'DECK THE HALLS' ~ WINTER GREENS with CRANBERRY PORT VINAIGRETTE / EGGNOG MUFFINS

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

WINTER GREENS with CRANBERRY PORT VINAIGRETTE

~ Delicious 'wilted' salad clipped from Bon Appetit (Dec 1992)

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1 cup tawny port

1/3 cup sliced shallots

1 cup fresh cranberries

1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil

3 Tbsp. raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar

coarse salt & freshly ground pepper

8 cups assorted greens

2/3 cup crumbled Stilton or blue cheese

1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Combine Port and shallots in heavy small saucepan. Boil until liquid is reduced to 2 Tbsp. about 10 minutes. Add Cranberries, oil and vinegar. Boil 3 minutes. Season vinaigrette with salt & freshly cracked pepper.
Combine greens in large bowl. Pour vinaigrette over greens and toss. Sprinkle with cheese and nuts. Toss lightly and serve warm with Eggnog Muffins.(6 servings)

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EGGNOG MUFFINS

3 cups flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 large organic eggs

1 cup milk or sour cream

1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

2 tsp. rum (or rum extract)

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
Combine flour, baking power, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon in large bowl. In medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, oil and rum. Pour liquid ingredients over dry and stir, just until mixed. Spoon batter evenly into 12 large greased muffin cups.
Combine remaining sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over muffin tops.
Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until golden. (12 muffins)

Deck the Halls!

The music to Deck the Halls is believed to Welsh in origin and was reputed to have come from a tune called "Nos Galan" dating back to the sixteenth century. In the eighteenth century Mozart used the tune to Deck the Halls for a violin and piano duet J.P. McCaskey is sometimes credited with the lyrics of Deck the Halls but he only edited the Franklin Square Song Collection in which the lyrics were first published. The first publication date of Deck the Halls is 1881. The author is unknown but the words are said to originate in America.

( ~ from CHRISTMAS CAROLS )

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SUMMERTIME ... AND THE LIVIN' IS EASY ~ SPICY PULLED PORK & COLE SLAW / BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE

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FIRE TO WARM THE SOUL & BODY ~ SOUPE A L'OIGNON GRATINEE (FRENCH ONION SOUP)

" The sun broke like an egg into a full sunset and the water caught fire." ~ Pamela Johnson January sunset (Hubbard Lake) __________________ SOUPE A L'OIGNON GRATINEE (adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking ) “Onion soup sustains. The process of making it is somewhat like the process of learning love. It requires commitment, extraordinary effort, time, and will make you cry." ~ Ronni Lundy _________________________________________ (FRENCH ONION SOUP) 6 pounds thinly sliced yellow onions 6 Tbsp. butter 3 Tbsp. oil 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. sugar 6 heaping Tbsp. flour 5 quarts good beef stock 2 cups dry white wine coarse salt and cracked pepper few drops of Kitchen Bouquet 12 Tbsp. Cognac 1 pound Swiss cheese* 1 - 1 1/2 pound assorted shredded cheddar, Colby and Swiss or Parmesan Cook onions slowly in butter and oil in covered stockpot for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to moderate , and stir in salt and sugar. Cook for 30-40 minutes stirring frequently until on...

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