This is so much fun! Cut pineapple in half lengthwise. Remove pineapple, slice, and combine with fruit of your choice. Some suggestions- grapes, strawberries, kiwi, banana, cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew melon, peaches…

Place fruit pieces into hollowed out pineapple. You can also top the fruit bowl with your favorite nuts and have a side of plain yogurt for dipping.

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Ingredients:

• 1 Head Lettuce
• 1/2 C. Almonds- Slivered
• 1 Tbs. Sesame Seeds
• 1 Pkg Instant Noodles-Uncooked & Crumbled
• 2 Tbs. Olive Oil
• 2 Green Onions- Chopped
• 1 Pound Cooked & Drained Baby Shrimp or Cooked Boneless Chicken Cubes
• 1/2 C. White Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 C. Canola Oil (or other healthy oil)
• 4 Tbs. White Sugar
• Salt & Pepper To Taste

Directions:

Shred lettuce into bite size pieces. Add green onions.  Set aside. Saute’ slivered almonds, sesame seeds and noodles in olive oil until lightly brown- be careful not to burn. Set aside.

Salad dressing:

Combine vinegar, oil, sugar, and salt and pepper. Mix until well blended.

Salad:

Mix sauteed mixture with lettuce and green onions. Add cooked shrimp or chicken. Right before serving, drizzle dressing and serve. Enjoy!

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Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 C.  Orzo Pasta
• 6 Tbs. Olive Oil, Divided
• 3/4 C. Brown Lentils- Rinsed, Drained, Dried
• 1/3 C. Red Wine Vinegar
• 3 Cloves Minced Garlic
• 1 Cucumber- Peeled and Chopped
• 2 Small Tomatoes- Diced
• 1 1/2 C. Crumbled Feta
• 2 Diced Scallions
• 1/2 C. Chopped Mint Leaves
• 1/2 C. Chopped Dill
• Salt & Pepper- To Taste
• Lemon Juice- To Taste

Directions:

Boil lightly salted water in a large pot. Add orzo and cook 8-10 minutes. Drain. Pour pasta into large bowl.  Stir in 1 Tbs. olive oil. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until cool.

In a small saucepan, bring lentils to a boil. Cover. Simmer over low for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Set aside.

In another small bowl, mix together the rest of the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and garlic. Remove orzo from refrigerator and add lentils, oil mix, olives, feta, onions, cucumber, tomatoes, mint, and dill. Blend well. Top with salt and pepper (if desired) and a few drops of lemon juice. Enjoy!

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We picked a few of our favorite recipes that make camp cooking look easy. Okay, so we never said these were low fat recipes!

COUNTRY STYLE GRILLED RIBS

Choose meaty country style pork ribs, bone-in or boneless. Trim off excess fat. Boneless ribs are easy to cut into serving size sections. Place in a large soup pot. Cover with water. Cook medium high, stirring occasionally to bring to slow boil. Then lower to simmer to parboil the ribs for another 45 to 60 minutes, depending upon thickness, until fairly tender but not overcooked; you don’t want them falling apart… yet! While parboiling, keep pan partially covered, or use steam vented pan lid to prevent moisture escape. If water cooks down too low, add more hot water.

With large tongs, remove the ribs and lay out on a wire rack to cool.

Sauce:

In a large plastic container with tight fitting lid, whisk together the following ingredients:

1 1/2  cups thick, rich Ketchup – I like Heinz.

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup A-1 steak sauce

3 tablespoons salsa from a jar – Pace Picante is good.

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/2  tsp. fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp. onion powder

Add cooled, cooked ribs to sauce. Cover tightly and turn bowl slowly to coat all ribs with sauce. Grill over medium grill about 10 – 15 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Mmm… These should now be tender enough to cut with a fork!

ITALIAN STYLE VEGETABLES IN FOIL

Use heavy duty aluminum foil, cutting one square (about 9″ X 15″ per person),

Wash and pre-cut vegetables (approx 1/3 cup of each vegetable per person):

Fresh cut green beans – break off ends and cut in 1″ pieces.

