Thanksgiving is over, and we have eaten all the turkey sandwiches we can stand. It is time to think about Christmas.
My first Flemming Thanksgiving lunch was a success. There was only one catastrophe. My strawberry cranberry salad did not congeal. When I started to put it on the lettuce-lined plate, it fell apart. Not to panic — I quickly poured it into a pretty crystal bowl and called it a strawberry cranberry compote. Everybody loved it. I’ll just pray next year that my salad doesn’t congeal.
I have been watching all the news videos of people getting up in the middle of the night to wait for stores to open for early shopping sales. I don’t want anything that badly. I saw two ladies fist fighting and pulling hair on the floor of a store over a television. Once again, I don’t want anything that badly.
I just sit back and wait until all the craziness subsides, and then I begin my shopping. No one in my family seems to write out their wants on Christmas lists. I have to listen carefully and watch to see what I might surprise them with on Christmas morning.
We are going back to the time of Jesus, and everybody is getting three gifts each. Well, I might make an exception for my granddaughter.
My tree is up, my Dickens village is out, and my mantle is decorated. I’ve just got to put some gifts under the tree and start my holiday baking.
Remember to shop locally before traveling to shop or getting on the Internet. We owe our loyalty to our small businesses. I’ll start there beginning this week.
As December arrives today, it is time for me to shop. If there is anything I can’t find in stores locally, I will probably get on the computer. I don’t want to get beat up over purchasing a Christmas present.
I hope you will give this week’s recipes a try. Thanks for reading.
FUDGE CAKE
2 sticks butter
4 squares semisweet chocolate
1¾ cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour, sifted
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Melt the butter and chocolate together. Add the sugar and stir until melted. Cool slightly before adding the eggs, one at a time. Fold in flour and salt. Add vanilla and pecans. Pour into a buttered 9-by-11-inch baking sheet, and bake for about 40 minutes. Start testing at 30 or 35 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.
HOT FETA AND ARTICHOKE DIP
1 (14-ounce) can artichokes, drained
1 (4-ounce) Feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon white pepper
½ cup sliced green onions
½ cup chopped tomatoes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the artichokes into quarters, and mix with remaining ingredients. Bake in a shallow dish that has been sprayed with Pam. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until browned. Garnish with additional sliced green onions and chopped tomatoes if desired. Serve with Pita chips or toast points.
ANOTHER BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
Butter
12 slices white bread
1 pound bacon, fried
1 bunch green onions, sliced
3 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 dozen eggs, beaten
4 cups half and half
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Generously butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Line the bottom with six slices of bread. Crumble half the bacon over the bread. Sprinkle half the onions and half the cheddar cheese over the bacon. Mix the eggs, half and half, salt and pepper until blended. Pour half over the first layer. Repeat layers with remaining bread, bacon, onion and cheddar cheese. Pour remaining egg cream mixture over the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bring casserole to room temperature before baking at 325 degrees uncovered for 45 minutes or until set.
• Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
