LEMON BARS DELUXE 2 1/4 cup flour 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus additional for sprinkling 2 sticks butter 4 beaten eggs 2 cups granulated sugar 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 1/2 tsp baking powder Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk together 2 cups of the flour & the confectioners' sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture clings together. Press the dough into a 13x9x2" baking dish. Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, beat together the eggs, granulated sugar & lemon juice. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup flour with the baking powder; stir into the egg mixture & pour over the hot baked crust. Bake for 25 minutes longer. Remove from the oven & sprinkle w/confectioners' sugar. Cool. Cut into squares.~~ Mountain Measures

My son is allergic to dairy - most recipes can easily be adapted to non-dairy. If recipe calls for butter, use a dairy-free margarine; if it calls for milk, you can use rice or soy milk. (I prefer rice milk; SuperTarget, Albertson's, Tom Thumb all generally carry rice milk.) I have also used coconut milk with some success. (Great in sorbet, but I think it just failed in fudge! Waiting another hour to decide on that one.) There is even soy cream cheese available. (Probably have to visit health food store for this item.) Okay, I hate this stuff plain, but it is cook in baking. I have used it in fruit pizza and cream cheese icing and it tasted great. (Plain, it has a funky 'mouth feel.') Here are a few recipes that I make. First is Marilyn's carrot cake. If you don't want to try the soy cream cheese icing, then omit and dust with powdered sugar. Carrot Cake 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice allspice substitute is equal amounts each: ground cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg & pepper 1 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs 1 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup orange juice 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups shredded or grated carrots 1 cup chopped pecans Pre-heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Sift flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices together. Beat oil, eggs, sugar and brown sugar at medium speed for 2 minutes or until well blended. Stir in orange juice and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture on lowest speed, just until blended. Stir in carrots and nuts until combines. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean. Cool completely before filling and frosting with 1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting. Cream Cheese Frosting 1 pound powdered sugar (4 cups) 8 oz. Cream cheese; softened 1 stick butter or margarine; softened 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 cup chopped pecans (optional) Combine all ingredients and mix well with electric mixer. Chocolate Crinkles 3 beaten eggs (I used Ener-G egg replacer) 1 ½ cups sugar 4 squares (4 ounces) unsweetened chocolate, melted ½ cup cooking oil 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups all-purpose flour Powdered Sugar In a large mixing bowl stir together beaten eggs, sugar, melted chocolate, cooking oil, baking powder and vanilla. Gradually stir in the flour till thoroughly combined. Cover and chill for one to two hours or till the dough is easy to handle. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in powdered sugar to coat. Place two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or till edges are set and tops are cracked. (Do not overcook!) Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet. Cool on a wire rack. If desired, sift additional powdered sugar over cookies. Makes about 48. Chocolate Upside Down Pudding Cake 1 cup flour 1 tablespoons baking powder ¼ cup cocoa powder ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup sugar ½ cup margarine ½ cup milk (I use rice milk) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Sauce: ¾ cup sugar ¼ cup cocoa 2 cups boiling water Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt. Add the sweetener, margarine, milk and vanilla and mix together until just mixed. Spread in a lightly oiled casserole dish. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar and cocoa. Sprinkle evenly on top of the cake mixture. Carefully pour the boiling water over top. NOTE: DO NOT MIX THIS TOGETHER! It will do its own thing in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes. To serve, scoop out portions the cake will be on top and the pudding will be on the bottom. ~ Suzie

Every year I buy the luscious local strawberries from one of the many plots in the area...I don't have enough good sunny garden room to plant enough for my use. I make jam, and eat a ton of them fresh in all sorts of ways. But I also fill my dehydrator several times with sliced berries for the hot cereals we eat so much of during the winter. We like a variety of dried fruits as well as the traditional raisins. They are also very nice just to snack on during the Winter, when fruit worth eating is hard to come by. If you have a dehydrator (or a friend who has one you could borrow for the experiment) that would be one thing to do. I do freeze a number of them as well, for use in fruit sauces and smoothies. I don't add anything, just hull them and freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet before putting them into zip lock bags. That way, I can take out only the amount I need. I also eat them with ice cream or make home made ice cream with them. I only thaw them enough to quickly cut & eat or put into the cream though. If they thaw all the way they get slimy and the flavor changes.

Pat, you can use fresh herbs in just about any recipe that you would use dried herbs in. Some fresh herbs though are added at the end of cooking. Especially something like basil. I like to add a handful or two of fresh basil to a quick tomato, garlic pasta sauce. And you can use fresh basil and fresh oregano in salads. Greek Italian Recipes using fresh Oregano: Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Tomato - Oregano Tarts ====================== Source: Roger Verges Vegetables 1 lb very ripe tomatoes 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 clove of garlic Salt and pepper 1 slice of bread 1/2 lb puff pastry 2 Tablespoons or Capers or 4 oz black olives (Nicoise or Kalamata) - pitted 6 oregano sprigs . Peel and seed tomatoes. Chop coarsely. Put olive oil into a sauce pan or skillet heat, add tomatoes, minced garli and salt and pepper to taste and saute for 7 to 8 minutes. Trim crusts from bread and process into crumbs. Mix crumbs with 2 oregano sprigs. Add to Tomato mixture. Set Aside. Roll puff pastry into a generous 12 inch square. Place on a chilled baking sheet. (may also be made into 4 six inch circles, use a tart ring or plate as a template and cut out) Prick pastry all over, leaving 1/2 inch border unpricked. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and spread a layer of tomato mixture and sprinkle with capers or olives. Return to the oven and bake an additional 8 minutes. If serving as a first course, allow one per person. Or cut the large tart into small squares and serve as an appetizer in the living room. Garnish with sprig of oregano. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Green Bean, Zucchini and Potato Stew (Fassolakia Iadera ======================================================= Adapted from: Krinos Foods (The original recipe called for a large can of tomatoes and did not include garlic or oregano.) Green Bean, Zucchini and Potato Stew (Fassolakia Iadera)This is a traditional vegetable mixture that is often eaten cold, accompanied by hunks of country bread and feta cheese . 1/4 cup olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed, halved crosswise 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 8 ounces zucchini, cut into 1-inch-thick slices 8 ounces russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes 3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh oregano chopped (or dried) 1 14 ounce can of Italian-style tomatoes, chopped. 1/2 cup chicken broth . Heat oil in heavy large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes.Add Garlic and green beans and sauté until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, potatoes, cayenne pepper, parsley and oregano. Pour tomatoes and their juices over vegetables. Add chicken broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring frequently, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Can be prepared 1 day ahead -- cover and refrigerate. Serve warm or at room temperature. 6 To 8 Servings