Santa knows how much I enjoy cooking and experimenting with new dishes. He gave me some cool kitchen gadgets this year. Immersion blender From the moment I learned about immersion blenders, I wished I had one. Fortunately, Santa was able to find just what I wanted without him having to spend a bundle. So far I've used it to puree chunks of zucchini in a pot of turkey broth, and to whip up egg whites for Belgian waffles. I expect to continue to find this gadget in regular use in my kitchen.  spiral veggie slicer You've undoubtedly heard of my huge success growing zucchini this year. Santa knows one of my favorite recipes is Zucchini Alfredo. This little baby ought to help make the zoodles in a jiffy. Also recommended for cucumbers and carrots. I'm sure I'll be experimenting with other vegetables from my garden as well.  Rev-A-Shelf Santa was probably spying on me as I grunted and groaned getting loaf pans and other cookware out from the back of a base cabinet. I was pleased when he delivered one shelf for the bottom and another to replace the top shelf. He's promised to return someday soon and install them.
 Smart Ice Cream Scoop We haven't received all of our Christmas gifts yet, so we're hoping Santa has relayed our hint to certain someones that we'd love this scoop. If not, we'll likely buy it for ourselves, as our potluck group has been teasing us about the inefficiency of our current one. Did you receive any kitchen gadgets this Christmas? My readers would love to hear about your favorites and one's you'll probably be returning or donating to a charity of your choice.
Good cooking to you, Linda
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 This hot spiced tea is regularly requested by family members during the winter months. Why it's called "Russian" tea, I have no idea. What I do know is that it tastes wonderful and is full of Vitamin C, helping to ward off colds and other maladies. I have a habit of saving containers, like the one in the photo, that I use to send this mix home with friends and relations. I also keep the powdered orange drink which I buy in the bulk, on hand in the pantry. Unless you can find instant iced tea that's non-caffeinated, you might not want to make this tea for young children. I've yet to meet anyone who doesn't like this drink. Servings: 32 Serving size: 2 tablespoons Preparation time: 15 minutes
I hope you enjoy this recipe. Let me know if you've tried it and how it turned out.
Good cooking to you, Linda Note: Would you like a printout of this and other recipes? These directions may help: Use your mouse to select only the text you want to copy rather than the entire page. Then press Ctrl+C, open your Word program and press Ctrl+V to paste the semi-formatted text. Print it from there.  Linzer Cookies After travelling to Germany and being treated to a linzer torte, I was inspired to try these linzer cookies. The cookies have the same taste as the torte, but are easier to make and to share. Toasted ground almonds are an important dry ingredient. As you can see, these are sandwich cookies. The bottom cookie is covered in raspberry jam and the top cookie has a cutout in the center. Typically, the cutout is round, but I have several miniature cookie cutters, so I thought it would be fun to use them. The results look almost look like ornaments, don't they? Yield: 18 cookies Total time 3+ hours
Directions (cont.)
6. Divide the dough in half, shape into disks, wrap securely in plastic wrap, and refrigerate to hours or until firm but not hard. 7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment. 8. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out using cookies with a 3-inch cookie cutter. Place on baking sheet. 9. Using a smaller cookie cutter, cut out the centers of half of the cookies on one of the baking sheets. (You can re-roll the scraps to make more cookies) 10. Bake one sheet at at time, rotating the cookie sheet half way through until the edges of the cookies begin to brown, 8-10 minutes for the bottom cookies, and 6-8 minutes for the top cookies. Cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack. 11. When the tops are cool, you may dust them generously with powdered sugar. 12. When about ready to serve, spread about a small amount of raspberry jam on the bottom cookies and add the tops, pressing gently. Keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to five days. Note: These cookies can be crumbly, so handle with care. This recipe is adapted from Real Simple , November 2010 I hope you enjoy this recipe. Let me know if you've tried it and how it turned out. Good cooking to you, Linda Note: Would you like a printout of this and other recipes? These directions may help: Use your mouse to select only the text you want to copy rather than the entire page. Then press Ctrl+C, open your Word program and press Ctrl+V to paste the semi-formatted text. Print it from there. |
AuthorLinda M. Kurth is the creative mind behind such stories as the romance, Home of the Heart, and her memoir, God, the Devil and Divorce, as well as the recipes and crafts you'll find in these pages. Here's how this blog began: Archives
November 2022
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