Golden Butter Cut-Out Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter 1/4 tsp. salt 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. almond extract 2 1/2 cups flour

Directions

Cream butter with salt until soft, blend in sugar 1/4 cup at a time until mixture is fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla, almond; stir in flour. Refrigerate dough 30 minutes. Roll out to about 1/4 inch, then cut out your cookies. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes, or just until the edges of the cookies start to turn golden brown.

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Harvest Potatoes

Ingredients

32 oz. frozen hash brown potatoes, unthawed 1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup 8 oz. of sour cream 8 oz. of shredded cheddar cheese 1⁄2 cup of melted margarine 1 1⁄2 tsp. salt 1 medium onion

Topping 2 cups corn flakes, crushed 1/4 cup margarine, melted

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a greased 13-inch by 9-inch casserole dish. Top with corn flakes mixture. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Serves 10.

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Bacon-wrapped Asparagus Bundles

Ingredients

1 lb. asparagus 10 slices of bacon 1/2 tsp. garlic salt 1/4 cup melted butter 1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions

Take about 5 stalks of asparagus at a time and wrap them with bacon to form a bundle. Place the bundles in baking dish. Pour melted butter over the bundles, then sprinkle with the garlic salt and brown sugar. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until asparagus is tender and bacon is crisp.

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Pecan Wild Rice Pilaf

Ingredients

4 cups chicken broth (you might not use it all) 1 cup wild rice, well-rinsed (a small box is about the right size) 1 3⁄4 cups rice pilaf 1 cup pecan halves 1 cup dried currants 1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced 1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped Grated zest of 2 oranges 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. orange juice Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In separate pots, prepare the wild rice and pilaf according to the package directions, using as much of the chicken broth as needed. (The wild rice should take much longer than the pilaf.) Drain the excess liquid from the rice. Let both cool, then mix in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, toss well, serve at room temperature. OPTIONAL: Add dried cranberries, golden raisins or dried cherries.

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Kahlua Cake

Ingredients

1 package yellow cake mix 1 small box instant fudge pudding 4 eggs

1 cup water 1 cup oil 1/2 cup Kahlua® or coffee-flavored liqueur

Directions

Combine all ingredients and mix for 1 minute, scrape sides of bowl down, and mix for another minute. Pour batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350° for 38 minutes, let stand 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack.

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Peanut Butter Corn Flake Cookies

Ingredients

12 oz. of peanut butter 1 cup corn syrup 1 cup sugar 4 cups corn flakes

Directions

Bring syrup and sugar mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add peanut butter, stir until smooth. Add corn flakes. Mix until cereal is thoroughly coated. Use spoon to drop cookies onto wax paper as soon as possible. Let cool for 20-30 minutes before enjoying.