Dill Pickles

8 pounds 3 to 4 inch long pickling cucumbers
4 cups white vinegar
12 cups water
2/3 cup pickling salt
16 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
8 sprigs fresh dill weed
8 heads fresh dill weed
Directions

Wash cucumbers, and place in the sink (I use the bathtub!) with cold water and lots of ice cubes. Soak in ice water for at least 2 hours but no more than 8 hours. Refresh ice as required. Sterilize 8 (1 quart) canning jars and lids in boiling water for at least 10 minutes.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine the vinegar, water, and pickling salt. Bring the brine to a rapid boil.
In each jar, place 2 half-cloves of garlic, one head of dill, then enough cucumbers to fill the jar (about 1 pound). Then add 2 more garlic halves, and 1 sprig of dill. Fill jars with hot brine. Seal jars, making sure you have cleaned the jar's rims of any residue.
Process sealed jars in a boiling water bath. Process quart jars for 15 minutes.
Store pickles for a minimum of 8 weeks before eating. Refrigerate after opening. Pickles will keep for up to 2 years if stored in a cool dry place.

Recipe from allrecipes.com

Balsamic Pickled Figs and Walnuts

3-4 lbs fresh figs
3 cups balsamic vinegar
6 cups water (can replace some with orange juice)
11/2 cup honey
11/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup shelled halved walnuts
16 peppercorns
4 sprig thyme or rosemary
4 strips of orange zest

Prick each fig a couple of time with a skewer. Place figs in a large pot and cover with boiling water. Gently swish the figs around. Cool. Repeat if necessary to clean figs. Drain.
Combine vinegar ,water, sugar and honey in a large nonreactive pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Carefully lower the figs into the simmering syrup. Simmer uncovered for twenty minutes, add the walnuts. Continue simmering for another 10-25 minutes depending on the size of your figs. The liquid should look slightly syrupy and the figs should be a little glossy .
Arrange figs in jars, dividing the herbs and zest evenly between them. With a ladle pour the syrup over the figs leaving 1/2 inch of headroom.
Close and seal the jars. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
Serve with anything salty or tangy, like proscuitto, Parmesan, or blue cheese.

Notes: replaced 1cup of water with orange juice. Simmered the fruit with the sprig of Rosemary, but did not include it in the jars.

Recipe from putsup.com

Two Recipes for Spicy Pickled Green Beans

3 lbs Young green beans
4 long, thin Red chiles (fresh or dried)
4 large Garlic cloves
1 tbsp Peppercorns (white, black, green or a mixture)
1/4 cup loosely-packed fresh dill sprigs (or 4 tbsp dried dill weed)
2 1/2 cup Water
2 1/2 cup White wine vinegar
1/4 cup Salt


Trim and remove strings from the beans. Rinse well and set aside.

Sterilize jars and lids in boiling water. When jars are cool enough to handle, fill each upright with beans until they are snug. Insert chiles and garlic cloves (preferably around outside so they can be seen). Divide peppercorns and dill among jars.

Separately bring the water, vinegar and salt to a boil in a non-reactive sauce pan. Ladle the hot brine over the beans leaving about 1/2-inch head space.

Wipe jar edge clean and screw on sterilized lid and band according to manufacturers instructions.

Process in a boiling water bath for 12 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely at room temperature away from drafts.

Check lids to make sure proper seal has been attained.

Store for at least one month before using to allow flavours to develop.

Recipe from bakespace.com



Recipe Two:
2 1/2 pounds fresh green beans
2 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
2 cups water
1/4 cup salt
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 bunch fresh dill weed
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions

Sterilize 6 (1/2 pint) jars with rings and lids and keep hot. Trim green beans to 1/4 inch shorter than your jars.
In a large saucepan, stir together the vinegar, water and salt. Add garlic and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. In each jar, place 1 sprig of dill and 1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Pack green beans into the jars so they are standing on their ends.
Ladle the boiling brine into the jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the tops. Discard garlic. Seal jars with lids and rings. Place in a hot water bath so they are covered by 1 inch of water. Simmer but do not boil for 10 minutes to process. Cool to room temperature. Test jars for a good seal by pressing on the center of the lid. It should not move. Refrigerate any jars that do not seal properly. Let pickles ferment for 2 to 3 weeks before eating.

Recipe from allrecipes.com

Bloody Mary Pickled Asparagus

The recipe is for a pint of asparagus and yes it is worth just doing one of two pints. If you have exceptional long asparagus go for a quart jar.

