This is our current favorite recipe - undoubtedly it would be better if made with homemade stock, but that's one of those things I just never seem to get around to. We don't bother with the large bread croutons - we just sprinkle regular croutons over the top of the soup (Musso's Cheese and Garlic are great!), then lay a couple of slices of Jack cheese and some Parmesan on top before broiling. Becky * Exported from MasterCook * French Onion Soup Gratinee Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 4 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon salt 2 large red onions -- thinly sliced 2 large sweet onions -- thinly sliced 1 can chicken broth -- (48 fluid ounce) 1 can beef broth -- (14 ounce) 1/2 cup red wine 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 sprigs fresh parsley 1 sprig fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar salt and freshly ground black pepper -- to taste 4 thick slices French or Italian bread 8 slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese -- at room temperature 1/2 cup shredded Asiago or mozzarella cheese -- at room temperature 4 pinches paprika 1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in salt, red onions and sweet onions. Cook 35 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized and almost syrupy. 2. Mix chicken broth, beef broth, red wine and Worcestershire sauce into pot. Bundle the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf with twine and place in pot. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard the herbs. Reduce the heat to low, mix in vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep over low heat to stay hot while you prepare the bread. 3. Preheat oven broiler. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and broil 3 minutes, turning once, until well toasted on both sides. Remove from heat; do not turn off broiler. 4. Arrange 4 large oven safe bowls or crocks on a rimmed baking sheet. Fill each bowl 2/3 full with hot soup. Top each bowl with 1 slice toasted bread, 2 slice Gruyere cheese and 1/4 of the Asiago or mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle a little bit of paprika over the top of each one. 5. Broil 5 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. As it softens, the cheese will cascade over the sides of the crock and form a beautifully melted crusty seal. Serve immediately! Source: "www.allrecipes.com" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : 11-26-07 Made using croutons instead of bread, with Jack and Parmesan cheese. Used 1 teaspoon dried thyme.

A friend brought this over Monday night. I couldn't stop eating it. She said she only used one jalapeno, FWIW. It wasn't spicy at all. Spicy Quinoa, Cucumber and Tomato Salad By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN This refreshing summer salad can sit in the refrigerator for a few hours without deteriorating, so it makes a great choice for bringing to work or to a summer picnic. 1 cup quinoa 3 cups water Salt to taste 2 cups diced cucumber 1 small red onion, finely minced (optional) 2 cups finely diced tomatoes 1 to 2 jalape�o or serrano peppers (to taste), seeded if desired and finely chopped 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus several sprigs for garnish 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 avocado, sliced, for garnish 1. Place the quinoa in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes. Drain through a strainer, and rinse until the water runs clear. Bring the 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add salt (1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon) and the quinoa. Bring back to a boil, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and translucent; each grain should have a little thread. Drain off the water in the pan through a strainer, and return the quinoa to the pan. Cover the pan with a clean dishtowel, replace the lid and allow to sit for 10 minutes. If making for the freezer, uncover and allow to cool, then place in plastic bags. Flatten the bags and seal. 2. Meanwhile, place the finely diced cucumber in a colander, and sprinkle with salt. Toss and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse the cucumber with cold water, and drain on paper towels. If using the onion, place in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water and drain on paper towels. 3. Combine the tomatoes, chiles, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl. Add the cucumber and onion, season to taste with salt, and add the quinoa and cilantro. Toss together, and taste and adjust seasonings. Serve garnished with sliced avocado and cilantro sprigs. Yield: Serves six. Here is a link that might be useful: NYT Spicy Quinoa

I feed Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice to 8 of our 11 dogs. They are all different breeds and mixes and range in age from 2 to about 10. Our senior German shepherd has a very touchy tummy and this is the one dog food that doesn't make him sick. I hate feeding any commercial food but can't figure out a way to feed a crew as big as ours any other way. Nutro changed hands not long ago and I don't know if this is a problem. I would think right now with the poisonings that any dog food company that wants to be thought of as being "good" would be very very careful. I noticed that one dog who got sick on it when to Nutro weight control and that contains corn. Her dog may be sensitive to corn and that caused the upset. I will keep a close eye on mine but as of today they are all fine. The ones who don't eat Nutro are my senior Shih tzus and their pup who decided a while back not to eat it and wanted something better. At the moment they are eating Prarie organic fish but that seems to be on its way out. I guess they have decided to be gourmets in their golden years. :) Peace, Jane and the Hole in the Wall Gang Here is a link that might be useful: See photos of our gang here

I'd suggest you bake them both in Reynolds Oven Bags - to keep it simple and effective. Instructions found inside the box for cooking times and temperatures. Keeps things tidy and clean-up is a breeze. No splattered oven and the meat is very tender. NO basting and hovering required. You add 1-tablespoon of flour to the inside of the bag and give it a good shake. For turkey I place coarsely-chopped onion, carrots, celery (a good use for the leafy portion of the stalk) - about a cup each, but it's just a guess and doesn't need to be an exact measure. I'll add a handful of parsley as well, but not necessary. The vegetables and seasonings flavor the cooking juices and are NOT for serving. Season with salt, coarsely-ground pepper, and dried poultry seasoning (or sage - fresh or dried ground). Rinse and pat dry the turkey breast, salt the cavety and oil the skin side. Place the turkey breast on the top of the vegetables - skin side up. Close the bag with the special nylon closure strip (included). VERY IMPORTANT - poke a holes on the top of the bag (with a paring knife or a few snips with a pair of scissors) to vent steam (per instructions in the box). Place in a shallow pan (I use my lasagna pan). TA DA. When done (bake 350°F until 170°F (use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature), clip one corner of the bag to drain out the broth and use it for gravy or as a broth base for turkey soup. You can also bake a boneless pork loin in an oven bag, except you may want to season the pork and you add water to the bag. (Instructions also included in the box.) Here's a Reynolds recipe: Pork Tenderloin with Honey Mustard Sauce 1 Reynolds Oven bag - large size 2 T. flour 1/3 c. orange juice 2 T. honey 2 T. Dijon mustard 2 pork tenderloins (3/4 pound each) Dried basil Seasoned salt 2-4 medium carrots, sliced 2 medium apples, cored, cut in eights Preheat oven to 350°F. Shake flour in Oven Bag. Place bag in 13x9x2-inch baking pan with opening towards side side of pan. Add orange juice, honey and mustart to oven bag. Squeeze bag to blend in flour. Sprinkle tenderloins with basil and seasoned salt to taste. Place in bag, tucking the narrow end of each tenderloin under for even cooking. Place carrot and apple slices in bag around tenderloins. Close oven bag with nylon tie. Cut six 1/2-inch slits in top of bag; tuck ends of bag into pan. Bake 40-45 minutes until meat thermometer reads 160°F. Makes 5-6 servings. Check the link below for more information. We like baked sweet potatoes with butter - no sweetener. You can also add maple granules, maple sugar, or maple syrup. I've never added pineapple and would consider it a waste of good pineapple. No marshmallows necessary - not a fan of them myself - but the tradition does live on for many (LOL). -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: Reynolds Oven Bags