ARTICHOKE SQUARES

2 (6 oz) jars marinated artichoke hearts
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 eggs
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp tabasco sauce
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

preheat the oven to 325°. drain the artichokes, saving the marinade from 1 jar. in a small skillet, saute the onion in the marinade; cut up the artichokes and add them to the skillet. in a large bowl, beat the eggs and add the bread crumbs and seasonings. stir in the remaining ingredients and turn the mixture into a greased 7"x11" pan. bake for 30 minutes. serve hot or cold.

STEAK AND POTATO SOUP

2 lb boneless beef sirloin steak (1" thick)
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 lbs small red potatoes, cut into 3/4" pieces
3 cups baby carrots, cut lengthwise into fourths
1 (1 lb) bag frozen cut green beans
2 tbs chopped fresh OR 2 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 (14 oz) cans beef broth
3 tbs steak sauce

cut beef into 1/4" strips; cut strips into 1" pieces. heat oil in an 8-qt stockpot or dutch oven over medium high heat. cook and stir beef in oil 4-5 minutes or until brown; add onion & garlic. cook & stir 2 minutes.

stir in remaining ingredients. heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. cover & simmer 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender.

10 servings

HOT BUTTERED RUM COCKTAIL

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of salt
bottle of dark rum
boiling water

in a bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves & salt. refrigerate until almost firm. spoon about 2 tbs of the mixture into 12 small mugs. pour about 3 oz of rum into each mug (filling about halfway). top with boiling water (to fill remaining half). stir well & serve immediately.

10-12 servings

REUBEN DIP

6 oz pkg corned beef, cut up into small chunks
6 oz shredded swiss cheese
small jar of sauerkraut, drained & rinsed
smallest jar of hellmann's mayonnaise
1 tsp dry mustard
1 loaf of small cocktail rye bread

mix all ingredients (except bread) together & bake in a shallow baking dish at 350° for approximately 45 minutes. serve with the bread.

YOGURT 7-LAYER DIP

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
4 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese blend
1 cup guacamole
1 cup salsa
1 (6 oz) can chopped black olives
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped green onions
2 cups plain yogurt

in a large skillet, brown the ground beef. set aside to drain and cool to room temperature.

spread the beans in the bottom of a large glass serving bowl.sprinkle 2 cups of shredded cheese on top of beans. sprinkle beef on top of cheese. spread yogurt very slowly on top of beef. spread guacamole on top of yogurt. pour salsa over guacamole and spread evenly. sprinkle remaining shredded cheese. sprinkle black olives, tomatoes and green onions on top.

you can serve this dish immediately or refrigerate it overnight and serve cold.

12 servings

HOT APPLE CIDER WITH RUM

1 apple
2 tsp whole cloves
1 orange, thinly sliced
2 qts apple cider
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp allspice
pinch of grated nutmeg
1 cup dark rum
cinnamon sticks, for garnish

stud the apple with cloves. in a medium pot, combine the studded apple and remaining ingredients except the rum. slowly bring to a simmer over low heat. simmer for 10 minutes.  remove from the heat and add the rum. discard the apple, ladle into mugs and garnish each with a cinnamon stick. serve immediately.

30 THINGS TO STOP DOING TO YOURSELF

1. Stop spending time with the wrong people.
2. Stop running from your problems.
3. Stop lying to yourself.
4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner.
5. Stop trying to be someone you're not.
6. Stop trying to hold onto the past.
7. Stop being scared to make a mistake.
8. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes.
9. Stop trying to buy happiness.
10. Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness.
11. Stop being idle.
12. Stop thinking you're not ready.
13. Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons.
14. Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn't work.
15. Stop trying to compete against everyone else.
16. Stop being jealous of others.
17. Stop complaining & feeling sorry for yourself.
18. Stop holding grudges.
19. Stop letting others bring you down to their level.
20. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others.
21. Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break.
22. Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments.
23. Stop trying to make things perfect.
24. Stop following the path of least resistance.
25. Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn't.
26. Stop blaming others for your troubles.
27. Stop trying to be everything to everyone.
28. Stop worrying so much.
29. Stop focusing on what you don't want to happen.
30. Stop being ungrateful.