Carrots – use regular size carrots (not mini’s) and cut in thin slices, approx 1/8″ thick slices (like chips), cutting on a slight diagonal slant if you can for prettier slices. Careful!

Red Potatoes – about 1 small  potato per person – Cut in half lengthwise. Lay two halves flat and slice again lengthwise. Now you have  long strips. Cut these in slices twice as thick as the carrot slices.

Mix the clean, cut veggies in a bowl with the following:

3 tablespoons olive oil per serving

1/4 cup fresh grated or dry Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp. Parsley

Salt & Pepper garnish

Scoop a large clump of vegetable mixture into a large piece of foil and double fold edges, then crimp edges to ensure package stays together while it cooks. Make a package for each guest and make one extra. Place on top rack of closed barbecue for 20 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs. Transfer to a hotter spot on the grill and cook an additional 10 minutes, turning packets frequently. Test the extra packet of veggies to ensure desired tenderness. (Someone will want more!)

GRANDMA’S BISCUITS AND GRAVY

These may not  be the exact amounts… but with Grandma’s biscuits and gravy, it’s never the same; have these ingredients ready and read on before you begin:

1 1/2 lb. breakfast sausage

4-6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

3 cups cold milk

1 tsp crushed red pepper

salt & pepper

Brown 1 1/2 lb. sausage on medium heat, until the edges of sausage pieces get brown and crunchy looking. (This LONG, SLOW cooking style gives it that homemade MOUNTAIN flavor.) Now, you should have fat in the pan, how much you have will depend upon the sausage you buy. If you see no grease in the pan, add 4 tablespoons of butter. You can always add more butter and flour BEFORE you add the milk

Start by stirring half of the flour into the cooked sausage mixture, adding more flour as needed to absorb the fat, 4 to 8 tablespoons should do it. Now, stir and cook a few more minutes. Add 2 cups of milk and stir as you bring the gravy to a light boil. This will thicken the mixture. Add more milk to reach desired consistency. Add 1/2 tsp. black pepper and salt to taste. If you like your gravy a little spicier, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper and simmer 5 more minutes, stirring often. Serve over fresh, hot biscuits.

I like Bisquick® biscuits. They are easy and taste homemade and you don’t have to roll out your biscuits and cut them. You can drop a large spoonful of dough and flatten and shape it with the spoon. It’s easy and really looks homemade.

Enjoy the great outdoors!

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*Drizzled with cool jam or warm syrup, these scones are perfect with your morning cup of tea*

Ingredients:

1 ¾ Cup Unbleached Flour

¼ Cup Wheat Germ

1 ½ Cup Oats

1 ½ tsp Baking Powder

½ tsp Baking Soda

½ Cup Oil

½ Cup Milk

1 Egg

½ Cup Maple Syrup

½ Cup Sliced Almonds

½ Cup Blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cover a large baking sheet with non-stick foil. In a large bowl combine flour, wheat germ, oats, baking powder, and baking soda until blended.  Next, add oil, milk, egg, syrup, pecans, and blueberries. Divide batter into two equal rounds on foiled baking sheet and flatten each until 8 inches diameter. Using a pizza cutter, divide rounds into 8 pieces- make sure to cut through but do not separate the pieces once cute. This makes it easier to fit on the cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet on preheated oven on middle rack. Bake 18-22 minutes.  The scones will be golden brown. Cool. Enjoy!

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It is high time in my opinion for the masses to begin looking towards those good old fashioned healthy foods that Grandma used to make. It is amazing how inexpensive and how healthy it is to prepare real old fashioned recipes from scratch. At least that’s what Chris Cannucciari thought when he began filming his 93 year old Grandma in her kitchen and placed the first cooking lesson on youtube. Clara Cannucciari  became an instant hit as soon as her wisdom hit the world wide web. She even appeared with Katie Couric on CBS Evening News last March.

And wisdom she will give you. “Quit throwing things away!  Fix ‘em.”, she exclaims while telling stories of life during the Great Depression. She shares with viewers the recipes her mom prepared during the Great Depression, still many of her family’s favorites today.

