386 terrific gift giving Recipes

grilled baby back ribs, by todd wilbur, if you go by the tv commercial , chefs at chili s have so much fun making baby backs that they sing songs filled with lyrics about them: chili s baby back ribs...i want my chili s baby back ribs...barbecue sauce. if you know the ditty, you ll be singing it too when you give this clone recipe a go, and slap a few of your own racks on the grill. the secret to the taste is in the sweet sauce, which you ll duplicate here from scratch. to make the meat juicy and tender like the original we ll call up the same slow-cooking technique sleuthed out a few years back for the clone of tony roma s great ribs., sauce, water, white vinegar, tomato paste, yellow mustard, dark brown sugar , packed, liquid smoke hickory flavoring, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, racks baby back ribs

diced or shredded chicken ( i usually use 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lbs. bnls. chicken thighs, the thigh meat gives great flavor. i just bring it to a boil and cook 15 min. cool and cut up, this will yield your 2 1/2 cups of meat), you can also use turkey instead of chicken, butter, all purpose flour, chopped onions, salt, pepper, milk, chicken broth, frozen mixed vegetables, thawed ( i use generic brand with diced carrots, corn, peas, green beans, etc.), pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts

chicken or vegetable stock (you may need a bit more, so i recommend to have at least an additional 1 cup of stock to the side, you can also use warm milk), instant polenta *(the book called for 2 1/3 cups of polenta, i used only 2/3 cups), butter, freshly grated parmesan, plus more to serve, salt and freshly ground black pepper - taste it before seasoning, since the chicken/vegetable stock is already giving it quite a bit of flavor and you don tsp want to over it.

pie pastry for 9 inch pie tin ( i used aluminum since i will give to a friend and don tsp worry about getting my tin back ! ), apples peeled and sliced for pie, sugar ( splenda for baking works great here too ), half and half ( whole milk for less rich pie ), flour, cinnamon or apple pie spice, butter

head of cauliflower florets, carrrots , peleld and diced, onion diced, garlic minced, chicken stock , vegetable broth or water for desired consistency, prepared pesto sauce, salt , pepper, chipotle powder to taste( gives heat ), soup pasta ( very small pasta) ex: orzo, tiny ditalini or acini di pepe ), olive oil

all-purpose flour, salt, water, organic shortening, fresh basil leaves, olive oil , give or take, garlic clove, salt, mascarpone cheese, lemon juice, heirloom tomatoes , different colors, sliced thin, freshly ground black pepper

butter, softened, white sugar, eggs, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, pumpkin puree, semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, divided, sugar, heavy cream, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon

corn tortilla chips in 2 colors or different flavors, such as blue corn, red corn, yellow corn, lime flavored, chili flavored or black bean chips -- pick 2 favorites, pico de gallo salsa, vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped, jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped , for medium to hot heat level, white onion, chopped, handfuls, cilantro leaves , finely chopped -- substitute parsley if cilantro is not to your liking, salt, beef and beans topping, extra-virgin olive oil, ground sirloin, garlic, chopped, onion, chopped, jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped, salt, dark chili powder, ground cumin , half a palmful, cayenne pepper sauce , giving you medium to hot heat level, black beans, 15 oz, drained, cheese sauce, butter, all-purpose flour, milk, pepper jack cheese, shredded , about 2 1/2 cups, toppings to choose from, optional, sour cream, chopped scallions, chopped black olives, sliced avocado, dressed with lemon juice, hot pepper sauces

flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt (scant), shortening, sugar, eggs, mashed bananas (give or take), pecans (optional)

uncooked pasta rings or elbow or little shells or ditalini, etc - the smaller the pasta, the better, fresh crab meat (i prefer to use the refrigerated crab - or pick my own crab meat off the legs - over the shelved canned crab...it gives such a great fresh flavor that can tsp be matched by shelved or imitation crab meat), fresh medium shrimp, chopped coarsely, chopped green onions, whites and some of the greens, diced celery (i prefer to peel the outer stalks of the celery first, using a potato peeler - try it sometime...the celery is tender and crispy without all the stringy-ness!), mayonnaise, dried dill weed, two of old bay seasoning, juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper to your taste (if even needed - taste it first)

good-sized bunches of kale, sesame oil, soy sauce or tamari, garlic, chopped, honey (the darker the better), give or take) toasted sesame seeds

macaroni or other small shaped pasta, tuna , preferably packed in water, scallions, chopped, chopped, seeded cucumber (i use english and leave the skin on for color), chopped red bell pepper, mayonnaise , give or take, olive oil, dried marjoram, garlic, grated, crumbled tomato and basil flavored feta cheese, chopped fresh basil, salt & pepper to taste

