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!

APPLESAUCE-SPICE PUDDING CAKE

1 pkg. (2-layer size)Yellow cake mix
1 pkg. (4-serving size) Vanilla instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in large mixer bowl.  Blend for two minutes.  Pour into greased and floured 10" tube or Bundt pan.  Bake at 350 for 50 to 55 minutes.  Cool in pan about 15 minutes before removing.  When cool, glaze with powdered sugar icing with a touch of cinnamon added.

Wow, is this delicious and oh so easy to make, super moist.  I'm definitely going to keep this one!

$100.00 CAKE

2 cups flour
1-1/2 t soda
4T cocoa
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 t baking powder

Mix above ingredients and add:

1 cup cold water
1 cup mayonnaise
2 t vanilla

Bake in greased 7" X 11" pan at 350 for about 40 minutes.  Cool cake and then put on icing.

Icing -
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup milk

Mix all ingredientsand boil 1 minute, stirring.  Cool.  Add 2 t vanilla and spread on cake.

I've been making this cake recipe for years.  It's nothing fancy, but it sure is easy and moist too!  Apparently someone must have won $100 for this recipe in some old contest!

(Untitled recipe from Gloria Haier via Judy)

"I have found that small pieces of chicken are better than larger pieces."

5 T butter
1 small onion chopped
1/4 lb. fresh mushrooms
3 T flour
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half
2 cups turkey or chicken cooked
1 package frozen artichoke hearts
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup crushed rosemary leaves
1/2 t salt
shredded swiss cheese

Melt 2 T butter, saute onion and mushrooms.  Stir in remaining butter untilmelted.  Add flour and cook stirring until bubbly.  Gradually add chicken broth and half and half.  Cook until mixture comes to a boil and thickens stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add parmesan cheese and salt.  Cool.

Then fill crepes - artichokes, chicken and sauce.  (I add either some cashews or sliced water chestnuts).  Rool and place in flat pan or serving dish.  Put in 375 oven 1/2 hour before time to serve.  Just beforeserving, top with shredded swiss cheese and return to oven until cheese melts.

I took this filling and instead of filling crepes I served it over white rice.  It's a pleasant and filling meal, and since I had that giant jar of artichoke hearts from Costco, this recipe came at just the right time!  Not something I would make again, though.

HOT CHOCOLATE

Austrian Cocoa - dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

Irish cocoa - 1/8 t mint or peppermint extract

Swiss Mocha - 1/2 t instant coffee granules

Italian Capuccino - 1/8 t orange extract

These are okay.  I think the best two were the Austrian and Swiss Mocha.