Dressing recipe:
2/3 to 1 onion to taste, diced fine
4 stalks celery sliced
1 pkg mushrooms, sliced
¼ stick butter, melted
3 eggs
1 can Campbell’s Mushroom Soup
1 can Fri-Chic, (soy based meat substitute), diced
1 pkg G.Washington Broth and Seasoning, Rich Brown
1 pkg 16oz Herbed seasoned Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix

Saute’ onion, celery and mushrooms until onions are caramelized. ( I use oil and butter for flavor) Combine saute’d ingredients in a large bowl with melted butter, eggs, mushroom soup, sauce from Fri-Chic and G.Washington broth in large bowl, stir until combined. Add Fri-Chic, stir. Add stuffing mix. Put in greased casserole dish, 8” X 13” preferably, but not essential. Bake at 350 degrees for at least 45 minutes, first 20 minutes covered with tin foil. Serve hot.

This is a great dish for left-overs, it reheats extremely well.

Ingredients:
1 Cup of butter (2 sticks)
1 one lb. bag of vanilla candy wafers (these can be purchased at a craft store or some grocery stores)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup of flaked coconut
2 tsp. water
Some sprinkles (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp . vanilla
1 tsp. mint flavoring (optional)
2 cups flour
1 cup quick oatmeal

With electric hand mixer, mix together the butter, powdered sugar, water, salt, vanilla, mint, flour and oatmeal. Add the flour and oatmeal a little at a time. Your dough will be very piecy and crumbly. Take a large teaspoon of dough and squish it into a ball, then roll between the palms of your hands to form into a small ball about 1 inch in diameter. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 min. While cookies are baking, put the vanilla candy wafers in a microwaveable dish and melt in slow increment. It should be very smooth and creamy when melted. After the cookies have cooled a bit, you can dip them in the melted candy or spoon the melted candy over the cookie to cover it. Then sprinkle the coconut onto the cookie so it sticks to it. You can drizzle sprinkles over some of the cookies in case some people don't like coconut. Let the melted candy coating harden and enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 Cup Heavy Cream
4 Cinnamon Sticks
8 ounces finely chopped semisweet chocolate

Dippers: Fresh or dried orange slices
Mini-bananas
Fresh or dried pears
Strawberries
Cubed Pound Cake Cookies
Anything else your heart desires!

Directions:
In small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream and cinnamon sticks just to boil. Remove from the heat and set aside to steep for 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon and discard.
Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer, pour it over the chocolate, and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir the chocolate mixture until completely melted and smooth. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a fondue pot, and keep warm over a low sterno flame.
Serve with your favorite dippers.
*Tip-this will make a thick fondue. For a thinner sauce simply add more cream.

My recipe for potato candy:

One medium potato
2 1/2 boxes of powdered sugar
1 TBL vanilla
1 16oz jar of creamy peanut butter

Boil potato and mash it. Add vanilla. Start adding powdered sugar a little at a time until it reaches a dough-like texture. Roll out the "dough". Spread thin layer of peanut butter on top. Roll it like a jelly roll. Refrigerate. Cut into 1/2 inch slices.

From our Holiday Helper blog.

1. Chicken Almond Puffs (appetizer)
1 cup flour
1 cup chicken stock
2 tsp seasoned salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp celery seed
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup cooked chicken, finely diced
2 tbsp. toasted almonds, chopped


Sift flour. In a saucepan over low heat, combine stock, salt, pepper, seed, flakes, Worcestershire sauce, and butter. Bring to a boil. Add flour at once, stirring vigorously until mixture forms a ball (like cream puffs) and leaves the side of the pan (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat. Add eggs one at a time and beat thoroughly after each one. Continue beating until a thick dough forms. Stir in chicken and almonds. Drop by small teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until browned. Serve hot or freeze in an airtight container. To thaw and crisp, put puffs on baking sheet and heat at 250 for 10 to 15 minutes. These are good served with Chinese mustard or apricot preserves, warmed.


