Here's something to have on hand when your son or daughther brings home a vegetarian significant other. 2 cans stewed tomatoes tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce if needed, depending on how many you are serving. With just the stewed tomatoes, serves 4 people tops, but if you add a can of tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce, it could serve more. 1 can garbanzo or cannelli beans 1/2 - 1 slab cream cheese or neufatchel cheese Heat up the stewed tomatoes and add the garbanzo beans. Heat until bubbly. Add the cheese--less if you're calorie conscious, more if you're not. Serve over pasta. I like penne, but would also work with spaghetti or rotelli. Can also serve over rice. Can add vegetables sauteed in olivie oil, frozen spinach, and italian seasonings to taste. Garnish with grated parmesean. Kids seem to like this if they are not too picky and can tolerate tomatoes. Another easy dish I like is a large can of spaghetti sauce, (Newman's Own is my favorite brand), a can of water packed tuna, a small can of black olives (or 1/4 cup chopped kalamattas), and 2 TBLSP capers. Top with grated parmesean or feta cheese. Serve over spaghetti or fetuchinni. And finally, cheap eats Mexican style, brown rice mixed with salsa to taste and kidney beans. Top with grated cheddar and pop under broiler til the cheese melts. Good with sauteed zuchinni or yellow squash. Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup (from Giada DeLaurentis) 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 carrots, peeled and chopped 1 small onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce (recommended: San Marzano brand) 2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve. "To Die Dreaming" (Morir Soñando) which is a drink from the Dominican Republic. A friend of mine from there calls it "the original Orange Julius." Mix equal parts milk and orange juice. Sounds weird I know, but it is great. Can add Penzeys vanilla sugar or a splash of vanilla and some sugar. Can also add a splash of brandy and some fresh squeezed lime juice. Serve over ice or crushed ice. Serve it at a party and don't tell anyone what it is, they will think it's some mysterious concoction that took hours to make with exotic island ingredients. At least that's how I got introduced to the drink. My friend would not tell me the "secret ingredients," I had to look it up on the Web.

We're done here. Shaun, that dinner guest is very handsome! Jessica, I hope they fixed the dishwasher. L2C46, that is a very cute turkey appetizer, a vegetarian option is always good (grin) Here we had 7. Ashley and Kevin made it, still no baby. Amanda, Dave and the kids and me. Mother went to my niece's, it was "her turn". Mother is in great demand on holidays, LOL, and came here last year. Stepmother had dinner with her sister, saving me 120 miles of driving, one more thing to be thankful for. We had a cheese ball with Ritz crackers to start, Dave loves that cream cheese/cheddar/dried beef/green onion mix, so I always make it for him. We also had some rabbit from the smoker to snack on while I got dinner "around", along with home canned pickled beets, sweet and dill pickles and olives. The main menu was: Turkey (a 21 pounder for 7 of us, both girls took leftovers) Sage and onion stuffing (I wanted to add oysters ala Seagrass but was roundly voted down, so Elery and I will have that) Mashed potatoes (with cream and butter, not kosher at all) Gravy Butternut squash/whole wheat dinner rolls Broccoli with cheese sauce Maple glazed roasted sweet potatoes Fruit salad Fresh cranberry and apple relish French Silk Pie Pumpkin Pie Ice cream cake with M&Ms Happy Thanksgiving. Annie

Last night (pre-Xmas Eve): Vinegared cucumber Salmon seared with teriyaki glaze Tempura broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms French fries A mediocre French wine with a deceptively promising label Today am: Roesti Pork sausage Scrambled eggs Toast with Accidental Sausage-Potato Gravy Tonight (Xmas Eve): Spinach-corn salad Escargot Cracked crab Creamed corn Flan dessert A hopefully better wine Tommorrow am (Xmas Day): Bagels and lox Dutch Baby Some sort of egg-sausage casserole Mimosa Tomorrow dinner: Roast chicken Mashed potatoes Accidental Sausage-Potato Gravy By the way, here is my recipe for Accidental Sausage-Potato Gravy: - receive instructions from wife to cook up 4 packages of maple pork sausage for her casserole - receive instructions from son to make roesti - place sausages in two large pans, cook in water, remove cooked sausages to sheet pan and broil for brown-ness - put julienned potatoes in same pans and cook, adding more water as needed - remove potatoes and make roesti - notice that cooking water from sausages and potatoes is dark brown, flavorful, and starchy. Decide not to throw it out. Boil it down in the pans and end up with Accidental Sausage-Potato Gravy.

Mtn: Ever since you first mentioned making Spring Rolls and posted that recipe, I've been making them myself . . . but not with beef. I use either shrimp or pork. I tried tofu, too, but didn't much care for it like that. I was having a bit of a time because the first batch of "spring roll skins" stuck to my quartz counter, then to a thin cotton towel, then to waxed paper (LOL). I also had difficulty getting the rolls tight enough. But, they turned out delicious. The next day I was having my nails done and mentioned to the Vietnamese guy who always does my nails about my making them. He's a great guy and a good cook (better than his wife by far, so he does most of the cooking). He and the other nail technicians gathered around me, all giving me helpful hints . . . and all were horrified that the original recipe called for beef (LOL)! And so, I'm getting better and better. I was coached to not let the skins set in the warm water for the advised time, as they continue to soften once out. And to make them on a wood cutting board. I do use cooked quinoa in place of the rice, as we don't eat rice. They all shook their heads at the quinoa, too. I tried at first making the rolls without rice, quinoa or the like. Bad move! Now, though, with the quinoa, shrimp, shredded carrots and greens, etc. they almost look restaurant worthy. Thanks again for the recipe!