Two great 'food' quotes . . .!

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it." -- Yogi Berra "Food is an important part of a balanced diet." -- Fran Lebowitz

Sugar cookies come in all kinds of ways . . .

Lots of sugar cookies recipes out there. Here is an easy one you can use for making decorated cookies. Cut-Out Sugar Cookies Ingredients 1 ½ cups butter, softened 2 cups white sugar 4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt Directions In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to ½ inch thick. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. Brush each cookie lightly with beaten egg white and sprinkle with colored sugar or other decorations. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. As with any cut out cookies, you can sandwich them with your choice of icing or thick jam. Instead of decorations, you can dust them with powdered sugar. You can also divide the dough and tint them in your choice of food coloring.

Sharing my research . . .

Christmas is approaching even though we think we have all the time in the world to prepare. I tends to sneak up on one. Thinking about that, I decided to surf the Internet in search of new and interesting cookie recipes. I came up with some sites that look very promising. Thought I'd share! http://www.momswhothink.com/christmas-cookies/christmas-cookie-recipes.html Great cookie site! Recipes are in alphabetical order. Even if you are new to the baking game, just the names will give you pause to look, consider, and bake! http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Holiday---Celebration-Recipes/Christmas-Recipes/Christmas-Cookie-Recipes Taste of Home Magazine always has great recipes. I like this collection of their cookie recipes. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/christmas-ideas/best-christmas-cookie-recipes Good Housekeeping Magazine never lets you down! This site even has pictures of each cookie recipe. http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/desserts/cookies/christmas-cookies/main.aspx Tried and true recipes submitted by other mothers in the kitchen.

Chocolate Snickerdoodles

I never thought a recipe could top the trusty vanilla/cinnamon & sugar Snickerdoodle cookie. This recipe is a strong contender . . . probably because it is a direct relative of the beloved Snickerdoodle cookie! Chocolate Snickerdoodles 1 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 large eggs 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Sugar mixture to roll dough balls: 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs. Add remaining ingredients and mix together to form a dough. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop dough into 1-inch balls, roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture, and place about 2 inches apart on a vegetable-oiled sprayed baking sheet. Bake approximately 8-10 minutes. Ideas . . . I've substituted a cup of butter for the shortening and got a richer cookie. Using parchment paper on your baking sheets bakes the cookies nicely. Roll the dough balls in powdered sugar for a crackled look. I like to add orange zest and orange extract for a fresh taste

Chicken with Citrus Sauce

Hardly any experience necessary! This is a very easy recipe and makes a nice dinner table presentation. No weird or exotic ingredients required.

Chicken with Citrus Sauce 4 boneless chicken breasts 4 tablespoons butter, divided ½ cup olive oil 3 cloves of garlic, peeled, smashed, and chopped ½ cup heavy cream Juice and zest of one lemon ½ cup dry sherry 1 teaspoon granulated sugar Fresh parley, chopped 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated Freshly ground black pepper 1 pound cooked pasta like spaghetti, fettuccine, egg noodles, etc. Heat olive oil and two tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan. Sear the chicken until it is browned on both sides and just done. Remove to a plate and keep warm. In the same frying pan, saute the garlic until tender but not browned. Stir in the cream and remaining two tablespoons of butter. Bring it to a boil, turn down and add the lemon, lemon zest, sherry and sugar. Simmer until the sauce thickens. Stir in parsley. Place your hot, cooked pasta on a serving plate, arrange the chicken breasts and pour over the sauce. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese, a few grinds of black pepper, and serve. Ideas . . . Not enough sauce for you? I don't double the sherry but I do double the cream and add 1/2 cup chicken broth to the mix.

Saving the Aging Banana!

Banana Bars 3/4 cups butter, softened 2/3 cup granulated sugar 2/3 cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 large egg 1 cup pureed bananas 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup chocolate chips of your choice 1/2 cup chopped nuts, your choice! Vegetable oil spray a 15x10x1-inch baking pan or two smaller ones. In a mixing bowl beat the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. Add the baking powder and salt, mix. Beat in the pureed bananas, egg, and vanilla until well combined. Stir in the flour. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking pan(s). Bake at 350 degrees about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and set. Cool on a wire rack before cutting into bars.

Budget Beef Stroganoff

When you hear 'beef Stroganoff' you feel your wallet start to empty and see hours of work on your immediate horizon. This is an easier version that you will make your family happy and keep things in line until pay day. Budget Beef Stroganoff 16 ounces uncooked egg noodles, the wide ribbon type 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 cup sour cream 1 package dry onion soup mix 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef Combine mushroom soup, sour cream and onion soup mix in a medium bowl. Add the garlic powder and pepper. Stir until blended. Brown meat in large skillet over high heat about 8-10 minutes, stirring to keep the meat in 'crumbs'. Drain fat. Reduce heat to low and add the soup mixture. Stir over low heat until hot and bubbly. Cook your noodles according to directions, drain, and place in a large serving bowl. Pour over the stroganoff and serve to your pleased family! A salad sounds good with this!

