Butterbeer

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar 

4 tablespoons butter 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 

3/4 cup heavy cream, divided 

Four 12-ounce bottles cream soda, chilled

Directions: 

1. In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar with 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees, stirring occasionally which is about a minute of cooking. Turn off the heat and add the butter, salt, vinegar, and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Stir until smooth. Cool mixture to room temperature before using.

2. In a medium bowl, beat together the remaining cream (1/2 cup) with 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar syrup.

3. In each glass, mix together 1/4 cup brown sugar syrup with 1/4 cup cream soda. Pour in the rest of the cream soda until it is nearly to the brim of the glass. Top with whipped cream.

Apricot Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup milk or almond milk

2 apricots, pitted

2 teaspoons honey

1/2 cup ice

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy. Pour into a glass and garnish with fresh mint. 

Marinated Edamame

Ingredients:

1 bag of frozen edamame

200 ml of marinated cooking wine sauce 

Salt

Directions:

Boil a pot of water. In the meantime, wash the edamame in warm water.

When water boils, put edamame into the pot and cover. Remove lid when water boils again and remove edamame with a strainer into a bowl. Dispose excess water in the bowl.

Combine marinated cooking wine sauce with edamame. Do not cover and let cool as this will preserve the edamame’s green color. Season with salt. After it is cool, refrigerate overnight and serve the next day. 

Strawberry Romaine Salad

Ingredients:

1 bag of romain lettuce, dried and chopped

1 bag of spinach, dried and chopped

1 pint of fresh strawberries, sliced

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon of sugar

1/4 cup milk

handful of raisins

Directions:

In a large salad bowl, combine the romaine, spinach, and strawberries.

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and milk. Shake well and pour the dressing over salad. Sprinkle with a handful of raisins!

German Nougat Balls

Ingredients:

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chunks

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon strong brewed coffee

1 tablespoon rum

1 cup ground hazelnuts

Directions:

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula. Remove the bowl from the heat until chocolate is melted.

In a separate bowl, combine the confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder. Mix in the vanilla, coffee, rum, and nuts. The mixture should be fairly thick. Add more rum if necessary.

Allow the mixture to cool then shape the mixture into 1/2 inch diameter balls. Dip the balls into the melted chocolate. Chill until firm.

Stuffed Celery Sticks

Ingredients:

1 bunch celery

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

2 tablespoons sour cream

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

20 small green olives

Directions:

Separate and wash celery stalks. Cut stalks into 3 sections. Coarsely chop the olives. 

Mix the cream cheese, sour cream, walnuts, and chopped olives. Spread filling onto the celery pieces. 

Chicken Stroganoff

Ingredients:

4 skinless and boneless chicken breast halves, cubed

1 package fresh white button mushrooms, thickly sliced

1/4 cup butter

1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

Directions:

Put chicken, mushrooms, butter, and dressing mix in a slow cooker. Combine well and cook on low for 5 hours.

Add cream cheese and soup then and cook on high for another 1/2 hour or until heated through and warm. Serve over pasta or brown rice!

Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar 

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2/3 cup any flavor fruit jam

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 320º. Grease cookie sheets.

Cream butter, sugar, and egg yolk together. Add vanilla, flour, walnuts, and salt. Mix well.

Shape dough into balls. Place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 5 minutes.

Remove cookies from oven. With thumb, dent each cookie. Put jelly or preserves in each thumbprint. Bake for another 8 minutes.

Seafood Potato Salad

Ingredients:

3 russet potatoes

4 medium tomatoes

4 celery sticks

6 eggs

1/2 pound pre-cooked shrimp

1/4 pound pre-cooked scallop

Mayonnaise

Salt and white pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon 

1/3 teaspoon wasabi

1/2 lemon juice

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling water, cook potatoes for 15 minutes. Peel the potatoes and then chop into large cubes. In a large pot of cold water, cook eggs on medium heat until water boils then let boil for another 5 minutes. Remove eggs from the pot and let cool in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Remove egg shells and slice 2 eggs in an egg slicer. Chop the remaining 3 eggs into cubes. 

Chop 3 tomatoes into cubes and 1 tomato into round slices. Chop celery into cubes. In a large pot of boiling water, cook shrimp and scallop for 1 minute then remove immediately. 

Combine all ingredients, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, sugar, chicken bouillon, wasabi, and lemon juice. Mix well. 

Beef Stew

Ingredients:

Olive oil or butter

2 pounds bottom round, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 pound sliced cremini mushrooms

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups brown ale or dark beer

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

Salt and ground black pepper

2 bay leaf

Directions:

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half the beef and brown on all sides, turning frequently, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a slow cooker. Remove oil from pan and add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and brown the remaining beef. Transfer to the slow cooker.

Return the skillet to medium heat, add mushrooms and onions. Cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Pour in ale and bring to a boil until thickened and bubbling, about 3 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to the slow cooker.

Add carrots, garlic, mustard, caraway seeds, salt, pepper and bay leaf to the slow cooker. Combine well. Cook on low for at least 8 hours. 

Fruit Tea

Ingredients:

1 apple, peeled and diced

1 pear, peeled and diced

1/2 banana, sliced

1 orange, peeled and sliced 

1 lemon, juiced 

2 bags Lipton tea

Directions:

Pour water into tea kettle until half full. Let cook on medium heat and put all prepared fruits into the kettle. When water boils, put 2 bags of tea into the kettle and reduce heat to low. Let cook for 10 minutes then serve with honey.

Avocado Caramel Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 avocado, peeled and mashed

1/4 cup sugar

French vanilla ice cream

Caramel syrup 

Directions:

Combine mashed avocado and sugar.

In a dessert bowl, put 1 scoop of ice cream then put avocado mixture along the side of the ice cream. Drizzle caramel along the side on top of the avocado. Serve immediately!

Gourmet Chicken & Herbs Pizza

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup Alfredo sauce
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast meat
• 1 medium tomato, sliced
• 1 (12 inch) pre-baked pizza crust

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375º.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, olive oil, garlic, pesto, basil, oregano, Parmesan cheese and Alfredo sauce. Arrange the chicken and tomato on top of the pizza crust. Pour the Alfredo sauce mixture evenly over the chicken.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned and toppings are toasted.