Grandson Chris, Producer of the show, now in its second season, always takes a few moments to interview her about how they all pulled together and made it through the Great Depression. Watch her for yourself at www.youtube.com/user/DepressionCooking. It is a kick. You will leave smiling with a new recipe and will have attained some of Clara’s clever wisdom.

If you missed the first season, not to worry, a DVD of it can be picked up for around $22. She has a facebook page and her own website at www.greatdepressioncooking.com and of course that show, well worth viewing, at  www.youtube.com/user/DepressionCooking.

By popular demand, Clara’s Great Depression recipes have been archived by Clara and Christopher in their newly released cook book, published by St Martin’s Press. Clara’s Kitchen: Wisdom, Memories and Recipes from the Great Depression is available from local book stores.

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Hop on over to the kitchen to prepare these cute as can be cupcakes. Perfect for spring celebrations, Easter, baby showers and birthday parties.

Makes 12 (1 cupcake) servings.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS

1 container (16 ounces) vanilla frosting

McCormick® Assorted Food Colors and Egg Dye or McCormick® Assorted NEON! Food Colors and Egg Dye

2 cups flaked coconut

12 unfrosted cupcakes

12 plain donut holes

12 large marshmallows

6 pink jelly beans, halved crosswise

Chocolate sprinkles

Miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS

1. Tint frosting pink or blue, using 4 drops red or 4 drops NEON blue food color. Place coconut in resealable plastic bag. Add 4 drops red or 4 drops NEON blue food color to coconut in bag; shake until coconut is evenly tinted. Recipe courtesy McCormick

2. Spread top of each cupcake with tinted frosting. Press each cupcake into tinted coconut to cover top completely. Spread donut holes with remaining frosting. Press a donut hole into top of each cupcake to form the bunny’s head.

3. For the ears, cut a 1/4-inch slice off the flat ends of each marshmallow to make 24 slices. Dip cut sides of the marshmallow slices into the coconut until completely covered. (Reserve remaining marshmallow pieces.) Attach 2 marshmallow slices to the head of each bunny with frosting to create ears.

Courtesy McCormick® Spice Company

Bunny Cupcakes Courtesy McCormick®

4. Press a jelly bean half into the face for the nose and sprinkles for the whiskers. Use the chocolate chips for the eyes. Press the plain marshmallow pieces into the cupcake for the belly.

Test Kitchen Tips:

* To make 6 each pink and blue cupcakes, use 2 drops of each food color in each half batch of frosting and coconut.

Recipe Courtesy McCormick®, For Bunny Cake and more great recipes, visit mccormick.com.

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 fully cooked ham (10 pounds)
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup preserves (peach, apricot or orange)
• 1 Tbs honey
• 2 tsp mustard

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 275. Combine brown sugar, preserves, honey, and mustard. Stir until blended. Roll out piece of foil long enough to encase entire ham. Place ham cut side down on foil. Brush glaze onto ham until coated well. Keep remaining glaze. Enclose foil around ham. Set on a baking sheet and roast for 2 hours. If ham is not 10 pounds, roast for 14 minutes per pound. Coat ham with remaining glaze 20 minutes prior to being done.

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Trukey and Stuffing

*Serve with our Scrumptious Cranberry Sauce recipe- a homemade alternative to canned cranberries*

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 turkey (size depends on how many you’ll be feeding)
• 1 box regular stuffing mix (or according to size of turkey)
• 4 Tbs butter or margarine
• 1 medium sized onion
• 3-4 stalks celery (chopped)
• 1 bunch leeks (sliced)
• Poultry seasoning (to taste)
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• White wine optional (enough to make stuffing moist- depends on individual results)

DIRECTIONS:

