Week 61, 2-19-2017

Thoughts and Quotes:  Burp!       Me

Another week centered around food. This has to stop, but it's so much fun.

Monday night was my date night with Steg (Sally's husband) and the restaurants were jammed. I think everyone figured that Valentine's Day on Tuesday would be busy, so they went out Monday. We ended up eating burgers at Red Robin.

I made the food so I could take photos for my Theme Dining book. And I redid the menu, so Winter Wonderland is finished.

Baked Alaska is easy and makes a nice presentation. After experimenting, I found that this method works best:

BAKED ALASKA

Need to start the day before serving

1 cake (scratch or box) baked in a 10 x 15 jelly roll pan

 1 rectangular box of ice cream

Jelly

4 egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Cut cake into squares or circles, or any desired shape.

Cut a 1” slab of ice cream horizontally; cut circles with the same cutter used for the cake, or squares same size, from slab.

Spread thin layer of jelly over cake.

Top with ice cream and put in freezer.

Beat egg whites until frothy.  Add cream of tartar and continue beating until foamy.

Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.   Beat in vanilla.

Frost “Alaskas” and return to freezer overnight.

Heat oven to 500 degrees.

Just before serving, bake “Alaskas” 2 or 3 minutes or until browned.

Serve surrounded by fruit puree or chopped fruit.

Note:  Recipe is for individual “Alaskas”.   Make a multi-serving round or square “Alaska” (using only one layer of cake) by the same method.  Height of cake or ice cream is your choice in either method.

To make the strawberry puree, I just chop up fresh strawberries, mash them a little, and add sugar. No need to get out the blender.

And since I had all that food, Steg, Sally, and Martha joined me for dinner.

Lunch out on Wednesday, Dinner out on Wednesday, lunch out on Friday and I grabbed a sandwich at Subway on Thursday. Saturday I made Mexican food (my version - Mexicans wouldn't recognize it): Chicken enchiladas, hearty Spanish rice (made with hamburger and topped with sour cream), chile relleno casserole, bean salad, and tortilla chips. 

When I was a teenager, my friend Linda would make this Spanish rice (the recipe was on the Minute Rice box), and we'd have it with a can of green beans and bread and butter. Life used to be so much simpler.

SPANISH RICE

1 lb hamburger, seasoned with salt and pepper

1 green pepper, chopped

2 small onions, cut in half and thinly slice

2 cups Minute Rice, uncooked

3 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

2 8 oz. cans water

Sour cream, optional

Brown hamburger in a large skillet.

Add rice.

Add green pepper and onions, mix.

Add tomato sauce and water.

Cover and simmer about 10 minutes or until right amount of liquid has been absorbed.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

And that's not all. 

Muffin Tin Monday: I had one banana which was really ripe, so I made half a recipe of banana muffins.

The three V's: Very Quick, Very Easy, and Very Good. Here's the recipe.

BANANA MUFFINS

Bellevue Women’s Ministry-Joy Garcia

1-3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1-1/4 tsps cream of tartar

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup chopped pecans

2 bananas, mashed

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup oil

Heat oven to 400°.

Grease muffin tins (makes 18).

Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl and make a well in the center.

In another bowl, mix wet ingredients and pour into well.

Mix just until moistened.

Bake 15-18 minutes.

Note: Use spoon to mix wet and dry ingredients. Whisking makes them tough.

Tidy Up Tuesday became Friends Over Friday.

Where to Wednesday was back to Beth's Bake Shoppe. No, it's not in New Mexico; it's in Springfield, Missouri.

The eating area is surrounded by cake replicas.

So Robert decided to just have a cup of broccoli-cheese soup

So he could eat cheesecake

Joey had quiche, soup, and slaw

I had a chicken and cucumber wrap

  

And Martha had chicken salad on a croissant.

Try Something Thursday found me back in the kitchen. I made Carrie's Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake. You can find the recipe on her blog HERE and scroll down.

Friends Over Friday happened on Tuesday, and on Friday it was back to Beth's where Mim and I took Bev for her birthday.

She had the half chicken salad sandwich on a croissant with slaw.

Mim had the chicken salad on raisin bread

with half a lovely spinach salad (yes, this is a half salad).

I had bacon and cheese quiche with half a pear salad. They also added slaw. I brought a quiche sample home to Pepper. He loved it.

Then they brought Bev a complimentary cupcake in a Happy Birthday container.

There was a sweet little yellow flower on the side.

Then we got mints with our check

Lots of Tasting this week, so now you see why my quote is "Burp"!

Tales: I just finished Lawrence Sanders book called McNally's Luck. He's written several books where McNally is the main character and each one is pure delight. Sanders has written some other books which are a little strange for my taste, but the McNally books are priceless. I wish he had written a hundred of them.

Time for Others: Some of my friends took time to make me a Valentine, and aren't they lovely?

Joey

Katie

Carrie

Jeanne

I received some pretty store cards also, but I know cardmakers like to see what others are creating, so they can get ideas,

My January book goals are now complete, but here it is February 19, and I have lots to do for February.

I'm going to use the table from the Quack, Quack lunch for one of my tablescapes (plus the red and black snowman table I showed you last week).

That means that I still have all of this to do for February:

Two Tablescapes: Yearning for Spring; Lavender and Lace

Two Theme dinners: 

Buon Appetito: I can use the table photos, but must make the food and photograph it. Redo the menu and photograph. Photograph the invitation. Input recipes for lasagna, breadsticks, tiramisu, and/or panna cotta.

Miss Scarlett's Favorites: I have to redo the table, make the food, make a menu, and photograph all the above plus the invitation. Input recipe for Cheesy Grits Casserole.

Cardinal Tea: Do it all from start to finish.

Nine days left in February - I don't think so. And we're going to Joplin on Where To Wednesday so we'll be gone most of the day. However, March will be easier, so maybe I can play catch up then.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW TO GEORGE AND ABE

GET OUTSIDE FOR SOME SUN

DRINK LOTS OF WATER

PRETEND IT'S STILL VALENTINE'S DAY AND CONTINUE TO SPREAD THE LOVE

START PLANNING YOUR GARDEN

SPRING IS ON THE WAY

BEAR WITH ME WHILE I WORK ON THESE BOOKS

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE