Cute!

Woodrow was feeling kind of festive today as he watched me decorate!

Handmade Christmas Ornaments

Here are some of my crafty ornaments from past years in case you need any ideas.

These are not exactly handmade, but it's fun to display old pictures on the Christmas tree.


These are made from antique clip-on earrings and plastic pearl beads.


These were made by wrapping ribbon around a wooden ring (napkin ring or curtain ring). The picture is just cut to size and glued to the back.

I made bows out of sheer wired ribbon and attached antique brooches in the center.

These were made with Crayola Modeling Magic compound (lighweight, air-dry spongy type clay) pressed into a cookie mold. I added gold paint and tiny pearl accents.

My craft fund is empty... so I'm not making anything new this year. But that's okay, I have plenty of options to work with.

Hash Brown Bake

Here's a great breakfast/brunch casserole I've made for several years. I used to take it for early morning tailgating when UGA had a football game at noon or 1:00. It travels well.

We had breakfast for dinner one day last week.

HASH BROWN BAKE

1 (20 ounce) package refrigerated shredded potatoes
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup finely chopped cooked ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped green and red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Press potatoes into bottom of an ungreased 2 quart rectangular baking dish. Drizzle with butter.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for about 10 minutes. Combine ham, cheese, bell pepper and onion and spoon onto potatoes. Combine eggs and next 3 ingredients in small bowl, stirring well. Pour egg mixture over ham mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 4 - 6 servings

Note: Hash Brown Bake may be prepared, omitting egg mixture, and refrigerated overnight. In the morning just add egg mixture and bake.

Note: You may pre-cook shredded potatoes and butter in the microwave and eliminate the first portion of baking time.

Past Christmas Trees

I have been using this small (4 foot) Christmas tree for about 10 years. It started as an extra tree in my family room (a big tree was in the living room). Once I moved to a smaller place, it was a great fit.

I'm back in a big house, but I still prefer my small tree. It's so much easier to decorate than a big one. And less expensive to change themes or colors.

I use a lot of the same ornaments every year (gold, silver and white) and change out beading, ribbon or balls each year.

The tree in 2004... Sheer white ribbon, jeweled ornaments, pearl accents...


The tree in 2005... Simplified a bit... Irredescent beads and balls, silver ornaments.


The tree in 2007... Burgundy, gold and white.

The tree in 2008... Irredescent beads and balls again, gold and silver with the addition of deep purple.

So, what will I do this year?

I'm thinking it will be something similar to last year. I love the deep purple. Except... the den decor as changed since last year. I don't know if the purple really goes anymore.

I'll show you once it's up. I'll also show you some of my homemade ornaments from years past.

Espresso Crunch Cups

I just love making holiday treats. This is a new recipe that I tried this year and it's really good, it will go into the regular holiday rotation...

The recipe calls for chocolate covered espresso beans. What I found and used were called chocolate covered espresso bits. I found them at Publix near the produce section... there's a small section of nuts and dried fruits and stuff like that.



I tried to give you a view of the inside here.

ESPRESSO CRUNCH CUPS

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
3/4 cup crushed chocolate-covered espresso beans (4 ounces)
3 tablespoons Kahlúa
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 cups (24 ounces) milk chocolate morsels
4 tablespoons shortening
48 (1 1/2") paper candy cups (1 1/4" cups will work fine, too)

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer about 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Stir in espresso beans, Kahlúa, and salt. (This can be done by hand just as well - go ahead and mix butter, powdered sugar, Kahlua and salt at the same time, then add espresso beans)

Cover and chill 1 hour or until firm. Shape mixture by teaspoonfuls into 48 balls, and flatten slightly.

Melt chocolate morsels and shortening in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. (I melted the chocolate in the microwave) Spoon 1/2 teaspoon melted chocolate into 48 paper-lined miniature (1 3/4") muffin pans, turning or gently shaking pans to coat bottoms evenly. Place 1 flattened Kahlúa ball in each cup; spoon remaining melted chocolate over Kahlúa balls, covering them completely.

