Request: ( I will be baking for my daughter' s post wedding ceremony reception at the church.

It' s a morning wedding and the nibblies will be to hold our guests over until the main reception while we' re getting pics done. Does anyone have any yummy recipes for savory muffins, loaves or finger food ( baked goods only please) that might work well for this stand up affair?

I' m testing them out now to know what we' ll be doing next June. My thoughts are cheddar apple muffins, zucchini loaf, scones, nothing too sweet. . . . the sky' s the limit I' m just sticking with baked goods as that' s my specialty. THANKS! ! OH. . . and they should be able to be frozen since I' ll be baking about a week or more in advance.

Last updated: Aug. 20, 2012 4: 54 pm Posted: Aug. 20, 2012 10: 20 am

This is the first recipe I' ve EVER attempted, and I must say that every time I make these, they come out perfect.

I even made these for easter, and my grandma ( who' s practically the baking expert of her lifetime) loved them : D& # 10; Don' t make these without the butter completely soft. Otherwise from what I hear they won' t turn out great. These arent really the type that can make good cutter cookies, but you CAN dip them in some colored sprinkles. These are also good with some extra vanilla extract if you want the flavor stronger, or cocoa powder to make a chocolate alternative.

I made this for a friend that was asking for a home cooked chicken dinner.

I served it over rice - we both really enjoyed it. This is one I will be using on a monthly basis. It also freezes and reheats very well. I did make a few alterations to the recipe: & # 10; & # 10; - switched a semi- dry white wine for the vermouth& # 10; - deleted the bay leaf ( I did not have one) & # 10; & # 10; I served the dinner with the same wine - Yummy!

Separated from the peninsula by the narrow Strait of Messina, Sicily sits at the toe of the Italian boot like a crumpled tin can being kicked out into the sea.

Wine vines have thrived on this rugged volcanic island since the Greeks first began colonizing Italy about 3, 000 years ago. Today, many Sicilian vintners treat their grapes of ancient pedigree to modern, progressive methods of winemaking. Here grapes are grown on volcanic soils under the strong Sicilian sun, producing warm red wines and light, dry whites, along with Sicily' s signature fortified wine, Marsala. Some of the best wines are grown from native varieties like the red grapes Nero d' Avola and Nerello Mascalese and from such white grapes as Grillo and Inzolia. But you will also find Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon doing well in the ancient vineyards of Sicily.

Favorite Red Wines of Sicily: Nero d' Avola, Nerello Mascalese, Marsala, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon Favorite White Wines of Sicily: Grillo, Inzolia, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay Grapes are not the only fruits that thrive in the warm Sicilian sunshine. Oranges, lemons, figs, tomatoes and eggplants also love the climate and rich volcanic soils. The waters around Sicily provide tuna, sardines, anchovies and swordfish- - marvelous matches for Sicilian white wines. Dry pastas come in every shape and size in Sicily. The local olive oil is often poured over pastas and used to marinate fish.

Local cheeses include the hard Pecorino Siciliano and creamy ricotta. Regional Italian Recipes to Pair with Sicilian Wines:

In a large, dry skillet over medium- high heat, toast cashews until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove cashews to a dish to cool slightly. Return skillet to medium- high heat, cook bacon strips until crisp on both sides, about 7 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, and soak up grease with a paper towel. Coarsely chop bacon, and set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together butter, rosemary, curry powder, brown sugar, salt, cayenne pepper, and toasted cashews.

Set aside. In a small bowl, stir together white wine vinegar, mustard, and honey. Slowly whisk in olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large salad bowl, toss dressing with greens, pear slices, grapes, and bacon, and sprinkle with nut mixture.

My best friend who just happens to be Irish made this drink for me one cold night in Chicago and since then, I have been hooked! Warning: it is very potent, just one of these will warm you up and basically make you good for nothing afterwards - what a treat! It is super to drink at night if you have a sore throat.

My friend said this is what the Irish drink if they don' t feel good but don' t wait until you have a cold to try this recipe! & nbsp;

Before you begin, the butter should be a cool room temperature, almost waxy, but not too soft. Cut the butter sticks horizontally, so you' ve got pieces about a quarter- inch thick and as long as your butter stick.

Toss with flour mixture so each butter pat is coated. In a big mixing bowl, make a well and add the liquid. Use your hands to combine it as best you can.

You can also use the paddle attachment on your stand mixer. Add the liquid and pulse on and off to combine, trying not to break up the butter pieces. Turn it onto a work surface. The dough will look terrible: all floury and & quot; shaggy, & quot; not like a nice pastry at all.

Try lighter reds with a bit of acid and some fresh& nbsp; fruitiness. Beaujolais ( gamay) : A light, food- friendly red that you can serve just slightly chilled. Oregon Pinot Noir or French Burgundy: Earthy, fruity Pinots often work well with the meal' s many competing and contrasting flavors. Italian Reds: Like Pinot Noir, Chianti can have an earthy quality and a good amount of food- friendly acidity, which makes it a terrific Thanksgiving wine. It' s not just for pasta anymore! The same goes for Barbera from Piedmont.

Excellent, versatile& nbsp; food wines . Zinfandel: Fruity Zinfandel shows many personalities; it' s also an American original, and so a fitting choice for America' s favorite feast.

Choose a lighter style that' s not booming with alcohol.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C) .

Grease a 10- inch Bundt pan. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, allspice, and 1 teaspoon of salt. In a large bowl, mix the vegetable oil, 2 cups of sugar, eggs, apples, 1 cup of pecans, and raisins.

