recipes

5 Faves: Christmas Cookie Contenders

/ CAstfalk / 8 Comments
5 Faves

The list of Christmas cookies I bake includes a couple of “must-bakes.” Those would be butter cookies (or cut-out cookies), the buttery shapes we frost and decorate. Our shapes include Christmas trees, Santa with his pack, bells, stars, and a few train engines. My other mandatory treat is fudge-full peanut butter bars. Aside from those, there are a half-dozen or more recipes we rotate in and out. Those include chocolate biscotti, rum balls, and various drop and bar cookies. Nothing too fancy, but always tasty!

My oldest daughter and I have sifted through recipes, looking for something new (to us) to try this year. Which recipe do you think should make the cut?

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Ornamental Graces Recipes

/ CAstfalk / 3 Comments

Unlike Rebecca in Stay With Me, none of the characters in Ornamental Graces are avid bakers or cooks. But they do bake and cook, and I couldn’t help collecting some of their recipes.

Emily’s sister-in-law Elizabeth is known to be a good cook. Dan and Emily get better acquainted over some of her lemon meringue pie, which happens to be my favorite kind of pie.

Mile-High Meringue Pie

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/111886371969068621/

Emily’s no slouch in the kitchen either. She cobbles together dinner for her and Dan after raiding Robert and Elizabeth’s refrigerator, pantry, and garden. I know people joke about having too many zucchini, but I think I could eat it daily and never grow tired of it.

Balsamic Grilled Zucchini

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/111886371969158218/

These pumpkin Snickerdoodles are delicious and perfect for fall weather, though Emily brings them to a summer picnic. These are my oldest daughter’s favorite cookies, and she recently made a batch herself to take to her brother’s boy scout meeting.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/111886371979332115/

We never get a glimpse of this strawberry pretzel Jell-O salad that Dan’s sister makes the day after Thanksgiving because Dan and Emily are, uh, otherwise occupied when it’s served. I was introduced to this recipe in the early 1980s by my sister-in-law. I love the sweet and salty combination!

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/111886371968608296/

Finally, Emily and her family are Polish, so I wanted to incorporate something true to their heritage. I have yet to make these on pierogies, but with these step-by-step instructions, I intend to give it a try.

Polish Pierogies

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/111886371968383868/

My mother is German, not Polish, but for decades, she made nut rolls (along with prune-poppyseed rolls) very similar to these every Easter. She’d even ship them from Pennsylvania to Florida to her sister-in-law. As I wrote the brief scene in which the rolls are mentioned, I recalled grinding nuts by hand for my mother when I was a little girl.

Polish Nut Rolls

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/111886371968432179/

A Taste of Summer (with Recipes!)

/ CAstfalk / 2 Comments

by Guest Blogger Barb Szyszkiewicz

Happy summer! Happy Fourth of July! In honor of this summer holiday, Carolyn invited me to bring along a few of my favorite recipes. She knows that I love to cook for my family and friends! Since I can’t cook for all of you in person, sharing these recipes is the next best thing. They’re all easy to make, and both the salad and dessert are definitely picnic-worthy.

Summer recipes to savor: corn & tomato salad, shrimp scampi & CMP brownies. @franciscanmom Share on X

Let’s start with the salad. I’m a Jersey girl, and this is the time of year when the corn and tomatoes are ready to go, fresh and flavorful. This warm salad uses your garden-fresh corn, tomatoes and herbs. If you don’t have any grilled corn, you can bake it in the oven–directions are at the bottom of the recipe. Continue reading →

What’s For Supper?

/ CAstfalk / 4 Comments

I thought I’d give Simcha Fisher’s new linkup a whirl. Here’s what made it to the dinner table this week:

Saturday

Using polenta from Trader Joe’s, I made this Sautéed Polenta with Marinara Sauce. It was quick and easy. I fried up some eggplant slices from our CSA share and served them with the marinara sauce as well. Frozen spinach rounded out the meal.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/111886371969774685/

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Favorite Picnic Recipes – Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Salad

/ CAstfalk / 4 Comments

It’s time to move eating outdoors! Here is an old favorite of hours. It’s got fresh veggies, protein, and a little zing. I think I found the original in a recipe magazine published by Taste of Home.

For more picnic recipes, visit the Meatless Friday Summer Picnic Linkup.

picnic setting

At no time has any table I’ve set looked anything like this.

Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumbers & Cilantro

2 15-oz. cans black-eyed peas, drained
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in large serving bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.Black-Eyed Pea Salad

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Fudge-Full Peanut Butter Bars

/ CAstfalk / 2 Comments

Fudge-Full Peanut Butter BarsBase and Topping:

1 package yellow cake mix

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

Filling:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1-1/3 cups (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons butter

Coconut Pecan Frosting Mix Substitute:

1 cup sweetened, flake coconut

3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans

3 tablespoons butter

Base and Topping: In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, peanut butter, butter, and eggs. By hand, stir until dough holds together. Press 2/3 of dough into bottom of ungreased 13×9-inch baking pan. Reserve remaining dough for topping.

Filling: In heavy saucepan, combine chocolate pieces, sweetened condensed milk, and butter. Melt over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat.

Frosting Mix: In medium bowl, combine coconut, brown sugar, flour, and pecans. Mix well. Using fork, cut in butter. Stir into filling.

Spread filling over dough in pan (base). Crumble reserved dough (topping) over filling.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until light golden brown. Cool completely. Cut into bars. (Makes about 36 bars.)

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Rebecca’s Fantasy Fudge

/ CAstfalk / 2 Comments

Rebecca's Fantasy Fudge3  sticks butter, softened (1-1/2 cups)

6  cups granulated sugar

2  5-oz. cans evaporated milk (1-1/2 cups)

1/2  teaspoon cream of tartar

2  12-oz. packages Hershey’s milk chocolate chips

1  13-oz. jar marshmallow creme

2  teaspoons vanilla

2  cups chopped walnuts, optional

Grease two 9×13-inch pans. Mix butter, sugar, milk, and cream of tartar in large, heavy saucepan. Bring to full, rolling boil over medium heat. Stir constantly. Boil 5 minutes or until temperature reaches 234 degrees F (soft ball stage). Remove from heat. Stir in chips. Add marshmallow creme. When mixture reaches a dull gloss, stir in vanilla. (Mixture will be heavy.) Pour into pans. Cool. Yield: Approximately 6 pounds of fudge.

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