Spiced Applesauce Bread
"Favorite Recipes, Jubilee Cookbook. St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, 1997"

1 1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 eggs
3 Tbsps milk

2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a mixer bowl, combine applesauce, sugar, oil, eggs and milk.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, soda, powder, spices and salt.
Stir flour into applesauce mixture and beat well. Fold in the 1/2 cup pecans, and turn into a well greased 9x5x3 loaf pan
Combine the 1/4 cup pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over batter.
Bake in a moderate oven (350*) for 1 hour or until done. Remove from pan and cool on rack.

Friday night I went out to a concert that was delightful and lovely. Different from last year, but in some respects the same.
Everyone else had other obligations that night, so I took myself. Was complemented by the bartender at the theater on my choice of hat, (evil Santa - red w/black fur), hit on by the dude sitting in front of me who was 90 if he was a day, and was then chatted up by the bartender at Armsby. I know he was just looking for a tip, but whatever. Remembered why I don't generally do bars, and Armsby is no average bar.

Saturday I had a relaxed morning - baked bread (Honey Whole Wheat) and cleaned the house. Stuck a few more Christmas things up. Started to worry about the company/Team dinner thing I had to go to that night. Called my mom, got a recipe for artichoke dip, and gathered supplies. Smooshed the dip together and was contemplating what time I was supposed to be there - last year I was a little early (IE, On Bloody Time,) and it was mildly awkward. So I checked my computer - 5 or 6?
The 18th.
Err - what day is it?
The 11th.
I'm a WEEK early?
Awkward.
Good thing I checked. That could have been... Unfortunate.

I swear I had something I was supposed to be at/do that night. I called around, and it appears I am in the clear. But still, that nagging "I'm Forgetting something" feeling just won't shake. In fact, it's still following me around.

Mr Dog and I sat around, watched "It's a wonderful life" (which grows on me more every year) and filled out Christmas cards.

Sunday, got up, skated to Church (Yay Black Ice!) and then did a little bread delivering. Had a nice breakfast and conversation and retreated through the rain back to Illibombers, where we enjoyed Surprise Artichoke Dip and watched the Pats cream the Bears. And then Mythbusters, because blowing things up in the name of science is always funny.

Dip was quite good and will be used again this coming weekend.

**

Surprise! You Have No Where to go Artichoke Dip!
2 14 oz cans of artichoke hearts, drained but kept separate (I used the 1/4 hearts and they worked fine.)
1 cup of grated Parm. Cheese
1 cup real mayo
1 8 oz block cream cheese, softened
2 green onions rough chopped (or compatible - I used leeks.)
Cayenne powder to taste. Be kind to guests. Or not.
salt / pepper

Rough chop first can of artichoke hearts.
In a food processor or other implement of food pulverizing, combine everything EXCEPT the second can of artichokes. Give it 6-8 pulses of the processor to get everything good and smashed together.
Take second can of artichokes give them a quick chop so nothing is huge and fold into the mixture. Pop in oven save dish, sprinkle with more shredded parm and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
Serve with whatever sturdy dipping chips you desire.

...Because Good is Dumb.


Dispite flagrently bad calls, and dispite a pretty poor defense in some aspects, we still pull it out.
Boys, you've really got to solidify that defensive line. 4 missed tackles? Come on. You play better than that.

But still, Thank you, New England Patriots. I go to work happy this week.

Nine and Oh, Let's go!
- k.

PS - it was really, reeeeeally good to see the "Payton Pouty Face". Sniveling little brat.
And it was really, reeeeeeeealy good to see the "Brady SMASH Face". Don't make Brady angry. You won't like him when he's angry... But we like it just fine when he's angry. :)




PPS - The thing I brought to the game tonight?
This is how I made it:

AppleGraham Brown Betty

Take one crockpot and fill 3/4+ with apples, cored, pealed, and cut into 1/8ths

Mix up in a seperate small bowl:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs,
1 teaspoon cinnamon,
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg,
sprinkling of ground ginger,
1/2 cup flour,
1 1/2 cups brown sugar.

Add 3/4 cup melted butter to the crumb mixture, stir until crumbly.

Pack in on top of the apples, (should now just about fill the crock.)

Cook on low for about 3-4 hours.
Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream if desired.

(from"Cherished Recipes" published by St. Mary of the Assumption Church, Cheshire, MA, circa 1984)

1 medium Onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
6 medium zucchini, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 (13 oz.) cans chicken broth (5 1/2 cups)
2 Tablespoons flour

Saute onion and garlic in butter and oil in a large saucepan until tender, but not brown. Add zucchini, salt and pepper and cover.
Cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until tender.
Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the broth; bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Cool.
Puree mixture, part at a time, in blender. Taste and add extra seasonings, if necessary. Chill several hours before serving (if serving cold.)
To serve, top each serving with a spoonful of sour cream mixed with chives or grean onions (optional)

-submitted by Jim and Sandy

*Freezes well.

(from the back of the Libby's "Solid Pack Pumpkin", circa 1983.)

4 Cups unsifted all-purpose flour
2 cups quick or old fashioned oats, uncooked
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 cups butter or margerine, softened *1
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract *2
1 can (16 oz.) Libby's aolid Pack Pumpkin *3
1 cup real semi-sweet chocolate morsels 4*

Assorted icings or peanut butter
Assorted candies, raisins, or nuts

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, oats, soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
Cream butter; gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy.
Add egg and vanilla; mix well.
Alternate additions of dry ingreadients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition. Stir in morsels.
For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough onto lightly greased baking sheet; spread into a pumpkin shape useing a thin metal spatula. Add a bit more dough to form the stem. *5
Bake at 350, 20-25 minutes, until cookies are firm and lightly browned. Remove from cookiesheet, cool on racks.
Decorate useing icing or peanut butter to affix assorted candies, raisins, or nuts into jack-o-lantern faces. *6
Yields about 32 large cookies.


*1 - Mom used Crisco for fluffier, cakier cookies.
*2 - can be omitted if you have none.
*3 - any solid pack pumpkin will do.
*4 - or substitute raisins if you want it more healthy.
*5 - or use your darned finger, and leave them round if you're in a hurry.
*6 - or leave blank if you're in a hurry. the decorations don't make the cookie - the cookie alone is awesome.