Bring In The New Year With Some Tasty Appetizers

Party Slush
4 tea bags
2 cups boiling water
7 cups cold water
2 cups sugar
12 ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate
12 ounce frozen limeade concentrate
(1 pint whiskey, optional)
2, 2 liter bottles chilled lemon lime soda

Place 4 tea bags in 2 cups boiling water; allow to steep 10-15 minutes. Mix together 7 cups water and 2 cups sugar, bring to boil. until sugar is dissolved. Add one 12 ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate and one 12 ounce frozen limeade. Add steeped tea. Cool. At this point the original recipe invites you to add a little less than 1 pint of whiskey if desired; Freeze the entire mixture - washed plastic milk gallons work well. When serving, allow punch to partially thaw at room temperature for 25 or 30 minutes, then spoon into glasses or punch bowl. Pour equal amounts of 7 Up over frozen mixture.

(I'm not a drinker so my personal favorite is without the whiskey and I think you'll like this unique punch without!) 

Mini Party Quiches

Crust:
1 stick butter
3 ounces cream cheese
1 cup flour

Mix all together well and press into bottom and sides of mini muffin tins.

Custard Filling:
4 eggs
1 tablespoon flour
1 ½ cup cups half & half
¼ teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons melted butter
2 tablespoons diced onions
½ pound bacon, fried crisp & broken (if desired)
1-2 cups Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Break eggs in bowl with wire whisk. Stir in next 6 ingredients. Layer each prepared, unbaked, pastry shell with bacon first, then cheese, then onion. Spoon custard filling over these ingredients in each shell until 2/3 full. Bake at 375 degree oven until slightly puffed and custard is set, about 35 minutes.


Warm Artichoke Dip

1 can Progresso Artichokes, drained and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients well with fork in small baking dish. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with thin, toasted French or Italian bread slices or crackers.
 
 
Party Meatballs

3 pounds lean ground sirloin
¼ cup chopped, cooked onions
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup uncooked, quick oats
3 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or oregano
1 tablespoon chopped dry parsley or 2 tablespoons fresh
1 teaspoon pepper
16 ounce jar grape jelly
12 ounce bottle Heinz Chili Sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix everything but the jelly and chili sauce together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or with your hands. Cook the meatballs in a very small amount of oil in a skillet on top of the stove, then put them in a large roaster to bake at 400 degrees until the meat is cooked throughout and the meatballs hold their shape, about 30-45 minutes. Stir the jelly and chili sauce together and heat in the microwave for several minutes. Pour the sauce over the meatballs. Continue baking the meatballs until the sauce looks thickened and coats the meatballs, about another thirty minutes. Gently stir the meatballs occasionally during cooking time to coat them evenly with sauce.

Happy New Year!

May 2010 be a year filled with blessings and joy for you and yours.

White Wednesday

Visit Kathleen, Faded Charm, for all the White Wednesday participants!

This milk glass cake pedestal was a wedding my parents received more than 61 years ago. I've always loved it and Mom gave it to me about ten years ago. I just cherish it! I've been collecting cake pedestals ever since.

Here's what I'm going to put on my pretty cake pedestal...

Angel Food Cake
12 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons vanilla

Prepare your mixing bowl, whisk attachment, and tube/angel food cake pan by washing thoroughly and chilling. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Have all the ingredients at hand.

You're going to need an electric mixer. This is my trusty and much loved white Kitchen Aid. If you don't have a stand mixer you can use a hand mixer.

Separate the eggs, placing the whites in the chilled mixing bowl. Be careful not to get any yolk mixed in with the whites! Beat the egg whites with the mixer on high for a few seconds to break up the whites. Add the cream of tartar...

and the salt...

Beat the egg whites until they are light and frothy. Gradually add the granulated sugar to the egg whites as you beat them on high...

Sift the flour and powdered sugar together. Add 1/4 cup of this mix to the egg whites, mixing on low. Don't over beat - just until the flour in barely mixed...

Stop the mixer and turn the batter over a few times, gently folding to incorporate the flour

completely...

