stuffed cornish hens

ingredients:

2 tbs minced onions
1/3 cup uncooked long grain rice
4 tbs butter (divided)
3/4 cup h2o
1/2 cup condensed cream of celery soup
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp minced chives (fresh)
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
2 Cornish game hens (~1 lb. each)
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp tarragon



in a skillet, saute onion, rice and 2 tbs of butter until rice is golden brown. 
add h2o cream of celery soup, lemon juice, chives, parsley, and bouillon. 
bring to boil. reduce heat to simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed..
salt and pepper the cavities of the hens. stuff the rice in the cavities.
use a toothpick to close the cavity. By poking through the excess hen skin.
lay them breast side up in an ungreased 13x9x2 dish.
melt 2 tbs of butter, stir in tarragon.
brush the butter mixture on the hens.

Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes and then remove the foil andbake for 30 to 45 minutes. until the temperature of the chicken reads 180 on the meat thermometer. 165 for the stuffing.


*something you should have in your kitchen... a meat thermometer.*

Christmas Punch

My 5year old son loves this, as well as my fiance and my mom likes to add it to her wine (half/half).

ingredients:
2 cups h2o
1.5 cups sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
2.5 cups orange juice
3 cups cranberry juice
.5 cups lemon juice
1 liter 7up
ice cubes
1 lemon sliced
1 lime sliced


simmer h2o, sugar and cinnamon sticks.
set aside for 3 hours
after 3 hours
in a punch bowl, combine orange juice, cranberry juice and lemon juice.
take the cinnamon sticks out of the sugar syrup.
stir in sugar syrup into the punch bowl with the juices.
slowly pour 7 up into the punch bowl.
add ice and garnish with lemon and lime slices.


*for adult punch, you can add either tequila or vodka.