Chocolate Crackled Cookies

This is one of the several cookies that went on the plates of goodies I shared with co-workers today.

Chocolate Cracked Cookies
Makes 3 dozen.

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups flour
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Beat brown sugar, shortening and vanilla in large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Add eggs; beat until fluffy.

Stir together flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda.  Gradually add to shortening mixture, beating at medium speed until just blended.  Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and chill for 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°.  Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls.  Roll in sugar, then in powdered sugar to coat completely.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes until set.  Cool completely.Dust with additional powdered sugar if desired.

A Halloween Hunting Guide....

OK...so Halloween is upon us.  That holiday where we (ok...our kids or neighbors' kids as surrogates) go out with roomy containers to collect sugar-laced, fat-filled nuggets of goodness.




But, wait, everyone is on a health kick these days, so what to do....

Cooking Light comes to the rescue with a New York magazine-style quadrant map "Halloween Treat Picker."  The bad corner maxes out on saturated fat and sugar while the opposite (what we should aspire to) section offers "healthier" options. 

The results?

Of course, my favorites are in the bad corner.  Reese's.  Twix.  M&M's.

Only a little better...3 Musketeers.  And Hershey's Miniatures.

But here are the ones you need to have your tykes set on "search"...  Laffy Taffy.  Smarties.  Tootsie Roll. Starburst.

I agree...ignore this post.

Chai Tea Eggnog Cookies

Need a quick dessert? Something for the kids' holiday party? Gift for the neighbors? Here you go. This EASY recipe does all that and more. Santa would be quite satisfied with a plate of these spicy rich goodies as he works Christmas Eve.

(Note: The glaze/frosting is delicious, but it's gilding the lily. These cookies are delicious without it.)

Chai Tea Eggnog Cookies
From Southern Living.
Makes 2 dozen cookies

1 chai tea bag
1 (17.5-oz.) package sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup melted butter
1 large egg
4 tablespoons eggnog, divided
Parchment paper
Cinnamon sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350°. Remove tea leaves from tea bag; discard bag.

Stir together tea leaves, cookie mix, butter, egg, and 2 tablespoons eggnog until well blended.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Flatten dough slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in cinnamon sugar. (Note: I pressed the cookies down with a glass I sprayed with cooking spray, then sprinkled the cinnamon sugar on.)

Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet to a wire rack, and cool completely (about 10 minutes).

Whisk together powdered sugar, nutmeg, and remaining 2 Tbsp. eggnog until smooth. Spoon over cooled cookies.

Butterscotch Bars

I am usually not a proponent of coconut. (I say usually because I will eat coconut cream pie like nobody's business) Not sure whether it's a texture or taste thing. But I digress.

I live in Ward and June Cleaver territory. Where the neighbors look out for each other, park in each other's driveways when we're out of town. It's bliss. Even better, our wonderful neighbor next door (the one who puts our newspaper on the porch every morning as she walks to the early Mass down the street) returns our Tupperware containers full of some wonderful goodie. This was the last installment.

And another reason for me to overcome my coconut aversion.

Butterscotch Bars
Makes 3 dozen.

1/2 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

Sift the dry ingredients together; add with coconut and nuts to brown sugar mixture. Mix thoroughly.

Spread in greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake in a preheated 350° oven about 25 minutes.

Cut into bars while still warm. Remove from pan when almost cool.

Sweets for Your Sweet: Rocky Road-Peanut Butter Candy Cups

Still looking for something decadent for your sweetheart for Valentine's Day? (Who made chocolate a requirement for this holiday anyway?) Forget expensive Godiva and make these. They're easy (albeit a bit messy) and come in a semi-waistline-healthy single bite.

We made them for our officemates and they were loving us...

Rocky Road-Peanut Butter Candy Cups
Makes about 3 dozen.

1/2 package peanut butter chips
1/2 package milk chocolate chips
(Note: For a party, you might as well use the whole bags. Just double the amount of the other ingredients.)
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1 cup miniature marshmallows
3/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

Microwave peanut butter and milk chocolate chips in a large glass bowl on high for one to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in peanut butter until well blended.

Stir in rice cereal, miniature marshmallows and chopped peanuts. Spoon mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls evenly into miniature paper candy cups. Chill one hour or until firm.