1 lb asparagus, trimmed
2 c white vinegar
1/2 c water
1 T salt
1 t horseradish
1 t hot sauce
1/2 t black pepper, cracked
1/4 t celery seed (optional)
Trim the asparagus to the height of your jars.  Simmer vinegar, water, and salt until salt is dissolved.  Place the spices in the bottom of your jar.  Place your jar on its side to make packing the asparagus easier.  When your jar is filled pour the warmed vinegar over the asparagus until the jar is filled to within 1/2 inch of the top.  Process for 10 mins.

Recipe from locallypreserved.blogspot.com

Spicy Carrots, Onions and Jalepeños

5 pints total of carrots, onions and jalapeños, 1/4 inch thick slices
4 cups cider vinegar
1 tablespoon pickling salt
10 cloves garlic
5 bay leaves
5 sprigs of oregano
1 1/4 teaspoons peppercorns
 
Bring to a boil the vinegar and salt.
 
Into each jar pack 2 cloves garlic and 1/4 teaspoon peppercorns and veggies.  Pour the hot liquid in to the jars, leaving 1/2 headspace. Slip a bay leaf and a sprig of oregano down the side of each jar.  Process for 20 minutes.
 

Recipe from http://knitandnosh.typepad.com

I didn't have pickling salt when I made this, so I look conversions. Beware though, switching salts can make your pickles cloudy or dark. http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/my_ingredients/zen_of_salt.html

Fish Tacos with Cilantro Slaw

Serves 6

For the cilantro slaw:
½ head cabbage, either green or red, thinly sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
½ red pepper or some carrots, thin julienne
½ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons orange juice (I didn’t have any so I pureed a ripe pluot)
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
A little fresh lime juice
For the fish tacos:
1 pound halibut fillets
About 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
1 Tablespoon canola oil
Whole wheat flour or stone ground corn 8” tortillas

1. Mix all the slaw ingredients in a large bowl and let sit for 15 minutes. Season the fish fillet with a little salt and pepper. Liberally coat the first side with ancho chili powder. Heat the canola oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sprinkle some salt and pepper from a height in the hot oil also. This really helps keep the fish from sticking. Cook the fillet ancho side down. Sprinkle the top with the remaining ancho chili. Fish takes about 10 minutes per inch of thickness to cook no matter how you do it. So guess what half the total cooking time should be for one side and don’t try to turn the fillet before then. Heat the tortillas. Flake the cooked fish and place in the tortillas. Top with the slaw. Enjoy.
Note: I have heard that fish tacos are excellent with a little mango chutney. I'll let you know when I give it a try.

Recipe from Dr. Maring

Sweet Corn and Tomato Salad with Cilantro

Serves ?

6 ears fresh corn, husked
1-1/2 lb plum or cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Cook the corn in boiling salted water until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, cool, then cut the kernels off the cobs. In a large bowl, mix the other ingredients with the corn. Season to taste.

Thai Melon Salad

Serves ?

1 cantaloupe or other melon, cut into small bite size pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp finely minced onion
3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/2″ jalapeno, finely minced
A squeeze or two of fresh lime juice

1. Cut the melon in half. Scoop out the seeds. Use a fillet knife to cut out the melon from each piece then slice into the bite size pieces. Toss gently with the other ingredients.

Cucumber Gazpacho

Serves 8

(Soup)
Maybe four cucumbers, enough to make four cups chopped up after peeling and seeding
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup ice water
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

(Relish)
1/4 cup chopped piquillo peppers
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil, mint or both
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Salt to taste and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. For the soup, put half of everything into a blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Do the same with the rest. Chill at least an hour.

2. Mix the relish ingredients and let sit for at least a half hour. Sprinkle a little of this in the center of each bowl of soup. Some will sink but enough will stay visible to be beautiful.

Spinach Pizza with Roasted Garlic, Caramelized Sweet Onion, and Fontina

Serves two for dinner and one for lunch the next day

Rolled out dough for a 12″ pizza or a pre-made crust
1 head garlic
1/2 cup olive oil (you will only use about 2 tablespoons of it so you will have roasted garlic oil leftover for another use — takes advantage of the fact you went to the trouble to roast the garlic)
1 sweet onion
1 bunch fresh spinach
2 ounces fontina cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Drizzle garlic clove with olive oil. Wrap the whole head of garlic loosely in aluminum foil. Roast it in a 400 degree oven for one hour. When cool enough to handle, cut the tops off of the cloves. Squeeze garlic out of papery wrappers into a bowl. It’s best to do this step ahead of time so the garlic and oil can sit for a while.

