RUM BALLS MY VERY OWN

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 c firmly crushed vanilla wafers
1 c onfectioner's sugar
2 Tab cocoa
2 Tab. Karo corn syrup (lite)
1/4 c rum

Combine and roll into balls (1 in.). Dip in powdered sugar and let sit few days
for rum flavor to ferment.

Chicken Arribiatta Cattiatori

6 lbs chicken boneless breast tenderloin pieces thawed
3 bottles of Arriabata Italian Sauce (Trader Joe's Brand)
1/2 bottle of Chianti wine
2 tab. sugar or Nevella equiv.
1 bag thawed frozen sweet peppers (Trader Joe's)
1 lb. portabella sliced mushrooms sauted litely in non-stick spray
3 sliced red onions
1 28 oz can diced Italian tomatoes
2 14 oz cans tomato paste

Place chicken breast in large dutch oven and brown in little olive oil. Add three
bottles of Arriabata sauce, 2 lg. cans tomato paste, diced tomatoes, 1/2 bottle less of good red wine (Chianti preferred) and cook low approx. half hour.
Add red onions and simmer covered another half hour. Add mushrooms, sw. peppers, and
sugar. Simmer 1/2 hour till flavors blend. Serve over pasta (I prefer a multi-grain) or just with good
Italian crusty bread.

My Pumpkin Pie with Fresh Grated Spices

one deep dish baked pie shell

3/4 c. sugar
1/4 teas salt
2 teas cinnamon
1/2 teas fresh grated dried ginger
1/2 teas. ground clove
3/4 teas fresh grated dried whole nutmeg
2 eggs
15 oz can pumpkin
12 oz can fat free evaporated milk
(fat free is very creamy!)

Combine all ingredients in large bowl slowly pouring can of
evaporated milk, blending in well. Pour all into pre-baked
deep dish pie shell. Bake 425 oven 15 min, then reduce temp
to 350 degrees and bake 50 min or till knife inserted comes out
clean. Cool....Always tastes very best slightly heated and serve with
whip cream...

Scalloped Corn Casserole

4 cans cream corn
2 cans drained kernel corn
2 cups milk
2 1/2 rows of Ritz type cracker crush
with hands, not too finely
1 small onion chopped fine and cooked
lightly in microwave to soften
3 heaping tab. brown sugar
salt and crack pepper to taste,
I use very little salt, lots of crack pepper
1 stick butter to dot top of casserole

Mix all ingredients in very large casserole dish. Dot top of casserole with butter. Bake
uncovered for one hour till thickened and lightly brown. Great with ham or turkey.....

Snowball Cookies

2 c butter
1 1/2 c peanut butter
2 lb powder sugar
2 c coconut
2 1/2 c chocolate chips
4 c. oats
1 teas. vanilla extract
2 c powdered sugar for dipping

Combine extract and peanut butter. Add rest of ingredients except 2 c. powdered sugar for dipping, blending well. Roll into small balls and dip in powdered sugar. Set on foil lined trays. Refrigerate.

Brandied Orange Fresh Cranberry Sauce/Low Sugar

2 bags fresh cranberries
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup sugar substitue Nevella
1 shot brandy
1/4 cup orange marmalade

Boil water and sugars. Add cranberries till they pop and stir. Let cool. Add brandy and orange
marmalade. Refrigerate.

Healthy Baked Ricotta Penne

2 boxes of Multi-Grain Rigate Penne (Jewel brand)
1 pkgs. Hot Italian turkey sausage (must use hot), remove from casing
4 jars 28 oz Prego Healthy Heart Marinara Sauce
2 lbs. fat-free ricotta cheese
1 8 oz. pkgs of shredded parmesan cheese

Litely fry sausage removed from casing in olive oil breaking up into crumbled
pieces. Add marinara sauce and 1/2 cup red wine. Heat to simmer 1/2 hr.
Set aside. Boil water in large dutch oven and cook pasta a la dente. Litely
spray with cooking spray 2 9x11 baking pans. Separate drained penne into
the two pans. Pour good amount of sauce over penne, litely mix into penne.
Drop by large spoonfuls 1/2 container of the ricotta cheese to ea. pan of penne.
Litely toss some ricotta into penne and dollop some all over too leaving in dollops. Pour
more sauce over top of casserole. Cover with parmesan cheese. Bake 350 degrees 1 hour till parmesan check till hot and bubbly through. Cut into large squares. Serve leftover marinara sauce on the side to top individual servings.

Credit for this recipe is due to my friend/school chum Artie Quarto's original recipe. I have devised a health conscious multigrain version. Thank you again Artie! Please see Artie's
blogg for his original recipe and visit his new restaurant opening in Sycamore and more....he is
one excellent chef!!!!