• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Garnishes: Sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, salsa, chopped scallions

Combine beans and warm broth in a large slow cooker; let sit for 10 minutes. Stir in onion, garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 hours, or until beans are tender.

Stir in chicken, corn and cheese. Cook for 10 minutes, until chicken and corn are warmed through and cheese is melted. Add lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish as desired.

* * *

TIP: Crock-Pot cooking times can vary widely depending on your machine. Be sure to cook this until the beans are tender but not mushy.

* * *

Five-Minute Cranberry Walnut Cobbler

This homey dessert is so easy to make and so sweetly satisfying that you will make it again and again. Serve warm with whipped cream if you are feeling decadent.

Serves 8

2½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries

¾ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup plus ¾ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a 9-inch pie pan, combine cranberries, walnuts and ½ cup of the sugar; toss until coated.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, melted butter, remaining sugar and almond extract until blended. Fold in flour and salt until combined. Pour the batter over the cranberry mixture. Bake for 40 minutes, until crust is golden and fruit bubbles. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

* * *

TIP: No cranberries? No problem. Substitute blueberries or strawberries, but cut the sugar added to the fruit in half.

* * *

Ice Krispie Snowmen

No snow? No problem. Bring winter fun indoors with these sweet snowmen that kids can make and decorate themselves.

Makes 6

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan

1 bag (10 ounces) mini marshmallows

5 cups crispy rice cereal

1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

Prepared vanilla icing, as needed

Decorations: mini chocolate chips, candy corn, black gumdrops, peppermint patties, colorful fruit leather

Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Place butter and marshmallows in a glass bowl; microwave in 30-second intervals, until fully melted, stirring often. Place cereal in a large bowl; fold in marshmallow mixture until coated.

Place coconut in a medium deep bowl. Butter your hands lightly. Scoop up a spoonful of the mixture and drop into coconut. Using your hands, roll each mound in coconut, pressing into a tight ball as you roll. Make 18 balls: 6 large, 6 medium and 6 small. Using a dab of icing to stick balls together, form 6 snowmen. Set the snowmen upright on prepared baking sheet.

Decorate snowmen as desired. Some ideas: chocolate chips for eyes, tip of candy corn for nose, gumdrop placed atop mint patty for hat. Cut a strip of fruit leather for scarf. Use icing to “glue” candy onto snowmen.

Many Bean Soup Mix

Here’s a gift that’s good for everyone on your list. Who doesn’t crave a cup of warm, homemade soup on a cold winter’s night?

Makes 1 gift jar

½ cup dried yellow split peas

1/3 cup dried green split peas

1/3 cup dried red lentils

¼ cup instant minced onion

1/3 cup dried green beans

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Layer all ingredients, in order listed, in a 1-pint glass jar. Store tightly covered at room temperature up to 2 months.

On gift tag write recipe for soup as follows:

* * *

Many Bean Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

Salt and black pepper

1 meaty ham hock

8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

Warm oil in a medium heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots and celery; season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add ham hock, Many Bean Soup Mix and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, until beans are tender, stirring occasionally.

Remove ham hock from pot; slice ham from bone. Trim excess fat from ham; cut into small