Oven Fries

4 baking potatoes
1 T olive oil
1/2 t salt or onion salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Peel potatoes and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips. Put into a ziploc bag. Drizzle with oil. Seal bag; shake to coat potatoes with oil.

Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until browned. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot.

YUMMY!

Dried Cherry Chili

2 cups chicken broth, divided
4 oz (3/4 cup) dried cherries
1 T olive oil
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1 T crushed garlic
1 lb ground turkey or hamburger (double spices if using hamburger)
1 roasted red bell pepper cut into 1/4" cubes
4 t chili powder
1 1/2 t cumin
1 t corriander
1 t dried mustard
1/2 t oregano
4 cups canned chopped fire roasted tomatoes
1 16 oz can black beans

Heat one cup of chicken broth, add cherries, and set aside. Heat oil in large kettle. Add onions and saute until soft (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add ground turkey or hamburger and cook until browned. Add red bell pepper and spices. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and remaining cup of broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Stir in beans and the cherries soaked in broth. Cook until heated.

Serve warm. Garnish with tortilla strips, chopped onion, chopped avocado, and/or chopped cilantro. Serves 8. (Thanks to our great-niece Laura for this delicious recipe!)

Hamburger Soup

1 lb hamburger
1 large diced onion
3 or 4 sliced carrots
3 or 4 stalks sliced celery
2 cups canned tomatoes
1 small bay leaf
1/2 t thyme
1/2 t basil
1 T salt
1/2 t pepper
6 cups water
1/4 cup rice (white or brown)
4 peeled, diced potatoes
1/2 small head cabbage, sliced

Brown hamburger and onion in large kettle. Drain off fat, if there is any. Add carrots, celery, tomatoes, spices and water. Bring to a boil. Add rice. Simmer about 30 minutes. Add potatoes and cook until the potatoes are done--about 30 to 45 minutes on simmer. Add cabbage about five minutes before serving.

If not enough broth, you can add vegetable broth, beef broth, a little water, or tomato juice. If you add too much more water, it does dilute the taste.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin
1 t lemon juice
3/4 cup flour
1 t baking powder
2 t cinnamon
1 t ginger
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
powdered sugar

Beat eggs at high speed for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar. STIR in pumpkin and lemon juice. In separate bowl, mix or sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Fold into the pumpkin mixture. Spread into greased & floured (or line with parchment paper or waxed paper) 15x10x1 jelly roll pan. Top with chopped nuts.

Bake 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Turn out on a tea towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll cake and towel together, starting with a short end. Cool (takes at least an hour) and unroll.

Filling
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 T butter
1/2 t vanilla
Cool Whip or whipped cream

Combine the p. sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add 2 cups (or more, as desired) Cool Whip.

Spread filling to within 1/2-inch of edges of cake. Roll up again and chill until serving time. Cut in 1/2-inch slices. If you have extra filling, serve as topping on cut slices, or save for later on graham crackers!

Taco Soup

1 lb hamburger
1 cup chopped onion
16 oz can corn (with liquid)
16 oz can diced tomatoes (with liquid)
16 oz can kidney beans (with liquid)
8 oz can tomato sauce
1.25 oz pkg taco seasoning

Garnishes, as desired: Avocado, grated cheese, sour cream, corn chips, chopped or sliced olives.

Brown the hamburger. Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Serve with garnishes. Also good for a hot chip dip if you cook down the liquid, or drain.

Soft Molasses Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup white flour
1 t. ginger
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. soda
1/2 cup hot coffee
1/2 t. vinegar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

Blend sugar and butter. Mix coffee, egg, molasses, spices and soda, and add to sugar mixture. Then add vinegar, flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix well.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet. If desired, sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen small cookies.

Mixed Nut Biscotti

2 eggs
2/3 cup evaporated cane sugar
1 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 t salt
2 cups mixed, coarsely chopped nuts*

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Beat eggs and cane sugar together. Add salt, flour, and nuts, stirring until completely mixed. Spread evenly in an oiled bread loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 50 minutes.

Turn oven up to 425 degrees.

Remove biscotti from pan onto a cutting board. Carefully cut into 1/2" slices, and lay cut side up on a baking sheet. If desired, spray tops with olive oil. Bake for 4 minutes on each side for a crunchy texture, or only one side for a little softer bar.

* I used a mixture of pastachio, cashew, peanuts, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds. Hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans etc would be good, too.