Fast Soup on a Busy Night . . .

We have all rushed home with a hungry family, wondering what on earth we can throw together that will be nutritious, within the budget, and edible. This quick soup is very much delightfully edible and all you have to worry about is making biscuits, toast, or serving warm tortillas with it.

Busy Night Fast Soup

1 1/2 cups of either cooked chicken breast, diced
1/2 cup smoked ham, finely diced
1 cup sliced onion
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 cloves garlic, peels, smashed, and chopped
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables.
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, put in a couple teaspoons of oil. Add the ham and the onions, garlic, and cook until onions are tender and ham is browning a bit. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for another minute. Cooking the flour with the ham and onions, etc. will prevent any lumping of the flour when you add the liquids. Stir in the tomatoes, mixed vegetables, and broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Add the chicken and cook, covered, for 8-10 minutes. Season with poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Chocolate Surprise

A friend shared this recipe with me. I haven't gotten time to try it, yet, but it looks like a great idea for a busy day when you want dessert but don't have time to fuss.

Chocolate Surprise

1 package chocolate cake mix 1 container (8 ounces) sour cream 1 cup chocolate chip morsels 1 cup water 4 eggs 3/4 cup vegetable oil 1 package instant chocolate pudding mix Spray Crock-Pot slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or lightly grease. Mix cake mix, sour cream, chocolate morsels, water, eggs, oil and pudding mix in bowl by hand. Pour into Crock-Pot slow cooker. cover and cook on Low 6 to 8 hours or on High 3 to 4 hours. Serve hot or warm with ice cream or whipped cream topping. This is a recipe made for personal creativity! Any flavor cake mix and instant pudding will work . . . And it doesn’t necessarily have to be chocolate chips. Don’t forget butterscotch, vanilla, peanut butter . . .

Easy and Spicy Barbecue Sauce

With the price of everything going up, this is a good recipe for your own barbecue sauce. It saves you a trip to the store and the temptation of buying more than the one bottle of barbecue sauce you went there for in the first place.

Spicy Texas Barbecue Sauce

1 cup Ketchup

1/4 cup Lime juice

1 tablespoons Vegetable oil

1 ½ cup red Onion; chopped

4 Cloves Garlic; finely chopped

12 oz Beer

½ cup Brown sugar; firmly packed

2 tablespoons crushed Red chiles; to taste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 Jalapeno; seeded and chopped

12 oz Tomato paste

Heat all ingredients to boiling in a 2 quart pan, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer approximately 30 minutes

Getting ready for the holiday table . . .

One of the mainstays of my Thanksgiving table is always a large dish of homemade Cranberry-Apple sauce. It goes so well with both the bread stuffing and the turkey. I also provides a bright spot of color midst the turkey, stuffing, and gravy! Cranberry-Apple Sauce 3 cups fresh cranberries 1/2 cup water 1 cup granulated sugar 3 tart apples, peeled, cored, and diced 1 teaspoons of freshly grated lemon zest 1 teaspoon of freshly grated orange zest 1/2 cup orange juice (No juice? Water is okay as a substitute.) Cook the cranberries, 1/2 cup water, and sugar over medium heat until the cranberries burst open, about 8-10 minutes. Add the apples, lemon zest, orange zest, and orange juice and stir to combine. Cook until the apples are tender. Don't overcook until they are mushy! This takes about 10 minutes. Stir as needed to prevent burning. Cool and store in the refrigerator. Should be served chilled but we have been known to enjoy it soon after it is cooked! Don't want apples in your cranberry sauce? Use four cups of cranberries and leave out the apples.

Fast and Easy Cake!

Fast and Easy Cake! 1 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup granulated sugar ½ cup plain yogurt or sour cream 1/4 cup softened butter (NOT melted!) 1/4 cup orange juice, brandy, or water - your choice! ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Zest of one lemon Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use vegetable oil spray to grease an 8-inch round our square baking pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix until well combined. Try not to over beat. Spread batter into your prepared pan. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until cake springs back when touched. Cool and remove from the pan to a rack to cool completely. This is a simple cake that goes well with ice cream, diced fruit, chocolate sauce, a thin vanilla or lemon icing . . . Ideas . . . This can turn into a pineapple upside down cake! After you spray your baking pan, put down a layer of brown sugar topped with about five thin pieces of butter and then crushed, canned pineapple. Spread you cake batter carefully over this and bake as directed. Cool for ten minutes or so and then invert it onto a serving plate. Easiest way is to place the plate on top of the cake and then holding plate and cake pan together, turn over, tap, and it should come out fairly easily. Remember to run a knife around the edge of the cake, too. Adding 1/4 cup of tiny chocolate chips to the batter makes an entirely different cake. Remember 1/4 to 1/3 cup of nuts added to the batter can only turn out well! Don’t forget toasted coconut!

