Special Bundle

Christmas time is my busiest month in the kitchen. But this year I have something extra special in the oven...and it won't be ready until the first part of July. Until then I have NO desire to be in the kitchen.

Honey Butter

Next time you take fresh rolls out of the overn try glazing (drenching) them in honey butter!

In your mixer dump and mix on high speed for 3 minutes:

1/2 cup real butter

1/2 cup honey

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Shepherds Pie

This is one of the very few recipes I have that calls for cream of chicken and boxed stuffing, but it is goooood! This is a great way to use your left overs in the fridge. I hate heating up 6 different tupperwares after Thanksgiving. This makes an easy and yummy dish!

In a small mixing bowl mix:

2 cups cooked, shredded turkey or chicken
1 can cream of chicken

In a 9x13 baking dish layer:

turkey/soup mix
1 can green beans, drained
1 package chicken stuffing, prepared
2 cups mashed potatoes (REAL mashed potatoes)
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Easy Yummy Pizza

I usually make this for General Conference because it is a satisfying meal that takes just minutes.

Buy a loaf of french bread at the grocery store and cut it in half length-wise. Then cut them in half cross-wise. This will give you 4 pizzas. Top them with pizza sauce, peppers, pepperonis, provolone cheese, parmesan cheese, and oregano and basil.

Place the pizzas on a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 12 minutes.

I served this with a pre-made salad with crumpled blue cheese and blue cheese dressing.

Grandpa's Cough Tonic

I have been running a fever of 100 to 102 for the past 3 days with a realy bad sore throat and cough. I finally went in to the doctor this morning to rule out Strep. No Strep. It's a viral infection. Doc said there is nothing we can do about it except drink tea and honey. I dropped by the store to pick up the ingredients for my Dad's cough tonic. This stuff really works! Since my parents don't "measure" I tried to get my measurements as close to theirs as possible. Also, I don't think my parents use lemon juice, but I thought I would just throw it in there. Lemon juice is a natural dissinfectant and stimulates the liver to creat bile. This makes it easier for you to digest your food. It is also high in Vitamin C. If you can dissinfect your countertops with vinegar and lemon juice, then you should be able to dissinfect your throat with it, too. Am I right?!

Here is what I did. I made up a strong hot tonic, at the recommendation of my Mother. Then I filled a water bottle with a cold drink. I sipped the hot drink until it was all gone and have been sipping the cold drink throughout the day. Be prepared with a box of tissues or a handkerchief with the hot drink. It was really loosen up all that junk. If you are too wimpy to drink the hot drink, at least smell it. Just smelling it clears up your sinuses! But, seriously, don't be a wimp. Just drink it.

Hot drink

juice of one lemon
*2 T Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar
5 T honey
1/2 cup water
2 sprinkles Cayene Pepper

mix the above ingredients over the stove top until steamy. Sip.

Cold drink (not near as strong, thus you can sip it throughout the day)

juice of one lemon
*2 T Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar
2 T honey
1, 1/2 cups cold water

*don't buy the generic brand. Get the good stuff by Heinz.

Fall Fettuccini

I was sick of cooked eggs and toast for lunch. Eggs and toast have been the lunch menu for the last week. Today was the first snow in the valley. I celebrated by using the zucchini on my counter. Hope you enjoy!

In a pot cook according to directions:

speghetti (make a circle by touching your thumb to your pointer finger. enough to fit in this circle)

In second pot heat on medium melt:

1 stick butter (real butter!)

Now add to the hot butter:
1 medium zucchini (you know, the one that's been on your counter for weeks)

Cook the zucchini for 2 minutes and then add:

1 package cream cheese
1/2 cup milk

Be patient while you stir this around. You will think the cream cheese will never melt down. It will look lumpy for a while. Just keep gently stirring.

Now add:

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

Stir in your drained speghetti noodles. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pancakes

These are wonderful for this time of year! Here's a tip for making these. They need a bit longer to cook than a normal pancake. Set your heat a tad lower than you normally do and cook them a minute or two longer on each side. I have tried these with Apple Cider Syrup and didn't think they were that great. Maybe I need to do some tweaking. But these were great served with homemade buttermilk syrup! Click here!

Mix:

1, 1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin from the can
2 eggs
2 T oil
2 T vinegar (yes really)

Now add and mix quickly:

2 cups flour (I use 1, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup wheat, 1/4 cup oat flour)
3 T brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt