On The Menu - Fireside Punch

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One The Menu - Grandma's Coffee Cake

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On The Menu - Cocktail Dogs and Vodka Slush

Cocktail Dogs in Sauce

by Krista Ames

 Ingredients: 

1 bottle BBQ sauce (any kind)

1 stick butter or margarine

½ cup water

½ cup ketchup

Chili powder to taste

3 lbs. hot dogs (cut up or cocktail sausages)

Mix all ingredients. Bring to a boil on stove top. Add hot dogs or cocktail sausages. Let simmer until ready to serve. 

Vodka Slush

by Jennifer Daiker

Ingredients:

1 – 6oz cherry jello gelation

2 – 12oz frozen orange juice

2 – 12oz frozen lemonade

64fl oz cranberry juice

4 cups of Vodka

Sprite or 7-Up (2 liters)

A mixing bowl

Storage space in your fridge and 48 hours preparation

Directions (Process takes 48 hours):

With your giant bowl (the ingredient sizes can be deceiving, this is a large portion) add your box of cherry jello, dissolving the mixture with two cups of hot water. Pour in six cups of cold water.

Add both the frozen orange juice and lemonade. It helps to have them thawed a few minutes before hand. Stir.

Once the mixture has been dissolved add four cups of cranberry juice cocktail.

Then add four cups of vodka (for virgin recipes just leave this portion out).

Freeze for 48 hours. Stir periodically (2-4 times a day).

The mixture will thicken and become the slush you’ll desire. Grab wine glasses, add two scoops of slush and fill Sprite to the top and enjoy!

On The Menu - Frothy Orange Mochaccino

Frothy Orange Mochaccino

Ingredients:
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest
2 cups hot double strength coffee or espresso
1/2 cup half and half (10%) cream, hot
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp orange juice or orange liqueur
Additional grated orange zest for garnish

Cooking Instructions: In a blender, combine the chocolate chips, brown sugar, cocoa powder and orange zest. Blend until finely chopped. Pour in the hot coffee and blend until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is melted. Add the half and half and continue blending until the mixture is very frothy. Pour into 4 heated cups. In a small bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the whipping cream and orange juice or liqueur until stiff. Add a spoonful of topping onto each serving and sprinkle with a bit of additional orange zest. 

On the Menu

Candy Cane Fudge

Ingredients
2 (10 ounce) packages vanilla baking chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups crushed candy canes
1 dash red or green food coloring

Directions
Line an 8 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, and grease the foil.
Combine the vanilla chips and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until almost melted, remove from heat and continue to stir until smooth. When chips are completely melted, stir in the peppermint extract, food coloring, and candy canes.
Spread evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan.
Chill for 2 hours, and then cut into squares.
Prep time 20 minutes
Ready in 2 hours 20 minutes

Apple Orchard Punch

Ingredients
1 (32 fluid ounce) bottle apple juice, chilled
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen cranberry juice concentrate
1 cup orange juice
1 1/2 liters ginger ale
1 apple

Directions
In a large punch bowl, combine apple juice, cranberry juice concentrate and orange juice. Stir until dissolved, then slowly pour in the ginger ale.
Thinly slice the apple vertically, forming whole apple slices. Float apple slices on top of punch.
Prep time 10 minutes

On The Menu - Halloween Witch Fingers

Halloween Witch Fingers

Ingredients

· 1 cup butter, softened

· 1 cup sugar

· 1 egg
· 1 teaspoon almond extract
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 teaspoon baking powder
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 3/4 cup whole almonds
· 1 tube red decorating gel

Directions
1. Combine the butter, sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer; gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt, continually beating; refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets.
3. Remove dough from refrigerator in small amounts. Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon at a time onto a piece of waxed paper. Use the waxed paper to roll the dough into a thin finger-shaped cookie. Press one almond into one end of each cookie to give the appearance of a long fingernail. Squeeze cookie near the tip and again near the center of each to give the impression of knuckles. You can also cut into the dough with a sharp knife at the same points to help give a more finger-like appearance. Arrange the shaped cookies on the baking sheets.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are slightly golden in color, 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Remove the almond from the end of each cookie; squeeze a small amount of red decorating gel into the cavity; replace the almond to cause the gel to ooze out around the tip of the cookie.

On The Menu - Cosmonaut & Pink Lemonade

Cosmonaut
Ingredients:
1 oz. Vodka
½ oz. lime juice
5 oz. cranberry juice
Lime wedge

Combine Vodka, lime juice, and cranberry juice in an ice-filled glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Pink Lemonade

Ingredients:
1¼ oz. Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
3 oz. cranberry juice
2 oz. club soda
Splash of lemon juice
Orange slice

Combine Rum and cranberry juice in an ice-filled glass. Top with club soda and lemon juice. Garnish with an orange slice. 