Pour the batter gently into a clean, dry tube/angel food pan. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 45 minutes.

Don't peak! You don't want your cake to fall. Remove from the oven when finished...

Turn the cake upside down to cool...

When the cake is cool use a knife to release the cake from the pan. Place it on a pretty cake plate and serve!

Now I'm off to check out the other white posts! Happy White Wednesday!

It Has Been Said...About Love

It takes a minute to find a special person,

An hour to appreciate them,

A day to love them,

But an entire lifetime to forget them.

Valentine's for 41 years...

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height.

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grace.

I love thee to the level of everyday's

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.

I love thee with a passion put to use

In my old griefs and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints,

I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears of all my life!

And if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

Happy Valentine's Day!

May your day be filled with love and joy!

You're listening to Johnny Mathis sing "The Twelfth of Never"

Our wedding song 38 1/2 years ago!

Recipes For Valentine Sweets

My gift to you this Valentine week is five dessert recipes your family or party guests will love. I hope each of you have a day filled with love and kisses!

Chocolate Fondue
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
7-10 ounces marshmallow cream
12 ounces chocolate chips

Place all the ingredients in an electric fondue pot. Heat until melted, stirring to incorporate. When the fondue is warm and thoroughly mixed serve with an assortment of dippers. Examples: cubed pound or angel food cake, butter or sugar cookies, sliced pears, apples, bananas, kiwi, pineapple, strawberries, or just about anything you would like to try.

This makes a wonderful dessert for a small group around a table.

Chocolate Chip Brownies
¾ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup oil
2 eggs
2 envelopes liquid, unsweetened cocoa
6 ounces chocolate chips
½ cup nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix it all together in a bowl with a fork; pour it into an 8 inch square, greased baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Macaroon Cake (an old Pillsbury Bake Off recipe)
3eggs, separated
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 ¼ cups sugar, divided ½ cup, ½ cup, and 1 ¼ cups
2 cups coconut
2 cups flour and 1 tablespoon flour
¾ cup hot coffee
½ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon soda
½ cup sour cream
½ cup Crisco
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare coconut mixture.:
Beat 1 egg white with 1 teaspoon vanilla until soft peaks form. Add ½ cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Stir in coconut and 1 tablespoon flour; set aside. Dissolve coffee in cocoa; set aside. Beat 3 egg whites until soft mounds form, add ½ cup sugar; continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Add soda to sour cream; set aside.

Cake Batter:
Beat 1 ¼ cups sugar with Crisco, all egg yolks, salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and ½ the coca/coffee mixture. Beat until light and creamy. Add 2 cups flour, sour cream, and remaining cocoa mixture; blend well. Fold in beaten 3 egg whites. Turn half of the cake batter into a greased, floured tube pan. Top with ½ coconut mixture. Turn in remaining half cake batter and then top with remaining ½ coconut mixture. Bake cake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes. Cool before removing from pan. Frost or glaze if desired. If you like the candy bar you will LOVE this!

Peanut Butter Cup Cheese Cake
Crust:
1 ½ cups Oreo Cookie crumbs
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup melted butter
Stir together and press into 9 inch spring form pan.

Cheesecake Filling:
3, 8 ounce packages cream cheese
¾ cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup creamy peanut butter
6-8 miniature peanut butter cups, plus 6-8 more for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first five ingredients wells. Cut 6-8 regular size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups into 6 pieces each and stir into the batter. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Chill. Garnish with mini peanut butter cups (try to put one piece of candy for every serving) and drizzle the surface of the cake with prepared chocolate sauce and peanut butter sauce. Chill until completely cold and firm before serving.

Peanut Butter Sauce:
¼ cup peanut butter
½ cup powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons evaporated milk

Stir the above together with a whisk until smooth.

My sweet son-in-law is a peanut butter cup freak! When he was marrying my daughter I created this recipe for their rehearsal dinner. I made points with Mark!

