50+ Lifestyles

Ella’s Kitchen

December is the month of happy hectic holidays. My advice is to dream big for this festive season. Make your lists and plans. Decide how you want to decorate. Do as much as you are able. THEN don’t fret about what you don’t get done,
relax and enjoy your friends and family. If the silver hasn’t been polished since last year, who cares? Enjoy the fellowship! Have a Merry Christmas and a great Holiday season!

Ella
[Ella can be contacted at ellaweeze@yahoo.com or Ella – 50+ Lifestyles, 804 W Lombard Street, Davenport, IA, 52804]

Eggnog Bavarian

2 envelopes )2 tablespoons) unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 quart (4 cups) diary eggnog
32 split ladyfingers or 16 whole

Soften gelatin in cold water. Add about 1 cup of the eggnog; heat and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat and add remaining eggnog; mix well. Chill until partially set. Beat with electric or rotary beater until light and fluffy. If ladyfingers are whole, split lengthwise. Line bottom of 8-inch spring form pan, cutting to fit; line sides by standing ladyfingers on end all around. Pour in eggnog mixture. Chill firm. Serves 8 to 10.

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Apricot-Scotch Cobbler

1 1-pound 5-ounce can apricot pie filling*
1 roll refrigerated butterscotch-nut cookie dough,
sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 teaspoon sugar
Dash ground cinnamon

Heat pie filling and pour into an 8-inch pie plate. Slightly overlap cookie slices on top of filling around edge of plate. (Bake any remaining cookies separately for snacks.) Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture on top of cookies and filling. Bake at 350° about 25 minutes, or until cookies are done. Serve warm or cold, topped with ice cream. serves 5. *Substitute any flavor pie filling as desired: pineapple, peach, cherry or blueberry.

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Chocolate-Mint Parfaits

1 4 1/4 or 4 1/2 ounce package instant
chocolate pudding mix
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
4 or 5 drops red food coloring
3 tablespoons crushed peppermint candies
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
1.2 cup graham cracker crumbs

Prepare pudding according to package directions. Cool. Add extract, food coloring and crushed candy to whipped cream. Spoon pudding, crumbs and whipped cream in layers into 6 parfait glasses. Repeat layers. Garnish with additional candy. Chill. serves 6.

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Orange Apricot Ring

1 1-pound can apricot halves
2 3-ounce packages orange-flavored gelatin
1 6-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup cold water

Drain apricots, reserving syrup. Puree apricots in electric blender. Add enough water to reserved syrup to make 1 1/2 cups. Combine reserved syrup, gelatin and dash salt; heat to boiling, stirring to dissolve gelatin. Remove from heat. Add concentrate and stir till melted. Stir in apricot puree and water. Pour into 5-cup ring mold and chill till firm. Unmold on lettuce. If desired, fill center with lettuce and orange sections. arrange orange sections and frosted grapes around mold. Makes 8 to 10 servings