I do not claim any awards for cooking. That is my husband's forte and I do not steal his thunder. My latest added dish to any good meal is the jello-whipped cream. You can add anything to it for the occasion: fruit, nuts, cranberries, or even vegies if you like. It is a really good(meaning a no-no type) but also nutritious dish. Jello is really good for you. My husband has some dishes he is proud of, but I will send them to you to your email.

I really leave all that to Martha!

Mary, how funny! My husband is the cook, too! He enjoys it, and he'll try anything. His latest is a chicken corn chowder. He uses green chili in it, and it's really good. Opens your sinuses, too.

My latest is a really quick and easy. And really, really good. You can substitute devil's food for the yellow cake mix, but I think the yellow is best.

Raspberry Bars
one yellow cake mix
1-1/2 cups oats
3/4 cup butter, melted
12 oz. of raspberry jam (seedless is best)
1 tablespoon water

Combine the cake mix and oats; slowly add the butter, mixing constantly (I do this with my hands). Press about 2/3 of the cake mix/oat mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Add the water to the jam, and mix. Spread the jam over the . Put the remaining 1/3 of the cake mix/oat mixture on top, covering the jam. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. When cooled, cut into squares or bars.

Here is a recipe for a cheese ball that my family loves and requests for any get together at my house.

2 blocks cream cheese, softened
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 jar of dried beef, chopped
(I had never heard of dried beef before but it is like sliced pepperoni only beef and is usually in the grocery aisle with tuna and other meats. It is packaged in a small jar that we later use as juice glasses. Yes, we are very cultured around here.)
chopped or crushed pecans
Tobasco sauce
Lowrey's seasoning salt

In a bowl combine the cheese, onions and beef. Season to taste with Tobasco and seasoning salt. Separate into two equal parts and roll each into a ball and then roll in crushed pecans. Serve with crackers.

I tried freezing one of the balls but apparently cream cheese doesn't freeze well. You live and learn.

Here are a couple easy ones. They aren't necessarily for holidays. We eat them all year round.

Some people don't like cranberries, some people don't like carrots, but most people like:

CARROTS WITH CRANBERRIES

1 pound carrots, peeled, sliced and cooked until tender. Drain, add 1/2 c. whole berry cranberry sauce, heat and serve. The original recipe also calls for a tablespoon of butter, plus salt and pepper to taste added along with the cranberry sauce, but we go low-sodium, non-fat and I think it's just as good or better. By the way, this is best using home-made cranberry sauce, which is also very easy to do.

CRANBERRY SAUCE
Sort and rinse 1 bag (12 to 16 oz) of raw cranberries Heat together until boiling:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Add cranberries, return to boil, then put on simmer until all the berries have popped and the sauce looks like liquid garnet--15 minutes or so. I love making cranberry sauce as much for the eye feast as the stomach feast. It's such a beautiful color!
Pour into serving dish or glass jar, let cool and refrigerate until ready to use. It'll last in the fridge for weeks and weeks, if people don't eat it up much sooner. It will thicken some when it's cold, but it won't be as thick as the canned. You can make it thicker by using a bit less water, but I like it more liquid--a true sauce, not a jelly.

Donna
http://donnaparker.w4aw.org

These are really good recipes. And WW why don't you give us the recipe for the chowder recipe of your husband's. Sounds good!

If I had any idea what he put in it, I would. If he's willing to cook, I don't even GO in the kitchen! I'll see if I can find out and let you know. But I know it's not exactly the same everytime.