Heart -To-Heart Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Low-fat margarine
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
3/4 cup Low-fat, low-sugar peanut butter
1 Egg
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
3 cups Flour
2 Tablespoons Low-fat milk
Food coloring, red
Flour (for rolling dough)
Vegetable spray
Jam, red, any flavor

Materials:
Large Bowl
Mixer or spoon
Rolling pin
Heart-shaped cookie cutter
Cookie sheet
Knife

Combine margarine, oil, and peanut butter in a bowl and mix well.

Add egg to peanut buttter mixture and beat well.

Add sugar, vanilla, flour, milk and red food coloring and mix well.

Chill 2 hours or more, covered.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll dough on floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness and cut out heart shapes with cookie cutter.

Place on cookie sheet sprayed with vegetable spray and bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Cool, spread with jam, and sandwich 2 cookies together.

Variation: Frost cookies with cream cheese frosting and decorate with frosting tubes.

Practical Tip: Dust cookie cutter with flour every few cuts to keep dough from sticking.

Yield: about 24 cookies, depending on the size of the cookie cutter.

I am available to teach cooking or food related subjects in your home or give presentations or classes for your organizations or groups. Contact me at the following e-mail address:
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com.

Cooking classes currently scheduled can be viewed by clicking on the “Calendar” icon.

Interactive questions, comments, suggestions, etc. can also be posted on this website.

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Heart to Heart Cookies Yum

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SWEET-SOUR BEANS AND CARROTS

2 cups Sliced carrots
4 cups Frozen green beans ? a 1# bag
4 Bacon strips, diced and fried crisp
2 medium Onions, finely chopped
2 medium Tart apples, peeled and diced
1/4 cup Cider vinegar
2 Tbl. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
Place carrots in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil. Cook, uncovered, for 4 minutes. Stir in beans. Return to a boil. Cook 5-6 minutes longer or until beans and carrots are tender. Drain.

In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towel. Remove 1/2 of the bacon drippings. Saut? onions in drippings until tender. Add apples, vinegar and salt. Mix well. Cover and cook until apples are tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in bean mixture, heat through. Sprinkle with bacon.

Yield: 8 servings

I am available to teach cooking or food related subjects in your home or give presentations or classes for your organizations or groups. Contact me at the following e-mail address:
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com.

Cooking classes currently scheduled can be viewed by clicking on the “Calendar” icon.

Interactive questions, comments, suggestions, etc. can also be posted on this website.

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Sweet-Sour Beans and Carrots Yum

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Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Sour Cream

3/4 cup Macaroni, uncooked
1/3 cup Sour cream
1 cup Grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup Milk
Paprika

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cook macaroni in boiling, salted water according to package directions until barely tender. Drain well. Return to saucepan.

Add sour cream, cheese, and milk; mix well.

Turn into a small greased baking dish; sprinkle on paprika.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Yield: 2 servings

I am available to teach cooking or food related subjects in your home or give presentations or classes for your organizations or groups. Contact me at the following e-mail address:
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com.

Cooking classes currently scheduled can be viewed by clicking on the “Calendar” icon.

Interactive questions, comments, suggestions, etc. can also be posted on this website.

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Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Sour Cream Yum

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2/3 cup Evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
32 Marshmallows (8 ounces)
1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon Peppermint extract

Combine evaporated milk, sugar, salt and marshmallows in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until marshmallows melt.

Blend in chocolate chips; stir until smooth.

Add both extracts.

Pour into buttered 8-inch square pan.

Chill.

Cut into squares.

I am available to teach cooking or food related subjects in your home or give presentations or classes for your organizations or groups. Contact me at the following e-mail address:
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com.

Cooking classes currently scheduled can be viewed by clicking on the “Calendar” icon.

Interactive questions, comments, suggestions, etc. can also be posted on this website.

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Easy Marshmallow Fudge Yum

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1 package (3 ounces) Sugar-free cherry gelatin
1 cup Boiling water
1 cup Orange juice
1 cup Diced peeled apple
1 cup Chopped celery
1/2 cup Chopped walnuts

In a bowl, dissolve gelatin in water. Add orange juice; refrigerate until partially set.

Stir in apple, celery and walnuts.

Refrigerate until firm.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutritional information:
One 1/2 cup serving equals 72 calories, 13 mg sodium, 0 cholesterol, 7 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 5 g fat.

Diabetic exchanges: 1 fat, 1/2 fruit.

I am available to teach cooking or food related subjects in your home or give presentations or classes for your organizations or groups. Contact me at the following e-mail address:
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com.

Cooking classes currently scheduled can be viewed by clicking on the “Calendar” icon.

Interactive questions, comments, suggestions, etc. can also be posted on this website.