Chocolate Almond Biscotti
2 cups chocolate chips, divided
2 cups flour
¼ cup dry baking cocoa
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup slivered toasted almonds

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In the microwave melt 1 cup chocolate chips. In a bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda, both sugars, butter and vanilla. Mix until crumbly. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Beat in melted chocolate. Gradually add flour until incorporated. Stir in almonds. Chill for about 15 minutes. Shape dough into 2 loaves with floured hands. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes on greased baking sheets. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Cut loaves into ¾ inch slices. Lay each slice on its side on the baking sheets. Bake the slices for 10 minutes longer on each side. Cool. Dip biscotti in melted chocolate and more slivered almonds if desired.

Valentine Party Recipes

Red Fruit Punch
2 quarts water
1 pouch sugar free berry or red fruit drink powder
1 bottle cranberry raspberry drink or red fruit punch
1, 6 ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate
1, 6 ounce frozen lemonade
1, 46 ounce can pineapple juice
1-2 liters sugar free 7-Up, Verner’s, or Ginger Ale
crushed ice
berries and thinly sliced lemons and oranges for garnish

Mix the water and drink powder together in a large punch bowl, add all the other juices. If the punch is too strong, add more water to taste. If it needs more flavor, add a little more drink powder. Just before serving add ice and soda. Float fruit slices in bowl if desired.


Strawberry Dip
1 ounce cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 large fresh strawberries, hulled, clean and dry

Using a food processor with knife blade, blend cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Drop strawberries, one at a time, down the shoot of the blender (make sure berries are completely dry as it will make the dip runny if they are wet). Serve with all kinds of fruit or use your imagination with other yummy foods!

More Holiday Party Recipes

Mini Party Quiches
Crust:
1 stick butter
3 ounces cream cheese
1 cup flour
Mix all together well and press into bottom and sides of mini muffin tins.

Custard Filling:
4 eggs
1 tablespoon flour
1 ½ cup cups half & half
¼ teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons melted butter
2 tablespoons diced onions
½ pound bacon, fried crisp & broken (if desired)
1-2 cups Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Break eggs in bowl with wire whisk. Stir in next 6 ingredients. Layer each prepared, unbaked, pastry shell with bacon first, then cheese, then onion. Spoon custard filling over these ingredients in each shell until 2/3 full. Bake at 375 degree oven until slightly puffed and custard is set, about 35 minutes.
Note: This recipe can also be made in a pie plate or quiche pan. When having a party, the basic custard recipe can be used to make a variety of mini quiche appetizers using your choice of vegetables and meats; vegetarians could even try Crumbles.

Chocolate Coffee
1 quart half and half
1 quart milk
1 entire small bottle Hershey’s Syrup
10 cups strong, hot coffee

Heat the half and half, milk, and chocolate syrup in a saucepan over low heat until it comes to a simmer. Pour into heat proof punch bowl or other large heat proof serving vessel. Add coffee. Mix all thoroughly. Serve garnishes on the side, such as whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Makes 16 - 20 servings.

Green Holiday Punch
2 packages lime Kool-Aid
1 ½ cups sugar
2 quarts water
1, 12 ounce frozen orange juice concentrate
2 juice cans water
1 large can pineapple juice
1, 2 liter bottle Verner's or 7 Up
lime sherbet

Mix all of the ingredients together well in a punch bowl, reserving sherbet and soda. When ready to serve, scoop sherbet in punch and add cold soda.
Makes 5 ½ quarts (22 cups).

Frozen Banana Crush Punch
Dissolve 4 cups sugar in 6 cups boiling water.
Add:
46 ounces pineapple juice
2, 12 ounce cans frozen orange juice concentrate
1, 12 ounce frozen lemonade concentrate

Blend 5 ripe, mashed bananas and juice of 2 fresh lemons in blender until smooth. Add to above concoction. Freeze in small amounts. Allow the frozen punch to thaw approximately 4 hours before serving time. Place still slushy punch in punch bowl when you are ready to serve the punch and add equal amounts of lemon lime soda.