On The Menu - Classic Lemonade

Classic Lemonade

Ingredients:
5 large lemons
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 ¼ quarts water

Instructions:
Prepare lemons by peeling and cutting them into thin slices.
In a separate bowl, sprinkle the lemon rinds with white sugar, let sit room temperature for one hour.
Boil water in covered pot, then immediately pour over lemon rinds. Allow to cool for about twenty minutes, then strain and discard the rinds.
Squeeze lemon slices into another bowl. Strain juice into the sugar mixture. Stir, chill, and serve.

On The Menu - Strawberry Cheescake

Strawberry Cheesecake

Ingredients
· 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
· 1/4 cup sugar
· 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
· 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen sweetened strawberries, thawed
· 1 tablespoon cornstarch
· 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
· 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
· 1/4 cup lemon juice
· 3 eggs
· 1 tablespoon water

Directions
Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Press onto the bottom of an ungreased 9-in. springform pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. In a blender or food processor, combine strawberries and cornstarch; cover and process until smooth. Pour into a saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil and stir for 2 minutes. Set aside 1/3 cup strawberry sauce; cool. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce for serving. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in milk. Add lemon juice; mix well. Add eggs, beat on low just until combined. Pour half of the cream cheese mixture over crust. Drop half of the reserved strawberry mixture by 1/2 teaspoonfuls onto cream cheese layer. Carefully spoon remaining cream cheese mixture over sauce. Drop remaining strawberry sauce by 1/2 teaspoonfuls on top. With a knife, cut through top layer only to swirl strawberry sauce. Bake at 300 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove side of pan. Thin chilled strawberry sauce with water if desired; serve with cheesecake. Store in the refrigerator.

On The Menu

Peppermint Candy Bark
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
2lbs white chocolate
12 candy canes
1 teaspoon peppering extract
Directions:
Melt white chocolate in a double boiler or in a bowl over a pot of boiling water.
Stir in crushed candy cane and peppermint extract into melted white chocolate.
Line a 11x17” baking pan with wax paper.
Pour and spread chocolate mixture onto wax paper.
Chill until firm and break into pieces.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Cherry Mice
Pointed chocolate kisses for the face, cherry licorice tails, almond slices for ears, and red candy eyes.


Candy Cane Splash
2 oz Peppermint Schnapps
1 splash 7-up
2 oz apple juice
1 piece of mint
Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Stain into glass.


Spicy Eggnog
1 shot Cinnamon Schnapps
1 glass Eggnog
Add a shot of cinnamon schnapps to a tall glass of home made eggnog and stir.

On The Menu - Baileys Irish Cream Truffles

Baileys Irish Cream Truffles
Ingredients:
12 oz Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup Heavy (whipping) Cream
1 tbsp Butter
2 Egg Yolks
1/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream

Melt chocolate, Baileys and heavy cream together over very low heat. Whisk in yolks, one at a time; mixture will thicken. Whisk in butter. Refrigerate overnight, or until firm.

With a spoon make small balls.
Roll in powdered sugar, cocoa, chopped nuts, sprinkles, etc.
Makes 16 Truffles

On The Menu - Fruity Lip Gloss

Fruity Lip Gloss

Ingredients:
2 Tbls solid shortening
1 Tbls fruit-flavored powdered drink mix
35 mm film container

Mix shortening & drink mix together in a microwave safe bowl till smooth!
Place in microwave on high for 30 seconds until mix becomes a liquid!
Pour into clean (wash thoroughly before use) film container, or any other small airtight container! Place mix into fridge for 20-30 minutes or till firm!

On The Menu - Frothy Orange Mochaccino

Frothy Orange Mochaccino
Ingredients:
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest
2 cups hot double strength coffee or espresso
1/2 cup half and half (10%) cream, hot
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp orange juice or orange liqueur
Additional grated orange zest for garnish

Cooking Instructions: In a blender, combine the chocolate chips, brown sugar, cocoa powder and orange zest. Blend until finely chopped. Pour in the hot coffee and blend until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is melted. Add the half and half and continue blending until the mixture is very frothy. Pour into 4 heated cups. In a small bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the whipping cream and orange juice or liqueur until stiff. Add a spoonful of topping onto each serving and sprinkle with a bit of additional orange zest. Servings: 4