Cranberry chutney--served this over brie melted in the microwave.

Qty Measure Ingredient
------------------------------------------------------------
1 Cup Water
3/4 Cup Sugar
12 Ounce Cranberries
1 Cup apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 Cup cider vinegar
1/2 Cup Raisins
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Ginger
1/4 Teaspoon Allspice
1/8 Teaspoon Clove

Instructions: Bring water and sugar to a boil.  Add cranberries, apples, cider vinegar, raisins and spices.  Return to a boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Pour mixture into a mixing bowl.  Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the sauce. Cool to room temperature and serve or refrigerate.  Bring to room temperature before serving.

Turkey leftover soup

Qty Measure Ingredient
------------------------------------------------------------
Bones of roasted turkey
1 Cup lima beans, dried
4 Stalk Celery, sliced
3 Large carrots, sliced
18 Ounce tomatoes, diced
1 onion, chopped
3 Sprig Parsley
s and p to taste
3 qt Water
1 Large potato, diced
10 Ounce green beans, frozen
5 Ounce peas, frozen
2 Teaspoon poultry seasoning

Instructions: Combine turkey bones, lima beans, celery, tomatoes, onion, parsley, salt and pepper.  Cover with water.  Simmer 2-3 hours or until lima beans are soft.

Using slotted spoons, remove bones carefully.  When cool enough, remove meat from bones and add back to pot.

Add potato, carrots and frozen vegetables and simmer 1 hour more.

Winter squash:  honey spice squash

Qty Measure Ingredient

------------------------------------------------------------

1/4 Cup butter, melted

1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Ginger

1/3 Cup Honey

1 apple, sliced into rings

1 Large buttercup squash

Instructions: Cook and mash squash.  

Mix butter, cinnamon, salt, ginger and honey.

Layer squash with sauce and apple rings, ending with squash and sauce.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Creme brule, by special request.

3 c heavy cream

6 egg yolks

4 T sugar

dash of salt

Scald cream until top wrinkles.  Beat egg yolks until thick and creamy; beat in sugar and salt.  Add hot cream to egg yolk mixture slowly (you don't want to cook the eggs), beating constantly with wire whisk.  Pour mixture in ramekins and place in a pan of water that reaches two-thirds of the way up the ramekins.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Chill.  Sprinkle about 1/8-1/4" granulated sugar on top.  Using a chef's torch, heat the sugar until it melts and turns amber colored.  VERY IMPORTANT:  keep turning and tilting the ramekin as you heat, spreading the melted sugar evenly over the top of the custard.  If you heat in one location, the sugar will burn quickly, and you won't have even coating of the custard with caramelized sugar.

Merry Christmas everyone!  Greg has to work 6:30 am-3 pm, and I wanted to have Christmas breakfast with him, so I got up before the birds and made banana-sour cream pancakes.  These are really yummy--no syrup, powdered sugar or jam needed.  The recipe is from a blog called Dine and Dish.  One batch made about six 6" pancakes.

1 1/2 c flour
2 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1 1/4 t Kosher salt
1/2 c sour cream
3/4 c skim milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 t orange zest
1 large ripe banana, mashed

Sift together dry ingredients; whisk together wet ingredients.  Slowly combine wet and dry ingredients, stirring just until a moist, lumpy batter forms.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Ladle batter into skillet; cook until bubbles form on the top.  Flip and cook other side.

Meatloaf for dinner tonight, and I couldn't resist posting one more recipe today after I tasted it.  This is really good.  Made in the slow cooker!

Ground meat:  meatloaf

Qty     Measure     Ingredient

------------------------------------------------------------

2     lb     ground beef (or venison)

1     Package     Lipton onion soup mix

1     Cup     Cheddar cheese, shredded

3/4     Cup     bread crumbs, fine

1          Egg

1     Tablespoon     Worcestershire sauce

1     Cup     Ketchup, divided

1     Tablespoon     brown sugar

1     Teaspoon     prepared yellow mustard

Instructions: Combine meat, soup mix, cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire and 1/2 c ketchup.  Shape into a 4 x 8" loaf.  Line the bottom and sides of the slow cooker with foil.  Lightly grease foil.  Place meatloaf on foil.

Stir together remaining 1/2 c ketchup with brown sugar and mustard.  Spread over meatloaf. 

