HOT BUTTERED CIDER

Image via WikipediaThis is a warm buttery delicious drink to curl up with in front of a roaring fire…. Perfect for Christmas Eve while singing carols or wrapping presents…. Merry Christmas everyone and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2011 



8 cups cider
1 orange, thinly sliced
1/2 cup honey
8 cinnamon sticks and 16 whole cloves 
1 1/2 -2 cups dark rum
8 pats unsalted butter
How to make it

In a saucepan, heat cider, orange, honey, and cloves until bubbly.
Simmer, but do not boil, for 10 minutes
Pour cider into warm heat - proof mugs, adding a cinnamon stick for each serving
Add rum to mug as desired
Top with a pat of softened unsalted butter
Stir until butter is melted
Serve hot

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CROCK POT BEEF STROGANOFF

Image by cobalt123 via FlickrChristmas is around the corner!!!  I will be posting some easy and tasty recipes for those busy days leading up to Christmas.. Enjoy!
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3 lb. beef round steak, 1/2 inch thick
1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
2 med. onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings
2 (4 oz. each) cans sliced mushrooms, drained or 1/2 lb.
mushrooms, sliced
1 (10 1/2 oz.) can condensed beef broth
1/4 c. dry white wine (optional)
1 1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. flour

Trim all excess fat from steak and cut meat into 3 inch
strips about 1/2 inch wide. Combine 1/2 cup flour, the
salt, pepper and dry mustard; toss with steak strips to
coat thoroughly. Place coated steak strips in crock pot;
stir in onion rings and mushrooms. Add beef broth and wine;
stir well. Cover and cook on low setting for 8-10 hours.
Before serving, combine sour cream with 1/4 cup flour; stir
into crock pot. Serve stroganoff over rice or noodles.

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CRANBERRY SAUSAGE STUFFING

Image by fugutabetai_shyashin via Flickr Here is another recipe for your Thanksgiving feast. This is my Mom's recipe with my own variations... Hope you enjoy!!!

Did you know the difference between stuffing and dressing? Stuffing is cooked inside the bird and dressing outside.
Enough for a 12 lb turkey

3/4 pound pork sausage meat crumbled
1 lg onion, and 3 stalks celery pureed in food processor
¾ pkg Pepperage Farms stuffing cubes
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
½ c dried cranberries
1-2 cups chicken or turkey broth ,warmed
1/4 teaspoon Bell's seasoning
Salt and pepper

Combine bread cubes and crackers in large bowl
 Saute sausage meat in skillet until browned, drain on paper towels and save drippings
Saute onion and celery in sausage drippings
Add sausage and veggies to stuffing and mix well
Mix in cranberries
Add broth a little at a time until stuffing is moist enough to hold together
Season with salt pepper and bells seasoning
You can either stuff your turkey with this or put in a greased casserole, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes

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CINNAMON WALNUT CHEESECAKE

Image via Wikipedia 
Here is another recipe for your Thanksgiving table...Enjoy!!!
This is one of the first recipes I created back in 1976. I have served it every Thanksgiving since!
Ingredients
Crust 
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1tsp cinnamon (preferably Saigon cinnamon)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts , toasted
1/2 cup butter, melted 
Filling
2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar 
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
3 cups sour cream 
How to make it
Combine graham cracker crumbs,cinnamon and walnuts
add melted butter and stir until well blended
reserve 1/4 cup and press the remaining in the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan
blend cream cheese, eggs, sugar, salt and extracts in an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth
mix in sour cream on low speed until well blended
pour into crust ,top with reserved crumbs and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour until set (its ok if the center is a bit jiggly)
Cool on wire rack for 1 hour
Cover with foil and refrigerate until chilled(at least 4 hours, but preferably, overnight)

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SWEET POTATO SPOON BREAD

Image by zzilch via FlickrI just realized that Thanksgiving is next week!!!  I will be posting several delicious recipes in the next few days, any of them would be a welcome addition to your holiday table. This one is a change from the usual sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows.
 It is yummy served along side roast turkey

