Venison Chops with Mushroom Gravy

This is a crockpot meal and requires little prep. Beef (round steak, flank steak or possibly even chunks of stew meat) could very easily be substituted if you don't have/like venison.


Venison Chops with Mushroom Gravy


8 butterflied venison chops
1/2 cup red wine (I used Beaujolais)
salt
pepper
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 large sliced onion
1 pkg. sliced mushrooms


Coat inside of crockpot with cooking spray or olive oil. Pour in 1/4 cup of the wine. Coat both sides of 4 chops with wine and arrange on bottom of crock. Salt and pepper meat. Layer half each of the mushroom and onion slices on top of meat. Spoon 1 can of mushroom soup on top of meat and vegetables. Repeat with remaining meat, wine, salt, pepper, veggies and soup. Cook on low setting for at least 6 hours.

Holiday Coin Cookies

This is a good, easy holiday cookie. They're similar to shortbread.


Holiday Coins


2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup pecans, finely chopped
2 tbsp. red decorator’s sugar


In small bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In medium-size bowl, beat butter until creamy, 1 minute. Beat in sugar until fluffy, 2 minutes. Beat in yolks and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until dough comes together. Divide dough into quarters.


Roll each quarter of dough into a 6-inch log, 1 inch thick. On cutting board, spread pecans in rectangle, 7x5 inches. Roll 2 of the logs in pecans to evenly coat. Wrap each log in waxed paper; refrigerate. Repeat with red sugar and remaining 2 dough logs. Refrigerate for 2 hours (or overnight).


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap logs. Cut each into appx. 16 slices, about ¼ inch thick. Transfer to UNgreased baking sheet.


Bake cookies in 350 degree oven for about 14 minutes or until just golden around edges. Remove cookies from sheet to wire rack; let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.


Recipe from Family Circle. Yields: 6 dozen cookies. Melissa Saville Murray.

Punch!

St. Francis Punch


64 oz. cranberry juice (100% juice, not cocktail), chilled
64 oz. apple juice, chilled
64 oz. club soda, chilled
12 oz. frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
64 oz. cold water


Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl. Serve immediately. (note: I do not add any water)
Yields: 30-35 servings.


Taken from “The Bread of Life: A Cookbook for Body and Soul” – a collection of recipes from the women of the Episcopal Church






“Ordination” Punch


1 (14 oz.) can pineapple juice, chilled
1 (6 oz.) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
¾ cup sugar
2 ¼ cups water
1 quart strawberry ice cream, softened
2 liter bottle ginger ale, chilled


Combine pineapple juice, lemonade concentrate, sugar, and water in a punch bowl; mix well. Add ice cream and stir until blended. Stir in ginger ale and serve immediately. Yields: 25 servings.


Taken from “The Bread of Life: A Cookbook for Body and Soul” – a collection of recipes from the women of the Episcopal Church






Punch for Cheaters...or Punch in a Pinch


I made this once last year in a pinch, and everyone loved it and kept asking for the 'recipe'. This goes to show that presentation just might be everything, lol!


2-liter bottles of Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash (seasonal), chilled
Orange Juice
Limes and/or Limes, sliced
Cranberries, fresh


Pour OJ into a jello-ring mold (I have one from Tupperware) or a bundt pan. Arrange lime/lemon slices in the OJ ring, and sprinkle cranberries around the ring. Freeze.


Pour Sierra Mist into punch bowl, and float the OJ ice ring.

Pico De Gallo

This is also from Pioneer Woman's website. I can't help myself, but this is just 'it'. I've tried to make pico and fresh salsa for years, and it was never quite right. This recipe finally gets the ratio of tomatoes to jalapeno to onion jussssst right, in my opinion. When I make this I have to quadruple the recipe, at the very least. I'm not kidding. It turns people into pigs. Pico-eating pigs. I hope you have enough chips. I have even made this and used it to marinate leftover grilled flank steak overnight. Then the next day, I sear the leftover marinated steak in a cast iron skillet, just long enough to heat it up, and make steak fajitas with portabello mushrooms, mushrooms, onions and red/yellow/orange bell peppers, sauteeing the vegetables in olive oil and Sal con Chile y Limon before heating the steak. YUM!

Pico De Gallo

5 Roma tomatoes (firm, not soft)

1/2 large or 1 small onion

3 jalapeno peppers

1 bunch cilantro

2-3 limes

Kosher Salt

*These quantities are approximate

Dice tomatoes, onion, and jalapenos. (I quarter my tomatoes lengthwise, then scrape the seeds and tomato goo out with a paring knife. I also remove the seeds and white membrane from inside the jalapenos.) Mince cilantro. Toss together in a bowl. Squeeze lime juice over chopped vegetables, add cilantro, toss again. Add salt to taste. Toss again.

***To make wonderful guacamole, just add some of this pico to mashed avocado.

Pioneer Woman's Pasta Primavera

You should make this. I don't know what else to tell you other than that...just make it...and eat it, or make it and bring me your leftovers. I didn't even fiddle around with the recipe. It's just good...and makes a lot, so it's good, quick company food (provided your guests won't ostracize you for depriving them of meat...only some of mine would, hehe). It can go totally vegetarian if you substitute vegetable broth/stock for the chicken broth used in the recipe.

Pioneer Woman's Pasta Primavera

Favorite International Foods online stores...

Often I have to order ingredients to stock my pantry, or take a trip to Pittsburgh. These are some sites I've found that may make finding some elusive items a little bit easier!

I stumbled across this website in Rachel Ray's magazine...


La Tienda


They have Spanish foods and serving/dinnerware. I have never ordered from them, but intend to soon.

MexGrocer

Another one I haven't tried, but they seem to have a good selection.


Import Food


They have lots of Thai and Oriental cooking staples, at good prices. I have ordered from this website numerous times (even some of their fresh produce). Their customer service is good, and they have a great selection of basics for Thai cooking!

Soft Molasses Cookies

These are a great addition to anyone's holiday baking arsenal.



Soft Molasses Cookies (King Arthur Flour Recipe)


Ingredients
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 c molasses
1/3 c dark rum
5 tbsps butter
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 c king arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp ginger


Directions
Step #1 Whisk together the flour, spices, salt & baking soda, & set aside.
Step #2 In a large bowl, beat together the butter & sugar, then beat in the molasses.
Step #3 Add the dry ingredients alternately with the rum.
Step #4 Using a cookie or muffin scoop, scoop out round balls of dough somewhere in size between a ping-pong ball & a golf ball, & place the balls on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.
Step #5 Bake the cookies in a preheated 375°F oven for 11 to 12 mins, until they crack on top but haven't yet browned around the edges.