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Melted Brie with Toasted Almonds & Cranberries AppetizersRecipes
December 11, 2023

Melted Brie with Toasted Almonds & Cranberries

  This melted Brie with toasted almonds & cranberries is a favorite holiday appetizer and has been for many years.   It is full of flavor, and actually super simple to make.   Ingredients for the Melted Brie with Toasted Almonds & Cranberries To make this appetizer, gather the following items:  1 small wheel of Brie (usually 8 oz), slivered almonds, dried cranberries, and a small amount of honey.  When serving,…
baked finnish bread on a baking pan, garnished with slivered almonds
Finnish Bread Baked GoodsBreakfastKids FavoritesRecipes
December 9, 2023

Finnish Bread

This is a delightfully rich and sweet Finnish style bread, and is a holiday staple from our childhood.  Our mom would make this bread for friends, neighbors, and our teachers as Christmas gifts, and of course she would always make some for us to enjoy over the holiday season.  We always enjoyed warmed up, with butter, for breakfast. Finnish Bread Ingredients For this delicious Finnish bread recipe, you will need 2…
Cinnamon & Raisin Pinwheel baked with glaze drizzled over the top, garnished with strawberries
Cinnamon Raisin Pinwheel Baked GoodsBreakfastKids FavoritesRecipes
December 7, 2023

Cinnamon Raisin Pinwheel

This raisin cinnamon pinwheel is a baked delight that we have enjoyed at the holidays for many years.   We think it is best served  sliced, warm, and with a spread of butter.   Cinnamon Raisin Pinwheel Ingredients This recipe results in two cinnamon raisin pinwheels.  For the making the dough, you will need yeast, water, scalded milk, sugar, butter, flour, 2 eggs, and salt.  A special note on yeast, make…
A glass of prepared Elderflower & Lime Prosecco next to a bottle of St. Germain Liqueur, 1 lime, and lime shavings
Elderflower & Lime Prosecco BeveragesCocktailsRecipes
December 5, 2023

Elderflower & Lime Prosecco

While we all love a fresh glass of bubbly, this is a fun spin.  By adding just a touch of Elderflower liqueur and freshly grated lime zest, this Prosecco takes on a whole new life.  This celebratory beverage was introduced to me by my sister-in-law one Christmas time in France.  We enjoyed large wine glasses full of this delicious concoction on Christmas Eve.   Elderflower & Lime Prosecco Ingredients All…
Captain Ric's shrimp appetizer prepared in a bowl
Captain Ric’s Marinated Party Shrimp Appetizer AppetizersRecipes
December 4, 2023

Captain Ric’s Marinated Party Shrimp Appetizer

This is a fresh, flavorful marinated shrimp appetizer fit for most any occasion or season.  We love making this for a happy hour with friends or as an appetizer before a celebration dinner. The Marinated Party Shrimp Appetizer Ingredients First, you will need 2 1/2 lbs of cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp.  For the mustard vinaigrette, you will need fresh parsley, diced shallots, tarragon vinegar, white wine vinegar, olive oil,…
Christmas tree cookies decorated with icing and sprinkles on a round white plate
Gingerbread Cookies Baked GoodsKids FavoritesRecipes
December 4, 2023

Gingerbread Cookies

These gingerbread cookies are the perfect holiday treat and making them is a favorite tradition for our family.  Add frosting, sprinkles, and/ or candy decorations or they are delicious just plain as well.  Ingredients For Gingerbread Cookies From the pantry, you will need flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, dark brown sugar and vanilla.  The spices in this recipe include ground ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg.  In…
Chili in a white bowl, garnished with shredded cheese, chunks of avocado, cilantro, and tortilla chips.
Beef & Sausage Chili Kids FavoritesMains
November 10, 2023

Beef & Sausage Chili

This beef and sausage chili is a crowd pleaser for holiday gatherings, football watching parties, or for a family meal that will offer leftovers for the week.  With a simple ingredient list and great flavor, you can make this chili your own with varied spice levels or try it our way.   The Ingredients In order to cook this beef and sausage chili, you will need a 6-quart (or larger)…
Baked Spaghetti Squash Lasagne with a melty bubbling and browned top.
Spaghetti Squash Lasagne Mains
November 10, 2023

Spaghetti Squash Lasagne

Looking for that cozy comfort food, but not all of the carbs and calories?  Check out this healthier delicious spaghetti squash lasagna option!  This recipe uses spaghetti squash instead of pasta, ground turkey instead of beef or sausage, and low-fat cottage cheese in place of ricotta cheese.  While that sounds like the opposite of lasagna, the cottage cheese and mozzarella mixture combined with the yummy meat sauce is so tasty…
Baked lasagne fresh out of the oven
Sausage & Mushroom Lasagne Mains
November 10, 2023

Sausage & Mushroom Lasagne

This hearty and flavorful sausage and mushroom lasagne is one of our favorite comfort foods during fall and winter months.  The combination of the sausage, mushrooms, and red wine make such a delicious combination.  The meat and mushrooms absorb all of the red wine and the seasoning, and the flavor becomes embedded it into the finished product. One bonus of this lasagne recipe is that you do not have to…
Creamy cauliflower soup prepared in a bowl and topped with bacon and croutons
Creamy Cauliflower Soup RecipesVeggie Sides
November 5, 2023

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

One of our favorite end of summer, early fall recipes is this creamy cauliflower soup.  It is an attempt at replicating a delicious soup we had in Belize at a unique jungle resort, after our brother's wedding years ago.  Although we never got any chef's secrets while there, we think we came pretty close with the recipe we outline here. The Ingredients The base of this soup is of course,…