Cover and chill chocolate cups until firm. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

Note: Once I made the 48 Kahlúa balls, I worked with batches of 12 crunch cups at a time. I melted the milk chocolate morsels in the microwave one cup at a time with one tablespoon of shortening at a time. This was enough chocolate to make 12 crunch cups at a time.

Variation: For Butterscotch Crunch Cups, substitute butterscotch schnapps for Kahlúa and Heath toffee bits for espresso beans. (I came up with this one myself! They were really good.)

Gingersnap Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli Casserole

Happy Thankgiving!

We had a great time and delicious food at my cousin's house today.

I made Gingersnap Sweet Potatoes.



GINGERSNAP SWEET POTATOES

4 to 5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup half-and-half
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
2 cups coarsely crushed gingersnap cookies (I used Nabisco)

Cook sweet potatoes in a large pot in boiling water for about 30 minutes or until tender. Mash potatoes. Combine mashed sweet potatoes, 1/2 cup brown sugar and next 4 ingredients in a mixing bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Spoon into a greased 2 1/2 quart casserole dish (or 9x13x2 pan).

Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and flour. Cut in 1/4 cup cold butter with a pastry blender until crumbly. Stir in crushed gingersnaps. Sprinkle streusel mixture over sweet potato.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until streusel is lightly browned.

Make ahead: Prepare sweet potato filling and spoon into a greased microwave-safe dish. Cover and chill overnight. Microwave at high for 10 minutes or until hot. Prepare streusel and sprinkle over filling. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until streusel is lightly browned.

My mom made Broccoli Casserole.




BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

4 (10 ounce) boxes frozen chopped broccoli
1 pound Velveeta cheese, cubed
2 sticks butter
8 ounces Ritz crackers, crushed
salt and pepper

Cook broccoli and drain well. Return broccoli to pot. Add cheese, 1 stick butter (in slices), salt and pepper; stir well. Place mixture in a casserole dish. Cover with crushed crackers. Melt remaining stick of butter and drizzle over crackers.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

And this is everything else!

Do you see those pies in the back??? Mmmmmm...

Chocolate Covered Cherries

I consider this little treat one of my specialties. If you want to make friends at the office... Make nice with the boss... Make a man fall in love...

Even the people that don't like chocolate covered cherries in a box will like these.

You'll mix the first 4 ingredients to get a ball like this.

I like to flatten and mark it so that it can be divided evenly into about 36 pieces.

Then roll each piece into a little ball.

I put the little balls in the fridge for about half an hour before the next step.


You'll flatten each sugar ball and wrap it around a cherry.

I like to refrigerate the sugar covered cherries overnight to firm up. That way, when you dip in chocolate, you are less likely to have the sugar coating slip off.

So, it's the next day, and I'm dipping them in melted chocolate.

Twirl and dip until the entire thing is coated.

Put them back in the fridge when done.

Leave them in the fridge for 2 or 3 weeks. Really! They will be so much better. It will be hard to resist tasting them, okay you can taste one, but leave the rest in the fridge for later.

CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRIES

2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 (8 ounce) jars maraschino cherries with stems, well drained
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening

In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, butter, milk and almond extract; mix well with a fork. Knead into a large ball. Roll into 1 inch balls and flatten each into a 2 inch circle. Wrap around cherries and lightly roll in hands. Place with stems up on a waxed paper lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave. Holding onto stem, dip cherries into chocolate; set on waxed paper to harden. Store in a covered container. Refrigerate 2 to 3 weeks before serving.

Yield: about 3 dozen

Note: I put the cherries in a colander over a bowl in the fridge overnight to drain them really well. Then dry them carefully with papertowels before wrapping in sugar coating.

Make them soon, so they will be ready for Christmas!

Funny!

I want Pumpkin Pie, too!

Mango Chutney Cheese Spread

Sorry for the bad presentation and picture. I was trying out something new and I didn't want to make a full amount, just enough for me and Eddie to taste. But, it turned out really good, so I must share!

