Tuesday, March 25, 2008

...and another thing...

I forgot to post about the desserts we had at our Easter barbeque! We had some yummy stuff!

I made a strawberry shortcake with strawberry angelfood cake, strawberries and whipped cream...Mom made a Hershey Pie...basically cool whip and melted Hershey bars...how can you go wrong with that? She also made a Mystery Pie...something with lemon and nuts, I think. Melissa made a DingDong cake...tastes just like the foil wrapped treats of my childhood. It was very good! Gail sent a peach cobbler, which of course was a big seller with this bunch!

I used jars of spring colored M&M's and Hershey's candy coated eggs as part of the decorations for the dessert buffet, which also served as another little sweet for those wanting something to snack on.

All in all, it was a sugar laden, high carb, high calorie feast, just as Easter should be!!

Monday, March 24, 2008

Easter lunch

We had a great time yesterday. It was not your traditional Easter lunch, but it was pretty tasty, if I do say so myself! We had barbeque beef, pork and chicken, hash brown casserole (Thanks, Melissa!), baked beans and deviled eggs(Thanks McCarty girls), 3 kinds of coleslaw-one plain, one with carrots and other veggies and one horseradish one-very good! A relish tray (Thanks, Michael for the slaw and the tray), a fresh veggie tray with ranch dip and spinach dip were good starters. I think we all were hungry for some fresh vegetables...even the traditonal non-veggie eaters snacked on carrots, celery sticks, cauliflower and broccoli, cucumber wheels and pepper strips!

We have a fairly new produce market in town and I stopped in there for the first time Saturday. I got a whole box of veggies for $20, and they were really good. I can't wait for the fresh homegrown stuff to come in... I will certainly be shopping there often!

I made a strawberry shortcake, but I used a strawberry angelfood cake instead of pound cake. It was ok, but I like the poundcake version better. I'll post pictures as soon as I get my camera charged. Again. Sigh.

I used black and white gingham with yellow accents, and I really liked it. I used fresh white iris from Mom's yard and some yellow flowers from her yard as an accent! Of course the garden bunnies hopped in from the master bathroom to make an appearance as table decor! Love them!

I'm working on a bridal brunch plan for my nephew's bride-elect. Oh, yes, you will be getting details soon! For now, here's the theme for a little sneak peek:

Eat, Drink and be Married! (I borrowed this from Tracey! Thanks, girl!)

Check in often!!

See ya!
Cathy

Monday, March 17, 2008

Easter Menu

I've been working on the menu for our Easter lunch celebration. Lynn and I both agreed that it might be fun to buck tradition and do something besides ham for our holiday feast, so we are having a barbeque!

I am going to do a few pork loins and make barbeque. This is something that I do every so often, and my kids love it. I like to do it on the grill-that's how I think it tastes best, but the weather is supposed to be horrible this week-heavy, heavy rain for the first part, then rain again this next weekend, so I'm thinking it might be better to do it inside.

I'll put the loins in crockpots Saturday morning and let them cook all day with onions, garlic and a few shakes of Emirl's seasoning mix. Then I'll shred the cooked meat and add homemade barbeque sauce and let that cook for a few hours. We'll serve it on buns with extra sauce for drizzling over the sandwich. So, here's the tentative menu:

Barbequed pork loin on buns
Hash brown casserole
Baked beans
Deviled Eggs
Coleslaw
Assorted Desserts
Tea, coffee and cherry lemonade

I'll ask each person attending to bring a side and a dessert, and we'll have plenty!

I'll probably make a strawberry shortcake, because my kids LOVE them! I made one over the weekend, this is it:



It was good and it was gone in about 10 minutes! They loved it...don't tell them it's a Sara Lee poundcake, frozen strawberries and cool whip!! On second thought, they probably don't care how I make it, just how often I make it!

Here's a good dessert that is not too heavy, just right for Easter! I got it from my Bunco Babe friend Debbie! Thanks, sister!

Fruit Delight

1st layer:
1 c. flour
1 tbs. sugar
1/4 c. nuts
1/2 c. oleo, melted
Put into a 9x13 baking dish and bake about 15-20 minutes

2nd layer:
1 c. powedered sugar
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese
1 c. cool whip
Combine and spread over cooled crust. Top with fruit of your choice (Debbie used strawberries, but said peaches are quite good, also!) Pour cooked glaze over this.

3rd layer-glaze
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. water
3 tbs. corn starch
Cook until clear, then add 1/2 box of jello to match the fruit you use, and cool. Then pour over the fruit. Top with cool whip.

There you have it-cool, easy and very yummy! I think I'm going to make it peach for Easter, especially if I make a strawberry shortcake.

Have a good day!
Cathy

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Big Girl Birthday Party!

I had a big girl birthday party for my friends Melissa and Donna. It was a kind of impromtu affair, and Lynn ended up joining us because he was home that day! It was fun and super casual. We had ranch dip with some fun new chips, the kettle cooked 4 cheese Lays, chicken salad sandwiches on croissants and baby cup cakes in pink and green. I did the table in those colors and we drank iced tea. Here's a picture of the table.




Here's the chicken salad recipe. My friend Jami gave it to me, she uses it as a dip with good sturdy cracker, like a Triscit. Very good!

1 large and 1 small can chicken, drained
8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayo
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
1 red and 1 green bell pepper, chopped
onion, cucumber or any other veggie you'd like to add
jarred jalapeno slices (I used the juice rather than the peppers themselves)

Mix together the cream cheese and mayo and stir in the ranch dressing mix, the chopped veggies and stir until smooth. Fold in the chicken and mix just until combined, being careful not to break up the chicken too much. Serve with crackers, bread or chips.

We're working on our Easter menu around here. I'm thinking we're going to break with tradition and have barbequed pork instead of the usual ham. I'll get the menu posted and some pictures of the table when I get it done. In the meantime, check out my newest bunny, which will be the star of the Easter lunch table! He came from the flea market!! I love him, don't you?




See you later!
Cathy