DOB offers a recipe

DOB: Sometime you should make French Onion Soup.

QOC: I don't know how. But I will try to learn sometime.

DOB: It's easy. You just take some soup, and put in onions. And then you add the French seasoning.

QOC: Aah, I see.

Cranberries Anyone?

For our client Christmas party the centerpieces were large glass bowls with floating cranberries and roses. By now you probably get where this post is going. ;-) I ended up with two large boxes of fresh cranberries. And no ideas for what to do with them. For the time being they are frozen....in hopes that I will find something to use them in. Suggestions?

Chicken That's Special

Alison S. asked me about a chicken and rice dish and I immediately thought of this family favorite, so I thought it might be a good idea to post it here in case the rest of you are interested. I'm not sure where the recipe came from, but my mom's been making it for years. It's delicious!

Chicken That's Special

Ingredients:
1) 3-4 chicken breasts
2) 1 can of cream of chicken soup
3) 1/2 cup mayonnaise
4) 1 tsp lemon juice
5) 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
6) 1 Tbs Margarine or butter
7) 1/2 grated cheese

Mix ingredients 2-4 and pour over ingredient chicken. Combine margarine/butter with crumbs and brown. Sprinkle top of chicken dish with cheese and top with browned crumbs.

Bake 30 min at 350ºF.

Serve over cooked rice.

SPICED PUMPKIN LOAVES WITH WHIPPED CREAM

From my friend Amy

4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin
2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 cups raisins
1 cup chopped pecans
Lightly sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil two 9 1/4 x 5 1/4 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pans. Dust pans with flour. Sift first 6 ingredients into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat pumpkin and next 4 ingredients in another large bowl to blend. Beat in dry ingredients just until blended. Stir in raisins and pecans. Transfer batter to prepared loaf pans.
Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, covering breads loosely with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Transfer pans to rack. Cool 15 minutes. Remove breads from pans. Cool slightly. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Wrap in foil. Store at room temperature. Before continuing, rewarm in 350°F oven 15 minutes.)
Serve breads warm with cream. Makes 2 loaves.