YOGURT BLENDER DRINKS - BANANA ORANGE ROYALE

1 orange, peeled and sectioned
1 banana
1 cup yogurt
honey to taste

Process until smooth.  Makes 2 small or 1 large serving.

This is just okay.  There are too many other great smoothie-type recipes out there to save this one, although it was easy.

PUNCH (Mulled - Hot spice)

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
4" stick cinnamon
2 t whole cloves
6 thin strips lemon peel
dash of salt

Boil all above ingredients together for five minutes.  Strain.  Combine with a 46 oz can pineapple juice, 3 cups stong hot tea, and 1/2 cup lemon juice.  Heat well but do not boil.  Serve in mugs or coffee cups.  Goes well with small savory sandwiches.  Makes 20 servings.

As I'm typing this I'm more thinking about small savory sandwiches....mmmm.  Where's that recipe?  Anyway, this is pretty good.  I put the rest in a pitcher and heated up individual mugs in the microwave later through the week, and it still tasted good.  It's especially good if you are feeling under the weather since it has a lemony base to it, so good for that too.

SAUERKRAUT SALAD

1 large can of sauerkraut, drained - slice to shorten them
1 cup chopped celery
1 chopped green bell pepper
6 green onions including 2" of stems
1 small jar pimientos, chopped
1/2 cup vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil

Combine all vegetables in large bowl.  Heat vinegar and sugar.  Stir until sugar is dissolved.  Cool.  Add oil and pour over vegetables.  Refrigerate overnight.  Will keep for several days.

My mom used to make this as a side dish on holidays, and I remember it was quite popular.  Making this now, I personally love the sweet/tangy bite to this and find it quite good; however, no one else really liked it that much, not big sauerkraut fans I guess.  So not sure what to do with this recipe.  I probably won't make it again for just myself, so sadly this one will go by the wayside.

SATIN-GLAZED DATE DROPS (CHRISTMAS)

1/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 cup commercial sour cream
1-1/4 cup Gold Medal flour
1/2 t soda
1/4 t baking powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups whole dates or large halves
Satin Glaze

Oven temperature - 400.  Mix butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla until fluffy.  Stir in sour cream.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Stir in nuts and dates.  Then drop by teaspoonfuls (one date each cooky) on lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake 10 minutes.  Cool and frost with glaze.  Makes about 4 dozen.

Glaze:  Heat 1/2 cup butter over medium heat until lightly brown but not burned.  Remove from heat & stir in powdered sugar, 1 t vanilla, and hot water for spreading consistency.

Well, these are just not for Christmas anymore!  I've always liked these cookies, but you have to love dates.  I think they're really delicious.  It's a little bit of a hassle trying to drop these with a date in each and have it come out perfect dough to date ratio, but it works out all right usually. 

PEANUT BRITTLE

2 cups sugar
few grains salt
1 cup chopped or whole roasted peanuts

Melt sugar slowly in heavy pan stirring constantly until thin syrup forms with no sugar left. Remove from heat.  Add  salt and stir until nuts are coated.  Pour into greased 9" pan.  When cold, break into pieces.  Makes about one pound.

This is very good with one suggestion.  Make sure you spread this quickly and thin as you can because mine turned out a little too thick, and you practically can't bite it without breaking off your teeth, so work quickly!  Otherwise, really good.

WHEAT GERM ZUCCHINI BREAD

3 eggs
1 cup salad oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 t maple flavoring
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
2-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
2 t baking soda
2 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1 cup finely chopped walnuts (good if left out too)
1/3 cup sesame seed

In large mixer bowl beat the eggs to blend.  Add the oil, sugar and maple flavoring.  Continue beating until mixture is thick and foamy.  Using a spoon, stir in the zucchini.  Combine flour, wheat germ, soda, salt, baking powder and walnuts.  Stir gently into zucchini mixture just until blended.  Bake in 2 greased and flour-dusted 5 X 9 loaf pans.  Sprinkle sesame seed over before putting in oven.  Bake at 350 for one hour.  Cool 10 minutes before turning out of pan.

This bread is really tasty.  I used a long spatula to lift it out of the pan as that part was a little difficult, but then it came right out.  At first I thought it was going to be a little dry and maybe brittle, but it holds together well and tastes really good just spread with butter.  It doesn't bake very tall, kind of banana bread size slices.  I froze the other loaf and it turns out fine when thawed and also lasts a long time in a zip-loc bag at room temperature.  The sesame seeds stay on pretty good too!