Spice Base: Cream butter with sugar; blend in spices. Store in jar with tight fitting cover in refrigerator. Makes 1 cup base or enough for 16 servings.

For 4 Servings: Place instant coffee beverage mix in coffee pot or carafe. Add boiling water; stir well. Add 4 tbsp. spice base, rum and light cream. Makes about 4 servings.

BROWN RICE & VEGETABLE STUFFING

• 1 cup Uncle Ben's brown rice
• 2 carrots (coarsely shredded)
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 2 tsp. fennel seeds
• salt & pepper
• 2 ½ cups chicken broth
• 1 small fennel bulb
• 1 small zucchini (coarsely shredded)
• 2 tsp. lemon juice (bottled is OK)
• 2 tsp. LEMON ZESTO
• 1 8-10 lb. turkey

In a medium saucepan, combine rice, carrots, onion, fennel seeds, ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, cut fennel bulb in quarters lengthwise, discard triangle core and thinly slice crosswise. Stir into hot rice with zucchini, lemon juice, and LEMON ZESTO. Taste for seasoning adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Stuff turkey with rice mixture then immediately place in roasting pan and cook in preheated 325° F oven until a meat thermometer inserted into thigh registers 180° F. Makes 4 cups of stuffing.

Approximately 8 servings.

SMOKED OYSTER SPREAD

• 2 (85-G) tins smoked oysters
• 250-g pkg. light or regular cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 1½ tsp. lemon juice (bottled is fine)
• 1 small crushed garlic clove or ½ tsp.
• minced garlic
• 1 green onion (thinly sliced)
• ¼ tsp. LEMON ZESTO
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce.

Rinse oysters with cold water. Gently squeeze with paper towels to dry. Place in a food processor or blender with remaining ingredients. Whirl, stopping to scrape down sides as necessary, until smooth. Scrape into a serving dish and smooth top. Place plastic wrap directly onto mixture. Refrigerate up to 2 days. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley or green onions accompanied by small pieces of French baguette or crisp crackers.

ARLENE'S HINT FOR DECEMBER

"If you leave gravy on the stove for second helpings it gets too thick. If you leave it in the pan off the stove it gets cold. Here is a handy solution!

While "Big Bird" is waiting to be carved. I make my gravy. When it is done I simply pour into my decorative thermos coffee carafe to keep it hot. Clean up the pans, and PRESTO! Hot gravy for all those second helpings and no pots to clean later."