First, I have tell you I purchased a whoopie pie pan… yes I know, why not use a sheet pan and cut your whoppies pie ends with a ramekin. Here’s what you’d get great circles for the two halves but no crispy edges and less whoopie pies!

Whoppie Pie

2 Cups all purpose flour

2 teas baking powder

1 tea salt

2 teas cinnamon

1 1/2 Cups cane sugar

1/2  Cups dark brown sugar

1 1/4 Cup canola oil

4 large eggs

2 1/2 Cups of coarsely grated baby carrots

1 Cup chopped pecans

1 Tbsp fresh minced peeled ginger

Filling

12 oz cream cheese, room temperature

5 Tbsp soften butter, room temperature

2 1/2 Cups of powdered sugar

1/4 Cup pure maple syrup, New Hampshire

Blend together all filling ingredients to form nice peaks. Chill before you start your whoppie pie batter.

Preheat oven to 350F

My whoppie pie pan is Teflon coated but if you choice a sheet pan butter and flour the pan

Whisk flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in medium mixing bowl.

Whisk sugar, canola oil and slowly add each egg and blend well.

Add carrots, pecans and fresh minced ginger.

Slowly add flour mixture until the batter forms.

Fill whoppie pie molds with not more than 1/4 cup of batter

Cook for 11 -13 minutes

Pull from the oven, cool for 10 minutes and slip on to cake rack to cool

Assemble pies by taking a generous amount of filling, at least two good size tablespoons. You will have plenty of filling.

Enjoy!

Remove strawberries green leafy stem and cut into halves or quarters depending on the size

Leave blackberries/ raspberries whole

Rinse all berries with cold water and drain.

Arrange berries in a single layer on a shallow tray, spray lightly with water

Place in your freezer for 60 minutes.

Scoop up all frozen berries and place preferred portion into individual freezer bags, label.

You can use this same freeze method with other fruits like apples, pears and peaches. Cut into preferred size and spray fruit with a 30% concentration of lemon juice/ water to prevent browning which occurs when exposed to air.

Stretch your local favorite fruits when in season by using this very simple freeze method!

For further information about freezing foods check out: USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, available online:

http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html

1 Cup fresh strawberries

1/2 banana

4 oz plain yogurt

1 teas vanilla

1/4 teas cinnamon

1/2 cup of crushed ice

1/3 Cup 2% milk

Blend all ingredients together in  one 16oz  serving smoothie blender. Drink immediately.

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

5 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup sour cream

Mix shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract to form a cream mixture

Blend dry ingredients and add to the cream mixture, alternating with the sour cream.

Roll out to 1/2″ on a well-floured surface.

Cut with 2″ Holiday cookie cutter.  Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 8-10 min.

Cool and frost using your favorite cookie frosting and holiday sprinkles.

1-1/3 Cup ground cinnamon

1 Cup applesauce

1/4 Cup white glue

Mix cinnamon, applesauce and glue in a large bowl, add more cinnamon if needed to form a dough texture. Shape into a ball, flatten and wrap in plastic wrap placing in refrigerator for one hour.

Roll out dough on cutting board to 1/2 inch or thicker. Sprinkle rolling pin with a little cinnamon if needed to keep dough from sticking. Use your favorite Christmas cookie cutters to create your ornaments. Punch a hole for ribbon before drying by using a bamboo skewer at best location on the ornament.

Place ornaments on a cookie sheet in a 200F oven for 2 hours, turn ornaments over after one hour.

Remove ornaments from cookie sheet and using the bamboo skewer again carefully reinforce the hole made earlier. File ornament edges if desired. Loop through your favorite ribbon and hang on your tree.

You can decorate your ornaments with your kids at this point, all ages! Last year I brought ready made ornaments, glitter, glue and other sparkly stuff to my grandkids house; it was lots of fun!

Enjoy!

Oh and contraying to what my Dad thought years ago these are not cookies; do not eat.

Add you turkey to the 450F oven for 20 minutes
Turn your oven down to 350F and cover the top [breast] with foil or paper bag.
This will limit burning
When Turkey reaches 170F in the deepest section of the bird.

Remove from and sit for 25 minutes
Just long enough to cook the gravy, add the prepped ahead: potatoes and sweet potatoes, my green bean casserole, rollsin the free oven.

And then finish your remaining glass of Riesling… or Merlot
Get some one to carve the bird.

Bon appetite

Reducing energy consumption, respect for animal health and welfare and support rural economies are all concepts that promote sustainable food. It is also important for the food to be safe, healthy and nutritious for consumers and can meet the needs of all socioeconomic groups. The production of this food should provide a viable livelihood for farmers, fisherman, processors and their employees to enjoy a safe and clean working environment.

2 cups of water

2 cups of cran-apple juice

2 cups of apple juice

2 cups of kosher salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 TBSP black pepper

Fresh sprigs of rosemary

3 large peels from an orange, cut into sections

If the bird is not totally covered add more cold water.
Tie off bag and leave in bucket at 40F
Next day, rinse you bird off.
And proceed cooking.

Bon Appetite
Store bought turkeys have a salt solution added so be careful with the amount of salt you add.

1/4 LB butter [1 stick]

3/4 Cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 beaten egg

1/2 Cup milk

2.5 Cups flour

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 Cup currants

Blend butter and sugar together, add vanilla. Beat egg and milk together and add to butter-sugar mixture.

Mix together flour, spices, salt, baking soda and powder. Add to butter-sugar mixture. This will form a heavy batter. Add currants. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll out dough 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface. Cut to make round cookies.

On griddle or large saute pan with small amount of olive oil grill cookies over medium/high heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side… adjust your heat so not to burn.

Its just like grilling pancakes!

12 Pitted dates

8 oz Mascarpone cheese

12 large pecan halves

Spiced Sugar [vanilla sugar, cinnamon, cardamon]

Open pitted dates and lay flat on cutting board.

Add small dollop of mascarpone cheese and then top with one pecan half.

Close date sealing cheese add pecan inside date.

Sprinkle with spiced sugar.

Chill for 1 hour and serve.