Chocolate Drizzled Cherry Bars

We clipped this recipe from a package of Land O’Lakes Unsalted Butter. We haven’t tried it yet, but how you can go wrong with this combination of ingredients?

Makes 36 bars

Crumb Mixture:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1-1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened

Filling:

• 1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling
• 1 tsp. almond extract

Drizzle:

• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 Tbsp. shortening

Heat oven to 350F. Combine all crumb mixture ingredients in a large bowl. Beat at low speed until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1-1/2 cups crumb mixture; press remaining crumb mixture into bottom of ungreased 13×9-inch baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned.

Meanwhile, combine all filling ingredients in the same bowl. Spread filling over hot, partially baked crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Continue baking for 27 to 32 minutes or until lightly browned.

Melt chocolate chips and shortening in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth (2 to 3 minutes). Drizzle over bars. Cool completely; cut into rectangles, diamonds, or squares.

Jim’s Turkey Chili

Jim created this recipe after combing through a few of our many cookbooks for inspiration for a good chili recipe. He combined what he considered the best of each one into a new recipe of his own. It’s become one of our favorite go-to dinners. With less liquid, it would also make an excellent Chili Con Carne dip to serve with chips.

This is a very flavorful chili that’s even better the next day after the flavors have a chance to blend. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

(Approximately 6 servings)

• About 20 oz. ground turkey
• 1 medium to large onion, chopped
• 2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes (UNDRAINED)
• 2 15-oz. cans kidney beans (DRAINED)
• 2-4 Tbsp. chili powder (adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/3 to 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Olive oil for frying

Brown meat, onion, and garlic in enough olive oil to cover bottom of pan. Add spices and chocolate chips and mix together until all ingredients are well blended.

Add tomatoes (undrained) and beans (drained) along with 1 can of water.

Heat thoroughly over medium heat, about 15-20 minutes, stirring often.

Serve with pasta or rice and a green salad full of raw veggies for a healthy, hearty meal. It’s even better the next day!

Quick Dill Potatoes

These yummy potatoes are similar to mashed potatoes, but much easier and more flavorful. Instead of mashing the potatoes, you simply stir them with a little cream when they are done cooking. If you don’t have cream on hand, a use the same amount of milk with a little butter. This is a great company dish! Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.

Serves 4

• 2-1/2 cups cubed pared potatoes (I use 5-6 small red potatoes)
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup light cream (I use 1/2 milk and about 1 Tbsp. butter)
• Dried dillweed
• Black pepper

In a saucepan with 1/3 cup boiling water, add the potatoes, onion, and salt. Cover and cook about 15 minutes.

Add light cream (or milk and butter); simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (potatoes will be creamy with lumps). Sprinkle with dried dillweed and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Fruit Dip

I was searching for a fruit dip to serve with the fresh fruit I took for the Christmas buffet. I found lots of recipes using marshmallow cream, cream cheese, Cool Whip, or a combination of them. Then, I found a recipe in my collection I forgot I’d saved — it calls for sour cream and brown sugar. I wanted a healthy version, so I used low-fat plain yogurt and added some of the favorite flavors of the season to taste. So dig in… er, dip in, and enjoy this tasty low-fat delight with a selection of your favorite fresh fruit. It’s particularly good with apple slice and orange slices.

Makes about 2 cups

• 2 cups plain yogurt (regular or low-fat), strained
• 4 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. cinnamon (to taste)
• 1/2 tsp. grated orange zest (to taste)
• Finely chopped walnuts

Strain liquid from the yogurt by spooning it into a coffee filter placed in a strainer over a bowl or cup. Allow liquid to drain in the refrigerator for an hour or more until the yogurt is the desired consistency.

Mix the strained yogurt with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest. Adjust amounts to taste.

Pour dip into small serving bowl. Sprinkle finely chopped walnuts on top; sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon. Serve chilled, and enjoy!

Chunky Applesauce

I offered to take applesauce to serve alongside the pork loin my mom served for Thanksgiving dinner this year. She suggested a chunky applesauce and I thought it would be nice to make it myself for this special dinner. Having never made it before, I did my usual on-line recipe hunt and also checked a few of our cookbooks on the shelves. Finally, I decided to create my own recipe. I chose apples on the sweet side to eliminate the need for added sugar, but I added just a little brown sugar for flavor. The result was delicious! It was a big hit and a perfect side for the delicious pork loin.

I plan to make it again and experiment with different types of apples and amounts of sugar, just to see how they affect the outcome — however, I think this recipe is a winner just as it is.

In addition to being a delicious side dish for pork, applesauce also makes a delicious topping for pancakes or hot oatmeal, or served warm over vanilla ice cream. For low-fat baking, it can be substituted for equal parts fat in any baking recipe (example: replace 1/2 cup oil with 1/2 cup applesauce). And when it’s done cooking, strain the remaining liquid for a delicious glass of apple juice!

Makes 4 cups

• 8 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Fill a large bowl with water and add the lemon juice.

Peel, core, and chop the apples into bite-size chunks. As you chop each apple, put them in the bowl of water to prevent browning. When all the apples are chopped, measure out 1/2 cup water and set aside. Dispose of the remaining water.

Put the apple chunks into a crock pot. Add the 1/2 cup water, and sprinkle the brown sugar on top.

Set the crock pot to HIGH setting and cook for 2-1/2 hours.

Remove the apples with a slotted spoon, preserving the liquid in the crock pot. Mash the apples with a potato masher until they are the desired consistency. If you want a chunkless applesauce, continue mashing until there are no chunks.

Add the cinnamon and mix well. Allow to cool, then refrigerate or serve immediately.