Party Like Its …2012

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Administrator
I am having a bad day with technology today. But, I wanted to share some drink and appetizer recipes with you in time for New Year’s Eve. So, I am just going to cut and paste the recipes, not stressing about the font size or spacing issues. Then I am putting away the computer for awhile.
Drinks:
Non-Alcoholic
Appetizers:
Have a wonderful New Year’s celebration! I wish you all a happy and healthy 2012!
~Audrey
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Time Keeps On Ticking

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Administrator

Only a few days left until the big night and you still want a showstopper dessert that is easy to make? I have three solutions for you all of which we had for Christmas Eve dessert (or some other occassion) at least once or twice growing up.

Ice Cream Snowball

Ice Cream Snowballs were a frozen treat we bought at the grocery store and enjoyed Christmas Eve in the 1970′s and early 80′s and then I don’t remember seeing them ever again.  An internet search says I am not the only one to experience this trauma. But, they are very easy to make. Soften some ice cream (preferably vanilla or any white colored), shape it into baseball sized balls, then refreeze them until hard, roll them in coconut, decorate (originally they came with a piece of plastic holly that held a red birthday candle) and serve.  You can make them ahead of time, I recommend at least a day in advance so they can harden up again.  If you use any flavor other than vanilla you may want to coat the ball with melted white chocolate before you put on the coconut to avoid the color of the ice cream showing through. You’ll probably notice the strawberry peaking through in the picture from the Neopolitan I used.

Peppermint Chocolate Ice Cream Bomb

Another simple ice cream dessert is “The Bombe“. Well, that’s what Ma’am called it. Again, it is simple to make and must be done ahead of time to allow the ice cream to refreeze. This is what we will be having for dessert Christmas night this year. I tried to find those syrups you add to coffee to soak the lady fingers (no alcohol or caffeine since I have a 3 1/2 year old that will be enjoying it!) but had a hard time finding them so I just made a simple syrup and threw in some peppermint candies. Decorated with melted chocolate chips and crushed candy canes and voila! a tres jolie dessert.

The final recipe isn’t my idea, but someone in the Kraft Test Kitchens: Holiday Jell-o Poke Cake. I made this a few times in junior high/high school and probably haven’t made it since. Basically you poke a white layer cake with a fork, pour red gelatin on one layer and green on the other, then frost it with Cool Whip and garnish.  You can lighten it up by using sugar free Jell-O and Cool Whip and an angel food cake – I’d suggest doing one color from the bottom then flip it and do the other color on the top so they don’t blend together.

Well, this is going to wrap up my series on other Holiday desserts besides cookies. I have plenty more ideas, but also presents to wrap. So they’ll have to wait until next year.  I hope you have a great holiday season and a healthy and happy 2012.  And remember to ask for those family recipes to insure traditions will carry on to the next generation and beyond.

Until next time, happy eating.

~Audrey

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Nutty As A Fruitcake

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Administrator

Jokes about bad fruitcake have probably been around since the first fruitcake:

  1. There is only one fruitcake in the world and it just keeps getting regifted year after year.
  2. Why is history like a fruit cake? Because it is full of dates!
  3. Why do fruitcakes make ideal gifts? Because the Postal Service has been unable to find a way to damage them.
  4. Some uses for fruitcake: a doorstop, fireplace bricks, a boat anchor, replace free weights for a workout.

I feel somewhat deprived, since I have never had bad fruitcake. I actually like it and look forward to it each holiday season.  Here are 3 very different recipes, all unique and delicious in their own way. Continue reading →

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That’s The Way The Cookie Crumbles

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Administrator

It seems every newspaper, magazine, e-zine, blog, newsletter, etc. is publishing cookie recipes this time of year.  I love making cookies, and will be making my favorites over the next few weeks to give away to family and friends: peanut butter blossoms (pb cookies with a chocolate candy on top), Spaghetti Cookies, Shortbread, Cherry Nut Nuggets, Russian Tea Cakes (my friend Shelly McLaughlin’s recipe), and maybe even Uncle Clark’s All You Want For Christmas Cookies .  But, since everyone else is doing cookies, I thought I’d give a little love this month to some other holiday desserts.  Some will be easy and some will require a bit more work, like the Gingerbread House, I wrote about last week, but they all will provide that “something special” to top off your holiday meal.