Mix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, and pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs, about 70 minutes.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling. For glaze, mix 1/ 2 cup of white sugar, the brown sugar, half and half, and 1/ 4 teaspoon of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium- low, and boil, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a syrup, 5 to 10 minutes. A candy thermometer will read 220 degrees F ( 105 degrees C) . At that point, stir in butter, 1 cup of pecans, and vanilla extract.

Continue to cook and stir until the syrup reaches 234 degrees F ( 110 degrees C) . Allow the glaze to cool for 5 minutes, then spread the warm glaze over the cake.

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F ( 110 degrees C) . Grease and flour a tube pan. In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, soda, spices, eggs, lemon rind, vanilla, 1/ 2 cup brandy, fruit, nuts, and melted butter or margarine. Mix thoroughly. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack. Wrap cooled cake in foil. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons brandy over the cake everyday for 2 weeks.

I followed the reviewer& # 8217; s recommendations and reduced the oil to cup, but I also drained the Anchovies ( fillet in olive oil and salt) into the skillet. So I ended up with a bit more than cup and a bit less than 1/ 3 cup.

I browned the Scallops on both sides then removed them to a bowl and then put in the veggies. I was hesitant about the onions and the peppers going in at the same time since onions usually take longer to cook, but the oil really evened it out. We had lemon wedges in a servers bowl for those who liked it more lemony. Great recipe!

My first attempt at making pumpkin pie from scratch. It was excellent! Pumpkin is my husband' s favorite pie, so I made it as a treat for him.

Bought one & quot; large& quot; sugar pumpkin and one small. It made 2 pies with 2 cups left over to freeze for Thanksgiving! I will probably use this recipe as my standard from here on. I baked the pumpkin longer than the recipe called, and a food processer allowed me to blend 2 cups easily at once.

I was raised on Baklava but never made it myself.

Since its one of my favorite sweets, I decided to make my own birthday cake this year. This recipe was wonderful! I followed the suggestions to make 1 1/ 2 of the sauce and it was the perfect amount. The only thing I would do differently is use local honey because the flavor is more rich. The only reason I used store bought is because I have a 2 year old and a 3 year old that will eat anything sweet and local honeys are not filtered like store brands.

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In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, mint, and garlic. Refrigerate.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef and onions until meat is browned, stirring occasionally to crumble; drain fat. Stir in 1 cup water, carrot, salt, black pepper, 1 1/ 2 teaspoons coriander, and 1/ 2 teaspoon cumin; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until water evaporates. Lay out wonton wrappers on aluminum foil. Mound two large spoonfuls of beef mixture in the center of one wrapper. Dip a finger in water and trace it around all four edges.

Lay a second wonton wrapper on top of the first, and press on all edges to seal. Roll up the edges to create a round, hat- shaped ravioli.

Repeat, making 13 ravioli. Place ravioli in steamer and steam 40 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the yellow split peas, 1/ 8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1/ 4 teaspoon cumin, chicken bouillon, and 1 1/ 2 cups of water in a saucepan.

Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium- low heat for about 45 minutes, or until it reaches a thick slurry- like consistency. Meanwhile, in the large skillet, mix remaining beef mixture with 2 tablespoons water, tomato paste, and 1/ 8 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Simmer over low heat until liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. To serve, spread yogurt on a serving plate. Top with ravioli, and top again with split pea mixture.

Finally, top with tomato and beef mixture. Serve immediately.

Use regular sour cream, not low- or non- fat! I used the Classic yellow cake mix and made as directed, except I used low- fat sour cream. I baked about 15 minutes longer than package recommended for bundt pan.

It looked perfect coming out of the oven but within minutes fell. Was still good, though! My husband made a blueberry compote to pour over serving slices - camouflaged the damage and made a very tasty dessert.

Very Nice!

While I kept faithfully to the ingredients, I changed up the presentation and cooking method. First, I couldn' t find any red bell peppers I liked, I used orange - the recipe works with any bell pepper.

And instead of putting the mixture into a whole bell pepper, I cut the peppers in half lengthwise, so the egg part is more visible. I think its prettier presentation. I also used crumpled foil to keep the peppers from rolling when putting in or taking out of the oven.

All in all, a great idea - I will put this on my regular rotation!

Place roast in a large pot with water to cover. Mix in bouillon, salt, and garlic salt. Place the bay leaves, peppercorns, oregano, and rosemary in a coffee filter and secure tightly with a rubber band. Add this to the pot.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 6 to 8 hours. Remove coffee filter and discard. Remove roast from the pot and shred with two forks. Reserve broth for dipping if desired.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F ( 190 degrees C) .

Bake thawed pastry shell at 375 degrees F ( 190 degrees C) for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C) . Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, bacon, cheese, French- fried onions, eggs, Worcestershire sauce and ground black pepper. Mix all together well and pour into the cooled pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C) for 35 to 45 minutes, or until quiche is set.

Updated: Feb. 15, 2012 Robert B.

Zoellick, a former deputy secretary of state and Goldman Sachs executive, is president of the .

Mr.

Zoellick presided over the first increase in the bank& # 8217; s general financial resources in two decades.

According to the bank, he helped to raise a record $ 90 billion for the bank& # 8217; s fund for the world& # 8217; s poorest, the International Development Association. & # 8220; The bank has recognized that we live in a world of multiple poles of growth, where traditional concepts of the & # 8216; third world& # 8217; are now outdated and where developing countries have a key role to play as growth- drivers and responsible stakeholders, & # 8221; Mr. Zoellick announcing his departure.

Mr. Zoellick, who was appointed to the World Bank post by President George W. Bush, has also pushed the bank to open not just its coffers, but , giving public access to its much- prized sets of information on the world economy. As Deputy Secretary of State, Mr. Zoellick was the primary architect of the Bush administration& # 8217; s policy toward Sudan. He also served as U.

Trade Representative from February 2001 to February 2005.