Here are a couple of recipes that I have tucked away in my cookbook. I did make marzipan one christmas to make minature fruits for decorating a cookie tray. It worked out well. Don't know about the total yeld, but think you could make a couple of batches.....or adjust the ingredients to suit your purpose. (Bought some marzipan once, but it did not have a good taste, so it was a waste of good money. That is when I decided to make my own!) ALMOND PASTE 100 g blanched almonds 100 g icing sugar egg white 2 ml almond extract Grate the almonds finely and mix with the sieved icing sugar in a bowl. Mix in egg white, little at a time, until you get a soft and kneadable mixture. Add the almond extract and continue kneading with your hands. Wrap the almond paste tightly in plastic. Use it to make candies, to cover cakes or to fill traditional Finnish shrove buns. Almond paste may be coloured and flavoured with food colourings, cocoa powder and various essences and extracts. There is enormous confusion about the difference between what we call "almond paste"and what some confectioners call "marzipan," and candy manuals are not much help. Some would say our recipe is one for marzipan, others would say, that it's almond paste. But whatever name, you can use the paste made by this recipe in pastry and cake fillings, as well as to make small candy shapes that you can tint, using a small brush and food coloring. The advantage of making your own, over most of the versions available in shops is the absence of inexpensive fillers and excessive bitter almond extract that compromise the delicacy of the flavor. Those with nineteenth century leanings might prefer rose water to the almond extract in the recipe. (Nice for wedding or special cakes.) Well wrapped and refrigerated, the paste will keep for many months. .1/2 pound whole, blanched Almonds 2 tablespoons Water (for processing almonds) 1 cup Sugar 1/2 cup Water (for the syrup) 2 tablespoons Light Corn Syrup 1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract, or more to taste Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and spread the blanched almonds on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring frequently, until they are heated through but not browned. While the almonds are still hot, put them into the container of a blender or food processor and grind them as fine as possible, adding the 2 tablespoons water gradually and stopping to scrape down the sides of the container occasionally. When you pinch a bit and feel no coarse grain, the nuts are fine enough. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/2 cup water, and corn syrup. Boil without stirring until the syrup reaches 235 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and stir in the flavoring. Start the blender (or food processor) and add the hot syrup in a thin stream through the feeder opening in the cover. Continue to process until the mixture is uniform. Cool the almond paste and pack it into a jar, or wrap it in plastic, allow it to ripen in the refrigerator for a week or so before using it. (If necessary to soften the almond paste after storage, heat it, wrapped in foil, in a steamer over boiling water, or put it unwrapped in the upper part of a double boiler over boiling water, just until it is pliable enough to use.)

Geese are available year round in my area--frozen. I've never run across a fresh one. I haven't cooked one in a while, but the next time I do one I'm gonna try Julia Child's technique of 'steam-roasting' to help render the extra fat. Whatever you do, don't discard the fat. It's wonderfully rich and unctuous, like what clarified butter would be if it had ambition. Great on potatoes. Last time I cooked a goose, I threw some peeled potatoes into the roasting pan to absorb some of the fat. Some of the guests preferred the potatoes to the goose. Here is a link that might be useful: steam roasted goose

It's just food, food, food all day! For breakfast, we always have an egg and sausage casserole, a jazzed up hashbrown casserole, ham biscuits and garlic cheese grits (with jalapenos -- Yum!) Fruit will be something very simple like cantaloupe wedges or fresh pineapple. I may or may not get around to making muffins or French toast fingers since sweets aren't a high priority with my crew, particularly early in the day. As some leave to go to 'the other' family's house, and others wander in for the first time, we sort of gradually segue into the brunch phase. I'll add their favorite Cajun crab spread with toasted garlic rounds and a dip or two to the buffet. Once the biscuits are gone, we'll bake some rolls for the ham. I make a super-spicy mustard sauce that my children adore and an herb-flavored mayonnaise so everybody can put together mini-sandwiches. There's always some sort of seafood -- usually poached shrimp with cocktail sauce since it's so easy to do ahead -- and a couple of salads (broccoli and pasta are the faves). Oh, and Bloody Marys to help the cook forget how bad her feet are hurting at this point... By the time everybody who had to leave has returned and we've all worked up a little bit of an appetite again, it's usually 7:30 or so. Our dinner menu varies a little, but this year we'll have Boston Clam Chowder as a starter. (Gift from a dear friend who feels sooo sorry for her poor, deprived Southern pal who didn't grow up eating this. lol) Spinach salad with poppy seed dressing. Beef tenderloin, if I can afford it. If many extras are going to turn up, it will be prime rib instead. A green vegetable TBD, and a potato gratin. Dessert will be Italian cheesecake with a strawberry/Grand Marnier topping -- not that anybody will have room for it, but you have to have one, right?

New additions for me this year: OKEECHOBEE BOBBERS Moist coconut and a touch of orange add tropical flavors to these rich butter cookies. 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes!) 3 large eggs 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1-1/2 tsp. orange extract 1 tsp. vanilla extract 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup flaked coconut 1 Tblsp. finely grated orange zest Heat oven to 350° F. Combine all ingredients except flour and coconut in large mixer bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (2 to 3 minutes). Stir in flour and coconut by hand until well mixed (2 to 3 minutes). Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Makes 5 dozen cookies. Recipe courtesy of Land O Lakes®. SPICY CARDAMOM CRISPS These Scandinavian spice cookies are great to have with a fresh brewed cup of coffee. 1-1/3 cups sugar 1 cup butter, softened 1 egg 2 Tblsp. dark corn syrup 1 Tblsp. water 1 tsp. vanilla 3 cups all-purpose flour 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda 3 tsp. ground cardamom 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. allspice 1/4 tsp. ground cloves Sliced almonds Combine sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add egg, corn syrup, water and vanilla; beat until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add all remaining ingredients except almonds. Beat until well mixed. Divide dough into thirds. Shape each third into 1/2-inch thick squares. Wrap each square in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate until firm (1 to 2 hours). Heat oven to 375° F. Roll out dough, one-third at a time, on lightly floured surface (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 12x10-inch rectangle. Cut into 2-inch squares using pastry cutter or sharp knife; cut squares diagonally in half to form triangles. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Lightly press almonds into center of each cookie. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned and cookies are set. Yield: 7-1/2 dozen cookies. © 1997 Land O'Lakes, Inc.