English Muffins * Bagels

Cream cheese * Homemade Jam

Dried figs * Dried Apricots * Dates * Oranges

Hot Chocolate * Soda pop * Cider

Caramel Nut Popcorn * Cheese popcorn 

Tex-Mex Dip * Cheese Ball * Onion Dip

Various cheeses, crackers, & chips

Pepperoni, marinated artichokes, roasted red peppers, olives, dill pickles

Blueberry pudding  * Mocha Chocolate Trifle

Oatmeal cookies  * Ice cream

Black-bottom Cheesecake Cups   

* Exported from MasterCook *

                               Cheese Ball

Recipe By     :
Serving Size  : 56    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Appetizers And Dips             Cheese
                Christmas                       Volume 2

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method
——–  ————  ——————————–
  8              ounce  sharp or extra sharp cheddar — (8-10)
  8              ounce  cream cheese — softened
  1                cup  walnuts

Chop walnuts in food processor and put on a dinner plate.

Grate cheese in food processor. Set aside.

Insert chopping blade in food processor. Cut cream cheese into 8 pieces.
Put in food processor along with reserved cheddar. Buzz till blended.

Scrape out on top of nuts. Form into ball by rolling on top of walnuts.
Per serving (estimated by author):0.1 bread, 0.3 meat, 0.7 fat.

Description:
  "We make two of these every year for our Christmas party. We sometimes
  also have it as a meal on a really hot, muggy evening when no one
  wants to cook."
Yield:
  "3 1/2 cups"

                                    – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - –

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 28 Calories; 3g Fat (83.1% calories
from fat); 1g Protein; trace Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 4mg
Cholesterol; 12mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2
Fat.

NOTES : To soften cream cheese: unwrap and microwave on high for
        15 seconds.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0

                     
* Exported from MasterCook *

                               Tex Mex Dip

Recipe By     :
Serving Size  : 12    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Appetizers and Dips             Beans
                Beef                            Christmas
                Ground Meat                     Mexican

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method
——–  ————  ——————————–
  1              pound  90% lean ground beef
  1        8 ounce can  tomato sauce
  1           teaspoon  chili powder
  1           teaspoon  cumin
                        salt — to taste
  1       16 ounce can  refried beans
  1       16 ounce can  refried beans
     1/8         pound  shredded lettuce — (1/2 cups)
  6             ounces  shredded cheddar cheese — ( 1 1/2 cups)
     1/2           can  olives
  1       16 ounce carton  sour cream

 In large skillet, brown ground beef; drain. tomato sauce and seasonings.
Cook and stir over medium heat 10-15 minutes.

Spread beans on bottom of a 12" pizza pan. Arrange layers of seasoned
ground beef and cheese over beans. It can be refrigerated at this point.
When ready to serve, heat in oven until cheese is melted. Top with
lettuce, sour cream, and olives as desired. Serve with tortilla chips.
Feeds 12 snackers.

Source:
  "Old El Paso magazine ad"
                                    – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - –

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 307 Calories; 18g Fat (52.2%
calories from fat); 20g Protein; 17g Carboh
ydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 63mg
Cholesterol; 583mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1/2
Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 1/2 Fat.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

                     
* Exported from MasterCook *

                          Mocha-Chocolate Trifle

Recipe By     :
Serving Size  : 32    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Cakes                           Chocolate
                Desserts                        Lowfat and Lovin’ It
                Make-Ahead                      Other Desserts
                Volume 5

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method
——–  ————  ——————————–
  2       (18.25-ounce) packages  Betty Crocker® Devil’s Food Cake with
                        Pudding mix — (light or reduced fat if possible)
  2 2/3           cups  water
     1/4           cup  vegetable oil
  4                     eggs
                        Cooking spray
  6               cups  skim milk — (make sure it’s cold)
  2       (5.9-ounce) packages  chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
     1/2           cup  Kahlúa — (coffee-flavored liqueur)
     1/2           cup  strong brewed coffee
  2       (8-ounce) cartons  frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping — thawed
  1                cup  reduced-fat chocolate toffee crisp bars
                        (such as Hershey’s Sweet Escapes) — chopped (about 8 bars)
                           

Earlier in the day or the day before: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a
mixer until well-blended. Spoon batter into 2 13 × 9-inch baking pans
coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a
wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on
a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on a wire rack.

When cake is completely cool, combine milk and pudding mix in a medium
bowl; prepare according to package directions.

