Pre-measure all ingredients, and have them ready and waiting!

1. Combine sugar, milk, and butter in a heavy pot, and bring to a full rolling boil.
2. Boil for 1 minute only.
3. Remove from heat, and then stir in peanut butter, salt, and vanilla.
4. Smooth into a buttered 8”x8” pan, and cool, and cut.

Note:  You can melt some chocolate chips with a little butter, and smooth this over the set peanut butter layer.  Cool and cut.

• baking potatoes
• olive oil
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Put the potatoes onto a greased baking tray, and bake at 375F for about 45 minutes to an hour (until tender)

Remove from oven and make an X-cut in the top of each potato, then squash each potato with a potato masher, or a mug or plate.  The idea is to flatten them, not mash them.  You want the skins to crack and the insides to be rough.

Drizzle each potato (liberally) with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 450F for about 15 to 20 more minutes, until crispy and golden.

• 1 cup wild rice
• boiling water

•  ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup sliced almonds
• ½ lb mushrooms, sliced or chopped

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 Tablespoons sherry
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Wash the rice under cool running water, then place in a heatproof dish or bowl.
2. Cover the wild rice with boiling water.  Let stand for 30 minutes, then drain.
3. For a second time, cover the wild rice with boiling water, and let sit until cool.
4. Melt the butter in a large pan, add onion, almonds, and mushrooms, and sauté until golden.
5. Mix in the rice, and stir until well coated.
6. Pour the broth, sherry, and salt into the rice mixture, and transfer into a baking dish.
7. Cover and let sit overnight in the fridge.
8. The following day, bake for 1 ½ hours at 350F

1. Sample the whiskey to check for quality. Take a large bowl. Check the whiskey again to be sure it is of the highest quality. Pour one level cup and drink.
2. Repeat.
3. Turn on the electric mixer; beat 1 cup butter in a large, fluffy bowl.Add 1 teaspoon sugar and beat again.
4. Make sure the whiskey is still OK. Cry another tup. Turn off mixer.
5. Break 2 legs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers, pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the whiskey to check for tonsisticity.Next, sift 2 cups of salt. Or something. Who cares? Check the whiskey.
6. Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Spoon. Of sugar or something. Whatever you can find. Grease the oven. Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees. Don’t forget to beat off the turner. Throw the bowl out of the window. Check the whiskey again. Go to bed. Who the heck likes fruitcake anyway?

• 4 slices white bread, torn into pieces (or any white bread bun with the crust completely off — use about 4 slices of bread worth)
• 2 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 1 medium onion, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 cloves fresh garlic
• 2 stalks of celery, cut into chunks
• 2 carrots, scrubbed and cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup ketchup (you’ll need another 1/2 cup for the sauce)
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard, like Keene’s (you’ll need another teaspoonful for the sauce)

Heat oven to 375F.  Place bread pieces into a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form.  Transfer to a bowl (you do this first so that they don’t gunk up the processor bowl later).

Into the food processor bowl place: onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and parsley.  Pulse until finely chopped.

Add to the processor bowl, with the vegetable mixture: egg, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, salt and pepper.  Pulse until mixed.

Pour the bread crumbs back into the food processor, pulse until thoroughly mixed.

Into a large bowl, put the ground beef and break it up with a fork.  Gently mix the food processor mixture into the beef, until thoroughly combined.

Gently place the meatloaf mixture into an 8.5″ x 4.5″x2.5″ loaf pan (or use whatever loaf pan you have).

Mix these three ingredients together, then brush over the top of the meatloaf:

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard (like Keene’s)
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Place in the preheated oven, and bake for about one-and-a-half hours, until the center reaches 160F.

Base:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp. almond flavouring
• 1 and 2/3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, and blend until well mixed.  Add the flavouring, and mix well.
2. In a separate bowl, blend flour and baking powder together.
3. Gently add the flour/baking powder mixture to the creamed mixture
4. Spread into two 8″ cake pans.

Topping:

• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 lemon peel, grated.

1. Mix the topping ingredients together.
2. Spread topping over base, wetting spoon as necessary.
3. Sprinkle on:

• 1/2 pkg. of sliced almonds.

1. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.
2. Score while warm into slices.

Preheat oven to 350F

Grease an 8” square pan

Date Filling:

In a small saucepan combine:

• 2 cups chopped dates
• ¼ to ½ cup corn syrup
• ½ cup water
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Bring to a boil, and simmer until thickened and soft.  Set aside to cool.

Mix together in a bowl:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups lightly packed brown sugar

Stir in:

• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/3 cups rolled oats

With a fork, blend in

• 2/3 cup butter, melted

Stir until crumbly.

Press half of the crumb mixture into the prepated pan.  Spread with the cooled date mixture.  Cover with remaining crumbs and pat down until smooth.

Bake in a 350F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until light golden brown.  Cool and cut into squares.

• 1+1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1 x 6oz package of good chocolate chips (or 6oz good chocolate, chopped)

1. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, gently boil syrup, sugar, butter and water until it reaches “hard crack”/300F on a candy thermometer.  This will take 10 to 20 minutes.  DO NOT STIR.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the almonds.  Spread out on an ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Sprinkle the chocolate on top, and spread it out as it melts.  Cool in fridge or freezer, and break into pieces.

Doug's Bread, shaped by hand

• 1 ½ cups less 1 Tbsp of warm water
• 2 Tbsp milk powder
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp molasses
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 cups white flour
• ¾ cup quick oats
• 2 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 2 Tbsp flax seeds (we like milled)
• 2 Tbsp 12 Grain Cereal
• 1 ½ tsp bread machine yeast

Add ingredients to the machine in order listed.  Use 1 ½ lb whole wheat setting if using machine for entire process.  Select “Dough” to shape it by hand and bake it in your oven.

This recipe is good as a freeform loaf or buns, or makes one large bread-pan loaf.  Here’s how:

For the dough cycle (my preferred method):

1. When dough is finished, remove it from the pan onto a floured surface (about 1 to 2 Tbsp of flour).
2. For freeform loaves, shape the dough into a smooth ball by pulling it down the sides and pinching underneath.  Let it relax for a couple of minutes, then shape it into 1 or 2 rounds or 1 or 2 oblongs, and place on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Cover with a damp tea towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until almost doubled in bulk.
4. Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes, until it sounds hollow when you tap on the bottom.

1. Add ingredients to bread machine according to the manufacturer’s directions.
2. Select the whole wheat cycle, or the dough cycle.

For the dough cycle (my preferred method):

1. When dough is finished, remove it from the pan onto a floured surface (about 1 to 2 Tbsp of flour).
2. For freeform loaves, shape the dough into a smooth ball by pulling it down the sides and pinching underneath.  Let it relax for a couple of minutes, then shape it into 1 or 2 rounds or 1 or 2 oblongs, and place on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Cover with a damp tea towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until almost doubled in bulk.
4. Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes.

*Toasted Grain Mix

• 1 cup barley flakes
• 1 cup rye flakes
• 1 cup rolled oats (not instant)

Combine the flakes, and spread out in a shallow pan.

Toast in a 350F oven for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Keep sealed in a container, or freeze until needed.

I double or triple the recipe so I have lots on hand.