COFFEE CREAM PIE

When a billowy wedge of this pie ends up on your plate you will know sweet bliss.

                            
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1/4 cup strong coffee
1 1/4 cups evaporated milk
5 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 3/4 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 prepared chocolate graham cracker crust
Garnish: chocolate covered coffee beans

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a large heavy saucepan. Gradually stir in the coffee, milk and egg yolks using a wire whisk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; whisk until smooth. Place plastic wrap directly over the surface of mixture, chill 1 hour.
Beat whipping cream at low speed with an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form.
Fold 1 1/2 cups whipped cream into coffee mixture, reserving remaining whipped cream for topping. Spoon filling into pie shell. Dollop remaining cream on top of pie. Chill at least 8 hours. Garnish with the coffee beans to serve.
Serves: 8

"Hot, black, and strong enough to walk by itself."~The Book of Coffee & Tea

SPICED COFFEE

Sugar and Spice and everything nice...a cup o' this Joe is just what the doctor ordered for a cold blustery day.

                                      
1/2 cup ground dark roast coffee
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 cups water
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup chocolate syrup
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
sweetened whipped cream

Put coffee in coffee filter, add cinnamon and nutmeg, and brew. Combine brown sugar, chocolate syrup, and milk in heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Stir in coffee and vanilla. Serve immediately with a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle a little ground cinnamon over the top.
Yield: Over 6 cups

"Coffee played a big role in our life. The first thing you did in the morning was put on water, and the last thing you did at night was take off the pot."~Paul Prudhomme

Spicie Foodie ~ Spicy Foodie ~ Learn to cook~ ethnic cooking in Europe Healthy, Fresh and deliciou: Your Best Recipes (YBR) October Roundup, Yum and Wow!

Spicie Foodie ~ Spicy Foodie ~ Learn to cook~ ethnic cooking in Europe Healthy, Fresh and deliciou: Your Best Recipes (YBR) October Roundup, Yum and Wow!

NANNIE'S STRAWBERRY JELL-O SALAD

My mother's sister, Nan Vance Hamwey, made this wonderful Jell-O salad for the holidays. It is one of my all time favorite dishes because it is so very refreshing and brings with it good memories of a special aunt.

2 small pkgs. strawberry Jell-O

1 1/2 cups boiling water

2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen strawberries

1 large can crushed pineapple

2 bananas, mashed

1 cup sour cream

Mix Jell-O and boiling water well. Add strawberries, pineapple with juice and bananas. Put half of mixture  in a mold or 9X10 dish; let congeal in refrigerator. Leave remaining Jell-O mixture at room temperature. When first layer is congealed, spread sour cream over it and then pour remainder of Jell-O over sour cream. Chill until set.

COOKS NOTE: Picture of falling strawberries uploaded from http://www.geekphilosopher.com/  

THE POWER OF A DAISY (For all cancer survivors and those living with cancer)

From one of my favorite cookbooks: "FORGET ME NOT", Recipes and Stories to Remember from Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro, NC.

I was 32 years old when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was very fortunate to have the support of a loving husband, family and friends. However, during the course of my battle with cancer, I came to realize the importance of a pet during such a traumatic time in one's life. It is uncanny the intuitiveness that my dog exhibited during this time.

Daisy Leigh is a four-year old yellow Labrador Retriever. She is a very playful dog with a tremendous amount of energy and intelligence. Daisy's encouragement and playfulness helped me to endure my cancer treatments.

It all started the day after my biopsy. I was sitting in the tub, getting prepared to go back to my surgeon, not realizing that in two hours time I would receive a diagnosis that would forever change my life. As I was bathing, Daisy came into the bathroom and placed her head on my breast at the location of the incision. She very gently kept her head there for a few minutes. Daisy had never done this before while I was bathing, and has never done it again. She knew that I was in pain, and she was trying to help me. I sometimes wonder if somehow she knew before I did that I had cancer.

Daisy helped to keep my spirits up during my chemotherapy treatments. During my first few treatments, I was sicker than I had ever been in my life, but Daisy would always find a way to make me laugh. She would do something that was totally outrageous to cheer me up. As my treatments began to make me sicker, I could always count on Daisy to be there for me. No matter what time of day, no matter where she was in the house, any time that I was physically sick from treatments, Daisy would come to the bathroom and sit there with me.