I'll make it pretty when I take it to a party or have guests.

MANGO CHUTNEY CHEESE SPREAD

cream cheese (from a tub, reduced fat)
golden raisins
bacon pieces, cooked until crispy (use the ones from a pouch)

green onions, thinly sliced
sour cream (a tablespoon or two per tub of cream cheese)
mango chutney

Use enough raisins, bacon and green onions so that you get some in every bite.

Stir together the first 5 ingredients. Spread mixture in a shallow dish or make a shape on a serving plate. Spread a layer of chutney on top. Serve with crackers.

UGA VII RIP

Pan Seared Scallops with Seasoned Cheese Grits

You can make this meal in under 15 minutes, maybe less... And it's so good.

The scallop recipe is so easy, I don't list any amounts for you. Use as many scallops as you want for how ever many people you are serving. The grits recipe serves 2 to 4 depending on serving size.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS

olive oil (enough to barely cover bottom of pan)
sea scallops
Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Dredge the scallops in breadcrumbs. Add scallops to the pan, cook 2 to 3 minutes. Turn scallops and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until done.

Note: I buy frozen sea scallops from Publix. They come in a 24 ounce bag (6 to 8 servings). I just take out and thaw the amount that I need.

SEASONED CHEESE GRITS

2/3 cup quick-cooking grits

2 cups water

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup shredded Italian-blend cheese

2 tablespoons cooked bacon pieces

1 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add grits and bring back to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients; cover and let stand 1 minute.

Note: For cooked bacon pieces, I use the ones that come in a little pouch, like Hormel brand. (I use a store brand) Heat them up first in a small skillet to get them crispy.

Eggnog Coffee Cake

I'm testing some new holiday recipes. This one came from Christmas with Southern Living 2001. I have no idea why I haven't tried this before since I love eggnog so much. I will definitely be making this again and again.






The original recipe said to serve warm or at room temperature. It's even better if you make it a day ahead of when you'd like to serve it. After it's cooled, cover it and let it sit overnight, the flavors improve noticeably.

EGGNOG COFFEE CAKE

2 tablespoons fine, dry breadcrumbs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, divided
1 cup refrigerated eggnog
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Grease a 9" cakepan; sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and tap out excess. Set pan aside.

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter with a pastry blender until crumbly. Remove 1 cup crumb mixture; set aside. Stir baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg into remaining crumb mixture.

Stir together eggnog, egg, bourbon, and vanilla. Add eggnog mixture to crumb mixture; beat at medium-high speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg to reserved 1 cup crumb mixture; sprinkle over batter.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Apple Cranberry Stuffing

At Eddie's office, they are having a Thanksgiving meal today. Oh, how I miss those great potluck meals at a big office...

He saw this Paula Deen recipe last Saturday on one of her shows and decided he would try it out. It was really good, and we will make it again one day, but I really do prefer a traditional Southern cornbread dressing with my turkey at Thanksgiving. This would be great with ham at Christmas, though.

By the way, I think it's weird that Paula calls this 'stuffing'. She's a Southern woman and we usually call this 'dressing'. It's not stuffed into anything, after all.

APPLE CRANBERRY STUFFING

2 cups chicken broth
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (10 ounce) can cream of celery soup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 cups Hawaiian sweet bread, cubed and toasted (that's a 16 ounce round loaf)

Lightly grease or spray a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine chicken broth and cranberries; let soak for 30 minutes.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, pepper and celery; cook for 6 to 10 minutes stirring frequently or until tender. Add apples and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl.

Beat 3 eggs in a separate bowl. Add salt and pepper. Set aside.

In the large bowl with vegetables, stir in chicken broth/cranberry mixture, celery soup and cinnamon. Add toasted bread, stirring gently to combine. Add eggs. Spoon mixture into prepared dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until center is set.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Note: Paula didn't tell me how to toast the bread cubes. We baked them at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. You want them to really dry out, because this bread is super soft when it's fresh. In fact, it would be a good idea to buy the bread a few days ahead and let it get a bit stale, then toast.