After thawing turkey, remove package of giblets and neck from body and/or neck cavity and rinse outside and body cavity very well with cold water only. Dry with paper towels as best as you can- inside and out. It does not need to be completely dry. Refrigerate. To Make Stuffing: In a sauce pan, heat butter or margarine and sauté onion and celery until tender. Add leeks and cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until tender. Combine cooked onion, celery, and leeks to dry stuffing mix. Lightly season with poultry seasoning , salt, and pepper, to your liking. Slowly pour white wine into mixture until moistened, should not take very much. Do not make stuffing too wet. To Stuff Turkey: Preheat oven to 350′. Remove turkey from refrigerator. Carefully stuff body and neck cavity, but do not pack tightly. (Do not stuff the turkey until you are ready to cook it as doing so could cause food poisoning.) Close body cavity with wire fastener. This will hold the legs and tail. Close and secure neck with a skewer through flap of skin. Create rolled ring of coiled foil for bottom of large throw away pan. This will keep the turkey from resting directly on the bottom of the pan. Place turkey, breast side up, onto foil ring. If wings touch side of pan, pin to body with skewers. Rub outside of turkey with a little butter to form a thin layer. Sprinkle turkey with salt and pepper. Cook turkey until it starts to drip. Reduce heat to 325 and cook for 4-4 ½ hours or until done- or 20 minutes per pound- depending on weight. Cut and serve hot with gravy and sides.

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From The Kitchen of Mike Baston

Bring this appetizer to any gathering and get the party started!

*After the guests are gone, broil the bread bowl until the cheese melts for a tasty leftover*

INGREDIENTS

• 1 brick mild cheddar cheese (grated)
• 3 ½ cups mayonnaise
• 3 scallions (chopped)
• 1 brick cream cheese
• 4 Tbs Worcester sauce
• 1 large sourdough round loaf bread

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in large bowl, excluding bread. Mix thoroughly until texture is creamy. Refrigerate. In the meantime, carve out insides of bread bowl, leaving only a shell. Keep pulled out bread and cut into bite sized pieces. Remove dip from refrigerator and pour into bread bowl. Serve with bread pieces for dipping. Can also be served with vegetables, chips, or crackers.

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*This dish is perfect for that special Sunday brunch and can be made ahead of time.*

INGREDIENTS

• 2 whole chicken breasts (split)
• 4 chicken thighs
• 4 chicken drumsticks
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of Pepper
• Flour
• 5 Tbs butter
• ¼ cup onion (minced)
• ¼ cup chicken broth
• ¾ cup dry white wine
• ½ pound mushrooms (sliced)
• 3 Tbs. butter
• 2 cups seedless green grapes

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper and coat lightly with flour. Heat 5 tablespoons butter and quickly brown chicken on all sides. Place pieces closely together in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Add onion to butter in frying pan and cook until soft. Add chicken broth and wine and bring to a boil. Pour over chicken. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. In the meantime, sauté mushrooms in the 3 tablespoons butter. When chicken has cooked for 40 minutes add mushrooms and grapes. Cover and continue baking for 8 minutes or until grapes are cooked.

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*Better than any boxed pilaf you’ll ever taste, and just as easy!*

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ cup uncooked spaghetti (broken into ½ inch pieces)
• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 4 Tbs butter or margarine
• 2 cups water
• 6 chicken bouillon cubes
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Break spaghetti into pieces. Set aside. Melt butter in a skillet. Add spaghetti pieces. Brown at medium heat, careful not to burn. Stir frequently. Remove from heat. Add rice. Stir until mixed. Boil water, salt, pepper, and bouillon cubes until cubes are dissolved. Add rice mixture to boiling water and cover. Reduce heat to medium low. Cook for approximately 15 minutes, and do not lift the lid during this time. Pilaf is done when small holes appear throughout the rice mixture.

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*Perfect with a side of milk, Santa will definitely be back next year.*

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Lace Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup instant oats
• 1 egg
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup butter or margarine (melted)
• 2 Tbs flour
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• Walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients and stir until well blended. Batter will be very runny. Drop mixture onto pan, each about the size of a small walnut. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on pan. When cooled, use the back side of a spatula to remove from pan. If too difficult to remove from pan or if harden too quickly, put back into oven for a few seconds. Cookies will be thin and very delicate. They will actually have a lace-like appearance. Other ideas include breaking them into pieces and crumbling over a bowl of vanilla ice cream or drizzle cookies with melted Hershey kisses and cool. Makes 3 dozen.

