Artichoke Marinara

ARTICHOKE MARINARA

1 (12 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts
olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Drain the artichokes, reserving about half of the marinade, and halve them lengthwise.

Cook onions in olive oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes, adding the garlic during the last 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the artichoke hearts and the reserved marinade and stir occasionally while simmering for 20 minutes more. Serve over pasta.

Yield: 6 servings

Our Christmas Dinner

Ham, Gingersnap Sweet Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Mustard/Collard Greens, Marshmallow Ambrosia Salad, Pear/Blue Cheese Salad, Mango Chutney Cheese Spread Appetizer...

Delicious!

Funny!

Top 10 Uses for Fruitcake

10. Use slices to balance that wobbly kitchen table.
9. Use instead of sand bags during El Nino.
8. Send to U.S. Air Force, let troops drop them.
7. Use as railroad ties.
6. Use as speed bumps to foil the neighborhood drag racers.
5. Collect ten and use them as bowling pins.
4. Use instead of cement shoes.
3. Save for next summer’s garage sale.
2. Use slices in next skeet-shooting competition.
1. Two words: pin cushion.

Just kidding, I love fruitcake!

White Chocolate Macadamia Fudge

Delicious, fast and easy to make.

And there's a secret ingredient....

There's just a little something in this fudge that people can't seem to figure out.

WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA FUDGE

3 cups (18 ounces) white chocolate morsels
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons grated orange rind (secret ingredient!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Line a 9” square pan with aluminum foil; lightly grease foil. Cook first 3 ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 10 to 11 minutes or until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in orange rind, vanilla and salt until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour fudge into prepared pan. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or until firm. Cut into squares and store in refrigerator.

Makes about 36 if cut into one inch squares.

Carrot Souffle

Have you seen the movie "Four Christmases" with Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn? It's hilarious, I highly recommend it. The story is that their holiday getaway is cancelled/delayed so they have to visit with all the family they were trying to avoid. Both sets of parents are divorced, so they have four Christmas gatherings to attend. I wouldn't want four, but it's nice to have two Christmases.

My parents came over for a holiday meal with us this past Friday.

We had:
Roasted Red Pepper Dip with Pita Chips
Third Coast Salad
Chicken Amaretto
Green Beans
and this delicious Carrot Souffle.

Don't turn your nose up just because it's carrots. Think of it as an alternative to sweet potato casserole. It's sweet and yummy like that.





CARROT SOUFFLÉ

2 pounds baby cut carrots, cooked, drained and mashed (boil about 45 minutes)
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 pinch cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients; mix really well (I use an immersion hand blender). Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole dish.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 45 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar if desired.

Yield: barely makes 5 servings, better double it next time!

Chipotle Honey Roasted Peanuts

This is a recipe I ran across at FoodGawker, a great website devoted to pretty pictures of food. Of course, they link you to the website with the recipe. This recipe came from a blog called Recipe Rhapsody.

I've tried a few spiced nuts recipes in the past, they never worked out like I expected. This one came out perfectly and it's really, really good. Might be a bit spicy for some people, so adjust if you prefer less spicy.

CHIPOTLE HONEY ROASTED PEANUTS

1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound lightly salted dry roasted peanuts (16 ounce jar)

Stir together the sugar and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. Stir together the butter, honey and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in the peanuts until well-coated, then pour into a 9 x 13 x 2 baking dish. (I used a glass dish sprayed with a little non-stick spray.)

Bake at 325 degrees about 30 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times to ensure even cooking. Once done, pour the peanuts into a large metal bowl and sprinkle with the spice mixture; toss until well-coated. Pour onto a large baking sheet to cool completely; stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Note: I later tried with unsalted roasted peanuts, the spice mixture did not stick to the peanuts as well, so stick with the lightly salted or salted roasted peanuts (the salt provides a rougher surface for the spices to stick to). If you use salted, reduce the added salt by half.

White Chili

This recipe calls for cooked chicken. Cook the chicken however you like - grill, bake, poach... Use leftovers if you have them or cook extra on another day that you have chicken.

