Think this is gonna be on my New Year's table for dinner. I've posted this before. Grits "n Greens 3 cups milk 1 cup water 1 chicken bouillon cube 1 cup "quick" grits 1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 lb. greens (mustard, turnip, collard, spinach, chard, or any combo of these) or equivalent amount of frozen or canned greens 1 Tbsp. bacon drippings (or oil or butter) several slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled salt and pepper to taste Directions: In large heavy saucepan or pot heat the milk, water and bouillon cube to just below a boil. Slowly whisk in grits and cook for 5-10 minutes or until thickened, stirring often to prevent scorching. When grits are thickened, stir in 1 and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and allow to melt (reserve 1/4 cup for top). Remove from heat. Meanwhile, wash greens and heat bacon drippings in large skillet over high heat. Put greens in skillet while still a little wet from washing. Cook until thoroughly wilted, then drain. If using frozen greens, just heat and drain well; if canned, just drain well. Chop greens up very fine. Stir into grits mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into casserole dish (I use 2 pie pans and freeze one of these for later). Top with crumbled bacon and remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F until bubbly, about 20-25 minutes. You want it to still be a little bit loose. It will thicken as it stands. Use broiler to brown top. This freezes well. Just thaw beforehand and cook as above, adding another 10-15 minutes

This sounds so much better than the original to me, anyway. GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE (from scratch) Topping: 1 cup Panko bread crumbs 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 3 cups (6-ounces) of canned fried onions 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper In the bowl of a food processor, combine the butter and panko. Add the fried onions, salt, and pepper and pulse just until coarse crumbs form, about 3-5 (1-second) pulses; set aside. Beans and Sauce: 2 pounds haricots verts or thin green beans, ends trimmed and halved 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter 8 ounces white button mushrooms,cleaned and finely diced 2 small shallots, finely diced 4 medium garlic cloves, minced 3 Tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups chicken broth 1 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese, about 2 ounces grated (an aged white Cheddar works nicely, too) 2 teaspoons dry Sherry (optional, but good) With oven rack in middle position, preheat the oven to 425 F. Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and beans. Cook until beans are bright green and tender about 6-9 minutes (taste for desired tenderness). Drain beans in a colander and immediately plunge into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Spread beans in a single layer on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain completely. In the empty pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat until foaming subsides. Add the mushrooms, shallots, and garlic. Saut� until mushrooms release moisture and liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, stirring constantly. Add cream, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Add cheese and stir until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the Sherry, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the green beans to the sauce and gently toss to coat. Transfer the beans to a 3-quart (or 9 x 13-inch) baking dish. Sprinkle the topping over the beans and bake until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool for 5 min. Serves 10-12

I was looking through my old recipes and came across Mom's Butter Tart Squares recipe. We loved these on a plate of goodies at Christmas, etc. It uses a shortbread base. The only thing I'm not sure of, is that she squiggled out to bake the base first. I'm wondering if it made it too dry, and crumbly by baking first, so I'm going to try it both ways, to make sure that's what she meant. I'm going to make it today and report back with the results. Butter Tart Squares Base: 1 1/4 cup flour 2 tbsp brown sugar 1/2 cup butter Mix together with a fork and press into a square ungreased baking dish. Topping: 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup walnuts 1 cup coconut 1 tbsp flour 3/4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp butter Mix together and spread over base. Bake at 325 until firm, 30-35 minutes or until nicely browned. Cool before cutting into squares.

This is the Christmas Morning Wife Saver from the Best of Bridge cookbook. CHRISTMAS MORNING WIFE SAVER 16 slices of white bread slices of Canadian back bacon (enough to cover the pan) grated sharp cheddar cheese (enough to cover the pan) 6 eggs 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tsp dry mustard 1/4 c. minced onion 1/4 c. green pepper 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 3 cups of whole milk dash of Tabasco sauce 1 stick of butter Special K or Corn Flakes Butter a 9 X 13 baking dish. Cover the bottom with a layer of 8 slices of bread, then bacon, then grated cheese, and top with remaining 8 slices of bread, sandwich style. Beat eggs, salt, and pepper together. Stir in mustard, onion, green pepper, Worcestershire sauce, milk, and Tabasco sauce. Pour the mixture over the "sandwiches", cover, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, melt the butter and pour over the top of the "sandwiches". Cover with the cereal. Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.