Sunday, May 24, 2020

Guest Libby Klein's Moscato Cheesecake Shooters, #recipe and #Giveaway

Leslie Karst here. I'm happy to welcome as a guest, Libby Klein, author of the fabulous Poppy McAllister Mysteries, and all-around fun gal and fabulous cook. Today, she tempts us with some to-die-for Cheesecake Shooters--and they're gluten free! Libby's offering one of her books to a lucky reader, so be sure to scroll down to the bottom for the GIVEAWAY! Take it away. Libby:

The past few weeks have been a challenge to find ingredients for baking. I feel like we've been given ration booklets for flour and sugar. And god help you if you want to make bread right now. There is no yeast in my county as far as the masked face can see. I had three people call me to borrow some on the same day. So I've pulled out a recipe that doesn't involve any of the usual suspects.

When I was writing Wine Tastings Are Murder, it occurred to me - much later than it should have - that the recipes should probably include wine as a main ingredient.  This Moscato Cheesecake Shooter will be featured in the back of the book, but you get a sneak peek here on Mystery Lovers' Kitchen today! 


One of the best things about this recipe is there doesn't have to be any baking. You can crush the cookies for the crumbs on the bottom of the cheesecake shooters, and use them just like that. No butter and no baking. I like the buttery crunch they add when you follow the recipe, but I don't always want to turn the oven on.

I hope you love this as much as we do!

Libby

Gluten Free Moscato Cheesecake Shooters

with Drunken Blackberries

Inspired by Cooper’s Hawk Restaurant’s Icewine cheesecake 

I used a Moscato that had notes of white grape, nectarine, orange blossom and honeysuckle

Ingredients:

For the crust:
2 cups gluten free vanilla crème sandwich cookies
3 oz melted butter *omit if you aren't baking the crumbs

For the topping:
2 cups fresh blackberries
2 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP Moscato *You can substitute any dessert wine that you like, but be sure to substitute it everywhere the recipe calls for it.

For the filling:
¼ cup Moscato – very warm
1 packet (5 grams) unflavored gelatin powder

3 8-oz packages cream cheese
1 cup orange blossom honey
½ cup Moscato
Pinch salt
½ cup melted white chocolate

½ cup heavy whipping cream

You will also need small clear cups – whether you use real glass or plastic doesn’t matter, but make sure they are clear so you can see the layers.


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crush gluten free cookies in food processor. Mix in melted butter. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Set these aside to cool.


Toss blackberries in sugar and Moscato. Cover and place in refrigerator for several hours or overnight until you are ready to serve the shooters.


Warm ¼ cup of Moscato – don’t boil it. Sprinkle on the gelatin and lightly mix it. Sit it aside and let it bloom. Heat the gelatin in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or until its dissolved and clear. Set it aside and let it cool to room temperature – but not so much that it gels.


Place cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer, or use a hand mixer, and beat it on medium to fluff it up. Now add your honey, ½ cup Moscato, and pinch of salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Add in your gelatin wine mixture and beat until smooth.


Chop your white chocolate into pieces and then melt it, either in the microwave or in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. 






Add your melted white chocolate to the cheese mixture. Set this aside.

In a deep bowl, beat ½ cup of heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form. When your cheesecake mixture is cool, fold in your whipped cream. 


Assembly:
Put 1-2 TBSP cookie crumbs in the bottom of your glasses. Just enough to cover the bottom. 


Fill glasses with cooled – but not set – cheesecake. Chill for at least 3 hours. Top with drunken blackberries before serving. (See photo at top.)



Libby Klein graduated Lower Cape May Regional High School sometime in the '80s. Her classes revolved mostly around the culinary sciences and theater, with the occasional nap in Chemistry. She loves to drink coffee, bake gluten free goodies, and befriend random fluffy cats. She writes from her Northern Virginia office while trying to keep her cat Figaro off her keyboard. Most of her hobbies revolve around eating, and travel, and eating while traveling.  





To be released December, 2020: It's vintage Poppy McAllister when the gluten-free baker and B&B owner tries to solve a murder at a Cape May winery . . .
 
When Poppy and Aunt Ginny agreed to host a Wine and Cheese Happy Hour for a tour group at their Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast on the Jersey Shore, they never anticipated such a sour bunch. Grumpy guest Vince Baker should be in a better mood—he’s filthy rich and on his honeymoon with his much younger wife Sunny, who seems to dote on him almost as much as her high-spirited teacup Pomeranian, Tammy Faye Baker.
 
But the honeymoon is over when Vince drops dead the next day touring the Laughing Gull Winery. Turns out he's been poisoned, and it seems like everybody on the tour is hiding something. Now Poppy has to put her gluten-free baking on the back burner and bottle up her feelings for the two men in her life while she charges after a bitter killer with a lethal case of sour grapes . . . 
 
