Cranberry Sauce with ginger and clove

Ashley made these over Thanksgiving. They were the BEST cranberries I've ever had.

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 bag (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries, 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1 cup water, 1 T finely grated peeled fresh ginger, and 1/8 t ground cloves to a boil over high. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until cranberries have burst and sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Makes 2 cups.

Balsamic glazed carrots

I saw this recipe in Septembers Health magazine. I love anything with balsamic vinegar so I thought these were great!
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds(12 medium) carrots, halved lengthwise then halved crosswise. I halved then just halved the chunky top half crosswise. This made 3 segments from each carrot.
2 T olive oil
2 T water
1/2 t cumin
2 T balsamic vinegar
parsley for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Roast carrots 35-40 minutes until tender. Remove carrots and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. Shake the pan to distribute vinegar.

Italian Vegetable Pasta Salad

This is really easy and really good! You can use any assortment of veggies that you have on hand.
Ingredients:
1 pkg. GOOD SEASONS Italian Dressing Mix
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (* red wine vinegar may used as well)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1/8 cup water + 3Tbsp
1 pkg. (9 oz.) refrigerated three cheese tortellini, cooked, rinsed and drained
1 small zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, sliced
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
1/2 cup chopped red peppers
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2 green onions, diagonally sliced
PLACE dressing mix, water and vinegar in cruet or other container with tight-fitting lid. Add oil; cover. Shake until well blended.
COMBINE remaining ingredients in large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the dressing; toss lightly. Cover.
REFRIGERATE at least 2 hours. Stir before serving.

Toasted Pita Panzanella

This is an Italian dish with a twist. Panzanella is widely known in Italy as a "bread salad" or "leftover salad", so the sky is the limit with this one as far as which ingredients to use. It is great for an August meal with so many fresh ingredients readily available this time of year!

Ingredients:
2 whole wheat pitas
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1/2 of a red onion, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta
2 T fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 t sugar
1/4 cup EVOO
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Chop pitas into 8 sections(like cutting a pie) and toast for 14 minutes, turning halfway through. Set aside and cool. Once cool break into smaller pieces.

Combine tomatoes through basil and add pita pieces. Combine lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper and slowly add the olive oil. Drizzle dressing over salad and let set at room temperature 20-30 minutes before serving. This serves 2 adults and one baby James!

Twice Baked Potatoes

My mom is the expert at these, but I made them for Todd's birthday today because they are his favorite.

Ingredients:
6 baked potatoes
6 T sour cream
4-6 T butter
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (divided)
4 pieces of bacon cooked and crumbled

Directions:
Once the baked potatoes are cool enough to handle cut the potato lengthwise towards the top. You can reserve the tops to make potato skins. Scoop out the insides of all the potatoes into a bowl and add the sour cream, butter and half the cheese. Beat until smooth. Put the filling back in the empty shells and top with remaining cheese and bacon. If you are lucky you will have some extra mashed potatoes to enjoy as a snack!!! You can make these ahead and store in the fridge until you are ready to eat. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Brown sugar baby carrots

Carrots are cooked with brown sugar and butter, resulting in a sweet, flavorful brown sugar glaze.
Ingredients:
16 ounces baby carrots
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup water
dash salt and pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine the baby carrots with remaining ingredients. Stir to blend ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling (uncovered) for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until carrots are tender and the liquid has evaporated.
Serves 4 to 6.

Baked Beans

This is a family recipe of ours and I have no idea where it came from, but they are a favorite at our house in the summer! There is no measuring for this recipe. You just add a little bit of everything and bake it in the oven for a couple hours at 350 stirring occasionally. Enjoy!
Start with 1 large can of baked beans and drain off a little of the liquid. Then add: ketchup, mustard, your favorite bbq sauce, brown sugar, molasses, and liquid smoke(take it easy on this one).

Guacamole Stuffed Eggs

This is from Krafts food which great place to get no fuss recipes. If you like hard-boiled eggs and guacamole this is a fun one! I also think it would be a good St Patricks Day recipe too!
Ingredients
6 hard-cooked eggs
1/2 large fully ripe avocado
2 tsp. lime juice
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely chopped
Crackers and cilantro(optional)

Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks; process in food processor with avocado, juice and mayo until smooth.

Stir in peppers; spoon into egg whites. Keep refrigerated. These can be made up to 2 days in advance.