Charlotte, Charlotte's Weblog, sent me this great award. I do enjoy receiving all awards and consider them all an honor, but this one is especially meaningful to me. Charlotte described the "Lemonade Award" as one received by someone who knows how to make lemonade out of lemons and who shows gratitude. That means a lot to me because it is my heartfelt desire NOT to be a whiner, but to move on and live life as the blessing it is even when it's difficult. Thanks Charlotte! You made my day!!

I would like to pass this award on to Sweetie, Sweetie's World and to CeeKay, Thinkin' of Home. Both Sweetie and CeeKay know how to make Lemonade out of lemons!

Charlotte also sent me this Friends Award. Isn't it pretty? Thanks Charlotte - you're so nice!

I am sending this award along to Kathy, Shocking Pink Thread. Kathy is just the nicest lady and she has a beautiful blog.

My friend Sweetie, Sweetie's World, passed along the Butterfly Award to me. Thank you, Sweetie! Stop by to visit Sweetie soon. She has a big beautiful family and a wonderful blog and she really is a sweetie!

The rules of this award are:

1. Put the logo on your blog
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you
3. Nominate 10 other blogs
4. Add links to those blogs on yours
5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs

I am passing the award on to CeeKay, Thinkin' of Home; Shelia, Note Songs; Heather, Family Forever; Jan, Jan & Tom's Place; Heidi, Foxgloves, Fabric, & Folly; Ro, A Hint of Home; Mary, Seashore Days; Suzie, Suzie Button Creations; Katy Lin, The Great Adventure; Maryjane, Beehive Cottage; Ellen, The Happy Wonderer. Now, I know this is a very busy time of year and if you ladies would like to wait until another time to post this award, please feel free to do so.

I hope you will eventually make your way to visit these ladies beautiful and creative blogs!

If all of the ladies mentioned above, including Charlotte, would accept, I would love to give you Mimi's Friendship Blog Award as well. No strings attached - just post it on your blog with a link to Mimi's Garden - just because I think you are all nice women with great blogs!

What Better Way To Begin July Than With A Treat?

Chocolate Chip Brownies
¾ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup oil
2 eggs
2 envelopes liquid, unsweetened cocoa
6 ounces chocolate chips
½ cup nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix it all together in a bowl with a fork; pour it into an 8 inch square, greased baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. These brownies are so simple to make and they are very moist and chocolatey. When my sister was a tiny little girl she brought this recipe home to Mother in an elementary school recipe book.


Easy Coconut Macaroons
14 ounces Baker’s Coconut
1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix everything together in a bowl. Drop by teaspoons full 1 inch apart on a well greased cookie sheet. Press down lightly with the back of a spoon to smooth the ends of the coconut. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove immediately from pans and cool completely on wire rack. Makes about 4 dozen. These are very moist and very easy to make. You can also dip the bottoms in melted chocolate and/or add slivered almonds. They look lovely on a dessert tray for a tea or any other kind of party.


Sugar & Spice Balls
1 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups Corn Flakes
1 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the first five ingredients well with mixer; add Corn Flakes and nuts, mixing just long enough to incorporate well. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Bake at 350 degrees on lightly oil sprayed cookie sheets until firm and slightly brown - approximately 10 minutes. While cookies are still warm, roll each in powdered sugar. Roll them again after the cookies have completely cooled. These cookies are perfect to make just for a yummy treat or for a tea. The Corn Flakes stay crunchy. Of all the cookie recipes I have, these are my daughter's favorite cookie.

I Remember Laura: Vintage Recipes

Miss Sandy of Quill Cottage who is hosting the I Remember Laura Blog-A-Thon has directed us to share family recipes this week. I am going to share two of my maternal grandmothers personal recipes and one from my paternal grandmother.

The first recipe is Sweet Potato Balls. My mother said she can remember being the appointed child to sit with grandmother and roll the marshmallows inside the sweet potatoes from the time she was very little. Grandmothers name was Mary Ethel.

