For some people, cooking turkey is something that they do every month or every couple of months just because they cannot get enough of that taste. But for a lot of people, the hassles of cooking turkey are simply saved for Thanksgiving, and for even a smaller amount of people, for Christmas.

The reason for most people probably saving the task of cooking turkey for the holidays is because of the expense. The cost of a turkey is not cheap by any means for those who are on fixed incomes or that have a tight budget. If the cost of cooking turkey were not so steep, then more in likely there would be a lot more people purchasing these birds throughout the year.

Also, there may be another big reason that people tend to hold off cooking a turkey for the holidays and that is because how everyone says that it is so hard to prepare and to cook. But that is simply not that true if you really know what you are doing when cooking turkey.

There is not actually a lot of preparation that must be down to cook a turkey but it does take a long time to cook, several hours in fact. But when you think about it, while a turkey is cooking, you are not standing there staring at the oven because you are busy doing other things. So, the oven actually has a bigger job than you do so maybe you should try cooking turkey more then once a year.

Hints on Finding Recipes

The best way to find some recipes that you know you will like and that you know that your family will like is by talking with some relatives. Think about where you have had a great Thanksgiving dinner or who used to make it all and talk to them about sharing their recipes. This is an excellent way to find recipes and little tricks of the trade that you could never find anywhere else. Just know, that you are not the only one in the family who has experience in cooking a turkey so go ahead and use their knowledge and see how it comes out.

If you really never liked the recipes that other people in your family have followed, then you may want to consider making your own. If you are handy and creative in the kitchen, you may be able to come up with your own recipe to share with others. If you lack that sense of cooking knowledge and experience, you can always turn to the World Wide Web for suggestions and full-fledged recipes on cooking turkey. There are thousands, if not more, for cooking turkey at any given time. Just do a search and see what you find – you may be very surprised.

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At Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holiday meals, stuffing traditionally has a starring role.  This traditional dish made of cubed bread, seasonings, and vegetables has been a staple at American holiday tables for as long as anyone can remember.

If you don’t eat meat, though, you’re usually left out of enjoying the stuffing.  Since traditional stuffing is made with chicken or turkey broth and often baked right inside of the bird along with the giblets, it’s off-limits (and downright unappealing) to vegetarians.

However, vegetarian stuffing is just as easy to make as traditional stuffing, and some would say it’s even tastier than the original!  There are plenty of ways to make vegetarian stuffing and plenty of ways to customize it to your individual tastes and the ingredients that you have on hand.  Vegetarian stuffing doesn’t lose any points for taste as a result of being baked outside of the bird, and it can be extremely creative and unique.

Options for Different Budgets and Levels of Cooking Skill

You can go a number of ways when you are making vegetarian stuffing, from the extremely low-budget to the complicated gourmet method.  On the low-budget end of the scale is dehydrated vegetarian stuffing that’s sold in a large box or bag and only requires hot water and some margarine to make.  Buying instant vegetarian stuffing definitely requires attention to detail when you are reading the label, since they often contain meat products or meat stock.

If you would prefer to start from scratch and make your own gourmet vegetarian stuffing, plenty of recipes can be found either online or in vegetarian cookbooks.  These range from the very simple bread and celery route to the creative gourmet recipes containing such exotic ingredients as shiitake mushrooms, pine nuts, kale, and wild rice.  The type of recipe that you choose will depend largely on your cooking skill and your budget. 

If you can’t afford to buy expensive and exotic ingredients, there’s no need to worry.  You can spice up the inexpensive instant stuffing with some apples and walnuts, or use fresh sage and a good-quality cooking wine to make your vegetarian stuffing.  With a few modifications and creative seasoning tricks, your guests will never suspect that you actually started with dried bread crumbs in a bag!

Vegetarian stuffing can be as simple or as complex as you would like it to be.  You can make it on the stovetop or bake it in a casserole dish.  You can even use it to stuff a tofu turkey!  The greatest thing about vegetarian stuffing is that it’s very customizable; you can take any stuffing recipe and easily turn it into your signature vegetarian stuffing.

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Getting together for the holidays is one of the greatest joys of family life.  Even if you plan to gather for Thanksgiving with people who are not technically related to you, it seems like everyone becomes family over Thanksgiving dinner.  If you are planning to make this Thanksgiving a meat-free one, you should start stocking up early on excellent vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes.

Whether you are serving for a crowd composed exclusively of vegetarians or if you have a mix of meat eaters and vegetarians, vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes are sure to please your guests.  You can go with the more traditional vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes of mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and yeast rolls alongside a main dish of tofu turkey, or you can make your Thanksgiving a little less traditional with the creative use of vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes.

Unusual Vegetarian Thanksgiving Foods

To make your Thanksgiving more contemporary and less like the turkey-laden holidays of yore, try serving some new and exciting vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes that aren’t usually seen on the Thanksgiving table.  Stuffed peppers are a great choice for Thanksgiving or any holiday.  You can use TVP, soy sausage, or lentils as the base, then add some cooked rice, tomato sauce, and delicious spices to halved and seeded peppers.  Then just bake, covered with foil, at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes or until the peppers are easily pierced with a fork.

Curried lentils served inside a hollowed-out pumpkin is one of those vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes that looks almost traditional, but with a very modern twist.  This dish makes a stunning presentation on your table and is definitely not the bland kid food that your parents used to serve!  You can even substitute vegetarian stew or soup for the curried lentils.

Side dishes are a must on any list of vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes.  They can make or break a meal!  Some excellent vegetarian side dishes are baked onions, vegetarian apple walnut stuffing, and garlic-crusted Brussels sprouts.  Bread is an ever-important part of any Thanksgiving dinner, and a fresh loaf of French bread is just the thing to soak up all of that vegetarian gravy.

Some of the more adventurous vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes you might want to try out are tofu turkey or seitan ribs.  These are both vegan dishes that take a little time to prepare, but they yield amazing results.  These foods can make your guests wish that every Thanksgiving was a vegetarian Thanksgiving!

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It comes around every year and yet, no one is ever really prepared for the hassle and stress that seems to come along with cooking thanksgiving turkey. In fact, there are women who have been in charge of cooking the thanksgiving turkey for 20 years and yet still, without fail, they get stressed and always seem to be running to the store for the last minute things they forget to buy.

You would think that after so many times, that most people would have it down pat but it may not be cause of a lack in cooking skills but rather something else. Most of the time the person who in charge of cooking thanksgiving turkey is more stressed about making everyone’s holiday picture perfect, than his or her abilities in the kitchen.

The best thing to do is to start preparing for this event a couple weeks in advance and go over your list of things to buy over and over again to make sure that there are not any last minutes items that are needed when all of the stores are closing down. Cooking thanksgiving turkey does not have to be stressful at all as long as you have everything that you need, you allow yourself plenty of time to prepare things, and you follow the directions completely. When all of that is done, cooking thanksgiving turkey will be a breeze.

How to Cook

For those who have been cooking thanksgiving turkey for many years, knowing how to cook it is not a problem they are going to have unless they are in search of a new recipe. But for those who have only been cooking thanksgiving turkey for a couple of years, or maybe this is even their first time, seeking advice early on is the best thing to do. There are many different techniques that are used when cooking thanksgiving turkey so you may want to turn to an elder in your family line to see how they used to prepare theirs.

But for those where that is simply not an option, doing a little bit of research on the Internet will open up an entire world of recipes for cooking thanksgiving turkey. Often times, these different recipes were tried by others just like you and then they come back on and rate the recipe or give ideas on what could be better. As long as you give yourself enough time to start searching for the best recipes on cooking thanksgiving turkey, you should not have any problem at all.

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If you enjoy tasty cooked pumpkin seeds there are a couple of basic procedures you can easily utilize. Let’s take a look at easy ways to roast them in the oven as well as cooking them in the microwave. When you are looking for a snack, cooked pumpkin seeds are a good choice.

In the Oven

After you have acquired your pumpkin seeds you need some cooking spray, some olive oil or you can use butter if you desire. Some people choose to add some salt, onion powder, garlic powder, seasoned salt as well as other types of seasonings for cooking pumpkin seeds. Before you cook the seeds rinse them thoroughly and take off the pulp with your fingers. Drain them good and then spread them on some quality paper towels and allow them to dry out overnight. It’s a good idea to place some foil on your baking sheet.

