Creamy Herbed Potatoes

4 To 5 Whole Russet Potatoes
1 stick Butter
1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
3/4 cups Heavy Cream
1 cup Whole Milk (Half-and-Half Works, Too)
1 teaspoon Finely Chopped Rosemary
1 teaspoon Finely Chopped Parsley
1 teaspoon Finely Chopped Chives
1/2 teaspoon Finely Chopped Sage

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Slice potatoes very thinly.
• Add butter to a large skillet over medium low heat. When melted, add diced onion. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
• Add cream cheese to the pan and stir to melt. Pour in cream and milk, stirring to combine.
• Season with plenty of salt and pepper, then add chopped herbs.
• Place potatoes in a buttered baking dish. Pour contents of skillet over the top. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake for 45 minutes, or until bubbly. 
• Allow potatoes to sit 15 minutes before serving.

NOTES:

• We used shredded potatoes instead of sliced.  Recommended!  (2+ containers of the Costco dehydrated ones, but a big package of frozen would work too)
• Polnaszek-recommended and delicious!  We had them with ham for Christmas.
• We skipped the parmesan for Jonah, and was fine without

SOURCE - Pioneer Woman

Dark Chocolate Buttercrunch

1 cup (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional; for enhanced flavor
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda, optional (see "tips," below)
2 cups diced pecans or slivered almonds, toasted
2 2/3 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped; or chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a large, deep saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the salt, sugar, espresso powder, water, and corn syrup, and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil gently over medium heat, without stirring, until the mixture reaches hard-crack stage (300°F on an instant-read or candy thermometer). The syrup will bubble without seeming to change much for awhile, but be patient; all of a sudden it will darken, and at that point you need to take its temperature and see if it's ready. (If you don't have a thermometer, test a dollop in ice water; it should immediately harden to a brittleness sufficient that you'll be able to snap it in two, without any bending or softness). This whole process should take about 10 to 12 minutes. Pay attention; too long on the heat, and the syrup will burn.
• While the sugar mixture is gently bubbling, spread half of the nuts, in a fairly closely packed, even single layer, on a lightly greased baking sheet (a half sheet pan works well here). If you're unfamiliar with making buttercrunch, it may be easier to use a 9" x 13" pan lined with greased foil or parchment. Top the nuts in the pan with half the chocolate.
• When the syrup is ready, stir in 1 teaspoon baking soda; it'll foam up, so be careful. Pour the syrup quickly and evenly over the nuts and chocolate. Immediately top with the remaining chocolate, then the remaining nuts.
• Wait several minutes, then gently, using the back of a spatula, press down on the chocolate-nut layer to spread the chocolate around evenly.
• While the candy is still slightly warm, use a spatula to loosen it from the baking sheet. When cool, break it into uneven chunks.
• Store cooled candy tightly wrapped; it'll stay fresh for a couple of weeks at room temperature. Freeze for longer storage.

NOTES:

• I used toasted almonds (and some TJ's almond meal I happened to have) to make it Jonah-friendly
• I followed some other directions on their English Toffee post and put the chocolate chips on the bottom and sprinkled the nuts on the top.  I wouldn't do it that way again - the chips didn't quite melt and lots of the almonds just fell off the top.
• Espresso powder = instant coffee (at least it was close enough to work and that's what I had on hand)
• The baking soda step is an option, but it really does give it a better texture.  Teeny bubbles make it easier to eat.

SOURCE:  https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/dark-chocolate-buttercrunch-recipe

https://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2018/12/10/tips-for-making-english-toffee/?fbclid=IwAR3w8efre0PX8BRyI4xvIVkxnK5vb0LuyyNIqNnwfvavJ9iW5T3K24AKfJ0

Crock Pot Mushrooms

1 pound mushrooms
1/2 cup butter
1 envelope of ranch salad dressing mix

I stuff as many mushrooms as will fit into this little crockpot.
Melt the butter, add the dressing mix and pour over the mushrooms.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours.