She would gently lick my face to let me know that everything was going to be okay.

During the third month of my chemotherapy treatments, I started to lose my long, blonde hair. This was a very traumatic event for me. My hair loss was very gradual. Every day I would pray for my hair to stop falling out and, being the eternal optimist that I am, I never imagined that I would lose all of my hair. Each day, handful after handful of hair was falling out in spite of all of my prayers and positive thoughts. I learned that chemotherapy treatments show no favoritism.

It was during this time that I also discovered how cruel people could be, even though they think they are somehow making you feel better. As my hair was falling out, people would ask, "Have you tried to wear a wig?" Others remarked, "You never really did have thick hair anyway," and "If hair is coming out, that means the chemo is doing its job." I even had a coworker bring me a brochure advertising a product to promote hair growth in balding men. Although I am sure that these people did not intentionally want to hurt me, their remarks would infuriate me on my "good chemo days" and make me cry on my "bad chemo days."

As my hair continued to thin, I decided it would have to be cut. I had my hair cut from below shoulder length to chin length, crying as my beautician cut each strand. My hair had not been this short since I was a toddler. I felt so ugly. Feeling a lot of self pity at this point, I thought to myself that this was just another treasured possession that cancer had taken away from me. However, when I got home, Daisy greeted me with her tail wagging, happy as ever to see me. She did not care anything about the length or thickness of my hair. Her only concern was the tears on my cheeks. As I sat down, she put half of her body in my lap and gently licked my tears away, providing me with a tremendous amount of comfort and support.

Although my physical appearance had changed during the previous six months, Daisy did not care. She loved me regardless of my hair, weight, scars, or any other physical attributes. Daisy and I had been through six months of  chemotherapy treatments and, through it all, she continued to be a source of happiness, encouragement, and unconditional love.

After my final chemotherapy treatment, I went and had my head shaved to eliminate the few straggling strands of hair that remained. For a variety of reasons, I had decided that I would not wear a wig. I realized that people who did not previously know I had cancer would now know. I also knew that I was opening myself for public scrutiny for a 5-foot 10-inch tall woman with a shaved head cannot be very inconspicuous. Before I went to bed that night, I prayed for the courage to make it through the next day with my shaved head and short stubble. I also prayed for the strength to ignore the stares from strangers and the innocent, but hurtful, remarks from friends.

The next morning, I was awakened by a very unusual sensation. Daisy was sitting above my head licking every square inch of my head. Once again, Daisy was there in my moment of need. I attribute the very thick hair I now have to the "power of Daisy."

The ancient Romans believed that certain dogs possessed a magical, healing power and that these dogs could diagnose and cure (sometimes with a lick) human illness. Perhaps they were not completely wrong...I have been cancer-free for two years.~Susan Freeze. Cancer Survivor.

ORANGE DROP COOKIES

Fresh orange juice gives these Holiday cookies their sensational flavor. They would be a welcome sight on any ones table.

2/3 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 big eggs
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (do not use reconstituted orange juice)
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease baking sheets. Cream butter with sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in eggs, orange juice and peel. Add flour, salt and baking soda, mix well. Fold in nuts. Drop dough by large tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on rack.

ICING

1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
3 tablespoons softened butter
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange peel

Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Swirl icing over top of cookies, covering completely. Store in airtight container.
Yield: 3 dozen

"Cookies are made of butter and love.~Norwegian Proverb

CELEBRATING ALL THE DAYS OF DECEMBER 2010

 Dec. 1st: "Some say that ever 'gainst that season comes wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated, the bird of dawn singeth all night long: And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad, the nights are wholesome, then no planets strike, no fairy takes nor witch hath power to charm, so hallow'd and so gracious is the time."~William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Dec. 2nd: Keep your Christmas tree fresher longer: Mix 2 cups corn syrup with 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. bleach in one gallon hot water. Allow to cool then use it in place of plain water. DO NOT use this water if your children or pets can get to it.