2. Preheat your oven and pizza stone if you are using one to as hot as it can go without broiling. Thinly slice the onion. Heat a tablespoon of the olive oil in a saute pan gently, add the onion, and cover. Stir the onion every now and then until it caramelizes. This takes maybe fifteen minutes. Wash and dry the spinach leaves from the whole bunch. Coarsely grate the fontina.

3. Roll out the dough to a 12 inch circle and place in on a lightly floured baking sheet. If using a pre-made crust, follow the instructions. Brush the crust lightly with about a tablespoon of the garlic oil, but try scoop out a lot of the roasted garlic and spread it around. Scatter the caramelized onions. Add a thick layer of spinach leaves. Top with half the cheese. Add another layer of spinach leaves and top with the rest of the cheese. Sprinkle and little salt and a liberal amount of freshly ground black pepper.

4. Bake pizzas in two steps. That way you just need to finish it in the oven when everything else is totally ready —- like the table is set, the salad has been made, and your partner is close by and ready to eat. Try baking this spinach pizza for about 6 minutes first, getting everything else ready and the kitchen cleaned up, and then finishing it for about three minutes. Cut it into six pieces and serve.

Recipe from http://recipe.kaiser-permanente.org

Crepe Crazy

For the past couple of days, I have been obsessed with crepes. Hadn't really made them before, but I looked up a recipe (listed at the bottom of the post), and I've made crepes 3 times in 24 hours. C-R-A-Z-Y, people. Then I looked up like a million things to put in a crepe, because I wasn't feeling all that creative, and I only have weird stuff in the fridge right now. Without further ado, here are a million crepe recipes.

Savory Crepes
Leek and Apple Crepes
Peanut Tofu Crepes
Wild Rice and Corn Crepes
Zucchini Crepes
Asparagus and Hard-Boiled Egg Crepes with Hollandaise Sauce
Prosciutto, Gorgonzola and Fig Preserve Crepes
Crepe Florentine (Spinach and Ricotta)
Broccoli, Mushroom and Swiss Crepes
Cheap Veggie Medley Crepes
Crepes Marquis Profeta (Bacon, Green Pepper, Mushroom and Cheddar)
Mushroom Crepes
Spinach Crepes

Dessert Crepes (seriously, do you even need a recipe? just fill them with anything!)
Italian Dessert Crepes
Orange Almond Crepes
Blueberry Lemon Crepes
Chocolate Crepes with Orange-Chocolate Sauce
Strawberry and Cream Cheese Crepes
Almond Crepes

Basic Crepe Recipe
1 cup all-purpose flour (see Note)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Note: I do not recommend whole wheat flour be used, at least not for dessert crepes. It makes the crepes feel grainy and a little on the heavy side. The second time I made the recipe, I used whole wheat pastry flour, and that worked a little better, but still noticeably different results than plain white flour.
To crisp the edges of sweet crepes, add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. To add more flavor to savory crepes, add some complimentary chopped herbs, either fresh or dried.

Mini Meatless Pot Pies with Roasted Mushroom Gravy

Roasted Mushroom Gravy
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 shallots, unpeeled
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 tbsp oil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp margarine
2 tbsp flour
1 cup plain soy milk
1 cup water
splash of mushroom soy sauce (optional)
sage and thyme to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 recipe puff pastry (sub margarine for butter)
6 small potatoes, thinly sliced
3 large carrots, thinly sliced
19 oz can white kidney beans
1 cup (or more) fresh cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss sliced mushrooms, shallots, and garlic in olive oil. Spread out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, turning a few times to keep from burning. Remove from oven, let cool, the peel and chop shallots and garlic.

2. Heat margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir. Let flour darken slightly, then add chopped shallots and garlic. Slowly add soy milk, water, and mushrooms and bring to bubbling. Add soy sauce, if using. Season to taste with spices and salt and pepper (I like a really sage-y gravy). Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch potatoes for 1 minute, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Repeat with carrots.

4. Lightly grease 8 ramekins (1 cup capacity). Spoon a layer of gravy on the bottom. Top with a layer of sliced potatoes, then carrots. Top that with another layer of gravy, then top with beans and cranberries. Top with more gravy, then a final layer of potatoes. Note: don't go too crazy on the gravy or your pies will bubble over and make a huge mess. It's OK to have some gravy left over.

5. Roll out puff pastry to about 1/2" thick and cut into circles to fit the top of the ramekin (use the leftovers to make turnovers). Top each pot pie with the pastry, then bake for 20-25 minutes, or until pastry is golden and gravy is bubbling.

Recipe courtesy of http://vegandad.blogspot.com

Oven Fries with Garlic Aioli

Serves 6

2 lbs. Russet potatoes (about 4 potatoes), scrubbed and cut into lengthwise 1/4" wedges
2 tbs. olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes, oil, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Roast until golden and crisp, 40 to 45 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, paprika and 1/4 tsp. salt. Serve with the potatoes for dipping.