2. Chicken Pasta w/ Cream Sauce
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup milk or half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 lb pasta
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 tbsp olive oil
2 zucchini, sliced thin
1 lb cooked chicken, cubed
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Prepare the roux by heating butter in a small saucepan and adding flour. Over medium heat, stir until flour just begins to turn a very light brown. In another pan, heat the milk. Add the milk to the roux, stirring carefully until the sauce thickens. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat.

Cook the pasta. Drain when finished.

Sauté garlic in olive oil until just lightly browned. Add zucchini and chicken; sauté until all is hot. Add a bit of pepper to taste.

Toss the chicken with zucchini with pasta and add the sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese.



3. White Chicken Chili
1 lb chicken, cut up into small chunks (I like to use boneless breasts for their "ease" and lower fat content)
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (or the equivalent) chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 tsp cumin seed (ground will not withstand long cooking as well)
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves

Three 15-oz cans white beans (great northern or cannelloni), drained and rinsed 1 or 2 chopped red, green, or yellow bell peppers (or combination) Jalapeno chili peppers--fresh, jarred, or canned--optional or "to taste" (depending on how much heat you like!)

In a 4 or 6 quart crockery cooker, combine the chicken, onions, chicken broth, garlic, cumin, and oregano. Let cook awhile on low (approximately 3-5 hours, depending on your schedule). Add drained beans.
Now here is the important part if you don't want mushy chili: add the bell peppers and jalapeno peppers (if using) no earlier than the last hour or hour and a half before serving.
Top each serving with shredded Monterey jack cheese and/or broken tortilla chips, if desired.

4. Creamy Bourbon Chicken
4 to 6 chicken breast halves, skin removed, or 3 to 4 lbs bone-in chicken pieces
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz sliced mushrooms
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup good bourbon
I cup heavy cream


Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; lightly dust with flour; set aside.

In a large, heavy skillet over low heat, heat butter and olive oil. Add the chicken and chopped scallions and sauté, turning pieces frequently, until chicken is golden and tender (about 15 to 20 minutes). If bone-in chicken is used, cook about 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until chicken is tender and juices run clear. While the chicken cooks, baste with a few spoonfuls of the bourbon every few minutes, adding in very small amounts so liquid cooks off while the chicken cooks and does not accumulate in the pan.

When chicken is cooked through and golden, transfer to warm platter.

Add sliced mushrooms to skillet and saute, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream, and scrape loose any browned bits that may be stuck to the skillet. Simmer until the mixture is hot and starting to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken on a bed of fresh spinach, and pour the sauce over the chicken. Serves 4 to 6.

5. Cream of Broccoli Soup (fresh chicken stock made from leftover chicken bones) 2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup cream, heavy, light, or half and half
1 onion, chopped
1 russet potato, peeled and chopped
Nutmeg, to taste
6 cups rich homemade chicken stock, warmed (canned can be used)
Salt
3 cups chopped broccoli florets and stems
Pepper

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter and cook onion until tender. Add potato and toss to coat with butter. Add hot stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in broccoli and return to a simmer. When potato and broccoli are tender, puree in batches in a blender r food processor. Return to pot and add cream. Season to taste and serve warm.

Co Co's Waffle Cookies
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp vanilla
Waffle maker

Directions:
Melt butter on low heat on stove
Gradually add remaining ingredients, stirring well until smooth
Remove from heat
Use 1/3 to 1/2 cup batter to fill iron
Cook 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 minutes. Do not overcook!
Serve alone or with fruit and ice cream.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup peanut butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
2-1/2 cups unsifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 bag milk chocolate chips

Method:
Preheat oven to 350F
Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla on med-high speed
Scrape bottom and sides of bowl
Add flour, baking soda, and salt
Stir until ingredients are well blended
Stir in chips
Spread in ungreased 13" x 19" pan
Bake for 32 minutes
Store in airtight container at room temperature

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 Minutes
Ready: 1 Hour

Crust:
1-1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2/3 Cup Confectioners Sugar
3/4 Cup Slightly Softened Butter

