Blender Cranberries with Orange

Crystal asked that I publish this recreation of Collette's fresh cranberry blend.

Put about 3 cups fresh strawberries in the blender.
Add 1 orange, peeled and sections mostly removed.
Optional: 1/2 cup nuts
2 Tablespoons agave nectar.

Blend on the chop selection till well blended. It tastes great on turkey, rolls, and even the Waldorf salad Heather and Adam made.

Cherry Tomatoes Wrapped In Bacon

Because everything's better with bacon!

Harrison and I had these as an appetizer once at a restaurant, and they were amazing. When you pop the whole thing in your mouth and the tomato just explodes with flavor it's soooo good. We made them at home today for Thanksgiving and they turned out great.

Here's the recipe:


Soak bamboo skewers or toothpicks in a bowl of water for 15 minutes (so they don't burn up in the oven or something).

Cook the bacon up in a frying pan (you might want to cut the pieces of bacon in half if the tomatoes are on the smaller side) until it's no longer raw, but is still pliable.

Take the bacon out of the pan and let it rest until it's cool enough to work with.

Wrap the bacon around the tomatoes, sticking the toothpick through the middle to secure it.

Season with black pepper, freshly ground if you have it.

Place the bacon wrapped tomatoes on a broiling pan and pop them into a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until the bacon is crispy.

Remove and serve!

Hancock Pizza Dough

Makes 2 pizzas (or 1 pizza and 1 tray bread-sticks*)

Ingredients:
2 TBS yeast
1 tsp honey or sugar
2 cups warm water
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt

Directions:
In large bowl mix yeast, honey, and warm water and let bubble (about 10 minutes). Add flour and salt. Knead (adding more flour as needed) and form into ball. Let raise until double or about 1 hour. Divide into 2 balls. Roll out into pizza crust. Top pizza with sauce, cheese, and desired toppings. Bake 12-15 minutes at 425 degrees.

*For bread-sticks top with melted butter, seasoned salt, and Parmesan cheese. These are easiest to get out if you cut them prior to baking.

Sweet potato and black bean enchiladas

This one is especially for Cystal because it's dairy free.

INGREDIENTS
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 small chile, seeded and minced
One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (I usually use more beans)
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained (I usually keep some of the liquid so things aren't dry, and use more tomatoes)
1 tablespoon chili powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups salsa
8 large flour tortillas
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
Optional: pears (I like putting them in just before baking. They bring out the sweet potato.)

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Put the sweet potatoes on a lightly oiled baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 20 minutes, turning once, until they’re tender. Remove from oven and set aside.
2. Turn oven down to 350F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chile and cook about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Add beans, tomatoes, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked sweet potatoes and simmer mixture 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. Spread a thin layer of salsa on the bottom of a lightly oiled 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set aside. 4. Place a tortilla on a flat work surface, spoon a portion of the sweet potato mixture down the center of it and roll it up. Place the filled enchilada in the baking dish with the seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas and sweet potato mixture. If there’s any filling left over, spoon it on top of the enchiladas, then top with remaining salsa and sprinkle with red onion.
5. Cover and bake until casserole is hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately, with sour cream if desired.
Serves 8.