Includes Seven Recipes from Poppy’s Kitchen!  



And now for the GIVEAWAY! To be entered to win a copy of any of Libby Klein's four published Poppy McAllister Mysteries, simply answer this question in the comments below: What comfort food have you made during this time of sheltering in place? 

Be sure to leave your email address, so we can contact you. The contest will run through Monday, May 25th.


120 comments:

  1. Chocolate brownies! positive DOT ideas DOT 4you AT gmail DOT com

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  2. Two comfort foods have been made multiple times; double chocolate brownies with pecans and creamy bacon and potato soup.
    Vhmaynard65@gmail.com

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    1. I first read that as "double chocolate brownies with pecans and cream bacon," which come to think of it, sounds pretty darn good!

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    3. I did too Leslie! But that soup sounds really good! ~ Libby

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  3. Banana bread and a lot of chocolate chip cookies.
    a.connolley@gmail.com

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    1. What would we do without chocolate chip cookies? Yum! ~ Libby

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  4. Thanks to a Mom that told me over and over to always have a well-stocked pantry, I was blessed with more than most when it came to flour, sugar and yeast. I will admit that I'm rationing them now that they aren't available which means things with those ingredients aren't as frequent as they usually are.

    That being the case and since strawberry season is going full force in my region now, we have indulged in Strawberry Delight a few times. It has a thin crust with ground pecans, flour and butter slightly baked. When the crust is cooled you spread with a mixture of a cup sugar (I use Splenda) 8 ounces cream cheese and a tsp. of vanilla beaten and then folded into a tub cool whip. Top with either whole or big chunks of strawberries (depending on the size of the berries). Chill this while making the last layer which is a cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1 1/2 cup water cooked until starting to thicken. Tale off and add strawberry jello stirring until dissolved. Cool to where it so it won't melt the previous layer, but also still able to pour over the strawberries. Refrigerate until set. You can also use this with peaches by changing the fruit and the jello flavor.

    Comfort food doesn't necessarily mean sweets. We have also been enjoying my Mom's recipe for homemade lasagna with a salad made from fresh veggies (lettuce, radishes, and green onions) from our garden which we were able to put in early when our trip to Utah was cancelled.

    Thank you for the fabulous opportunity to win one of your Poppy McAllister Mysteries books! <3 Shared and hoping to be the very fortunate one selected.

    Please be safe, stay healthy and by all means have a little adventure (whether in real life or through the pages of a great book) along the way.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. Thanks for the recipe, Kay, it sounds delish!

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    2. I think my grandmother made that same strawberry delight! I might have the recipe around here somewhere to compare. Thank you! ~ Libby

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  5. I have made lasagna a couple of times. Next I will be baking a cake finally have ingredients. Thanks for the chance! Jess
    maceoindo (at) yahoo (dot) com

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    1. I'm about to make the top secret recipes for book six and a cake will be involved!~ Libby

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  6. Great recipe, Libby. During the past two months, I have baked up a storm with my own sourdough starter...bread, scones, pancakes since our artisan bakeries were all closed, and decent bread was hard to get at any grocery store.

    I love to bake, but as the weather is finally getting warmer, my comfort food is gelato. My standard flavour is hazelnut but I can occasionally get the dark chocolate with rum and cherries from Stella Luna Gelato here in Ottawa. That one won an international gelato competition in Italy a few years ago and is hard to get!

    Looking forward to readings Wine Tastings Are Murder.
    grace dot koshida at gmail dot com

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    1. Love, LOVE nocciola (hazelnut) gelato!

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    2. Mmm Gelato. The best gelato I ever had was Baileys Irish Cream and it was a few blocks away from the Trevi Fountain. I've never come across it since. But now I have to find that chocolate rum cherry gelato. I may surprise you one day in Ottawa! ~ Libby

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  7. brownies
    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

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    1. I always love brownies. And so easy for me to make them gluten free! ~ Libby

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  9. I don’t cook but have eaten lots of takeout cheeseburgers and burritos with sour cream!
    Mdlaugh1(at)gmail(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. I think we've ordered 5 Guys 5 times. And with a schaar gluten free cibatta bun I'm in heaven! ~ Libby

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    2. ciabatta - Libby can't spell. ~ Libby

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  10. Books and brownies have gotten me through! I am excited to have found your books woot! Jsenap@gmail.com

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  11. I have made chili with red beans.
    Kitten143 (at) Verizon (dot ) net

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  12. This looks ridiculously delicious. Yum.

    Once a week we've been making a pizza. That kinda counts, right?

    Thanks for the cool contest!

    extraordinaryordinarywhimsy (at) gmail

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    1. Pizza definitely counts--especially homemade!

