101 Christmas Recipes, a Gooseberry Patch publication, is a colorful and beautifully photo-illustrated, spiral-bound recipe book – I like the easy binding on the book, because you can open it to the one page you want and not have to lay out the whole thing – counter space is often a premium in the kitchen!  Every recipe is accompanied by a full-color photo and a quote from the author of the dish.

This concise volume (by normal Gooseberry Patch standards!) of only four chapters covers Holiday Open House, Snow Fun, Christmas Day, and Sweets of the Season.  You’ll not believe it, but I have not opened the sweets section this time!

Is yours a pizza-loving home? Here’s a quick and easy sandwich recipe, a take on Sloppy Joes that the kids - of all ages – will love!

Pizzawiches

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
4-oz sliced mushrooms, drained
16-oz jar pizza sauce
6 to 8 slices mozzarella cheese
6 to 8 hamburger or sub buns
Optional:  olive slices, pepperoni slices

In a skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef and onion; drain.  Add mushrooms and pizza sauce to skillet; heat through.  Assemble sandwiches with ground beef mixture, top with cheese slices, adding olives and pepperoni if desired.  Serves 6 to 8.

Doesn’t that sound delicious – and a one-pan meal can’t be beat!

Okay, here are some more recipe titles from the book – all the pictures are just so appealing!  Shoepeg Corn & Green Bean Casserole, Spiced Christmas Cashews, Jalapeno Cheese Spread, Chocolate Eggnog, Eggnog French Toast Strata, Candy Cane Thumbprints, GiGi’s Cranberry Cobbler – uh oh, looks like I’ve passed over into sweets land!  Have I made you hungry enough to bake something this weekend?

You need a copy of 101 Christmas Recipes ~ you just don’t know what you’ll be missing at this year’s Christmas party without it!

~Janet @ The Christmas Place

Here’s a quick and delicious dessert idea for fresh fruit season, though it calls for frozen cherries ~ you can substitute fresh apricots if you like.

Bing Cherry Clafouti

Ingredients
2 C (one 10-oz package) frozen Bing cherries, thawed in a colander
1-1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/3 C granulated sugar
2-1/4 C whole milk
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 t vanilla extract
2 t Kirsch (cherry liqueur, optional)
1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
Zest of 1 orange
1 T butter, cut into small pieces
Powdered sugar for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, with a rack positioned in the center.

Butter the bottom and sides of a 12-inch cast iron skillet.  Place the cherries in the bottom of the pan, distributing evenly.  In a medium bowl, mix the flour and sugar.  Whisk in the milk, mixing until combined.  Add the eggs, vanilla, Kirsch (if using), nutmeg and orange zest.  Whisk until well combined.  Pour all of the batter over the top of the cherries in the skillet.  Dot the top with butter.

Place the skillet in the oven and bake until puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Wow, that sounds so simple and delicious!  Serve it for dessert – or as a special brunch treat?

 Wishing everyone a delightful weekend ~ and happy eating!

~Janet @ The Christmas Place

First, in case you haven’t heard, we opened a restaurant about three weeks ago.  That kinda started interfering with my schedule for a while.  Then, one crazy Wednesday in June, I sorta fell and sprained both my ankles and even managed to break one of them.  What an inconvenience.  Did I plan to spend the hottest summer thus far this century in a cast and a wheel chair and a walker and on a cane?  No, I did not!

Of course, I realize I have a bit of a reputation for finding ways to avoid mowing the wretched lawn (that manages to survive despite my least efforts).  Having been gifted with a fabulous riding mower earlier in the spring, I promise this fall was not a lawn-work-avoidance ploy.  Nor was it a shower-avoidance ploy, though I didn’t get to stand in one for about a month.  Not fun.

Being much on the mend, and with things well under way on our many business fronts, I can finally think about food again on a Friday!

Do they have good farmer’s markets where you are?  We have not only Saturday markets but a bounty of roadside stands in this area, offering great fresh vegetables and fruits grown a few fields over.  Gooseberry Patch has published a marvelous collection titles Farmers’ Market Favorites, filled with proven favorites from around the country.  Chapters feature selections for everything from Sunny Starters for the Day to A Bushel Basket of Main Dishes, Sprouting Salads, and Fresh Baked Desserts ~ all begging for fresh, locally-grown ingredients for a summer feast.

I always enjoy the illustrated covers on Gooseberry Patch publications ~ they have such charm and imagination!