Sweet Potato Balls
Wash and peel 5 or 6 fresh sweet potatoes. Cut them into big chunks and cover with water. Add a bit of salt. When water comes to a boil, turn temperature down to low and just let them simmer until tender. Boiling too hard will make them mushy. When they are fork tender drain them very well in a colander. Mash the potatoes with a mixer until fluffy, then beat in a little hunk of butter, a dash of both cinnamon and nutmeg, and a tablespoon or so of sugar. Cover and refrigerate. You can do all this the day before you serve them.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter or spray a glass 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour out a big bag of miniature marshmallows and a big bag of coconut on separate plates. Spoon out about 2 tablespoons of the cold sweet potato mixture into the palm of your left hand and a marshmallow in your right hand. Push the marshmallow into the potatoes and mold the potatoes into a ball around the marshmallow. Roll the sweet potato ball in the coconut and place each ball in the prepared pan. Do not bake until just before serving. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and bake the sweet potato balls for 5 minutes uncovered.

NOTE:They should be lightly browned and the marshmallows should be getting puffy and gooey, but not totally melted. You can check them by poking one with the point of a knife. If you bake them too long they will have a hole in the middle with no marshmallow!

The next recipe from my maternal grandmother is Oatmeal Cake with Broiled coconut topping. Mother says her mother had it waiting lots of days when she came home from school. I remember my mother doing the same thing for us. It's a great, simple cake for breakfast, dessert, or just a snack.

Oatmeal Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, pour 1 ¼ cups hot tap water over 1 cup raw oats and let stand. Cream 1 cup white sugar, 1 cup packed brown sugar, and 1 stick softened butter. Beat 2 big eggs into the mixture. Then add 1 1/3 cups of plain flour in, and ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and a generous teaspoonful of cinnamon and mix well. Add oatmeal from the small bowl to mixture and beat well. I add 1 cup of finely chopped pecans, but this is optional. Just stir them in by hand if you want to add them. Pour batter into a well greased and floured 9x13 glass baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until done. While cake is baking make up your topping.

Topping:
¾ stick butter
1 tablespoon cream or milk
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 ½ cup flaked sweetened coconut
1 ½ chopped pecans

Melt butter in a saucepan and add cream or milk; then mix in brown sugar and let it boil for 1 minute. Take off the heat and add coconut and pecans. Spread carefully on top of the baked cake and put under the broiler to brown lightly. I leave the oven door open while broiling - watch it carefully or you will burn the frosting. This cake is delicious served warm but it is almost as good served cool.

The next recipe was one my paternal grandmother made for her children. Her name was Tiny Violet because when she was born she weighed two pounds and her "bassinet" was a shoe box!

Fried Apple Pies
11 ounces dried apples
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 cups water
2 pinches salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg, optional
Put all but the spices in a heavy pan, simmer for 2 hours stirring occasionally. When fruit is done add 1 big teaspoon of cinnamon and a half spoon of nutmeg if you like it. Mash fruit up, leaving it a bit chunky.

Pastry:
4 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup lard (recipe is revised to use Crisco)
1 cup iced water
granulated sugar and cinnamon to dust on fried pies

Mix flour and salt; cut in shortening. Add iced water. Stir until it forms a ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out pastry. Cut out 6 inch circles with the top of a shortening can or by cutting around a 6 inch plate. Put a good sized tablespoon of fruit in the center of the circle, dampen the lower edge of the pastry. Fold pastry over in half and seal with a fork. Fry in hot grease until golden brown. Drain on brown paper or paper towels. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

In the Mood For Cookies?

I absolutely LOVE cookies! If they sit within my reach, they haunt me, they call my name! I thought you all might like a few of my favorite cookie recipes to add to your summer collection. My mother has made the first recipe for years when the family gets together and there is usually a fight over who gets the last one! The second is a cookie I made for my children when they were small. They are neat for them to eat, but keep in mind they have nuts in them. The third recipe is simply divine. If you are a chocolate lover, and who isn't, you will love these! They are not so neat to eat, but frankly, I don't care. If I see those babies, I'm goin' in! I hope you enjoy my recipes. It's almost the weekend...cookies anyone?

