Pepper-Vodka Soaked Cherry Tomatoes with Seasoned Sea Salt

A very good appetizer that will get your guests' tastebuds popping!

1 pint vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup pepper-flavored vodka
3 tbsp. coarse or fine sea salt
1 tbsp. lemon pepper

Poke 5 or 6 holes with a wooden pick or skewer in each tomato and put in a shallow bowl. Pour vodka over tomatoes and let stand, covered, tossing occasionally, 1 to 2 hours, or until soaked to desired taste. In a small bowl stir together salt and pepper. Serve tomatoes with seasoned salt for dipping. Makes 2 cups.
From Gourmet Magazine

Cherry Mash Candy

If you like cherries you will love this recipe:

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
Dash of salt
12 large marshmallows
1/2 cup margarine
6 oz. cherry chips
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar, milk, salt, marshmallows and margarine in saucepan. Bring to boil and cook for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add cherry chips and vanilla.

Pour into a buttered 9x13 inch pan. Refrigerate.

Topping
2 tablespoons margarine
12 oz. package semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup crushed peanuts

Melt chocolate chips and margarine in double boiler. Simmer until melted. Remove from heat and add peanut butter and peanuts. Spread over cherry layer.

Refrigerate. Cut into bars when firm.
(thatsmyhome.com)

Asparagus Cake

This is one to try, I guarantee no one at your get-together has ever tried it. It is actually quite tasty.

1 lb asparagus; trimmed cut up
1 c water; boiling
3/4 c butter or margarine
1 1/2 c brown sugar; packed
2 eggs
3 c all purpose flour
2 ts baking powder
1 ts baking soda
1 ts ground cinnamon
1/2 ts ground nutmeg
1/4 ts salt
1/2 c nuts; chopped
1/2 c dates; pitted snipped
1/2 c light raisins

Cook the asparagus(covered)in boiling water until tender (about 10 min). Cool slightly.Transfer asparagus and cooking liquid to a blender container or food processor bowl. Cover and blend or process until pureed.(You should have 2 cups, add water if necessary.) Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds or till softened. Add brown sugar and beat till well combined. Beat in eggs.In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with asparagus puree, beating till just combined after each addition. With a wooden spoon, stir in nuts, dates and raisins. Pour mix into 2 greased and floured 8x11/2-inch or 9x11/2-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes for the 8-inch pans,35 to 40 minutes for the 9-inch pans, and 30 minutes for the 13x9x2-inch pan until toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove round layers from pans. Cool thoroughly on racks. Frost top of one layer with Cream Cheese Frosting. Place second layer on top; frost top and sides.

Carrot Fennel Soup

Here is a soup that will bring excitement (and color) to your feast!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine
• 1 1/2 pounds carrots, sliced
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium apple, peeled and cubed
• 3 (14.5 ounce) cans vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons uncooked long grain rice
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan, saute fennel seed in butter for 2-3 minutes or until lightly toasted. Add the carrots, sweet potato and apple; saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, rice, curry powder and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until rice and vegetables are very tender.
2. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Discard bay leaf. In a blender or food processor, process soup in batches until pureed. Return to saucepan. Stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley.

Banana Pudding

An old classic I think you'll love!

3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Dash salt
3 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
45 NILLA Wafers, divided
5 ripe bananas, sliced (about 3 1/2 cups), divided
Additional NILLA Wafers and banana slices, for garnish


1. Mix 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water, stirring constantly for 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

2. Save 10 wafers for garnish. Spread small amount of custard on bottom of 1 1/2-quart casserole; cover with a layer of wafers and a layer of sliced bananas. Pour about 1/3 of custard over bananas. Continue to layer wafers, bananas and custard to make a total of 3 layers of each, ending with custard.

3. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; slowly add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Spoon on top of pudding, spreading evenly to cover entire surface and sealing well to edges.

4. Bake at 350°F in top half of oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. Cool slightly or refrigerate. Garnish with additional wafers and banana slices just before serving.

Makes 8 servings

Orange-Coconut Ambrosia

A very tasty dish for the festivities.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 large navel oranges
• 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/3 cups grated fresh coconut, or 1 can (3 1/2 oz) flaked coconut
• 3 tablespoons orange juice

PREPARATION:

Peel oranges, being careful to remove all outer white membrane. Cut oranges crosswise into thin slices, about 1/8 inch thick. Layer a third of slices in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the confectioners' sugar, then with 1/3 cup coconut and 1 tablespoon orange juice.

Repeat layers two more times. Refrigerate 1 hour.
Makes 6 servings of Ambrosia

No-Bake Cookies

Great no-bake cookies made with oatmeal, peanut butter and cocoa. Start timing when mixture reaches a rolling boil; this is the trick to successful cookies. If you boil too long the cookies will be dry and crumbly. If you don't boil long enough the cookies won't form properly."

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.

Upside Down Carmel Apple Pie

This is a wonderful alternative to traditional apple pie.

Glaze and pastry

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbl butter, melted
1Tbl corn syrup
1/3 cups pecan halves, coarsely chopped
1 package refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)

Filling

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3Tbl all purpose flour
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
4 large Granny Smith apples
1 Tbl lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425°F. For glaze, combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in Stoneware 9" Pie Plate; spread evenly onto bottom. Chop pecans using Food Chopper; sprinkle over sugar mixture. Top with 1 pastry crust; set aside. For filling, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in 1-Qt Batter Bowl; mix well. Peel, core and slice apples using Apple/Peeler/Corer/Slicer; cut slices crosswise in half. Place apple slices in Classic 2-Qt Batter Bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice. Layer half of the apples in pastry-lined Pie Plate; sprinkle with half the brown sugar mixture. Repeat layers. Place remaining crust over filling. Fold edge of top crust under edge of bottom crust; flute edge. Cut several slits in top crust. Bake 50-60 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Loosen edge of pie from Pie Plate; carefully invert pie onto heat resistant serving plate. Scrape any remaining caramel topping from pie plate onto pie. Cool at least 1 hour before serving.

Pampered Chef

Chex Party Mix

A perennial party favorite. Great snack for the games!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. seasoned salt
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 3 cups corn chex cereal
• 2 cups wheat chex cereal
• 1-1/2 cups mixed nuts
• 1 cup small pretzels
• 1 cup garlic flavored bagel chips
• 1 cup pretzel rods

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Melt butter in large roasting pan in oven (5 minutes). Stir in seasonings. Add remaining ingredients and mix until coated. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, and store in airtight container.

Microwave Method: Melt butter in large microwave-safe bowl on HIGH. Stir in seasonings, then remaining ingredients until coated. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 5-6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, and store in airtight container.

Wild Rice Soup

An excellent soup to start the meal.


1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 C. diced turkey
1/2 C. uncooked Uncle Ben's wild rice and long-grain rice
1 seasoning packet from the wild rice mix
1/4 t. pepper
3 (14 1/2-oz.) cans chicken broth
1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk
1/3 C. all-purpose flour
1 C. frozen green peas, thawed

Put onion, celery, carrots, turkey, 1/2 cup wild rice and long grain rice mix, rice mix seasoning packet and pepper in slow cooker. Pour broth over all. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or until wild rice and vegetables are tender.

Mix together milk and flour; stir into soup. Cover and cook about 20 minutes or until thickened. Stir in peas during last 15 minutes of cooking.

Serves 6.