5.07.2011

Baked Pineapple recipe.

Ingredients
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9 inch baking dish.
In a mixing bowl, mix together the pineapple, sugar, cornstarch, water, eggs and vanilla. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Dot the mixture with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 1 hour.

Almond Sole Fillets recipe.

Ingredients
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 pound sole fillets
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and almonds. Heat, uncovered, on high for 2 minutes or until almonds are golden brown. Place the fillets in a greased microwave-safe 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. dish. Top with almond mixture.
Combine the lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper; drizzle over fish. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Almond Celery Bake recipe.

Ingredients
1 bunch celery, sliced
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Directions
Place the celery in a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese, paprika and pepper. Top with the soup. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Cover and bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with the almonds. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until golden brown.

Alyson's Broccoli Salad recipe.

Ingredients
1 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons white sugar
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sunflower seeds
10 slices bacon

Directions
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Crumble and set aside.
In a salad bowl, toss together broccoli, raisins and red onions. In a separate bowl, whisk together the white sugar, vinegar and mayonnaise. Pour over broccoli mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Before serving, sprinkle with sunflower seeds and crumbled bacon. Toss and serve.

Almond Coconut Chocolate Cookie Balls recipe.

Ingredients
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
3 cups flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1 cup whole almonds

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the top half a double boiler melt the chocolate and condensed milk, stirring frequently.
Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the coconut. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Mix well until the coconut is completely coated. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Press one whole almond into the top of each cookie.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes. Check at 8 minutes as the bottoms tend to burn easily. Remove from oven and cool.

Butter Icing for Sugar Cookies recipe.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
3 drops red food coloring
1 (2.25 ounce) jar red decorator sugar

Directions
Combine confectioners' sugar butter, vanilla and milk, beating until creamy. Thin with a few more drops of milk (if necessary) to reach desired spreading consistency. Stir in optional food coloring. Spread frosting over cooled cookies and decorate with colored sugar, if desired.

Beer Braised Turnips recipe.

Ingredients
1 large turnip - peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 (12 fluid ounce) bottle dark beer, or amount to cover
1 pinch dried savory
salt to taste

Directions
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place the turnip in a pot with enough cold, salted water to cover. Bring the water to a boil and cook until the turnips are soft, about 7 minutes; drain. Transfer the turnips to a shallow baking dish. Dot the top of the turnips with pieces of butter. Pour enough of the beer into the dish to cover the turnips. Season with savory and salt.
Bake in the preheated oven until the beer is mostly cooked off and the turnip is tender, about 1 hour.

Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms recipe.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
24 mushrooms, stems removed and chopped
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 (12 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, or to taste

Directions
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook the onions and mushroom stems in the hot oil until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl; add the artichoke hearts, cream cheese, sour cream, Italian cheese blend, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Stir the mixture until ingredients are evenly distributed. Stuff the mushroom caps with the mixture. Arrange the stuffed mushrooms on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven until the filling begins to bubble, about 20 minutes.

Basic Beurre Blanc recipe.

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped shallot
6 black peppercorns
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Directions
Place shallot, bay leaf, peppercorns, vinegar, and wine in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and continue simmering until only 2 tablespoons of liquid remain.
Pour in heavy cream and bring to a simmer; simmer until the cream has reduced by half. Increase heat to medium-high, and rapidly whisk in the butter, piece, by piece until it has melted into the cream and thickened it. Strain the sauce through a mesh strainer to remove the spices. Serve immediately.

Brown Sugar Pie I recipe.

Ingredients
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a saucepan, combine flour and sugar. Stir in milk, butter, salt and vanilla. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Pour into an unbaked pie shell.
Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue baking for 25 minutes.

Apple and Crabapple Sauce recipe.

Ingredients
5 pounds red apples - peeled, cored and diced
1 1/2 pounds crabapples, cleaned and chopped
1 cup fresh apple cider
2 cups white sugar, or to taste

Directions
In a large pot, combine the red apples, crab apples, and apple cider. Simmer over low heat until apples are completely soft, about 3 hours. Stir in sugar to taste.

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts I recipe.

Ingredients
2 (8 ounce) cans water chestnuts
2 cups teriyaki sauce
1 pound bacon

Directions
Drain chestnuts and place them in a bowl. Cover chestnuts with teriyaki sauce and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours or more.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Remove water chestnuts from refrigerator and drain well. Cut bacon strips in half so that strips are about 3 inches long. Wrap each chestnut with bacon and secure bacon closed with a toothpick. Arrange all wrapped chestnuts on a baking sheet.
Place in oven until bacon is crispy. Remove from oven and enjoy.

