LEONA'S SWEET-SOUR DRESSING

1 10 oz. can Campbell's tomato soup
1/2 cup salad oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup light Karo syrup
1/2 t garlic salt
1 T worchestershire sauce

Blend all ingredients together in mixer or blender.  Store in refrigerator.  Keeps well.  Yields 3 cups.

I didn't really like this very much.  The fact that it had 1/2 cup of corn syrup in it kind of was off-putting as well in this age of eating more healthy.  I tried to use it up as in ingredient in other recipes but finally just ended up throwing it out, just really not for me.  Some people may like it though, so if you want to, give it a try.

SPICED NUTS

1 large egg white
1/4 cup sugar
1 t salt
1/2 t chile powder
1/4 t ground allspice
1/2 t ground cumin
1-3/4 t cayenne pepper
2-1/2 cups pecan halves or assorted nuts such as cashews, walnuts or almonds

Heat oven to 300.  Beat egg white until soft and foamy.  Combine all remaining ingredients except nuts; whisk into egg white.  Stir in nuts until well coated.  Spread mixture in single layer onto an ungreased baking pan.  Bake nuts for 15 minutes.  Then remove from oven.  Using a metal spatula, toss, stir and separate nuts.  Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees and return nuts to bake until medium brown, about 10 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Toss and stir again.  Place baking pan on wire rack to cool.  Break up any nuts that stick together.  Stoer in an airtight container up to two weeks.  Makes 2-1/2 cups.

All I can say is this is super tasty!  If I make up a batch of these, they're gone!  I've made this recipe at least 3 times since I first tried it.  It's a keeper!

APPLESAUCE COFFEE CAKE

2-1/2 cups flour, sifted
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 t salt
2 t nutmeg
3/4 cup oil
1 cup applesauce
1 t soda
1 egg
2 t cinnamon
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350.  Stir flour, sugars, salt and 1 t nutmeg together.  Add oil.  Reserve 1 cup of the mixture.  Add applesauce, soda, and egg to flour mixture.  Mix thoroughly.  Put into ungreased 13x9x2" pan.  Combine cinnamon, walnuts, and reserved nutmeg.  Add to reserved mixture.  Sprinkle over applesauce mixture.  Bake for 25 to 35 minutes.  Yield:  12 to 15 servings.

I loved this, and it's super easy.  I like it when you just quickly mix everything together and then dump into a baking dish that doesn't even need to be greased.  This is extra good warm out of the oven with some Cool Whip on top

LEMON LOAF CAKE

Combine: 2-1/2 cups sifted flour, 3 t baking powder, 1/2 t salt.  Set aside.
Cream:  1/3 cup margarine, 1 cup sugar
Add:  2 extra large eggs (or equal to 1/2 cup)
Add dry ingredients alternately with: 3/4 cup milk, 1 T shredded lemon rind

Pour into margarine-coated and lightly floured 5x9x3" loaf pan.  Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes until done.  Set pan on wire rack and prepare glaze.

Glaze:  1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 T shredded lemon rind

Combine ingredients in small saucepan.  Heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Prick top of loaf with wooden pick or skewer.  Spoon glaze over hot loaf in pan.  Cool loaf in pan 20 minutes before removing from pan.  Cool on wire rack.

This is so delicious and very moist.  My mouth is watering thinking about it......

FUDGE (Quick)

18 oz. chocolate chips
1 pint marshmallow crem or 1 small bag of mini-marshmallows
1 cube of margarine
2 cups walnuts (optional)

In a medium saucepan combine all the ingredients except the nuts.  Stirring constantly, allow ingredients to melt and mix together.  When completely melted (watch out for lumps), add the walnuts and pour the whole thing onto a lightly buttered 9X13 pan.  Allow to stand at room temperature until cool.  Makes approximately 5 pounds.

Well, yes, this is quick, but the consistency isn't right.  It turned out flat and kinda hard.

CHOCOLATE CHIP DATE CAKE

Combine and let cool:
1 cup cut up dates
1-1/4 cup boiling water
1 t baking soda

Cream together:
3/4 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs (1 at a time)

Sift together and add to other two mixtures:
1-1/2 cup flour
2 t cocoa
1/4 t salt

Pour into greased and floured 9 X 13 baking dish.

Sprinkle over batter:
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 package chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or plain.

Surprisingly good combo with the dates and chocolate!  Easy to make too.

BUCHE DeNOEL (YULE LOG)

Decorate with candy holly leaves - Bake at 375 for 14-16 minutes.  Serves 12

6 eggs
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground ginger
1/8 t ground cardamom
1/4 t cream of tartar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 t vanilla
confectioners sugar
cream frosting filling or whipped cream

Separate eggs, placing yolks into medium-size bowl and whites into bowl of electric mixer.  Let eggs come to room temperature, one hour.

Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a 15 X 10 X 1" jelly roll pan.  Line pan with wax paper.

Sift cocoa, flour, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom onto wax paper.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy.  Gradually beat in 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, beating well after each addition.  Continue beating until stiff peaks form when beater is slowly raised.  Set aside.

Using same beaters with electric mixer on high, beat egg yolks with remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar until thick and lemon colored, about five minutes.  Add vanilla, beating to combine.  Fold cocoa mixture into egg yolks.

Gently fold chocolate mixture into whites until no white streaks remain.

Pour batter into prepared pan spreading evenly.

Bake in preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes or until cake springs back when gently pressed in center with fingertip.

Meanwhile, sprinkle confectioners sugar over a tea towel.  When cake is baked, immediately invert onto sugar-covered towel.  Remove pan.  Then carefully peel away wax paper from cake bottom.  Roll up cake lengthwise with tea towel.  Please seam side down on wire rack to cool.

Prepare coffee cream frosting and filling.

Gently unroll cake and tea towel.  Cake will remain slightly curled.  Spread top of cake with one-third of coffee cream frosting and filling.  Gently re-roll cake without towel.

Cut each end off cake using parallel diagonal cuts.  Reserve ends to use as "knots".  Gently left cake, seam side down, onto serving plate.  Place a "knot" on each side of log with the diagonally cut side facing away from log.  Spread remaining frosting over log and "knots" leaving all spiral ends exposed.  For bark effect, run tines of dinner fork gently over frosting.

Garnish with "holly leaves" and "chocolate mushrooms".

Coffee Cream Frosting and Filling:
Dissolve 2 t instant coffee granules in 1 T boiling water.  Let cool.  In medium-size bowl combine 2-1/2 cups confectioner sugar, 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened, and coffee mixture.  Beat until light and fluffy, 3 minutes.

Holly leaves:
Split candied angelica to make single thickness.  Cut out 1" long leaves.  Arrange on cake in groups of 3.  Position 3 small cinnamon red-hot candies for berries at base of each leaf group. (If angelica is not available, substitute jellied spearmint leaf candies, halved.)

Okay, a lot of directions, but this is really not hard and it's really delicious!  Makes a great centerpiece at Christmastime!  I just cut some green jelly candies to look like leaves and used the red-hots for the berries.  I didn't bother with the chocolate mushrooms cuz it was never explained what that was.  Anyway, the cake is cute enough without it, and the subtle coffee flavor was great!   Just follow the directions, and it will turn out fine.