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December 26, 2011

You don’t have to stay up all night on a cookie baking binge. These gifts take a little preparation in drying the fruit but after that it’s mostly putting the packages together. If you can slice, bag and tie a bow, you can do this.

Keep guests warm after a holiday open house providing packages of drink mixes you’ve made yourself as favors. If it’s in the budget add a small, one-serving size bottle of wine to the spiced wine package. These gifts take up space so it looks like you’re generous but they don’t cost much at all to put together. Consider borrowing a dehydrator for a few days to dry the fruits and save even more money.

Gourmet Hot Chocolate
Fill a cellophane bag with mini marshmallows, five or six foil wrapped chocolate candies, peppermints or hard candy raspberry drops. Add directions to add to a cup of hot milk. Tie with ribbons. You could add a purchased package of cocoa to add to the package for less than fifty cents.

Spiced Cider
Add four dried orange slices. Don’t use orange peel because it doesn’t take up much space and people won’t know what it is at first glance. Add several cinnamon sticks and a 1/2 teaspoon of whole cloves with one or two whole star anise. Add a card that says to add the spice mixture with the orange slices to 3 cups of hot apple cider.

Mulled Wine
Place a couple of slices each of dried orange slices, apple slices and lemon slices to the cellophane bag. Dip the apple slices into a solution of half lemon juice and half water to keep them from browning while they’re drying. Add your choice of spices including allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, even a few black peppercorns to add a bit of heat to the wine. Finish with 1/2 cup of raisins.

Tropical Tea
Dry 1/4 inch thick half slices of fresh pineapple, mangos and dried raspberries or strawberry halves. Place two tea bags either black, green or fruit flavored into each cellophane bag and tie with ribbons that match.

If you feel that the drink mixes alone aren’t quite enough for a favor. Put the bags into a wine glass for the mulled wine, clear glass coffee cup for the cider and cocoa and a smaller clear glass tea cup for the tropical tea. You could put colored excelsior in the bottom of the glass or cup for added color and bulk. These favors cost less than a dollar apiece but look fabulous.

December 23, 2011

The holiday season is here and that means busy days and nights. If you’re looking for quick and easy dinners, stop right here. Three entrees that depend on cheese, fill the bill to fill your family’s tummy. The first is cheesy broccoli and rice. Even children who don’t like broccoli like this dish. The second is a spicy enchilada casserole and the third a gourmet take on mac and cheese. All three dishes are vegetarian which means they save you money. Start off with a preparing a silky cheese sauce in one of your sturdy saucepans

Combine 1 cup of whole milk with 1 tablespoon of flour until smooth. Heat in the saucepan until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Add 1/2 cup of your favorite shredded cheese. You’ll need one cup of this sauce for every two servings. Since the ingredients below make dishes that serve four, make 2 cups.

Cheesy Broccoli
Cook 2 cups of broccoli in the microwave until it’s softened but still crisp. The broccoli will finish cooking in the oven. Combine with 2 cups of cooked rice. Or use instant rice with water as the directions specify. Add 2 cups of the cheese sauce. Stir well.

Top with an additional 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Either freeze this in an air tight container for a dinner you only have to bake later or bake in a 350 F oven for 30 minutes until the dish is bubbly and the cheese melted.

Enchilada Casserole
If you can layer you can make this dish. You won’t be using the cheese sauce for this dish. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to two 15 ounce cans of tomato sauce. Add more cayenne pepper for a hotter kick or add several chopped jalapeno peppers.

Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Layer in five or six corn tortillas. Add another 1/2 cup of sauce and spread over the tortillas.

Slice one medium onion and layer over the tortillas. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded cheese over the onions. Finish with 1/2 cup of sauce and another layer of tortillas. Spread the remaining sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with another 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Bake 45 minutes in a 350 F oven.

Gourmet Mac and Cheese
Butter the bottom of a casserole dish. Combine 4 cups of cooked macaroni with 2 cups of cheese sauce and 2 cups of frozen defrosted peas. You don’t have to cook the peas. Place in the casserole dish. Cover with a layer of breadcrumbs — about 1 to 1/2 cups and an additional 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Heat at 350 F until the breadcrumbs are brown and the cheese topping melted. This is oh so much better than the boxed stuff.