Crunchy Onion Chicken

I have often posted recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers...what to do with cranberry sauce, turkey meat, even mashed potatoes. But what the heck do you do with half a container of those French's onion rings? (You know...the things that are on the top of green bean casserole.)

First off, even if you find them in January, you don't really worry about their freshness. Plenty of preservatives to keep them...ahem...fresh. Just grab a chicken breast or two and whip this up. I have to admit it provides a pretty tasty crispy crust.

Crunchy Onion Chicken
Makes 4 servings.

2 cups (4 oz.) FRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
4 (5 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten

Place French Fried Onions and flour into plastic bag. Lightly crush with hands or with rolling pin. Transfer to pie plate or waxed paper.

Dip chicken into egg; then coat with onion crumbs, pressing firmly to adhere. Place chicken on baking sheet.

Bake at 400°F for 20 min. or until no longer pink in center.

Sloppy Joes

If you have kids, you know the scene. Little Johnny comes home from school and lets you know that his big project is dues tomorrow. A papier-mache volcano or something. Off to the craft store you go.

Same thing happens to me. Only I don't have kids...it's my other half who arrives needing some kind of food to take to work for a pot-luck.

This time it was for a "tailgate party." He knew that potluck stalwarts like queso, mini-meatballs and veggies with dip were already claimed. We settled on Sloppy Joes as his contribution. (I'll leave out the part where he suggested we buy some ground beef and mix it up with canned Manwich sauce. That's a little too Sandra Lee for me.) After a little online recipe research and trip to the grocery (I made him come with me), we whipped a batch of this yummy mixture.

Loaded in a Crock Pot to reheat and accompanied by mini-rolls and a little shredded mozzarella cheese, it was the hit of the lunch.

I'll definitely make it again. Maybe even with ground turkey and turkey sausage to make it a bit healthier. The sauce ingredients provide plenty of great flavor so the extra fat isn't needed.


Sloppy Joes
Adapted from Southern Living.
Makes 8- 10 main course servings. More if you're serving them "slider" size.

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 (16-oz.) package ground pork sausage
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 hamburger buns, toasted

Brown beef and sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring 10 minutes or until beef and sausage crumble and are no longer pink. Add onion and green pepper and saute for another 5 minutes. Drain well.

Return meat mixture to pan. Stir in tomato sauce and next 10 ingredients. Stir to combine and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30-40 minutes.

(As with most sauces\, this is even better if you refrigerate overnight and then reheat the next evening for dinner. The flavors have a chance to REALLY meld that way.)

Note: To freeze leftover Sloppy Joe mixture, let cool completely. Place in zip-top plastic freezer bags; lay bags flat, and stack in freezer. Freeze up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or defrost in the microwave.

Three-Cheese Mini Macs

Creamy mac and cheese in bite-size packages. Ain't nothing wrong with that....

(Note: I adjusted the directions slightly to make the individual portions easier to get out of the mini muffin tins. I have posted my new technology below.)

Three-Cheese Mini Macs
Makes 48 mini-servings. (But don't worry if you need fewer. The mac and cheese is just fine on its own as a leftover in the next couple of days.)
Adapted slightly from Food & Wine magazine.

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 packed cup)
4 ounces deli-sliced American cheese, chopped
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika

Preheat the oven to 425°.

In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, shaking off the excess water.

Spray four 12-cup, nonstick mini muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large saucepan, melt the 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until boiling, about 5 minutes. Add the cheddar and American cheeses and whisk until melted. Off the heat, whisk in the egg yolk and paprika. Fold in the macaroni.

Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of the macaroni into the prepared muffin cups, packing them gently. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano on top.

Bake the mini macs in the upper and middle thirds of the oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling. Let cool for 5 min­utes. Using a small spoon, carefully loosen the mini macs, transfer to a platter and serve.

The Best Banana Pudding Ever

This time of year, it seems that I post nothing but appetizers and desserts. But that's the majority of what I'm cooking (or just enjoying thanks to the hard work of others) this time of year. From Halloween to the New Year, it's Party Central. And, except for a dinner party or two, it's mostly nibbles and sweets for the two buffet tables.

