Winter Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
2 tbsp flour
chili powder
cumin
garlic salt
olive oil
small onion sliced
boneless chicken thighs
small can green chilis
large can diced tomatoes
1 beer (pumpkin!)
butternut squash, cubed
can white beans
1 bay leaf
cumin, cloves, salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix flour, chili powder, cumin and garlic salt in large ziploc bag
Coat whole chicken thighs with flour mixture
Heat oil over medium heat in heavy bottomed pot
Saute onions till transparent; move to one side
Add chicken pieces; brown
Add green chilis, tomatoes and beer; bring to boil
Add spices to taste
Add squash and beans; return to boil
Let simmer for 30 minutes
Remove chicken pieces and cut into smaller chunks; should begin to shred on its own
Continue to simmer for 30 minutes

Never Fail Fudge

5 C sugar
2 small (5 oz) cans evaporated milk
1/4 lb butter or margarine
1 jar (16 oz) marshmallow fluff
1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tesp vanilla
1 C walnuts

2 large (12 oz) packages semi-sweet choccolate morsels


1. Combine first five ingredients in large sauce pan. Stir over low heat until blended

2. Bring to boil over moderate heat, being careful not to mistake escaaping air bubbles for boiling. THEN BOIL SLOWLY, STIRRING CONSTANTLY FOR FIVE MINUTES. (use soft ball test)

3. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate and vanilla (and nuts if used) until chocolate is melted. Pour into 2 buttered 9x9 inch pans and cool. Yeild approximately 5 pounds.

Recipe can be cut in half!

Red Velvet Cake

2 1/4 C cake flour (sifted, then measured)
2T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C buttermilk (1 T vinegar to 1 C milk. use WHOLE milk)
1 T red food coloring
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 C sugar
1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 9" diameter cake pans with 1 1/2" sides. Sift sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions.
Divide batter between pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 27 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.

Frosting:
2 8oz packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature
1 T vanilla extract
2 1/2 C powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Place one cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread one cup of frosting over top of cake. Top with second layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.
Cake can be made one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature one hour before serving.

Sherbet Punch

1 bottle champagne
1 bottle ginger ale
1 qt. sherbet (orange, etc.)
orange slices
maraschino cherries

Pour champagne and ginger ale into punch bowl.
Add sherbet, orange slices and some maraschino cherries.
Serve.

Christmas Punch

(Bon Appetit calls this "Algonquin Bar Punch")

Serves 12 to 16

Ingredients:
Peel from 4 lemons (removed in strips with vegetable peeler)
1/3 cup superfine sugar
2 cups fresh rasberries, divided
3 cups sloe gin
2 cups fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups dark rum
6 cups ice cubes
1 ice block
2 cups chilled brut Champagne
Lemon slices

Preparation
Place lemon peel strips in large bowl.
Add sugar and mash with muddler or wodden spoon to infuse sugar with lemon.
Add 1 1/4 cups raspberries and mash to blend.
Pour in sloe gin, lemon juice and rum.
Add ice crubes; stir to blend.
Refigerate 20 minutes.
Place ice block in punch bowl.
Strain punch over ice block into bowl.
Add champagne.
Stir to blend.
Garnish punch with lemon slices and remaining rasberries.
Ladle into punch cups to serve.

Lemongrass Chicken

Ingredients:
6-8 chicken wings
half root of lemongrass finely minced
one clove of garlic finely minced
pinch of salt (a little less than 1/4 teaspoon)
1/4 of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
pinch of ground pepper (if preferred spicy)
I tablespoon of oyster sauce
1.5 teaspoon of soy sauce

Directions:
1) wash chicken and make slice marks on both sides of each piece
2) heat broiler 400-425 (or grill if available)
3) mixed all ingredients and chicken together, let sit for 15 minutes if in a rush (30 minutes to 1 hour in refrigerator if available)
4) place chicken on removable broiler rack that allows for juice to drain/fall down
5) broil/grill until cooked (flip once or twice)

Crock Pot Apricot Chicken

2 cans of Apricot Preserves (10 or 12 oz each)
1 packet of dried onion soup mix
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Rice

Mix together soup mix and preserves in crock pot.

Add chicken breasts.

Cook on low for 4 hours.

Serve with rice. Enjoy!