Yaaaay, Christmas Cookies

Nothin'gets me in the Christmas mood quicker than making Christmas cookies. I love the smell, the fun of creating different kinds and shape, and of course I love eating them.

I found this link today to 77 cookie recipes. Needless to say, I had to check it out. It's a Southern Living Magazine site and it also has Christmas dessert recipes. Thought you might like to get in the Christmas spirit too. Love Chunky Chocolate Gobs!.......Yum.



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Left over Easter Eggs

Got a few too many leftover Easter eggs on hand? The good news is that, if left in their shells, hard-boiled eggs will keep in the fridge for up to a week. But with the 12 hard-boiled egg recipe ideas here, they'll likely disappear a lot faster than that. In fact, you might find yourself boiling another dozen. (A note on safety: Be sure to use food-grade dye for your eggs and don't eat eggs that have been out of the fridge for more than two hours total.)

Southwestern Egg Salad Sandwich: Mash chopped eggs with a potato masher or a fork along with some mayo, a little chipotle in adobo or chipotle chile powder, lime juice, salt and sliced scallions. Place on a sandwich roll along with sliced avocado.

Egg Quesadilla: Brush one side of a burrito-size flour tortilla with olive oil. Place oiled side down on a baking sheet. Scatter shredded pepper Jack cheese over the tortilla, top with sliced hard-boiled eggs, green salsa and cilantro sprigs. Top with more cheese and another tortilla. Brush top of tortilla with oil and bake until the cheese has melted and the tortilla is crisp.

Eggs in Purgatory: Make a spicy tomato sauce with onions, garlic, a little bacon (if you like), tomatoes and some cayenne. Slice hard-boiled eggs about 1/2-inch thick, place in a shallow pasta bowl and spoon sauce over.

Potato and Egg Salad: Boil Yukon gold potatoes in their jackets until tender. Drain; peel while still warm, cut into thick slices and toss with a little vinegar (I like sherry or rice vinegar, but it's really your choice). Let sit 30 minutes then toss with hard-boiled egg slices, finely chopped red onion, a little mayo, and a little mustard. If you like, jazz it up with some ham, shrimp or cooked chicken.

Eggs with Asparagus and Parmesan Cheese: Do a riff on an Italian classic that usually has poached or fried eggs atop roasted asparagus. Trim ends of asparagus, then cut them in half crosswise. Place in a bowl, toss with olive oil to coat and roast at 400 degrees until lightly browned and crisp-tender. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and panko breadcrumbs and roast a few more minutes until cheese has melted. Top with chopped hard-boiled eggs and chives, and if you like, a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar.
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Quick Egg and Vegetable Hash: Cook some chopped onions, diced red pepper, and thinly sliced peeled carrots in a combo of butter and vegetable or olive oil until the onion is golden brown and caramelized. Add diced cooked potatoes and cook until the potatoes are nicely browned. Add chopped hard-boiled eggs and just a little cream or half-and-half; cook until eggs are heated through.

Not Your Usual Egg Sandwich: Use a baguette or a couple of slices of thick whole-grain country bread. Spread hot pepper jelly on both sides of the bread and top with arugula, sliced prosciutto and sliced eggs.

Warm Bacon, Spinach and Egg Salad: Cook a few slices of bacon until crisp, save the bacon fat and whisk it together with red wine vinegar, red currant jelly (or a little brown sugar) and toss while still warm with fresh spinach and sliced sautéed or grilled portobello mushroom caps, hard-boiled eggs cut in wedges and crumbled bacon. If you don't want to use bacon, omit it and make the dressing with olive oil.

Rich and Creamy Salad Dressing: Halve hard-boiled eggs and separate yolks and whites. Push yolks through a fine-meshed strainer. Whisk in olive oil, mustard, a touch of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss with a hearty lettuce, such as romaine, and garnish with chopped egg whites. Variation: Combine sour cream, mustard, yolks, and mayonnaise for a creamy thick dressing.

Norwegian Butter Cookies: This treat is a perfect use for egg yolks. In a mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, 2 mashed hard-boiled egg yolks, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Beat until well combined. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon grated orange zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and, if you like, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom. Fold in 1 cup all-purpose flour. Using a teaspoon measure, drop cookie dough mixture 1-inch apart onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until golden around edges and set. Cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

Meatloaf with Eggs: Put together your favorite meatloaf mixture. Pat half of it into a loaf pan, then make a trench lengthwise down the center and place a row of hard-boiled eggs in the trench. Top with remaining meatloaf mixture, patting it down to enclose the eggs and bake.