But don't wait for a party to make this creamy, sinful banana pudding. It's a great annual tradition around these parts. A friend makes it to bring to our Halloween party and makes way too much (or even one just for me) so that there's plenty leftover for my later guilty pleasure.

The Best Banana Pudding Ever
Serves 8-10 generously.

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 large (5 ounce) box vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
1 large tub frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 box vanilla wafers
6-8 bananas, sliced

Mix the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add the pudding mix and milk and mix well. Mix in the whipped topping.

In a the bottom of 9 x 12 baking dish, place a layer of vanilla wafers and then a layer of bananas. Top with half of the pudding mixture. Repeat layers, ending with pudding. Garnish with vanilla wafers and dollops of whipped topping if desired.

Easy Orange Danish Rolls

When I was growing up, a big weekend breakfast treat was those orange danish rolls that came in the can. (How 70's suburban, right?) They were oh-so-much-more exotic than cinnamon rolls. I giggled when I found this recipe in Southern Living almost a year ago. I pulled it out when I was feeling nostalgic one recent Saturday morning. Took me right back to the golden years.

Easy Orange Danish Rolls
Makes 11 rolls.
Adapted from Southern Living.

1/2 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
11/2 teaspoons orange zest
1 (11-oz.) can refrigerated crescent rolls
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk


Preheat oven to 375°. Beat cream cheese, light brown sugar, and orange zest at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Unroll crescent dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll lightly to seal perforations.

Spread cream cheese mixture over dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Gently roll up dough, starting at 1 long side. Cut into 11 (1 1/4-inch) slices.

Place slices in a lightly greased 8-inch round cake pan. Brush top of dough with melted butter. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden.

Stir together powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over hot rolls. Serve immediately.

Almond-Banana Smoothies

Smoothies continue to be a staple for me at breakfast. It's just so easy to throw some fruit and "stuff" in the blender before I go to bed. Add some ice in the a.m., flip it on and presto.

Recently, I discovered another magical ingredient to add...almond milk. It's great for anyone who can't handle lactose, and we all know how healthy almonds are for us. Here's a recipe I've started using. I'm betting that peaches and/or blueberries would also be delicious. Like a cobbler in a glass.

Almond-Banana Smoothies
Makes anywhere from 1-4 servings, depending on how much you're up for.

2 large bananas, peeled and sliced
2 cups almond milk (You could also substitute milk, but I'd add a teaspoon or so of almond extract to get that great nutty flavor.)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of cinnamon and/or nutmeg
2 cups ice cubes or crushed ice

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. (You can dump first five ingredients in blender container and refrigerate overnight. At breakfast time, add ice and blend.)

Some Interesting Ice Cream Toppings

I'm not a dessert guy most of the time. But sometimes it's nice to have a little something to satisfy the sweet tooth right before bed. And in the summertime, ice cream is always a good choice. But rather than buying those expensive containers with fancy ingredients mixed in, I just keep a tub of Blue Bell vanilla on hand. Then I get creative with some topping combinations. Sure, Hershey's syrup is always a good choice, but try these mixes on top and see what you think.

Cracker Jack: Caramel sauce, popcorn and peanuts.

Pina Colada: Pineapple and coconut

S'Mores: Mini marshmallows, hot fudge and crumbled graham crackers

Heath Bar: Crumbled toffee pieces and chocolate syrup

Trail mix: Salted peanuts, raisins and chocolate chips

Bananas Foster: Sliced bananas and caramel (and maybe a couple drops of rum flavoring...or rum)

Cherry cobbler: Cherry pie filling and crumbled shortbread

I could go on and on, but it's your turn...post your own combinations in the comments section below.

Melon with Honeyed Yogurt

One of the things I love most about Jason's Deli is the little plastic container of sweetish yogurt (?) dip that come when I order fruit on the side of my sandwich. It makes cantaloupe (and even honeydew... which I am not a fan of) taste delicious.

I have no idea what it's made with, but I'm guessing this one is healthier. And I know it's just as delicious.

(Note: This makes a LOT of yogurt dip. If you're just using it for a dip for your melon snack (as I do), just adapt the technique and use a lot less of the ingredients.)

Melon with Honeyed Yogurt
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food.

