an unqualified thumbs up, so that should tell ya somethin'.

White Chicken Enchiladas

10 soft taco shells

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x13 pan

2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.

3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  

4. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not bring to boil; you don't want curdled sour cream.

5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

6. Bake 22 minutes and then under high broil for 3 minutes to brown the cheese.

Serve with a chunky bean salsa.

Crock Pot Navy Bean Soup

2 cups dried navy beans or great northern white beans

1/2 cup onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, diced

1 ham hock (or spiral sliced ham leftovers/WalMart)

1 tsp. sage

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 16-oz can chicken broth

1. Place all of the ingredients in the crock pot.
2. Add enough water to generously cover the beans.
3. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6.
4. Remove ham hock.
5. Discard fat and bones and return the meat to the soup.
   
   
   I added a chicken bouillon cube for every cup of water I added. And I used thyme instead of sage. Geoffrey pronounced this soup very good.
   
   
   Right now I am trying this version on the stove. I soaked four cups of white northern beans overnight and doubled the rest of the recipe. And I added 6 sliced carrots, too -- for color. :-)

Aunt Pat's Luscious Overnight Salad

3 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. sugar
‘/s tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. vinegar
2 Tbsp. pineapple syrup
1 Tbsp. butter
1 c. heavy cream, whipped
2 c. pitted white cherries (may substitute with grapes)
2 c. pineapple chunks, drained (save syrup for recipe)
6 oz. or 2 c. mini marshmallows
1 c. canned mandarin oranges, drained

In a double boiler, cook egg yolks, sugar, salt, vinegar, pineapple syrup, and butter. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Set aside and let cool. In a separate bowl, fold in whipped cream, cherries or grapes, pineapple, oranges, and marshmallows. Chill for 24 hours. Garnish with maraschino cherries.

Black Bean Salad a la Momma

• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 diced red pepper
• 1/2 jar (about 1/2 cup) mild jalapenos, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Several shakes of garlic salt
• 1 heaping Tbsp. of sugar
• About 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• About 1 tsp. cumin
• 3 good shakes of balsamic vinegar

Yum. Served with tamales (re-steamed) and corn from yesterday's farmer's market. And fresh fruit salad. And corn ships and salsa. And bananas fried in butter and brown sugar (served with vanilla ice cream) for dessert. And apple raspberry juice with lime slices.

Pretty-Much-Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients

1/2 c. oil, canola or vegetable

1/2 c. warm water

1 c. sour cream

5 large egg whites

1 large package ( 5.1 ounces) instant vanilla pudding

1 vanilla cake mix (Duncan Hines moist deluxe french vanilla is good)

Preparations

-Pre-heat oven, 350 or 325 for convection bake

- Mix together oil, water, sour cream, and egg whites until combined.

-Add pudding and cake mix and mix on medium-high until combined.

- Fill the liners 2/3 full

-Bake for 16-18 minutes (I always check at 16 and they're done).

Ingredients

• 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract

Salmon Chowder

• 2 (8-ounce) salmon fillets
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 (9-ounce) package frozen corn, thawed
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 6 thick-cut bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

1. Sprinkle salmon with kosher salt and pepper; place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Flake fish into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add flour; stir until mixture is smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Add potato, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender. Stir in corn and half-and-half. Cook 6 minutes or until heated. Add cooked salmon, stirring gently to combine. Spoon into individual bowls; top with crumbled bacon.

Cindy's Minestrone

1 medium onion

1 celery stalk
2 carrots
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 large can + two small cans chicken stock
2 cups large shell macaroni
1/2 head kale, chopped finely
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 can cannelloni beans
Salt and pepper
Grated mozzarella

Saute onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. Add tomatoes and spices. Cook twenty minutes. Add chopped kale. Cook a little longer. Add all ingredients to chicken stock with two cups shell macaroni. Cook for at least half an hour. Serve with grated mozzarella and garlic breadsticks. Geoff and Glo loved this. We had it for New Year's Day 2012.

(Original recipe called for escarole rather than kale, but I couldn't find any in the grocery store. Kale worked fine. It also called for not-to-be-found ditalini macaroni--but shells were great.)

Martha's Split Pea Soup with Ham

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 chopped medium onion
4 carrots, thinly sliced
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 bag (16 ounces) green split peas, picked over and rinsed
Ham bone plus 2 cups reserved ham from the recipe Glazed Ham with Apricot-Mustard Sauce cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons butter
4 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

In a Dutch oven or 5-quart heavy pot with a lid, heat oil over medium. Add onion, carrots, celery, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, 5 to 8 minutes.