Toss the seeds with some olive oil or butter or spray them with a cooking spray. You can add some salt to the pumpkin seeds as well as other types of seasonings. Take your time while tossing the seeds in order to get a good coating on the seeds. For cooking pumpkin seeds it’s recommended to cook them in a 250 degrees Fahrenheit oven for approximately an hour and it’s a good idea to toss them about every 15 to 20 minutes. Typically they will have a golden brown color when they are done. After cooking pumpkin seeds, allow them to cool off before consuming them. Keep the seeds in an airtight container and enjoy them when you want a tasty snack.

Microwave

For two cups of pumpkin seeds use about two tablespoons of olive oil or butter and you might want to add some flavor to the pumpkin seeds by adding some salt, onion powder, garlic powder or other types of seasonings. As with any type of method for cooking pumpkin seeds, rinse them thoroughly and remove the pulp and let the pumpkin seeds dry on a paper towel overnight.

When you are ready for cooking pumpkin seeds, put the olive oil or the butter in a baking dish that is safe for microwaves. Heat the pan on high for about 30 seconds and then place the pumpkin seeds in the pan and toss them around to get a good coating on the seeds. While cooking pumpkin seeds in a microwave oven, cook them on high for seven to eight minutes and they should have a light golden appearance when they are done. After they have been cooked, add the salt or garlic powder or other seasonings. Cooking pumpkin seeds is easy to do and they make great snacks.

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Grandma’s Well Loved Method

One of the classic methods of cooking ham involves boiling the ham in water prior to baking it.  This method for cooking ham is healthy for a couple of reasons: first, if you change the water halfway through the boiling part of the process you can remove much of the salt and nitrates present in the meat.  Secondly, this method lets you cook the meat without the addition of any fats or sweeteners, and the longer cooking time makes the ham more flavorful and moist.

If you would like to try cooking ham by boiling and then baking, start off with a large pot.  It should be of a size that will allow the ham to fit snugly but not be too crowded.  Cover it with liquid of your choice: usually its plain water with some herbs and seasonings, but you can experiment with wine, cola, or fruit juice added to the water for some interesting taste combinations.

You’ll then bring the liquid to a boil gradually, and when it begins to boil reduce the heat to simmering.  Cover the pot and continue cooking ham for 20-25 minutes per pound.  Test the ham for doneness with a meat thermometer.  It should register 155 degrees Fahrenheit when it’s ready for the heat to be turned off.

After it’s done cooking, ham will continue to develop its flavor for a while, so leave it in the cooking liquid for an hour or two.  Then, remove the ham and score the surface of the meat with a sharp knife.  You can either cover the ham with a glaze or just poke whole cloves into the surface to add flavor.  You may also want to add pineapple rings, but this is a matter of personal taste.  Then bake in a roasting pan at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes or until it’s nicely brown.

This method of cooking ham has been used for many generations.  It’s a simple, yet delicious way of cooking ham that your entire family is sure to love.

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(ARA) – The holiday baking frenzy is in full swing. Get out your measuring cups and a mixing bowl — with a few helpful tips and these fool-proof recipes, your baking endeavors are sure to be a delicious success.

Award-winning pastry chef Mindy Segal, owner of HotChocolate restaurant in Chicago, shares her favorite holiday recipe for Gingersnap Cookies. Five different spices, including a pinch of pepper and a generous dose of ginger, give these buttery little cookies a flavorful kick.

Coffee lovers will enjoy the Whole-Wheat Caramel Lattes. This thumbprint cookie has a rich dough with hints of coffee, a caramel filling and is topped with a chocolate-covered coffee bean.

Before the baking begins, here are some tips to help deliver tasty results:

* Baking is a science; the more accurate your ingredient measurements, the better your end product.

* Never use spreads or margarine to replace butter in a recipe. Spreads contain less fat and more water than butter and will not perform the same.

* Keep your cookie dough chilled in between baking batches. Only work with one small piece of dough at a time; keep remaining dough in the refrigerator.

* Prevent cookies from sticking to baking sheets by covering sheets with a layer of parchment paper or greasing the sheet with butter.

* Cookies turn out best when the dough is placed on cool cookie sheets.

* Store soft cookies in a container with a tight lid, and crisp cookies in a container with a loose lid.

