Tis the Season to be Baking!

Here's a recipe for one of my favorite childhood cookies. These cookies bring back many memories...when I was really young, my mom would bake them and let me dip the cookie in chocolate and then nuts.  Even with that limited chore, I would make a mess! But it is so much fun for kids.

These cookies are not too large, so folks always have room for at least one! Starting in mid-December we serve Christmas cookies as our third course for breakfast at The Artist's Inn and Gallery.

Walnut Acorn Cookies

They will last for several weeks if stored in an air-tight container in a cool area. 

1 cup soft butter or margarine

3/4 brown sugar

2 3/4 cups sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts

16. oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream butter, add sugar and beat til fluffy.  Sift four with soda and blend into butter mixture.  Add vanilla and 3/4 cup of the nuts.  Shape cookies by pressing dough into a dessert spoon with fingertips.  Push dough from spoon with flat side down on ungreased sheet or silpat.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool.  Melt chocolate, cool slightly.  Dip large end of “acorn” cookie in chocolate and then in the chopped nuts.  Makes six dozen.

"I'm Not Catchin' A Cold This Winter" Soup

It's winter.  Here in Pennsylvania the news is filled each day with folks dying from the flu, battling colds, getting sick.  It's enough to make you a bit leery about heading out in public.

So I set out to create something to arm us with enough vitamins, antioxidants and chicken stock to survive the onslaught of germs that might come our way.

Here's the solution:

Melt two tablespoons butter in a large soup pot. 

Add 3 large carrots, 2 stalks celery (both coarsely chopped) and 1/2 cup of Hard Winter Wheatberries.  Add a good couple shakes of salt, pepper and marjoram. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.  Don't let it get lonely - stir it every once in a while.

Add two cups of water and 1 large mild onion - coarsely chopped.

It should look like this:

Let that simmer for about 20 minutes.  Coarsely chop a turnip and add it to the pot.  

Add 6 cups of chicken stock.  Now it should look like this:

Let that cook, covered for another 10 minutes.

Cut the ribs off of 3 leaves of kale.  Chop the kale.

Add another two cups of low sodium chicken stock to the pot (I like the powdered one sold at Shady Maple Farm Market).  You can add as much as you like - we tend to like our soups on the chunky side.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Let the whole pot cook a good half hour, stirring occasionally.  Then take a seat and enjoy the soup, arming your body with the necessary nutrients to fight off any germ coming your way.

Yum.  We're feeling better already!  Hope you are too!

We're happy to provide another original recipe from The Artist's Inn and Gallery, in Terre Hill PA.