POLENTA

6 cloves of garlic  slivered
2 mini portobello mushrooms chopped fine
 1 shallot chopped
¼ green pepper chopped fine
1 cup water
½ cup grated parmesan  cheese
1 cup half & half (I've used 1% milk here and it was fine)
¾ cup corn meal
a large dollop of  butter


Salt &  pepper
½ teaspoon dried/fresh Rosemary (use less if fresh)
½ teaspoon Thyme

Pour half & half and water into large sauce pan, and bring to a boil.  Meanwhile saute shallots, green pepper, garlic and mushrooms in butter about 5 minutes until shallots are translucent. 

When liquid is boiling slowly pour the cornmeal in while stirring (if you pour it too quickly the
polenta will be lumpy).  Reduce heat to medium low.  Then add the parmesan  cheese slowly stirring while pouring it, add vegetables, thyme and rosemary.   Keep stirring until the polenta becomes almost like a lump of dough.  If you are lucky enough to have left overs, pack it into the form of a loaf, slice it and  fry it in a little butter for breakfest, take it for lunches.

FESTIVE SHAKE 'n' BAKE                    
9 chicken thighs with skin
1 box Turkey/Chicken stuffing
1 package of SHAKE 'n' BAKE
1 ½ cup chicken broth (use extra liquid we want a moist stuffing)
6 strips of bacon
3 tble butter or margarine
medium  hot curry
black pepper
cooking oil

Oil a 9x13 glass baking  dish.
Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package(replacing liquid with  chicken broth). Spread half of the stuffing mix very thinly on the bottom of the baking dish so that the entire bottom is covered.  Layer with coated pieces of chicken.  Sprinkle with curry and black pepper to taste, add strips of bacon, and remaining stuffing mix.  Cover with tin foil, roast for 1 hour at 325F,  remove foil and roast for another 15 minute to brown. Serve with polenta and a chilled bottle of Verdicchio.  See polenta recipe in Other Dishes.

BANANA PANCAKES
ADD TO A LARGE BOWL

1 cups flour
1/3 cup oatmeal
2 tablespoons baking  powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
 ¼ cup walnut pieces and  ¼ cup dried cranberries
Mix slightly

In a second bowl 
1 bananas mashed (the riper the better)
1 cup milk
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cooking oil(not olive oil)

Beat liquid ingredients until most of the lumps are gone.  Add this to bowl with dry ingredients, mix until well blended.   The batter should be thick.  Fry in a no stick frying pan with a little bit of oil and butter(mixing oil and butter lets you fry at a higher heat).  Garnish with a slice of banana, syrup of your choice, serve with sausage and fresh tomatoes.  Makes about 6 large (or 10 smaller) pancakes, to reheat left over pancakes, pop them in the toaster.

TIPSY PEACHS

There is not much measuring to doing Tipsy Peaches.  A large dollop of
 butter in a frying pan over medium heat, add a large handful of brown sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, add sliced peaches and a large shot of dark rum.  Simmer until it starts to thicken, serve with a scoop of Ice Cream and a shot of dark rum over the top.  Until you pour the extra rum over the top there is no alcohol left in this, the frying evaporates it out.