Cranberry Cherry Nut Pie

Cranberry Nut Pie

Pie pastry for double crust pie (9 inches)

1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

2 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. 2% milk

1 Tbsp. coarse sugar

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Line a 9-inch pie plate with bottom pastry; trim to 1 in. beyond edge of plate. In a large bowl, combine the pie filling, cranberries, sugar, walnuts, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon and all spice. Spoon into crust. dot with butter.

Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Cut vents. Place pastry over filling; trim, seal and flute edges. Brush with milk; sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. cover edges with foil during the last 30 minutes to prevent over browning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack.



Valentine's Chex Mix

 

Valentine's Chex Mix

4-1/2 cups Rice Chex Cereal

1/2 cup white vanilla baking chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 Tbsp. butter

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup red, pink & white M&M's

2 Tbsp. red or pink sprinkles

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Microwave vanilla chips, peanut butter and butter, until melted. Be sure to stir every 30 seconds. This will take 1 to 1-1/2 minutes.

 

Pour cereal into a large bowl. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal and stir until evenly coated. Remove half of the cereal mixture to a large, resealable bag. Pour in powdered sugar. Close bag and shake until cereal is evenly coated. Spread onto tinfoil or wax paper until cooled, about 15 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, stir candies and sprinkles into remaining cereal mixture. Spread out on tinfoil or wax paper until cooled, about 15 minutes.

 

After both mixtures are cooled, stir all back together in a large serving bowl.

White Strawberry Lemon Sangria

White Strawberry Lemon Sangria

2 lemons, thinly sliced

1 apple, cored and sliced

1 cup strawberries, hulled & sliced lengthwise

1 750 ml bottle white wine

1/2 cup white rum

4 cups lemon-lime soda

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Add all the fruits to a large pitcher. Pour in wine and rum. Cover and refrigerate for 4-5 hours. Remove from fridge just before serving and add the lemon lime soda. 

Thin Pizza Crust

A few weeks ago, a coworker told me about this pizza crust she made. And she told me again a few days later. It sounded good, so I asked for the recipe.  It was DELISH!!! The recipe makes enough for 2 crust.I tried to mix it in my Bosch mixer, but ended up having to knead it on the counter for a few minutes. Still worth it.

Pizza Crust
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. corn starch
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. water
Pizza sauce
Pizza toppings
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Mix together, will be dry. Knead until forms ball. Make 2 balls of dough. Roll into 12-inch crust. Cover with pizza sauce and toppings. Bake at 475°  9-12 minutes.

Moist Chocolate Cake

Moist Chocolate Cake
1-1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup cocoa
approx. 3/4 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
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Cream sugar with shortening. Add eggs yolks, slightly beaten. (Save the egg whites for later.)

In a small bowl, add cocoa and then enough water to make it one cup. I added about half a cup, but after stirring the cocoa powder, I needed more water. Add 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix cocoa mixture into sugar mixture.

In another bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda. Then alternating with the milk, mix the dry ingredients into the cocoa mixture.

Beat egg yolks until stiff peaks form. Fold into cocoa mixture.

Pour into greased cake pan. Bake at 350° for 35 mins.

Pork Medallions with Cranberry Sauce

This recipe is from a Weight Watchers magazine, "Best of Five Ingredient 15 Minute Recipes". 

Pork Medallions with Cranberry Sauce
1 lb. park tenderloin, trimmed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. sage
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Cut pork crosswise into 8 pieces. Place pork between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4 inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle both sides of pork evenly with salt and pepper.

Combine cranberries, broth and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; boil 6 minutes or until berries burst and sauce is reduced to 2/3 cup. Stir in sage.

While sauce cooks, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Serve pork with cranberry sauce.

*Serving size: 2 medallions and about 3 Tbsp. sauce 5 points

Trash Mix with Worms

Trash Mix with Worms
16 oz. pkg. candy corn
16 oz. pkg. pretzels
12z. pkg. caramel popcorn with cashews
15 oz. pkg. M&M's
12 oz. pkg. gummy worms
15 oz. pkg. banana chips
15 oz. pkg. dried mango
15 oz. pkg. dried pineapple
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Stir together all ingredients. Store in airtight container.

*I didn't add all the dried fruit to mine. Also, I couldn't find enough sour gummy worms, so I used some sour gummy bears too and called them mummies.

Dripping Blood on Glasses

Blood for drinking glasses
1/4 cup honey or corn syrup
red food coloring
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Combine honey or corn syrup with food colroing in shallow pan; mix until well blended. Dip rims of gobles into mixture one at a time, coating rims. Turn upright and let stand to allow mixture to drip down sides, resembloing blood. Place paper towel around base of glasses to catch drip. Serve with drink.

Happy Hallow-Tini

Happy Hallow-Tini
1/2 cup orange juice
2 oz. raspberry-flavored rum
1/2 oz. Triple Sec
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Fill a mixing glass or tumbler three-fourths full with ice. Add the orange juice, rum and Triple Sec; stir until condensation forms on outside of glass.

Strain into two chilled cocktail glasses. Garnish with orange peel if desired. Serve immediately.

Pickeled Eyeball Punch

I couldn't find lychees, so I just followed the directions for the punch. It was a good punch, so maybe next year I order some lychees on Amazon.com and make it again.

Pickeled Eyeball Punch
24 maraschino cherries
24 whole lychees in syrup, drained
3/4 cup chilled sparkling water
3 cups chilled fruit juicy red punch
1 can (46 oz.) pineapple juice, chilled
3 cups chilled cherry 7Up
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Place 1 cheery in middle of each lychee to look like an eyeball. Place 1 lychee into each of 12 sections of 2 ice cube trays. Divide sparking water evenly among sections with lychees. Freeze at least 8 hours or until firm.

In punch bowl, stir punch, pineapple juice and 7Up. Just before serving, float ice cubes in punch.