Browsing the chapter A Medley of Sides, I came across an intriguing recipe for “Apple Orchard Strudel.”  The first ingredient is cabbage!  I’m really curious about the blend of flavors among these ingredients - you’ll see what I mean (like that chocolate fudge you make with Velveeta cheese – I have never yet tasted it, but people swear it’s great).  I think this strudel would be quite tasty.

Apple Orchard Strudel

Ingredients
4 C cabbage, finely chopped
1/4 C onion, chopped
1-1/2 C apples, cored, peeled, and chopped
1/3 C raisins
1/4 C sour cream
1 t mustard (it doesn’t say, but I would guess this is prepared mustard)
1 C shredded Cheddar cheese
8 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
1/2 C butter, melted and divided

Add cabbage and onion to a skillet coated with non-stick vegetable spray.  Cook, covered, over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Combine cabbage mixture with apples and raisins in a large bowl.  Stir together sour cream and mustard; add to cabbage mixture.

Brush one sheet dough with butter; layer on a second sheet.  Continue to brush each sheet of dough with butter and arrange one on top of the other.

Spoon cabbage mixture down 1/3 of long side of dough.  Top mixture with cheese.  Beginning with the long side, roll up jelly-roll style.  Place on a 15″ x 10″ jelly-roll pan lightly coated with non-stick vegetable spray.  Brush dough with remaining butter.  Make 1/4-inch deep cuts about 2 inches apart along the length of the dough.

Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.  Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before slicing to serve.  Makes about 6 servings.

Now isn’t that an interesting combination?  I sure hope someone will give this a try and report back to me – it sounds just strange enough to be really, really delicious!

C = Cup; t = teaspoon

Have a wonderful weekend, and be sure to check out the farmer’s market near you – you may be surprised by what is growing in your neighborhood!

~Janet @ The Christmas Place

Summer in the Country, from Gooseberry Patch, has the stuff I’m jonesing for, from  Sweet Summer Mornings and An Old-Fashioned Picnic to Come By For Pie … & More!  I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my blueberry crop this year, so I’m thinking an award-winning cake might be a good choice for today, especially one that incorporates my love of lemon, too.  Check out my blueberry blossoms – looks like a good harvest is on the horizon!

Blueberry Citrus Cake

Ingredients
1 package lemon cake mix
1/2 C plus 2 T orange juice
1 C water
1/3 C oil
3 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 C fresh or frozen blueberries
1 T orange zest
1 T lemon zest
1 C powdered sugar
Garnish:  lemon and orange zest

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, 1/2 cup orange juice, water, oil, and eggs.  Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds.  Increase speed to medium; beat for 2 minutes.  With a wooden spoon, gently fold in blueberries and zests.  Pour batter into a greased and floured Bundt^® pan.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool completely in pan on wooden rack.  Turn out of pan.  Blend remaining orange juice and powdered sugar until smooth; drizzle over cake.  Sprinkle with zests.  Serves 10 to 12.

Wow, that sounds so light and refreshing and delicious!  I think I’d serve that as a special side bread with a light chicken salad (the kind you make with grapes and pecans, or maybe a curried chicken salad) just for fun!  (Okay, now I’m going home to make myself some chicken curry.)

I’m willing to stretch summer out as long as you’ll let me this year, especially on days like today.  Tomorrow, I may be making a hearty stew to combat the rain, but today .. today is for a slice of cake and a frosty lemonade on the patio at the end of the day .. enjoy!

~Janet @ The Christmas Place

Hurrah for Paula Deen!  Found a wonderful little collection titled The Lady & Sons Just Desserts.  Oh yeah!  (I happen to love her Key Lime Pie , the one that uses four egg yolks is the best.)  Simply organized into categories such as cakes, pies, cookies & bars, and “More Sweet Things,” this cook book opens with three lovely family stories and a terrific section called “Hints & Tips” that includes instructions for peeling a coconut.  Good stuff!

Best of all, there’s a scrumptious recipe that I can use on Sunday.

Banana Split Brownie Pizza

Ingredients
20 oz box Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix (plus ingredients to prepare)
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved
2 T sugar
2 bananas, sliced and tossed in lemon juice to prevent browning
1 C fresh strawberries, sliced
1 C chopped nuts
Chocolate ice cream topping or chocolate syrup for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 15-inch pizza pan.