Visit www.ButterIsBest.com for more baking tips and delicious holiday cookie recipes made with real butter. Here are some tasty recipes you may want to try:

* Gingersnap Cookies (Makes 4 dozen cookies)
by Chef Mindy Segal

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, cream butter and dark brown sugar; add molasses and beat until blended. Add egg and mix until combined.

Combine flour, baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon and ginger, cloves, nutmeg and pepper in a separate bowl; add to butter mixture and mix well.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, then roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place dough on parchment-lined cookie sheets.

Bake 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to one week.

* Whole Wheat Caramel Lattes (Makes 3 dozen cookies)

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup café mocha instant coffee crystals
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
18 caramels
1 tablespoon heavy cream
42 chocolate-covered coffee beans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and instant coffee crystals together until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until blended. Combine flours in a separate bowl and add to butter mixture; mix well.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls, and place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Press thumb into cookie center. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until cookies begin to brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.

In a small saucepan over low heat, heat caramels and cream; stirring frequently. Using a teaspoon, drop melted caramel into each thumbprint, placing a chocolate-covered coffee bean on caramel immediately.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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TOPPING:

1 tbsp. butter or margarine

1/3 cup Fancy Molasses

1/4 cup sugar

6 slices pineapple

6 maraschino cherries

CAKE BATTER:

1/3 cup shortening

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup Fancy Molasses

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. each ginger and cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 egg

1/2 cup sour milk

Place butter in a 9″ square pan or casserole dish, melt, add molasses and sugar. Over this arrange pineapple and cherries.

CAKE PART: Cream shortening, sugar and baking soda. Add Fancy Molasses. Stir in 1/4 of sifted dry ingredients. Beat in egg. Add remaining flour and sour milk alternately. Beat until smooth. Pour over pineapple and spread to corners. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes, turn out upside down.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

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(NC)-Create a simple, mouth-watering chutney with all the healthy goodness of wild blueberries for your holiday table. Use in place of your favourite relish – it’s ideal with roast turkey, duck, goose, pork, venison or broiled meats such as chicken and beef – as an accompaniment to a festive Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner or as a topping for turkey or chicken sandwiches. Or, serve as an appetizer by topping a small wheel of brie with chutney, bake in a 350?F (180?C) oven and serve with crackers or bread.

Wild blueberry chutney

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (125ml) raspberry vinegar

1 teaspoon minced lemon rind

1/2 cup (100g) sugar

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 medium onion, minced

Pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh minced ginger

3 cups (450g) wild blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup (100g) cranberries (dried)

Combine the vinegar, sugar, onion, ginger, cinnamon, lemon, pepper and salt in a saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes. Add 1 cup (150g) of wild blueberries, and the cranberries. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining 2 cups (300g) blueberries and simmer another 10 minutes. Yields about 1 cup. Additional recipes and more information are available at www.wildblueberries.com.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

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Enjoying the warmth of the kitchen and the aromas of holiday cooking are some of the most cherished holiday moments of the season. Before receiving guests and family at your holiday dinner table, pull out your recipe books and add the following holiday baking tips and an easy chocolate truffle recipe to your repertoire. You’ll wow your guests and make your holiday cooking and baking that much easier. Here are the top holiday baking tips for baking and cooking success:1. Test Run – If you’re trying a new recipe be sure to make it once beforehand, before making large quantities for guests and family. This way you’ll have enough time to make adjustments as needed.

2. Chocolate 101 – If you’re working with chocolate this holiday season, remember that chocolate tends to absorb other food flavours, so store it away from strong smelling foods, such as onions or cheese. When melting chocolate, use indirect heat to avoid burning it. One of the best methods to melt chocolate is to break it up into small pieces and place in a stainless steel bowl on top of a simmering sauce pan of water, and stir constantly.

3. Fresh is Best – For great flavour, use the freshest ingredients available. If using dried spices remember that spices lose their potency and freshness within six months to a year from the date they are first opened so check your spice rack and see if you need to re-stock.

4. Maximize Flavour – To further maximize their sweet flavour, serve desserts (including baked goods, cooked fruit desserts, puddings, custards and flans) at room temperature rather than chilled. Even frozen desserts will taste sweeter if served slightly softened.

5. Crisp and Chewy – To keep soft holiday cookies and desserts chewy, store them in an airtight container with a slice of bread or apple, which will help moisten the cookies. To keep crisp cookies crisp store them in a can.