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    2. Oh yeah! Pizza is in my top 10! ~ Libby

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  13. Family favorites: corn chowder, chicken and dumplings, homemade spaghetti sauce, and shepherd's pie.

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    1. My mom made the best chicken and dumplings. Yum! ~ Libby

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  14. I've made brownies! kristin.segura at gmail.com

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  15. Deviled eggs! I was just in the mood for them!
    patdupuy@yahoo.com

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    1. I have a secret (okay, not so secret anymore) passion for deviled eggs.

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    2. Deviled eggs is a huge part of my normal diet. It's my favorite way to eat eggs unless you count custard. ~ Libby

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  16. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Oh but this cover looks wonderful and the story sounds so cool. Congrats on your soon to be released book.
    My comfort foods lately have been vanilla ice cream (little one scoop containers) and fruit. quilting lady 2 at comcast dotnet

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  17. Looks good. A touch of elegance.
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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  18. We have had Country Chicken Chowder soup a few times/hearty and yummy

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  19. This sure sounds good. I've been still having to go to work through all this so I'm not home much to cook. But the local bar has been offering a new pizza special- hot beef sandwich pizza. It's amazing. We've had that a couple times now.
    kozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. I can't even wrap my head around that but it sounds interesting. ~ Libby

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  20. I make a delectable salmon dish. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  21. Hi, have to try this recipe!
    Just made cherry turnovers. Mostly though, make blueberry Belgian waffles
    Thanks for chance for the books!
    Diane
    dlkdls318@att.net

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  22. Believe it or not, Colcannon has been my go-to comfort food. I have farm fresh produce delivered to me weekly; so, with cabbage, potato, and onions, it's something I've been preparing regularly. Not just for St. Patrick's Day. When they give me kale, I will sometime add thinly sliced kale to my regular recipe. bluedawn95864 at gmail dot com

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  23. When it comes to comfort food, the one I've been making the most is grilled cheese sandwiches.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. One of the best comfort foods of all times!

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    2. YES! I just had one the other night, and on my last bite the thought occurred to me, why didn't i make tomato soup? Next time! ~ Libby

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  24. Toll house cookies fresh from the oven!

    lindalou64(@)live(dot)com

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  25. There have been a number of days when I've had pancakes for dinner.
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

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  26. I have made spaghetti several times and also banana bread and chocolate chip cookie. bella_ringer@hotmail.com

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  27. Lemon Brownies! ringergirl10@outlook.com

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    1. Oooh. Tell me more about that? Are they also called lemon bars? ~ Libby

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  28. I love this series, and I have to try this recipe! I've made walnut tarts, baked a cake and muffins. I've made many dishes in my crockpot as well. Thank you for this chance! areewekidding(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Thank you so much Robyn. That means the world to me! Walnut tarts sound especially wonderful! ~ Libby

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  29. pizza
    wskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  30. I've had a lot of cheeseburgers lately.
    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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  31. Chipped beef on toast (aka. SOS). It was so good and zoomed me back to my childhood.

    Olomuss at gmail dot com

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  32. jillsirignano@aol.comMay 24, 2020 at 2:35 PM

    I work full time from home so no time for cooking we've been buying stuff from a local restaurant they have canolis!YUM!

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  33. I’ve made a few lol Sweet potato casserole, chocolate chip cookies, and meat lasagna. Email is booksnpugs (at) gmail(dot) com

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  34. Fresh Apple Cake. Moist, doesn't need frosting and is delicious.
    laurie(dot)anismom2(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. My mom makes an apple cake that is wonderful! ~ Libby

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  35. I just love cheesecake and my hubby makes all diff kinds such as blueberry etc. Thank you for posting. peggy clayton ptclayton2 at aol.com

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    1. I hope you really enjoy this one too! ~ Libby

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  36. Libby, love this series and Ginny is my favorite character!

    I bought a flat of HUGE ripe strawberries from a roadside stand and used a few baskets to make homemade strawberry jam. My first time making it and it was so delicious!

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    1. Thank you so much! Aunt Ginny keeps me laughing all through the writing! ~ Libby

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  37. Tonight I am making meatloaf, cauliflower, and mashed potatoes. I made an extra meatloaf so we can have meatloaf sandwiches on another day!