Buche de Noel or Yule Log

This past week I made a Buche de Noel (aka a Yule Log). I used to make one of these every year for work per the request of my buddy Bao, who said they reminded him of his childhood in Vietnam.  I always let him think it was a big effort, but the way I make ’em it isn’t that hard, sshhh! Continue reading →

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Can We Build It? Yes We Can!

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Administrator

Our house in the middle of the counter, with two cats in the yard...

It has come to my attention in the last few days that I have become a bit of a food snob.  I haven’t reached the extreme that many cooking shows and magazines have of using obscure hard to find ingredients in every recipe, but if given the choice I will always opt for something homemade versus storebought, even if it requires a bit of extra effort.

Case in point – gingerbread houses.  I can’t help but cringe whenever I see those kits in the store that have everything you need to make a gingerbread house including frosting, candy and prebaked and cut gingerbread. Egads, how many preservatives are in those to allow them to last on the shelf for months on end?! And I can only imagine that the cardboard box it came in would be more palatable. Continue reading →

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Who ya gonna call?

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Administrator

Hot Artichoke Dip

There I was searching everywhere in the pickle and olive section of the grocery store searching high and low for the marinated artichokes so I could make Aunt Sue’s Hot Artichoke Dip for Thanksgiving. Finally, I gave up and did what any modern independent woman would do in the same situation: rummaged through my purse for my phone, punched a few buttons and… “Mom, if you were canned artichoke hearts where would you hide in the grocery store.” 

Continue reading →

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Helping those that help us.

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Administrator
Bachelor at Large, Reese AFB 1964

I grew up in a household that believed in supporting our troops. My Dad served in the Air Force during the early years of the Vietnam War.  His dad served in the Navy  and his uncles served in the Army and Navy in WWII. Mom’s dad wanted to serve, but wasn’t allowed to. The family wouldn’t let him since 4 of his younger brothers beat him to it and joined up before him – no Saving Private Smith for his family.

Parade Magazine had an interesting article this week about 11 Ways To Help Veterans on 11/11/11. Number seven jumped off the page at me – Cut Coupons. 

Continue reading →

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Ice Cold Milk and an Oreo Cookie (Ball)

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Administrator

Oreo Balls dressed up for Halloween

Recently, my friend, Lisa Cameron, mentioned on Facebook that she was making 150 Oreo Cookie Balls for her daughter’s first brithday (Happy Birthday, Kenna!) and several mutual friends raved about them. My curiosity was peaked and I had to know what these treats were. Always quick to help me out, she sent the following recipe. A simple no bake cookie that can be creatively adapted to different themes just in time for the holidays- SCORE!   

Continue reading →

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Eek they’re here – Frankenfoods!

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Administrator

It is October, the month dedicated to all things spooky. Here’s the scene: the scientist works feverishly adding the DNA of one plant into that of another to create… (cue the triumphant music) the cure to world hunger … or (cue the eerie music) Frankenfood.  That scene is no longer something relegated to Syfy channel; it is now reality.  Major companies are dedicating huge amounts of resources to research and produce “genetically modified organisms” (GMO’s for short).  I am hardly an expert, but if you are unfamiliar with this concept in food production here’s a short primer: Continue reading →

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Critically Acclaimed Carrot Bread!

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Administrator
Carrot Bread

Carrot Bread

Ok, I admit there is only one critic and he is a 3-year old boy. But, if that little boy normally won’t eat vegetables and begged to make more when he found out the first batch was already gone, I’d call that recipe a winner!

Normally, I prefer to link to recipes I get from other places to give them full credit and reward them with a few extra hits on their site. I scoured the Cooking Light site and could not find this carrrot bread recipe anywhere. It was originally submitted by reader Sarah Brinkley. Sarah, if you ever read this and want me to take it down I will, but this recipe was such a success I had to share it!

This seems to be pretty similar to one served at Mimi’s Cafe if you add nuts and raisins, but a whole lot lighter. I am not sure about the actual recipe, but the one in Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 calls for a cup of oil and a cup of sugar plus molasses! eek!

I only made one substitution to the recipe which was plain yogurt and a teaspoon of vanilla for the vanilla yogurt because that is what we had on hand.

The hardest parts about making this with my son were waiting for the carrots to cook and then waiting for the bread to cook and cool before eating! I even cooked the carrots in the microwave to speed it up, but it still wasn’t fast enough for him, haha! 

Served with a little bit cream cheese on top we have been enjoying it for snack and breakfast.

Until next time, happy eating!

~Audrey

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