I'm sorry Jan!! LOl...ya'll have to forgive me, I've been spacey and drugged up for months, I lose track right in the middle of typing. I've woken to find open windows on my computer with notes I've been typing, and don't even remember talking to them *sigh* But......I'm going to put the recipe for Poinsettia Cookies here again....these are just delicious, everyone loves these, and they smell great. Oh, Jan....I use the cherries in the jar, too! They taste much better :D I just lay them on paper towels to drain, and I cut them with scissors, really easier that way. They look very elegant, and make great gifts. Poinsettia Cookies Ingredients 2 c Butter or margarine; 1 c Shredded coconut 2 Eggs 1 c Butterscotch chips 1 ts Vanilla extract Granulated sugar 3 c Flour 1/2 c Candied red cherries; cut in 1 ts Salt Cream confectioners sugar and butter; add eggs and extracts. Sift together flour and salt; stir into butter mixture. Stir in coconut and 3/4 C of the butterscotch chips. Chill dough until firm. Roll into 1" balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten cookie with the bottom of glass dipped in granulated sugar. Place butterscotch chip in the center of cookie. Place cherry wedges in a circle to resemble a poinsettia. Bake at 375F for about 12 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen cookies. ************************************************ I also see I forgot to add the Divinity recipe! Here is the site I got the best recipe from. http://www.angelabetts.com/blog/2007/05/22/divinity-candy-recipe/ DIVINITY CANDY 3 cups sugar cup light corn syrup ½ cup water 2 egg whites 1 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla, whichever you prefer) 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans Place sugar, corn syrup, and water in heavy saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat to hard ball stage (248° to 250°F). Remove from heat and let stand until temperature drops to 220°F, without stirring. Place egg whites in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and wire whip to mixer. Turn to Speed 8 and whip about 1 minute, or until soft peaks form. Gradually add syrup in a fine stream and whip about 2 ½ minutes longer. Turn to Speed 4. Add almond extract and whip 20 to 25 minutes, or until mixture starts to become dry. Turn to Stir Speed and add walnuts, mixing just until blended. Drop mixture from measuring tablespoon onto waxed paper or greased baking sheet to form patties. Yield: 20 servings (2 pieces per serving) Per serving: About 192 cal, 2 g pro, 40 g carb, 4 g fat, 0 mg chol, 15 mg sod. ******************* The punch recipe sounds great, and I need a recipe! So funny because I just found another punch bowl! Not one for a birdbath either!

Chocolate Frosting for Biscotti Ingredients: 1 Cup chocolate chips 2 Tablespoons Butter 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar, sifted 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Directions: In a heavy, small saucepan heat chocolate and butter over low flame until melted. Stir often. Remove from heat & add powdered sugar and vanilla, whisk well. Frost Biscotti. For a design, run a fork over the frosting while it's soft. Let stand until chocolate is set. Keeps well in an airtight container. Lucy

A lot of Italian families have Biscotti with their breakfast coffee: Sobe Biscotti Makes 32 biscotti Source: Burt Wolf's Local Flavors, Miami, Florida The Miami Beach restaurant Nemo serves these biscotti with an assortment of fruit sorbets. Pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith suggests an easy way to line the loaf pan with foil. "Invert the loaf pan and mold the foil around the outside. Turn the pan over and place the molded foil right in the pan." 4 ounces (1 1/2 cups) thinly-sliced almonds Butter or Pam vegetable spray 4 eggs, separated 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 3/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt Grated zest of 1 lemon, finely grated 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1/2 cup dried sour cherries 1/2 cup dried cranberries Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the almonds out on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside to cool. Line a 5 x 9 1/2-inch loaf pan with foil on all sides. Butter or spray Pam all over the inside of the pan and set aside. TO PREPARE THE BATTER: Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites with the lemon juice until they just begin to hold stiff peaks. Gradually add 1/4 cup of the sugar to the whites and continue to beat on high until they hold firm, stiff peaks. Transfer the beaten whites to a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, vanilla, and salt together until the mixture becomes thick and then add the lemon zest. With a wide blade rubber spatula, fold this egg yolk mixture into the beaten whites, once it is incorporated, gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Then fold in the sifted flour and then the toasted almonds, cherries and cranberries. Turn the batter out into the prepared loaf pan. Use the back of a spoon, dipped in water, to smooth out the top. Place the loaf pan into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, cover the loaf pan with a piece of foil. This will prevent the top of the loaf from becoming too brown. Return the loaf to the oven and continue to bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Remove the loaf from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Invert the loaf onto a plate, remove the foil, and immediately wrap with a fresh piece of foil. Allow to cool to room temperature and then place into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. FOR THE SECOND BAKING: Place the two oven racks on the top third and the bottom third of the oven to create two tiers and preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Unwrap the loaf and using a serrated knife, cut the loaf into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place the slices on a baking sheet and bake two sheets at a time until the cookies are lightly golden: this should take about 30 minutes. You want the cookies to be dry and crisp, but not too dark in color. Halfway during the baking, reverse the baking sheets to ensure that they cook evenly. Once the cookies are dry and crisp, place them on a cooling rack to cool completely and then serve. Store in an airtight container. Recipe courtesy of Pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith, Nemo, Miami Beach, Florida

During our kitchen remodel I craved pasta, but with only a microwave and toaster oven it wasn't happening. So spaghetti squash became the great pretender. This was my favorite dish ... fresh uncooked tomato sauce ... diced tomatoes, minced garlic, lemon zest, olive oil, fresh basil. Let that sit at room temp for a couple hours then toss with the spaghetti squash.