O' Rosemary Tree , O' Rosemary Tree

It is hard to believe that rosemary is actually a member of the mint family as it tends to look and taste like it is more closely related to a pine tree. As insulting as that may have sounded, I actually enjoy rosemary on certain foods, three to be exact; chicken, potatoes and lamb other than that I tend to be a bit of a rosemary snob. I remember I had given my mother a rosemary Christmas tree during her time in the nursing home. The tree was about 2 feet tall and very full and fragrant. My mother kept telling me that I should take the tree when the holidays are over and dry it so I would have plenty of rosemary for all my recipes. I laughed; I said Mom if your tree was made out of basil and parsley I would take you up on that offer but being that the tree is made of rosemary it would take me the rest of my life to use it all. So the rosemary tree stayed in her room, we took very good care of it and it joyfully saw her through two holiday seasons.

Roasted Rosemary New Potatoes

3 lbs. sm. red skinned new potatoes
3/4 c. butter
1/2 c. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest, grated
2 tsp. rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Quarter potatoes and arrange in baking dish in single layer. Salt and pepper the potatoes, combine butter, lemon juice and lemon zest in a saucepan and heat until butter is melted.

Pour mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle rosemary over potatoes. Bake until lightly browned for 30 to 45 minutes.

Farfelletti Dolce

I can almost get by merely writing; "Fried Cookies", what more does anyone really need to know beyond that. Fried cookies pretty much tells us that these are delicious, addictive and yes got to have them right now! I grew up with these during the holidays even on my mother's side of the family they did a Polish version called;" Krusciki or Chrusciki they always were divided on the spelling so I am not sure which is actually correct.

The best way to describe these cookies to all of you would be those fried waffles that you would find at an amusement park or carnival. These cookies are crispy, a little greasy (in a good way) and pleasantly sweet without going overboard.

Italian Fried Cookies

6 eggs
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. orange extract
Frying oil
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 c. confectioners sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter, softened

Cut the butter into the flour as though you were making pie pastry or biscuits. In a separate medium-size bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, extracts, and salt. Combine all and knead until you have a smooth ball. If the dough is too sticky, gradually add in a little flour.

Divide the dough into 4 or 5 sections and work with a small bit at a time, leaving the remainder covered. Roll each piece out on a lightly floured board to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a wavy edged pastry cutter into 6 inch by 1 inch strips. Tie each one into a bow shaped loose knot.

Deep-fry bows until lightly golden brown, drain on paper towels. Sprinkle well with confectioner's sugar.

The Gift of A Lifetime

At this time of year as the temperatures grow ever colder the human heart appears to grow ever warmer. It is as if people have been holding their breath through life’s challenges all year long managing with nothing more than the promise that at this magical time they will be given the gift of exhaling. That one cleansing moment in time when expressing our humanity is not only expected but equally shared by all. The spreading of friendly hello's and seasons greetings to any and all we meet no matter what walk of life become more contagious than any disease known to man or womankind. Feelings seem to be so magnified at this time of year, so much so that even the loss of a human life takes on a far deeper meaning that at any other time. I can personally attest to this as I have lost many loved ones during this time, most recently the woman who greeted me into this world with a full heart, loving smile and the promise that all things good in life are possible.
Death always seems to be defined as the end of something but I am beginning to learn with each passing that death is actually the beginning. The beginning of a renewed promise of hope that brings with it possibilities. The chance to right old wrongs and better our less than perfect souls.

Yes, Virginia their is a Santa Claus! His red suit the color of our hearts rich with love for life and all humankind. His meaning a simple one; “Merry Christmas to all and to all...... a good life"!

My wish for this post is not to convey sadness but instead to lighten all our heavy hearts and honor all those amazing souls who have touched us with love and the ability to go on..... Merry Christmas everyone


Christmas Brie

2 lb. wheel of brie
5 tbsp. minced parsley
5 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
10 sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil), minced
2 1/2 tbsp. oil from sun dried tomatoes
12 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. basil, minced
3 tbsp. pine nuts, chopped

Chill brie; remove rind from top. Combine the rest of the ingredients. Spread on top of cheese. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand 24 to 48 hours in refrigerator.
Serve with crackers.
Serves 30 to 40

Flickr/P. Sto

I wish you all a very happy, healthy and safe holiday season.

