Family favorites
I love making appetizers and this one quickly became a favorite. My niece Kelly, and her man Jack, hosted a Christmas party for everyone and I brought these. I really like that I was able to make them partially ahead of time and then just slice and bake before the party. These are great warm or at room temperature. The puff pastry really gives them a nice crispy bite.
INGREDIENTS
1 box frozen puff pastry (2 sheets) thawed in the refrigerator, overnight is best.
3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided
12 thin slices of deli ham
2 cups freshly grated gruyere cheese
DIRECTIONS
Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on your counter. I used two sheets to create a large space. Unfold the first sheet of puff pastry in the center of the plastic then roll into a 10 x 12-inch rectangle. Spread with 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the mustard leaving a 1 inch border around the sides. Sprinkle the cheese over the mustard. Lay 6 slices of the ham over the top overlapping as needed. Starting on the long side, roll the puff pastry into a log, Trim the ends so they are even, then tightly wrap the log with the plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes or overnight. Repeat with the second puff pastry sheet . When you are ready to cook pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a
Enjoy!
I made this Christmas Potpourri Mix last year when we hosted a family Christmas party. Everyone that walked through the door commented on how awesome the house smelled. What they did not know at the time was that I made them each a gift bag with all of the ingredients so they could make their house smell like the holidays! This makes a great hostess gift if you are going to any holiday parties.
INGREDIENTS
1 whole orange, sliced in rounds 
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 Tablespoon whole cloves
3-4 sticks of cinnamon
Pinch of grated nutmeg
DIRECTIONS
Place all of the ingredients in a saucepan, add 3 cups of water. Place the burner on low and refill the water as needed. Don’t let the water completely burn off!!!
Enjoy!
My Mom, Lydia, and her Mom, my grandmother, has also been making these cookies for years. They have always been a favorite for so many people as we have given them out in cookie trays to friends, co-workers, and neighbors. This year I decided this would be part of my gift giving. These are easy enough even if you are like me and don’t care too much for baking. These are rich with that caramel goodness with a little crunch from the nuts. I made them without the cream of tartar for a softer caramel but if you want them with a bit more crunch go ahead and add the cream of tartar in at the same time you add the vanilla.
INGREDIENTS
35 (about) graham cracker squares
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (I used pecans)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar-optional
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange graham cracker in a single layer on an ungreased 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly roll pan. (I lined my pan with non-stick tin foil).
Heat brown sugar and butter until boiling, stir until well combined. Remove from heat stir in vanilla and cream of tartar if you are using it. Pour over the graham cracker covering all of them. Sprinkle the nuts evenly over the top. Bake until bubbly 8 – 10 minutes. Cool slightly and cut into squares. Using a spatula and a fork remove the squares onto non-stick tin foil. Be careful as the topping is still hot. Let cool completely.
Enjoy!
These little mini muffins truly taste like a pecan pie! You can’t eat just one of these. As a matter of fact when they were cooling and before I had taken some pictures I could not keep Jim away from them. He grabbed one, sat down and no sooner had he sat down he was back in the kitchen grabbing a couple more! These would be great with your Christmas morning cup of coffee or a sweet treat after dinner. No matter when you have them they will quickly become a favorite.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter and set aside to cool completely. In a large bowl combine the brown sugar, flour, and pecans. When the butter is completely cool, combine the butter and eggs, stir into the sugar mixture and combine.
Fill a greased mini muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from mini muffin pan and continue to cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy!
This is another recipe I adapted for Robby. Let’s face it, soup season is here and everyone loves a bowl of warm hearty soup. Although this was made for Robby we all enjoyed this soup, the broth is simply delicious. If you want it a little richer and you can have dairy you could add about 1/4 cup of heavy cream! I used a gluten-free “hot” sausage as we wanted that punch of flavor, but you can use any sausage you like. The sausage and potatoes make this a hearty dish on our New England winter days.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons garlic infused olive oil
1 lb. uncooked gluten-free sausage (I used a hot sausage)
6 cups organic gluten-free chicken bone broth
1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes, diced
2-3 cups baby spinach leaves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 Teaspoon chicken base such as Better Than Broth (I used a gluten-free base)
DIRECTIONS
Heat infused olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the sausage and brown until cooked through. I tried not to break up the sausage too much as I wanted sausage bites to be in there. Add the chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender about 15 minutes. Stir in spinach and red pepper flakes. Cook until spinach is wilted. Add the chicken base and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
Enjoy!
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