Filling:
6 Eggs
1-3/4 Cup White Sugar
6 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Lemon Juice
1/3 Cup Confectioners Sugar for Decoration

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 350F. Line nonstick 9”X13” pan with greased parchment paper.
Combine 1-1/2 Cups Flour, 2/3 Cup Confectioners Sugar, and Butter. Pat dough into prepared pan.
Bake for 15 minutes in preheated oven until slightly golden. While crust is baking, whisk together eggs, white sugar, flour and lemon juice until frothy. Pour lemon mixture over the hot crust.
Return to oven for additional 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Dust top with confectioners sugar. Cut into squares.

From the Holiday Helper Blog

Pizza (make your own dough)


Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast - $.66
1 tbsp sugar - $.05
1 tsp thyme or Italian seasonings - $.10
3 tbsp olive oil, 3+ cups of flour - $1.00
1 tsp salt - $.05
Makes two balls dough - enough for two large pizzas!
Total cost…$1.86


Mix water, yeast, sugar, and oil in mixer bowl. Add flour and salt. Mix/knead for 10-12 minutes, sprinkling with flour to keep from sticking to bowl. Dough should be elastic and smooth. Place dough in oiled bowl, cover dough with oil, cover, and let stand 1 hour at room temperature. Then, divide dough into 2 equal parts, roll into balls, cover with damp towel, and let stand another 10 minutes. Use immediately. Don't forget to poke holes into dough with fork once rolled onto pan to let steam escape while baking. Top dough with sauce and toppings of your choice.

Pasta
Butternut squash, cubed and roasted – $1.00
1/2 cup chopped onions - $.30
1 cup fresh spinach - $.50
1 tbsp olive oil - $.05
1 lb pasta of any kind - $1.00
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese - $.40
Pine nuts (optional)
Total cost…$3.25

Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain. Toss with roasted squash, handfuls of fresh spinach, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Top with fresh parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts.

Chocolate Covered English Toffee Cookies
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped chocolate covered english toffee pieces (about 8 chocolate covered toffee candy bars)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine candy bar pieces and chopped walnuts and set aside.
2. Cream butter with beater until fluffy. Add brown sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat well. Add vanilla.
3. Alternatively mix in the chopped toffee, walnut mixture and the flour mixture, a third at a time until well blended. Chill cookie dough for 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On silicone cookie sheets or metal pans lined with parchment paper, spoon the cookie dough in small 1-inch diameter balls. Place dough balls three inches apart. (Be sure to leave enough space between the dough balls because the cookies will spread.)
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges just start to brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Easy Santa Decorated Cookies
Ingredients:
1 dozen grocery store bakery, soft sugar cookies and/or brownie cookies
1 tub ready-to-spread vanilla cream frosting
1 package mini marshmallows
1 package shredded sweet coconut
1 package chocolate chips
1 bottle red sugar crystals
1 small jar red hot cinnamon candies
*plastic zip lock bag for piping

Directions:
Spread frosting on the top 1/3rd of the cookie. Sprinkle red sugar over the frosted top 3rd to create Santa's hat.
Using zip lock bag, pipe frosting in a zig zag pattern along the bottom edge of Santa's hat to create a fur trim.
Place a marshmallow at the right edge of the frosted trim for the ball at the tip of the hat.
Frost a little more than 1/3rd of the bottom of the cookie in a crescent shape to form Santa's beard. Sprinkle the shredded coconut over the frosted bottom 3rd to make the beard fluffy.
Put a small amount of frosting on the back of two chocolate chips and one cinnamon red hot, and place them on the cookie for Santa's eyes and nose.
Repeat until all of the cookies are decorated.