Gratinéed Eggs: Make a white sauce by melting 3 tablespoons butter and whisking in 3 tablespoons of flour, cooking over medium-low heat until just beginning to turn golden. Whisk in 2 cups milk, a little nutmeg, salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Whisk in about a cup of shredded sharp cheddar (or more if you like). Spoon some of the mixture into an 8 x 8 baking dish that's been brushed with a little butter. Place 6 to 8 thickly sliced eggs in the dish and top with more sauce. Sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown and bubbling.
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How to make delicious holiday appetizers

It isn't always easy to juggle work, family and a social life. And yet most women enjoy giving parties and entertaining friends and family, especially during the holidays. Christmas is so festive and a great time to have fun decorating the house, buying gifts and cooking and baking special recipes and dishes for the ones they love. If you are working and taking care of a home and children, having enough time to do all the things you want to do during the holidays is a real challenge.

The first thing you need to do is to decide if you will be having a party, preparing Christmas dinner, or just serving snacks and drinks to friends and family who drop by during the holiday season. If you are doing all three, it would be a good idea to start way ahead of time and freeze a lot of your food items.Appetizers are always a delicious addition to dinner, a party, or to go along with drinks at a cocktail party of informal gathering.

I have included six different appetizers here. Some can be made ahead of time and frozen, others can be made the morning of or a day or two before your party. When guests drop by or when you are ready to start your party, you can take out what you need from the freezer, defrost it and pop it in the microwave or oven, if need be.

APPETIZERS (you can freeze)

Curried sausage balls
Prep: 20 min. Bake time: 15 min


Ingredients
1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
8 ounces finely shredded Cheddar cheese
3 cups biscuit baking mix
1/2 cup finely minced green onion
1/4 cup finely minced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon Curry powder

Instructions
Combine all ingredients and mix well. This can be done by hand, with a heavy duty mixer, or in a large food processor. Shape into small balls and freeze for up to two weeks. When ready to serve, place on a baking sheet (with sides). Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes, until browned on bottoms. Serve on a platter right from the oven or place in cruet and cover with your favorite bar-b-cue sauce. Set tooth picks and small plates next to sausage balls.


Spinach balls
Prep: 10 min. Cook time: 15 min.


Ingredients
6 eggs, lightly beaten 6 oz. pkg. stuffing mix 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 2 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Instructions
In a bowl, combine eggs, stuffing mix, butter, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach; mix well.Can freezr at this point for up to two weeks. When ready to serve, shape into 1-1/2-in. balls; place in an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve on platter, with tooth picks and small plates handy.

APPETIZERS (make the morning of or day before)

Lemon-Basil Cheese Ball
Prep: 15 min. serves: 24


Ingredients
1 8-ounce carton mascarpone cheese1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (4 ounces)3 tablespoonss finely chopped pistachio nuts2 tablespoons finely snipped fresh basil4 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel1/8 teaspoon pepper


Instructions
1. In a mixing bowl, beat mascarpone with an electric mixture on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Stire in Gruyere. Stir in pistachios, basil, lemon peel, and pepper.
2. Line a 2 cup bowl with plastic wrap. Transfer cheese mixture to bowl. Cover and chill 3 hours or until firm. (Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.) To serve, unmold onto a serving plate; remove plastic wrap. Serve with pita chips or crackers. Makes 24 servings


Artichoke dip

Prep time: 15 min. Baking time: 20-25 min.
Serves: 10

Ingredients
2 6-ounce cans of artichoke hearts
2 cups mayonnaise
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 teaspoons lemon juice
8 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
Beat all ingredients together with mixer on medium for one minute. Mixture will keep in refrigerator for 2 days. When ready to serve, empty mixture into an oven proof dish and bake at 325 degrees fro 20-25 minutes. Serve with chunks of French bread

Appetizers (somewhat time consuming, but incredible)

Brie wrapped in puff pastry

(easy)Prep: 15 min., Bake time: 25 min. Make ahead the morning of the party (except for baking)
Yield: serves 8-10

Ingredients

a sheet of puff pastry, thawed

1 eight-ounce round of Brie cheese

1/2 cup whole pecans

1/3 cup brown sugar

2TBL butter

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter and sugar together and add pecans. Unfold pastry on a floured surface. Put cheese in the center. place pecans and brown sugar mixture on top of cheese. Fold pastry over the cheese to cover it. Trim excess pastry and press to seal. Reserve scraps for decoration, if desired. Beat egg with 1 TBL water. Brush seams of pastry with mixtture. Place seam side down on a baking sheet. Brush with egg mixture. Bake 25 minutes or until golden. Let stand 20 minutes. Serve with crackers or chunks of french bread.

