PIZZA MEATLOAF

I love this meatloaf and anybody that has had the pleasure of tasting it loves it too. It is definately not your ordinary meatloaf, but the combination of all the ingredients come together in a most satisfying way.

2 lb. ground round
2 eggs
1 cup crushed saltines
1 cup milk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano

Mix all the above ingredinets and place in an 8 or 9-inch baking dish or pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

8 oz. can pizza sauce
3 slices mozzarella cheese-halved
sauteed rings of green bell pepper and sliced mushrooms

Spoon the pizza sauce over the baked meatloaf and arrange the mozzarella slices over the sauce to cover meatloaf. Return to oven for 10 minutes. Place bell pepper and mushrooms over the cheese and serve with mashed potatoes and whatever green vegetable that you like.

"OREGANO: Something your kitchen cannot be without. It's strong flavor and penetrating aroma are typical of Mediterranean cuisine. A handful thrown in the bath shared with your partner is an erotic experience. "-Isabel Allende

GINGER PEACH ROLL

When sliced, the peachy cream cheese filling is a nice contrast against the gingerbread cake roll. You'll win rave reviews for this one!

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup powdered sugar, divided
1 (16oz.) can cling peach halves
1 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 10X15X1-inch jelly roll pan with foil. Lightly grease and flour foil. Stir together first 6 ingredients.

In a mixing bowl combine eggs, sugar and molasses. Beat with mixer until thick and light, about 5 minutes. Gently fold in flour mixture. Spoon batter into prepared pan, smoothing top. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, sift 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar over cake and cover with a cloth towel. Invert cake pan; carefully remove foil. Roll cake, starting from short side. Cool.

Drain peaches, reserve one peach half for garnish. Chop remaining peaches. In a mixing bowl, mix cream cheese with remaining 6 Tbsp. powdered sugar, lemon peel, juice and vanilla. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold peaches and cream into cream cheese mixture. Unroll cake. Spread with peach mixture and reroll. Place on serving plate. Slice reserved peach to form a fan garnish.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

"Life is better than death, I believe, if only because it is less boring, and because it has fresh peaches in it.~Alice Walker

CHOCOLATE WALNUT EUPHORIA COOKIES

These cookies are a chocolate lover's dream come true. They would surely be a hit at a cookie exchange. Recipe is easily doubled.

12 ozs. semi-sweet chocolate chips ( I use Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet)
3 Tbsp. butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. milk
1 1/4 cups walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt half the chocolate chips in double boiler or in microwave until smooth. In separate bowl, beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. Sift together dry ingredients. Stir melted chocolate and milk in butter mixture. Mix in dry ingredients, then remaining chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake 8 minutes.
Yield: 3 dozen

"Chocolate, men, coffee - some things are better rich."-anon

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER (Dated Dec. 5th, 2009)

Exerted from "FORGET ME NOT", Recipes & Stories to Remember from Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro.

If I had my life to live over I would have talked less and listened more. I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded. I would have eaten the popcorn in the "good" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace. I would have taken time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth. I would have never insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage. I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains. I would have cried and laughed less while watching TV-and more while watching life. I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband. I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day. I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside of me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle. When my kids kissed me imperiously, I would never have said "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner." There would have been more "I love you'," more "I'm sorry's."
But...mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute; look at it and really see it, and never give it back. Stop sweating the small stuff. Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what. Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us. Let's think about what God has blessed us with. And what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, as well as spiritually.
Life is to short to let it pass you by. We only have one shot at this and then it's gone.-Erma Bombeck

BANANAS FOSTER BARS

If you love Bananas Foster, I simply adore it, then you will fall in love with these bars as well. Pack them in your gift giving Christmas tins and be prepared to share the recipe.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tablespoon dark rum or 1 teaspoon rum extract
1 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup bananas, diced
1/2 cup (2 ounces) pecans or walnuts, chopped

Frosting:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon rum or pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 to 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Cooking Directions:Bars:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour 9-inch square pan*.
In large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with electric mixer until creamy. Add egg and rum; mix to combine.

In small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to butter mixture. Mix in bananas and pecans; stir to incorporate. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting:
In large bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, sugar and extract with an electric mixer. Beat until light and fluffy. Add cinnamon and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar; blend until smooth (careful; over mixing will cause separation). Add additional confectioners’ sugar to create desired consistency.
Spread frosting immediately over cooled bars. Cover and store bars in refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, cut bars into 2-inch squares.
*For a thicker bar, use an 8-inch square pan.

" We share half our genes with the banana." [After the announcement Jun 2000 that a working draft of the genetic sequence of humans had been completed by the Human Genome Project.]

MONTEREY JACK CRAB CAKES

These delicious crab cakes make a memorable first course or hors d'oevre for your holiday feasts.

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 small clove garlic, finely minced
12 ounces lump crabmeat
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil

Aioli
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup roasted red bell pepper, peeled and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cooking Directions: For the crab cakes, in a sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the celery, onions, chopped bell peppers and minced garlic. Cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. In a large bowl, mix the crabmeat, cheese, green onions, eggs, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, sherry vinegar, breadcrumbs and cayenne. Stir in the sautéed vegetables. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours.

For the aioli, while the crab mixture is chilling, combine the garlic, roasted red pepper, lemon juice, basil, 1/3 cup mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor bowl with a metal blade. Process until finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To complete the recipe, remove the crab mixture from the refrigerator and form 6 round cakes, 3 x 1-inch thick. Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the crab cakes 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and thoroughly heated. Serve with the aioli.

COOKS NOTE: Refrigerating the crab mixture makes it easier for the cakes to hold their shape when patted together.

"...crabmeat, one of the world"s most delectable foods...Crab may be very close to what the God's eat if they have fisherman up there...."-James Michener

VICTORIAN PLUM PUDDING ( Dated Dec.6th, 2009)

"Hallo! a great deal of steam! The pudding was out of the copper. A smell like a washing day! That was the cloth. A smell like an eating house and a pastry-cook's next door to each other, with a laundress's next door to that! That was the pudding...like a speckled cannon-ball, so hard and firm, blazing in half of half a quarter of ignited brandy, and bedlight with Christmas Holly stuck to the top."~Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

4 slices of bread torn in pieces
2 cups of beef suet, ground
1 cup brown sugar
2 slightly beaten eggs
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups raisins
3/4 cup snipped dates
1/2 cup diced mixed fruit and peel
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. mace

Soak bread pieces in the milk. Stir in the suet, sugar, eggs, orange juice and vanilla. Mix together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and mace. Add the flour mixture to the fruit mixture. Pour into a greased pudding mold. Steam for 3 !/2 hours. Cool at least 10 minutes before unmolding. Cut pudding and serve with Hard Sauce.

HARD SAUCE
Cream together1 stick butter and 1 tsp. vanilla. Add 2 cups sifted powdered sugar and cream until fluffy. Beat in 1 egg yolk and then stir in 1 stiff, beaten egg white.