As Paula Deen would say: " Love and Best Dishes, Y'all! (I just love that)

More Red and Green For Christmas

Little bits of red and green make these a perfect cookie for your Christmas table. You can make this cookie dough in advance and have it waiting in your freezer to bake up fresh for the holidays.
I love to make these cookies into little ice cream sandwiches, just put a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or pistachio (my favorite) between two cookies and press gently. You could do up a bunch of these little ice cream sandwiches wrap them with saran and store them in the freezer in a container or freezer bag.

Red and Green Ice Box Cookies

1/2 cup shortening and 1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 beaten eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 small jar red maraschino cherries, drained
1 small jar of green cherries
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of chopped almonds

Cream shortening, butter add sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Add flour, baking powder and salt, cut drained cherries quite fine. Add along with nuts. Make into rolls. Wrap in wax paper or foil. Chill well or freeze and bake later. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Do not over bake.

Snap, Crackle, Popular

This one is a classic loved by young and old alike and it only takes about 20 minutes to make. Rice Krispie treats are a real crowd pleaser whether presented at your holiday table or given as gifts, this one is sure to make anyone smile.

Rice Krispies for Christmas

1/4 cup butter

4 cups marshmallows

6 cups Rice Krispies



Food Coloring (however many drops it takes to reach your desired color)

Just double this recipe and make one batch red and one batch green. Feel free to add in any type of decorative sprinkle or candy.

Melt butter and marshmallows together; remove from heat (this is when you would stir in your food coloring). Add Rice Krispies (also add candies or sprinkles now, if using) and stir until Rice Krispies are well coated.

Press into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Cool and cut into squares.

The Simple Sugar Cookie

Everything has to start somewhere even cookies. Sugar Cookies are the foundation for so many other cookie recipes to build upon. As simple as sugar cookie dough is the number of variations to the recipe over the years is staggering. As a child just gliding that little finger along the inside of the bowl and grabbing some of that sweet gooey batter you knew you were going to cookie heaven.
I have tasted many different sugar cookie recipes over the years (many, many, many different sugar cookies over the years) just ask my waistline! I would have to say this recipe here is my favorite, I really think that the sour cream plays a huge part in the taste and texture of this cookie. It’s a nice combination of crisp and tender, buttery and lightly sweet.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 Teaspoon baking soda

1 Tablespoon vanilla or flavoring of choice

5 cups flour

Roll out to about a quarter inch thickness and cut. Bake at 325 to 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly golden. This recipe will make anywhere from 2 to 4 dozen depending on the size you make your cookie.
This recipe will make some great Christmas cut outs with icing, just have fun and enjoy.

She's Got A Lot of Balls!

The first time I ever got tipsy I was the ripe old age of four. When I was little we would stop and visit friends and family during the day on Christmas Eve to spread and share some holiday cheer.
Apparently as it has been told to me over and over again throughout my life at one of the houses we went to I got into a batch of rum balls. I did not know that’s what they were; to me they were chocolate candy and very good chocolate candy at that. Everyone was so busy chatting that they did not notice this four year old covered in chocolate swaying and silly in the corner. I guess I had eaten quite a few and she had made them exceptionally strong not intending for a child to eat them. I slept very well that evening and well into early afternoon on Christmas Day. My families lecture about the effects of alcohol and eating so much candy ended in laughter. You see in order to explain why I had eaten so many I innocently said; “Because that lady had a lot of balls”!

Rum Balls

2 boxes (12 oz ea.) vanilla wafers, crushed
2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2/3 cup light or dark rum (also great with bourbon or other spirit of your choosing)
2 cups light or dark corn syrup

Cocoa powder, powdered sugar, shredded coconut or jimmies for coating
Stir vanilla wafer crumbs, nuts, confectioner’s sugar and unsweetened cocoa. Stir in light or dark rum, corn syrup and citrons (optional) until well blended. Shape into 1 inch balls.
Roll in coating of your choice, makes 8-9 dozen.

Great Gift Find for Those With Noshtalgic Tastebuds

We just found the most amazing cookbook with so many of the comfort foods that we love and remember from our past, it is called “Endangered Recipes Cookbook”. You will not believe some of the recipes in here; “Macaroni and cheese, tomato soup, banana pudding, ginger bread” the list goes on and on and brings with it so many great memories. My grandmother is going to love adding this to her collection.