Add broth, split peas, ham bone, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and partially cover; simmer until peas are soft, 30 to 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, make croutons: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add bread and cook, tossing occasionally, until browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Remove and discard bone from soup. Working in batches, puree only 1/2 the soup in a blender (don't overfill); return to pot. Add ham cubes, and simmer until heated through. If necessary, thin with water. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Serve topped with croutons.

I used regular vegetable oil and did not add the lemon juice. This was still extremely good. Glo and Geoff gave it five stars. Oh, and I also used chicken bouillion cubes instead of broth. ~Mom

Martha's Glazed Ham with Apricot-Mustard Sauce

7 pounds (about half of a bone-in) cured smoked ham, (butt end), room temperature
2 cups apricot jam
1/4 cup mustard powder
Butter for aluminum foil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil; place roasting rack in pan.

With a sharp knife, trim fat, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick layer. Lightly score fat in a diamond pattern (do not cut into meat). Place ham, fat side up, on rack; roast 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine jam and mustard (they can be mixed and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead). Transfer 1/2 cup mixture to a small bowl to glaze ham. Set aside saucepan with remaining mixture.

After 1 hour, brush ham with glaze. Repeat every 15 minutes until brown and shiny, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part, avoiding bone, registers 130 degrees, about 1 hour more (if glaze starts to burn, tent ham with buttered foil). Discard unused glaze.

Remove ham from oven; cover loosely with buttered foil to keep warm. Temperature will then rise another 5 to 10 degrees.

Bring jam mixture in saucepan to a boil. Carve ham, reserving bone and 2 cups of meat for Split Pea Soup. Serve with sauce.

(P.S. My thermometer registered 140 degrees when I took the ham out and it was perfect. Mom)

Unbelievably Good Junket Danish Pie

Fruit topping:

Add 1/2 box raspberry or strawberry Junket Danish Dessert to 1 cup cold water. Mix and boil as directed.

Add desired fruit (raspberries, strawberries) to dessert mix until it reaches the desired consistency. Set aside to cool. (Pretty sure my co-worker's wife used boysenberries. So good.)

Pie filling:
With spoon, mix together 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup whipping cream until fairly solid, then beat with electric mixer. (Don't overbeat -- i.e. avoid turning it into butter.)

In another bowl, mix together 1/2 cup sugar and 1 block of cream cheese.
Combine ingredients from both bowls and mix together with beater for 1 minute or until well-blended. (For a harder consistency, chill.)

Add filling to a graham cracker crust, leaving about 1/2 inch for the topping. Spread topping evenly over the filling and either serve fresh or chill.

Doubles well. Substitute chocolate or banana pudding for fruit topping if desired.

Cindy's Beef Barley Soup

1/2 lb. ground beef (but leftover pot roast would be even better)

Medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
5 cups water
28-oz. can peeled, diced tomatoes
3 celery stalks, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
1-1/4 c. Quaker quick barley
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp. basil
1 Bay leaf

Brown beef in electric pan. Add onion and garlic; cook until tender. Drain. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with grated cheese.

Serves 6-8

This is really good . . . and Geoffrey-approved.

And this amount of barley works if you are going to eat it right away; if not, it will expand and the result is not pleasant. I think the box says 3/4 cup.

Geoffrey's Excellent Pumpkin Soup

4 cups cubed raw pumpkin*, peeled

1/4 margarine or butter
2 carrots, cut into pieces
1/4 cup water
1/2 bay leaf
3 sprigs parsley
2 stalks celery, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, quartered
4-1/2 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper

In large saucepan, cook pumpkin in butter 3 minutes. Add carrots and water; simmer covered, 30 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. Simmer remaining ingredients in another covered saucepan, 30 minutes. Strain to remove celery. Process pumpkin, carrots, and onion in blender until smooth. Stir in broth. Heat through.

If desired, one 16-oz. can (2 cups) cooked pumpkin may be substituted for raw pumpkin. Omit first cooking of pumpkin and add to strained broth. If desired, 1/2 cup cooked carrots, processed in blender, may be added. Stir until smooth. Heat through.