Tear half of cake into pieces; place in a 6-quart bowl or trifle dish ( or
2 3-quart bowls). Combine Kahlua and coffee. Pour half of Kahlúa mixture
over cake pieces; top with half of pudding, whipped topping, and chocolate
bars. Repeat procedure with remaining cake, Kahlúa mixture, pudding,
whipped topping, and chocolate bars. Cover; chill at least 4 hours.

Serving Size: about 1 cup

Description:
  "This spectacular dessert serves a crowd and can be made ahead of
  time."
Source:
  "Cooking Light, April 1998, p.150"
Copyright:
  "© Cooking Light"
T(Chill Time):
  "4:00"
                                    – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - –

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 296 Calories; 9g Fat (27.0%
calories from fat); 4g Protein; 48g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 35mg
Cholesterol; 448mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1
1/2 Fat; 3 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : Must chill at least 4 hours

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2349 0 5289 0 0

                     
* Exported from MasterCook *

              Blueberry Pudding for a 15×10 pan, reduced fat

Recipe By     :Kathleen Purdy
Serving Size  : 18    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Desserts                        Fruit
                Fruit Desserts                  Kids’ Cooking
                Make-Ahead                      Use it Up
                Volume 2

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method
——–  ————  ——————————–
  2       12 ounce boxes  vanilla wafers
  5       4 serving packages  sugar-free vanilla pudding and pie filling — *see Note
  9               cups  1% low-fat milk
  12              cups  frozen blueberries
  3 3/8           cups  Cool Whip Lite®

Prepare pudding with milk according to package directions. Put a layer of
vanilla wafers on the bottom of the pan. Add 1 1/2 (4 cup) bags of
blueberries. Then add half the pudding. Repeat. Spread cool whip over the
top of the pudding. Serve immediately.

Description:
  "A re-invention of the Nilla wafer Banana Pudding recipe, using frozen
  blueberries instead.
"
Yield:
  "1 15×10 pan"

                                    – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - –

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 401 Calories; 11g Fat (24.0%
calories from fat); 6g Protein; 70g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 5mg
Cholesterol; 698mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 Fruit; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 2 Fat; 3
1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : Should be 10 cups of milk, but try it with 9 and see how
        it comes out.
        * If you use instant pudding you must serve immediately.
        If you use regular pudding you can make earlier in the day
        and refrigerate.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0

                     
* Exported from MasterCook *

                      Caramel Popcorn, triple batch

Recipe By     :
Serving Size  : 24    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Christmas                       Desserts
                Grains and Cereals              Lowfat and Lovin’ It
                Make-Ahead                      Other Desserts
                Volume 5

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method
——–  ————  ——————————–
  24              cups  popcorn, air-popped — (from 1 cup raw kernels)
  1 1/2           cups  chopped nuts — optional (see notes)
  3               cups  light brown sugar — packed
  1 1/2           cups  corn syrup
  3        tablespoons  butter
     3/4      teaspoon  baking soda

Split it up and make it in two batches.

Preheat oven to 300º. Spread popcorn and nuts, if using, on a baking sheet
with sides and set aside.

In a heavy medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt;
bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve
the sugar. Clip a candy thermometer to the pan and cook until the mixture
reaches 250º and is at the hard-ball stage (when a bit of syrup dropped
into ice water forms a hard ball). This will take two to three minutes.

Remove pan from the heat and immediately stir in the baking soda. Pour the
mixture over the reserved popcorn and nuts, stirring until most of the
kernels are coated.

Bake the popcorn for 15 minutes. Stir, coating any kernels that were not
coated at the beginning. Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until amber.
(Longer baking produces a deeper caramel color and flavor.) Let cool for 2
minutes, or until the caramel has almost hardened. Gently break up large
clumps and let cool completely.

Source:
  "Eating Well, 11/94 p. 64"
Yield:
  "1 1/2 gallons"
                                    – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - –

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 224 Calories; 7g Fat (25.7%
calories from fat); 2g Protein; 41g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 4mg
Cholesterol; 87mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1
Fat; 2 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : Use pecans, walnuts or macadamia nuts. To roast nuts:
        preheat oven to 350º. Spread the nuts in a pie pan or
        shallow baking dish and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until
        golden and fragrant.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0

                     
* Exported from MasterCook *

                    Cape Cod Oatmeal Cookies, doubled

Recipe By     :Marion Cunningham
Serving Size  : 140   Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Christmas                       Cookies
                Desserts                        Heritage
                Purdy                           Volume 4

