Roasted Chestnuts

Roasted chestnuts are such a traditional winter treat that there's a song about them - sing along as you roast your own chestnuts.

Yield	4-6 servings
Time	30-45 minutes
Tools	knife baking sheet or cast iron pan clean kitchen towel
Ingredients	24 uncracked chestnuts
Directions	Preheat oven to 400. Have an adult carve an X into the flat side of each chestnut (otherwise they will explode) and place on the baking sheet. Bake about 30 minutes, until pressing a chestnut cracks the shell open easily. Wrap chestnuts in a towel until ready to eat. Squeeze open the shell, peel off shell and nut coating, and enjoy.

Very Berry Special Spinach Christmas Salad Recipe from Gael

Ingredients:

• 2 T raspberry vinegar

• 1 c fresh raspberries

• 2 T raspberry jam

• 2 large kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced thin

• 1/2 c vegetable oil

• 1 small can mandarin oranges, drained juice from drained mandarin oranges
• 3/4 lb. fresh spinach leaves
• 3/4 c whole toasted pecan halves
  

Directions:

1. Whisk or blend vinegar and jam.
   
2. Add oil and orange juice; blend well. Set aside.
3. Combine spinach, half of nuts, raspberries, oranges, and all of the dressing in a large bowl.
4. Toss and then top the salad with kiwi and the remaining nuts.
   
5. Chill about an hour.
   

Serves 4-6

Optional: add about 1/2 c blueberries and and 1/2 c purple seedless grapes for additional color.

Spatulatta says:

Wow, now this is a salad everyone's sure to enjoy over the holiday. Definitely a healthy
and easy recipe to make. :)

Thanks for sharing, Gael! 
-Team Spatulatta