Baby Shower

A resent brunch baby shower

Yellow cake with Lime curd filling, vanilla frosting and a little blue food coloring swirled for wave effect..Wafer cookie sticks are adhered with frosting around the cake.

Sugar cookies

Baked French toast and Sausage Breakfast Casserole with fruit and oatmeal.

King cake with the baby hidden inside!

Use a gift for a decoration. Make a clothes line.

Throw in a few games.

Party favors, chocolate!!

Baby Joshua will be here soon!!!

Chili Sauce- Quick

2 c ketchup

1/2 c brown sugar

1 Tbs chili powder

3/4 c water

1/2 tsp pepper

2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbs vinegar

Combine in saucepan and simmer about 5-10 min. 

Use for basting, dipping,or  marinading.

Bar-b-q sauce- Quick

1 large onion finely chopped

2 Tbs. oil

2  8 oz cans tomato sauce

2 c water

1/4 c lemon juice

1/4 c brown sugar

1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 tsp liquid smoke

Cook onion in oil  in a large pot until clear, add remaining ingredients and simmer 10 min. Use immediately or refrigerate.

Teryaki Marinade

This is a great marinade for beef, chicken or shrimp. Place meat in a covered container and refrigerate, shaking or turning every 15 min  for 1 to 2 hours, or let sit in marinade over night.

2/3 c soy sauce

2 Tbs molasses

2 Tbs dry mustard

1/4 c oil

2 Tsp ginger

3 cloves, crushed garlic

Be sure and discard marinade, if you want to baste with it, reserve some of the mixture before placing meat inside or make another batch.

You may use any regular mustard if you do not have dry.

Pizza Sauce- Quick

Pour 1 large can tomato sauce in a bowl

add;

 1/4 tsp oregano

 1/4 tsp basil

 1/4 tsp thyme

 1/8 tsp pepper

  dash of salt

 1/8 tsp garlic powder

 1/8 tsp onion powder

 1 tsp. sugar (opt.)

 Mix and use on pizza dough or heat for a dipping sauce, This is enough for two pizzas unless you love sauce, then double the recipe.

Sparking Punch

3 cups water

1  6oz can thawed orange juice concentrate

1  6 oz can thawed lemonade concentrate 

2 c cranberry juice cocktail

1/2 c sugar

2 liters lemon-lime soda, chilled

Mix all ingredients except soda until chilled, Stir in soda before serving.

Candy Bacon and Eggs

Here is a quick and easy treat to make for the kids or have them make themselves.

Melt white chocolate candy melts (Wilton) over a double boiler, you can melt in the microwave, I prefer a double boiler because it melts smoother and stays at a constant temperature. 

On waxed paper, lay two pretzel sticks side by side, place a spoonful of chocolate on top and place a yellow m&m in the middle. Let set, about 1 hour.

Potato Skins

Clean and bake 6 small baking potatoes at 400 until done and soft on the inside. Be sure and cut small slits to let them vent. Cool completely.

Cut in half and scoop out most of the potato, leave about 1/2 in layer. Set aside for later use.

On each potato skin place cooked crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, salt and pepper to taste, chives, bake at 350 for 8-10 min or until cheese is melted and heated through. Top with sour cream.

Toppings are up to you, if you would rather use ground hamburger and jalapenos, go for it!

     

shown before baking

Onion Rings

Slice large onions, preferably sweet onions into 1/2 in slices, separate rings

In one bowl place 3/4 c flour

in another bowl, beat 1 egg

In a large shallow dish place 2c of Panko* or regular bread crumbs.You will have to add more as you go along, depending on the amount of rings you are making.

 Take each ring and place in egg, then flour, egg again and then panko.

Place on baking sheet and bake at 400 until crisp, and lightly browned.

Panko will only brown slightly, if you wish for darker crumbs, toast them in a frying pan until golden before breading.

flax

Spot light-Flax

Flax, if you have never tried it now may be the time. Flax can be found in most grocery stores now, in 3 forms; whole, ground or milled, and flax oil. It has a nutty flavor and can easily be added to baked goods, sprinkled on salads or mixed into sauces. Flax is rich in Omega 3's. Ground flax has 1,900 mg per tablespoon, whole flax seed has 2,600 mg and oil has 8,000 mg! Rich in antioxidants too.
Studies in health have revealed some positive results between flax and cancer, dry eyes, ADHD and menopause. In fact one study showed menopausal women that took 2 Tbs. of ground flax twice a day reduced hot flashes by 50% and the intensity of flashes decreased by 57%.
Flax should be stored in the freezer for best retention of nutrients, you can easily grind whole seeds yourself as needed.
When baking, if your recipe has at least 2 cups of flour, you can substitute 1/4 to 1/2 c with ground flax.
try cranberry flax muffins today or use it in your banana bread.