Easy Thanksgiving Side Dish

This is a relatively easy dish to put together ahead of time and just pop into the oven 30 minutes before you serve dinner. It is a nice departure from the usual sweet potato/marshmallow casserole.

Easy Thanksgiving Side Dish 2 cups canned yams/sweet potatoes 1 large eggs ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar ½ cup butter, melted and divided 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon Up to ½ cup orange juice 1 cup pecan halves Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, beat potatoes with mixer till smooth. Beat in eggs, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup butter, salt and cinnamon. Starting with ¼ cup, beat in just enough juice to make mixture moist and fluffy. Scrape mixture into a 2-3 quart souffle or other oven-proof dish and smooth the surface evenly. Arrange pecans over top. Sprinkle remaining sugar over pecans. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake 25-30 minutes or until top is bubbly.

More cookies recipes!

What I like about this site is that the cookies/candy are listed under type so if you want bar cookies, just click that and get a huge variety of recipes to chose from. It's better than a cookbook! You can pick and decide, print them off, and get into the kitchen and start making your house smell like the holidays! I keep a big, magnetic clip on the door of my refrigerator and slip my printed recipe into that so it is out of harm's way and easy to read as I go about my mixing and baking. http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/

Gooey and Delicious!

Pumpkin Squares 1 Spice Cake Mix 3/4 Cup mayonnaise 1 16 oz can pumpkin 3 Eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon grated orange zest Cream Cheese Frosting 1 8oz. Package Cream Cheese (softened) 1/4 Cup Butter or Margarine (softened) 3 Cup Confectioners Sugar 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract Mix all of the pumpkin bar ingredients in a bowl just until combined well. Pour in a greased 13x9 cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until toothpick comes out of the center clean. Cool completely. While the cake is cooling, cream the cream cheese and the butter together in your mixer bowl until quite fluffy. Mix in the powdered sugar ½ cup. at a time until well blended. Add vanilla, orange zest, and mix well. Chill in refrigerator until the cake is completely cool, frost and serve.

Yam Bread . . . and more!

I like recipes that make use of leftovers or what is on hand the moment you get inspired to bake. I seem to always have leftover yam casserole at Thanksgiving and you can bet it usually ends up in this recipe.

Yam Bread 2/3 cup shortening 2 2/3 cups sugar 4 eggs 2 cups cooked or canned yams 2/3 cup water 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 ½ teaspoons salt ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves 2/3 cups coarsely chopped nuts 2/3 cup raisins (optional) Whip up the yams until fairly smooth. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms only of two loaf pans, 9x5x3 inches. Mix shortening and sugar in large bowl. Add eggs, yams, and water. Blend in flour, baking soda, salt, baking power, cinnamon, and clovers. Stir in nuts and raisins. Pour into pans. Bake about an hour or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove and cool completely before slicing. Pumpkin BreadSubstitute yams for 2 cups of canned pumpkin. Zucchini BreadSubstitute 3 cups shredded zucchini. Blend in 2 teaspoons vanilla with the clovers. Decrease baking time to under 60 minutes Banana BreadSubstitute 3 very ripe, smashed bananas

Pumpkin Cookies

This is a fast and easy way to put the holiday atmosphere in the air when the first batch of these cookies waft their scent around your kitchen. Get the milk ready as you will have a crowd demanding both cookies and milk as soon as the first baking sheet of goodies exits the oven! Pumpkin Cookies ½ cup shortening ½ cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 cup flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg ½ cup canned pumpkin ½ cup raisins ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans Cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add unbeaten egg and blend thoroughly. Sift together flour and spices; add to creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin. Add raisins and nuts. Mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a greased baking sheet about two inches apart. Flatten slightly. Bake at 400 about 12 to 15 minutes. Makes approximately two dozen cookies. The recipe can be doubled easily.

25 Facts You Should Share for School Lunch Week

One of my readers shared this link regarding school lunch programs. It has a lot of interesting information and should provide a lot of thought and conversation. “25 Facts You Should Share for School Lunch Week” (http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.com/blog/2011/25-facts-you-should-share-for-school-lunch-week/)

A favorite link for great cookie recipes!

