A very happy new year to everyone and wishes for a healthy and good year. Our weather was beautiful New Year's Day, rainy New Year's Eve of course, but everyone seemed to be having a good time. I spoke with my niece in New Mexico, and they were snowed in with two feet of snow. That's not nice.

Since the 1970s, I have always had a dinner party for my family and friends on New Year's Day. I always serve all Greek food. I love doing it and they love eating it. I was up early, early, early because I had to make Spanakopita and Baklava for the party, and they are both time-consuming to make. Then, of course, was the roast lamb and Greek spaghetti and other things to be prepared. It's worth it though, because everyone seems to love Greek food and it pleases me to please them.

I went to several events this past two weeks and did a lot of different things. That's good. I love being busy. I'm lucky not to have caught the “bug” that's going around. A few of my friends were sick and they all seemed to have the same symptoms.

I haven't even started putting my Christmas decorations away. I always waited until after Russian Christmas on Jan. 7. I'm not Russian, I know, but when I first moved to Auburn and there was no Greek church for a few years, we went to the Russian church. A few of my friends belonged there and I remember us walking from our homes to the Russian church in high heels. We lived up off Easterly Avenue and walked to St. Nicholas' on Cross Street. How did we manage that? My feet yell at me if I put on high heels and don't try to even walk in them. I'm so glad they make dressy shoes with no heels.

Since Jan. 7 is past, I guess I'll have to give in and undecorate. I love the lights and bright-colored decorations. I do leave my outside lights up longer than anyone else in my neighborhood. I like coming home when it's dark and gloomy and being greeted by my cheerful-looking street.

My ethnic recipe for this week is French. It's for French Onion Soup Gratinee. My other recipe is for cookies. I had them at my friend Jean Marie Sofsky's house and had to have the recipe. They are delicious.

Today's blooper

My blooper today is about a friend of mine giving a dinner party. Her brother was helping her in the kitchen and she told him to put spaghetti sauce on the stuffed shells she had in the refrigerator. Not a lot, but enough and then put them in the oven to warm. When everything was ready and they sat down to eat, one of the guests tried the shells and asked when did she, the hostess, start stuffing her shells with mashed potatoes. The hostess was shocked and checked it out. They were pierogies she also had in the refrigerator and her brother never checked. He just assumed it was pasta. Her guest told her that, actually, it was pretty good. Could be a new Polish Italian recipe. Right?

Diana Sobus, of Auburn, specializes in making ethnic foods

Makes 5 dozen

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal

1 cup raisins

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Brown butter icing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease one or more cookie sheets. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until mixture is light in color. Add buttermilk. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice; stir into creamed mixture. Fold in oatmeal, raisins, walnuts, and vanilla, blending well. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with brown butter icing.

Brown butter icing

1/2 cup butter

3 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 to 4 tablespoons water

In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in three cups sifted powdered sugar and one teaspoon vanilla. Stir in enough water (three to four tablespoons) to make an icing of drizzling consistency. Drizzle on warm cookies.

Makes 6 servings

1 1/2 stick of butter

6 cups sliced or diced onions

6 teaspoons flour

Pepper to taste

12 cups broth - chicken or beef

6 tablespoons red wine or cognac (optional)

Topping

Gruyere or Swiss cheese sliced thin or grated

Croutons seasoned with garlic salt

Melt butter in heavy pan on medium high heat. Add onions and saute until golden. Stir in flour and pepper to taste. Reduce heat. Add broth and wine. Simmer 30 minutes. Serve in individual bowls. Place croutons and cheeses on top. Place under broiler until cheese is bubbly and slightly crusty. Serve.