Chocolate Christmas Mice

• 1 lb cherries, with stems
• 1 lb Hershey's chocolate kiss
• semi-sweet chocolate chips, for melting
• sliced almonds
• icing (optional) or red-hot candies (optional)

1. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler and dip a cherriy into the chocolate, holding by the stem ("tail").

2. Set cherry on its side on waxed paper. This is the mouse's body and tail.

3. While chocolate it still gooey, "glue" on a hershey's kiss to the mouse's body, with the bottom of the kiss touching the cherry and the pointy part pointing out, the opposite direction that the tail is pointing.

4. Add sliced almonds in the seam for ears.

5. Decorate with icing or red hots for eyes and nose.

6. Repeat with the rest of the cherries, etc.

Yield: 2 pounds of mice

Chocolate Mice

• 4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs

• 1/3 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
• 24 silver dragees decorating candy
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 12 (2 inch) pieces long red vine licorice
• Melt the chocolate, and combine with sour cream. Stir in 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs. Cover and refrigerate until firm.

• Roll by level tablespoonfuls into balls. Mold to a slight point at one end (the nose).

• Roll dough in confectioners sugar (for white mice), and in chocolate cookie crumbs (for dark mice). On each mouse, place dragees in appropriate spot for eyes, almond slices for ears, and a licorice string for the tail.

• Refrigerate for at least two hours, until firm.

Buttered Rosemary Rolls

Frozen, unbaked dinner rolls
Melted butter (regular, salted)
Fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
Coarse sea salt

Spray a small iron skillet with cooking spray (or coat with olive oil). Place frozen rolls in the skillet, leaving plenty of room for rising. Cover and allow to rise for several hours.

After rising, brush rolls with melted butter.
Sprinkle on chopped rosemary.
Brush with additional butter.
Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Bake according to roll package directions (usually 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes), until rolls are a deep golden brown on top.

Serve skillet on the table.

Big Daddy Biscuits

"This recipe will produce the biggest biscuits in the history of the world! Serve these gems with butter, preserves, honey, gravy or they can also be used as dinner rolls...you get the picture. The dough can also be prepared several hours, and up to a day ahead of time. If so, turn dough out onto aluminum foil that has been either floured, lightly buttered or lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Roll up foil until it is sealed, and refrigerate. Don't be surprised if your biscuits rise even higher because the baking powder has had more time to act in the dough.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually stir in milk until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.

3. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead 15 to 20 times. Pat or roll dough out to 1 inch thick. Cut biscuits with a large cutter or juice glass dipped in flour. Repeat until all dough is used. Brush off the excess flour, and place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet.

4. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges begin to brown.

I substitute butter or margarine for the shortning, better flavor.

For those who didn't get the desired results -- Try these tips:

1.  Don't overmix the dough once you add the milk and only pat together (no real "kneading" or they will be tough).
2.  Only add the amount of milk you need, some days I use it all and then others I have a little left in the cup.
3.  Make sure the shortning or butter is cold
4.  Brush with melted butter before and/or after baking for added softness and flavor

Sausage Gravy

• 1 (12 ounce) package maple flavored sausage
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pan. Stir in the butter until melted. Add flour, and stir until smooth. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until light brown. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook until thickened. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in cooked sausage. Reduce heat, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes. If gravy becomes too thick, stir in a little more milk.

Smoked Beer Can Chicken ~ Faux BQ Chicken

1 can beer
Springs of fresh rosemary

Spice Rub:
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 cup kosher salt
½ cup chili powder
½ cup granulated garlic
1 T Thyme
1 T Rosemary
1 T smoked paprika

Pour ½ beer in baking pan, poke a couple of the rosemary springs down into the can of beer, and add 1T of the spice rub . Set chicken onto the can of beer and place on the lowest rack of the oven. Bake 350 until chicken is done.

Tarragon Chicken Salad

½ cup mayo
¼ cup yogurt
1 t poppy seeds
2 - 7 oz cans chicken
2 stalks celery
1 t. tarragon
Red seedless grapes
Handful of walnuts
Handful of pecans

Mix together, and serveas sandwich, on tomato as a salad, or with crackers.