King cake

If your from the South you know this dish! If not let me introduce you to a fun tradition. During Mardi Gras everyone makes or buys a king cake. Inside each cake is hidden a plastic baby, the one that gets the piece with the baby inside becomes the king or queen for the day, and also gets to bring the cake to the next gathering.

There are many ways of making a king cake, this is a basic.

Cake:

2 tbs sugar                                               

2 envelopes yeast

1/3 c warm water

1 stick margarine or butter

2/3 c evaporated milk

1/2 c sugar

2 tsp salt

4 eggs

6 c flour

Combine sugar, yeast and water in bowl and let stand until foaming, about 5 min.

Place margarine, milk, sugar, and salt in small pot and melt slowly. Beat eggs into yeast, add milk mixture when lukewarm. Add flour 1 c at a time, Knead on lightly floured surface 5 min. Place in greased bowl and cover, let rise 2 hours.

Divide dough in half and roll out to 6 by 18 inches. Fill with any filling (see below) place small plastic baby inside. Be sure to let your guests know about the baby! Roll up and pinch seem, form into ring and seal ends. Bake at 350 for 18-20 min.

Icing:                                                                                                       

1/2 stick margarine or butter

1 pound confectioners sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c simple syrup-

  simple syrup- heat 1/4 c sugar and 1/4 c water until sugar is dissolved

Pour over cake and sprinkle generously with colored sugars, Mardi Gras colors are green, purple and gold. These colors may be found in stores that sell cake decorating supplies, like Michaels or made by food coloring and regular sugar.

Filling:

-you may use canned pie filling

-butter dotted with 1/2 c brown sugar sprinkled and chopped pecans

-cream cheese filling, one box of vanilla pudding and one 8oz block of cream cheese, mixed together.

you can roll your dough into longer pieces and twist both together. You can even fill each with a different filling,.... how about cream cheese and strawberry. Mmmmm.

cheese dip

1 8 oz softened cream cheese

1/2 c mayo

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

garlic and onion powder to taste

Mix together, spread in oven safe dish. I used a 10 in round stoneware pan. Top with a sprinkling of pepper and basil. You may add finely crushed Ritz crackers (about 5) to top and even crumbled bacon. Bake at 350 for 20 min. Serve with Ritz or tortilla chips.

Zucchini Bread

2/3 c sugar

1 1/4 c flour

3/4 c ground flax seed

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 c oil

1 egg

1 c grated zucchini, seeded, but peel left on

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 and spray one loaf pan, set aside.

Mix together sugar, flour, flax, salt, soda and powder, cinnamon.

In another bowl combine zucchini, egg, oil and vanilla, add to dry mixture until moistened through. Pour in loaf pan, bake for 50-55 min.

You may substitute in the same way as noted in Banana bread but I think it works best with the full amount of oil in this recipe, the texture is amazing, soft inside with a nice crunchy crust.

Banana Bread

1 1/2 c flour

1/4 c ground flax seed

2/3 c sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/4 c milk

1/4 c oil- vegetable or canola

1 c mashed bananas

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 c chopped walnuts (opt)

Preheat oven to 350, spray one loaf pan with non-stick coating, set aside.

Mix flour, flax, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add bananas, milk, eggs, oil, vanilla. Mix well and fold in nuts. bake 50 min or until center tests clean.

Substitutions 

 If you do not have flax use the same amount in additional flour.

You may cut your fat by using 1/4 c oil and 1/4 c applesauce. This works especially well with the flax, since it has an oily base.

You may use up to half of your sugar in sugar substitute such as Splenda. Don't use all substitute as regular sugar is needed for rise and browning.

Peanut Butter Brownie Pizza

Bake 1 box brownies according to package directions. I used an 8X8 pan recipe and placed it into a 10 inch round stone casserole dish. You can certainly make it in a square pan also. Be sure to use a pan with sides to keep the shape or brownie may run over sides and be too thin.

Frosting:

1/3 c creamy peanut butter

2-4 Tbs. milk

1 c powdered sugar

Mix and spread over cooled brownie.

 Toppings: Use any combination you like

M & M's 

Peanuts or other nuts

Coconut, toasted

Chocolate Chips

Melt 1/4 c chocolate chips in a baggie in the microwave , clip corner of bag and drizzle over top.

Salmon Patties

Use 2 large cans of canned salmon, drain and remove bones and skin, crumble into a bowl. 

Add 2 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 c panko* or 6 crushed saltine crackers

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp pepper

salt to taste

1/4 tsp dill and1/4 tsp thyme (opt)

Mix well and form into patties, makes about 8.

I use the George Foreman Grill, I spray with nonstick cooking spray and cook about 15 min., this works well because it eliminates turning the patties which can cause them to fall apart. You can pan fry in a little oil or bake at 350 until heated through and crisp.

*Panko is Japanese bread crumbs and can be found in most grocery stores or Asian markets.