Seasoned readings — New Christmas cookbooks

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly clean all vegetables. Peel onion and carrots. Slice or chop all vegetables into bite-size pieces, keeping each type of vegetable separate. Combine hard vegetables (carrots, potatoes, parsnips and turnips) in a large mixing bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss these vegetables until evenly coated and spread them evenly in one layer in a large baking pan and place in oven. Toss remaining vegetables in remaining oil, pepper and salt. When vegetables in oven are slightly tender, remove from oven and add remaining vegetables to pan. Return to oven and continue roasting until all vegetables are tender and begin to brown. Serve hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley. Serves 6-8.

Note: Any combination of vegetables will work: zucchini, yellow squash, hard winter squashes or beets. Beets tend to color the other vegetables, so keep them separate until served. Add the softer vegetables later to avoid overcooking. — "Lion House Christmas"

CHICKEN DUMPLING SOUP

1 large onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

1 1/2 stalks celery, diced

Meat from 1 roasted chicken, cooked and shredded

4-6 cups chicken broth

1 cup fresh cut green beans

1 cup pearl barley, optional

1 teaspoon celery salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper

Lightly saute onion, carrots and celery in a small amount of oil in a large soup pot. Add shredded chicken, broth, green beans, pearl barley, celery salt, parsley, bay leaf and thyme, and simmer until the barley is tender. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Add spoon-size balls of Dumpling Dough and simmer until dumplings rise.

Dumpling Dough:

1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup flour

3 eggs

To make dumpings, bring milk and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add salt and nutmeg. Remove from heat and immediately add flour, stirring until dough leaves the sides of the pan. Incorporate the eggs, one at a time, forming a sticky dough. — "Lion House Christmas"

FESTIVE CHEESE BALL

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

1 cup finely chopped nuts

1/2 cup chopped parsley