Ingredients:
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
¼ tsp white vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp basil or thyme
¼ cup strained honey
½ cup beef stock
½ c Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard

Instruction:
Heat vegetable oil over high heat. Add garlic and onions and cook for 3-4 minutes. Combine the tomato paste, vinegar, and add to skillet. Stir in salt, basil, honey, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Mix and simmer over low heat for 10-15.

Karen

Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 cans (7.5 oz each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted, divided

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut biscuit dough into quarters with scissors. Mix sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Roll dough quarters in cinnamon sugar. Place half of biscuits into greased 12-cup fluted tube pan. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of the melted butter. Top with remaining
biscuit quarters and melted butter. Top unbaked loaf with remaining cinnamon sugar mixture in bowl. Bake 40 – 45 minutes or until golden.

Meanwhile prepare glaze (below). Let loaf stand 5 min., invert onto plate.

Glaze:
Beat 4 oz. (half of 8 oz pkg) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened, and 1/2 cup powdered sugar in bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Add 1 to 2 Tbsp. milk, beating until desired consistency is reached. Spoon over warm loaf.

Makes 12 servings.

Karen

Ingredients:
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark molasses
2 eggs
3 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp cloves

Frosting:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 Tbsp soft butter
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp milk (more or less!)

Instructions:
In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and baking soda and set aside; it will foam up. In a large mixer bowl place the vegetable oil,sugar, molasses, and eggs. Beat for 1 minute or until well mixed. Add the buttermilk mixture and blend. Sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. Add slowly to the molasses mixture, and beat on medium speed until just blended. Allow the batter to stand for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325*

Drop batter by heaping tablespoons onto oiled cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until the top of the cookies spring back when touched with your finger. Do not overbake, these cookies should be very soft, almost like little round gingerbreads. While the cookies are baking, make frosting.

Frosting:
In a mixer bowl, beat the confectioners’ sugar, butter, salt and lemon juice until smooth. Blend in the lemon rind, vanilla and enough milk to make a smooth consistency. Remove the baked cookies to a wax paper lined wire rack. Frost while warm, spreading about a 1/2 tsp of frosting over each cookie. Let cool completely, then transfer to trays and place in the freezer to completely set the glaze or to freeze for storing. Pack cookies in tins using wax paper to separate each layer. These freeze very well.

Makes 3 1/2 to 4 dozen

Karen

Ingredients:
2 cups shortening
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 quart molasses
8 cups flour
1 tablespoon cloves
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1tablespoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 teaspoon vinegar

Instructions:
Sift the flour and spices together. Add sugar and mix well. Work in the shortening with the finger tips or with a pastry blender. Add bakingsoda and molasses and mix thoroughly. Chill. Roll very thin on floured board and cut with fancy cookie cutters. Bake at 350 F about 10 minutes.

Karen

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:
9 lasagna noodles
2 cans (15 ounces each) no-bean chili
1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
3 scallions, thinly sliced, divided
1 can (8-1/2 ounces) whole-kernel corn, drained
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions; drain.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 2 cups Cheddar cheese, 2 sliced scallions, the corn, egg, salt, and pepper; mix well.

4. Spread 3/4 cup chili over the bottom of the baking dish. Place 3 lasagna noodles over the chili. Place half of the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles then top with half of the remaining chili. Place 3 noodles over the chili then top with the remaining cheese mixture. Place the 3 remaining noodles over the cheese mixture then top with the remaining chili. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

5. Bake for 30 minutes then remove the foil and sprinkle the lasagna with the remaining 1 cup Cheddar cheese. Bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the remaining scallions, and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Variation:
For a spicier dish, add some hot pepper sauce and/or chili powder to the canned chili before assembling the lasagna.

Karen

Ingredients:
1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust (or regular baked pie shell)
1 8-oz Pkg Cream Cheese, softened (can be low fat or non-fat)
1 16-oz bowl of Cool Whip, thawed
1 Regular size can of Cherry Pie Filling (can also use any berry pie filling)

Instructions:
Whip the cream cheese and cool whip together until smooth and creamy. Spread into the pie crust then top with the pie cherries. You can also take some extra cool whip and put on top of the cherries. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

Karen

(9) inch springform pan.
Fire up the oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:
4-8 oz. packages cream cheese (Philadelphia brand, puhleeze)
1 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
5 beaten eggs
2 cups pumpkin (Libbey’s will be just fine)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp ginger (not Rogers)

Crust:
16 zwieback crackers ( yes, those pesky baby crackers)
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter

Instructions:
In blender, pulverize those crackers. Add the sugar and then blend in the butter. Pat it into a nine (9) inch springform pan. (tip: to prevent messy leakage make sure you seal the edge where the sides meet the bottom of the pan!) Pat a bit of the crust up the sides of the pan.

Next: (make sure cream cheese, eggs, and pumpkin are at room temp)
Beat the cream cheese. Add the white sugar. Next add the brown sugar. Add the egg mixture approx. 1/5 at a time. Time to add the pumpkin. Finally add the cinnamon, vanilla, and ginger.
Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan. Turn the pan a few times and let it rest. Pop into the lower 1/3 of the oven at 350 degrees for 80 minutes. Open the oven door and leave in for an additional 30 minutes.

Allow the uncovered cheesecake to cool overnite. I loosely cover mine with newspaper so nothing falls into it.

Refrigerate.

Cheesecake tips:
Place a cookie sheet on the rack below the cheesecake. Just in case you’re not a good “sealer”.
Cheesecakes often crack. Reduce the chances of it cracking by not overbeating the batter when adding the eggs. Add the eggs using the lowest speed your mixer will allow.
Allowing the cheesecake to cool prevents those Grand Canyon cracks. But, said cracks can be covered up with the topping of your choice. (i.e. whipped cream)
Slice cheesecake before putting on any toppings.
Freezing!
The richer the cheesecake the better it freezes. To freeze :
Prepare it according to the recipe directions, omit the topping. Place it on a tray and frexze, uncovered, for 6 hours or until firm. Remove cheesecake and place in a large freezer bag. Seal, label,and freeze your cheescake for several months. Thaw at room temp for 2 to 3 hours.

Karen