Heart Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks)
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder food coloring

Using the electric mixer, mix butter and sugar until creamy.
Add eggs and the salt.
Beat in milk and vanilla.
Add flour a little at a time, mixing until all is incorporated.

Divide cookies into balls...one for each color.

For pink: add a few drops of red food coloring gel
For chocolate: add cocoa

Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one
hour or until ready to use.

When ready to use, set oven to 350.
Roll out dough on floured parchment and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheets and decorate with sprinkles.
Cook for 10 minutes or until crispy.

Vegetable Soup

1 large can low sodium chicken broth
1 large can diced tomatoes
5 celery stalks, chopped
5 carrots, chopped
1 cup of pearl onions
1 cup ziti or pasta of your choice

Put chicken broth and diced tomatoes into a large pot.
Bring to a boil.
Add celery, carrots and onions.
Reduce heat to medium and let cook for about 20 minutes or until tender.
Add pasta and cook until pasta is al dente.
Season with pepper.

Meatballs in Sauce

1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1/3 cups dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon dried mint

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 cups pasta sauce (low sodium)

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup water

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix meat, onion, bread crumbs, milk, eggs, salt, pepper, mint and cumin. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls.

Place on tin foil lined baking sheet.

Bake uncovered for about 15 minutes or until no longer pink in center.

In the meantime add the sauce, diced tomatoes and water to a sauce pan.

Add meat balls and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally and reduce heat.

Cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until meat balls are hot.

For extra flavor, put into a crock pot and let simmer for hours.

Pear Cranberry Spinach Salad

Bag of baby spinach
2 pears
sugar
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup walnuts

Wash, peel and core pears.
Cut into slices and put in medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add 1/2 cup sugar.

Cook until tender, let cool and remove pears from juice.

Wash spinach and place in bowl.
Sprinkle with cranberries and walnuts.
Top with pears.

Best with a maple balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

Cork Place Setting Card Holders

A great way to present place setting cards is with old wine corks.

I've been collecting them for a while, so I had enough for Thanksgiving this year.

Take each cork and see which end is the flattest.

The flat end will be the one that sits on the table/plate.

Take a knife and cut a shallow slit in the other end.

Slide the name card into the slit.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour (or wheat)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup reduced fat cream cheese

1 stick unsalted butter

1 1/2 cup confectionery sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat butter and sugars in a medium sized bowl.

Add the pumpkin, vanilla and egg and beat until combined.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt another bowl.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar and butter.

Beat on medium-low speed until fluffy.

Spoon teaspoons 2 inches apart onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake about 10 minutes or until puffed.

In another bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and confectionery sugar.

Once cookies are cool, spread onto the flat side of half the cookies.

Makes about 12.

Bread Bowl Spinach Dip

1 round loaf of bread

2 packages of frozen chopped spinach

3/4 cup low fat sour cream

3/4 cup miracle whip

1/2 jar of artichoke salad (marinated artichokes, roasted red peppers and green olives)

pepper

Thaw frozen spinach and drain all water.

Put spinach into a medium bowl.

Chop up artichoke salad into small pieces.

Add sour cream, miracle whip, and chopped artichoke salad to spinach. Mix well and add pepper to taste.

Cut a hole out of the top center of the round loaf of bread.

Remove center and rip into pieces for dipping.

Fill hole in loaf with dip.

Serve with bread bits and pita!