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method
——–  ————  ——————————–
  3               cups  flour
  1           teaspoon  baking soda
  2          teaspoons  cinnamon
  1           teaspoon  salt
  2                     egg — lightly beaten
  2               cups  sugar
  1                cup  vegetable shortening
  1                cup  butter — melted (see note)
  2        tablespoons  molasses
     1/2           cup  milk
  3 1/2           cups  rolled oats
  1                cup  raisins
  1             &nb
sp;  cup  chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt
together in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Arrange by
teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets and bake until the edges are
brown, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Description:
  "A fine, chewy oatmeal cookie, wholesome and nourishing."
Source:
  "The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, 12th edition"
Copyright:
  "1979"
Yield:
  "140 cookies"
                                    – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - –

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 65 Calories; 4g Fat (48.8% calories
from fat); 1g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 7mg
Cholesterol; 40mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0
Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : The 13th edition says oil OR butter, but we like it better
        with both–it’s a moister cookie.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

                     
* Exported from MasterCook *

                       Black-bottom Cheesecake Cups

Recipe By     :Cooking Light, Sept. 1995, page 109
Serving Size  : 36    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Cakes                           Chocolate
                Desserts                        Heritage
                Kosher                          Lowfat and Lovin’ It
                Purdy                           Tea Party
                Volume 3

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method
——–  ————  ——————————–
  3               cups  all-purpose flour
  1 1/2           cups  sugar
     2/3           cup  unsweetened cocoa
  2        tablespoons  instant espresso granules — See note
  2          teaspoons  baking soda
  1           teaspoon  salt
  2               cups  water
     2/3           cup  Homemade Prune Butter
  2        tablespoons  white vinegar
  4          teaspoons  vanilla extract
  2       8 ounce packages  nonfat cream cheese — (2 packages), softened
  1                cup  sifted powdered sugar
  2                     eggs
                        Vegetable cooking spray
  1                cup  chocolate chips
     1/2           cup  chopped almonds

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl.

Combine water, prune butter, vinegar, and vanilla; stir well. Add to dry
ingredients, stirring with a wire whisk until blended; set chocolate
batter aside.

Beat cream cheese in a bowl at medium speed of a mixer until smooth. Add
powdered sugar and eggs, and beat until well-blended; set cream cheese
mixture aside.
 
Place 36 paper muffin cup liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking
spray.

Divide chocolate batter evenly among cups; spoon cream cheese mixture
evenly on top of chocolate batter in each cup. Sprinkle chocolate morsels
and almonds over cream cheese mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in
center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove
from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack. Yield: 3 dozen (serving
size: 1 cheesecake cup).

Description:
  "A brownie-like cake with a cheesecake topping, crowned with chocolate
  chips and chopped almonds."
Yield:
  "3 dozen"
T(Bakes in oven):
  "0:25"
                                    – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - –

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 149 Calories; 4g Fat (21.2%
calories from fat); 4g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 13mg
Cholesterol; 205mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat;
1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Serving Ideas : Good for toddler birthdays and tea parties.

NOTES : If instant espresso is not available, use double the
        amount of regular or decaf instant coffee. Instead of
        Homemade Prune Butter, you can use Lekvar Prune Butter.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 403 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

                     
* Exported from MasterCook *

                          Homemade Prune Butter

Recipe By     :Cooking Light, Sept. 1995, p. 108
Serving Size  : 1     Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Food Processor Cooking          Fruit Desserts
                Kosher                      &n
bsp;   Lowfat and Lovin’ It
                Quick And Easy                  Volume 3

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method
——–  ————  ——————————–
     1/3           cup  pitted prunes
  1           teaspoon  sugar
  2          teaspoons  light corn syrup
  2        tablespoons  water

Combine prunes, sugar, and corn syrup in a food processor; process 5
seconds. With processor on, slowly add water through food chute; process
until mixture is smooth, scraping sides of bowl frequently.

Description:
  "Used in Black-Bottom Cheesecake Cups"
Yield:
  "1/3 cup"
                                    – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - –

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 55 Calories; 0g Fat (0.0% calories
from fat); 0g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 0mg
Cholesterol; 17mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Serving Ideas : Use in Black-Bottom Cheesecake Cups

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0

Thanksgiving passed without much ado. We went to Nate and Sharon’s for a Thanksgiving family gathering. Winter family gatherings are more difficult than summer get-togethers. Being stuck inside with a lot of relatives . . . well, it’s noisy. And, with the number of relatives in the family, it’s really crowded as well. I’m not sure the fire marshal would much approve of so many people in one house.