Creamy Cajun Shrimp Linguine

This is a repeat from way back. But it is so good, and I have my own picture now.

CREAMY CAJUN SHRIMP LINGUINE

6 ounces linguine
1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon butter
1 (8 ounce) package sliced mushrooms
1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin slices
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2/3 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and bell pepper to pan; sauté until tender. Add flour, Cajun seasoning and cayenne to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in half-and-half; cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are done. Remove from heat and mix in pasta and parsley.

Yield: 2 or 3 servings

A Product I Like... Chicken Sausages

Just sharing a tasty, quick dinner idea...

I got these at WalMart. They have other good flavors that I have tried, can't remember the specifics on the flavors. There are chicken and pork sausage varieties.




I saute them in water as the package suggests, but then dump the water and add a little oil to brown them. Only takes about 10 minutes.

The leftovers are great for a sandwich the next day, just re-heat in the microwave.

Corn Pudding

A good Fall/holiday dish...

CORN PUDDING

1 egg, beaten
1 (15 ounce) can cream style corn
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles, drained
1 (8 ounce) package dry corn muffin mix (like Jiffy)
dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

Grease a 1 quart casserole dish. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except corn muffin mix. Then stir in the corn muffin mix until just moistened. Pour into casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until set and top is golden.

Yield: 6 to 8 small servings

Panko Chicken

That's the Panko Chicken on the left. I'll give you the recipe for the Corn Pudding, on the right, in a near future post.



This recipe is suitable for all sorts of herb and spice variations. I did use thyme, this time, but I didn't use the Parmesan cheese (oops, I didn't have any!).

PANKO CHICKEN

2 cups Panko bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons dried thyme
salt and pepper
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons water
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a metal cooling rack on pan and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, cheese, 2 tablespoons olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. In a separate bowl or dish, combine mustard, water, salt, pepper and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Coat each chicken breast with mustard mixture; dredge each in breadcrumb mixture. Place on prepared rack in pan.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes, until chicken is done. Near the end of cooking time, spray the tops of chicken with cooking spray to assure they become golden brown.

Yield: 4 servings

Roasted Red Pepper and Almond Dip

I've had this recipe filed away for about five years. I finally got around to trying it. I originally found it in the Atlanta newspaper.

I know it sounds weird... roasted red peppers and almonds??

But, it is so good. If you like roasted red peppers, you are sure to like this!

ROASTED RED PEPPER AND ALMOND DIP

1/2 cup (3 ounces) whole toasted or oil-roasted almonds
1 (12 ounce) jar of roasted red peppers, drained
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 large garlic clove
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, chop the almonds until very fine. Add peppers, vinegar and garlic; process until pureed, 5 to 10 seconds. Add olive oil and process until emulsified, about 5 to 10 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Don’t add salt if you use salted almonds.)

Serve with pita chips, tortilla chips or veggies.

I served with homemade Baked Pita Chips.

BAKED PITA CHIPS

3 (6 inch) pita bread rounds
olive oil cooking spray (like Pam)


Cut each pita into 8 wedges, then separate each into 2 pieces. Place on baking sheet inside side up in a single layer. Spray cooking spray evenly over wedges.

Bake at 400 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp.

Pitas tend to have one side thinner than the other. I separate the thicker pieces and cook them for about 5 minutes, the thinner pieces for about 3 minutes.

Yield: 48 pita chips

Funny!

I almost forgot to show you this little duck that I made when I made the Squash Casserole.



He lived in my refrigerator for a few days...



The wings were sliced off of another piece of squash, the feet are made of butternut squash (because I had cubes of it on hand, the feet can be made from a carrot), all held together with small pieces of toothpicks. The eyes are cloves.

Squash Casserole

Every good Southern girl has to have a Squash Casserole recipe. Here's my version.