MORE NOTES:

• As soon as the mushrooms start to get warm they'll reduce quite a bit.  Check after the first hour and stir in more mushrooms as space will allow.
• I like to buy my mushrooms at Costco.  The price is reasonable and the quality is better. (larger, more uniform sizes)
• I typically serve these as appetizers, but they would be pretty great with steak as well.

(Somebody's) Mom's Caramels

8 teaspoons (2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
2 cups (1 pound) unsalted butter
4 cups (1 quart) half & half
2 cups (1 pint, 16 fluid ounces) light corn syrup*
4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups light brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
*See "tips," below.
coarse flake sea salt for topping, optional; for salty caramels

INSTRUCTIONS

• Butter two 8" x 8" or 10 1/2" x 6 1/2" pans. Measure the vanilla into a small container, and set it aside for later.
• Cut the butter into 1" chunks, to help it melt faster. Combine the cut-up butter, half & half, corn syrup, sugars, and salt in a heavy-bottom, 5- to 6-quart saucepan.
• Heat the mixture over medium-low heat until everything has melted, stirring constantly. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.
• Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 248°F, or until a small amount dropped in cold water forms a firm ball. As the mixture boils it will become thicker and thicker and the frothy bubbles will give way to a more blurpy bubble that resembles thick lava. This happens gradually, but you'll notice it around 230°F and higher. This is when you really have to pay attention and watch the temperature carefully, as it tends to move more quickly from 230°F up. The whole process will take about 2 hours.
• Remove the pan from the heat, and carefully stir in the vanilla; the mixture will bubble and boil.
• Quickly pour the caramel into the prepared pans. Don't add any residue from the pot into the pans; instead, scrape it into a separate container. Baker's treat!
• Wait 30 minutes, then sprinkle with coarse-flake sea salt, if desired.
• Cover the candy securely, and refrigerate.
• Remove the candy from the pan by loosening its edges with a knife or offset spatula, and banging the pan on a cutting board until the slab releases from the pan. Allow the candy to warm up a bit if it's hard, or it'll shatter when you bang the pan.
• Cut the caramels into squares, and wrap in waxed paper. Store in the refrigerator for longest shelf life. Wrapped caramels can also be frozen.
• Yield: about 10 dozen 1" caramels.

NOTES:

• Delicious, but was quite a commitment, time-wise (see the photo).  I basically watched two episodes of something on Netflix (thanks, iPad) while stirring endlessly.
• Consider making a half batch next time.  Today is December 30 and even after 2 family parties and a couple weeks of munching, I have a bunch still around
• I poured a full batch into my oversized cake pan (roasting pan) sprayed with pam.
• Flaked sea salt is perfect for this application.
• I ordered these: http://www.clearcellobags.com/catalog/item/6501521/6344450.htm.  Well, actually it was the amazon equivalent, but Donna S sent me this cheaper link.  1000 should be enough for several years.

SOURCE: King Arthur Flour

Polish Sweet-Sour Red Cabbage (Czerwona Kapusta Zasmażana)

1 (3-pound) head red cabbage (washed, dried, cored, and shredded)
1 medium onion (shredded)
2 tablespoons butter (or canola oil)
1 cup water
4 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
4 tablespoons brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

• In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook cabbage and onion in butter or oil on medium heat until it collapses, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together water, vinegar, brown sugar, pepper, and salt until sugar is dissolved.
• Add to cabbage mixture, combining well.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover tightly.
• Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender but still a little al dente, about 15 minutes.
• Refrigerate overnight to improve flavor.

NOTES:

• I made this for Wigilia in 2018 and liked it's mild flavor
• MAKE IT AHEAD OF TIME.  S/B SERVED COLD.
• I didn't have red wine vinegar but used some Trader Joe's pomegranate vinegar instead
• The recipe says to shred the cabbage and onion, but clearly that's not what is pictured.  I chopped the cabbage into roughly 1/2" sized pieces.
• I did try to shred the onion, but what a mess!  Just chop it into reasonably small pieces.

SOURCE:

https://www.thespruceeats.com/polish-braised-red-cabbage-recipe-1137527

(Says it can be frozen for 6 months.)