This is a delicious mix of vegetables:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans asparagus
• 2 cans peas
• 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts
• 1 4-ounce can mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced onion
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• Buttered bread crumbs OR Chinese noodles

Layer 1 can asparagus, 1 can peas, 1/2 of the water chestnuts, 1/2 of the mushrooms, 1 tablespoon onion, and 1/2 cup cheese.  Add 1/2 of the soup.  Repeat layers.  Top with bread crumbs or noodles.  Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

It’s fun to make Pillsbury Turkey Sugar Cookies for a fun project with the kids. Use icing for the “glue.” Glue 6-8 pieces of Candy Corn along the top edge of the cookie.  Glue 2 M&Ms in the middle of the cookie for the eyes. Use a small tube of icing to form the beak underneath the eyes (a small v-shape).  Make turkey feet at the bottom of the cookie.

Do you remember years ago when items in the store had price stickers on them?  The clerk at the check-out counter had to find the price sticker on each item and ring it up on the cash register.  Sometimes that took forever.  Now, a barcode scanner makes check-out so much easier and faster. Gone are the days of price stickers and even worse, getting to the check-out counter with an item that had lost its price sticker.

Val says, “Here’s this week’s questions. We’re in the middle of a Noreaster and I have hot comfort foods on my mind.”

1. Chicken soup. Regular or creamy?

Both.  Regular is healthier, though.  Creamy would definitely be a comfort food.
2. Do you have a stew recipe?

I used to, but haven’t made it in ages.  I would probably go to AllRecipes.com to find a recipe.
3. What’s your favorite hot comfort food?

Mashed potatoes with gravy.  Also, fried okra.
4. Do you like chicken fried steak?

Yes, but rarely have it.   I prefer chicken fried chicken.

I had this in the teacher’s lounge where I was subbing recently.  Very tasty!   This recipe can be baked and then kept warm in a crock pot to serve:

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 cups mixed nuts (I would choose walnuts, almonds, pecans, and  cashews)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 small shallots, thinly sliced into rings
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place nuts in single layers on two jelly roll pans.  Bake until nuts are golden, about 8-10 minutes.  Halfway through baking, rotate the pans.  After baking, pour nuts into large bowl.

Heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add shallots and garlic.  Cook for 4-5 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.

Melt butter and pour over nuts.  Add rosemary, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, and salt.  Stir well.  Add crispy garlic and shallots.  Serve warm.

(If needed, reheat nuts for 10 minutes at 300 degrees.)

Wow!  It’s already time to start doing Christmas shopping.  I’ve done a little, but usually I’ve done half of it by this time of year.   Now…what to get people!  Would they like Kipling luggage, something for the kitchen, or what exactly would they like?  Hmmm, I’m going to have to do some thinking here, and better yet, somehow find out what they would really like.  That helps a lot!

These sound so good plus they have healthy ingredients:  pumpkin, dates, walnuts, and spices.  A perfect muffin to serve guests for breakfast during the holidays:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 cup milk
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dates, chopped
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Beat milk, pumpkin, and egg.  Add spices, salt, dates, and nuts.  Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder together.  Blend pumpkin mixture into flour mixture.  Fold in melted butter.  Pour into muffin tins.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Makes 12 muffins.