Chocolate Almond Bark

This is an easy microwave recipe that makes a great dessert or snack.  It's best to keep these chilled in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat them.

Ingredients:
1 cup whole almonds
1 teaspoon butter, softened
1 pound chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Place the almonds and butter in an 8 inch glass pan.  Cook in the microwave for 4-5 minutes, stirring at least twice, until almonds are toasted. Set the glass pan aside.

2. Place chocolate chips in a large microwave safe bowl and cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened.  Stir in the almonds and pour onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

3. Use a spatula to spread the mixture to the desired thickness.  You can also try placing another sheet of wax paper on top and using a rolling pin to level out the mixture.  Refrigerate a few hours or overnight, until hardened.  Chop up the bark into small pieces.

New England(ish) Clam Chowder

After searching the web and dozens of "the best" clam chowder recipes, I threw a couple of them together until it sounded right.  Since I hail from California, it may not be the authentic New England recipe, but it's easy and delicious!  Serve with crusty French or Sourdough bread.

Ingredients:

3 slices bacon
½ onion, chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 (10-ounce) cans chopped clams in juice
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound russet potatoes, chopped into small cubes
1 teaspoon garlic pepper
Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Heat the bacon in a large, deep pan (large enough to hold all the chowder) until cooked through. Remove bacon and let cool.
2. Cook onion and celery in bacon grease until softened. While they’re cooking, chop the cooled bacon into bite-sized pieces.
3. Sprinkle flour over the onion and celery and stir to mix. Stir in the chicken stock, clam juice, cream, garlic pepper, bacon and potatoes. Heat on high until chowder starts to bubble. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add the clams and cook for another 2 minutes, until the clams are just firm. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Turkey and Cheese Pinwheels

I've seen these on sale at the grocery store before, and figured it would be fairly easy (and cheap) to make them myself.  They are great for appetizers- mix it up with different meats and veggies if you prefer.

Ingredients:
1 package large tortilla wraps (I used spinach flavored)
1 package cream cheese
Garlic powder (optional)
1 lb sliced turkey
1 bunch green lettuce, shredded
2 large tomatoes, diced

Directions:

1. Take one wrap and lay it on a clean, flat surface like a cutting board. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese over the top. Sprinkle garlic powder over cheese if desired.
2. Layer a few slices of turkey on top of the cheese, leaving a half inch border along the edge of the wrap with just cream cheese. Add a layer of lettuce, then tomato.
3. Tightly roll the wrap up from one edge, making a “roll-up” with all the ingredients trapped inside. Press the edge so the cream cheese can seal it together.
4. Wrap the “roll-up” in plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to serve. Repeat these above steps with the remaining wraps and ingredients. Ten minutes before serving, slice the rolls into one inch thick pinwheels. Use toothpicks to hold them together if needed.

Holiday Rum Nog

Many people like eggnog during the holidays, but it's pretty plain tasting and super rich.  Why not make it better with alcohol?  This festive drink is for adults only!

Ingredients:

Ice cubes (optional)

2 shots milk

2 shots eggnog

1 shot spiced rum

1/2 shot hazelnut liqueur

dash of nutmeg (optional)

Directions:

1.  Place a few ice cubes in a glass.  Add milk, eggnog, rum and liqueur.

2. Stir well, sprinkle nutmeg on top if desired.  You could also dress it up with a cinnamon stick garnish if you have any on hand. 

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Are you starting to sense a theme here?  We have a large bowl of fresh pumpkin puree at home, so we're trying as many pumpkin recipes as possible so it doesn't go to waste.  This recipe makes two pies- give one to a friend, or not, I don't judge.

Ingredients:
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 can pumpkin (or one pound fresh pumpkin puree)
2 store-bought pie crust shells

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Blend cream cheese, sugar and eggs with a hand mixer until smooth. Spoon ½ cup of the mixture into a small bowl and reserve for topping.
2. Add pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin to the remaining cheese mixture, mix well.
3. Pour half of the mixture into each of the pie crusts. Carefully spread topping over each pie, or try a piping technique using a ziplock bag with one corner cut off. I tried doing this in a spiral pattern- whatever works as long as it’s evenly spread across the pies.
4. Place the pies on a large cookie sheet (for stability) and bake for 45 minutes, or until the center barely jiggles when pies are gently shaken. Let cool, then refrigerate for a couple hours before serving.

Sara's Spaghetti Squash

I got this recipe from a friend- it's a hearty meal that substitutes spaghetti pasta for squash.  I added more vegetables to this version for extra flavor.  The recipe makes a ton- serves four to six people, or two with a lot of leftovers.

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
2 lbs ground beef or turkey
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes with herbs (we used "Italian Style")
1 jar spaghetti sauce with herbs or vegetables
dried Italian herbs (basil, rosemary, etc.)
shredded cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. Poke the squash a few times with a knife or fork, then microwave for 12-15 minutes, until tender. Turn the squash every few minutes to ensure even cooking.
2. Let the squash cool, then slice open. Discard the seeds and stringy bits, and then scrape the pulp out with a fork. This creates the “spaghetti” look.
3. Cook the meat, red pepper, onion and garlic in a large pan until meat is browned. Place the mixture in a colander to drain out the extra grease.
4. Add the mixture back to the pan with tomatoes, spaghetti sauce and squash, mix well. Heat the pan for ten minutes on low, then season with Italian herbs to taste.
5. Divide between bowls and top with cheese if desired.

Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies

Just in time for the holidays, these cookies are crowd favorites because they contain pumpkin, chocolate, and walnuts.  You can also make an icing for the cookies, which is included in the recipe.

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
15 ounces pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
24 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Vanilla icing (optional):
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl, set aside.
2. Add softened butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl, beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Beat in pumpkin, eggs and vanilla extract.
3. Gradually add flour mixture to the wet mixture, beat until well combined. The cookie dough will be similar in consistency to cake batter. If you think it’s too thin, add a little more flour. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts using a large spoon or spatula.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet (or two- it makes a few dozen). Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the cookie sheets. Don’t flatten them on the cookie sheet- leave them as little mounds so they can expand.
5. Bake cookies for 15-20 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Let cool before removing to a plate or rack. Add icing if desired.

Icing directions: combine powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Add more sugar or milk to get desired thickness, then drizzle over cookies.