Ingredients

• 4 cups popped popcorn
• 2 cups pretzel sticks
• 2 cups bite-size square rice cereal
• 2 cups dry roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon salt-free Cajun seasoning
• 1 cup snipped dried fruit

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a large roasting pan, combine popcorn, pretzels, cereal, and peanuts; set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine melted butter and Cajun seasoning. Drizzle butter mixture over popcorn mixture; toss gently to coat.

3. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once. Spread mix on a large piece of foil to cool. Stir in dried fruit. Makes about 20 servings.

4. Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare the snack mix as directed; cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Source: BH&G

Ingredients

• 1 4- to 5- pound pork shoulder roast or pork shoulder blade Boston roast (Boston butt)
• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 16 kaiser rolls, split and toasted
• Coleslaw

Directions

1. Place meat in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. In a small bowl combine vinegar, brown sugar, salt, red pepper, and black pepper. Pour over meat.

2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours.

3. Transfer meat to a cutting board; reserve cooking juices. When cool enough to handle, cut meat off bones and coarsely chop. In a medium bowl combine meat and as much of the juices as desired to moisten. Arrange meat on roll bottoms. Add roll tops. Serve with coleslaw. Makes 16 servings.

Source: BH&G

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced pitted ripe olives
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion
• 1 6-ounce carton frozen avocado dip, thawed
• 1/2 cup dairy sour cream
• 1 4-ounce can chopped green chili peppers, drained
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• Chopped tomato (optional)
• 2 cups coarsely crushed tortilla chips

1. In a 2-1/2-quart glass salad bowl layer black beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, olives, and onion.

2. For dressing, in a medium bowl stir together avocado dip, sour cream, chili peppers, milk, garlic, and chili powder. Spread over the top of the salad. If desired, sprinkle with chopped tomato. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

3. Before serving, toss salad together and serve over crushed tortilla chips. Makes 4 servings.

Source: BH&G

1 can Campbell's Clam Chowder
1 can Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup
1 can Campbell's Cream of Potato Soup
1 small can of petite shrimp, or clams, whichever you prefer, well drained
small carton of heavy (whipping) cream
2 tablespoons of butter, salt and pepper to taste..

Mix together, heat and serve! It's AMAZING!!!!

Rosemary-Garlic Chicken

Use a slow cooker for this recipe. Or subsitute a cast-iron pot with a tight-fitting lid and bake at 350° for 2 hours.

Serving: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours if using a slow cooker; 2 hours if using the oven




INGREDIENTS:
One 5 1/2-pound whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
20 whole garlic cloves, lightly crushed
1/2 pound yellow onions, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
1 pound red potatoes (about 14), halved
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 cup small green fresh olives (such as picholines), cracked
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice


DIRECTIONS:
Prepare the chicken: Sprinkle the chicken skin and cavity with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and place 10 garlic cloves inside. In a slow cooker, layer the onions and potatoes and sprinkle with the remaining salt, pepper, 1/2 of the oregano and 1/2 of the rosemary. Place the chicken, breast-side down, on top of the potatoes and onions in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with the remaining rosemary and oregano. Add the olives, remaining garlic cloves and lemon juice. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Pull meat from the bones and serve hot with the broth and vegetables.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Based on individual serving.
Calories: 627
Total Fat: 18.0 g
Cholesterol: 291 mg
Sodium: 1,766 mg
Carbohydrates: 19.4 g
Fiber: 3.0 g
Protein: 92.5

Source: Country Living Magazine, January '07

Banana cake + caramel icing = heaven on a plate.

Yields: 12 servings (one 9-inch 2-layer cake)

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup (about 2 bananas) very ripe, mashed bananas
Caramel Icing


DIRECTIONS:
1. Make the batter: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a small brush, lightly coat two 9-inch cake pans with softened butter or vegetable-oil cooking spray. Dust with flour, tap out any excess, and set aside. Over a surface covered with a large sheet of waxed or parchment paper, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Into a medium bowl, resift the flour mixture and set aside. In a large bowl, using a mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the butter until light — about 1 minute. Add the sugar and continue to beat for 2 more minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition, and mix in the vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the buttermilk and bananas and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just enough to blend the batter after each addition.

