Whirligig Cookies Preheat oven to 375 degrees Baking time 10 to 12 minutes. 1/2 cup shortening 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy 1 egg, unbeaten 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted before measuring 1/2 teaspoon soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 package (6 ounces) chocolate chips Cream the brown sugar, white sugar and shortening and peanut butter thoroughly. Add the egg, beat until light and fluffy. Sift flour with soda and salt. Add to egg mixture and blend well. Roll dough into an oblong shape 1/4 inch thick. Melt chocolate chips over boiling water. Cool slightly. Spread on rolled dough with spatula. Roll up like a jelly roll and chill. Slice 1/4 inch. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake. Remove from pans to racks to cool. I would use parchment paper for easy removal. Makes about 3 doz. cookies. From the 1954 Betty Furness Westinghouse Cook Book Sue

I can't wait for summer squash to be in season again! This is a new recipe for me, but if there is a topping of Ritz crackers involved, I'm in!! (I will mix them with a little butter since it isn't decadent enough.) SQUASH CASSEROLE (Add A Pinch) 2 tablespoons butter 4 cups sliced yellow squash 1 medium onion, chopped 2 eggs 1 cup grated cheddar cheese 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons butter (in addition to the two above) ü teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) ý teaspoon salt ý teaspoon ground black pepper 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed (I will toss with a little melted butter) Preheat oven to 350ú F. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet or saute pan over medium-low heat. Add squash and onions and cook until tender. To a large bowl, add eggs and lightly whisk. Add cheese and milk and whisk into egg until well-combined. Add cooked squash and onions to egg mixture and stir well to combined. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in skillet used to cook squash and onions. Add to squash casserole mixture. Add cayenne pepper, if using, along with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Spray a 9ÃÂ13 casserole dish with cooking spray and pour squash casserole mixture into the baking dish. Top evenly with crushed Ritz crackers. Place in preheated oven and bake 45 minutes, or until top has lightly browned and casserole does not âÂÂjiggleâ when the dish is moved.Allow to sit for about 3 minutes before serving. Serves 12.

Thank you all...my daughter is only 13...she is a wanna be chef. She is in a cooking club at her middle school and they made cakes for an event at the high school. They wore chef coats to the event. She used an air brush to paint a rainbow on the outside using watered down food coloring. It worked much better than I thought it would, but perhaps not as as well as she had hoped. And yes, there were 7 bowls of different colored buttercream to frost the inside layers.

Okay... So I mentioned my problems with appetizers... Same deal with first courses. You're going to have to forgive me -- what I'm posting bears a little resemblance to a salad, but I wanted to post something T&T, and I also think given that the meal is heavy overall, this is a nice light starter. Zucchini Carpaccio 2-4 small to medium sized zukes (depending on how many people you want to serve) Small container of whole milk ricotta 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted One bunch fresh mint 1-2 lemons fresh ground pepper, coarse salt extra virgin olive oil With a vegetable peeler, peel zukes into many ribbons, peeling the long way. Arrange artfully onto small plates. Add small dollops of fresh ricotta on top. Chiffonade the mint, and sprinkle liberally over top. Add lots of fresh ground black pepper and coarse salt, then squeeze fresh lemon juice on top and drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil. Finish with a healthy sprinkling of the toasted pine nuts. Emily