Cranberry Sauce (Erma)

3 c cranberries (12 oz bag, 340g)
1 c sugar
1 c water (or 1/2 c water + 1/2 c orange juice)

Rinse cranberries. Bring water & sugar to a boil. Add cranberries, return to a boil. Boil gently till skins pop (5 min). Remove from heat. Refrigerate when cool. Makes 2 1/2 c.

Balsamic Roast Chicken (Sandra)

(from Style at Home Magazine)- I use regular bacon and boneless chicken thighs..and I sprinkle some goat cheese on top after it comes out of the oven.
Ingredients

• 1 3-lb whole free-range organic chicken, cut into 8 parts
• 1 tsp Maldon sea salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 4-oz slab smoked bacon, cut into large cubes
• 1 cup pearl onions, peeled and halved
• 1 tbsp each: chopped fresh rosemary and thyme
• 2 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ cup small green olives
• ½ pint grape tomatoes

Directions
1  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper. 
2  Heat the olive oil over high heat in a large cast-iron casserole pan or Dutch oven and sear the chicken pieces in two batches, turning occasionally, until well browned all over. 
3  Remove the chicken from the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and add the bacon and pearl onions; cook until the onions are caramelized.
4  Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the pan and return the chicken pieces. Add the herbs, vinegar and wine and bring to a boil. 
5  Add the olives and tomatoes and bake, covered, for 45 to 50 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Serves 4 to 6.

Make Ahead Frozen Fruit Daiquiris (Sandra)

(taken from "theyummylife.com blog)

 

Frozen Fruit Daiquiris

By Monica              Servings: 5-6 (1-cup) servings

Ingredients

• 6 oz. (3/4 cup) frozen lemonade or limeade concentrate
• 6 oz. (3/4 cup) light rum
• 4 cups frozen fruit*; may substitute fresh, flavorful, ripe fruit
• 2 cups ice cubes
• sweetener (optional), to taste, if desired (superfine sugar, agave syrup, or other preferred sweetener)
• fresh fruit for garnish (optional)

Directions

In a blender, combine lemonade/limeade concentrate, rum, and fruit. (Berries can be added whole; other fruits should be cut into cubes/pieces.)  Blend until smooth. Add ice. Blend until smooth, and no ice chunks remain. Taste and add sweetener, if desired. If flavor is too intense, add more ice cubes and blend. For stronger fruit flavor, add more fruit and blend.

*RECOMMENDED FRUIT:
--Strawberry (raspberry & blackberry not recommended for this "whole fruit" method, because their larger seeds result in a gritty drinking texture)
--Blueberry
--Mango
--Peach
--Pineapple (optional: add 1 cup canned light coconut milk for a Pina Colada)

MAKE AHEAD MASON JAR DAIQUIRIS:
Pour blended daiquiris into 1/2 pint (1 cup) mason jars, leave at least 1/2" at the top to allow for expansion when they freeze, screw on the lids and freeze. To serve, remove from freezer (let them set out for 5-15 minutes if they're too hard) & use a fork to break up and stir the semi-frozen daiquiris into a slushy consistency.  The alcohol keeps them from freezing to a hard solid state, so they're always ready to remove from the freezer, stir, serve, and drink. These will keep for up to 1 month in the freezer.

TO MIX FLAVORS IN ONE JAR: Layer 2 or more layers in a single jar for a pretty presentation and mixed fruit flavor. Pour 1st layer into jar, freeze for 2 hours, add 2nd layer and freeze, repeat with any remaining layers. Try layering Strawberry, Pineapple (or Pina Colada), and Blueberry for a festive 4th of July daiquiri.

VIRGIN DAIQUIRIS: omit rum and substitute equivalent amount of water. Taste and add sweetener, if needed. If made ahead, these will reach a hard ice state when refrozen due to the lack of alcohol. Remove them from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for 15-25 minutes before stirring into a slushy consistency.

Cheesy Zucchini Bake (Sandra)

(from "Kaylnskitchen.com blog)

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake
(Makes 4-6 servings; recipe adapted from a recipe by Karen Niessing in PenzeysBack to School 2011 Catalog, with suggestions from my sister Pam.)

Ingredients:
2 medium-sized zucchini, cut in slices or half-moon slices
2 medium-sized yellow squash, cut in slices or half-moon slices
2-4 T chopped fresh basil (or even less, depending on how much you like the flavor of basil)
2 T thinly sliced green onion
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup + 1/2 cup low-fat white cheese (I used Pizza Cheese, which is a low-fat blend of Mozzarella, Provolone, Romano, and Parmesan)
1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan (I would use a little less if you only have the very finely grated Parmesan from a can)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F/180C.  Spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.  Wash the squash and cut in slices or half-moon slices.  Wash basil, spin dry or dry with paper towels and finely chop.  Slice green onions.

Combine the sliced squash, chopped basil, sliced green onions, dried thyme, garlic powder, and both kinds of cheese and stir together until the veggies are coated with cheese and the herbs are well-distributed.  Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.  Put the mixture in the baking dish and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes.

When the zucchini is nearly cooked through, take the casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese.  Put the dish back in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and nicely browned and zucchini is fully cooked.  Serve hot.