On Strike for Christmas (27 page)

(In Loving Memory of Don Moyle)

1. Boil the beef until you can pull the meat off the bones, about 45 minutes. Remove the meat, discard the bone, and when the meat is cool cut it into bite-size pieces. Add tomatoes, lentils, celery, and the other vegetables to broth. Add seasoning and a small amount of parsley, if available. Bring to a slow boil and simmer 2 to 3 hours. Add a couple of shots of ketchup for color and flavor.

2. Return the meat to the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of oregano.
Makes 6 to 8 servings with leftovers to spare. This soup freezes well.

(Courtesy of Dustin Patrick)

1. Crumble corn bread into a large bowl. Melt butter in a large skillet. Sauté the onion and celery until onion is tender but not brown. You may add salt and pepper and some of the sage. Add mushrooms to the sauté for the last minute or so. Add the mixture to the corn bread along with the eggs, then start adding sage and stirring. Mix well. Continue adding sage just until you can taste it. Mix in the cream of mushroom soup. Mix in the broth a little at a time until the dressing is very moist but not soupy.

2. Bake at 325° F. for 50 to 60 minutes, or use the mixture to stuff a turkey. If baking separately, stuffing is done when the top is a little crunchy but the inside is still moist.
Makes enough stuffing for a medium-sized (15- to 20-pound) turkey.

(Courtesy of Stacia Swenson)

1. Mix powdered sugar with warmed-up milk (heat opened can in a saucepan of boiling water) and margarine until smooth. Separate filling into 3 batches. Flavor and color each batch. Wrap in plastic wrap to prevent air from drying out filling when it's not being worked. Shape each batch into different forms (patties, squares, balls), making them candy-size. Put them on cookie sheets and stick them in the freezer to set until chocolate coating is ready.

2. Melt chocolate and wax together in the top of the double boiler. Chocolate is the right consistency when it pours from the spoon. If too thick, add more wax. Dip the candy forms into the chocolate and set out on foil-lined cookie sheets to cool. Pack them up in gift boxes about the size of powdered sugar boxes and store in a cool place.
Makes enough for about 6 small gift boxes (about 200 candies). You can use real chocolate chips, but it's much harder to get the chocolate to set up right when making the candies. Be prepared to use more wax.

(Courtesy of Rana French)

1. For the bottom layer, melt ½ cup butter and 1 square of chocolate in a saucepan. Blend sugar, vanilla, egg, graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and walnuts into the butter mixture.

2. Mix well and press into an ungreased baking dish, 9 × 9 × 1¾ inches. Refrigerate.

3. For the frosting, mix together the butter, milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Spread over the crumb mixture and return to the fridge to chill.

4. After it's set, spread with the melted chocolate. Lightly score the top for easier cutting. Chill again.
Makes 1 dozen squares.

(Courtesy of Carol Schmidt)

This was once a top-secret recipe that Sharon never shared with anyone until
Prevention
magazine had the nerve to leak it a couple of seasons ago. So, Sharon sends her apologies to Carol (so does Sheila) for sharing it, but there's really no point in keeping the secret anymore.

1. In a large, heavy saucepan over low heat, cook butter, sugar, and water until butter is melted. Remove from heat, add the chocolate, and stir until it is completely melted.

2. Pour the mixture into a large mixer bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool slightly. With mixer at high speed, beat in eggs 1 at a time. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, beating just until blended. Chill dough 1 hour for easier handling.

3. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 2 cookie sheets with foil. Roll dough into small (about 1-inch) balls; place them 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 13 minutes—no longer (cookies will crisp as they cool). Remove from oven and immediately place a mint over each cookie. Allow it to soften, then swirl over top. If desired, decorate with chocolate sprinkles. Remove from cookie sheets and cool. Frosting will harden once it cools.
Makes about 80. (Each contains 90 calories, but when you eat these with friends the calories only count half as much.)

1. Melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Cool. Beat eggs with a mixer for a couple of minutes, slowly adding sugar. Add peppermint extract and flour and stir until just combined. Add chocolate chips and chocolate-butter mixture.

2. Pour into greased 9- × 13-inch pan. Bake at 350° F. for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool.

3. For the frosting, combine the sugar, butter, milk, and a drop or two of food coloring. Spread over the brownies. (Note: frosting will thinly cover brownies. If you like more frosting, you may want to double the recipe.) Top with crushed peppermint candy.
Makes a couple dozen or so, depending on what size you cut the brownies.