1 cantaloupe, seeded, peeled and cut into wedges or chunks
3 cups Greek yogurt
1/2 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup honey

Mix the yogurt and the honey together, stirring gently. Top with the chopped mint and serve with the melon.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

White bread. Peanut Butter (chunky of course). And strawberry jam. THAT's the perfect sammich. So when rolled into a muffin recipe, of course it must be tried. And it was quite successful. A little "wheaty," (Cooking Light of course) but yummy. And sure to be a favorite of your kids. You might actually be able to get them to eat a healthy breakfast...


Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins
From Cooking Light magazine.
Makes one dozen muffins.


1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (about 3 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup egg substitute
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray
1/4 cup strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 400°.

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, sugars, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk and next 4 ingredients (through vanilla); add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Fill each cup half full with batter. Spoon 1 teaspoon jam into each cup. Spoon remaining batter on top to cover jam. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack.

Baked Cheesy Penne Pasta

For one of our recent holiday gatherings, I wanted to fix something that was hearty and showed off some of my cooking chops. I didn't want to spend hours on it though, and, since we'd have several four and five year old's joining us, it needed to be kid-friendly. My spaghetti sauce is simple, but always a hit, so I figured out a way to "dress it up" and make it suitable for a dinner party. We ended up with the flavors and complexity of lasagna without all the work. With a nice tossed salad and some garlic bread, it was popular with all comers.

Note: This is not a "scientific" recipe and can certainly be tampered with to suit your tastes. More or less cheese. Your own favorite red sauce. You know the drill.

Baked Cheesy Penne Pasta
Serves 8-10.

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 pound ground meat (one or more of the following: ground beef, ground turkey, ground veal, Italian sausage (casings removed))
1 jar pasta sauce
Italian herb seasoning

In a saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and saute for two more minutes. Add red pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add ground meat and cook until browned.

Pour in jar of pasta sauce and Italian herb seasoning to taste. (I've used as much as 3/4 of a bottle.) Reduce heat and simmer to allow flavors to meld. (The sauce is especially good if refrigerated overnight and then reheated before use.)

To prepare penne:
Cook 2 pounds penne pasta in salted boiling water until not quite al dente. (It will cook further while baking.) Drain and set aside.

For cheese filling:
Mix together 2 cups ricotta cheese, 1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Add 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and a grating of fresh nutmeg. Set aside.

To assemble:
Stir cheese filling into cooked pasta. Pour into greased 11 by 13 baking dish and top with meat sauce. Sprinkle an additional 1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese over casserole.

Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until center is hot and cheese is slightly browned.

Food/Wine Pairing:
I went to a great Italian wine you can always trust for this one. Of course Chianti is perfect for most pasta dishes with red sauce, and the Castiglioni Chianti was perfect. Nicely fruity with the slightly dirty leathery taste I love in "Old World" wines. It's a bargain too at 12 bucks a bottle.

A Butterfly Bonanza: Attracting Butterflies to YOUR Garden

We've had a bevy of beautiful butterflies in our backyard over the last week or so. (Say that five times fast.) And I've bored at least two captive audiences with my butterfly/caterpillar tales over the last couple of days Time to get it out of my system and blog about it. I'm turning into a real lepidopterist...aka butterfly nerd.

I don't know what it is that attracts me to these winged bugs. Something about seeing them float through our backyard is peaceful. And exciting at the same time. And it's stunning to think that really ugly caterpillars can turn into such graceful beauties.

So I've been excited to see lots of these fluttering around. And this. And even this caterpillar munching on a plant in our alleyway. Want to join me in my lepidopteric nerdiness? Here are some tips.

Make sure and feed the caterpillars.

Yes, the butterflies are beautiful enough fluttering around your flower beds, but to attract even more, give mama butterfly a place to lay her eggs. Butterflies are finicky about what they eat as caterpillars. So you have to give them what they're looking for. Plants from the cabbage and mustard family for cabbage whites. (I buy several of the ornamental cabbages available in nurseries at the end of the winter and plant them in pots just for these pale green worms to devour. And they eat me out of house and home.) Passionvine for fritillaries. Parsley and dill for swallowtails. (I've finally been rewarded after years of dill planting with a crop of caterpillars this year.) Even obscure plants like pipevine for the obsessively particular pipevine swallowtail. I sometimes wonder if butterflies are like salmon--tending to hang around where they were born and returning to their birthplace during their brief two week lifespans to leave the next generation to grow and reproduce. Certainly hope so.

