Vegetable Skewers

Ingredients:

2 Bell Peppers, diced

Red Onion, diced

2 Summer Squash, cut into rounds

1 head of garlic seperated and peeled into individual cloves

1 package of button mushrooms (if they are large cut them in half)

1 package of cherry tomatoes

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

Rock salt & Freshly Ground Pepper

Dried Oregano

Directions:

Place chopped vegetables in a bowl (except the summer squash and tomatoes). Coat with equal parts oil and vinegar. Season to taste (it's vegetables so I usually grab a bell pepper and try the mix to make sure I like the flavor). Let sit at room temperature 1 hour. Add tomatoes and summer squash, mix. Cover and let sit 30 minutes (or more).

If you use wood skewers soak them in water as directed on the package. If using metal skewers (or after they have soaked) you can go ahead and skewer your vegetables until you are ready to use them. I usually put them in a dish and pour the marinade back over them if it's going to be awhile.

Grill over low heat 5 minutes (or until vegetables are tender).

Collins Family Sweet Potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes
1/4 cup of butter in small pieces
2 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
mini marshmallows

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch slices, layer them in the bottom of a baking dish. Put a small piece of butter on the top of each slice and salt them lightly. Cover with foil and bake 350 degrees until fork tender. Crumble brown sugar and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Bake uncovered until brown sugar has carmelized (5 minutes?) then top with marshmellows. Turn oven heat up to 400 degrees and place pan in the oven (watch it carefully) in less than 5 minutes the marshmallows will start to brown on top and melt on bottom. When that happens it's time to eat.

I Heart Mushrooms

Yes I really did have a mushroom shaped like a heart in the last batch I picked up at the store.

Allie's Sauted Mushrooms

2 Lg Packages of Mushrooms

1 Stick of Butter, salted

3 cloves of garlic (crushed)

1/4 c chopped parsley

2 Tbl black pepper

2 Tbl Worchester Sauce

Directions- Melt butter in pan, add mushrooms and saute until tender, add garlic, seasonings, worchester sauce and stir 3 to 4 minutes. Top with parsley.

I recommend as a topping for BBQ steaks.

I Heart Spinach Pockets

Spinach Souffle in Phillo

2 (20 oz.) bags of chopped frozen spinach

2 med. onions, chopped

1 lb. Muenster cheese, grated

2 eggs

2 sticks butter, melted

2 tbsp. oil

1 lb. box phillo

Salt

sesame seeds

Defrost spinach and drain. Saute onion in oil, when wilted add spinach and cook for 2 minutes. Leave spinach bright green. Drain liquid from mixture. Add eggs, cheese and dash of salt to spinach and onion mixture. Set aside. Brush a sheet of phillo with melted butter and place it in a flat 3 quart baking dish. Repeat procedure until 1/2 of phillo has been used. Spread with spinach mixture and top with buttered sheets of remaining phillo. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and refrigerate for 5 minutes. Cut into squares about 2 inches. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered until top is golden.

BeStillMyHeart Red Potatoes

3 lbs. sm. red skinned new potatoes

3/4 c. unsalted butter

1/2 c. lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest, grated

2 tsp. rosemarySalt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Quarter potatoes and arrange in baking dish in single layer. Salt and pepper 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.

Valentine Asparagus Bundles

1 bar garlic herb cheese (cream cheese or goat cheese)

1/2 pound Proscuitto (thinly sliced)

1 lb asparagus

Parmesan cheese

cooking spray (Pam)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Simmer asparagus for about 8-10 minutes depending on size; drain and let cool.
Lay out slice of Proscuitto and place about 3-4 asparagus in center; top asparagus with a tablespoon of cream cheese. Wrap Proscuitto around asparagus and cream cheese.
Repeat for desired quantity of servings. Place on greased cookie sheet. Spray tops of bundles with cooking spray. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes.

Holiday Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

1 bag of pre-washed spinach
1 c chopped apples
1/2 c chopped red onions
1/2 c chopped pecans
1/4 c craisins (dried cranberries)
4 sticks of bacon crumbled (reserve grease)
1/4 c crumbled blue cheese
6 T olive oil
1 T dijon mustard
1 T brown sugar

Salad Dressing Prep:

In a heat safe bowl combine 2 T bacon grease with brown sugar. Stir until sugar desolves and add dijon mustard. Slowly whisk in olive oil until frothy dressing is ready. Reserve to toss with salad.