Time to plan your holiday baking and this favorite link of mine should provide you with at least a few new favorites to try and enjoy. http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/top25.php

Potato soup

A flavorful departure from the usual creamy potato soup. Goes well with crusty bread and a salad on a cold winter’s evening. 8 strips of bacon cut into pieces 2 medium, brown onions, finely chopped 2 stalks celery, peeled and chopped 3 carrots, diced 3 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 teaspoon dried Thyme 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 quarts chicken broth, fresh or canned 2 Bay leaves Fresh or dried parsley Salt and pepper to taste In a large, heavy covered soup pot, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel to drain. Drain off all but about 3 tablespoons of bacon drippings. Add onions, celery, carrots, Bay leaves, and Thyme. Stir to blend. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add raw potatoes, stir to coat, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Push the vegetables to one side of the pan, then stir in flour, one tablespoon at a time. When the flour is incorporated, mix with the vegetables. Add the bacon, cook for an additional five minutes. Add one quart of chicken stock and stir until smooth. Add the rest of the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking until potatoes are soft. Add freshly chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper to tastes.

Rich Ricotta Cookies

Time to impress your family and guests at the holidays. These cookies taste like you put a huge amount of effort into them yet are simple to prepare and bake. Rich Ricotta Cookies ½ cup butter (1 stick) 1 cup granulated sugar ½ teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup ricotta cheese 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cups finely chopped, candied mixed fruit 1/3 cup chopped nuts, your choice. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg, vanilla, and ricotta cheese. Combine the flour and salt. Mix this into the ricotta mixture. Drop by rounded teaspoons on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes our until sides are slightly golden. Cool cookies on wire rack and glaze with orange icing. Orange Icing 1 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon finely shredded orange zest 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon orange extract. Mix all ingredients together until smooth and drizzle over cookies. Let icing set before serving.

Spice Cake

After pumpkin, anything spice scents the air with holiday excitement. This is an easy recipe that also tastes very good! Spice Cake ½ cup (1 stick) butter 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground cloves ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ teaspoon salt 2 cups applesauce ½ cups raisins 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed Preheat oven to 350°. Melt the butter in a 9x13 pan in the oven. Sift together the flour, sugar, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the pan. Add the applesauce, extract, and raisins. Stir the batter until all ingredients are well combined. Sprinkle the top with brown sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Instant Ice Cream?

This is a fun way to get a cool treat ready in time for dinner! Instant Ice Cream 1 cup milk 1 small box instant pudding 12-ounce tub Cool Whip Combine milk and pudding powder in a blender until smooth. Pour into a bowl and let stand for five minutes. Fold the pudding mixture into the whipped topping, cover and freeze for several hours for a soft-serve texture or overnight for a firmer texture. Ideas . . . Remember, it doesn't have to be vanilla instant pudding mix! Folding in 1/4 cup of tiny candies, chocolate chips, or nuts could be interesting.

The Bake Sale

This is a favorite story of mine. It also encourages us to only claim that which we, ourselves, have made or the cake might come back to bite us!

The Bake Sale Alice was to bake a cake for the church ladies' group bake sale, but she forgot to do it until the last minute. She baked an angel food cake and when she took it from the oven, the center had dropped flat. She said, "Oh dear, there's no time to bake another cake." So, she looked around the house for something to build up the center of the cake. Alice found it in the bathroom -- a roll of toilet paper. She plunked it in and covered it with icing. The finished product looked beautiful, so she rushed it to the church. Alice then gave her daughter some money and instructions to be at the sale the minute it opened and to buy that cake and bring it home. When the daughter arrived at the sale, the attractive cake had already been sold. Alice was beside herself. A couple of days later, Alice was invited to a friend's home where two tables of bridge were to be played that afternoon. After the game a fancy lunch was served, and to top it off, the cake in question was presented for dessert. Alice saw the cake, she started to get out of her chair to rush into the kitchen to tell her hostess all about it, but before she could get to her feet, one of the other ladies said, "What a beautiful cake!" Alice sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess (a prominent church member) say . "Thank you; I baked it myself."

Pumpkin Hot Cocoa?

Just discovered this recipe on the Rachel Ray page on the Food Network site. I'm definitely going to give it a try for the holidays as 1.) it sounds good and 2.) my daughters like anything pumpkin.

Pumpkin Hot Cocoa
2 cups milk
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup powdered hot cocoa mix
3 tablespoons canned pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Whipped cream to top

Mix all the ingredient in a cooking pot, mix, and cook until it is smooth and steaming. Don't bring it to a boil! Pour into festive mugs, top with a spritz of whipped cream, and serve.