Flowers are important.

Obviously, nectar from a variety of flowers form the basis of the adult butterflies diet. And there are many perennials that are easy to plant and grow that will have butterflies lining up for the buffet for years to come. Purple coneflower. Lantana. Gregg's mist. I've discovered they have a particular affinity for the autumn-flowering frostweed. If you have a sunny patch in your yard that you can let go "wild" with Mexican hat and false sunflower, all the better. Get out there and Google for others suitable for your area.

But they like fruit too.

Some butterflies actually don't visit flowers, but get their nutrition from rotting things. Carrion and dung. (Yuck.) And softening fruit. We've attracted a whole new batch of butterflies by putting pieces of banana, grapefruit and apple in saucers. Try it and see what happens.

Learn your stuff.

If you're as obsessive as I am, you'll get a lot of pleasure by identifying what you have coming to visit you. Buy a book like this and keep a running tally of what you see. You'll be amazed at the variety you've managed to attract. And the resources will give you even more ideas of what to plant.

Take the opportunity to get the kids involved.

Kids love bugs. And they'll love the opportunity to observe the transformation that these particular bugs go through as they go from egg to caterpillar to pupa to butterfly. You can even get butterfly habitats that you can put a plant in once the caterpillars are munching. Keeps them "captive" so you can watch each stage of their life cycle. (Confession: I have a small one with a 4-inch dill plant (complete with fat swallowtail caterpillar) on our kitchen counter as we speak. Can't wait to see the butterfly emerge after it pupates so that I can release it into our great wild backyard...)

If you live in North Texas, this is the perfect time to get started. Not only is the weather ideal, but, this weekend you can stock up on a variety of nectar and host plants at Fair Park's Discovery Garden's Butterfly Plant Sale. Lots of butterfly experts will be on hand to give you great advice on how to bring the fluttering masses to your home habitat.

Whatever Happened to May Day?

May the first is often known as May Day. Today, it seems to be about immigration rights marches and the oh-so-recent memory of Communist shows of power. (Remember the May Day parades through Red Square in Moscow?) I remember something else associated with May 1 from my childhood. May Day baskets.

I have a distinct memory of making construction paper cones with pipe cleaner handles and filling them with flowers and other goodies and taking them to the "ladies of a certain age" in our suburban north Texas neighborhood. Whatever happened to THAT tradition?

Wikipedia does a great job, as usual, of capturing the details of the "holiday." From its origin in pre-Christian cultures as a day signifying the transition from spring to summer (Whoa, Bessie. Not ready for our hundred degree days here in Dallas quite yet!) to the many ways it's celebrated around the world.

Now I'm not suggesting we all rush out and build a May pole. Plus, quite frankly, I'm a little late this year. So let's all agree to celebrate next year. Mark your calendars now. Get your own kids involved. Or nieces and nephews. Or others you borrow from friends or neighbors. Let's make life a little more beautiful by bringing back the May Day basket. Will you join me?

Oscar Party: A Night at the Movies

If your friends are into movies and you're not having an Academy Awards party, you're missing out on a great entertaining opportunity! Our has become a great tradition over the last five years or so. It's elegant and black-tie optional. I'll share some of those ideas in the week leading up to the big day. In the meantime, I've realized that there are LOTS of ways you could theme a party like this. Here's one. Turn your house into a theatre and invite your friends over for a night at the movies.

The awards show is an important part of this shindig, so center the party on the room with the biggest TV, then fix it up for your guests. Rearrange things if you need to to provide lots of comfortable seating with places to set drinks and snacks. I like to set chairs of different heights out. Maybe a foot stool in front of the couch. Tall bar stools or director's chairs behind. You want everyone to have a great view! And of course crank up your theatre sound system if you have one. (You might also create "satellite" locations in other rooms too. Turn the TV on in the guest room or kitchen so folks have another area to congregate in.)

Decorate the place with whatever you'd find at your neighborhood theatre. Movie posters and those big stand-alone displays. (Check with theatres or video stores in your area and see if they'll share some of their cast-offs with you.) And it never hurts to have someone volunteer to be the ticket taker/greeter as they come in the door. (No worries--you don't have to get your floor sticky with Coca-Cola--no need to make it that realistic a theatre experience!)