Chocolate Scotch-A-Roo’s
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup peanut better
6 cups Rice Krispies
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 ounces butterscotch morsels

Cook sugar and syrup until bubbling. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter; mix until smooth, being careful since this mixture is very hot. Stir in Rice Krispies. Pat into buttered 9x13 inch pan. In glass measuring cup, melt together the chocolate and butterscotch chips. Pour over cereal mixture. Cool and cut into bars.


Butterscotch Thins
6 ounces butterscotch morsels
1 cup butter
1 ½ cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
2 2/3 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butterscotch morsels and butter over hot water or in microwave at medium. Remove from heat and beat in sugar, eggs, baking soda, salt, flour, and vanilla. Mix well. Shape dough in 2 logs. Wrap with waxed paper and chill several hours. Thinly slice the dough and bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 375 degrees for about 6-8 minutes, or until brown.


Fudge Oat Bars
Cookie Dough:
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 sticks butter
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups quick oats, uncooked
2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream brown sugar and butter until fluffy; add salt, eggs, vanilla, baking soda; then add oats and flour. Mix well. Press 2/3 dough into greased 9x13 inch baking pan, reserving 1/3 dough for topping.

Filling:
12 ounces chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Combine ingredients for filling in microwave or saucepan and heat on low temperature until chocolate chips are melted. Pour the filling over the unbaked crust, spreading evenly.
Drop the reserved dough by teaspoons full all over filling. Press down gently. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting into bars. Yummy!

Tea For One

This week, Gracious Hospitality's Blog-a-Thon has suggested our posts demonstrate an afternoon tea setting. The scene I have photographed this week is in my living room.

The cup was given to my mother and father in law on their 50th wedding anniversary. The spoon is twisted silver and a natural unpolished gem is held in the handle by a twisted silver casing. I bought a set of 8, each with a different stone, at an antique shop years ago. I've never seen any like them anywhere else.

The little tea pot for one was a Mother's Day gift from my daughter the year she married, 2001.

The creamer and sugar are part of my Depression Glass collection.

This 6" linen napkin is one of of 8. I bought them in Barbados when my husband and I took a Southern Caribbean cruise for our 25th wedding anniversary. I love bringing home special linens from places I visit. If you ever go to Barbados, it's the place for linens!

A beautiful book to enjoy any afternoon when enjoying a tea break.

This sweet bite is a homemade miniature cream puff, filled with berry sorbet and topped with a little homemade fudge sauce. A fresh strawberry is a pretty garnish. The dessert is served on a pink depression glass plate. Recipes below...

The table my tea setting is on is new to our home. It has been a part of my husbands family for some time, however. It is a Victorian antique, dark mahogany or cherry wood with a rose colored marble top. I imagine it would have been perfect for use in a dining room as a server or beverage table.

The chair is also a Victorian antique. It is a rocker and is quite ornate. Both the chair and the table were left to my husband when his parents died recently.

Cream Puffs
½ cup butter
1 cup boiling water
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Add shortening to water, bring to boil. Add flour and stir with mixer over heat until dough forms a ball. Cool. Add eggs; heat and mix thoroughly with a mixer over heat until stiff. Drop dough from a spoon, 8 round dollops; bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to 350 degrees and bake an additional 30 minutes. Makes 8 large cream puffs.

Hot Fudge Sauce
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk (1 small can)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients and stir constantly over low heat for 1 minute. Add butter and milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, continue to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool to warm before serving over ice cream or cake.

Yea For Cookies!

Randi, at "I Have To Say" has organized a cookie recipe swap. There are some wonderful recipes on quite a few blogs if you are interested. I don't know about you, but I (unfortunately) LOVE a good cookie! They're perfect for summer events too...picnics, cookouts, pot lucks, cup of tea, because it's Thursday, etc.! Here are four of my own cookie recipes.

Chocolate Coconut Almond Bar Cookies
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup melted butter
12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chunks
1 ½ cups coconut
½ cup sliced almonds
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together butter and graham cracker crumbs. Press into bottom of 9x13 inch pan. Mix chocolate, coconut, and almonds together and sprinkle over crust. Pour condensed milk over it all. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or light brown. Cool and cut into bars.

