French Bread Pizza would be easy and probably pretty cheap, too. Slice some french bread loaves in half lengthwise, spread with some bottled pizza or pasta sauce, top with grated cheeses, veggies, or some crumbled veggie sausage patties or Boca Burgers, bake until hot through and cheese is melted. Apple juice costs less than cider and can be kept hot in a crock pot - sweetened with brown sugar, add some cinnamon sticks and cloves tied up in cheesecloth. That will warm up those skaters very nicely! Apple slices dipped in a warm caramel sauce would be different. Taco Soup - you could use crumbled Boca Burgers instead of ground beef or add another can of beans or two. This makes a large quantity and freezes well 2 pounds ground round, or veggie burgers, crumbled 1 large onion, diced 1 packet taco seasoning 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch original dry mix salad dressing 1 can kidney beans (with liquid) 1 can pinto beans with jalapeños (with liquid) 1 can yellow hominy, optional 1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel) 2 cans stewed tomatoes (I use Mexican stewed tomatoes) 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce 1 cup of water Cook beef and onion until beef is browned, drain excess grease. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Penzy's Spicy Cheese Bread 1 cup grated mozzarella, Jack or Swiss cheese 1 cup grated colby or cheddar cheese l loaf french bread sliced in half lengthwise 2 TB butt, soft 1/2 small yellow or red onion minced 1 1/2 t. Italian herbs 1 t. garlic salt 1/2 t. crushed red pepper or sprinkled on cayenne pepper Heat oven to broil. Cover baking sheet with foil. Toss cheeses in a bowl. Butter cut surface of bread and place on sheet. Sprinkle onion on both halves of bread. Sprinkle half of herbs and garlic. Mound cheese on top of bread. Top with rest of herbs and garlic and the red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, if desired. Boil 5-7 min. until the cheese melts and the bread is crusty. Slice in 3" slices.

Sharon, that tart looks delicious. Looking forward to the recipe. Beth, Tiramisu birthday cake. What a treat. Jim, this is definitely a keeper recipe. White Beans and Sausage Source: David Leite's - The New Portuguese Table - My Family's White Beans and Sausage 1 pound dried navy, small California white or great northern beans, washed and sorted 1/2 pound bacon 1 large onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced Bay leaf olive oil 3/4 pound Chourico, Linguica or Dry-Cured Smoked Spanish Chorizo cut into 1/4-inch slices 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or more to taste 1 tablespoon sweet paprika water ( I used chicken broth) Salt Freshly ground pepper 3 tablespoons tomato paste (squeeze tube) Fresh chopped flat leaf parsley Heat a large pot over medium low heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring often, until the fat has rendered and the meaty bits are crisp, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels. Bump up the heat to medium, add the chourico and sear until lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chourico to paper towels. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of fat from the pot. Or, if the pot is dry , drizzle in some oil. Add the onions and bay leaf and cook, stirring frequently, until deeply golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, adjust the heat as necessary to prevent the onions from burning. Add the garlic and paprika and cook for 1 minute more. Drain the beans and dump them into the pot, along with the chourico and red pepper flakes, and 3 1/2 cups of water (I used chicken broth). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and let burble gently. Stiring occasionally, until the beans are tender. Begin checking at 45 minutes, but it may take as long as 1 1/2 hours , depending on your beans' add more water (chicken broth) if needed. Fish out and toss the bay leaf. Stir in the tomato paste and bacon and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken the cooking liquid. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the beans sit uncovered for 10 minutes to absorb and excess liquid. Serve. Here is a link that might be useful: Thibeault's Table White Beans and Sausage

What a fun day! It's always a treat to meet forum members who you've posted with for a long time. Jessica pretty much covered the highlights of our cruising around the area, except for the Intervention which prevented her son from being the only college freshman whose mom bought him boots to wear when it rained. LOL She brought a California map so we could see where she and other western CF'ers live. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting The Evil One and the Cloudy One and look forward to the next CF GTG. Thanks again for the goodies. I've already used the pod for blanching peaches and it's a good size for my everyday cooking for two. The un-exotic story of the tattoo is that it was a 60th birthday gift to myself. The design is a typical PA Dutch motif that I've used variations of in needlework projects since I was a little girl. Annie, They're hot pork (beef, turkey, ham) sandwiches here too and on the menu of every diner or family restaurant. It was perfect fare since I recently had dental surgery.

I hope you have a wonderful time baking tomorrow rhome! Double ovens.. swooonn.. lol. Boy am I a slacker compared to ya'll. For the New Orleans boxes I made regular chocolate chip, peanut butter with colored sugar [as per tradition] and fudge. The kids only like certain stuff and the fudge is Christys family tradition so she has to send her sister and mother some. I sent them a pecan pie too. I've also made meltaways, world peace, milk choc choc chip, shortbread, more fudge and caramels for Christys fellow employees. The caramels sure did turn out great this year. I forgot to put in the vanilla. lol. I think I like them better. You can really taste the butter. The execs got pecan pies. I have dough in the fridge for the rest of the milk choc chips and I took some of that dough and instead of chips I added bunch of old fashioned oats to it for me. I am weird in that I don't like cookies to sit around very long. I'd rather have them fresh, so I tend to make doughs and just bake off a pan or two at a time. So, as it gets closer to Christmas I'll be still making our ricotta cookies, some rugeleah, sand tarts, and for the Christmas dessert I'll make a pecan pie and chocolate pie. For Christy's stocking I'm making Ann's crisp truffles and some chocolate covered raisins. So, let me make a list.. hmm.. Standard chocolate chip Peanut butter World Peace Meltaways Rugeleah Milk chocolate chocolate chip Oatmeal Shortbread Sand tarts Ricotta cookies Sugar Cookie cutouts [maybe, I like to make the shortbread into cutouts, so that might do for this year] Fudge Caramels Crisp truffles Chocolate covered raisins [she doesn't like nuts] Pecan Pie Chocolate Pie Yup, I'm a slacker ;(