Make Your Own Herbal Vinegar

This is the simplest and most homemaker friendly way to make fine herbal vinegars you can use in salads and dressing recipes. You will enjoy them.
Find some lovely bottles to store them in and decorate your kitchen with them. They make beautiful gifts too.

Clean the bottles with soap and hot water then rinse in hot water thoroughly. Let dry.

Now pick the herbs you wish to use for your vinegar. Tarragon, basil, Dill, whatever you wish and pack about a cup of the checked, washed and rinsed herbs into the bottles. Poke them down with a long straw if you need.
Heat your vinegar just til it will boil ....
Pour the vinegar of your choice, apple cidar or white over the herbs and close the bottle.
Now let them sit in a cool dark place for 3 weeks.

If you are in for a more organic recipe .. just pour the vinegar on without boiling and set the bottles out in the warm sunshine for a few weeks to a month.

For the adventurous, use chilies or peppers instead of herbs. Hold onto your hat when trying these.
Bon Appetite.

Mac and Cheese a la 1951

This is an oldy but goody that is delicious in the winter especially. Pure comfort food and I think comfort foods are best on cold winter nights.


Baked Macaroni and cheese
2 c dry macaroni (I like to use rotini pasta instead)
2 Tbsp. margerine
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
2 C milk
1/2 lb. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

crumb topping:1 1/2 Tbsp. margerine
1/2 C bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. paprika


Boil your macaroni in salted water until just tender, drain & set aside.
In medium saucepan melt margerine over low heat, stir in flour & cook for one minute. slowly wisk in milk, cook & stir over medium heat until it gets thick.

Stir in salt, pepper & cheese, cook until cheese is melted. Mix cheese sauce into cooked macaroni & pour into a 9"x9" square baking dish. Melt margerine, stir in bread crumbs & paprika. Top macaroni & cheese with crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, until casserole is bubbly. If you wish, you can but it under the broiler for a few seconds to brown the crumbs.

If you like spicy.. add a dash or two of red hot sauce when cooking. Yum.

Bread and Wine Dessert

This dessert will vary depending on the kind of wine you use. Whatever you choose, its a rich, classy dessert.

You will need:
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cup of red wine (Burgundy or Chianti make for a mellow flavor while a sweet red like Marsala will make a delicate sweet flavor)
6 1/4 inch pieces of French bread.
1/2 cup of raisins
1/3 cup red wine( yes more)
1/4 cup of good honey
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
Sifted Powdered (Confectioner's)Sugar.

In a shallow dish combine the eggs and 1/4 cup of wine. Dip the bread slices in the mix.
In a 10 inch skillet cook the bread in hot butter on both sides til its golden.(You can use pareve margarine )
After all bread is golden and done through, remove to a warm plate.. keep warm.
Now put your raisins, the rest of the wine, honey and cloves into the same skillet.. no need to clean between.
Cover this and cook on low for around 15 minutes, checking to be sure its ok.
Put each slice of bread in its own serving bowl, pour on a little bit of the sauce you have made and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serves 6 with one slice each.. or 3 with 2 slices each.
Bon Appetite!

Pavlova

Light as a Feather and sinfully delicious.......and looks dreamy. This will impress guests no end.

Gather up:
3 egg whites
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons of vinegar
1 cup of whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla (yes a 2nd amount)
4 cups of fresh fruit..kiwi, strawberries, bananas, peaches,etc.

Bring the egg whites to room temp.
Line a baking sheet with tin foil.
Using an 8X 11 inch cake pan as a guide, draw a circle on the foil.
Now, in a large mixer bowl, comgine the egg whites, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, 1 1/2 teas of vanilla, vinegar and 1/4 cup of boiling water.
Beat for 12 minutes! yes a long time but this is necessary , til stiff peaks form and the mixture holds its shape well.
Spread the egg white mix over the circle you formed on the sheet and shape it into a shell with the back of a spoon. The bottom should be about 1/2 inch thick while the sides are 2 to 3 inches thick.
Bake in a preheated oven of 450°F . Turn oven off immediately and just let the pavlova sit in there for about 4 or 5 hours.
DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR OR IT WILL COLLAPSE.

combine the whipping cream with the 2nd amoung of sugar and vanilla and beat til its fluffy and soft peaks form.

After alloted time, remove the meringue shell from the oven and the foil and place on a lovely serving plate.
Fill the center with the whipped cream and garnish with all your fruit.
Serve in wedge shapes.
This will serve about 8 people, or 2 very hungry sweet lovers.