You would need to double this if making for a big holiday meal with a large group.



SQUASH CASSEROLE

2 pounds yellow squash, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup diced onion
salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

Sauté squash and onion (add salt and pepper here) in a little oil until soft, but not too soft and browned a bit. Combine squash, eggs, cheese and bread crumbs in a large bowl. Pour into greased casserole dish. Top with more bread crumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

Yield: 4 to 5 servings

If you buy pre-shredded cheddar cheese, get the larger grated kind, not the finely shredded.

Pumpkin Blondies

More pumpkin!

These are so, so good, you must make them for yourself!

Mine sort of fell apart, I didn't wait for them to cool long enough, not really an issue...

They are softer and fluffier than you would expect for a blondie (usually sort of thick and chewy). Just so you know.

PUMPKIN BLONDIES

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 cup chopped, toasted nuts (optional)

Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with foil. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Stir together and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. Mix in the pumpkin puree. With the mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Fold in the white chocolate and butterscotch chips (and nuts, if using) with a rubber spatula. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting.

To serve, lift the cake from the pan using the foil and transfer to a cutting board. Peel off the foil and using a sharp knife, cut into 24 squares.

Yield: 24

Fabulous Noodle Casserole

I made the casserole with chicken this time, because Eddie likes it better. I like it best with tuna.

FABULOUS NOODLE CASSEROLE

1/4 cup butter

1 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 cup chopped onion

1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups milk

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

2 (9 ounce) cans solid white tuna in spring water, drained and flaked
OR

2 (12.5 ounce) cans premium chunk white chicken (Tyson), drained and flaked

1 (12 ounce) package egg noodles, cooked

2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender.

Whisk together flour and milk until smooth; stir into vegetable mixture, and cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until melted.
Stir in tuna and next 4 ingredients; spoon into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Stir together breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons melted butter; sprinkle over casserole, and bake 5 more minutes (uncovered).

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

The dish you see pictured held just over half of the entire mixture. I put the rest in a foil loaf pan for the freezer (freeze before baking). When the time comes, I'll thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake, probably a little longer than the directions since it will be cold.

Seven Can Chicken Tortilla Soup

Another soup... One of my favorite things to cook and freeze.

This one can be easily doubled if you want to freeze a big batch.

SEVEN CAN CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

1 (10 ounce) can chunk white chicken, drained (I used Tyson)
1 (14 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (14 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 (10 ounce) can mild Ro-tel (tomatoes and green chiles)
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles

Mix all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes.

Yield: 4 large servings

So easy to keep these ingredients on hand for a quick dinner!

Cherry and White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Look what Eddie gave me!

It's my birthday/Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year's gift...




So, I had to make something for him...




CHERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups uncooked regular oats
2 (6 ounce) packages white chocolate baking bars, coarsely chopped (Baker’s)
1 cup sweetened dried cherries (Welch’s)

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugars, beating well. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in oats, white chocolate and cherries.

Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, drop dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes on pans; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: 5 dozen

This is a good recipe for variations... Next time, Craisins instead of dried cherries, maybe macadamia nuts, how 'bout butterscotch chips and pecans?

Pecan Crusted Fish

PECAN CRUSTED FISH

1/2 cup pecan pieces

1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

1 1/2 pounds fish fillets (Tilapia is good)

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 cup canola oil

Chop pecans finely (like coarse bread crumbs); combine with bread crumbs in medium bowl. Place flour in second medium bowl. Blend milk and egg together in third medium bowl. Preheat large sauté pan on medium 1–2 minutes. Sprinkle both sides of fish with seasoned salt. Dip fillets in flour (coating both sides) then dip into egg mixture (allowing excess to drip off). Finally, dip into pecan mixture. Place oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add fish and cook 2–3 minutes on each side or until golden.

Yield: 4 servings

Use a thinner fish like tilapia, the pecans can burn if you cook it much longer than 2 to 3 minutes on each side.