Barefoot Contessa's Spring Vegetables

1/4 lb. string beans
1/4 lb. sugar snap peas (optional)
1/4 lb. asparagus, stems removed
1/2 lb. broccoli (cut in very small pieces)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. good olive oil
3 large shallots, sliced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Blanch the string beans in a large. boiling pot of salted water for 1 minute only. Lift the beans out of the water with a slotted spoon and immerse them in a bowl of ice water. Add the snap peas to the same boiling and cook for 1 minute, until al dente, adding them to the ice water and beans. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch lengths diagonally, cook in the boiling water for 2 minutes, and add to the ice water. Boil broccoli for one minute and immerse in ice water. When all of the vegeatbles are cold, drain well.

When ready to serve, heat the butter and olive oil in a very large saute pan or large pot. Saute the shallots over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add drained vegetables to the shallots with 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper and toss. Cook just until vegeatbles are heated through. Serve hot.

Ina Garten

Cindy's Linzer Cookies

3/4 lb. sweet butter, softened

1-3/4 c. powdered sugar

1 egg

2 cups flour, sifted

1 cup cornstarch

2 cups walnuts, finely ground

fruit preserves

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix well. Sift together the flour and cornstarch, add to creamed mixture and blend. Stir in walnuts. Gather dough into a ball and put in a plastic storage bag. Chill 4-6 hours. Roll out to 1/4" thickness. Using cookie cutter, cut out cookies. (Use smaller similarly-shaped cookie cutter to create windows in half of the cookies.) Chill 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake cookies 10-15 minutes until evenly and lightly browned. Remove to rack to cool. While still slightly warm, spread windowless cookies with preserves. Make sandwiches with remaining cookies. Sift powdered sugar on top.

Grandma Nora's Cranberry Bread

2 cups sifted flour

1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 c. butter

1 Tbsp. grated orange peel

1-1/2 cups light raisins

1-1/2 cups fresh cranberries, halved

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Cut in butter unitl mixture is crumbly. Add egg, orange peel, and juice; stir just until mixture is evenly moist. Fold in raisins and cranberries. Spoon into greased 9x5x3 loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. (Be sure to check for doneness with toothpick before removing from the oven.)

Grandma Glo's Hungarian Paprikash

1 medium onion, chopped

4 Tbsp. shortening

1 Tbsp. paprika (or more)

2 tsp. salt (or less)

4-5 lb. chicken, cut up

1/2 pint sour cream

2 Tbsp. flour

1 bell pepper, seeds removed, sliced into rings for garnish (Cindy's addition after seeing how pretty it looks in the picutre.)

In kettle or deep pan, saute onion in shortening. Remove pot from stove. Add paprika. (Some say to put so much in that it almost seems like too much.) Add chicken and salt. Stir around until chicken is coated with paprika. Add water to cover 3/4 of the meat. Simmer slowly until tender., anout 1-1/2 hours. Don't cook too long. Remove from heat. Carefully put chicken on a platter. Add 2 Tbsp. flour to sour cream. Stir until smooth. Stir into drippings until well blended before you return to heat. Replace chicken piece by piece and reheat to boiling point. Don't boil or sour cream will curdle.

Dumplings

3 cups flour

3-4 eggs

1 tsp. salt

About 1.3 cup water

Mix and beat with spoon. Drop by teaspoon into boiling salted water. Cook about ten minutes until dumplings rise to the top. Drain and rinse in cold water. Serve with paprikash.

Auntie Rene used to make this for us up at the cottage; it was soooooo delicious.

Eric's Mae Ploy Masman Curry

Stir fry 50 g Massaman curry paste with 1 Tbsp. soybean oil, then add 1 cup coconut milk.

Add 200 g of meat and another 1/2 cup coconut milk. Heat until boiling.

Add 150 g cubed potatoes, 50 g onion, 15 g chopped peanuts (1 handful, says Eric), 1/2 cup water -- and Eric adds 1 Tbsp peanut butter. Cook until the vegetables soften.

Add 3 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. tamarind extract. Taste and season as required.

Serve with jasmine rice.

Irish Soda Bread

5 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, room temperature
2 1/2 cups raisins
3 tablespoons caraway seeds
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter heavy ovenproof 10- to 12-inch-diameter skillet with 2- to 2 1/2-inch-high sides. Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Add butter; using fingertips, rub in until coarse crumbs form. Stir in raisins and caraway seeds. Whisk buttermilk and egg in medium bowl to blend. Add to dough; using wooden spoon, stir just until well incorporated (dough will be very sticky).

Transfer dough to prepared skillet; smooth top, mounding slightly in center. Using small sharp knife dipped into flour, cut 1-inch-deep X in top center of dough. Bake until bread is cooked through and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool bread in skillet 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in foil; store at room temperature.)