Sundried Tomato and Basil Spread (a little more complicated, but awesome)
Prep: 25 min., Chill: 8 hrs. Make this recipe up to 3 days before the party.
Yield: Makes 20 servings


Ingredients
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/3 cups sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened and divided
1/3 cup tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 cups firmly packed fresh basil
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Vegetable cooking spray
Garnishes: fresh rosemary sprigs, sun-dried tomatoes
Crackers or baguette slices


Instructions
Beat 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Set aside.
Process dried tomatoes in a food processor until chopped. Add 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, tomato paste, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; process until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Spoon into a bowl, and set aside. Wipe container of food processor clean.
Process garlic and next 4 ingredients in food processor until chopped. Add Parmesan cheese, remaining 3-ounce package cream cheese, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; pulse just until blended, stopping to scrape down sides.
Spray a 6-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup butter mixture evenly on bottom of springform pan. Layer with half of tomato mixture, 1/2 cup butter mixture, and half of basil mixture; top with 1/2 cup butter mixture. Repeat layers with remaining tomato mixture, 1/2 cup butter mixture, and remaining basil mixture. Top with remaining butter mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; chill at least 8 hours.
Run a knife gently around edge of pan to loosen sides. Remove sides of pan; carefully remove bottom of pan, and place layered spread on a serving tray. Garnish, if desired. Serve with crackers or baguette slices. (from Brenda Dills, Southern Living Magazine)



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How to make fabulous scones from a mix

I didn't even know there was such a thing. I'd seen mixes for just about every other kind of baked goods; but never had I ever seen a mix for scones. That is , until I met the Victorian scone lady. She called me one day, when she was in town for a trade show. She had brought some samples of her mixes, which she intended to drop off at the local bed and breakfasts.

She stopped by later and left a small bag, which sat on the shelf next to the nuts and raisins for weeks. Then, one day a guest ask if I would make some scones for breakfast. I decided to use the dried cherries in the cupboard. When I opened it, out fell the bag of scone mix, right into my mixing bowl.. This had to be a "sign" , I thought.

The bag made 6 scones and had a recipe for mixing & baking, and directions for freezing. "You freeze the cut out dough, not the finished scone". I read the directions, mixed in some dried cherries and baked the scones, all six of them. When they were done, I slathered some lemon curd on one of them and popped it in my mouth. It was absolutely the best scone I'd ever tasted! Not dry, not tasteless, not doughy, but fabulous. "Scone mixes from Victorian House Scones http://victorianhousescones.com/ taste like home made...[all you do is ]add butter and buttermilk to the mix, and bake".

I had made hundreds of scones from scratch, but never tasted any better than Victorian House Scones. After trying the first one, I went right to the phone and ordered several big bags of their mix. To find out how good they are for yourself, click on the link above and see what they have to offer.
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CookBook Caper

(continued from sidebar: Room At The Table)
...and so the committee had to do most of the work, including raising funds for the project, testing all the recipes, styling all the photographs, and writing & editing all the copy (with a little help from our friends, the publishers). In addition, we engaged in long brainstorming and planning sessions and spent hours setting up systems and contacting & talking to potential Innkeeper participants.

We hired a photographer and a publisher.

The going wasn't always easy. As a group, we bonded, we argued, we had lunch together. We agreed, we disagreed, we had dinner together. We became adamant, we acquiesced, we traveled together. We laughed together. We cried together.

There was more togetherness than most of us were used to.

Traveling through Kentucky
......working the whole time

a good omen................for a profitable New Year

I am not normally superstitious. But I really think getting a booking for the first day of 2009 is a good sign....maybe an indication of things to come......a good way to start off the New Year. And a reminder to stay positive. It never hurts and sometime it does a lot of good.

