Fresh Berry Pie

2-3 quarts berries, depending on the size of your crust (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries)
1 bottle (10 oz) "Simply fruit" jam (flavor to match the berries, or you can use regular jam)
1/4 cup water
1 pre-baked pie crust

Slice berries (or lightly mash, for raspberries and blackberries), reserving 10 of the best looking large strawberries or 1 cup raspberries or blackberries for the top of the pie.  For strawberries, halve the reserved berries.

Microwave the jam and water in a glass bowl and whisk to blend.  Pour over the berries prepared for the pie filling, reserving a couple of tablespoons for glazing the top of the pie.  Transfer the berries to the baked pie crust.

Top the pie with the reserved pretty berries and brush with the reserved jam glaze.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Top each slice with whipped cream if desired.

Tukey or Chicken Pot Pie

I haven't tried this, but I like home made pot pie and I saw this in a magazine and it looks good.  I want to save this recipe but not the magazine.  :)

1 egg
1 tb. water
6 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken
5 cups mixed vegetables (fresh or frozen)
2 tbs. butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups Chicken stock
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 of a 17.3 oz. pkg purr pastry sheet (1 sheet) thawed
2 tbs. coarsely chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, and/or oregano)

Heat oven to 400, beat egg and water in small bowl with fork.  Stir turkey and veggies together in 9 x 13 pan.  Heat butter in 2 quart pan over medium heat and add flour. Cook and stir 3 minutes, and gradually stir in stock.  Cook and stir 5 minutes until mixture boils and thickens.  Stir in pepper.  Pour stock mixture over turkey and veggies.

Unfold pastry sheet on lightly floured surface. Roll into 9 x 13 rectangle and place over filling.  Press pastry to rim of pan to seal.  Brush with egg mixture and sprinkle with herbs.  Bake 25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is hot and bubbly. 

Okay, here's the thing.  At Thanksgiving time I always make a TON of gravy.  If I make this with leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, I will use leftover turkey gravy instead of doing the stock/butter/flour thing.  But doing this at other times of the year, I will totally do this using a pre-cooked turkey breast from the deli.

Drop Sugar Cookies

You can take the time to roll these out, but really, that's a pain in the rear so use a nice big scoop and make some delicious cookies (nice big soft ones) that aren't overly sweet but are sweet enough to satisfy your craving for soft sugar cookies.

1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
(cream above together)

1 cup buttermilk (OR 1 cup minus 1 tb. milk and 1 tb. lemon juice)
1 tsp. baking soda
(stir together, set aside)

4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
(add to creamed mixture, alternating with buttermilk)

Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet, sprinkle with colored sugar and bake at 375 for 15 minutes for giant cookies.  You can frost these instead of sprinkling them with sugar if you prefer a sweeter cookie.  Use a thin frosting, almost an icing consistency.

Chocolate Cake, no eggs

If you're out of eggs and you are craving chocolate cake, try this recipe.

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups water
3/4 cups oil
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. vinegar

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Add all wet ingredients and mix well.  Batter will be thin.  Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 pan, bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until atoothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool completely and frost.  (Use a rich frosting.)

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
dash salt
3 tbs. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Beat cream cheese and butter together, add powdered sugar, cocoa, salt, milk, and vanilla.  Spread over 9 x 13 cake.

Moist chocolate cake

1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa
2 tbs. pero powder (optional)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda and baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk or buttermilk
1/2 cup oil
1 or 2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour pan of your choice (bundt or 9 x 13).  Mix all dry ingredients in large mixing bowl.  Add wet ingredients, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Batter will be thin.  Pour into pan.  Bake 45-50 minutes for bundt pan, 35-40 minutes for 9 x 13 pan.  Test for doneness with toothpick inserted near center.  (Toothpick should come out clean.)  For bundt cake, cool on rack for 10 minutes, invert on plate and dust with powdered sugar.  For 9 x 13 pan, try chocolate cream cheese frosting.

Lemon or Lime Cornmeal Cake

Baking spray (cooking spray with flour)
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp each baking soda and salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt

Heat oven to 325.  Coat bundt pan with baking spray.  In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, lemon zest and juice with mixer till light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time till blended.  Add cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  With mixer on low, alternately beat in flour and buttermilk (or yogurt) until batter is smooth.  Scrape into prepared pan and bake 55 to 65 minutes.  Cool cake on wire rack 5 minutes and invert pan onto plate.

Meanwhile, make glaze with 1 cup of sugar and juice of one lemon just till combined.  (Sugar will not be dissolved.)  Brush glaze over hot cake until absorbed (sugar crystals will still be evident) and let cake cool completely.  Cover cake and let it rest several hours or overnight before serving.  Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days.  Cut into thin slices to serve.

(Lime juice and zest can be substituted for lemon.)