2 1/2 cups warm water
1 oz loose or 6 teabags of Darjeeling tea
2 1/2 cups sparkling apple juice
3 tablespoons lime juice, fresh squeezed
2/3 cup brandy (optional)

Put tea intor pitcher and pour warm water over. Let stand 3-4 hours to infuse. Strain (if needed) into a large pitcher and chill for 2 hours. When ready to serve, add the apple juice, lime juice and brandy. Pour into glasses over ice and float a lime slice on top.

Faux Clotted Cream
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
Beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer until medium-stiff peaks form. In the last few minutes of beating, add the powdered sugar. Turn the mixer off and, with a spatula, gently fold in the sour cream. Cover and refrigerate. Serve with the scones, alongside lemon curd and strawberry jam.

Lemon Curd
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
Mix butter and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add eggs and lemon juice and place in double boiler over simmering water. Stir constantly for 12-15 minutes until thickened and color has darkened to a deep yellow. Cool, cover tightlty and refrigerate.

3 cups self-rising flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 can beer (any brand)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray loaf pan with cooking spray. Mix all 3 ingredients well and add to loaf pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cool slightly and slice.

5 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1” pieces
1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled, finely chopped
1 small onion, peeled, chopped
2 cups chicken broth (purchased) or enough to cover potatoes
2 teaspoons salt
2 ½ cups milk
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Add potatoes to chicken broth and bring to a boil, turn down heat to simmer for 15-18 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium sauté pan, melt butter and sauté onion, celery and carrot for 8-10 minute and add to potatoes and broth. Add 2 cups milk and salt and simmer for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine ½ cup milk and flour, whisk until smooth. Add to soup and heat until thick; about 1-2 minutes. Add 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, stir to melt and serve immediately.

½ pound crab meat
1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned, peeled, raw
½ cup flour
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup butter (1/2 stick)
2 large white onions, chopped
1 green pepper, de-seeded, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups okra, fresh (produce section), sliced
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 ½ tablespoons salt, plus more to taste
1 bay leaf
3 cups long grain rice, cooked

In Dutch oven, heat oil and butter and add flour to make a roux. Stir constantly until golden brown and smooth consistency, about 10-15 minutes. Add onions, green pepper and garlic and sauté 12-14 minutes until tender. Stir in 6 cups of hot water, Cajun seasoning, okra, salt and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for one hour. Add shrimp and crabmeat and simmer 12-15 minutes until shrimp are firm. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over hot, steamed rice.
Shortcut Tip: Purchase 1 pound of cleaned frozen raw shrimp and defrost in colander by running under cold water for 5-7 minutes. Drain well.

Serves 8

2 lbs. beef stew meat, trimmed of fat, cut into 1” cubes
½ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
10 small red potatoes, halved
3 large carrots, peeled & chopped into 1” pieces
8-10 small white onions, peeled or 1 large onion, peeled and chopped into 1” pieces
3 stalks celery, chopped into ½” pieces
2 cups beef broth, purchased
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped or ½ teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped or ½ teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish

To pre-brown meat, heat large skillet to medium-high. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Combine flour and ½ teaspoon salt. Dredge half of beef stew meat in flour mixture and brown in hot oil, turning as needed, about 3-4 minutes total. Pour stew meal into slow cooker and add about ¼ cup beef broth into pan and scrape to remove brown bits and add to slow cooker. This is called de-glazing the pan. Repeat with remaining oil and stew meat. De-glaze and add to slow cooker.

Place potatoes, carrots, onions and celery in slow-cooker. Add remaining broth, oregano, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper and pour into slow-cooker. Cook on LOW for 9-10 hours.

Twenty minutes before serving, mix cornstarch and water together in a small bowl and stir into stew. Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes until stew is thickened. Sprinkle fresh parsley over stew before serving.

Nonstick cooking spray
1 tube crescent roll dough (refrigerated section)
1 wheel Brie cheese (19.6 ounces)
1 egg
1 teaspoon water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Open the crescent dough and smooth it out. Pinch together all of the perforated seams with your fingers to make 1 piece of dough. It will be a rectangular shape. With a sharp knife, cut off about 1 inch of the dough to make it a square. Reserve this scrap of dough. Unwrap the Brie and place it in the middle of the dough. Stretching the dough slightly to fit, wrap it up around the Brie and pinch the seams together to completely wrap the Brie in the dough. Pinch together at the top. I cut out small shapes (such as leaves or bells) from the reserved scrap of dough and press them onto the dough to cover the top seam.

Beat the egg with the water in a small bowl and, using a pastry or barbecue basting brush, lightly brush the beaten egg on the dough. This will give it a nice shine when it is baked. Bake for 12 to 18 minutes and serve immediately on a pretty platter. Cut a small wedge and let the melted cheese ooze out a bit. Serve with a cheese knife and spoon on the platter so guests can serve themselves.

• crackers, bread sticks, pita toasts, tortilla chips and other savory snacks.