Recipe courtesy of Real Simple Magazine

Red Pepper Frittata Squares

Serves 6

2 tbs. olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
10 large eggs
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
4 oz soft goat cheese
salt
black pepper

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil in a non-stick, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the bell peppers and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook until peppers are soft, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Mix in the parsley. Pour over the vegetables in the skillet, stir once, and crumble the cheese over the top.

3. Transfer to the oven and bake until the center is set, 18 to 20 minutes. Slide out of the skillet and cut into squares before serving warm or at room temperature.

Recipe courtesy of Real Simple Magazine.

Horseradish Potato Gratin

Serves 8

3 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 lbs. Russet potatoes (about 6 potatoes), peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a shallow 3 quart baking dish. In a large bowl, mix the cream, horseradish, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Add the potatoes, and toss to coat.

2. Transfer the potato mixture to the prepared baking dish, pressing gently to submerge the potatoes. Cover the dish with foil, place on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden, approximately 50 to 65 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Real Simple Magazine.

Brie en Croute

1/2 package puff pastry sheets
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup apricot preserves or raspberry jam
1/3 cup dried cranberries, softened*
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
1 (13.2 ounce) round Brie cheese
crackers to serve

*To soften cranberries, mix dried cranberries and 1/2 cup hot water in bowl. Let stand 1 minute. Drain and pat dry.

1. Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix egg and water.

2. Unfold pastry sheet on lightly floured surface. Roll into 14 inch square. Cut off corners to make a circle. Spread preserves to within 1 inch of pastry edge. Sprinkle cranberries and almonds over preserves. Top with cheese. Brush edge of circle with egg mixture. Fold two opposite sides over cheese. Trim remaining two sides to 2 inch from edge of cheese. Fold these two sides onto the round. Press edges to seal. Place seam-side down on baking sheet. Decorate top with pastry scraps if desired. Brush with egg mixture.

3. Bake 20 minutes or until golden. Let stand 1 hour. Serve with crackers.

Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Recipes yield one drink each.

From Le Meridien, San Francisco

Justin Juliep
1 orange tea bag
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 lemon
4 mint leaves
1 cup hot water
Steep tea in hot water with the mint leaves added. Combine sugar, leaves, and lemon in glass. Add the tea and mint leaves. Add ice cubes. Garnish with a lemon wheel and sprigs of mint.

Summer Breeze
3 oz cranberry juice
1 oz grapefruit juice
4 oz ginger ale
lime
Fill a 12 oz glass with ice cubes. Pour in juices and ginger ale. Stir gently. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Orange Fizz
3 oz fresh orange juice
3 oz sparkling mineral water
grenadine
orange
Put ingredients in a champagne flute. Add a dash of grenadine for color and sweetness. Garnish with a slice of orange.


From Parc Fifty Five, San Francisco

Frozen Virgin Tai
1 oz orgeat syrup
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz sweet and sour mix
2 oz orange juice
Blend all ingredients with ice.

Red Dream
2 oz orange juice
2 oz half and half
3 oz strawberries
Blend with ice until slushy.


From The Marc Hopkins Intercontinental Hotel, San Francisco

Fruit Car
1 part orange juice
1 part apple juice
1 part pineapple juice
1 part grapefruit juice
grenadine
cracked ice
Fill glass with cracked ice. Add fruit juices and a dash of grenadine.

Bloody Shame
tomato juice or V8 juice
Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
cracked ice
carrot
lemon
Fill glass with cracked ice. Add tomato juice or V8, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper. Garnish with a carrot stick and a lemon wedge.

Breathalizer
fresh mint leaves
apples juice
cracked ice
lemon
Crush the mint in the bottom of the glass. Add cracked ice. Fill the glass with apple juice. Garnish with a lemon wedge.


From Park Hyatt, San Francisco

Paradise Punch
2 oz orange juice
2 oz cranberry juice
2 oz pineapple juice
1 oz half and half
1/4 oz grenadine
Combine all ingredients. Shake well and serve.

Tropical Shake
1 mango
1 1/2 oz passion fruit nectar
club soda
Blend mango and passion fruit nectar with ice. Serve in a tall glass, and top with club soda.


From Harrah's Casino Hotel, Lake Tahoe

50/50 Bar
4 oz lemon-lime soda
4 oz orange juice
1 oz half and half
orange
Fill glass with ice. Add all ingredients and stir. Garnish with orange slice.

