How to Make Honey-Gingerbread Cookies

What would December goodies be without our gingerbread buddies? But alas, molasses is not to be found anywhere in stores here. I finally tried substituting honey, and it has now become a favorite alternate recipe.

The first time I made them in Russia, I couldn't even find the ground spices, so I ended up infusing the dough with hunks of fresh ginger and whole cloves as it chilled. I think I ended up crushing some of the cloves and sprinkling them in, too.

How to Make Savory Pumpkin Relish

I wasn't sure what to call this dish, because I realize everyone's used to Pumpkin Pie and might be put off the thought of a non-sweet pumpkin dish. I did try to make a spicy pumpkin soup, but it just wasn't hitting my tastebuds the right way.

This is what I came up with, and I like it as a flavorful side dish, a pasta accompaniment, or even just spread on bread.

Recipe follows.

How to Make Spaghetti Pie

"Spaghetti Pie"-type dishes scared me when I was little. Maybe it's the whole "foods touching" problem. But nowadays I'm a fan of one-dish meals. It makes it a lot easier to serve, reheat, etc.

I also like to bring new life to leftovers instead of eating the same thing a few days in a row, and this recipe makes good use of whatever pasta and sauce you have hanging around.

Oh, and one more plus...it's like a lazy lasagna dish, as the components are similar but you don't have to take the time to get all the layers perfect. :)

How to Make Hershey's Chocolate Cake

I can feel my stomach rumbling as I post this.

Let's just say...the photo does not do it justice. We had this recipe in a cookbook and it's also found in various places on the Web, like here and here. I definitely recommend adding it to your chocolate cake library! Really wish I had some cocoa on hand right now...