Munch on these treats at your New Year's party

The long Christmas holiday took on a whole new look following the big snow. Our children loved every minute of it. During the course of the first day of the snow, it seemed like all I did all day was put clothes on children, take them off and get them in and out of the clothes dryer. And yes, in between I made numerous cups of hot cocoa. What a great way to start a Christmas break.

Jewel Seabaugh of Gordonville baked some of these soft, delicious cookies, and I just had to share the recipe with you. I think that after having so much chocolate during the holiday, they were a nice change.

Gooey Butter Cookies

1 box yellow butter recipe cake mix

1 stick butter

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, regular or light

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

Powdered sugar

Mix butter, cream cheese, egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add dry cake mix and blend well. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Drop balls of dough by an iced teaspoon into a bowl of powdered sugar and coat well. Bake on cookie sheet sprayed with a nonstick spray. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

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One of my friends at the Senior Center has a daughter who is a wonderful cook. She put together a nice cookbook to give as Christmas gifts, and I just fell in love with it. Her personal comments and stories make the book as special as she is. Here are a few recipes from that book that you might add to your New Year's buffet.

Pepperoni Pinwheels

1 (8-ounce) can Pillsbury crescent rolls

1 (3.5-ounce) package Hormel pepperoni, 32 slices

2 ounces or 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup prepared pizza or spaghetti sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate dough into four rectangles, firmly press perforations to seal. Place 8 pepperoni slices on each rectangle. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese. Start on short side, tightly roll and pinch to seal. Slice each roll into four equal slices. Pinch together on one side to seal. Place sealed side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until brown. Serve with warm pizza sauce if desired. Makes 16.

Warmed Chili Dip

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

1 can chopped green chili

3 to 4 green onions, chopped

1 or 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Combine above ingredients and bake 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees in a hollowed-out round loaf of sourdough bread. Serve warm.

Slush Punch

3 cups sugar

3 quarts boiling water

6 bananas, mashed

3 small cans orange juice concentrate

3 small cans frozen lemonade concentrate

1 large can liquid pineapple juice

Ginger ale

Dissolve sugar in boiling water then cool. Add bananas. Mix rest of ingredients except ginger ale. Freeze in a nonmetal container. When ready to serve, plan to allow defrosting a couple of hours before adding this to a punch bowl and adding ginger ale. You may need to chop up a little. The amount of ginger ale is not set in stone. The less you add the sweeter it will be.

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Jodi Thompson of Jackson sent in this recipe. Our son loves this cake, and I need to make it for him while we are home on Christmas vacation.

Chocolate Fudge Sheet Cake

2 cups each sugar and flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine

1 cup water

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1 1-pound package confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and mix well. Stir in the sour cream, buttermilk and eggs. Heat 1 cup butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until melted. Whisk in the water and 1/4 cup baking cocoa. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Stir the cocoa mixture into the flour mixture. Pour the batter into a lightly greased 15-by-19-inch sheet cake pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Heat 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat until melted. Whisk in the milk and 1/4 cup baking cocoa. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add the confectioners' sugar gradually, whisking constantly until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the warm cake. Garnish with miniature peanut butter cup candies.

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My friend Ruth Ann Ford was telling me about a salad she first had at her family reunion and has since made it for other occasions and it is always a big hit. It is certainly easy enough and sound delicious.

Grape salad

Grapes, seedless red or green or a combination, leave whole

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup brown sugar

Pecans, chopped, optional

Coconut, optional

Combine the sour cream, brown sugar and other ingredients as desired. Fold in grapes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Joan Haring from our church asked me if I had a good soup recipe for wild rice. I have used this recipe on several occasions and would like to share it with her.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

2/3 cup wild rice

5 1/4 cups rich chicken stock

Dash pepper

1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped shallots or onion

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey

1/2 cup snipped parsley

Run cold water over wild rice in a strainer for about 1 minute, lifting the rice to rinse it thoroughly. In a large saucepan, mix wild rice, broth and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 40 to 45 minutes or till the wild rice is tender. Meanwhile in a skillet, cook mushrooms and shallots or onion in butter till tender, but not brown. Add mushroom mixture, chicken and parsley to the soup. Heat through.

I hope each of you had an enjoyable Christmas holiday and that you will have much joy and happiness in the coming year. Of course you know that much joy is brought about in the kitchen cooking! Have a great week and until next time, Happy New Year!

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