Fabulous Baked Apple Pancake

I got the call a few hours ago. Then another and, wonder of all wonders, another. Did they read my blog post about being pampered with all sorts of creature comforts? Never mind......it doesn't matter....... I feel energized again! Gotta go shopping for food supplies so I can make something wonderful for New Year's morning breakfast! I'm thinking German Baked Apple pancakes. They are sooo good! Here's the recipe (see sidebar)


German Baked Apple Pancake (serves 2)
Glazed Apples
2 TBL butter
3 med-lg Grannie Smith apples, cored & sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
Confectioners' sugar
Maple syrup (optional)

Batter
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute apples in 2 tablespoons butter for 5 minutes. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. Continue sauteing until just soft. Keep warm. Mix eggs, milk, flour, vanilla and salt is an electric blender.Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter is a large heavy frying pan (preferably iron). Heat for a minute or two on a burner on the stove top. Pour batter into hot pan and place in hot oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and slide pancake on to a plate. Pour sauteed apple over the pancake evenly and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with maple syrup.
 

German Baked Apple Pancake (serves 2)

Glazed Apples
2 TBL butter
3 med-lg Grannie Smith apples, cored & sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
Confectioners' sugar
Maple syrup (optional)

Batter
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute apples in 2 tablespoons butter for 5 minutes. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. Continue sauteing until just soft. Keep warm. Mix eggs, milk, flour, vanilla and salt is an electric blender.Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter is a large heavy frying pan (preferably iron). Heat for a minute or two on a burner on the stove top. Pour batter into hot pan and place in hot oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and slide pancake on to a plate. Pour sauteed apple over the pancake evenly and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with maple syrup.

Gateau of Crepes

- See more at: http://innnotes.blogspot.com/2008/12/good-omenlooking-toward-profitable-2009.html#sthash.dfTG0k2I.dpuf

German Baked Apple Pancake (serves 2)

Glazed Apples
2 TBL butter
3 med-lg Grannie Smith apples, cored & sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
Confectioners' sugar
Maple syrup (optional)

Batter
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute apples in 2 tablespoons butter for 5 minutes. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. Continue sauteing until just soft. Keep warm. Mix eggs, milk, flour, vanilla and salt is an electric blender.Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter is a large heavy frying pan (preferably iron). Heat for a minute or two on a burner on the stove top. Pour batter into hot pan and place in hot oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and slide pancake on to a plate. Pour sauteed apple over the pancake evenly and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with maple syrup.

- See more at: http://innnotes.blogspot.com/2008/12/good-omenlooking-toward-profitable-2009.html#sthash.KXE3bHco.dpuf

Timothy's White Chili

Timothy's was a wonderfully eccentric eatery, opened by Tim Barnes in the early 1980s, on East Broadway in Louisville, Kentucky. They served continental style food and frequently displayed a "now sauteing" neon sign in the front window. Most Louisvillians will remember it and, although I wasn't introduced to it until I moved here almost 15 years ago, I still remember going there with friends to savor some of their awesome "White Chili".

In March of 1991, Bon Appetit did an article on Timothy's and published the White Chili recipe. I was ecstatic when I found it and have been making it ever since. When Tim died in the late 1990s, the restaurant closed and reopened in Indiana in 2003. They still have his chili.

This year, I spent the Christmas holidays in the southwest visiting my daughter and her boyfriend. They have a great house with 4 cats in Austin Texas. I had a wonderful week of Christmas, zoning out on food, wine and card playing. We all three love to cook, so instead of going out to eat, we spent every night cooking for each other. I cooked two nights and guess what I made for them...and their friends? Yep! White Chile. And they loved it! So I've decided to share the recipe with you ..........just go easy of the hot stuff. My mouth is still smarting!




Yield: 6 servings

2-3 8 oz. cans Great Northern Beans
2 LB chicken breasts
1 ½ tsp. oregano
1TBL Olive oil
¼tsp grnd cloves
2 med Onions, chopped
¼ tsp Cayenne
4 Garlic cloves, minced
6 C. Chicken stock or broth
8 oz. Chopped mild green chilies
2tsp. Grnd cumin
3 C. Monterey Jack; grated
1/2 C. Sherry

Garnishes: Salsa, Chopped fresh cilantro, Sour Cream

Saute chicken in heavy large saucepan. until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, remove skin, & cut into cubes. Heat oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, then chilies, cumin, oregano, cloves, and cayenne pepper and saute 2 minutes. Add beans and stock and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1/2 hour. Add chicken and 1 cup cheese to chili and stir until cheese melts. Continue to simmer for another 1/2 hour. Add sherry 5 minutes before finished cooking. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls. Serve with remaining cheese, sour cream, salsa and cilantro. (recipe edited by Aleksander House)