Coconut Burfi

Ingredients:

1 ½ Cup Freshly Grated Coconut (alt dry shredded coconut)

1 tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)

2-3 Cardamom Pods

A Few Saffron Strands

1 ½ Cups Full Fat Milk

½ Cup Sugar 

For Garnish:

Chopped Pistachios

Process:

1.  Heat ghee in a deep non-stick pan, add cardamom seeds, and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.

2.  Add coconut and sauté on a medium flame for 7-8 minutes.

3. Add saffron strands to 2 tbsp of warm milk and set aside.

4.  Add milk and sugar, mix well, and cook on a medium flame for 45 min, while occasionally stirring and scraping the sides until milk evaporates.

5. Add saffron milk and let it cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

6. Transfer the mixture into a greased 7” pan and spread it evenly using a flat spatula.

7. Garnish with pistachios, press it lightly using a flat spatula, and keep it aside to cool completely for an hour.

8.  Cut coconut burfi into squares and serve or store in an air-tight container.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

·         1 cup salted butter softened

·         1 cup granulated sugar

·         1 cup light brown sugar packed

·         2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

·         2 large eggs

·         3 cups all-purpose flour

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

·         ½ teaspoon baking powder

·         1 teaspoon sea salt

·         2 cups chocolate chips (14 oz)

Instructions 

1.                   Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2.                   In a medium bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3.                   Cream together butter and sugars until combined.

4.                   Beat in eggs and vanilla until light (about 1 minute).

5.                   Mix in the dry ingredients until combined.

6.                   Add chocolate chips and mix well.

7.                   Roll 2-3 Tablespoons (depending on how large you like your cookies) of dough at a time into balls and place them evenly spaced on your prepared cookie sheets.

8.                   Bake in preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn brown.

9.                   Let them sit on the baking pan for 2 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

Reaching out

Donation of shoes for “Iglecia Communidad” in Santiago

Hillside provides Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinner to our local homeless community

Though I am not a father myself, the other joy in my life is the sponsorship of a little boy, Reilin Hernandez, in the Dominican Republic. I am blessed with the gift of loving Reilin and his family through Compassion International. I am able to visit his family for a couple of weeks every year in their village. Watching him mature and participating in his social and spiritual growth brings a special meaning and perspective to my life.

“A Hillside Christmas” performance at Hillside Covenant Church

Mama's Old-Fashioned Albondigas (Meatball Soup)

Stock:

• 1 gallon water

• 3 cups tomato sauce

• 1 yellow onion, quartered

• 4 tablespoons chicken bouillon (such as Knorr®)

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

Meatballs:

• 3 pounds lean ground beef

• 3 eggs

• ½ cup tomato sauce

• ¼ cup uncooked white rice

• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (Optional)

• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt (such as Season-All®)

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves

• ½ teaspoon onion powder

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin

• 10 small baby potatoes

• 5 large carrots, sliced diagonally

• 5 stalks celery, sliced diagonally

• 2 zucchinis, chopped

• 2 cups thickly shredded green cabbage

• 1 lemon, sliced into wedges (Optional)

• 2 avocados, chopped (Optional)

• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (Optional)

Directions

1.   Pour water into a large stockpot over high heat. Stir in 3 cups tomato sauce, yellow onion, chicken bouillon, garlic, and 1 tablespoon dried oregano. Bring broth to a slow boil.

2.   Combine ground beef, eggs, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, white rice, 1/4 cup cilantro, seasoned salt, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and cumin in a large bowl. Squeeze mixture with your hands until thoroughly mixed.

3.   Scoop 1/4 cup of beef mixture and form in a ball. Lower gently into boiling broth. Repeat with remaining beef mixture.

4.   Stir potatoes, carrots, and celery into the broth. Cover and simmer until meatballs and potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in zucchini and cabbage. Cover and simmer until cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes.

5.   Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and garnish with avocado and 1/4 cup cilantro.

SAGE ADVICE

GEARING UP FOR THE COLD

While many of us dread the colder months, the cooler temperature provides many benefits in the garden. As the weather gets cooler starting your spring garden may be easier than you thought. Colder months provide many benefits for plants allowing them to grow strong. Camp & Camp offers a handful of tips for gearing up your gardens for the colder months ahead.

SOWING IN THE COLD

While the leaves start to fall, and plants go into hibernation the colder months offer many advantages in the landscape. With the weather cooling down this is the time to begin planting your winter and spring crops. Cooler weather allows for plants to develop a good root system. Sowing your plants in the process of “pre-planting” planting seeds during the colder months. Ideally this practice is best before the first frost so anytime between late October to December is the best to use this method in your garden. Self-sowing veggies include beets, carrots, cucumbers, squash, peppers, and tomatoes. Herbs include basil, chamomile, cilantro, dill, and parsley. There are many benefits of this practice including saving money, time, pest resistant, and reduce labor in the garden. Overall, sowing in the colder months grows a more resilient garden.

WILDFLOWERS AND SOWING

This winter is the time to get ahead on your spring garden. Perennial wildflowers could be “pre chilled” or exposed to a cold and moisture. Sowing your seed this winter could lead to a full bloom spring garden. To do this just rake the ground to remove any debris. This allows for the ground to be exposed and allowing ice or snow (depending where you live) to sit on top of the seed aiding in the sowing process. To create a vibrant field of wildflowers, start out by making a seed mix with some sand in a bucket. Make sure to use sand, this will help distribute seed evenly on the ground. Spread your seed mixture around lavender, sage, or yarrow shrubs to add a pop of colors in your garden. Addition of wildflower to your garden will attract pollinators likes bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and ladybugs to help boost those veggies in your garden. Below are a few wildflowers that could be added to your seed mix this winter.

1. Scientific Name: Eschscholzia californica Common Name: California Poppy

California’s state flower is resilient it will grow strong in spring through summer. This four petaled is self-sowing and will form a clump habitat. Requires low to regular water and grows best in full sun.

2. Scientific Name: Echinacea purpurea Common Name: Berry Coneflower

This wildflower will bloom tall in compact mounds from all throughout summer. The large fragrant flower plant requires moderate waterings and grows best in full sun.

3. Scientific Name: Rudbeckia fulgida
Common Name: Black Eyed Susan

This daisy like perennial is self-sowing isa great cut flower and attracts butterflies. Requires full sun and moderate to regular waterings.

4. Scientific Name: Lupinus (multiple)
Common Name: Lupins (multiple

Lupins have a large variety, if you’re not ready to commit to a lupinus shrub trying out perrenial seeds could be a great option. Lupins require little to no water and thrives in poor draining soil and some bloom as soon as February into the summer months.

CLASSIC PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOM COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

• 1 egg

• 1 1/2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• Additional granulated sugar

• About 36 Hershey's® Kisses® Brand milk chocolates, unwrapped

PREPARATION:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda and baking powder until dough forms.

2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in additional granulated sugar. On ungreased cookie sheets, place about 2 inches apart.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Immediately press 1 milk chocolate candy in center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack.

Tips

• Add razzle-dazzle by rolling the balls of dough in colored sugar instead of regular granulated sugar.

PECAN PIE

INGREDIENTS:

Refrigerated Pie Crust

3 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup dark corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups pecan halves

PREPARATION:

1. Fit piecrust into 9” pie plate according to package directions. Fold edges under & crimp.

2. Whisk together eggs and next 5 ingredients until thoroughly blended. Stir in pecans.

3. Pour mixture into pie crust.

4. Bake at 350 degrees on lower rack for 40 minutes or until pie is set. Cover edges of crust with Reynolds wrap after 15 minutes of baking.

5. Cool completely on wire rack. Serve with vanilla ice cream.