Cookies in the Spirit of a Busy Advent Season

The only Chistmas Cookies I found time to bake were from a mix, and no shame here--they were quite good. Here's the recipe:

1 box Duncan Hines Red Velvet cake mix
6 T butter
1 c powdered sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
2 lg eggs
1 tsp lemon zest (this could be omitted)
Note: These cookies could use 1/2 c of sugar.

Oven 375 degrees. Melt butter, set aside. Whisk together powdered sugar and cornstarch in separate bowl.

Mix cake mix, cooled butter, eggs, (and lemon zest if you will) by hand. Dough is stiff. At this point I refrigerated the dough.

Form dough into 1-inch balls and roll liberally in powdered sugar. Place on ungreased baking sheets 2 inches apart and bake for 9-11 minutes.

Store cookies in layers with waxed paper in between, and a breadcrust to keep them moist.

How I Spent My Summer...

Everything's Better With Cheese

Spicy Garden Burger

It was a busy summer with no time to "put up" any of the garden's bounty, excepting a few peaches. While reflecting on this and grilling burgers, I spied a potted  jalapeno plant that my daughter Vanessa grew. Idea: slice a few peppers, press into the meat, and grill. Presto!

(Tip: be sure to slice thinly and press deeply.)

Reaping What We've Sown

On many a hot day working in the garden, my thoughts turned to just what our labor would yield. Now, December and 30 degrees, a couple of my smaller butternut squashes will be roasted and cooked into a spicy soup. Here's the recipe:


Spicy Butternut Squash Soup
2-1/2 - 3 cups pureed butternut squash*
2 TBSP oil
2 tsp Cajun spice (or 1 tsp cayenne pepper)
1 cup diced raw parsnip (or potato)
1/3 cup minced scallions
3 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and quartered
Salt and pepper to taste


Prepare the squash: slice 1 medium butternut lengthwise and seed. Bake for 30 min at 325 degrees OR microwave until tender. Scoop out pulp and freeze any extra.
While the squash is being cooked, sautee the scallion in oil. Add broth, parsnip, and squash; simmer until tender, about 50 minutes. Remove pepper strips and puree the soup.


This soup is great when topped with a scoop of steamed brown rice. Substituting vegetable broth easily makes this a hearty vegan meal.

Photo of simmer stage.

I use a hand mixer to puree the soup. Don't forget to top with a half cup of steamed brown rice. It's quite hearty.