The annual Holiday Cooking School, sponsored by the Calhoun County Office of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) and the Calhoun County Homemakers and Community Leaders (CCHCL), recently signaled the start of the 2011 holiday season.

More than 100 guests were greeted by the sights, sounds and aromas of the holidays as they entered Anniston’s First Presbyterian Church.

At registration, Pat Killian offered the 2011 Holiday Cookbooks for $2. These cookbooks are great to use as small gifts, or for Christmas cards for special friends. They can also be purchased at the Extension office, 1702 Noble St., Suite 108, Anniston. Recipes demonstrated are also available on the website, www.aces.edu/calhoun.

Marchale Burton, urban regional extension agent, began the program with food safety precautions for the holidays and a history of the Holiday Cooking School.

Peggy Crosby, CCHCL president, reminded guests that the goal of the homemaker is to make friends and serve the community. Among the group’s activities are monthly meetings to sew for cancer patients — items like hats, bags, scarves and blankets. For more info on the group, contact the Extension office at 256-237-1621.

Chef Alan Martin of The Victoria Inn gave participants a demonstration in roasting turkey, along with cornbread dressing, giblet gravy and cranberry chutney.

Next was local favorite Prudence Hilburn, who writes for the Anniston Star’s Food section every Wednesday. Prudence gave tips of what to do with leftover turkey and dressing with recipes for an after-Thanksgiving bisque and crunchy cabbage salad.

Cindi Moon, president of the Student Dietetic Association at Jacksonville State University, demonstrated ways to use chocolate for decorative gifts and desserts.

Marchale Burton showed how to add pizzazz to holiday dishes with a peach glaze for turkey, along with “Amped Up Greens,” made by adding cabbage, sun-dried tomatoes and turkey sausage to collard greens. She discussed how using applesauce can keep a carrot cake moist (by reducing the amount of oil needed) and gave a recipe for a lovely holiday punch.

Joyce Shaddix demonstrated an easy cream cheese Danish that she makes for a local restaurant. She was followed by her daughter, Amanda Haynes, Extension’s EFNEP agent assistant, who gave a recipe for “Pink Fluffy Stuff,” a delightful dish for anytime.

Other yummy edibles — including veggie bars, cinnamon triangles, red velvet peanuts, caramel corn, hot chipped beef dip, five-cup fruit salad, apple-cinnamon bun dip, chocolate chews, pineapple cake, baked pineapple casserole and chicken casserole — were prepared by CCHCL members. A sampling of a holiday meal — from appetizers, salads and main dishes to desserts and punch — prepared everyone for the holiday season.

(Am I the only one who gained five pounds just from reading about all these mouth-watering foods? Save a cookbook for me, please!)

Volunteers (including the 4-H Tree Amigos Club, Christina Parker and Shelia Gaddy) helped make the Cooking School a success.

To share your news with Small Talk, contact Annette Maddox at starsmalltalk@yahoo.com.

Save the Date

The early bird gets the worm at Junior League/Dillard’s Discount Day, from 7-9 a.m. on Dec. 10 at Dillard’s of Quintard Mall. Tickets are $5, and will get you 10 percent off your entire purchase (excluding UGG Australia and Cosmetics) and light refreshments. Plus, during the event, you can purchase a chance for a $500 Dillard’s shopping spree, an “Unlock the Handbag” event, and enjoy a fashion show filled with exciting new looks for the winter season. Tickets can be purchased from any Junior League member, at Quintard Mall Guest Services or at F&M Bank in Oxford.