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Ruby Gelatin Salad (good for diabetics) Yum

Servings

Servings

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HONEY-LIME FRUIT SALAD

1 1/2 cups Torn salad greens (spring mix is great)
1 cans (11 oz.) Mandarin oranges, drained
1 small *Red apple, sliced
3 Tablespoons Limeade or lemonade concentrate
3 Tablespoons Honey
3 Tablespoons Vegetable oil
1/2cup Poppy seeds

On salad plates, arrange the greens, oranges and apple. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl whisk until smooth. Pour over salads.

* To keep apples from turning brown, dip in limeade or lemonade concentrate before putting on greens.

Yield: 2 servings

I am available to teach cooking or food related subjects in your home or give presentations or classes for your organizations or groups. Contact me at the following e-mail address:
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com.

Cooking classes currently scheduled can be viewed by clicking on the “Calendar” icon.

Interactive questions, comments, suggestions, etc. can also be posted on this website.

Creative Cooking
By
Lydia Critchley

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Honey Lime Salad Yum

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Servings

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SANTA CAKE

*For cake:
Eggs
Oil
Cake Mix
Water
8″ round layer pan
9″ square layer pan
Parchment paper to line bottom of pans
Vegetable spray for pan
Glass or metal bowl to tint coconut (plastic might stain from food coloring)

1 Baked 9-inch square cake layer *cooled
1 Baked 8-inch round cake layer* cooled
8 cups Seven Minute Frosting or any white frosting
2 2/3 cups(about) Flake coconut
For coconut Red food coloring
For belt & boots Wide black licorice strips
For belt buckle Gold decorating sugar
2 Black jelly beans
2 (eyes) Black licorice laces
1 (nose) Red ring-shaped hard candy
1 mouth Large red gumdrop

Pour 3 1/4 cups prepared cake mix batter into a greased, floured (optional – parchment lined bottom) 9-inch square pan and remainder into a greased, floured (optional – parchment lined bottom) 8-inch round pan. Bake at 350? for 25 minutes for 8-inch round, 35 minutes for 9-inch square, or until cake tests done.

Cut a 9-inch circle from square cake. From this circle cut an elliptical piece, 2 inches wide at widest point.

Put Santa together using frosting to hold cake pieces in place. Cover cake completely with frosting. Tint 1 1/2 cups of the coconut red, and form Santa's suit, cap and rosy cheeks.

Add untinted coconut trimmings. Decorate with licorice and candy.

I am available to teach cooking or food related subjects in your home or give presentations or classes for your organizations or groups. Contact me at the following e-mail address:
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com.

Cooking classes currently scheduled can be viewed by clicking on the “Calendar” icon.

Interactive questions, comments, suggestions, etc. can also be posted on this website.

Creative Cooking
By
Lydia Critchley

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Santa Cake Yum

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FRUITED EGGNOG BREAD

2 3/4 cups Flour
3/4 cup Sugar
1 Tbl. Baking powder (I use Rumford brand)
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1 1/2 cups Eggnog
1/4 cup Margarine melted
1 Egg, beaten
2 Tbl. Rum or brandy
3/4 cup Chopped nuts
3/4 cup Dried fruit/raisins and or dates

4 Small loaf pans
Spray vegetable oil
Large toothpicks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 1 large or 4 small loaf pans.

In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Stir in eggnog, margarine, egg and rum or brandy just until flour is moistened. Mixture will be lumpy.

Fold in nuts and dried fruit. Spread in pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour for a large pan, 25 to 30 minutes for small pans. Remove from pans and place on coolling racks on a cookie sheet. Place in hot hot oven for 10 minutes to dry sides of the breads. Remove from oven. Cool and wrap. These breads can be frozen, after being baked and cooled, for serving at a later time

Yield: 1 large or 4 small loaves
I am available to teach cooking or food related subjects in your home or give presentations or classes for your organizations or groups. Contact me at the following e-mail address:
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com.

Cooking classes currently scheduled can be viewed by clicking on the “Calendar” icon.

Interactive questions, comments, suggestions, etc. can also be posted on this website.

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Fruited Egg Nog Bread Yum

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DADDY LONGLEGS

1/4 cup Peanut butter
1/4 cup Powdered sugar
1/4 cup Chocolate milk powder
32 Chow mein noodles
Tablespoon
Teaspoon

Mix together the peanut butter and powdered sugar. Roll 1 tablespoon of this dough into a ball for the spider body and 1 teaspoon of dough into a ball for the spider head. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Place the chocolate milk powder in a bowl, and roll all dough balls in it. Attach heads to bodies by pressing together.

Place 4 chow mein noodles in each side of the spiders for legs.

Yield: 4 spiders

I am available to teach cooking or food related subjects in your home or give presentations or classes for your organizations or groups. Contact me at the following e-mail address:
creativecook@creativecookingbylydia.com.

Cooking classes currently scheduled can be viewed by clicking on the “Calendar” icon.

Interactive questions, comments, suggestions, etc. can also be posted on this website.

Creative Cooking
By
Lydia Critchley

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Daddy Longlegs Yum

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Servings

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