On a recent evening, we decided to stay home and have homemade appetizers. When the appetizers were prepared, I peered into our liquor cabinet to see what unique beverage I could make. Keeping our mixer options in mind, I toyed with ideas. I considered some shot drink recipes but thought a martini recipe would be better.

After a moment’s thought I decided to use orange vodka and orange juice. However, I didn’t want it to be a plain orange beverage. It needed an additional ingredient to give it a more diversified flavor. I had an “a-ha” moment when I spied the vanilla vodka. I was hopeful that the combination would produce a taste similar to the vanilla ice cream & orange popsicle treat of my youth.

Preparing a shakerful of martinis, I crossed my fingers, hoping this would be a success. I poured the drink into 2 martini glasses (Waterford crystal, of course) and took a sip of mine. Much to my delight, this drink tasted just like that frozen treat.

Vanilla Orange Martinis
2 ounces orange vodka2 ounces vanilla vodka6 ounces fresh-squeezed orange juice, pulp-free	1 cup ice cubes2 orange slices
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Put ice into martini shaker. Add orange vodka, vanilla vodka, and orange juice. Put on cover, and shake well. Pour into 2 martini glasses. Garnish each with an orange slice.

An elegant evening was planned as a surprise for last night, a sort of pre-holiday relaxing evening.  A babysitter was hired for the kids and a kid gourmet meal of mac & cheese was served.  While the children dined on their fine food, the two of us got dressed in more formal attire for dinner at an upscale dining establishment. 

The meals at our destination were excellent.  However, after a 4-course meal, I was unable to finish my meal.  The waitress graciously packed my remaining lamb chops for me to enjoy at home. Unbeknownst to me at that time, this was the start of a romantic dinner idea. 

Pondering what to do with my lamb, I thought about ways to incorporate it into a dish.  A wrap seemed like an excellent use for the lamb.  The obvious decision was to prepare it in a Greek fashion.  A homemade feta dressing and some lettuce and the wrap would be complete.  A tasty finale to the previous evening’s meal. 

Greek Lamb Wraps
1/4 cup sour cream1/4 cup chopped cucumber 1/4 cup feta cheese 1/2 tsp. dill weed 1/4 tsp. garlic salt	2 wraps (I prefer flax, oat bran, & whole wheat)4 leaves curly head lettuce 1/2 lb. lamb chops, cooked feta pepper
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To prepare the dressing:Combine sour cream, cucumber, feta, dill weed, and garlic salt in a blender.  Pulse until smooth. To prepare wrap: Cut both wraps into fourths.  Cut lettuce leaves in half, and place each half on a wrap.  Cut lamb into bite-sized pieces, and place on lettuce.  Sprinkle desired amount of feta on each wrap.  Drizzle with feta dressing.  Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, if desired.  Fold 2 sides, and roll in opposite direction.

With Christmas only a few days away, there are many preparations for the holiday.  For us it will be a multi-day celebration.  By the time New Year’s arrives, we will have had 4 or 5 Christmas gatherings with different combinations of friends and family.

As preparation for this week, I have been baking an assortment of goodies.  The kids and I made frosted sugar cookies, eating some and storing many.  We made reverse chocolate chip cookies (chocolate dough and white chocolate chips) and chocolate chip cookies with toffee bits.  We will have plenty of cookies, both to leave for Santa and to be enjoyed by all. 

I also had breads, using zucchini nut bread and banana bread recipe.  The breads will be handy for breakfast, as we will have an additional 4 people in our house during the holidays.  As an additional breakfast treatment or accompaniment for coffee, I will be making biscotti.

Biscotti are among my favorite cookies.  The combination of the crunchiness and the almond flavoring makes it a delicious treat.   I think they are simple to make, but they usually have a “Wow!” to their presentation.  Something about biscotti is elegant, even though the process is painless.

These biscotti can be made two ways.  I usually do some of each type to please all of the eaters in my home.  Some biscotti have a chocolate glaze topping them.  The other biscotti are plain, for the nonchocolate eaters.

Almond Biscotti
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened1-1/4 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. almond extract 2 cups flour	1 tsp. baking powder1/4 tsp. salt1 cup sliced almonds 6 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate* 1 Tb. shortening*
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Preheat oven to 350.  Beat butter and sugar in large bowl.  Add eggs and almond extract, beating until smooth.  In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and blend.  Stir almonds into dough. Divide dough in half.  Shape each half into 11″ x 2″ rectangle, using floured hands.  Set each loaf 2″ apart on a baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the dough is set.  Leaving the oven on, remove the biscotti loaves and cool for 15 minutes on cookie sheet.  Using a serrated knife, cut the loaves into diagonal slices, 1/2″ thick.  Place slices on cookie sheet with the cut sides down.  Bake for 8 to 9 minutes.  Turn over slices, and bake for 8 to 9 minutes more.  Remove biscotti from oven, and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.   *If you want your biscotti to have a chocolate glaze, combine semi-sweet chocolate and shortening in a small microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave for 1 minute, then stir.  Continue heating chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until chocolate glaze is smooth.  Using a spoon, spread a layer of glaze on the top of each biscotti.  Refrigerate for 15 mintes to set glaze. Makes 30 cookies.