If going vegetarian isn’t your thing. Add 1 cup of chopped chicken to the rice and broccoli, 1 cup of chopped turkey, cooked ground beef or cooked diced pork to the enchilada casserole and 1 cup of cubed ham to the mac and cheese.

November 30, 2011

It’s the Fourth of July and what better way to celebrate than with a good old-fashioned barbecue of summer sausages. Bratwurst sausages boiled in beer and then grilled accompanied by all-beef hotdogs. The boiling makes sure the brawts are cooked and stay juicy.  The grilling gives them a crisp casing which snaps when you bite into one.  These babies will be snuggled in toasted buns and blanketed with sweet onion relish.

The brawts and hots will be served with a fresh tomato, cucumber, basil salad with lemon zest and a touch of olive oil; black bean salad made with cilantro, lime juice, cumin and jalapenos; and Asian coleslaw — julienned carrots, snow peas, cashews, cabbage and orange slices tossed with a ginger garlic soy sauce dressing. . For dessert?  What else but ice cold watermelon. In case you didn’t notice it’s a melting pot theme for Independence Day — German sausages, Italian tomato salad, Mexican bean salad and the Asian coleslaw.

Poke the brawts with a fork in several places.  Put in a sauce pan and cover with beer.  Bring the beer to a boil then lower to a simmer for 15 minutes.

Chop 3 cups of onions.  That sounds like a lot but it cooks down considerably. Put 1 tbsp. butter in a frying pan on low heat.  Add the onions and slowly cook until the onions are a light golden brown.  This will probably take 15 minutes.  Add 1 tbsp. each apple cider vinegar and brown sugar.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat.

Cut three tomatoes into eight quarters each.  Slice one cucumber and add to the tomatoes. Grate 1 tsp. of lemon zest and the juice of half a lemon over the vegetables.  Sprinkle with five chopped scallions.  You don’t have to add any oil to this dish if you don’t want to. Right before serving add 1/4 cup or a good handful of basil leaves.  If you add them before that they have a tendency to turn a dark green unpleasant color.

Drain one can of black beans.  Add 1 tbsp. of cumin and 1 tsp. of red pepper flakes.  Squeeze in the juice of two limes.  Stir in 1/2 cup of chopped sweet red peppers — you can also use orange or yellow peppers.  Add from 1 tbsp to 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro.

Combine the ingredients for the Asian slaw.  Dress with 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp each minced ginger and garlic, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1/2 cup of cooking oil.

Grill the brawts and hot dogs until the brawts are golden and the hot dogs expand a bit.  While you’re grilling the sausages, toast the buns on the grill.

Put the sausages in the buns with a squiggle of mustard and top with the sweet onion relish.  Set up a hot dog bar for the kids. Offer chopped toppings such as tomatoes, lettuce, green peppers and cheese.  Add Fritos — seriously they go great with hot dogs — sauerkraut, dill pickles and sweet pickle relish.  Finish the bar with ketchup and mustard of course, but also include sweet and sour sauce, barbecue sauce and mayonnaise.  Arrange the hot dog bar ingredients in a bed of ice, each in its own container.

Get more grilling recipes.

Mix equal parts apple cider, ale, and white wine in a large sauce pan. Heat until just simmering. Remove from heat and serve in a punch bowl garnished with apple slices, and cinnamon sticks. Or place an apple slice and a cinnamon stick in a large heat proof individual cup.

If you’re stuffed with stuffing and your turkey has trotted its last, you might be in the mood for a few weight loss tips. Instead of eating — drink instead.

Take the time to use the good dishes, silverware and glasses. Seltzer water straight from the bottle is fine for slaking your thirst after a workout, but it is so much more elegant when served in a crystal glass and garnished with a mint sprig. And that’s another trick. Use herbs to flavor the water without adding calories. Don’t stick with just mint. Lavender adds a floral note, basil and tarragon add a taste of licorice. A cucumber slice with a bit of dill is a refreshing change from sweet beverages.