A new year

                        
For all reasons one can come up with, traditionally the first day of the New Year is the best day to set goals, make promises, and hang your new calendar. It's also a good time to fine-tune your direction in life; an excellent opportunity to widen your horizons, forgive others, and maybe forgive yourself.
Setting aside time for ourselves, difficult as it may be, is very important for our mental health as well as our physical well-being. The holidays may have just about done you in, run you ragged so to speak. If this is the case, you must then self-prescribe your own remedies just so you can get on with your new year.
Any calm, nearly quiet time, a few minutes if you can or more if you may, fix that cup of coffee, add to it your favorite flavored creamer, sit on a comfortable piece of furniture, not a desk, not a kitchen chair, and sip away. Did Santa deliver that new book you wished for? Did he stuff a new puzzle magazine into your stocking? Add that to your precious stolen time.
Holiday music may have replayed till the CD skipped a beat. The pages of the caroling hymnal may have become dog-eared. If so, time to turn on a new tune. If you discovered new music under your tree, get it into play. Celebration songs, uplifting scores, yes, even if you unwrapped a much loved Blues collection, new music puts a new move in your step, even if you're just tappin' your toes.
With every celebrating stir, with every joyful mix, all the food you prepared for the holidays brought joy to those served, and hopefully their dining pleasure brought joy to your food fixing heart. So now, fix what you might like, Italian spaghetti, Mexican tacos, fish and fries; nontraditional holiday foods are flavors we now crave, especially when the leftovers, if there are any, are tossed and turned into every possible concoction. When the holidays are over, I am quick to put away the decorations. My husband's Grandma Waugh always said the tree comes down before New Year's; I will never question her carried-on mountain country wisdom. Bless her heart, we could always count on a new pair of socks each December, and that meant Santa left it in her hands to pass out dozens of pairs, to all those family members that stopped in to see her.
I hope you were blessed with a new pair of socks this holiday season!
Mail your recipes to: Country Cupboard, c/o Daphne Ross, 5973 Blachleyville Rd., Wooster 44691. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you request a personal reply. E-mails are always welcome to thewritecook@sssnet.com.


Holiday Punch
(Fannie Hershberger, Millersburg)
3 ounce package cherry gelatin
1 (46 ounce) can pineapple juice
1 (12 ounce) can frozen orange juice
2 cups white sugar
1 cup boiling water
Mix well until sugar is dissolved. Add 1 (2 liter) or less, lemon-lime soda. Freeze some in a container that fits in a punch bowl.


Pineapple Cake
(Cheryl Slone, Willard)
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
20 ounce can crushed pineapple, in its own juice, don't drain
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons soda
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional
Mix all ingredients, except nuts. Pour into 9-by-13 inch pan, greased and well floured. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
Mix cream cheese and butter, then add vanilla and powdered sugar. Spread on cake while still warm. Sprinkle nuts on top. Refrigerate.


Ham Rolls with Cheese Sauce
(Elaine Schrock)
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup milk
1 cup ground ham
2 tablespoons soft butter
1 1/2 tablespoons mustard
Add butter and mustard to ground ham. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt. Cut in shortening. Add milk to make soft dough. Roll out 1/4 inch thick. Spread with ham mixture. Roll as jelly roll; cut into slices 1 inch thick. Place, cut side down, in a greased pan; bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with cheese sauce.


Johnny Appleseed Pie
(Pam Robinson)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 to 8 tart apples, sliced thin (6 cups)
1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
1 cup biscuit mix, packed
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
Combine 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon; mix with apples. Turn into unbaked pastry shell; top with chocolate pieces. In small bowl, combine biscuit mix and 1/4 cup sugar. Cut in butter or margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over pie. Bake at 400 degrees until apples are tender, about 45 minutes.


Macaroni Casserole
(Mae Smucker)
1 tablespoon margarine
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup macaroni
2 1/4 cups boiling water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 ounces dried beef, chopped
Melt margarine, blend in flour and salt. Stir in hot milk. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add mustard and cheese; stir until blended. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse. Combine macaroni, cheese sauce, and dried beef. Pour into a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until brown.


Party Punch
(Kathy Smucker, Sterling)
1 quart milk
3 pints lime sherbet
1 quart lemon-lime or other citrus soda
Combine milk and 2 pints sherbet; beat smooth. Add chilled soda and stir gently until just blended. Scoop remaining sherbet on top.


Apricot gelatin
(Ruth Glick)
1 (1 pound) can apricots
1 (3 ounce) box orange gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1/2 package Dream Whip
1 cup small marshmallows
Put apricots through a food mill or use a blender. Mix gelatin with 1 cup boiling water. Add strained apricots and let chill until partially set. Mix Dream Whip as directed on package; add to chilled gelatin, stirring until well mixed. Add marshmallows; chill until firm.


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