Scalloped Potatoes

When the snow is deep, you need comfort food.

Ingredients

6-8 large Yukon Gold Potatoes

1 stick butter

3 cups milk

4 TBS flour

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation

Peel and slice potatoes (about 1/8-1/4 inch thick)

Make a white sauce

Melt one stick of butter in a stock pot. Turn off heat.  Put 3/4 cup milk in a small bowl.  Add four TBS flour ON TOP of milk.  Whisk until flour is dissolved in milk.  Slowly add milk and flour into melted butter while whisking.  Heat butter, milk, and flour mixture on medium heat.  Whisk and add the remaining milk.  Heat until thickened.

Grease a 9x11 inch baking dish.  Arrange the potatoes in the dish.  Cover with hot white sauce.  Stir sauce and potatoes until the potatoes are coated with sauce.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Stir several times during baking.  Lower the heat to 300 degrees and cook 15 minutes more or until potatoes are tender and flaking with a fork.

You may add thinly sliced ham and stir into potatoe mixture before baking.

Serves 6

Notes from Liz
I know butter is high in fat and calories but if you save it for where it makes a taste difference...it is worth it!
Margarine doesn't taste the same.  Go for the butter!

Huevos Rancheros with Pulled Pork

Notes from Liz
When you make Pulled Pork with Carolina Barbeque sauce, make a double recipe and freeze some in 2 cup portions...or use left overs to make this tasty breakfast.

Liz making tortillas in Mexico-a real Gringo

Ingredients

4 eggs

1 can black beans

4 TBS chopped pimientos

3 tsp chopped chiles (your choice)

1/2 cup sour cream

4 tortillas, lightly browned

2 cups pulled pork in Carolina Barbeque Sauce

Preparation

Heat one can of black beans with pimientos and chiles. Keep warm on low heat.  Lightly brown  4 tortillas in a lightly greased skillet or on a griddle.  Heat pulled pork in Carolina Barbeque Sauce until bubbling. Beat 4 eggs and scramble in a skillet on medium heat.  Assemble:  Tortilla on bottom layer, pulled pork in barbeque sauce on next layer, black beans, scrambled eggs and top with sour cream.

Serves 4 ( easily adjusted for 1,2,or 3)

Supreme Sugar Cookies

Just like Poinsettias,  Sugar Cookies go with Christmas

Ingredients

1 cup butter softened (2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tarter
granulated sugar for sprinkling

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cream butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg together ( in food processor). Sift flour, soda and cream of tarter into bowl of food processor with butter, sugar, vanilla and egg. Mix well in food processor until dough forms.  Chill dough for two hours before rolling out to cut.

Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured surface.  Dip cookie cutter in flour to cut shapes.  Place cookies on lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake for 5-8 minutes until edges are lightly browned.  If you do not want to ice the cookies, sprinkle with granulated sugar before baking. Cool completely before icing.

Icing for Cookies

1 egg white, room temperature, whipped
2 cups 10x sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 stick softened butter

Beat egg white and vanilla and butter, slowly add softened butter.  Add food coloring if desired (separate icing into smaller batches if several colors are needed.

Ice cookies with knife, let air dry before you put them in a storage container.

Notes from Liz


In our family, we only make trees, no stars or bells or angels, only trees.  It started when all the other shapes were left uneaten (I think yellow or red wasn't appealing-green trees were the most in demand) So, after all these years, only trees for Christmas Sugar Cookies.  This sugar cookie makes great halloween cookies or Thanksgiving Cookies but we like trees the best.

White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients

Reba in 2010-She still loves Christmas

2 1/3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
12 oz (1 package) white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries or Sugared Cranberries (See Desserts)
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl.   Beat butter, brown sugar, sugar and vanilla using a mixer.  Beat in eggs.  Gradually stir in flour mixture.  Add cranberries, white chocolate, and almonds.  Drop by spoonful onto greased baking sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Notes from Liz

The fresh cranberries are better because you can taste the preservatives in the dried berries.

Hungarian Kipfels

Reba in 2007-12 weeks old

Ingredients

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs sour cream
2 cups flour
2 cups powdered sugar
Apricot or Seedless Raspberry preserves

Preparation

Take butter and cream cheese out of the refrigerator.  When completely room temperature cream together with salt and sour cream. (You can do this in the food processor)  Add flour slowly until the dough is formed.  Roll dough into two balls and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. You will roll the dough between wax paper (lightly flour wax paper) until it is about 1/4 inch thick.  Cut dough into diamond shapes (about 3 inches from point to point). Place a small amount of preserves onto each triangle.  Roll the diamonds into crescents.  Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil, reflective side down.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar immediately.  These are delicious when warm and they keep for several days.

Makes about 3 dozen

Notes from Liz

This is our traditional Christmas Cookie but they are good anytime of the year.

Christmas Salad

Ingredients

2 red onions

Christmas Cheer

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup blue cheese

1/2 cup dried cranberries or

1/2 cup Sugared Cranberries (see Desserts)

3 cups endive

3 cups baby arugula

Preparation

1 or two days ahead:  Chop two red onions and add 1 cup vinegar. Let sit at room temperature for at least 24 hours.

Put ½ cup olive oil in plastic container with tight fitting lid.  Add 1 cup blue cheese crumbled.  Seal and leave at room temperature for 24 hours.

Hydrate dried  ½ cup dried cranberries with ½ cup boiling water or use Sugared Cranberries (see Desserts)

Mix 3 cups torn endive pieces with 3 cups baby arugula.

Before serving, Mix cranberries and greens with drained onions and blue cheese/olive oil.  Serve all at room temperature.

Serves 8 -10

Notes from Liz

Most of this salad can be made ahead and tossed just before serving.  The red onions and endive with arugula makes a pretty Christmas dish and delicious too.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Good for the holidays or anytime

Ingredients

1 1lb medium mushroom
(the secret is to buy fresh, not packaged
in plastic)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 small green pepper, finely chopped
3 Tbs butter
1 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme leaves crushed
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbs butter

Preparation

Buy the freshest mushrooms, wash and dry thoroughly.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Twist stems from mushrooms, leaving caps.  Finely chop tender portions of stems to equal 1/3 cup.  Cook and stir chopped ( I use electronic food chopper for onions and peppers) mushrooms, onion and green pepper in 3 tablespoons butter for 5 minutes.  Stir in bread crumbs, salt, thyme, turmeric, and pepper.  Heat 1 tablespoon butter in shallow oven proof pan.  Distribute melted butter on the bottom of the pan.  Fill mushroom caps with stuffing mix and place in ovenproof pan.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Turn oven to broil and broil mushrooms 3-4 inches from heat for 2-3 minutes (carefully monitor the broiling).  When mushrooms are browned on top, remove from oven and serve immediately.

Serves 8-10 for appetizers