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Hosted by Barbara J Nosek
Happiest Holidays! From Thanksgiving Eve to New Year’s Day
Next week – woohoo, our best cook-loving gifts from this year on CS
Let’s Chat 
Kitchen Talk – If buttery desserts are your thing, who better to ask than Land O Lakes. And hurray, we found a good ‘ol downhome one, so perfect for this time of year.
Their classic apple cobbler is easy too, just 5 steps. Well, given that the 1st one is light the oven and the 5th one is serve, really 3, unless you consider adding a scoop of vanilla a step rather than a given 😁 
Salsa, salsa cruda, salsa fresco, pico de gallo, aaaaaaaaaaah, what’s the difference? MyRecipes untangles it with this salsa scoop. Trouble sleeping? Can food help? Let’s ask the experts. According to The Sleep Foundation, these are The Best Foods to Help You Sleep. The good news is there’s some good stuff in this list. Zzzzzzzz.
{photo thanks to Land O Lakes site}
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Shopping Finds – Want to shock your pancakes? Hit them with some wildside syrups. 
Talking botanicals & barks, and such interesting flavors on Amazon – lemongrass, hibiscus, geranium, basil, peppermint bark, wild cherry bark, cinnamon bark, and hickory. Any of these syrups could I think also jazz up coffee and cocktails. 
Want to “holiday up” your kitchen? Wow, does Amazon have you covered. Chair covers, centerpieces, napkins, tablecloths, runners, wall hangings, fridge decor and more.
This week’s featured CS-designed, Zazzle-crafted item – Perfect gift for dog moms & dads – take a look and see if their {or your} baby is pictured on one of our tees or mugs. All right now in our Eclectic Mall
Featured Recipes 
Bacon Cheeseburger Bake
These fun dish combines two welcome techniques – sheet pan baking and a pull-apart dish. What gives the prep extra interest {not that it needed it when we already have bacon and cheese} is the foundation of Hawaiian rolls, the flavor boost of canned tomatoes with garlic & onion, and a buttery, tangy glaze. In the oven, out of the over, party-ready. From Taste of Home
Explosion Cakes
It was Tasty.com that first alerted me to this birthday cake phenom. And they say that
credit goes to The Flour Shop in NYC for inspiring the confection. May I add though that bd or not, this cake would be a primo conversation piece on any table, maybe especially a holiday one. As you’ll see at the link there are other sources with variations on the theme, all quite spectacular. On Google.
Guess what I found for you on Amazon! “The Power of Sprinkles: A Cake Book by the Founder of Flower Shop” – all about those colorful stacked cakes, and in a funny nod to the main title, this: “any mistake can be covered by sprinkles.” Prime eligible, $7.59 {70% discount}.
Beefy Tortilla Rollups
These Tortilla Rollups pack a lot of flavor into
the colorful, almost artsy, resulting pinwheels. For that we can credit jalapeno cream cheese, pimento cheese and salsa among other goodies.
I actually used deli beef instead of dried beef, and just four tortillas with extra generous filling. Also thinking if you don’t want the jalapeno heat, onion & chive cream cheese would be a tasty substitute.
As a bonus, the red salsa and green onions give it a bit of Christmas spirit. Btw, if you substitute, do keep the pimento cheese. From AllRecipes
Coconut Desserts with a bonus
At least that’s the promise, that they will “transport you right to the tropics.” The star ingredient can check in as sweetened or unsweetened, flaked or shredded or chips, or as coconut oil, milk, cream, custard, or extract, sometimes tapping more than one. And the tropical vibe is helped along in the various dishes by, e.g., key limes, pineapple, bananas, lemon, oranges, rum, and spices. Of the 35 preps, have my eye on the slow cooker Coco-Loco Chocolate Fondue. From Southern Living
Easy Hot Sandwich Recipes
What is it about a good sammie that is just so satisfying?? And at this time of year adding the word hot into the equation makes it even better. And, yes, these do look good. Lots of variety too. Now here’s the thing – after the first half dozen keep scrolling and you’ll see the sausage & pepper heroes, and then keep scrolling for more and more hot sandwiches. So, lots to love too. From Food & Wine
Cocktail Hour Buzz 
Sundowner snacks, drinks, talk – whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you
♦ Thanks goes to CS Tasting Panel member Debbie Vinson for these tasty tidbits for the sweet side of the snack table. No-Bake Cookies recipe: Bring to a boil 2 c sugar, 1/2 c margarine {butter?}, 1/2 c milk & 2 T peanut butter, cook for 1 min. Off heat, quickly mix in 2 T cocoa, 1 t vanilla & 3 c quick cooking oats. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper, cool, store leftovers in fridge.
Debbie adds, “I’ve found 1 cup of sugar is plenty, but I am very generous with the peanut butter, cocoa and vanilla. I also add walnuts.” And think I would add a bit of salt. I left them as is dropped from the spoon but I guess you could also flatten them a bit cookie-like. Lots of ways to play, all good.
♦ Well how fun is this??? But there is a danger here – it may be too pretty to eat, as you can see. This edible holiday wreath is actually a charcuterie board. Of course you crafty CS-ers can make this your own with your choice of elements. But do include apples because this festive idea comes from the Washington Apple Commission {photo too}. Probably don’t necessarily make it apple shape though.
♦ Wow, how nice to see someone honoring the classic cocktails. That someone is Liquor.com and that’s exactly what highlights their “11 Cocktails to Make for the Holidays” featuring such oldies but goodies as Brandy Alexander, Tom & Jerry, even a Flip. Cheers!
Snack chat: heard from competing chef Jonathan Wakefield on Last Call Food Brawl, the Atlanta-based episode “Wings & Bar Bites,” on Travel Channel – “If you want to make a late night snack, wrap it in bacon . . . There’s always room for bacon” – {applause, applause}
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Asian restaurants it was a little box of drawers, but these are mostly compartmented trays, or stacked boxes, both disposables and reusables. During the year we featured another way for personalized snacking – “jarcuterie” – little jars to be filled with “sticks” of say carrots, celery, cuke, green onions, deli meat, cheese, bread sticks, pretzel rods, etc. – the link takes you to a nice array of possibilities. All on Amazon. 
cheese later in the process. A tip I learned for anything hasselback is to lay wooden spoons or chopsticks on each side to insure you don’t cut all the way through. 