More easy, delicious recipes and baking tips are available online at www.splenda.ca.

Chocolate Splenda Truffles

Makes: 60 truffles

Preparation time: 15 minutes and 20 minutes to roll into truffles

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup dark non sweetened chocolate chips (310 mL)

2/3 cup 15% cream (160 mL)

3 tsp Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granular (15 ml)

1/4 cup butter (60 mL)

1/4 cup raisins (60 mL)

1 tbsp orange zest (15 ml)

Enough cocoa for dredging

Directions

Place chocolate in large bowl. Bring cream, Splenda, butter, raisins and zest to a boil. Slowly pour hot cream mixture over chocolate and stir until smooth. Let cool in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours. Shape mixture into small balls and dredge in cocoa.

Nutritional Information:Amount per Serving:Serving Size: 3 small truffles

. Total Calories: 150

. Calories from Fat: 110. Total Fat: 12 g. Saturated Fat: 8 g

. Cholesterol: 10 mg

. Sodium: 20 mg

. Total Carbohydrates: 8 g

. Fibre : 3 g

. Sugars: 2 g. Protein: 3 gCredit: www.newscanada.com

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As the holiday shopping season gears up this year, wouldn’t it be great if you could find meaningful gifts that show you care not only about the recipient, but about the environment and your neighbors around the world?

You can, if you purchase a Fair Trade Certified product. What does that mean? It means that in the true spirit of the holidays, you are helping improve the lives of the farmers who grew the coffee or tea, or the craftsman who made that beautiful bowl.

Historically, profits from those products, generally grown in developing countries, seldom find their way back to the farmers and communities that produce them. But Fair Trade Certified products bypass local middlemen, guarantee a living wage for producers, and eliminate labor abuses. As a result, families of Fair Trade producers are more stable, children have better access to education and communities are enriched.

In addition, agreements guarantee a safe workplace, the right to unionize, and a fair price that not only covers the cost of quality production, but also facilitates social development and environmental protection. One of the requirements of fair trade certification, in fact, is that farmers stop using toxic sprays and switch to organic methods that protect the rain forest. They are not doing so grudgingly either. They understand the rain forest is their heritage and want it to be restored.

Vanilla, a key holiday baking ingredient, became available as a Fair Trade Certified product earlier this past year. This premium vanilla is produced by small farmers in the shadow of Bangalore, India’s fastest-growing city. Those growers now have an opportunity to further develop their production with responsible farming practices. In addition to this premium vanilla, Frontier Natural Products Co-op offers more than three dozen other Fair Trade Certified products — most of them also certified organic — including baking mixes, cocoa powder, a cocoa drink mix and a wide selection of teas.

Fair Trade products are widely available at grocery stores, specialty health food outlets, online and even through local Fair Trade gift markets. Putting together a gift basket that contains Fair Trade ingredients lets someone special know how much you care about them while shopping responsibly.

For more information on Fair Trade or to purchase Fair Trade Certified vanilla, cocoa and teas, go to www.frontiercoop.com/fairtrade.

And for those of you who want to show off your cooking skills in a socially responsible way, here’s a delicious example of using Fair Trade ingredients for frosting holiday cookies or cakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons Fair Trade Certified Vanilla Extract
4 cups Fair Trade Certified Powdered Sugar

Preparation:
In a medium mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to blend the cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Slowly add in the powdered sugar. Mix until creamy. Can be used immediately or cover and refrigerate until use.

Makes approximately 2 cups frosting.

Nutrition Facts:
As prepared, each serving contains 140 calories, 6 g of fat, 15 mg of cholesterol, 30 mg of sodium, 22 g of carbohydrates and 1 g of protein.

Ease of Preparation: Easy
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: None

Chef Suggests:
Place frosting in plastic sandwich or freezer bag, snip off corner and squeeze to decorate cookies and cakes.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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More Than a Million Americans will Bake with Organic Pumpkin this Thanksgiving

(ARA) – What would the holidays be without pumpkin pie? It’s an American tradition and it may be hard to imagine how one could improve on such a classic dessert.

This year, why not make your pumpkin pie as close as possible to the way the pilgrims made it hundreds of years ago? By using organic pumpkin, you can give your family the pure, rich taste and wholesomeness the settlers enjoyed on that very first Thanksgiving.