 Dec. 3rd: RED RED RED SMOOTHIE: 1 cup lowfat strawberry yogurt or frozen yogurt, 1/2 cup cranberry juice cocktail, 1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries, 1 cup frozen raspberries. Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Good and Good For You!

Dec. 4th: Today is my daughter-in-law's (Tonya Oakes Forbes) Birthday...Happy Birthday Tonya! A dessert for you: STRAWBERRY BANANA PUDDING...1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding, 1 cup milk, 1 (8oz.) Cool Whip, 3 bananas-diced, 1 1/2 cups miniatur...e vanilla wafers-divided, 2 cups strawberries-sliced. Combine pudding mix and milk, stirring with a whisk, fold in Cool Whip. Layerr 3/4 cup cookies in the bottom of an 8-inch square dish. Spread half of pudding mixture over, repeat with remaining cookies and Cool Whip.Top with strawberries. Serves 6...Enjoy and have a wonderful day!

Dec. 5th: Is there a Santa Claus? "Dear Editor..."I am eight years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says "If you see it in the Sun, it's so." Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?"~Virginia O' Hanlon

Dec.6th: SNICKER BAR SALAD: 9 snack-size Snicker bars-chopped, 4 apples-2 red-2 green-cored and chopped, 2 bananas-sliced, 1/3 cup honey, 8oz. Cool Whip.
Mix Snickers through honey together, fold in Cool Whip. Store in fridge.

Dec.7th: "Christmas is not a time or a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we o'er these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world."~Calvin Coolidge, 1927

Dec. 8th: CROCK-POT SPICED CIDER: Mix 3 peeled and thinly sliced cooking apples with 2 quarts apple cider, 2 cinnamon sticks and 1 orange studded with whole cloves in the crock-pot. Cover and cook 4 hours or until apples are tender on LOW. Serve with dollops of whipped cream and a sprinkling of nutmeg. Serves 8 to 10

Dec. 9th: HOLIDAY WREATHS: Melt 1 stick butter in microwave for 30 seconds. Add 4 cups miniature marshmallows and coat with butter. Microwave 1 minute, stir. Fold in 5 cups cornflakes and blend well. Drop from teaspoon onto waxed paper on cookie sheet. Shape into wreaths with fingers. Decorate with red hots. Refrigerate until set.

Dec 10th: "It is Christmas in the mansion, Yule-log fires and silken frocks. It is Christmas in the cottage, mothers filling little socks."~Anon

Dec. 11th: CHRISTMAS MERINGUES: Heat oven to 250 degrees. Line cookie sheets with foil. In a small bowl, beat 3 egg whites with 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating 3 to 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Fold in 1 to 2 drops of green food coloring. Spoon 1-inch mounds on to foil-lined sheets. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until crisp and dry. Cool completely and remove from cookie sheets. Makes about 3 dozen pieces of candy.

Dec. 12th: "Christmas! Friend, 'tis Christmas! If there is no joyous way to give a festive package...give some love away!"~Christine G. Curless

Dec 13th: JOYFUL MINESTRONE: In a soup pot combine 3 cans beef broth, 2 cans cannelloni beans, 1 can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups V-8 juice, 1 (6oz.) can tomato paste, 2 teaspoons sugar and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Bring to boiling, add 1/2 cup frozen Italian blend vegetables. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Turn heat to medium and add 2 cups fresh spinach leaves cut in strips and 2 cups cooked snowmen or other Christmas shaped pasta. Heat through. To serve: Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 8

  Dec. 14th: "My door is open wide tonight, the hearth fire is aglow; I seem to hear swift passing feet, the Christ child in the snow."~Anon

                                            
 Dec. 15th: CHOCOLATE CHILI TRUFFLES: 12oz. milk chocolate, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/2 stick unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur, 1/2 cup ground cinnamon, 1/4 cup each of green and red chili powders. Melt the chocolate, cream, and butter in a heavy saucepan, stirring constantly. Stir in liqueur. Pour into a bowl and chill for several hours until the chocolate hardens. Roll into balls about 1/2-inch in diameter. Dip each ball into the cinnamon, then the chili powders making half green and half red. Will keep refrigerated for several days. Piquant and decadently delicious.

