The blank sugar skulls and pastry bags of brightly-colored royal icing:
The sugar skulls I decorated at home later using the leftovers:
The gift-wrapping table (you can see the pattern for the Chinese takeout box--I printed it out and enlarged it with a photocopier, and then we cut boxes out of poster board left over from another project).
The potluck soups and desserts were delicious. Here are a few recipes.
Horst Mager's Original Lentil Soup
prepared by Allison P.
in a large double boiler or a large saucepan add:
3 oz salad oil
Add the following to the oil:
3 oz diced bacon
3/4 C diced onion
3/4 C diced carrots
3/4 C diced celery
Sauté the above mixture until the onion and celery are transparent. Stirring constantly, add
3/4 C flour
When the flour has blended with the above mixture, slowly add 3 1/2 qts. of water, stirring constantly. Then add:
1 C lentils
1 t white thyme
2 t Salt
2 T beef base
2 bay leaves
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of white pepper
3/4 C diced potatoes
Simmer approximately 3 hours.
Tuscan Vegtable Soup
Taken From: "The Food You Crave" by Ellie Krieger
prepared by Jessie M
1 15-oz can low-sodium cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 T olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 C)
2 carrots, diced (about 1/2 C)
2 stalks celery, diced, (about 1/2 C)
1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 1/2 C)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 t dried)
2 t chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1/2 t dried)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
32 oz low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 14.5-oz can no salt added diced tomatoes
2 C chopped baby spinach leaves
1/3 C freshly grated Parmesan, optional
In a small bowl mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon, and set aside. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more. Serve topped with Parmesan, if desired.
Butternut and Ham Bisque
from Family Fun magazine
prepared by Melissa K
2 T unsalted butter
1 very large sweet onion, chopped
½ t dried rosemary leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 C peeled, diced butternut squash
1 C peeled, diced all-purpose potatoes
5 C chicken stock
1 t salt
black pepper to taste
½ C light or heavy cream
1 ½ C diced cooked ham
Melt the butter in a medium soup pot or a large saucepan. Stir in the onion and rosemary. Partially cover the pan and cook the onion over moderate heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute.
Add the squash, potatoes, chicken stock, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover the pot. Cook the soup at a low boil for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft. Remove the pan from the heat.
Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the soup solids and a ladleful of broth to a food processor (do this in batches if you processor is small).* Puree the vegetables, then stir them back into the broth. Stir in the pepper, the cream, and the ham, heating for several minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.
*I never do it this way. I use my hand-held drink blender right in the pan to purée the entire pot of vegetables and broth.
Buffalo Minestrone
prepared by Melissa K
This soup is typical of some of our Sunday dinners. I’ll use up what I have in the house and make substitutions with things I actually have instead of what is called for in the recipe. Sometimes it turns out good, sometimes not.
2 patties frozen ground buffalo meat
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t dried oregano
2-3 C fresh baby spinach, chopped
5-6 C beef stock (I used “better than bouillon” and water)
2-3 C peeled, diced all-purpose potatoes
1-2 carrots, diced
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 12-oz can V-8
2 cans red beans, drained
1 C small shell pasta
salt and pepper to taste
Microwave the frozen patties on 30% for a bout 3 minutes to thaw. Cook them in a large pot, chopping as they brown. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Stir in the oregano and spinach and cook about a minute. Add the stock, potatoes and carrots, tomatoes and V-8 and simmer about half an hour. Stir in the beans and macaroni. Cook about 15 minutes more to cook the pasta.
Sara's Bread Pudding
prepared by Sara McC
1 1/2 lb loaf white bread (like Wonder Big Loaf), or any other desired bread
1/2 C raisins or craisins (soak for a few minutes)
2 1/2 cubes of unsalted butter, melted
3 C sugar
10 eggs
2 12-oz cans evaporated milk (may use skim)
2 t cinnamon
2 t vanilla
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. Tear the bread into 2-inch pieces and place half the bread in the bottom of the pan. Top with raisins or craisins. Top with the remaining bread. Place the melted butter in a large mixing bowl and slowly add the sugar, using an electric mixer to mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Add the evaporated milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix well. Pour the mixture carefully over the top of the bread, being sure to cover all of it. Let sit to absorb for 5 to 10 minutes. Place baking pan in a water bath (I use a broiler pan or a jelly roll pan and fill it with water). Bake for 1 hour and 15 to 20 minutes or until bread is light brown and spongy. Cool. Serve with English Custard, below.
English Custard (my friend Anne's recipe from London)
1/3 C sugar
2 T cornstarch
1/8 t salt
2 C milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 T butter, softened
1 t vanilla
Blend sugar, cornstarch & salt in a 2-qt saucepan. Combine milk and egg yolks. Gradually stir into sugar mixture, then cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
Chocolate Pecan Pie (a Kentucky Favorite)
prepared by Natalie C
1 unbaked pie shell (9” deep dish)
3 eggs
2/3 C sugar
½ t salt
1/3 C butter, melted
1 C light corn syrup
1 C pecan halves
1 ½ C semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat eggs, sugar, salt, butter, and syrup. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips. Pour into pie shell and bake until set, about 40-50 minutes. Cool before cutting.