This time, I used smoked turkey, had some in the freezer from a day that Eddie smoked several meats.



WHITE CHILI

1 cup chopped sweet onion
1 tablespoon cooking oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
4 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken
3 (15 ounce) cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
sour cream (optional)

In a 3 quart saucepan, sauté onions in oil until tender. Stir in garlic and next 4 ingredients. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 more minutes. Add broth, chicken and beans. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Stir in sour cream or just garnish each bowl of chili.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Eggnog Quick Bread

This is the last of the eggnog recipes unless I came across something new to try in the next week.

This bread is not too sweet, so it works well as a breakfast treat or with a cup of coffee.

EGGNOG QUICK BREAD

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (a little more if you like)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup eggnog
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons rum flavored extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease bottom only of a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Set aside. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Set aside. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in sugar, eggnog, butter, rum extract and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients into wet mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle some extra nutmeg on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and then remove bread from pan. Cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator. Serve slices toasted. (3/4 inch slices hold up well in a regular toaster.)

Let's recap my other eggnog recipes - the link will take you there...

Eggnog Coffee Cake

Eggnog Cookies

Eggnog Truffles

Veggie Beef Soup

Yummy soup to warm you up on a chilly day...

Freeze some for another time...

VEGGIE BEEF SOUP

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups pre-shredded coleslaw mix
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
1 (9 ounce) package frozen cut green beans
1 (46 ounce) jar Hot Spicy V-8 juice
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes (Italian style)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a large saucepan, cook ground beef, onions and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain well. Put meat mixture back in saucepan and add the remaining ingredients; stir carefully. Cover, bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer. Cook for one hour.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Pretty Things

Just showing off a cute outfit I wore last night...

I know, the sweater is a little small for me, but it has the most beautiful sequins and rhinestones. I couldn't resist buying it for $2.15 at my favorite thrift store, Value Village.



This necklace is actually a silver charm bracelet that belonged to my Nana. Every little heart has a different embossed design on it and each has someone's name or initials engraved on the back. I made it into a necklace by attaching a silver chain bracelet to it.



This is another vintage bracelet from Nana's collection.

Cute!

My sweet boy Woodrow...

Once it gets cold and we have the heat on, Woodrow lays on the floor in front of this heating vent in the den. So, I put his little bed there. He laid in the bed a few times and then decided to do this instead.

Eggnog Truffles

Third in a series of eggnog recipes...

I first tried this recipe from one of my Christmas with Southern Living books last year. It's another delicious way to enjoy eggnog, my favorite holiday indulgence.

They don't come out as pretty as I would like, but the taste makes up for it!




EGGNOG TRUFFLES

8 (1 ounce) squares premium white chocolate (Baker’s)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup refrigerated eggnog
2 tablespoons dark rum (like Myer's)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups finely chopped pecans, toasted
16 ounces vanilla flavored candy coating

Melt white chocolate according to package directions. Add powdered sugar, butter and eggnog; stir gently until mixture is smooth. Add rum and nutmeg, stirring just until blended. Cover and freeze at least 2 hours. Shape mixture into 1 inch balls (a small cookie scoop helps). Roll in pecans and roll in hands to press pecans into eggnog mixture. Place on a wax paper lined pan; cover and freeze until firm.

Melt candy coating according to package directions. Remove truffles from freezer; reshape into balls, if necessary. Quickly dip each truffle into melted candy coating. Place on wax paper to harden. Store truffles in freezer.

Yield: 3 dozen


Notes: I used Capt. Morgan's Spiced Rum this time instead of regular dark rum, turned out great. I ran out of pecans half way through and finished up using some salted mixed nuts that I chopped. That worked well, too. Especially if you like a sweet salty combo.

Funny!

I'll wear an ugly Christmas sweater for some good eggnog, too!

Winter Apple Snack

When it's cold in the winter, I don't like to eat fruit quite as much as I should. So, I came up with this warm apple snack.

