'Easter'

Simple, elegant roasted asparagus

This is one of the most simple and impressive recipes that you can make. Roasted asparagus is an apt choice for an Easter side dish as it pairs well with ham, quiche, frittata, sweet potato hash .

Start with fresh washed asparagus. I prefer the bigger stalks vs. the smaller stalks due to shrinkage. For …

The “shadowy” origins of many Christian holidays are major bones of contention among the devout and while I’m used to the usual arguments surfacing around Christmas I admit I’m a bit surprised at the furor rampant (at least among my Facebook friends) over Easter‘s influences.

Nutshell: the bunny, chicks, and eggs that don’t really seem like obvious symbols of …

Anjou Pears

This Pear-Cranberry Crisp was the grand finale to our 2011 annual LAFF Gal Pals holiday feast (see the entire menu).  It’s a sweetie, literally.  Everyone loved it.  Don’t forget the cinnamon ice cream.  My favorite!

• 3 pounds ripe Anjou pears (about 5), peeled, cored, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 c. fresh cranberries or frozen, thawed
• 3/4 c. sugar

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Sweet Potato Spoonbread with Friends Carolyn, Nancy, and Pam

I love to try new recipes on family and friends and this one is a WINNER.  It came from this year’s December Better Homes and Gardens magazine, but I modified it slightly and used curry instead of thyme.  It is not what you think!  It is savory, not sweet.  Light and …

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I think that asparagus is so good just steamed that at first, I did not see the need for this recipe, but let me tell you, it is good.  A lovely accompaniment to plain meat.

Yield:  8 to 10 servings

• 2 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed
• 1 bunch green onions
• 4 T. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 t.

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Artichokes

Elegant and simple! This is a delicious soup that I will definitely serve again.

• 1/2 c. butter
• 2 bunches green onions, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (14-oz) cans artichoke hearts, cut into quarters
• 3 T. flour
• 8 c. chicken broth
• dash of cayenne pepper
• salt
• 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 t. thyme
• 1/3 c.

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• 1 pint sour cream
• 1 T. horseradish, drained
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/4 t. curry powder
• 1/4 t. dry mustard
• 1/2 package dry onion soup mix
• 1 (7-oz) can shrimp, drained
• 1 (7-oz) can  crab meat, drained
• 1 round loaf French bread, whole

In a bowl, combine sour cream and next 6 ingredients; mix well.  Fold in …

Mustards

This makes a great companion to the Baked Ham with Marmalade-Horseradish Glaze recipe.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

• 1 c. dry mustard (about 3 ounces)
• 2 T. yellow mustard seeds
• 1 c. raspberry vinegar
• 1 c. fresh cranberries
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 T. fresh lemon juice
• 2 T. honey
• 3/4 t. salt
• 1/2 t. ground

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