yukon gold potatoes, peeled, yellow onions, eggs, lightly beaten, matzo meal, salt to taste, fresh ground pepper to taste, peanut oil (give or take), applesauce and sour cream for serving

good neighbor recipe, tongue (that does not slander), mind (full of tolerance), ears (closed to gossip), eyes (overlooking other folk s faults), heart (generous and kind), hands (extended to help others), wit , smiles, sunny disposition and cheerfulness, blend together and form into 1 being., remember not only our enjoyment of good food , but also our sense of humor, for 1 without the other would be a dull existence., food for thought, old proverb about an eye for an eye could leave everyone blind., what a grand world this would be if we could forget our troubles as easily as we forget our blessings ., it is much easier to swallow angry words than to have to eat them., swallow your pride occasionally ; it s non-fattening., be thankful for the people that brighten your day with laughter., a wise wife has pork chops ready when her husband comes home from a fishing trip ., advice is like castor oil ; easy to give, but very difficult to take., count your blessings and share with those who have so much less., all living creatures , human beings are the only ones who pray - or need to., why is there never enough time to do things right, but always enough time to do them over, what soap is for the body, tears are for the soul., if the tv and the refrigerator weren tsp so far apart, some of us wouldn tsp get any exercise at all., some people are like blisters. they don tsp show up until the work is done ., arabian stuffed camel, first , procure a camel: with 1 hump or two, depending upon the size of your party., prepare twelve dozen eggs: boiled, shelled and dressed ., clean about twelve good sized smelts , leaving the heads on., dress eight or nine three lb chickens. bake the chickens., choose a large sheep and dress it out, removing the wool and hooves but leaving the head on., next , take your camel and do him in. clean and dress intact., then , stuff the eggs into the fish. stuff the fish into the chickens. stuff the chickens into the sheep. stuff the sheep into the camel., roast over an open-pit fire for about 2 days, turning carefully on an oak spit and basting with your favorite sauce., this is truly a regal dish to serve for any special occasion and an ambitious undertaking for any family. variations, seasonings and methods of serving differ with taste., serves 200 people and innumerable dogs and children

did you know that if you want to add vegetables to the soup you are making, they will taste so much better if you saute them first in a little butter. even though it s a little bit more work, it s worth the extra effort., what happens when you boil the soup too long the soup ends up losing its color ., i burned my soup once. have you ever done that here s a great tip to fix that. take the liquid part of your soup and pour it into a new, clean pan. then, add these ingredients: mustard, curry powder, chutney, or your 1 other of your favorite flavors. quantities are always to taste and you ll be amazed at how this tip really works, my all time favorite soup tips. every made soup that was too salty tasting all you need to do is place a raw potato into your soup pot and simmer it with the soup for about 15 minutes. not only does the potato slice absorb the extra salt, but as an added snack for the cook, it also absorbs all that flavor and becomes a fantastic taste treat, need your soup to be thicker - just sprinkle a little bit of instant mashed potato and stir in to thicken the soup. carefully continue adding the instant potatoes until you get the consistency that makes you happy., in a hurry and need to use canned broth instead of homemade give it a little extra flavor by taking your leftover chicken or meat bones and simmering it in the broth. simmer for about 15 minutes. then, strain the liquid and use the newly-flavored broth for your soup. this is a fantastic way to spice up the tinny flavor of canned broth and make it taste like its homemade., guess what a great resource a grocery store is for ready -to-use ingredients! simply make a visit to the salad bar (most large grocery chains have them now,) and gather up some of the pre-cut vegetables, cooked shrimp, and chicken or meat. how easy is that, if you have any leftovers of the pasta you cooked the night before , or even meat and vegetables - use them for instant nutritious substance for your soup. if your left over vegetables have already been cooked, simply puree them and use it as a thickener. deeeelish

salsa verde , whatever temp you like, just make sure all the ingredients are basic (tomatillos, onion, jalepenos, stuff like that), red salsa, again , whatever temp you like (on both of these, i like herdez brand), diced tomatoes, corn, drained, pork (i usually get an inexpensive cut, since i can trim it while cubing it), potatoes, flour, oil, chicken broth , give or take a little., salt and pepper

ground beef, rotel, stewed tomatoes, ranch style beans, minestrone soup, whatever else you have , corn, green beans, spinach...whatever

cubed french bread, bacon cut into pieces, chopped onion, chopped celery, dried thyme, dried sage, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, chopped parsley, butter, chicken broth, oysters (doubled this for tsp giving)