Pecan Crunchies
1 cup chopped pecans
2 ½ cups flour
2/4 cups granulated sugar
2 sticks butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all ingredients together except powdered sugar. Form dough into small rolls. Bake for 20 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar immediately when removing from oven. Dip in melted chocolate and crushed candy bars or chopped pecans if desired.

Lemon Coconut Bars
1 1/3 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup sugar
¼ cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 eggs
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix wafer crumbs, ¼ cup of the sugar, and the melted butter together. Press into the bottom of a 8 inch square baking pan. Bake 8 minutes. Beat eggs and remaining ¾ cup sugar in a bowl with a whisk. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Pour over crust. Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Baby Butter Cookies
1 cup butter
2 cups flour
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter and sugar together, add vanilla and flour. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. Using a 2 inch circle, cut dough into rounds. Cut a ½ inch hole in the center, just right for baby fingers. Bake the rounds in a 350 degree oven on ungreased cookie sheets for 10-12 minutes or until light brown.

Sweet Tea...A Southern Girls Delight!

This week the Gracious Hospitality Blog-a-Thon topic is "The White, Green, Black, and Herb of Tea". At first I didn't think I had anything, but then I thought, "aren't I the self-proclaimed recipe queen?" Well, of course I had to remember something or risk losing my crown! I have searched my recipe base and I have found a few interesting teas to offer. I must admit to you, I am a simple girl when it comes to tea. I really prefer a simple, plain brewed cup or glass. But once in a while I do enjoy a "recipe", where fruit or spice is added - especially for iced teas in the summer. I hope you will enjoy my tea suggestions, though I am quite sure most of you will be more inventive. I can't wait to dig in and read all of them. If you haven't been looking into the many blogs with posts about these tea topics, you are missing out. Make sure to visit all the wonderful blogs with posts involved in the blog-a-thon by going to gracioushospitality.blogspot.com. It's lots of fun to see the variety posted each week.

First on my list is, of course, Sweet Tea, a true southern girls delight! I know hot teas rank at most ladies tea parties, but in my book, nothing can top a tall, icy cold glass of Sweet Tea with a healthy wedge of lemon! My mother taught me to make the best sweet tea in the world. Now, I can't make it at home very often because I would suffer some serious humiliation at the scales...I can't have just one glass! But when I go to Mom's to visit, Katie bar the door...I'm partaking! Mom really doesn't have recipes - she just throws in a handful of this and a pinch of that until it "looks right". But in this case she provided her Sweet Tea recipe, written by her own hand:

Taking a rest on my front porch on a glorious Spring afternoon, with an icy glass of freshly brewed Sweet Tea - could it get better than that??? God is good in every little way!

Mama’s Southern Iced Tea
Put a clean saucepan of water on the stove, let it come to a hard boil. Drop in about 10 Lousianne tea bags. Just tear off those little old paper tags on the ends of the strings and throw them away...they are of no use when you are making iced tea...drop in the whole thing. Turn the stove off and put the pan on the back of the stove for an hour or two or ‘til it’s cool. Squeeze out the bags and throw them away. Pour the tea into your gallon size Tupperware pitcher and add 1 cup of sugar or sweeten to your liking. Stir it up real good. Pour in a tall glass filled with ice and serve with a wedge of lemon...nothin’ like it!

Note from Kathy:
My favorite tea to use for iced or hot is Tetley or Lousianne, but I do love orange-spice for hot

Whether you enjoy hot tea or iced tea, flavored syrups and ice cubes can make your dainty English tea cups or tall frosty iced tea glasses extra special. Here are two recipes I have used for years when entertaining to flavor any kind of tea:

Fruited Ice Cubes
2 cups ripe fruit, peeled and pitted
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Puree fruit (peaches, raspberries, strawberries, etc.) in a blender with sugar and lemon juice to the consistency you prefer. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze. Serve in tall iced tea glasses with freshly brewed tea and a wedge of lemon, a few whole berries, a sprig of fresh mint, or a slice of fruit.