Ingredients:
Sugar cookie dough-can use store bought refrigerated 18 oz. roll
Semi-sweet Chocolate baking chips-one 12 oz. bag. (Other miniature chocolate candies can also be used here.)
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut cookie dough roll into approx. 1/4" thin slices.
Put half of the slices on a non-stick cookie sheet-a couple of inches apart.
In the center of these slices, place a couple of the chocolate baking chips.
Place another cookie dough slice on top of these baking chips, forming a sandwich-like appearance.
Brush the cookie dough with the (beaten) egg.
Press one chocolate baking chip (or other miniature chocolate candy) onto the top of the dough.
Bake for approx. 10 minutes.

Ingredients:
7oz flake coconut
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp flour
1/8 tsp salt
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp almond extract

Step 1: Mix coconut, sugar, flour and salt together
Step 2: Stir in egg whites, almond extract, and blend well
Step 3: Drop by spoonfuls on greased and floured cookie sheets
Step 4: Place cookies in preheated oven at 325F degrees for 20 minutes or until edges are golden
Step 5: Remove immediately from cookie sheets

I heard many of you were looking for these recipes, so here you are. Enjoy these and the Holiday Season!

-Dennis Basso

RIVER SALAD


One large bunch baby arugula –washed and leaves removed from stems

One small red onion, peeled and sliced into long, thin slivers

Fresh parmesan cheese flakes (can use potato peeler to slice flakes from bock of cheese)
(the more aged the cheese, the stronger the taste)

4 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Juiceof one large lemon

Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

In mixing bow, place olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Place arugula and onion in serving bowl, with dressing and toss.

Add parmesan flakes.

Serves 4


TESS’ SAUSAGE STUFFING


Ingredients:

2 pounds of sausage meat, removed from casing
1 ½ bags of cubed bread for stuffing (preferable Pepperidge Farm Country Cubes)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup diced yellow onion
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup pine nuts
4 small cans of sliced mushrooms, drained
2 to 3 cups chicken stock (preferably College Inn)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In large skillet, brown the sausage meat, breaking it up with a fork during the process.
Cook until meat is almost done, do not overcook or meat will be too dry.
Place meat in colander in sink to drain excess grease.
Reserve meat in a mixing bowl.

Wipe excess grease from frying pan, add 3 tablespoons olive oil and sauté the onion and celery together until onion is translucent and the celery is soft.
Add to sausage in bowl.
Add pine nuts and mushrooms to the mixture in the bowl and combine all ingredients.

In a separate, large mixing bowl place stuffing bread cubes.
Slowly add the chicken stock until the cubes become softened. It will be necessary to use your hands in mixing this to incorporate the broth into the bread.
After this is done, combine the bread cube mixture and the sausage mixture.
Combine thoroughly and place in oven-proof baking dish.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is lightly golden.

Serves approximately 8.

Espresso Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup malted milk powder
1/4 cup dark espresso coffee
1 cup superfine sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) sweet butter, softened

For the frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) sweet butter, softened
3 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
2 teaspoons hot coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
A dozen chocolate espresso beans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place paper baking cups in muffin pans. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Combine the milk powder and coffee in a small bowl. Beat the sugar, eggs, and butter in a medium bowl until light and creamy. Add the flour and coffee mixtures alternately to the egg mixture. Spoon the mixture into the cups. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool.

To make the frosting, beat the butter and confectioner’s sugar in a bowl until soft and creamy. Add the coffee granules to the hot coffee and stir. Beat into the butter and sugar mixture, and then stir in the vanilla. Spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Top each cupcake with a chocolate espresso bean.

Store unfrosted for up to 2 days in an airtight container or freeze for up to 3 months.

Bourbon Raisin Shortbread Cookies

1/2 cup rum
1 cup dried currants
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
1 teaspoon coarse salt

Combine rum and currants; cover, and let stand at room temperature overnight. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons rum.

Beat butter, sugar, and orange zest with mixer on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and reserved rum, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour, coconut, and salt, and beat for 3 minutes. Stir in currants by hand.

Form dough into 2 logs, each about 1-1/2 inches in diameter; wrap in parchment and refrigerate 1 hour or freeze logs until ready to use. Thaw in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove parchment. Slice logs into1/4 inch thick rounds, and space about 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake until pale golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.