Holstein
8 oz cola or diet cola
4 oz half and half
2 tsp vanilla extract
cherries
Fill a glass with ice. Add all ingredients and stir. Garnish with cherry.


From Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco

Sonoma Sonata
4 oz grape juice
4 oz ginger ale
cherries
orange
Combine in a wine glass, over ice cubes. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.

Crown Calypso
1 scoop of fine ice
1/2 small banana
1 1/2 oz cream
1 oz orange juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
mint leaves
Blend all ingredients. Serve in a tall glass. Garnish with an orange wedge, banana chunk, and mint.

Tonga Twist
3 oz pineapple juice
3 oz grapefruit juice
1/2 oz grenadine
club soda
pinapple wedge
cherries
mint leaves
Fill a tall glass with ice cubes. Add juices and grenadine. Stir. Fill glass with club soda. Garnish with pineapple wedge, cherry and mint.

Fairmont Fizz
(serves 12-15)
20 oz cranberry juice
4 oz Rose's lime juice
10 oz water
6 tsp. sugar
Stir all ingredients in a punch bowl. Add ice cubes. Garnish with orange slices.

Nautica New Orleans
(serves 4)
1 scoop fine ice
6 oz grapefruit juice
1 oz grenadine
1 oz simple syrup
2 oz cream
1 egg white
club soda
grapefruit
mint leaves
Blend first six ingredients together. Pour into a tall glass. Fill the glass with club soda. Stir. Garnish with grapefruit wedge and mint.


From Bellagio, Las Vegas

Fruit Splash
1 oz club soda
5 oz cranberry juice
splash pineapple juice
splash orange juice
Combine all ingredients and serve over ice.

Pineapple Snap
5 oz ginger ale
splash pineapple juice
juice from 1 lime
Combine all ingredients and serve chilled.


From Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco

Sunrise Surprise
3 oz orange juice
3 oz ginger ale
1 oz grenadine
cherries
orange
Combine ingredients. Garnish with a cherry and an orange slice.

Ice Breaker
4 oz herb ice tea
4 oz cranberry juice
squeeze of lime
Combine all ingredients and garnish with lime slice.


From Stein Eriksen Lodge, Park City Utah

Caramel Apple
1 oz caramel syrup
1/2 oz vanilla syrup
apple juice
caramel candy
Fill a Collins glass with ice. Add syrups and fill with apple juice. Garnish with a tall straw and a caramel candy.

For Reference: How to Make Simple Syrup
In a medium saucepan, cook two cups of sugar in one cup of water over high heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar.
Bring mixture to a full boil. Remove from heat and cool.
May be refrigerated up to several weeks.

Recipes collected by the American Automobile Association

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

I got this recipe from my friend Gwen Campbell at a cookie exchange. I knew right away that Jason would love it. And I was right.

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
48 undrained maraschino cherries
1 cup chocolate pieces
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1. In a small bowl, combine flour and cocoa, set aside.

2. In an electric mixer bowl, beat the butter on medium until softened. Add sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda. Beat. Add egg and vanilla, beat. Gradually beat in flour-cocoa mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Indent each with thumb.

4. Drain cherries, reserving juice. Place a cherry in the center of each cookie.

5. In a small saucepan, combine chocolate pieces with sweetened condensed milk. Stir in 4 tsp of reserved cherry juice. Spoon 1 tsp of chocolate mixture into the center of each cookie, on top of the cherry.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until done. Cool, and then cover. Eat within 2 days. (Shouldn't be a problem.)

Pico de Gallo Quesadillas

The pico de gallo in this is supposed to be fantastic. Got over 400 rave reviews on allrecipes.com

2 tomatoes, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 (12 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup sour cream, for topping

1. In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add chicken and saute until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.

3. Put the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the hot skillet and saute the sliced onion and green pepper until tender. Stir in the minced garlic and saute until the aroma is strong. Mix in half of the pico de gallo and chicken breast meat. Set aside; keep warm.

4. In a heavy skillet, heat one flour tortilla. Spread 1/4 cup shredded cheese on the tortilla and top with 1/2 the chicken mixture. Sprinkle another 1/4 cup cheese over the chicken and top with another tortilla. When bottom tortilla is lightly brown and cheese has started to melt, flip quesadilla and cook on the opposite side. Remove quesadilla from skillet and cut into quarters. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve quesadillas with sour cream and remaining pico de gallo.

Recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com

Ruth's Grandma's Pie Crust

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups shortening
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg
1/2 cup water


1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, shortening, sugar, and salt. Blend together with a pastry cutter until crumbly.

2. In a small bowl, mix egg with water. Blend into flour mixture. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com