Ingredients

4 lg sweet potatoes, boiled and mashed or 2 cans sweet potatoes, mashed 
2/3 stick butter at room temperature
1 c sugar (1/2 white, 1/2 brown) 
1/2 tsp baking powder 
1 tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg 
dash salt 
4 tbsp flour 
2/3 c milk 
2 tsp vanilla 
2 beaten eggs 
1/4 tsp almond extract

How to make it

Combine sweet potatoes, and butter with eggs and mix well
Add milk, vanilla and almond extract mix well
Combine dry ingredients and add to potato mixture mix well
Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 baking pan or dish
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes

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PASTA PUTTANESCA

Puttanesca alla Debbie

 There is a story about the creation of this dish. It was supposedly made by the "Ladies of the Evening" in Naples... some of the reasons given are:

1. It was offered cheaply to customers to entice them into the brothels.
2. It's quick to make so it could be cooked easily in between customers.
3. It could be made from ingredients that keep well, as prostitutes often didn't have the opportunity to visit the markets every day.
4. The intense aroma of the garlic, anchovies, and capers drew men by their noses to the brothels

 Whatever the reasons are this is a delicious dish! The aromas in your kitchen are those of a 5 star Italian restaurant... Our neighbor stopped by last night while I was making it wanting to know what it was that smelled so incredibly good... Make this one... you won't be disappointed!!!!!


Ingredients

1/2 lb penne pasta
1/4 cup olive oil 
4 cloves garlic chopped
5 anchovy fillets soaked in milk for 5 minutes,drained and patted dry
1 cup kalamata olives pitted and chopped
1 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes crushed and undrained
1tbsp fresh Italian parsley,chopped 
1tbsp capers,rinsed and drained
How to make it

Boil penne in salted water until al dente, drain save a little cooking water
Heat olive oil in a large skillet saute garlic until fragrant
Add anchovies and saute until they dissolve
Add olives and tomatoes bring to a simmer,cook until slightly thickened about 20 minutes
Add cooked pasta and heat through
Add a little pasta water if it needs to loosen up a bit
Sprinkle with capers and chopped parsley and serve

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CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER WITH BACON

The beautiful Suwannee River

Kelly's RV Park in White Springs, FL

Our home, HOWIE(house on wheels is excellent)

Lane and I are so happy that the heat seems to be breaking here at Kelly’s RV park in  White Springs Florida. This summer has been especially brutal, the temps have been in the mid to upper 90’s for the last 3 months straight. Combine that with unbelievably high humidity and cooking complicated meals has been the last thing on our minds. Now with daytime temps in the 80’s and lows in the 60’s our thoughts are once again turning to the preparation of our favorite comfort foods. This one fit’s the bill… Enjoy!

This is a delicious easy corn chowder recipe. I like to serve it with warmed french bread and a simple green salad.

Image by Mark & Andrea Busse via Flickr

Chicken Corn Chowder with Bacon

Ingredients
6 slices bacon
1/2 c onions, chopped
2 c diced peeled yukon gold potatoes
1 small finely minced red pepper
3 large ears of fresh corn, kernels removed from cobs and cobs set aside
1 c water
1 can chicken broth
1 c cooked cubed chicken breast
1 16 oz can cream style corn
1/2 c half and half
1/2 tsp cumin
1tsp sugar
1 tsp seasoning salt (Jane’s crazy mixed up salt is good in this)
1/4 tsp pepper
Directions
Break corn cobs into smaller pieces and put in a 3 qt dutch oven with water and chicken broth.
Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 45 minutes
Drain reserving liquid
In a skillet brown bacon until crisp, remove and reserve
Add onions, red pepper and potatoes to drippings and saute for 5 minutes then drain well
Return liquid to dutch oven, add fresh corn, cream style corn , chicken, cumin, sugar, seasoning salt and pepper
Bring to a boil cover and simmer for 25 minutes
Remove cover add half and half and bacon crumbled, simmer 5 minutes and serve

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