Antipasto Pasta Salad recipe.

Ingredients
1 pound seashell pasta
1/4 pound Genoa salami, chopped
1/4 pound pepperoni sausage, chopped
1/2 pound Asiago cheese, diced
1 (6 ounce) can black olives, drained and chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, and cool under cold water.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, salami, pepperoni, Asiago cheese, black olives, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and tomatoes. Stir in the envelope of dressing mix. Cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
To prepare the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Just before serving, pour dressing over the salad, and mix well.

Bow Tie Pasta with Sausage and Sweet Peppers recipe.

Ingredients
1 pound Italian sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 green bell peppers, chopped
8 ounces farfalle pasta
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
While pasta is cooking, cook sausage and peppers in large skillet over medium heat until sausage is brown and juices run clear. Drain sausage mixture and return it to the pan. Pour in the broth, season with black pepper and bring to a boil.
Toss pasta with sausage sauce and serve.

Apricot Orange Bread recipe.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda, set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter or margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the orange juice, milk and egg; beat well. Gradually blend in the flour mixture. Stir in the apricots, chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Best Ever Corn Muffins recipe.

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter, softened
9 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups biscuit baking mix
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, stir together baking mix and cornmeal. Blend this mixture into the butter/egg mixture, alternately with the milk; stir just until combined. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden.

Apricot Sausages recipe.

Ingredients
1 (12 ounce) package fresh pork sausage links
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
Orange slices

Directions
In a medium skillet, brown sausages on all sides. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook for 10 minutes. Drain. Add juice and preserves. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes, turning sausages occasionally. Serve with a slotted spoon. Garnish with orange slices if desired.

Beatrice Savitz's Apricot Cookies recipe.

Ingredients
8 ounces dried apricots
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
water to cover
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Place apricots, lemon juice, white sugar in a small saucepan. Add enough water to just cover the apricots. Bring to a boil, and cook until fruit is soft. Chop coarsely.
Sift flour, oatmeal and brown sugar together. Melt butter or margarine over low heat and stir into flour mixture. Put 2/3 of this mixture into 8 x 8 inch greased pan. Spread apricot mixture over crust. Sprinkle remaining oatmeal mixture over apricots.
Bake for about 35 minutes.

Blueberry Crisp I recipe.

Ingredients
2 cups blueberries
1/4 cup margarine, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup boiling water

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place the blueberries into an 8x8 inch square baking dish. In a medium bowl, cream together the margarine and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Stir the flour into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Spoon batter over blueberries. Mix together the remaining 3/4 cup sugar with the cornstarch and nutmeg. Sprinkle over the top. Pour boiling water over the whole thing.
Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Cool for at least 10 minutes to set. Serve with whipped topping or vanilla ice cream.

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Basil recipe.

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 pound large shrimp - peeled and deveined
2 (28 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add 1 tablespoon oil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Place pasta in a colander, and give it a quick rinse with cold water.
Heat remaining olive oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring constantly, until the garlic is tender, about 1 minute. Do not let the garlic burn. Add shrimp, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove shrimp from the skillet, and set aside.
Stir tomatoes, wine, parsley, and basil into the skillet. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half, 8 to 12 minutes. Add shrimp, and continue cooking until the shrimp are heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the shrimp mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bourbon Street Rib-Eye Steak recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup water
2/3 cup bourbon whiskey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 (6 ounce) beef rib-eye steaks

Directions
Whisk together the water, bourbon whiskey, soy sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice in a bowl, and pour into a plastic zipper bag. Add the rib-eye steaks, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
Remove the rib-eye steaks from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Grill the steaks on high, 1 to 2 minutes per side, to sear the meat. Move the steaks to a cooler part of the grill and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes per side, if desired.

Aunty Laura's Shortbread recipe.

Ingredients
2 cups butter
1 cup fructose (fruit sugar)
1 cup white rice flour
3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cream together butter and sugar. Mix in rice flour until well blended. Add all-purpose flour. Remove from bowl.
Knead dough for 5 minutes. Roll dough out and place in a greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan.
Prick the top with a fork. Bake 35 minutes or until golden brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cut into bars and allow to cool in the pan.

Blackberry Peach Pie recipe.

Ingredients
3 cups fresh blackberries
3 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup white sugar
1 double crust ready-to-use pie crust
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Mix the blackberries, peaches, cornstarch, and sugar in a large bowl.
Press one of the pie crusts into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Pour the blackberry mixture into the pie crust. Cover with the remaining pie crust. Crimp the edges of the two crusts together to seal. Cut slits in the top of the pie to vent. Brush the top with the melted butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon and nutmeg over the top.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue to cook until top crust is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

Banana Bread I recipe.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 bananas, mashed

Directions
Grease and flour two 7x3 inch loaf pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In one bowl, whisk together flour, soda, salt, and sugar. Mix in slightly beaten eggs, melted butter, and mashed bananas. Stir in nuts if desired. Pour into prepared pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Bow Tie Cookies recipe.

Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
Place the eggs, vanilla, vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon of the sugar, and the flour and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle and blend on low speed until incorporated. Then beat on high speed for 5 minutes.
Remove the paddle and scrape the batter down the sides of the bowl. Rest the dough in the bowl, covered, until soft and spongy outside, about 1 hour. Then remove it from the bowl, it will be sticky, and make a ball out of it.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and grease 2 baking sheets.
Sprinkle a work surface with the 1 cup sugar, about 1/8 inch deep. Place the dough in the center, flatten it slightly with a rolling pin and sprinkle the dough liberally with sugar.
Roll the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch, a rectangle about 18 by 12 inches. Then, using a pastry cutter or a dull knife, cut out the dough into strips 3/4 inch wide and 2 inches long. Lift each strip, twist in the middle to make a bow tie and place on the cookie sheets, leaving 1/2 inch between each strip.
Bake the cookies for 25 to 30 minutes on the middle rack of the oven, until the cookies are hard to the touch on all corners and golden brown. (If using 1 oven, put the cookie sheets on the top and center racks, then switch them midway). To test for doneness, break a cookie in half. If it is doughy or too soft, it is not done yet. Return to the oven for a few minutes more.

Asparagus Sandwiches recipe.

Ingredients
1 (10 ounce) can asparagus tips, drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 pinch seasoning salt
1 (1 pound) loaf soft, sliced white bread

Directions
Set asparagus spears onto paper towels to absorb excess liquid. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, onion and seasoning salt. Remove crusts from bread slices, and spread mayonnaise mixture thinly on each slice. Place a spear onto the slice and roll up. Cut each roll in half, and arrange on a serving tray. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until serving.

Bing Cherry Gelatin Mold recipe.

Ingredients
1 (12 fluid ounce) can cola-flavored carbonated beverage
1 (16.5 ounce) can pitted Bing cherries
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 (6 ounce) package black cherry flavored gelatin mix
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions
Drain pineapple. Drain the cherries and save their juice.
In a saucepan combine the reserved cherry juice with the coke. Heat until boiling then stir in the gelatin. Mix until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the drained pineapple, drained cherries and chopped pecans. Pour mixture into a mold sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.

Barb's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe.

Ingredients
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups canned pumpkin puree
4 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup water
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, sugar, salt and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, beat together pumpkin, eggs and water. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture; beat until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

BLT Chicken Salad recipe.

Ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 cups torn salad greens
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

Directions
In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients; mix well.
Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Place salad greens on a large serving platter. Sprinkle with tomatoes, chicken and bacon; garnish with eggs. Drizzle with dressing.

Butterfinger Chunkies recipe.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 egg whites
1 1/4 cups crunchy peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 (2.1 ounce) bars chocolate-covered crispy peanut butter candy

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.
Cream the butter and the brown and white sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the egg whites and beat well. Beat in the peanut butter and the vanilla.
Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the chopped candy bars. Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cookies cool on wire racks.

Asparagus with Brie recipe.

Ingredients
1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed
1/2 (2.2 pound) wheel Brie cheese, sliced
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place asparagus in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender but still crisp, about 2 to 6 minutes. Drain and place in a shallow baking dish.
Lay cheese slices over asparagus. In a small bowl combine melted butter, bread crumbs and sesame seeds. Sprinkle over cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes.
Increase oven to broil. Broil just until breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Balsamic Mushrooms recipe.

Ingredients
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons white wine
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Saute the garlic in olive oil for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not brown the garlic. Add mushrooms and cook 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in balsamic vinegar and wine, cook another 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Brandy Simple Syrup recipe.

Ingredients
2 cups water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup brandy

Directions
In a saucepan, combine water, sugar and lemon zest. Bring mixture to a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Strain into a sealable container, removing the lemon zest. Allow to cool, then cover and store in refrigerator.
When ready to use, mix in brandy. Brush onto cake layers before frosting.

Beet and Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad recipe.

Ingredients
6 slices bacon
3 romaine hearts, rinsed and torn
2 (15 ounce) cans julienned beets, drained
1/2 red onion, sliced in rings
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing

Directions
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
In a large bowl, toss together the romaine, beets, onion, cheese and dressing until evenly coated. Sprinkle with the crumbled bacon and serve immediately.