Papa Hadyn's Banana Cream Pie à la Harris (hope this makes sense)
prepared by Annette H
Graham cracker crust:
11 whole graham crackers, crushed
5 T butter,melted
1 T sugar
Combine ingredients till crumbs are moistened. Press mixture into 9 inch pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes, then let cool. Melt approximately 3 oz dark chocolate. Paint the bottom of the crust with the melted chocolate. Let cool completely.
Then prepare Cream Filling:
5 T cornstarch
1 C sugar
1/4 t salt
2 1/2 C milk
3/4 C half and half
3 egg yolks
2 T butter
1 t vanilla
Mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a 3-qt saucepan. Add milk and cream and cook over medium heat until smooth and thick, stirring constantly. Pour small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; blend thoroughly, then pour back into saucepan. Cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.
Slice 2 bananas into pie shell. Pour the filling over the bananas. Chill 3-4 hours.
Chocolate Mousse:
7 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 C, plus 2 T heavy cream, chilled
2 T water
2 T sugar
Put 2 inches water in a medium saucepan and bring pot to bare simmer. Combine the chocolate and 2 T of heavy cream in a stainless-steel bowl big enough to rest on top of the saucepan. Place the bowl over the simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Heat, whisking occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the bowl from the heat, stir in the 2 T of water and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
In a medium sized bowl using an electric mixer, whip the remaining 1 C heavy cream and sugar together until the cream holds stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.
Layer the chocolate mousse on top of the cream filling in pie pan. (you will probably have leftover mousse, darn, as this is enough mousse for an entire pie).
Chill pie for 3 hours. (You don't have to chill the cream filling for an entire 3 hours before adding the mousse layer. I typically chill it for as long as it takes me to make the mousse and then chill it for 3 hours after I've added both layers.)
Finally, whip up 1 C of heavy cream into stiff peaks to top the pie. I do not add sugar to this, as I feel the pie has enough sugar and it becomes too sweet.
Crinkle Top Cookies
prepared by Janie D
Disclaimer:
These are once-a-year cookies at my house, because they are made with
shortening (which is soooo bad for people!). I have tried substituting
butter for the shortening, and they turn out OK, but not great. If you
do use butter instead of shortening, you'll need to chill the dough
before forming into balls and rolling in sugar. Bake for an extra
minute or so -- 9 - 10 minutes, rather than 8.
3/4 C vegetable shortening
2 C granulated sugar (divided)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 C dark molasses
1/2 t salt
2 t baking soda
1 t ground ginger
1 t ground cloves
2 C all-purpose flour
1 C raisins
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together shortening, 1 C sugar and egg. Add molasses. Combine salt, baking soda, ginger, cloves, and flour; add to the creamed mixture. Stir in raisins. Form into walnut-sized balls, roll in remaining sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet, leaving a bit of room for cookies to spread. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, being careful not to overbake. Better to undercook than
overcook - they should be chewy. Remove to rack after baking.
Janet's Hazelnut/Sweet Cherry Baklava with brandied syrup
prepared by Janet A
Ingredients:
1 lb pkg Filo (phyllo) pastry leaves at room temperature (thawed per package directions and left out of refrigerator for at least 4 hrs)
1 C butter, melted (no substitute)
Filling:
1/2 lb hazelnuts, ground or chopped fine
1/2 lb dried Bing or other sweet cherries
1/2 C sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
Syrup:
1 C honey
1 C sugar
1 C water
2 T dried cherries
1 T brandy flavoring
1 T lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix filling ingredients in food processor (note that you can chop the hazelnuts first). Unroll pastry leaves and place under a slightly damp clean towel. Butter a 17"x12"x2" baking pan and set next to your work space. Take 6 sheets of Filo and brush every other sheet with butter. Spread 1/4 of the filling to within 1" of the end, lengthwise on this stack. Fold in the ends and roll up. With a very sharp knife, score the roll in 1" intervals. Brush with butter. Repeat until the filling & Filo are rolled & scored (you should have about 4). Drizzle a little butter over each roll and place in oven. Bake at 350 F for 1/2 hr, then reduce to 300 F and bake for another 1/2 hr.
Meanwhile, prepare the syrup: heat and stir all ingredients in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat until sugar dissolves, then boil slowly for 20 minutes. Strain syrup and drizzle over the baklava rolls as soon as they come out of the oven. Cool until rolls can be touched, then slice at score marks all the way through. Serve warm or cold. [Note: Janet uses only half the syrup and saves the rest. Refrigerate in a jar and use for pancakes, waffles or another batch of baklava.]
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