As per capita pumpkin consumption rises (25 percent since 2003 according to the United States Department of Agriculture), demand for organic pumpkin is also increasing. At Corvallis, Ore.-based Farmer’s Market Foods, sales of organic pumpkin have risen 60 percent annually for the past three years.

“More and more consumers are cooking with organic pumpkin because of its pure, rich taste and abundance of nutritional benefits,” says Tracy Miedema of Farmer’s Market Foods. “This year’s Thanksgiving feasts will include a record number of pies baked with organic pumpkin. We’ve been tracking this growing trend, and it’s not one we see slowing down any time soon.”

Farmer’s Market Organic Pumpkin and Organic Pumpkin Pie Mix contain no fat, trans fats or cholesterol, and are excellent sources of fiber and the disease-fighting antioxidant beta-carotene. Each half-cup serving of organic pumpkin contains 50 calories, 10 grams of carbohydrates and 6mg of sodium. The organic pumpkin pie mix contains 100 calories per one-half cup serving, 25 grams of carbohydrates and no sodium.

Start a new holiday tradition with Thanksgiving Morning Organic Pumpkin Muffins:

Thanksgiving Morning Organic Pumpkin Muffins

Farmer’s Market recommends using certified organic ingredients whenever possible for best flavor and nutrition.

2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3 eggs
1 can Farmer’s Market Organic Pumpkin
3/4 cup oil
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts

Cinnamon /Sugar Topping
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice and cloves. In a separate bowl, beat eggs until well combined. Add pumpkin and stir to combine. Add oil gradually, stirring to mix well. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix. Do not over-mix. Add raisins and walnuts, stirring just to combine.

Fill 12 large muffin cups or 16 mini-muffin cups 3/4 full or two mini-loaf pans and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon/sugar topping to make tops hard and crunchy.
Bake for 30 minutes or until tops are firm.

To receive a free booklet of organic recipes, “The Farmer’s Market Collection: Above and Beyond,” e-mail recipebooklet@farmersmarketfoods.com. Type “recipe booklet” in the subject line and include your name and address in the body of the message. Or mail a letter or postcard with your name and address to: The Farmer’s Market Collection, Farmer’s Market Foods, P.O. Box 817, Corvallis, OR 97339-0817.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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For parents trying to keep kids on track to develop healthy eating habits, the holidays can be as frustrating as that granddaddy of all bad eating days, Halloween. Sugar-filled chocolate Santas and holiday cookies, starchy stuffing and fat-filled mashed potatoes all can conspire to derail parents’ best efforts and intentions.

“Eliminating sweets and starches from our holiday fare probably isn’t practical for most of us,” says Holly Clegg, cookbook author and spokesperson for the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission. “But it’s easy to prepare healthful, festive holiday meals that will also please your child’s sweet tooth. Turn to the sweet potato for inspiration.”

Yams for the holidays are an American tradition. Native Americans were cultivating yams when Columbus arrived, and sweet potatoes were almost certainly on the menu for the very first Thanksgiving. But when Grandma set that dish of candied sweet potatoes on the holiday table when you were a child, she may not have realized the health benefits she was sharing with her family as well.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest considers sweet potatoes to be one of the most nutritional vegetables out there. Sweet potatoes are packed with beta-carotene (which gives them their yellow or orange color), vitamins A, C, B6, and E, iron, potassium and fiber, and are naturally low in fat. What’s more, says Clegg, yams are among the “good carbs” nutrition experts recommend.

Clegg and the yam experts at the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission offer these tips and recipes for sweetening your holidays:

* Fresh sweet potatoes store well at low temperatures and low humidity, making them available year-round. There’s no need to refrigerate uncooked yams; simply store them at 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

* Choose fresh yams that are smooth, dry, plump and clean.

* When using canned yams in a recipe, add them at the end of the cooking process since they are already cooked before they are canned.

“Sweet potatoes are so versatile they can play a role in virtually every course of your holiday meals,” Clegg says. “They are great as a side dish or dessert and can even be incorporated into soups and main dishes.”

For more tips and recipes, visit www.sweetpotato.org.

