Sunday, November 29, 2009

Recipes From November Cookin Night

Here are some of the recipes that came from our November cookin night. Thank you Vicki, for typing them up for us. Photos can be found in the previous post.

Cranberry Chutney--Mary
1 bag (16oz) of fresh cranberries
2 apples peeled, cored and cut into chunks
2 pears, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 cup golden raisins
2/3 c sugar
1/2 c honey
1/2 c orange juice
1 tbsp. orange rind
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
walnuts--optional
1/2 c. black raspberry liqueur--optional
Combine all ingredients except liqueur in a large saucepan and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until desired consistency.Remove from heat and add liqueur if desired.(recipe from Las Vegas Review Journal)

Chocolate Balls--Suzi
3 large hershey choc bars w/almonds
1 8 oz. cool whip--frozen
vanilla wafers crushed
Using a double boiler, (or a makeshift one) melt the chocolate. Add the coolwhip and blend. Mixture will be soft and sticky. Drop by teaspoon or small cookie scoop into bowl of crushed vanilla wafers. Roll and place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate
Helpful Hints:**Don't let the chocolate get tooo hot. Just needs to be warmed**Best to use frozen cool whip**May need to shape the chocolate into balls by hand after rolling in wafers
GOOD LUCK!!!


Almond Pinecones--LeAnn
1 1/4 c whole almonds
8 oz cream cheese--softened
1/2 c. mayonnaise
5 crisp bacon slices crumbled
1 tbsp. chopped green onion
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/8 tsp. pepper
Combine cream cheese, and mayo. Add bacon, onion, dill and pepper. Cover and chill overnight
Shape mixture into two pinecone shapes and press almonds into mixture just enough to stick, overlapping the almonds. (completely cover the outside of the pinescones) Garnish with pine sprigs

Holiday Fruit Salad--Connie and Her Mom
Beat together 2 eggs, 1/2 c sugar, 1 1/2 tsp flour and juice of one lemon. Add 1 cup of pineapple juice and cook until thick. Cool. When ready to use fold in 1 cup of whipping cream that has been beat until stiff. Salad Part:
3 bananas cut into pieces
4 slices of pineapple cut inot pieces or you can use the tidbits if not using fresh
red seedless grapes cut in half
marshmallows
dates cut into pieces
walnut pieces
Add all of this to first mixture to make the salad. Most delicious!

Thanksgiving Raspberry-Cranberry Jello--Paula
1 lg. pkg cherry jello
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce (crush with a fork)
1 sm can crushed pineapple (drained)
1 pt. sour cream
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese--softened
1 lg. pkg raspberry jello
2 pkg. frozen raspberries ( about 16 oz. )
Dissolve cherry jello in 1 1/2 c boiling water, add cranberry sauce, and pineapple. Chill until firm. Next mix sour cream and cream cheese well with an electric mixer. Spread over chilled layer. Final layer, dissolve raspberry jello in 1 1/2 cups boiling water, stir in raspberries.Pour over sour cream/cream cheese mixture. Chill until firm. This looks nice in a jello mold, but fits better in a 9x13 pan. Great for Thanksgiving.

Red and Green Cheese Ball--Michelle
8 oz. cream cheese--softened
1/4 c mayo
1 tbsp. fresh parsley chopped fine--could substitute dried
3 chopped green onions
2 pkg. of Buddig lean Pastrami or can use lean pastrami from the deli
about 4 oz garlic
salt to taste

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Holiday Recipes


The CHICKS



Bev and her cuter than ever gingerbread house.
Our November cookin night was so much fun! We had a pretty good group there this month..about 16 chicks. Bev showed us her gingerbread house making skills. She made it look soooo easy. The night before, her husband even decorated one....a redneck gingerbread single wide trailer. It was the best. Many shared some family recipes that were very close to them. Connie lost her mom last month to cancer and she shared a recipe that her mom always made for Thanksgiving and Christmas. She even brought a picture of her mom to show. The cheese balls were a hit as well. It really got us excited for the holidays...everyone wanted to go home and set up their Christmas tree when the night was done. I will post the recipes that were emailed in, that saves me from having to type them on the blog. If your recipe is not here, email it to us so I can post it.

Bev's husband's redneck house.



Connie with a picture of her mom and her fruit salad.


Le Ann made this cheese ball shaped like pine cones...it was not only cute but yummy too!


Annette made some delicious pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting. That's what I call holiday tastes!

Susie made some melt in your mouth chocolate balls....so sweet and so good.


Michelle, describing her delicious cheese ball.




Mary shared a Cranberry Chutney. It was full of fresh fruit and the smells of the holidays.

Vicki also made a cheese ball. All the cheese balls had different flavors and they were all delicious.

One of our chicks, Donna, could not be there, but she sent her peanut brittle and her recipe. This candy always reminds me of Christmas.

Dixie Peanut Brittle
2 C Sugar
1 C light Corn Syrup (Karo)
½ C Water
1 pkg 16 oz RAW Peanuts
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Butter or Margarine
1 tsp Vanilla
Candy Thermometer (a must!!!)
Heavily butter a cookie sheet or pizza pan.
Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in heavy sauce pan. Cook slowly; stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook to soft ball stage (240 degrees – about 30 minutes).
Add peanuts and salt. Cook to hard ball stage (295-300 degrees). Stir constantly. DO NOT ALLOW MIXTURE TO BOIL OVER.
Remove from heat. Add baking soda, butter and vanilla. (Mixture will bubble) Stir completely.
Pour mixture evenly on cookie sheet. Spread as evenly as possible. Work quickly – mixture is hot. Once spread, soak sauce pan. (This will save you a lot of scrubbing.) When completely cool, break into pieces. Store covered.
Note: Buy your peanuts early. They only come out once a year and go quickly. I start looking for them in October. I buy my supply and put them in the refrigerator. Walmart usually has them in their Baking Aisle.
This is my Mother’s recipe and she has made this since I was a child.

The following cheese ball recipe is from Vicki--

Sharp Cheese Ball

12 oz. cream cheese softened

1 jar old english cheese spread

2 tbsp minced onion, 1/4 tsp coarse grind pepper, 1/4 tsp salt,

1/3 c. blue cheese salad dressing

Mix together, shape into cheese ball, refrigerate. Serve with crackers or vegetables.