SPINACH BASIL PARMESAN CHEESE SPREAD *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese salt and pepper to taste
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (4 ounce) package feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste

DIRECTIONS: Blend the spinach, basil and garlic in a food processor. Gradually mix in the olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Process until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste. Blend cream cheese and feta cheese in a medium bowl. Line a separate medium bowl with plastic wrap. Spread 1/2 the cream cheesemixture in the bowl. Top with sun-dried tomato paste and the spinach mixture. Cover with remaining cream cheese mixture. Pat together, cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving. Flip out of the plastic lined bowl onto a medium serving dish to serve. YIELD: 10-12 Servings
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CREAMY SPINACH
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INGREDIENTS: 3 pounds fresh spinach 2 shallots, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups plain yogurt salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, minced
DIRECTIONS: Wash the spinach well, trim it, and chop or tear into pieces, letting them fall into a large saucepan. Add the shallot and garlic and cook over medium heat, covered, for about 5 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally to prevent sticking. Drain spinach well, then add the olive oil and continue to cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, stir in the yogurt, and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the mint and serve immediately.
Yield: 8 Servings
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Easy Apple Pieserving size 8
8 cups of sliced apples
2 TBsps flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 pie crusts (9 inch)
Preheat oven to 375؛. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and
toss well to coat apple slices. Pile high in a prepared 9 inch
unbaked crust. Cover the pie with remaining crust and seal edges by
folding them under the bottom crust and pressing around with fork
tines. Cut holes in top to let steam escape. Bake 50-60 minutes,
covering top if the edges start to brown. until the filling is
bubbling.
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DOUBLE STUFF PUMPKIN PIE
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INGREDIENTS:
* Crust: 1 cup Flour 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar 1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans 1/2 Cup Melted butter
DIRECTIONS: Combine all ingredients and spread into a pie dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool.
* Filling: 4 oz cream cheese, softened 1 TB Half and Half 1 TB Sugar 1 1/2 Cup Thawed cool whip
1 cup half and half 2 4-ounce packages of Instant Vanilla Pudding 1 16-ounce can Pumpkin 1 TS cinnamon, ground 1/2 TS Ginger, ground 1/4 TS Cloves, ground
Add first 3 ingredients in a large bowl and stir with wire whisk until smooth. Gently Stir In cool whip and spread on top of crust. Pour rest of the half and half into bowl with vanilla pudding and beat with wire Whisk until well blended (1 or 2 minutes, Mixture will be thick). Stir pumpkin and spices into Pudding mixture and mix well. Spread this over cream cheese layer and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
* Garnish with whipped topping and nuts, if desired Pecan Pie Bars
Yield: Approx. 48 bars
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Cookie Crust (recipe below)
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups corn syrup
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups pecan halves or coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare and bake cookie crust.
Meanwhile, in large bowl beat eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla until well
blended.
Stir in pecans. Immediately pour over hot crust, spread evenly.
Bake 25 minutes or until filling if firm around edges and slightly
firm in center.Cool completely. Cut into 2 x 1 1/2 inch bars.
COOKIE CRUST: Preheat oven to 350. Spray 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking
pan with nonstickcooking spray. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat 2
1/2 cups flour,1 cup cold butter or margarine (cut into pieces), 1/2 cup sugar and
1/2 teaspoonsalt until mixture resembles fine crumbs; press firmly into
prepared pan.
Bake 20 ? 23 minutes or until golden brown. Top with filling;
finish baking as directedabove.
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Santa's Whiskers
Yield: 5 Dozen
1 cup butter or margarine1 cup sugar2 tablespoons milk1 teaspoon vanilla or rum extract2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour3/4 cup finely chopped red and green candied cherries1/2 cup finely chopped pecans3/4 cup flaked coconut
In mixer bowl, cream together butter or margarine and sugar; blend
in milk and vanilla.Stir in flour, candied cherries, and nuts.
Form into 2 rolls, each 2 inches in diameter and 8 inches long.
Roll in coconut.Wrap and chill several hours or overnight. Slice 1/4 inch thick;
place on ungreasedcookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven for 12 minutes or until edges
are golden.
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Chocolate Banana Cake
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
3 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups mashed, ripe bananas
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Cream margarine and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs
one at a time. Beat thoroughly after each. Stir in the cooled melted chocolate.
Sift dry ingredientstogether and add to the batter alternately with the mashed bananas;
stir in vanilla.Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch layer cake pans. Bake in
preheated 350 degreeoven for 35 to 40 minutes, until cake tests done. Frost with a
fluffy white frosting.
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Chocolate Fudge Cherry Cake
1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix (your favorite)
1 can cherry pie filling
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond flavoring (optional)

Frosting:1 cup granulated sugar5 tablespoons butter1/3 cup milk6 oz package of semisweet chocolate chips
Mix cake mix, cherry pie filling, eggs, and flavoring by hand. Pour
batter into greased and floured 13x9x2-inch pan and bake at 350° about 30
minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. For frosting, place sugar, butter, and milk in a saucepan. Bring to
a boil stirringconstantly. Boil for one minute. Remove from the heat and stir in
chocolate chipsuntil smooth. Pour over warm cake.
Note: If you don't want to bother with the frosting, used canned,
but the cookedfrosting is rich and fudgy and pretty because it's completely
smooth.
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Cherry Cheese Dessert
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chilled whipping cream
1 can cherry pie filling
Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter and press into an
8- X 8-inch panor glass dish; chill. Beat the cream cheese until fluffy; add
confectioners'sugar and vanilla then beat until smooth.
Whip cream and fold into the cream cheese mixture. Spread on
chilled graham crackercrust and spoon cherry pie filling over all. Cover with wax paper
and put in freezer.Before frozen, cut into squares; return to freezer.
Remove dessert or individual squares from freezer 25 to 30 minutes
before serving.Store this cherry dessert in the refrigerator.
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Cherry Crumb Bars
1 pkg. white (or yellow) cake mix
1 1/4 cups rolled quick oats, divided
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) margarine or butter, room temperature, divided
1 egg
1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling or two cans of pitted sweet or dark cherries injuice, thickened (see below*)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Heat oven to 350°.
Grease and flour a 13x9-inch pan. Combine cake mix, 6 tablespoons butter and 1 cuprolled oats. Reserve 1 cup of this for crumb topping. To remaining mixture, add egg; mix well. Press into pan. Pour cherry filling over crust; spread to cover. In large bowl add remaining 1 cup crumb mixture, 1/4 cup oats, 2 tablespoons butter,nuts, and brown sugar. Mix well. Sprinkle over cherries. Bake 30-40 minutes. Southernfood.About.com
*If using canned (15 oz each) cherries in juice, pour into a 2-quart saucepan. Combine3 tablespoons cornstarch with a little of the juice and stir to dissolve; stir intocherry mixture. Add 1 to 4 tablespoons of sugar, or to taste. Turn heat to medium-highand bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until thickened. If needed, thicken more with a little more cornstarch dissolved in a small amount of cold water.
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Seared Spinach with Roasted Garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
10 oz. baby spinach, washed and dried
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp coarsely chopped roasted garlic (about 12 cloves)
Place olive oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is very hot, add spinach and sear for 1 minute. Add black pepper, salt and roasted garlic, andsauté until spinach is just wilted. Serve immediately.