Salad Directions:

Poor salad dressing in the bottom of a large wooden bowl. Add apples, pecans and onions. Top with spinach, blue cheese crumbles, craisins, and bacon. Toss before serving (by leaving the dressing on the bottom the salad will not wilt before serving)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

This recipe is great for the Holidays because it's a little fancier than a normal mashed potato. PLUS it's too fattening to eat often...so the Holidays seem like a nice time to splurge.

Ingredients:

1 lb of red potatoes
1 stick of butter (1/4 c)
1 stick of cream cheese (8 ounces)
1/2 c heavy cream
1 T salt
2 T white pepper
1 HEAD of Garlic
2-3 T olive oil

Directions:

Cut the top off a head of garlic. Place it in foil and coat with Olive Oil. Wrap into a foil baseball and place in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. You'll smell it when it's done. Squeeze the warm, light brown garlic out of the skins on to a dish and mash them with a fork then reserve it until later.

Boil pototoes (cut larger ones in half or chunks) until fork tender. Drain and mash. Add butter and cream cheese and stir. Add garlic and seasonings. Stir in cream slowly until your potatoes are the consistancy you like them.

Baked Acorn Squash

Ingredients
1 Acorn squash
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 teaspoons Maple Syrup
Dash of Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Using a strong chef's knifecut the acorn squash in half, lengthwise, from stem to end. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff in the center of each half. Place each half in a baking pan, cut side up. Add about a 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the baking pan. Coat the inside of each half with 1/2 a Tbsp of butter. Add a dash of salt if you are using unsalted butter and some brown sugar to the cavity of each half. Dribble on a teaspoon of maple syrup to each half. Bake in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the squash is very soft and the tops are browned.

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
7 cups milk
4 large baking potatoes, baked, cooled, peeled and cubed, about 4 cups
4 green onions, thinly sliced
10 to 12 strips bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled
1 1/4 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

In a large potover low heat, melt butter. Stir in flour; stir until smooth and bubbly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened. Add potatoes and onions. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until soup begins to bubble. Reduce heat; simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; stir until cheese is melted.

Garnish with sour cream or cheese and green onions or bacon if serving formally.

Penny's Cranberry Relish

My Aunt Penny gave me this recipe when I first moved out from living with my parents. Her only request? Make it only at the holidays...that's what keeps it special. So I'll ask that you do do the same.

Ingredients:

1 jar rasberry preserves
1 bag whole cranberries
1-2 T freshly grated ginger
1/4 c apple or orange juice
1 T orange or lime rind
2 apples (diced)

Directions: Place cranberries and apples in the food processor. Blend until the consistancy of pickle relish. Stir in ginger, rinds and rasberry preserves. Add apple juice until the consistancy that you like. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge *up to 6 days* or freezer.

Originally this recipe it called for OJ and orange rind...but I'm allergic so I adapted it

If your cranberries are very bitter...you might need to add a tablespoon or two of sugar.

I make this recipe at least two days before I want it. It gets better with time...plus it saves on the amount of things you do on an actual holiday!

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Ironically, one of my favorite websites for food just did a similar recipe...but I had already scheduled this one to post... so sorry if you read us both LOL.

Ingredients:

4 c thinly sliced red potatoes (partially boiled)

Basic Cheese Sauce (see last post)

1/4 c shredded cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Minced Garlic to taste

Directions:

Stir minced garlic into basic cheese sauce. Layer potatoes in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Season potatoes with salt and pepper. Cover with basic cheese sauce. Bake 375 degrees until potatoes are fork tender. Sprinkle top with cheese and put under the broiler until cheese is golden brown.

Veggie Goulash

INGREDIENTS :

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
1/2 cup red wine
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon tomato puree
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion 5 minutes, until tender. Mix in the green pepper and saute 5 minute, until the pepper is tender. Mix in the garlic and paprika. Stir the tomatoes with their juice into the skillet. Mix in the wine, oregano, and tomato puree. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 25 minutes, until thickened. Just before serving, stir in the sugar, and season with salt and pepper.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, peeled
Nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
6 cups chicken stock

Directions:
Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Serve.

Glazed Carrots

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs. carrots, cut into 2 inch long sticks.
1/2 Tsp. salt
1/2 Cup brown sugar
2 TBSP Good Sh*t Seasoning (or 1 Tsp. seasoned salt)
1/4 Cup butter

Directions:
Peel the carrots, and cut into sticks. Heat 1 inch water to boiling in the saucepan over high heat. Add the carrots and salt. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 to 15 mins or until carrots are tender when pierced with a fork.

While carrots are cooking, heat the brown sugar, seasoning, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture is bubbly.

Drain carrots in a strainer, then stir them into the glaze mixture. Cook over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and gently, until carrots are glazed and hot.