2 cups grape tomatoes
2 cups green olives in brine
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme, chives, and tarragon
1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic

In a medium mixing bowl combine tomatoes, olives, oil, herbs, and garlic. Toss to mix. Refrigerate for one hour. Serve with artisan cheeses, rustic crackers, and savory cheese straws.

Makes 4 cups.

Christmas dinner often yields tasty slivers of tender roast beef for a second meal. Mix beef with simple gravy and fold into a buttery piecrust. Serve with a salad for a delicious winter supper.

2 cups roast beef cut into slivers
1 cup beef gravy
1 pre-made piecrust

Cut roast into slivers and place in medium mixing bowl… add gravy and mix. Roll out piecrust on parchment lined cookie sheet. Place filling in center of dough and fold pastry in towards center. Bake at 375 degrees until crust is brown and filling is bubbly.

Serves 4

Hand shredded chicken from a market rotisserie mixed
with organic frozen vegetables and freshly whipped potatoes create a delicious potpie in minutes.

2 cups shredded chicken
1 cup mixed vegetables: peas, carrots, and corn (Cascadian farms has a nice mix)
2 cups chicken gravy… thicken chicken stock with a rue
of butter and flour
4 cups freshly whipped potato
1⁄4 cup melted butter

Shred chicken and place in medium bowl. Add vegetables and gravy and toss to mix. Divide evenly over four individual casserole dishes. Top each with 1 cup of whipped potato and with spatula knife, frost to seal edges. Brush with butter and place in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove and cool for 10 minutes. Serve. Makes four generous pot pies.

1 package large marshmallows
chocolate chips
1 cup praline crunch (from the ice cream topping section of your grocer)

Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Dip the marshmallows into the melted chocolate and immediately into the praline crunch. Set on opposite end on parchment paper and let cool until chocolate hardens.

Makes 25 MARSHMALLOWS

Use this rich recipe to create a cup of hot chocolate like
you have never experienced before.

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1⁄2 cups milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
half and half to top off
whipped cream
caramel

Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs. Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature. Finish with a dollop of whipped cream and caramel sauce. Serve with chocolate dipped marshmallows.

Toast the pecans on a baking sheet to bring out the crunchiest, nuttiest taste.

Preheat oven: 325°
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 cup light corn syrup
3 eggs, beaten
1 (9-inch) pie
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 to 2 cups pecans, shelled and toasted
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell

Allow butter to soften at room temperature. Mix sugar and flour. Cream butter with sugar and flour mixture. Add corn syrup and eggs. Beat with mixer until frothy. Add salt, vanilla, and pecans. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake 45 minutes at 325° Serve with the freshest caramel ice cream you can find.

A delicious dessert that is easy to assemble last minute. Use a trifle dish or compote for a dramatic presentation, or make individual sized servings in clear glass cylinders.

1 large loaf ginger bread
3 cups vanilla pudding
3 cups whipped cream
1 jar apricot jam
carmel sauce to taste

In a compote or glass tumbler, layer the ingredients
in the following order until your dish is full. Pudding, apricot jam, ginger bread, caramel, whipped cream.
Top with crumbled gingerbread.

Makes one large trifle or 4 individual trifles.