A great boon of gathering at Nate and Sharon’s house is that they always have plenty to entertain visitors. Their basement is finished very nicely, and they have the whole place stocked with games for kids of every age. Then in the family room there is a TV with surround sound. In general, it seems, everything makes some type of noise. When every computer is playing a game, every TV on, the toys in use, and people talking–all this is enough to drive me to distraction. I suppose I’m rather grinch-ish for not finding the sound of many people having much fun to be music to my ears, but I’m unrepentant.

I think my noticing of the volume level is a sign of my age. A dozen years ago I would have been in the thick of things, the noise nothing more than a distant unnoticed background. I’m an old fogey now . . . sigh.

Well, not too old. There is a big air hockey table in the basement, and this game of physical competition appeals to me. Not to mention slamming the puck across the table. I played a game against Arlan and . . . ahem . . . apparently got a little too involved in the game, lunging across the table to slam the puck like a bullet into the goal. The day after Thanksgiving the muscles along my right side and up my arm were sore from being over stretched. A minor price to pay for going after the puck like a savage, I assure you; I won the game.

There was plenty of pie for dessert. Our tradition is to have a main midday meal and then eat leftovers when people get hungry later in the day. The food is traditional Thanksgiving fare, but the pies are the real draw. I confess I ate the noon meal, but the majority of my eating for the rest of the day was pies. Whenever I felt like a bit more to eat, I went for more pie.

The Days Til Christmas

I’m counting down the days until Christmas.

No, not because I’ve so many presents to buy, so many cards to send out, or because I’m eagerly awaiting the grand celebrations. Presents? Cards? I’m a misanthrope here. Bah on all that holiday cheer. When I was young, I looked forward to the grand party on Christmas day, but age has left me jaded. Sure, it is a nice day, but only a day to be enjoyed when it is here, not one to be waited for with bated breath.

So, if I’m not a bundle of holiday excitement, you’re probably wondering why I’m counting the days until Christmas. The matter, for me, is purely practical. Sometime in the middle of November I set myself the goal of finishing the current draft of my novel by Christmas. With years of writing experience behind me, I’ve learned to dread deadlines. It seems a writing deadline is simply a deadline made to break, and to feel horrible and depressed about breaking. But in November it felt like I was walking in place–I was getting near, but not very near. The end of the novel draft and that last quarter felt like it would take me eternity to finish.

To fight off gloom, and to spur me on, I counted off the number of chapters left that I had to revise and tried to come up with a reasonable number of days to finish all the chapters. Reasonable, of course, being something of a joke, because where writing is involved I don’t seem to have a reasonable bone in my body. The writer in me is a wild dreamer full of mad hopes. Nonetheless, I set myself what I thought was a high bar of accomplishment, but not an unachievable one. I figured that if I could finish a chapter every three days, I would be finished by Christmas. The goal was set. The deadline was marked. And off I went.

Goaded on by the looming deadline I did well until Thanksgiving put a bump in my plans. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of the Thanksgiving week were messed up. But I managed to regain my momentum afterward, and plow forward, not looking back.

Will I make my deadline? I don’t dare venture a guess yet. It’s going to be close. I’ve been working myself without ceasing to keep up. I write each day of the work week until I am unable to write any more. I push and push myself, grinding to the very edge of burnout to get this beast finished. I haven’t stopped to count the pages done in a day. I haven’t gone back to reassess the quality of what I’ve written. All that is for later. Today, tomorrow, and the next day are only writing and getting this thing done.

If my writing here has seemed sparse, this is why. By the time I close out my novel writing for the day, I feel just about cross-eyed. If it was a good day there is a sense of satisfaction at what I’ve completed, but the writing well is near dry. But I am determined. The end is in sight. I’m almost there. A few more chapters. A few more weeks. I can make it if I only try hard enough.

I’m into the last hundred page count down. This is a great psychological success. About six hundred single spaced pages, and now I’m counting up through the five hundreds. Counting off the last pages. The one thing I fear is myself. I find that as a draft of my novel nears there is a danger of two things happening to me.

(1) I get exhausted and feel like those last two chapters are impossible to write. There can come this almost overwhelming sensation that I can’t write the wrap-up that will do justice to all the months and months of work I’ve put into the lead-up story. It feels impossible to finish.

(2) I decide that all my writing stinks. I’m writing along, nearing the conclusion, and it is like I get cold feet. Suddenly I decide everything I’ve written isn’t really that good at all. This leads me to either suffer a profound feeling of despair and an urge to give up, or else the desire to go back and rewrite everything I’ve just written because this draft isn’t ready to be finished.

When the finish line is this near in sight, I’ve learned that the last thing I should do is think. Don’t think. Just write.

Only two weeks and three days left. Christmas is coming.