Dec. 16th: Happy Birthday to my daughter, Joielle Forbes Calhoun, the greatest Christmas present ever! We Love You!

Dec. 17th: "All of us hear angels for a little while at Christmas."~Elisabeth Burrows

Dec. 18th: CRUNCHY CARROT BALLS: Beat together 3 oz. cream cheese with 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar. Stir in 2 teaspoons honey and 1 1/4 cups grated carrot. Refrigerate until well chilled, then shape into balls. Combine 1/2 cup Grape nuts cereal with 2 tablespoons dried parsley. Roll the balls in the mixture. A delightful appetizer.

Dec. 19th: Wrap fragrant soaps in festive colored tissue and place in a bowl in the bathroom. They will not only scent the air but will make a nice little gift when you need one on the spur of the moment.

Dec. 20th: Happy 9th birthday sweet Trinity Celestine Forbes~our beautiful and precious granddaughter. You are the essence of what Christmas is all about...Love, Faith, Hope and Joy!

Dec. 21st: ARTICHOKE BAGEL BITES: Combine 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts (chopped and well drained) with 1 cup Romano cheese, 1 tablespoon paprika and 1 cup mayonnaise. Refrigerate 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice 10 mini garlic bagels in half and arrange on baking sheet. Spoon 1 tablespoon artichoke mixture on top of each bagel half. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned. Serves 8 to 10

Dec. 22nd: "I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable time, a pleasant time: the only time I know of in the long calendar of the year when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-pessengers, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, though it has never put a scrape of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and I say, God bless it!"~Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Dec. 23rd: HOT CHOCOLATE FOR SANTA: Mix 4 cups milk, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/3 cup chocolate syrup in the crockpot. Cover and cook on low 2 to 4 hours until well heated, stirring now and then. Garnish each serving with a large dollop of marshmallow cream.

Dec. 24th: CHRISTMAS EVE COOKIES: 2 big eggs, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 cup butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 lb. each of candied red cherries-chopped and candied green cherries chopped, 2 lbs. chopped dates, 1 lb. chopped pecans, 2 lbs. chopped dates. Combine eggs through flour, mixing well. Stir in fruits and nuts. Drop on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Dec. 25th: "This is Christmas Day, the anniversary of the world's greatest event. To one day all the early world looked forward: to the same day the later world looks back. That day holds time together."~Alexander Smith

Dec. 26th: ROASTED CHESTNUTS: Make an "x" slash on the rounded side of the chestnut, cutting through the shell to the nut. Arrange on a 9-inch glass plate. Cook in microwave oven uncovered 5 minutes or until shells pop open when slashed, stirring once, Serve warm by breaking open shells and removing nuts. If nuts become cold, return to microwave for a few seconds until steaming hot.

Dec. 27th: SKIERS SAUSAGE: 1 lb. sausage links, 6 medium baking apples-pared and sliced, salt and pepper to taste, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Brown sausage and cut each link in half. Drain thoroughly. Butter a 1 1/2 quart casserole. Combine apples and sausage and put in casserole. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, lemon juice and brown sugar. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Dec. 28th: "Be at war with your voices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man."~Benjamin Franklin

Dec. 29th: FORTUNE COOKIES FOR THE NEW YEAR: 1 unbeaten egg white, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 stick butter. Combine unbeaten egg white and sugar, mix well until sugar is dissolved. Stir in, one at a time, flour, vanilla, and cinnamon. Beat until well blended. Melt butter. Beat the butter into the batter. Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls well apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute only. While still warm, shape cookies into hollow tubes by wrapping baked cookies around the handle of a wooden spoon. Slip fortunes inside the cookies and press cookie ends closed. If the cookies cool to quickly, place in warm oven for a few minutes before shaping.

Dec. 30th: TRIM THE FAT: When doing your holiday baking replace 1 cup butter with 1 cup applesauce; instead of 1 cup sour cream use 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese plus 2 tablespoons skim milk and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Dec. 31st: "Farewell; Old Year! With goodness crowned a hand divine hath set thy bound. Welcome, New Year, which shall bring fresh blessings from my God and King! The old we leave without a tear, the new we shall hail without a fear; because I know that o'er it all rules He who notes the sparrow's fall."~Anon