2. Bake the cake: Divide the batter equally between the pans and bake on the middle rack of the oven until a tester inserted into each cake layer comes out clean — 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the cake pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the cake layers from the pan sides and invert the layers onto the wire rack to cool completely.

3. Ice the cake: Use a serrated knife to trim the mounded side of the cake layers, if necessary. Line the edges of a cake plate with 3-inch-wide strips of waxed or parchment paper and place a cake layer, trimmed side down, on top. Place 1 cup Caramel Icing on top of the layer and spread evenly. Place the second layer, trimmed side down, on the first and cover the top and sides with the remaining icing.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Based on individual serving.
Calories: 528
Total Fat: 23.8 g
Cholesterol: 74.8 mg
Sodium: 291 mg
Carbohydrates: 77.8 g
Fiber: 0.70 g
Protein: 3.5 g

Source: Country Living Magazine January '07

I talked to Nish this morning - she made this soup and said it's a keeper.....

1 large potato, peeled and cubed
2 cups Fat Free Half and Half
1 small onion, small dice
1/2 small bell pepper, small dice
2 cup corn kernels
2 teaspoons minced jalapeno, seeds and veins removed
1/2 cup water
1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt, pepper to taste
tabasco to taste
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, optional

Combine potato, onion and bell pepper in 1/2 cup water. Simmer until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Then spoon out half the potatoes, mash them with a potato masher and return to pot, to thicken the soup. Add the rest of ingredients and simmer until hot.

Nisha added a bit of butter to this, and said that if the soup is too thin, you could add a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch to 1/4 cup of COLD milk or water, and add it to the simmering soup to finish thickening it.

Spaghetti with Stuffed Meatballs

Kids will love to lend a hand—literally—with this recipe. They can mix the meat and other ingredients together, a task best accomplished with their hands. (Be sure they wash their hands before and after mixing!) Children can help roll the meat mixture into balls, then make an indentation in each one and place a cheese cube inside.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground veal
1 lb. ground beef
1/3 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more
for garnish
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/3 lb. mozzarella or provolone cheese, cut into
1/2-inch cubes
Olive oil for frying
About 6 cups tomato sauce (see related recipe
at right)
2 lb. spaghetti, cooked and drained
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the milk and bread crumbs. Add the ground pork, veal, beef, the 1/3 cup parsley, the eggs, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix briefly with your hands. Form the mixture into 2-inch balls. Press a mozzarella cheese cube into the center of each ball, sealing it inside.

In a large electric skillet set on medium-high heat, heat 1/2 inch of oil until almost smoking. Add the meatballs and cook until browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined tray.

Discard the oil in the pan. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for 10 minutes more.

Put the pasta in a warmed large, shallow bowl. Top with the sauce and meatballs and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately and pass the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese at the table. Serves 10 to 12.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Old El Paso all-natural key lime margarita mix is available at some Williams-Sonoma stores and through the Web site www.elpasochile.com (click on "drinks and snacks").

Mention the word margarita and many baby boomers can come up with at least one college story about the infamous perils of drinking tequila.

Margaritas have always been so bad - too sweet, too sour, too bland, too icy, too stupid to drink unless you have something to prove and unpleasant enough that you're certain to prove it if you throw back a few.

Great margarita's can be made. A bracing lime juice-lime zest concoction with good tequila that's not too sweet can be delicious.

But homemade margaritas are a lot of trouble.

The easier way is to buy a mix. After tasting scores of mixes that come bottled, powdered, frozen and concentrated, I've discovered one that's worth drinking.

The El Paso Chile Company margarita mix makes a fabulous, labor-saving margarita. The lime taste refreshes and there's not too much sugar. Add a squeeze of lime wedge and it tastes homemade.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease 1 or more cookie sheets. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until mixture is light in color. Add buttermilk. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice; stir into creamed mixture. Fold in oatmeal, raisins, walnuts, and vanilla, blending well. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with Brown Butter Icing.

Brown Butter Icing:

1/2 cup butter
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons water

In a small saucepan heat the butter over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in 3 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in enough water (3 to 4 tablespoons) to make an icing of drizzling consistency. Drizzle on warm cookies.

Yield: enough to ice 5 dozen cookies