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*Perfect with a side of milk, Santa will definitely be back next year.*

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Lace Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup instant oats
• 1 egg
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup butter or margarine (melted)
• 2 Tbs flour
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• Walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients and stir until well blended. Batter will be very runny. Drop mixture onto pan, each about the size of a small walnut. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on pan. When cooled, use the back side of a spatula to remove from pan. If too difficult to remove from pan or if harden too quickly, put back into oven for a few seconds. Cookies will be thin and very delicate. They will actually have a lace-like appearance. Other ideas include breaking them into pieces and crumbling over a bowl of vanilla ice cream or drizzle cookies with melted Hershey kisses and cool. Makes 3 dozen.

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*A light meal to appreciate after those holiday belly busters*

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp garlic (minced)
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 6 oz bag of fettuccine
• ¼ cup basil

DIRECTIONS

Drain tomatoes. Combine tomatoes, garlic and olive oil in a saucepan. Simmer 5-7 minutes until texture is thick. Season with salt and pepper. Cook pasta. Toss pasta with tomato sauce and basil. Serve with warm bread and broccoli.

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INGREDIENTS

• 4-6 ½ oz package rice pilaf (or try our rice pilaf recipe!)
• 6 tsp butter
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 1 tsp garlic (chopped)
• 1 onion (sliced thinly)
• ½ pound boneless/skinless chicken breast tenders
• 9 oz frozen peas
• ½ pound cooked shrimp

DIRECTIONS

Cook rice pilaf. Set aside to cool. In skillet melt butter and stir in seasoning and garlic. Add chicken and onion. Cook over medium high heat. Stir occasionally for 7-9 minutes. Add peas, shrimp and cooled rice mix. Continue to cook for approximately 4-5 minutes until peas and shrimp are heated through. Serve.

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*A cozy comfort food for those winter evenings *

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups potatoes (diced)
• ¼ cup onion (chopped)
• 1 ¼ tsp salt
• 2 cups boiling water
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups fat free milk
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
• 2 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS

Combine potatoes, onion, salt, and water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside and do not drain. In a separate saucepan, melt butter. Slowly add flour until smooth. Gradually add milk. Stir until smooth. Simmer and stir constantly. Texture should become thick. Remove from heat and add cheese. Stir until cheese become melted. Add undrained vegetables and Worcestershire sauce. Heat thoroughly but do not boil.

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*Excellent with a side of whole white canned potatoes*

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package frozen spinach (10 oz)
• ¼ pound mushrooms
• 3 Tbs butter
• ½ onion (chopped)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 2 dashes Tabasco sauce
• ¼ cup parsley (minced)
• 1 beef flank steak (about 1 ½ pounds)
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (10 ¾ oz)
• 2 Tbs dry vermouth (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375. Cook and drain spinach. Chop ½ of mushrooms and sauté in butter. Add onion and garlic. Stir in salt, pepper, Tabasco sauce, parsley, and spinach. Place on flank steak in lengthwise center strip. Roll beef. Secure with small skewers. Place in a baking dish. Dissolve bouillon cubes and pour over beef roll. Bake for 45 minutes. Baste often with bouillon juice. Remove roll from pan. Place pan on range top. Add undiluted mushroom soup, the rest of mushrooms (sliced), and vermouth if desired. Stir into pan until heated through. Slice beef and top with surrounding mushroom sauce.

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*A chili that even meat lovers will enjoy!*

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 ½ cup celery (chopped)
• 1 ½ cup green pepper (chopped)
• 1 cup onion (chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 3 (16 oz) cans red kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
• ½ cup raisins
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbs chili powder
• 1 Tbs snipped parsley
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp basil (dried and crushed)
• 1 ½ tsp oregano (dried and crushed)
• 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp hot sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (12 oz) can beer
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat olive oil in heavy sauce pan. Add celery, green pepper, onion and garlic. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender. Stir in next 14 ingredients. Bring to boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer for 1 ½ hours. Stir in beer. Return to boil. Simmer uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Sprinkle tops with cheese if desired. Serve hot.