And then there's the food. Everything you'd find at the movies. Of course popcorn. (Rent or borrow one of those big popcorn machines if you can.) The more butter-flavored topping the better. Serve it with lots of paper napkins in red-striped bags or cups you can find at the party supply places. And all the old-fashioned candies--Whoppers, Raisinets, Goobers and Dots--are available at drug stores these days. Buy a whole slew of them and set them out for your guests to grab their favorites. And sodas. And, if you feel obligated to serve a "main course, " set out hot dogs and all the fixings. It's not healthy, but delicious and lots of fun.

This is a kid-friendly party too. They'd love the opportunity to gorge on junk food! They probably won't be too interested in the awards show though, so set up another room with a DVD player showing classic kids' films like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mary Poppins. Or show some of the recent Academy Award animation winners.

And of course, have giveaways. Whether in a contest to see who best predicts the winners or just random drawings, award prizes like DVD's. movie tickets, passes to your local film festival. Lights...action...PARTY!

Healthy Snack: Homemade Granola

I use "granola" as an adjective. Like "She's kind of granola." "I didn't realize how granola that part of the city was." I mean natural. Unprocessed. Earthy. But when I grab the box of granola bars out of the pantry and look at the list of ingredients, I'm a little worried. Lots of chemicals and gourmet-industrial creations. Not the healthiest choice. But it's a choice that many of us are convinced we should be making to lose weight and stay healthy.

Here's an even better choice: make your own granola. It's easy and allows you to control the raw ingredients you use. You'll KNOW it's a healthy choice for you...and your kids too. This one includes not only grains and nuts, but protein and dried fruits.

Granola
Once you've made this healthy mix, you can keep it in airtight containers for a couple of weeks. Pack it up in plastic bags for snacking or pour a little skim milk over it for your morning cereal.

3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup whole roasted, unsalted almonds
4 tablespoons whole flaxseeds (I found this and the wheat germ in the bulk section of the grocery store.)
1 cup toasted wheat germ (If what you buy is not toasted, just put in an oven at 350 for 10 minutes before you assemble the granola.)
4 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup water (For extra flavor, you can use apple juice or orange juice instead of water.)
1 1/2 cups dried fruit (Use a mix of your favorites. Raisins or chopped dates or apricots. I used dried cherries, cranberries and blueberries for mine.)

Stir all ingredients except dried fruit together in a large bowl. Coat two 9 by 13 baking dishes with cooking spray. Spread the mixture in a thin layer in both pans and bake in a 300 degree oven, stirring every ten minutes. Granola is done when dry and lightly browned. This should take between 30 and 60 minutes depending on your oven and pans used. Let cool and stir dried fruits in.

Note: Make sure and stir often and watch for overbrowning. A burned corner can ruin the entire batch by the time it's stirred in.

Orange Slice Bars

If you're like me, you have an unnatural addiction to those lumps of artificial flavors known in the candy world as "orange slices." (Cherry sours too, but that's for another day.) A couple of years ago, I was excited to run across this old-fashioned recipe for Orange Slice Bars, a blondie kind of dessert bar studded with bits of candy orange slices and nuts. They've become a holiday tradition around our house, and make a great retro surprise if you're ever asked to bring cookies or dessert to a Christmas gathering.
(Look...no one said the beautiful life had to ALWAYS be gourmet!)

Here's the recipe:

Orange Slice Bars

2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 pound candy orange slices
1 or 2 cups chopped nuts
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Powdered sugar for dusting

Beat brown sugar, eggs and orange juice until light and fluffy. Cut up orange slices (I use kitchen shears sprayed with a little cooking spray. It's a sticky mess otherwise.) and combine with nuts. Dust candy and nuts with 1/4 cup flour.

Sift remainder of flour together with baking powder and cinnamon and add to egg mixture.

Stir in vanilla and lemon extracts. Add orange slices and nuts.

Spread into 9 by 13 baking pan that has been oiled and lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 250 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. (To keep cookies moist, put baking pan filled with water into oven on rack under baking cookies.)

When partially cooled, cut into bars and roll in powdered sugar.