h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Some of these recipes may end up in desserts or casseroles, but there's always room for that weird green jello stuff, or cranberry-horseradish relish.

Pumpkin Bread
My grandmother's recipe

3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 16 oz. can pumpkin
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
3 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda

Mix all dry ingredients together (except for sugar), and set aside. Mix sugar, eggs, oil, pumpkin together, then add dry ingredients slowly to the mixture.

You'll need either 4 1 lb. coffee cans, or 2 loaf pans. Pour the batter into the containers, and bake at 325 for 55 minutes. In my oven, it takes 1 hour and 15 minutes.

I replaced the pumpkin with 16 oz. of sweet potato (pre-baked in the oven) and it came out just scrumptious. Nice crust on the top, and good flavor too. I also left out the nutmeg, and it tasted just fine.

Basilica

This is a very rich, very creamy spread that is perfect during the holiday (any holiday, really) season. I make Basilica as a Christmas Day snack treat every year and my family loves it. It's definitely not low-fat, so you might want to warn those who are watching their figure.

½ pound cream cheese, room temperature
½ pound butter, room temperature
6 - 8 oz. pesto
bread pan
cheesecloth

Whip the cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Set aside. Line a bread pan with a few folded sheets of cheesecloth, allowing some material to hang over the sides, and evenly spread a thin layer of the cream cheese and butter mixture on the bottom. Then spread a thin layer of the pesto on top of that and then another layer of the cheese and butter. Continue until both are used up, ending with a final layer of cream cheese and butter on the top. Wrap the cheesecloth over the ingredients and chill for at least three hours. Unmold carefully by unwrapping the Basilica and inverting the bread pan on a serving platter. Serve with your favorite crackers or baguette slices. Happy holidays!

FG - went looking for those sweet potato oatmeal cookies, but couldn't find them on your page.

Oh! All you have to do is ask. I wasn't going to post them until someone indicated an interest.

Lentilla, they're in my journal.

On that note, another holiday dish: Thanksgiving Hash

This is a good way to use the last of your Thanksgiving leftovers for breakfast in the days after that beautiful holiday. Serves two (one if you're hungry!).

4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
½ cup diced turkey meat
½ cup mashed potatoes
½ cup stuffing
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup cranberry relish

Saute the onion in two tablespoons of the butter in a frying pan on medium heat. Add your leftovers and the remaining butter and form mixture into a pancake-like shape in the pan. Fry until browned and crispy on both "sides". Crack your eggs on top of the hash, mix until the eggs are just done, add salt and pepper and serve with the cranberry relish on the side. Gobble gobble gobble!

This party dip is great any time of the year, not just the holidays!

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup grated Mozzarella
1 cup mayonnaise
1 jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients together in a baking dish and bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve hot with crackers, chips or crusty bread.

Teuchter's Seasonal sprouts - pinched from Good Housekeeping

Melt some butter and gently cook some finely chopped/minced garlic. Add to this some lightly steamed Brussels Sprouts - still with plenty 'bite'.
Toss around and add zest of one lemon - and some juice.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and finish with chopped toasted hazelnuts.

As to quantities - just chuck in what seems right.

Roasted beetroot

Wash and peel beetroot - cut into halves or quarters if large.
Place in ovenproof dish with splash of olive oil and splash of balsamic vinegar.
Add mixture of spices - whatever you've got handy - eg cumin seeds, coriander seeds you've bashed about in the mortar/pestle, salt and pepper etc.

Roast for about one hour at same temperature you'd do roast potatoes.

Experiment with lid off or lid on.

They're delicious - and good for you.

Parsnip and Gruyere Bake

Parsnips - peeled and sliced into circles
Gruyere cheese - coarsely grated
Salt and pepper
Garlic - finely chopped

Layer into shallow ovenproof dish and pour over a lot of double cream.

cook for about 40-60 minutes at same temp as roast pots.

Just thinking about this is enough to clog the arteries - but it is delicious.
Good with plain roasts.

It's that time of year again... time to make tasty, creepy Halloween treats. I did this last year and it worked out great.

You'll need:
Aluminum roasting pan
Heavy-duty aluminum foil
Non-stick cooking spray
Flour
Red velvet cake mix
Gummy worms
Oreos or other chocolate cream-filled wafer

Take several sheets of aluminum foil, and wrap it around your face, molding it so you'll get a good impression of your eyes, nose, and mouth. Spray the inside of the foil with cooking spray, then dust it with flour, shaking out excess. Place it in the roasting pan, and bend the sides in so it'll hold the shape of the mold. Mix up the red velvet cake mix according to directions, pour it into the aluminum foil, and bake. After it's done, carefully flip the cake upside down and place it on the plate. I had to cut the back of it off so it would lie flat on the plate. You'll find that the cake has a definite human face - I helped it along by adding nostrils and cutting a line for the mouth.

Now take the chocolate wafers and crush them, then scatter them over the top. Enough wafers and it'll look like dirt. Scatter gummy worms around the outside of the zombie cake. If you're feeling creative, insert a couple into the sides of the face.

And you're done! Feel free to add red strawberry sauce at the corners of the mouth, or any other gruesome details that come to mind.

Oh, here's a picture of the cake from last year...

http://masksbyjen.com/Fun_Stuff/ZombieCake_angle.jpg