• dried figs, dates or other fruit

Offer some sliced cheese along with a couple of wedges on a board (use an attractive wooden cutting board) along with pretty knives for serving.  Offer 4-5 varieties total:

• Soft cheeses such as fresh mozzarella, goat cheese (tart), brie (mild) or an herb cheese spread

• Medium cheeses such as  blue cheese (tart), cheddar, jack or Swiss

• Hard cheese such as Parmesan (salty).

All of these flavors work well together and are splendid served with wine. Serve fruity white and red wines such as Pinot Noir, Port or Sherry. A delicious  Riesling pairs nicely with the creamy (soft) types of cheeses.

Chill the white wine in the fridge (45-50 degrees) and serve the red wine at room temperature.

Look  for a fabulous baked brie that will wow your guests and is a quick and easy recipe to prepare in Recipes/Appetizers category.

1 – 18.25 oz spice cake mix plus ingredients listed on package.
1 ½ cup candied pecans, purchased (produce aisle)

Pumpkin Crème
1 – 3.4 oz. pkg. instant butterscotch pudding mix
1 ½ cups cold low fat milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 ½ cups whipped topping, plus 1 ½ cups more for topping

Bake spice cake mix according to package directions in 9 x 13” baking pan. In a medium mixing bowl blend the pudding and milk and whisk until thickened slightly. Stir in pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Fold in 1 ½ cups whipped topping, cover and chill for one hour.

Cool and cut cake into small pieces and layer in a trifle bowl with pumpkin crème and candied pecans. Repeat for a total of 3 layers. Top with remaining whipped topping, sprinkle with a bit of pumpkin pie spice and serve. May be made 1-2 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

1 turkey, about 12 pounds, defrosted

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), softened to room temperature

2 tablespoons dried turkey seasoning (see Note)

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 can (14 ounces) chicken broth (soup aisle)

Gravy

4 cups water

2 medium carrots, each cut into 2 or 3 pieces

1 large onion, quartered

1 bay leaf

1 can (14 ounces) chicken broth

Reserved turkey neck and giblets

1/4 cup drippings from roasted turkey

1/2 cup white wine

3 tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Special Equipment

Instant-read thermometer

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Remove the giblets (heart, kidneys, and liver) from the turkey (they are usually packed in a bag in the neck cavity). Remove the neck from the opposite cavity inside the turkey. Reserve for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out in cold water and pat dry. Starting at the neck cavity, loosen the skin from the breast and drumsticks by inserting a tablespoon, upside down, under the skin, gently pushing it between the skin and meat to separate the skin. In a small bowl, combine the butter, turkey seasoning, salt, pepper. Rub the mixture under the skin onto the breast meat and both drumsticks.

Place the turkey, breast side up, in a shallow roasting pan. Pour the broth over the turkey. Place in the oven and turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees F. Roast for about 2-2 ½ hours.

While the turkey is roasting, make the stock for the gravy. Combine the water, carrots, onion, bay leaf, chicken broth, and neck and giblets in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook until reduced to 2 1/2 cups. This will take 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Using a sieve, strain the stock into a medium bowl and discard the solids. Reserve stock for gravy.

After the turkey has roasted for 2 hours, place the instant-read thermometer in the meaty part of the thigh, making sure not to touch the bone. The turkey is done when the thermometer reads 175 to 180 degrees F. If it hasn’t reached this temperature, roast it for 15 minutes more and check again. Repeat until the thermometer indicates that the turkey is done. If the skin is becoming too browned, you can tent the turkey with a piece of aluminum foil until it is finished roasting.

Take the turkey out of the oven and put it on a heatproof surface. Remove 1/4 cup of the turkey drippings from the bottom of the pan, cover the turkey with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before you carve it.

To make the gravy, while the turkey is resting, combine the flour and turkey drippings in a bowl and stir with a whisk until smooth. Whisk drippings/flour mixture into the wine in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce and simmer for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the 2 1/2 cups of strained stock, salt, and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. You should have perfectly lump-free gravy.

To carve the turkey, cut through the skin between the drumstick and the body. Pull the leg outward to locate the joint at the body and cut through the joint to remove the leg. This includes the thigh and the drumstick. Remove the other leg and both wings in the same way. Cut between the joint to separate the thigh and drumstick. Slice the meat off the thigh and drumstick and put it on a platter. Insert the carving fork to steady the turkey and slice the breast into thin slices, cutting parallel to the rib cage. Continue on both sides until you have enough turkey carved to serve.

Pour the gravy into a gravy boat or bowl and serve with the turkey.

Notes: The spice section of most grocery stores has prepared turkey seasoning, or you can mix together 2 teaspoons each of dried sage, dried thyme, and dried marjoram.

For ease, in this recipe the turkey is not stuffed. The stuffing is baked separately in a casserole dish. If you wish to stuff your turkey, lightly spoon the stuffing into the cavity and be aware that your turkey will take a longer to roast.