Prepare brownie mix according to directions on box.  Pour onto prepared pan.  Bake for 20 minutes or until done.  Cool completely.

Beat cream cheese, pineapple, and sugar together in a bowl.  Use any reserved pineapple juice at this time if needed to soften mixture to a good spreading consistency.  Spread mixture over brownie crust.  Arrange banana and strawberry slices over cream cheese mixture.  Sprinkle with chopped nuts and drizzle with chocolate topping.  Refrigerate.

Slice like a pizza and enjoy!  Serves 8 to 10.
C = Cup; T = Tablespoon.

Yummy in my tummy, I’m thinking!

Enjoy the remaining sunshine and the crazy classic cars and have a great weekend, everyone!

~Janet @ The Christmas Place

In addition to plenty of recipes for every occasion (including both cooking with fresh meat and cooking with canned meat, the challenges of which I had never thought about before), Ferne starts off with equipment suggestions, hints for traveling cooks, menu suggestions, and a complete pantry list with supplies for two people traveling for two weeks.  How helpful is that!  Of course, I have friends who spent about 10 years living & traveling in their RV – boy, do they have some great stories to tell!

So, I didn’t realize you can buy canned roast beef & gravy, I’m going to look for it next time I’m at the market, because you can use it for almost any beef dish and quite a few chilis, too.  As the title claims, these recipes are quite easy, and the lists of ingredients say that they are tasty, too.  I think that even folks cooking in kitchens without wheels underneath would appreciate a few of these easy recipes as well.

Chile Pie

Ingredients
1 can (16 oz) Chile con Carne with beans
2 T dried onion (minced or chopped
1 C cheddar cheese (shredded)
1/2 C buttermilk baking mix
1 C milk (fresh or canned)
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
Paprika

Spread chile in an 8- or 9-inch pie pan and sprinkle with onion and one-half cup cheese.  Combine baking mix, milk and egg and mix well.  Pour over chile; sprinkle with rest of cheese and paprika.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes.  Knife should come out clean when inserted into middle of the pie.  Makes 3 to 4 servings.  [And I love that you actually cook it in a pie pan, since it's called pie!  I never would have thought of that.]

Chicken Goody Hot Dish

Ingredients
1-1/2 C canned or cooked chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 C water
1/4 C mayonnaise
1 T soy sauce
1 T dried onion (minced or chopped)
1 T dried parsley
1-1/4 C uncooked instant rice
1/2 C cheddar cheese (shredded)
Paprika

Combine first eight ingredients and mix well.  Pour into greased casserole.  Sprinkle with cheese and paprika.  Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  Makes 4-6 servings.  [I don't often prepare baked dishes that have mayonnaise as an ingredient, but I'll bet it gives this casserole a really nice zip.  I would definitely try this at home!]

C = Cup; T = Tablespoon

If life puts you on the highway this year, I hope it winds through East Tennessee ~ and if it happens in the next few weeks, please come and enjoy the dogwoods & azaleas with us!

~Janet @ The Christmas Place

.. but all the recipes I have found call for about fortyleventeen ingredients, and I don’t have the strength to stand up long enough to measure and chop all that stuff!  I’m even looking at a recipe that calls for peeling and deveining a pound of shrimp and ends 20 ingredients later with fresh crabmeat and a jar of pimentos.  What’s wrong with these chefs?  I’m weak, weak I tell ya’!  I need something easy.

Crockpot time!  I grabbed a copy of the Best of the Best from Tennessee Cookbook, and found an easy one-pot soup that should get me through the weekend.  It’s not gumbo, that will have to wait for now.  Maybe a reader has an easy gumbo recipe to send me?

Five-Can Slow-Cooker Soup

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 can pinto beans
1 can ranch-style beans
1 can tomatoes with chiles
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can corn (creamed or whole kernel)
1 packet ranch salad dressing mix
1 packet taco seasoning mix
2 T chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
(all cans approximately 15 oz size)

Brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet, stirring until the beef is crumbly; drain well; spoon into slow cooker.  Add, without draining, all the canned ingredients.  Stir in seasoning packets and cilantro and mix everything well.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Delicious with corn bread and a green salad.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

I think I can stand long enough to open 5 cans and cook the beef.  This sounds pretty tasty, really.  I’m intrigued to find out how the flavors of the seasoning packets blend with the vegetables and beef during the slow cooking process.  And it’s great that we have so many more canned options available these days, like the seasoned tomatoes – a real time-saver.