Recipes:

Appetizer: Sweet Potato Crunchies

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh sweet potatoes (yams) cooked and mashed or 2 (15-ounce) cans sweet potatoes, drained and mashed
1 tablespoon margarine
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
3 cups crushed corn flakes

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Add margarine, brown sugar, pecans, vanilla, flour and cinnamon. Mix well. Beat in the egg. Form the mixture into bite-size balls and roll in crushed corn flakes. Place the sweet potato balls on the baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray and bake for about 20 minutes. Serve with toothpicks. Makes 3 1/2 to 4 dozen.

Entrée: Pork Chops and Sweet Potato Gravy

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
2 pounds pork scaloppini (thin cuts of pork medallions) or boneless pork chops
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 cups water
1 pound sweet potatoes (yams), baked, peeled and mashed or 1 (15-ounce) can sweet potatoes, drained and mashed
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

Preparation:

In a small bowl, combine paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Sprinkle both sides of pork with seasoning. In large skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, over high heat, heat oil and brown pork on each side. Remove and set aside. Add flour, stirring constantly to brown the flour. Add onions and sauté until almost tender, about five minutes. Stir in pecans. Add water and bring to a boil. Gradually add sweet potatoes and blend until smooth. Stir in syrup. Return pork to pan, reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the pork is done, stirring occasionally. If gravy gets too thick, add water. Sprinkle with green onions and serve. Makes six servings.

Side Dish: Baked Sweet Potato with Topping

Ingredients:

1 Fresh sweet potato (yam)
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon raisins
2 teaspoons sunflower seeds
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Prick potato with fork. Bake on foil-lined baking sheet one hour, or until very tender. Split sweet potato and top with maple syrup, raisins and sunflower seeds. Season to taste.

Microwave instructions: Pierce potatoes with fork and arrange on paper towels. Microwave on high eight minutes; turn potatoes over after four minutes.

Makes one serving.

Dessert: Sweet Potato Brownies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups grated raw sweet potatoes
1 cup chopped pecans

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2-3 tablespoons milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together. Add remaining ingredients in order listed, stirring after each addition. Spread batter in a greased 9×13x2-inch pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. For glaze, mix powdered sugar, butter, and enough milk to make a thin glaze. Spread over hot brownies. Cool before cutting. Makes 24 servings.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Top food website kicks off long-running tradition November 28. New recipe delivered daily to subscribers for 12 days.

Knoxville, TN (PRWEB) November 10, 2007 — On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…Chocolate Cheesecake Candy Cane Bars? That can mean only one thing: FoodNetwork.com’s popular 12 Days of Cookies newsletter is back — with a full roster of Yuletide yummies that will satisfy the sweet-tooth in everyone. With the holiday season quickly approaching, the baking bug is biting millions of Americans, and FoodNetwork.com, the No. 1 food and cooking website, offers inspiration and know-how for all-new scrumptious cookie recipes.

Each day from November 28 through December 9, a new, exclusive recipe for a seasonal sweet will be delivered daily via e-mail to users who subscribe beforehand at http://foodnetwork.com/12daysofcookies For the first time, each recipe will be accompanied by an instructional broadband video to make preparation even easier.

This annual tradition grows more popular every year — over 2.7 million people have already signed up for the latest edition of 12 Days of Cookies, in anticipation of twelve days of holiday dessert ideas, a dozen sets of easy-to-follow written and video instructions, and a season filled with compliments to the chef.

Also, FoodNetwork.com/12daysofcookies has just launched an archive of past year’s editions of 12 Days of Cookies, so visitors can access such appetizing delicacies as chocolate-dipped hazelnut shortbread, chocolate peppermint pizelle, and coconut-cranberry macaroon, anytime. Those who miss installments of the 2007 newsletter can access them on the site as well.

This year’s new recipes, just like those in years past, are sure to wow your friends, family, co-workers or fellow holiday partygoers.

Scripps Networks Interactive
The award-winning, category-leading Web sites created and supported by Scripps Networks Interactive attracted an average of more than 15 million unique visitors per month in 2006. The Scripps Networks Interactive properties — Web sites HGTV.com, FoodNetwork.com, DIYnetwork.com, FineLiving.com, GACTV.com, Recipezaar.com — are not only extensions of Scripps Networks leading lifestyle brands, providing users programming information and additional instructional content, but also exciting destinations for original content, engaging video and powerful interactive tools.

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