Cover and cook on low 3 1/2 hrs (5 qt slow cooker) to 5-6 hours (4 qt slow cooker) or until a meat thermometer registers 160.  Lift meatloaf from slow cooker using foil.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Here are some cookie recipes you might enjoy. They are the most stained recipe cards in my card box.  And yes, I still have recipe cards!!!

Turtles

1 1/2 c flour
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 egg white, unbeaten
1/4 t vanilla
1/8 t maple flavoring (optional)
2 oz (or 1/3 c) semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 c milk
1 T butter
1 c confectioner's sugar

Sift together flour, soda and salt.  Cream butter and brown sugar.  Add egg and yolk and beat well.  Blend in vanilla and maple flavoring.  Add dry ingredients gradually and mix thoroughly.  Arrange split pecan pieces on cookie sheet as head and 4 legs.  Shape dough into balls and dip bottom in unbeaten egg white.  Press lightly onto nuts.  Bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes.

Melt chocolate with milk and butter.  Remove from heat and blend in confectioner's sugar.  Beat until smooth and glossy; frost cookies when cool.

***

Viennese crescents (NY Times)

1/4 vanilla bean
1 c confectioner's sugar
1 c walnuts
1 c butter, room temperature
3/4 c granulated sugar
2 1/2 c flour

Chop vanilla bean.  Pound in a mortar or pulverize in electric blender with 1 T confectioner's sugar.  Mix with remainder of confectioner's sugar.  Cover and let stand, preferably overnight.

Cut walnuts into small pieces then grind to a paste with a mortar and pestle.

Using your hands, mix walnut paste, butter, granulated sugar and flour to a smooth dough.  Shape teaspoons of dough into crescents.  Bake at 350 on ungreased cookie sheets until lightly browned, about 15-18 minutes.  Cool one minute.  While still warm, roll in vanilla sugar.  If desired, roll in sugar again when cool.

***

Spritz (butter cookies)

1 c soft butter
2/3 c sugar
3 egg yolks
1 t vanilla

Mix all ingredients together.  Work in 2 1/2 c flour with hands.  Force dough through a cookie press onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 400 for 7-10 minutes.  Decorate while warm.

***

Russian tea cakes

1 c soft butter
1/2 c confectioner's sugar
1 t vanilla
2 1/4 c flour
1/4 t salt
3/4 c nuts, finely chopped

Mix butter, sugar and vanilla thoroughly.  Stir in flour and salt.  Mix in nuts.  Chill dough.  Roll chilled dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 400 until set, but not brown, about 10-12 minutes.  While warm, roll in confectioner's sugar.  Cool and roll in sugar again.

***

Peanut blossoms

1 3/4 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c shortening
1/2 c peanut butter
1 egg
2 T milk
1 t vanilla
48 chocolate kisses (unwrapped, of course)

Combine all ingredients except kisses.  Shape dough into balls.  Roll balls in a shallow dish of granulated sugar.  Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.  When removed from the oven, top immediately with a candy kiss, pressing firmly to flatten the cookie.

***

Snickerdoodles

1 c shortening
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 2/3 c flour
2 t cream of tartar
1 t baking soda
2 T sugar mixed with 2 T cinnamon, for rolling

Cream shortening and sugar; add eggs and beat thoroughly.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Roll dough into balls.  Roll in cinnamon sugar.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 400 for 8-10 minutes.  Cookies will puff up then flatten.

***

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (Tollhouse)

1 c butter, softened
3/4 c white sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 t vanilla
1 3/4 c flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
2 c oatmeal
1 c chocolate chips
1 c raisins or chopped nuts

Cream butter and sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Sift in dry ingredients.  Add oatmeal, chocolate chips and raisins/nuts.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

***

MONSTER COOKIES

Be prepared--read through the recipe before you start.  This is a huge batch of cookies.

1 lb butter
2 lb brown sugar
4 c white sugar
12 eggs
3 lb peanut butter
1 T vanilla
8 t baking soda
12 oz chocolate chips
1 lb M & M's
17 c oatmeal

Cream butter and sugars;  add eggs and beat well.  Stir in peanut butter, vanilla and baking soda.  Mix well.  Add oatmeal and candy and mix again.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 350 until done.  (I didn't write down a time; I would guess it takes around 10-15 minutes).

I made these as 4" diameter cookies to sell to raise money for our vet school graduation party.  They sold like crazy!!!!

Hope you enjoy these cookies.  Have a wonderful holiday season!