Thursday, November 12, 2015

July Thrifty Finds ~ Debbie Macomber and Linda McCartney

Debbie Macomber's Christmas Cookbook, published in 2011.  Luscious recipes by the author dubbed "The Official Storyteller of Christmas". In addition to the 100+ dishes, there are tips and hints for crafts, decor and gift wrapping.

The recipes begin with Merry Morning Breakfast and include cinnamon monkey bread, chewy fruit & nut granola bars, orange sweet rolls, banana Nutella Crepe cake, bacon & egg breakfast pizza, quiche, biscuits, fritatta, and an overnight sausage & onion casserole. A jungle bell wreath is the crafty idea at the end of the chapter. In Christmas Tea we are treated to cream scones with figs & cherries, green goddess chicken tea sandwiches (on my list to make!), quiche, lemon poppy seed cake, deep dark date fruitcake, cranberry walnut cobbler, and coconut snowballs. For decor ideas there are 10 tips that require 10 minutes or less to implement ~ pretty pottery filled with pears or green apples, hanging twinkling lights around a room, book case, etc. and forcing Christmas bulbs.

For Appetizers we are given a choice of crab cakes, Cesar salad bites, spinach & artichoke dip with garlic crostini, green pea hummus, eggnog, or a mushroom & onion tart, while Christmas and Christmas Eve Dinner consists of cedar glazed roast turkey or herb roasted chicken, rice stuffing with water chestnuts, apples & hazelnuts, three cheese scalloped potatoes, butternut squash bisque, oyster stew with fennel and green layered salad. The Goodies to Go section of the chapter discusses gift presentations utilizing baskets, cookie tins or cigar boxes, while Wrap it Up offers gift wrap alternatives (newspaper, butcher paper or sewing patterns) and homemade gift tags. Forgot to mention the crafty section in the appetizers chapter which discusses table decor, with tips on using vintage Christmas plates, platters & bowls fr serving meals, personalized table settings (name cards, etc.) and easy instructions on making a glitter candle.

Moving on to Christmas Desserts, a few of the offerings include chocolate cream tart with raspberries, white chocolate peppermint cheesecake, cranberry caramel tart, French almond cake, pumpkin cake with cinnamon and brown sugar toasted pecan pie. There are a few gifts recipes to round out the chapter ~ spice packets (pumpkin pie or apple pie), pine-cone fire starters and bubbling bath cubes. There many fabulous ideas for sweet treats and more in Christmas Gifts including triple ginger chocolate chunk cookies, cappuccino snickerdoodles with mocha glaze (YES, please), chocolate toffee chewies, pecan turtle brownies, glazed cranberry white chocolate bars, hazelnut & dried cherry biscotti, chocolate glazed shortbread fingers and a bean soup mix.

Cooking with Grandma presents Christmas Kitchen sink cookies, brownie puddle pudding, blueberry crumb bars, sweet & salty caramel popcorn, pulled pork sandwiches, chili, ice crispie snowmen and scented lip balm. Wrapping it up are Easy Family Dinners with chicken chili, slow cooker pot roast, sesame peanut noodles, chicken Marsala, taco salad, garlic shrimp stir fry, pork tenderloin, quesadillas and steak salad.

Linda McCartney on Tour, published in 1998. Over 200 meat free dishes from around the world. Each recipe is noted with the country of origin.

Appetizers get the part started and include crispy vegetable wontons, Szechuan fried eggplant, avocado hummus, chili corn fritter, black eyed bean cakes and Vietnamese spring rolls, while Soups consist of plantain & corn, vegetable with coconut, hot & sour, green jade (spinach & corn), chilled red pepper & lime, watercress & potato and ravioli & spinach broth.

For Salads, a few of the options are fennel & arugula, crispy rice noodle & tofu, Louisiana potato, sweet & sour cucumber, cannelli bean, warm beet with creme Fraiche, warm lentils on arugula and daikon. In Quick and Easy Meals, we are offered spaghetti alla Puttanesca, peasant pasta (pasta shells, lima beans & artichoke hearts), mushroom risotto, sweet & sour tofu, layered pasta bake chickpea & okra stir fry and suggestions for both hot and cold sandwiches.

Main Courses encompasses a chickpea roast, red enchiladas, vegetable jambalaya, pad Thai, pumpkin curry, Boston slow baked beans, goulash, grilled spicy tofu, banana & yam stew, minted couscous with roasted veggies, Spanokopitta, party nut loaf, quiche, pizza (California vegetable, Siam, Athenian, plus suggestions for toppings), artichoke casserole with pine nuts, butternut squash pilaf and a mushroom loaf. For Sides, a few of the dishes include chili spring greens, marinated tofu fires, potato & onion gratin, summer squash with dill & sour cream, red cabbage & apples, Hawaiian style sweet potatoes (NO pineapple!), herby potato cakes, crispy fried seaweed, lemon spinach, saffron rice, Brussels sprouts and fragrant coconut rice.

Many basics are offered in Sauces and Sundries ~ dipping sauces (sweet & sour chili, garlic & ginger),  yogurt with fresh mint, pesto, satay, roasted red pepper sauce, salsa, curry and chestnut stuffing. Desserts, Cakes and Cookies finishes out the book with many yummy goodies ~ fruit flan, apple pancakes, sopapillas, rhubarb fool, honey pudding, pecan roulade, Mississippi mud pie, key lime pie, panna cotta, nougat cake, pear flan, lemon sponge cake, pecan macaroons and poppy seed cookies.












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