Rain is counting down the days until Christmas by sharing one recipe each day. Enjoy!
Artichoke Dip
Andrew Howlett-President,CEO

1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts – packed in water, not marinated
1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles  - if you like it mild, or jalapenos if you like it very warm
1 cup mayo
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Dice artichoke hearts and place all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Warm on stove until cheese is melted.  Stir occasionally.  Serve with wheat thins or tortilla chips.

Rain is counting down the days until Christmas by sharing one recipe each day. Enjoy!
French Toast Strata
Heather Shelley- Senior

1 loaf French Bread – cut into 1 inch squares, which is about 12 cups
1 package cream cheese cut into small cubes
8 large eggs
2 ½ cups of milk
6 Tablespoons butter, melted, plus enough butter to prepare the baking pan
¼ cup of maple syrup
1 small jar of your favorite jam
Lightly butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Scatter half of the bread in the bottom of the baking dish and arrange the cubes of cream cheese on top.  Top with the remaining bread.

In a blender, combine the eggs, milk, 6 Tablespoons butter, and ¼ cups of maple syrup.  Process until well blended.  Pour this mixture evenly over the bread and cream cheese.  Using a spatula, lightly press the bread down to moisten it.  Drop the teaspoons of jam over the top.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350. Bake until the center is set and edges are golden brown.  35-40 minutes.  Cool  for 5 minutes so it can set up before serving.  Serve with your favorite syrup.

Coconut Syrup
½ C. Buttermilk
1 stick of butter
1 c. sugar
Combine above ingredients and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and add:
½ t. baking soda
½ t. coconut flavoring

Rain is counting down the days until Christmas by sharing one recipe each day. Enjoy!
Muddie buddies
Danny Jackson-Director of Business Development

1 box corn chex cereal
1 1/2- 2 bags semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cube butter
1 1/2 cups peanut butter (not chunky)
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 bag powdered sugar

•In a microwave safe bowl add chocolate chips, butter and peanut butter and microwave in 30 second intervals and stir until melted. Add vanilla and stir. In large bowl add chex mix and coat with chocolate/peanut butter mixture. Stir until chex is well coated. In a large ziplock bag add 2 cups powdered sugar and 3-4 cups chocolate coated chex. Blow into bag and seal tight and shake until chex is covered in powdered sugar. (if there’s too much powered sugar…add more chex and vice versa!)

Rain is counting down the days until Christmas by sharing one recipe each day. Enjoy!
Nicosia’s Sicilian Meatball Sauce on Spagetti.
Daniel Hatch-CEO

Traditional holiday and sunday meal at the Hatch house.

2 – table spoons of olive oil
1 – 32 oz. can Crusted Tomatoes
1 – 32 oz. can Tomato Sauce
1 bulb crushed garlic
1 chopped onion
1 sprig of basil
1 sprig of mint
1 tbs of Italian seasonings
6 – italian sausages – cooked before adding to the sauce.

Saute the crushed garlic in the olive oil in a large cooking pot. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce over low-medium heat. In a separate pan cook the chopped onions  in a pan but do not caramelize or burn them. Pour the contents into the sauce. In a separate pan cook the italian sausage in the small pan that you cooked the onions in. Then add them also to the sauce.

Meatballs
1 lb. of ground beef
1/2 cup of italian bread crumbs
1 egg mixed in.
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 dash of salt & pepper

Dampen the bread crumbs on a small plate. Then mix all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to roll the meat balls into small to medium sized balls. Bake meat balls in oven for 10 minutes on a cookie sheet. Add the meat balls to the sauce. Continue to cook the sauce for another 2-4 hours. We will usually cook it overnight. The sauce is always better on the second day. This will make the sausage tender as my famous slow cooked ribs.

Server over spaghetti noodles or linguini. Goes good with garlic bread and salad.

“Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line” Translated, I have never tempted fate by trying to improvise. The recipe has taken 17 years to wrangle out of Nicosia family’s grasp – so enjoy! Ciao.