Cranberry Almond Pound Cake

Ingredients: 

2 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. + 2 T. unsalted butter
3 t. almond extract
6 eggs
1 c. sour cream 
1/4 c. water
3 c. self  rising flour
2 c. dried cranberries

1/2 cup almond slices

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and butter and flour 2 loaf pans

Mix sugar, butter and almond extract. Add eggs and sour cream, mix well. Mix in water. Add flour and mix well. Fold in cranberries, almond slices.   Pour the batter into both buttered pans and bake both at 325 for 1 hour or more. Test with a toothpick. Rest for a few minutes in the pan before inverting and cooling on rack

For Frosting:
1/4 cup butter softened
4 oz.cream cheese softened
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar (or more to make it thick enough to spread on top of the cake)
1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup almond slices

Cranberry Feta Pinwheels

Serving size 12-15

A new  Holiday twist on the favorite pinwheel recipe.

Ingredients:
¾ cup dried  cranberries
1 (8 oz)softened package cream cheese
6 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1⁄4 cup finely chopped green onion
3 large  flour  spinach tortillas
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients except tortillas, mix well.
Divide and spread mixture evenly on the tortillas.
Roll up tightly, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least one hour.
Then cut into  slices.

Turkey Sausage Patties

 Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey 

2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ginger powder

1 teaspoon rubbed sage

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced

1 teaspoon  salt 

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

1-2 tablespoons coconut oil 

Options below: Fresh  or frozen

Directions :

 - In a medium bowl, combine and mix together turkey,  garlic, ginger, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper.

- Shape mixture into small patties by rolling them into a ball in the palm of your hand and then flattening them. The mixture should make about 10  med. sized patties.

- Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a large skillet. Add enough patties, so they are not crowded in the pan. You will have to cook these in two batches.

- Cook them for 4-5 minutes on the first side, until lightly browned and the patty lifts from the pan easily. Flip and cook them on the second side for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are browned on both sides. Move cooked patties to a plate and set aside.

- Option notes* For making fresh patties, add one  finely diced  Granny Smith Apple with the peeling to the mixture. And Fry according to the recipe.

For Frozen Patties:  Place  the uncooked patties in a freezer container and put wax  paper in between layers and freeze, to thaw,  place in the refrigerator overnight. Then fry according to the recipe.

Southwest Stuffed Avocado

Ingredients
4 avocados, halved and pitted
3 (4.5 oz) cans tuna, drained
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, minced
2 tablespoon of Cilantro
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper
1. Scoop out some of the avocado from the pitted area to widen the "bowl" area. Place the scooped avocado into a medium-size mixing bowl. Mash it with a fork.
2. Add the tuna, bell pepper, jalapeno, and cilantro to the mixing bowl. Pour lime juice over. Stir it all together until everything is well mixed.
3. Scoop the tuna into the avocado bowls. Season with salt and pepper.

The Best Green Bean Casserole

A healthier version of this classic  casserole and it tastes better, no more can beans and soup!

Ingredients:

2 -  pounds of fresh   French style  Green beans  from the produce  section

3 - cups Homemade Cream of Mushroom  soup. * recipe below

2.8 - ounces of French`s Fried Onions

pepper to taste


Directions:

* Cream of  Mushroom soup 


Ingredients :

• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup of finely minced onion
• 1/4 cup of finely minced celery
• 12 ounces of  fresh button  mushrooms cleaned and  chopped
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 3/4 cup of all purpose flour
• 3 cups of chicken broth
• 1 cup half and half

Directions :

Melt the butter in a large skillet and saute the onion and celery over medium heat until tender but not browned. Stir in the chopped mushrooms and salt; cook and stir about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour a little at a time until fully incorporated, about 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Increase heat to medium high and slowly add the broth a little at a time, until fully incorporated. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Slowly stir in half and half. And set  aside

Next...Steam the green beans till  slightly tender, don`t over cook and drain.

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

In a  large bowl measure out 3 cups of soup and place in the  bowl, add pepper and the  beans  and mix. Place in a 9 x 13 baking dish and top with  the fried onions and bake  for 30 min. or until  bubbly.   

* Extra soup can  be frozen, after it is frozen and you want to use use, thaw it at room temperature, then place in a  sauce  pan on low- med heat and stir often.

My favorite Christmas Cookie recipes

 

M&M  COOKIES  

1 c. packed brown sugar

3/4 c. granulated sugar

1 c. butter, softened*

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

2 c. whole M&M'S  plain candies

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Beat sugars and butter in large bowl on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla and eggs; beat in flour, salt and baking soda on low speed. Stir in candies. Drop dough by teaspoon about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with fork.

Bake until edges are light brown, 8 to 11 minutes. Let stand 3 to 4 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.

Cookies made with butter will flatten more and tend to be somewhat darker along the edges, but are more flavorful. Watch carefully to prevent burning.

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Snowball cookies 

makes 36 cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup Butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

 Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 325°F. raise the oven rack

Combine all ingredients except powdered sugar in bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until well mixed.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 18-25 minutes or until very lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes; roll in powdered sugar while still warm and again when cool.

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Iced Ginger cookies

2 cups of sugar

1-½ cups of coconut oil or softened butter

2 eggs

½ cup of molasses

31/2 cups of self rising flour

1 tablespoon of ground ginger

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Extra sugar

White chocolate Bark

In a bowl, combine sugar and oil, mix well and add the eggs. Stir in the molasses, combine all the dry ingredients and add in slowly until mixed well.  Roll into ¾ inch balls, roll in sugar and place on  a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes until just light golden on the bottom. Let cool  and place on wax paper and drizzle with melted white chocolate Bark.  I usually melt about 2 squares at time in the microwave  30  sec. a time  in a glass measuring cup till  melted.

Classic Hamburger Vegetable Soup

Makes 8 quarts.

This amazing yummy soup recipe was given to me years ago from a sweet lady in Kentucky!

Ingredients:
1 -  pound ground beef
1 - large yellow  onion  diced
1/2 -  head of  cabbage roughly chopped
2 - 28 oz. cans of diced potatoes drained
2 -  15 oz. cans sweet corn drained
2 - 14.5 oz. cans cut green beans drained
2 - 12 oz. bags  frozen peas and carrots
1 - 64 fl. oz. tomato juice
64 fl. oz. water
1/3 -  cup chopped  parsley
olive  Oil
salt and  pepper to taste

Directions:

In a 10 qt. stock  pot, over med. heat,  drizzle a teaspoon  of olive  oil in the pan and add the ground beef  crumbled up, when the meat is about halfway cooked, turn  the heat up a little and add the diced onion. Stirring  often till the meat is browned and the onions are soft. While this  is cooking be  opening the can  vegetables and drain off the water. 

Next add all of the canned vegetables and the frozen ones, all of the tomato juice, parsley, salt and pepper and start stirring and turn the heat up to high.  When mixed add the water, I  use the empty tomato juice can or bottle to fill up with water, then  add the cabbage and stir, Once this comes to a boil, turn  down to simmer  put a lid on cook for about  2 hours. After 2 hours do a taste to see if  it needs more salt and pepper, Cook longer if needed, when the cabbage in the soup is soft it is done.  Vegetable  soup is  always better the next day!

To Freeze:
When soup is completely cold, ladle it into freezer containers and it is  ready for the freezer. When your  ready to eat it, just  thaw  it out and dump into a  sauce pan and heat slowly on med./low  heat and serve.