This is really good. Eric, Jim, and Geoff loved it. And it IS good the next day.

I left out the caraway seeds.

Chicken Schnitzel with Mustard Sauce

1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup whole grain mustard
5 slices white bread, torn
3/4 tsp. dried marjoram
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 large eggs
4 chicken cutlets, about 1/8" thick (about 1-1/2 lbs.)
Vegetable oil, for frying
Applesauce

1. Whisk the yogurt and mustard in a bowl until smooth; set aside.
2. Pulse the bread in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a shallow dish and add the marjoram, and salt and pepper to taste. In another dish, season the flour with paprika. Beat the eggs in a third dish. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Dredge each cutlet in flour, shaking off the excess. Dip in the eggs and then in the breadcrumbs, pressing to coat both sides. Place on parchment paper until ready to fry.
4. Heat an 1/8 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet (or electric pan) over medium high heat until hot. Add 2 cutlets, gently swirling the skillet so the oil washes over them, and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate and season with salt. Repeat with the remaining chicken, adjusting the heat as needed. Serve the schnitzel with mustard and applesauce, if desired.

This received 5 stars from the cherubs. Schnitzelator required for pounding cutlets.

Joulutorttu

Forget making puff pastry from scratch. Use thawed Pepperidge Farm puff pastry. Cut in three columns, then three squares to a column. Place each square on Pam-sprayed baking pan; cut each one from all four corners to (almost) center. Plop a spoonful of Lekvar or good Kosher plum jam in the middle. Pick a corner of the bottom of each square's 4 triangles and pull to the middle -- right over the plum jam -- cozy like a blanket. If you've done it properly the result should be a pretty little windmill. Brush with beaten egg yolk. Cook at 400 until nicely browned -- about 10 minutes. Remove immediately from pan and sift powedered sugar over cookies. Good with non-alcoholic Glogg. So they say. Forgot to try it this year.

Simple Pulled Pork.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Add to oven chamber one large pork roast sitting happily in a roasting pan. Pour over one bottle of barbecue sauce. Cook for six hours. Midway cover roast with foil and add some water to roasting pan. When done, pull apart roast and put in crock pot with another bottle of barbecue sauce.

Serve with homemade mashed potatoes whipped with real butter and sour cream. Rhodes rolls do nicely as well. Don't forget to have a salad, and if Eric is there, add avocados. And magic jello with layers is a cute addition, too.

Scrumptious Popovers

2 eggs

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Generously grease (not oil) popover pans, deep custard cups, or muffin tins. In small bowl, beat eggs slightly. Add remaining ingredients and beat just until blended. (Do not overbeat.) Fill prepared cups half-full (about 1/3 of a cup) of batter. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake 25-30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Serve immediately.

Peaking at these while baking is inadvisable as irreparable fallage may result.

Simple Pot Roast

1-2 Tbsp. oil

3-3-1/2 lb. pot roast
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 medium onions, sliced
3 stalks celery, cut into pieces
1 bay leaf
1-1/2 cups water
6 medium carrots, cut into pieces
4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved

In electric skillet, brown meat in hot oil. Add salt, pepper, 1 onion, 1 stalk celery, bay leaf, and water. Simmer, covered, 2-2-1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Add remaining vegetables; simmer 45-60 minutes or until tender. Remove meat and vegetables to platter. If desired, thicken juices with 3 Tbsp. flour mixed with 1/4 cup water. Stir into juices. Heat until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Serve with meat.

6 servings, questionable. Good with popovers.

Scandanvian Kringler

Crust:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup margarine or butter, chilled
2 Tbsp. ice water

Puff Topping:
1 cup water
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 cup flour
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Frosting:
I cup powdered sugar
I Tbsp. margarine or butter, softened
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2-3 Tbsp. milk or cream

Sliced almonds to sprinkle on top

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In small bowl, add flour and margarine. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 Tbsp. at a time. Stir with fork just until soft dough forms. Divide dough in half. On ungreased cookie sheet, press each half into 12X3 inch strip.

In medium saucepan, heat water and 1/2 cup butter to boiling. Remove from heat; immediately stir in 1 cup flour until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Stir in 1/2 tsp. almond extract. Spoon half of batter over each crust, spreading to 3/4 from edges. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until golden brown and puffy. Immediately remove from pan; cool. Topping will shrink and fall. In small bowl, blend all frosting ingredients. Spread on cooled kringler. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.

16-20 slices, so they say.

This was a great cherub favorite -- when they were little.