Celebrating a milestone birthday

My daughter, Lexie, will be celebrating her 10th birthday in a couple of days, and that calls for a party. My husband and I love getting together with family to celebrate important milestones in the lives of our children, especially a birthday. The other night Lexie said, "Mom, in one week I will be double digits!" How important some things are when you are 10.

I thought about sharing her favorite recipes with you today, but they are far too numerous to count. She is adventurous when it comes to food and will try anything. She may not always like it, but she is always the first one to give it a try. We will have to take her someplace really out of the ordinary for her special birthday meal.

1-2-3 Fudge

Hazel Kester attends the Senior Center every day and she brought in an old newspaper clipping featuring her mother, Esther Hobbs. She is quoted in the article as saying "this is a nice easy recipe for children to make, but it doesn't mean adult cooks won't appreciate this no-cook recipe, too." Hazel cherishes the memory of her mother, and I'm so glad she shared this recipe with us to enjoy.

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 squares melted chocolate

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pinch salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Soften cheese in bowl. Blend in sugar, vanilla and salt. Slowly add chocolate. Mix well, then press into lightly greased pan and place in refrigerator until firm.

Mexican Polenta Pie

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 medium green sweet bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound uncooked ground turkey

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14-1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup bottled salsa

2 (16-ounce) tubes refrigerated cooked polenta

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2/3 cup chopped fresh tomato

1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 12-inch skillet cook onion, sweet pepper and garlic in 1 tablespoon hot oil until tender. Add turkey, chili powder, cumin and cayenne. Cook until turkey is no longer pink, stirring to break up the meat. Add undrained beans, canned tomatoes and salsa. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Cut one tube of polenta into 1/2-inch cubes and press evenly into prepared baking dish. Halve remaining polenta lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; set aside. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese over polenta in dish. Top with meat mixture. Arrange sliced polenta over meat; sprinkle with remaining cheese and fresh tomato. Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with cilantro. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Chunky Chicken Vegetable Soup

1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 teaspoon oil

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth

1 1/2 cups water

2 cups assorted cut-up vegetables (such as sliced carrots, broccoli flowerets and chopped red pepper)

1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix

1/2 cup minute white rice, uncooked

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Cook and stir chicken in hot oil in large saucepan until browned. Add broth, water, vegetables and salad dressing mix. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in rice and parsley; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Great Substitute: Substitute 1 (10-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed, for cut-up fresh vegetables.

A nice bowl of hot soup sounds pretty good on a cold winter day, so give one of these recipes a try and enjoy.

Have a great week and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail to P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes have not been kitchen-tested.