KEPLER’S FIRST CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR'S EVE

A very special Christmas

                The stockings were hung by his parents with care . . .

                                         And whaddaya know?   

Now, on New Year's Eve, Kepler is walking!  Right across a room!

                                   I  can hardly wait to see this for myself!

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What a great year it's been!

And, I’ve already started looking at recipes for  next Christmas.    

But first, I'd like to share one of the best from this Christmas:

My family like Themed Dinners, so that, when you serve food from a particular country, it’s like going there.  But I most often like to mix it up.  That’s why we had the Indian Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms as an appetizer with this year's Christmas dinner.  

Rating:  Excellent! 

INDIAN SPICY STUFFED MUSHROOMS

        From Flavors of India by Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff

4 tbsp oil, divided

¼ tsp black or brown mustard seeds

¾ cup chickpea flour (besan)

¼ tsp each cumin powder, coriander powder, and cayenne

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

4 tbsp water

1 tbsp lemon juice

24 medium to large button mushrooms

·        Clean mushrooms and remove mushroom stems. 

·        Prepare stuffing:

o   Mix together chickpea flour, all the spices, and the salt.

o   Heat 2 tbsp oil in a small frying pan over medium heat.  Add mustard seeds and stir until they pop.

o   Lower heat and stir in flour and spices.  Stir until the flour changes color.  Remove from heat and stir in water and lemon juice.

·        Stuff the mushrooms.

·        Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Put the mushrooms in the pan with the stuffing facing up.  Sauté for 10 minutes until mushroom bottoms are browned.  (Lower heat if they are browning too quickly.)

·         

·        Turn mushrooms over and cook on medium heat for 10 more minutes, until stuffing is brown. 

·        Serve very hot!