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This dish is perfect for that special Sunday brunch and can be made ahead of time.

INGREDIENTS

• ¾ pound cheddar cheese (grated)
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (10 ½ oz)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup (10 ½ oz)
• 1 can chicken broth (14 ½ oz)
• 2 cans (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
• 2 cups cooked chicken (boned)
• 12 corn tortillas (cut in quarters)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350. In medium mixing bowl combine ½ cheese and all remaining ingredients except the tortillas. Place 1/3 of sauce in bottom of greased 3 qt shallow casserole dish. Place ½ of tortilla pieces on top of sauce. Repeat process. Top with sauce and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly.

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Served warm or chilled, complement your turkey with this unforgettable sauce!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup apple juice
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 bag cranberries

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients. Bring to rolling boil. Stir occasionally. Reduce to medium heat and let cranberries pop. Remove any stems that may have been left behind. Stir and mash cranberries with wooden spoon until majority of cranberries have “deflated”. Remove from heat and let stand until cooled. For best results, make night before, refrigerate, and then reheat next day if desired.

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Don’t be surprised if this easy-to-bake treat becomes a staple of your holiday festivities.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 loaf white bread (cubed into ½ in. pieces)
• 1 cup butter (melted)
• 1 ½ cup brown sugar
• Lemon rind (grated-2 lemons worth)
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• Squeezed juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup apple juice
• 8 large apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425. Grease 9x13x2 in. pan. Set aside. Mix bread cubes, butter, sugar, lemon rind, nutmeg, and cinnamon in bowl. In separate bowl combine lemon and apple juice. Pour about 1/3 of bread mixture into pan. Layer ½ of apple slices on top. Repeat layering until last layer is remaining bread mixture. Pour apple and lemon juice mixture over the top as evenly as possible. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil. Continue baking for 25 minutes. If tops begin to brown too quickly, lightly cover with foil once again. Serve warm with rich vanilla bean ice cream.

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This recipe may be the secret to getting the kids in from the snow and into the kitchen!

*Make sure to watch closely, as microwaves have different settings and the times listed may need to be appropriately adjusted to your individual appliance*

INGREDIENTS

• 1-2 bags microwave popcorn
• 1/3 cup margarine
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 3 cups peanuts (may used mixed nuts if desired)
• Honey (to drizzle- optional)

DIRECTIONS

Pop popcorn in microwave. Set aside. In a 2 qt. microwave safe bowl melt butter. Add sugar and corn syrup. Stir. Microwave for 4 minutes. Add vanilla and baking soda. Stir well. Next, slowly add popcorn into bowl and mix well. Add nuts while stirring. Microwave 2-3 minutes, stirring after each minute. When done, spread mixture evenly onto waxed paper covered pan. If honey is desired, slowly drizzle on top. Let cool completely before separating into bite sized pieces.

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Spice up your soul on cold winter days with this warm and aromatic delight!

*for a low fat version use fat free cream cheese and fat free egg substitute*

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ¾ cups flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup cream cheese
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup bananas (mashed)
• ½ cup Chai latte (prepared strong)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour 9×5 in. loaf pan. Set aside. Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Mix sugar, cream cheese, and eggs in separate bowl. Blend until texture is fluffy. Combine bananas and Chai latte into cream cheese mixture. Fold in flour mixture and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until knife poked in center comes out clean. Let bread cool on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan.

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*This dish can serve both as a main dinner course or a hearty breakfast or brunch.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup half and half
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 2 (7 oz.) cans of Ortega whole chiles.
• ½ pound jack cheese
• ½ pound cheddar cheese
• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350. Beat together half and half, eggs, and flour into a well blended batter. Set aside. Slit each chile down one side, lay open and remove any “veins.” Set aside. Grate cheeses and combine. In a 1 ½ qt. casserole dish, alternate layers of chiles, batter, and cheese. Make sure to keep about a handful of cheese set aside. Pour tomato sauce over top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve.

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