You can very lightly dust the whipped topping on each serving with cinnamon or a bit of powdered cocoa. A Mocha accent could work so add a tablespoon or two of brewed coffee to the mix. Serve with a cinnamon stick in the cup for a stirrer.

Baked Ziti

This is a favorite, one-pan meal that can be made ahead of time and placed in the oven about 30 minutes before you need it on the table for dinner. It is easy to make and most of the items are usually on hand. Make a big salad to go along side of it and it will look like you spent hours planning this meal.

Baked Ziti 1 28 ounce jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce 16 ounces Ziti (This merely refers to the name of the shape of the pasta. Any type is acceptable.) 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese ½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese 1 good pinch of dried chili flakes ½ cup red wine Start a large pot of water boiling for the pasta. Meantime, saute the onions and garlic in a frying pan until limp and tender. Add the sauce. Rinse the jar out with the wine and add to the mixture. Stir in the chili flakes. Remove from heat and set aside for the moment. Cook the pasta until just cooked yet slightly underdone. The oven baking will complete that. Drain the pasta and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the sauce mixture and thoroughly combine. Toss with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Place in a large, greased baking pan. Top with the Parmesan or Romano cheese and cover with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and hot through, about 30 minutes. Let set five minutes before serving. It is so hearty, you might forget that there isn’t any meat in it. You can, however, add some browned ground beef or sausage if time, circumstances and the budget permit.

Sharing some salad shortcuts . . .

Super Simple Dressing 3/4 cup olive or vegetable oil 1/4 cup cider vinegar 3/4 teaspoon salt Ground pepper to taste 1 tablespoon minced onion or one garlic clove, finely chopped. Combine all ingredients in a jar or container. Shake well. Refrigerate covered. Shake well before using. Makes approximately one cup. Olive DressingTo the Super Simple Dressing, add 1/4 cup chopped, stuffed green olives. Hearty DressingTo 3/4 cup Super Simple Dressing, add: 1 hard-cooked egg, chopped 1 teaspoon minced parsley 1 tablespoon minced pimiento 1 teaspoon minced green onion Dash of paprika Mix well and refrigerate until used. Marinated Green Beans1 to 2 cans of green beans Your favorite Italian salad dressing 1/4 to ½ cup slivered, toasted almonds Drain green beans and place in bowl. Toss in dressing. Just before serving, scatter the almonds over each portion. Cucumber SlicesTwo large cucumbers Super Simple Dressing to taste ½ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper Peel and slice the cucumbers. When you are ready to arrange your salad plate, place the slices on the plate. Drizzle with dressing and pepper to taste. Pickled Beet Salad1 to 2 cans sliced or julienne beets Salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 tablespoons vinegar A sprinkling of caraway seed Drain beets and place in bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, toss gently and refrigerate. Tomato/Feta SaladFour to six ripe tomatoes, preferably Roma 4 ounces Feta ½ teaspoon dried dill ½ teaspoon basil ½ teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon ground pepper ½ teaspoon salt or to taste 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons finely chopped, red onion, optional Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized chunks and place in bowl. Mix the olive oil, vinegar, onions, spices and herbs together in a small bowl. Pour over tomatoes, toss gently and let marinate for at least a half hour before serving. Just before using, crumble in the Feta. The room temperature tomatoes make a nice contrast to the chilled cheese.

Cookie help for the holidays . . .

Here is an easy recipe to help you get a variety of cookies made for the holidays. They are easy to put together and amiable to creativity!

Changeable Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup white sugar 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup chopped walnuts Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add pudding mix, eggs and vanilla. Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Ideas . . . A combination of chocolate chip and peanut butter chips would be excellent! Using half chocolate chips and half raisins would make it taste like a chocolate fruit nut bar. Mint-flavored chips for the holiday season? Mix a cup of powered sugar with a bit of milk and your favorite extract. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Add half a cup of chopped nuts? Coconut? Colorful candy-coated chocolate candies? 1/2 cup or so of diced gumdrops?

Pork chops with taste!

Pork seems to be the cheaper of the meats as of late but it always seems that the thicker, boneless ones are hard to cook through and keep moist and tasty. Marinade just might be the answer! This is an easy one and all you have to do is remember to put the chops to soak a few hours ahead of time. 1/2 cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons finely minced garlic 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon olive oil Four or five boneless pork chops Combine all the ingredients in a sturdy zip lock type bag. Add the chops, seal, and let rest in the refrigerator 2-6 hours. Turn over the bag halfway through to insure the marinade reaches all the surfaces of the meat. To cook, grill on the barbecue or broil in the oven.