Flavored Tea Syrups
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
the zest and juice of 2 lemons, limes, and or oranges
1 cup crushed raspberries and/or 1 cup crushed strawberries
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups water

Place mint leaves and/or fruit juice and zest in a saucepan with sugar and water. Bring to a boil, dissolving the sugar. Remove from heat and cool. Strain and store the syrup in a pretty jar. Add a couple of tablespoons to each cup or glass of tea. Refrigerator and use for about a week.

The following recipe is interesting because it's punch, but it does contain tea. It's yummy!

Party Slush
4 tea bags
2 cups boiling water
7 cups cold water
2 cups sugar
12 ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate
12 ounce frozen limeade concentrate
1 pint whiskey, optional
2, 2 liter bottles chilled lemon lime soda

Place 4 tea bags in 2 cups boiling water; allow to steep 10-15 minutes. Mix together 7 cups water and 2 cups sugar, bring to boil until sugar is dissolved. Add one 12 ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate and one 12 ounce frozen limeade. Add steeped tea. Cool. (At this point the original recipe invites you to add a little less than 1 pint of whiskey if desired. My husband and are tetotlers so I don't add the alcohol. I also happen to think it tastes better without, but each to his/her own - I judge no one. I just get my high from God, sugar, and babies!). Freeze the entire mixture - washed plastic milk gallons work well. When serving, allow punch to partially thaw at room temperature for 25 or 30 minutes, then spoon into glasses or punch bowl. Pour equal amounts of 7 Up over the frozen mixture.

If spiced tea is your favorite, my niece provided this recipe. It's wonderful on a cold winter night:

Everybody’s Favorite Spice Tea Mix
2 cups Tang powder
1 ¼ cups sugar
¾ cup instant unsweetened tea
½ cup lemonade mix
1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ to 1 teaspoon ground cloves
½ to 1 teaspoon ground allspice

Mix all ingredients (adjust the amount of spice to your preference) and store in covered container. To prepare a serving of tea mix 2 - 3 teaspoons tea mix with 1 cup hot water.

Autumn Fruited Tea
4 quarts water
1/2 cup sugar
12 tea bags
one 12 oz can each of frozen cranberry juice concentrate and orange juice concentrate

Boil water, add tea bags, turn off heat. Let the tea steep for 15 minutes. Remove tea bags and stir in sugar until it is dissolved. Add cranberry and orange juice concentrates. Stir and serve steaming hot or chilled.

One of my favorites:

Pink Lemonade Tea

Toss 8 teabags into 1 quart of boiling water. Cover and steep for 15 minutes. Stir in one 12 ounce can pink lemonade concentrate and one quart cold water. Serve steaming hot or iced cold with a wedge of lemon.

Aunt Betty Sue's Tea Parties:
When I was a little girl in the '50's my Aunt Betty Sue, a true southern lady, loved to take my sister and I to afternoon tea. Aunt Betty was quite daring - an actress and singer (who eventually ended up in NYC). I thought she was just about the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, in her high heels and elegant clothes. Betty Sue never had children of her own so our tea outings were a treat for all of us. We wore our Sunday dresses and white gloves and off we went in Betty Sue's white convertible Cadillac. With experience in finding the nicest tea rooms in town, Auntie drove my Sissy and I to town where she taught us proper ladies tea etiquette. We lunched on tiny sandwiches of cucumber and trimmed breads, little tea cakes with candied violets on top, and dainty cups filled with delicious hot tea. What made the tea unique to Aunt Betty Sue, is that she always ordered a pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice along with the tea and cream. A waitress in white uniform, a frilly apron, and a little ruffled hat delivered a large silver tray to the linen covered table, laden with a shining silver tea pot and little silver containers holding cream, sugar cubes, and the juice. Betty Sue dropped a sugar cube in each cup with silver tongs, then she poured for each of us from the lovely silver pot, and added a spot each of orange juice and and cream into our fancy little cups. Aunt Betty Sue is gone now but her memory lives on in a tea room in Maryville Tennessee and today, in my own cup of tea and orange juice!

30 Days 30 Photos - Days 26 and 27