Just slice up your apple, layer it in a bowl with Splenda (or sugar) and either apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice. I like pumpkin pie spice, it has ginger in addition to the apple pie spice ingredients.


Cover it with plastic wrap and microwave. For a Granny Smith apple, I microwave for 2 minutes. For other apple varieties, usually only 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Stir and let cool just a bit before eating. I cooked a McIntosh apple for 2 minutes one time and ended up with warm applesauce.

It always feels like I'm eating more and getting fuller than when eating a cold apple.

Chicken with Balsamic Sweet Peppers

Tasty dinner from a couple of weeks ago. Chicken with red, yellow and green bell peppers sauteed with balsamic vinegar. I served it with couscous.

CHICKEN WITH BALSAMIC SWEET PEPPERS

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 cups thinly sliced mixed red, yellow, orange and/or green bell peppers
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Sauté the chicken over medium-high heat, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet. Cook the bell peppers and onion, stirring often, until just softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the basil and vinegar.

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through.

Yield: 4 servings

Pasta E Fagioli

Delicious Italian soup... Even better the next day. In the future, I may cook ahead for the next day just because the leftovers were sooooooo good.



I got this recipe from My Tasty Treasures, a great blog from another "regular" home cook. (She's actually kind of "special" in the nicest way possible.) It's great to find recipes on blogs rather than commercial websites, you know the recipes are ones that someone actually uses in their own home.

I've adjusted this a bit for our tastes. Also, the original recipe called for cannellini beans, but I always choose Great Northern as a substitute for any white beans. I just prefer them.


PASTA E FAGIOLI

4 ounces bacon (4 slices), chopped
1 cup diced onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (15 ounce) can Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups water
8 ounces (1 3/4 cup) ditalini or other small pasta
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
pepper
Parmesan cheese

Cook the bacon in a large dutch oven over medium heat until crispy, about 8 minutes. Spoon out most of the bacon grease, leaving just a tablespoon or two. Stir in onion, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, beans, broth and water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Stir in the pasta and cook to your desired doneness (8 to 10 minutes for most small pasta). Off heat, stir in parsley and pepper to taste. Sprinkle individual bowls with Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Eggnog Cookies

Yummy eggnog flavored cookies are soft and chewy. Ingredients can be mixed and prepared ahead of time, frozen and then baked at a later date.



EGGNOG COOKIES

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup low-fat commercial eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks

Mix the first 4 ingredients and set aside. Cream the sugar and butter until smooth. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks. Beat until smooth. Add flour at low speed until mixed.

Chill the dough for about half an hour. Scoop tablespoon size portions and roll into balls. Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with extra nutmeg if desired.

Bake at 300 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Center will still be somewhat soft.

Yield: about 4 dozen

Note: Be sure to use low-fat eggnog for this recipe, otherwise the cookies will flatten out too much when baking. Trust me, I've done it.

If you want to freeze for later baking: Roll the dough into balls and place on waxed paper lined tray or baking sheet. Freeze for a couple of hours and then just wrap the dough balls up in the wax paper and put into a ziploc bag. Freeze.

When you are ready to bake: Place frozen dough balls on a baking sheet. Allow to sit at room temperature for half an hour and then bake as directed. Don't forget to sprinkle extra nutmeg!

Shepherd's Pie

An easier, shortcut version of Shepherd's Pie.

SHEPHERD’S PIE

1 pound ground beef
1 (24 ounce) package refrigerated mashed potatoes (Simply Potatoes brand)
4 ounces cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
salt and pepper
4 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and warmed (carrots, peas, corn, beans, etc)
1 (1 ounce) packet dry beef gravy mix

Brown meat in large skillet. Drain well.

Make gravy according to package directions. Stir vegetables and gravy into meat.

Spoon meat mixture into baking dish.

Heat potatoes according to package directions and then mix with cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese, salt and pepper until well blended. Cover meat mixture with potato mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until heated through and bubbling around the edges.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

2009 Christmas Decor

Finished!

Eddie's Tree.

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!