Another extraordinary day here in the valley – I said I’d report on the high mountain white stuff – still a few stubborn spots lingering up there, but I know they’ll be gone soon.

I hope it’s an extraordinary day and weekend wherever you are!

~Janet @ The Christmas Place

I was thinking about all the game-watching that will be happening this weekend, and the volume of chips and salsa that are likely to be consumed .. which sent me in search of a quick recipe for homemade salsa.  I have a couple of friends, a brother & sister, who like to compete on the quality of their homemade salsa ~ the trick being that they get to use ingredients they’ve grown fresh in their gardens!  I am hoping to learn about gardening this summer from Sam & Marie, but until then I’ll have to use my local grocer instead.

Already thinking about summer gardens, I found this Gooseberry Patch volume down in the gallery:  Farmers’ Market Favorites.  Of course, it includes ideas for everything from Sunny Starters for the Day to Sprouting Sandwiches and Fresh Baked Desserts.  I pulled this recipe from Farm Kitchen Snacks & Beverages.

Quick & Easy Summer Salsa

Farmers' Market Favorites

Ingredients
10 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 C fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 C red onion, chopped
1 T vinegar
1/2 C olive oil
juice of 2 key limes

Combine all ingredients (except chips) in a bowl.  Stir to blend.  Refrigerate until chilled.  Makes 2-1/2 to 3 cups.  Serve with tortilla chips.  It’s also terrific if you can’t wait for the chilling ~ enjoy it warm from the garden.

Here’s a Gooseberry Patch note:  Almost any fresh veggie can be added to a favorite salsa recipe.  Try stirring in chopped peppers, green onions, minced garlic and sweet corn.

If you’ve got a hearty supply of chips, you might also want to try Lynda’s Spinach-Feta Dip, made with Greek yogurt, feta cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and fresh spinach and dill weed.  Or, Veggie Mini Pizzas made with pita rounds for the crust, topped with fresh spinach and plum tomatoes.  Yum!

Good luck to your team if you have one in the running, and I’ll be waiting for the farmer’s market.  I have a feeling that Sam & Marie will just be starting me off with weeding in that garden …

~Janet @ The Christmas Place

Our selection this week is another from Gooseberry Patch, Christmas Book 11, a new, 2009 publication.  That’s a lot of Christmas, but I for one can really never get too much Christmas!  In addition to being chock full of scrumptious recipes and foody gift ideas, this volume has craft recipes for things like snowmen ornaments, papier-mache ornaments, wreaths, fleece throws, and table runners; decorating tips and how-tos; gift wrapping ideas; and so much more.  It’s another WOW volume from Mary Elizabeth, Holly, Kate, and Spot.

No matter how hard I try, in my very scientific methodology of recipe selection, to land on a salad page … oh, no, once again the order of the universe has selected a dessert page.  Pfft.  I must do as the universe directs.

Peanut Butter Strudel Pie

Ingredients
3/4 C powdered sugar
1/2 C creamy peanut butter
9-inch pie crust, baked
2/3 C plus 6 T sugar, divided
1/3 C all-purpose flour (one day I am going to forget myself and say “all-porpoise” like I really want to!)
1/4 t salt
2 C milk
3 eggs
2 T butter
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t cream of tartar

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and peanut butter to resemble coarse crumbs; spread over the bottom of the pie crust, reserving one tablespoon for topping.  Set aside.

In a 2-quart saucepan, stir together 2/3 cup sugar, flour, and salt; gradually add milk.  Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; cook and stir for 5 minutes more or until thickened.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Separate eggs, placing whites in a separate bowl.  Beat yolks and blend in a small amount of the milk mixture; stir well.  Return all the yolks to the pan; cook and stir over low heat for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.  Cover and set filling aside.

Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy.  (Tip from Janet:  egg whites beat more quickly when everything is at room temperature.)  Gradually beat in the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar, one at a time, until all sugar is incorporated and stiff peaks form.

Reheat the pie filling over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until hot.  Pour hot filling over peanut butter crumbs in pie crust.  Top with meringue, being sure to seal around the edges.  Sprinkle with the reserved tablespoon of peanut butter crumbs.  Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until meringue is golden.  Cool completely before serving.

C = Cup; T = Tablespoon; t = teaspoon

I think the universe was right!

~Janet @ The Christmas Place