Sweet Middle Eastern Spiced Nuts

1 cup pecan halves
1 cup whole almonds
1 cup whole cashews
1 cup pistachios
1 cup orange cranberries
1 large egg white
1 t lemon extract
1 cup raw sugar
1 t Adobe seasoning
1 t dried rosemary
1 t ground cardamom
1 t ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil and grease. Whisk egg white with lemon extract in large bowl until frothy. Stir in nuts and cranberries. Add spices to sugar and stir into nut mixture until everything is coated. Spread on prepared sheet and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Allow to cool. Keeps in sealed containers on counter for 1-2 weeks, or a month plus in the fridge.
Keep them all to yourself or share them as a tasty holiday gift.

Cheesy Grits

1 cup Bob's Red Mill grits
3 1/4 cups water
1 T bacon grease
1 t Better than Bouillon,  chicken
1 cup shredded cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce (optional)

Bring water, bacon grease, and bouillon to rolling boil in medium sauce pan. Add grits. Stir well, shut off heat, and cover for 10 min. To finish, stir in cheese, salt, pepper and hot sauce.

Serves 1 as a hearty meal or 2-4 as a side dish.

Creamy broccoli chicken soup

Serves 3-4

1 medium onion, sliced in chunks
3 T olive oil
Dash good balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T Beau Monde seasoning
1 4oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 lb frozen sliced leeks
1 lb frozen artichoke heart pieces
4 cups beef or chicken broth
1 lb cooked chicken sausage, cut into 1/4" pieces (I used roasted red pepper and spinach sausage)
1 cup milk
1 oz bourbon
3 T cornstarch
1 cup light cream
1 lb frozen broccoli florets, thawed
2 to 3 cups shredded cheddar

In a stock pot, saute onion with olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper until soft. Add mushrooms and beau monde seasoning and saute another minute. Add leeks and artichokes to pot. Saute for about 5 min or until no longer frozen. Add broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 20-30 minutes. Add sausage and simmer covered another 30 minutes. Add milk and bourbon and return to a boil. Whisk cornstarch into cream and slowly add to boiling pot, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Allow to thicken. Add broccoli and allow to warm through for a few minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in cheese. Serve hot with bread or crackers.

Seeded Pound Cake

Makes one 8-inch loaf cake

1/2 pound (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
1 cup raw sugar
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon raspberry extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary

Line an 8-inch loaf pan with wax paper and set aside. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, rosemary, and caraway seeds. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture, beating until combined. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until golden on top and a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set the pan on a cooling rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and let cool to room temperature before serving.