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  38. Here in Sacramento we are extremely lucky to have a fantastic cookie bakeshop (love their thick snickerdoodles and the thick no nut choc chip cookies) and a marvelous bakery where we go for takeout baked sweet items. So while I have baked banana bread loaves, I don't home bake other sweet comfort food. I like to cook comfort food savory entrees with planned leftovers so during lockdown I have cooked chicken enchiladas, lots of broiled chicken breasts, small baked hams, Zatarains jambalaya with chicken and sausage and shrimp, beef stew, and pastas with meat sauce. I wanted to learn how to bake bread, but our stores have been out of yeast for months. I found a beer bread recipe online and will attempt it and serve it with an entree salad. have a great rest of the month! Reba rbzter@comcast.net

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    1. I hope the beer bread turns out wonderful! ~ Libby

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  39. Taylor R WilliamsMay 24, 2020 at 6:04 PM

    Haven't really made any comfort foods, unless you count boxed mac 'n cheese - but I'm still working, so not much free time - thanks for the chance to own your books - trwilliams69(at)msn(dot)com

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    1. I definitely count boxed mac n cheese! ~ Libby

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  40. Been making a lot of burgers with swiss cheese green olives and bleu cheese dressing. Miss them from one of my favorite restaurants they I go to weekly that has been closed since the virus. tWarner419@aol.com

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    1. I hope your favorite restaurant opens soon!~ Libby

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  41. I have been making lots of fish and salads for my favorite comfort foods. doward1952(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Your comfort foods sound really healthy too!~ Libby

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  42. I've been trying lots of new recipes, but my ultimate comfort food is chocolate....almost in any form.

    kaye.killgore(at)comcast(dot)com

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  43. I have been leaning on slow roasted pork shoulder, it is delicious and when paired with mashed potatoes and a salad is my go-to comfort meal.
    little lamb lst at yahoo dot com

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  44. I’m baking. Anything ....everything... from bread and scones to pies and cakes...today, I made two pound cakes. Lol. I’ll probably have two pieces, tops....cant send them to sons work anymore as he is working from home. I want to make a banana pound cake this week....sheesh...if I ate it all, I’d have to leave the house with the help of a crane. Instead, I am losing weight. LaFonRC(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Good for you! Baking is my comfort passion too! ~ Libby

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  45. Pizza 🍕 and Mac and cheese thank you for the chance your book sounds interesting and fun to read. Donakutska7@gmail.com

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  46. My comfort food--mashed potatoes! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com

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  47. I've made pot roast (several times), Shepherd's Pie, homemade Chicken Pot Pie with broccoli and potatoes in a cheesy white sauce and chili (again several time). We had a very cool spring so these comfort foods helped a lot. madamhawk at gmail dot com

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    1. Mmm, I used to love those little pot pies when i was a kid! I bet your homemade is much better! ~ Libby

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  48. Pumpkin Bars and Carrot Cake have been my favorite comforting desserts to make. I even eat desserts before meals now. betsypz(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Some of my favorite desserts are those autumn spice flavors. ~ Libby

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  49. Tacos! Chicken, beef, steak ,w/avocadoes and all the fixings! I make it with different meat, shells and toppings every time! rhonda_sue@hotmail.com

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  50. Lots of new recipes. Lots of brownies, cakes, and cookies! jbohrer08(at)su(dot)edu

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    1. It's the time to try new recipes for sure. ~ Libby

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  51. I've cooked and baked so much during the last couple of months but my favorite comfort food has been fresh baked bread. I was lucky enough to have yeast on hand when all this started, and caught yeast in stock on Sam's Club when I got close to out.

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    1. That would be comforting! I envy you. ~ Libby

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  52. So many! Baked beans, beer bread, split pea soup, Hungarian sausage/rice/cabbage casserole, lime cookies, chocolate chip cookies, carrot cake, and mini margarita cheesecakes... I'm sure I'm forgetting some. :)
    kimheniadis at gmail dot com

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  53. My comfort food of choice is something that I can make because it's really easy, and I tend to eat most of it because no one else in my family likes it. . although I can't figure out why. As far as I know there's no "name" for it.. But it's a block of cream cheese, chopped deli honey ham (I like the Sarah Lee) and chopped green onion. Then the fun part of mushing it all together. I guess mushing isnt a very appetizing word... Form it into a ball and then roll it in shredded cheddar cheese. I eat it with triscuits... before I know it, the box is empty and the cheese ball is almost gone.
    Thank you for the chance.
    lilyanngill56(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. I've had that. they spread the cream cheese over the ham, put in a whole green onion, roll it like a taquito, and cut it into rounds. I don't know what it's called either. ~ Libby

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    2. That sounds yummy that way too... definitely less messy LOL

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  54. No comfort food here since I'd thought this would be the perfect time to start eating clean again. So far, so good. However, I do find eating clean comforting since it's good for the mind and body!

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    1. Girl... I had the same idea. For fifteen minutes. Then ice cream. ~ Libby

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  55. Taylor R WilliamsMay 26, 2020 at 8:18 PM

    I am one of the lucky ones who is still working, but my go to comfort food is mac 'n cheese - organic - i make several boxes at a time, then freeze in single size portions, so I always have some at hand. Your recipe sounds quite tasty and the book sounds great. Thanks for the chance to own it trwilliams69(at)msn(dot)com

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  56. Mac and cheese and thank you for the chance😊

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