Week 73, 5-14-17

Thoughts and Quotes: I would I could stand on a busy corner, hat in hand, and beg people to throw me all their wasted hours.
                                                                                                Bernard Berenson

I, too, Bernard; I, too. I'd take the biggest hat I could find. I have a disappointingly short post this week, but my book goals for May are finished - Whoo Hoo! 

And in case you're wondering who the heck is Bernard Berenson, here he is right HERE.

The Mystery: In the last month, I've had more than four times as many page views from Russia as I've had from the U.S., so I'm going to try to find out who they are and welcome them. Excuse me for a moment.

Я имел много просмотров страниц с русского, поэтому я хотел бы приветствовать вас и надеюсь, что вы посещаете часто. Я пытался исправить мой блог так, что он будет перевести на русский язык. Я надеюсь, что это работает. Пожалуйста, дайте мне знать, кто вы и что вы бы хотели видеть на моем блоге, разместив комментарий. Благодарим вас за посещение.

Tasting: We had our Very Exclusive Cooking Club lunch on Thursday at Bev's. Here it is.

THE TABLE

THE MENU

Tossed Salad with Ranch Dressing

Chicken Breasts Wellington with Béarnaise Sauce

Rice Pilaf

Steamed Green Beans

Sister Shubert Rolls

Rum Cake with Whipped Cream and Raspberries

Iced Tea          Hot Tea

THE FOOD

THE PARTY FAVORS

THE RECIPES

CHICKEN BREASTS WELLINGTON

(A Pinch of Salt Lake City Cookbook)

4 whole chicken breasts, skinned, boned and halved

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 Tbs vegetable oil

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, very finely chopped

4 green onions, sliced

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp salt

2 17-1/4 oz packages frozen puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

1 Tbs cold water

Salt and pepper chicken and form breasts into contoured shapes. Put on a 15” X 10” X 1” jelly-roll pan. Add oil and wine to pan. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Remove chicken and reserve broth.

In a large skillet, sauté chopped mushrooms and green onions in butter until soft. Season with salt and add enough of the chicken pan broth to make a spreadable mixture (about 3 tablespoons). Cool mushroom mixture.

Thaw frozen puff pastry, one box at a time, following label directions. Separate each package into two strips. Cut each strip in half lengthwise and roll out to an 8” X 12” rectangle on a lightly floured pastry cloth. Coat the outside of each chicken breast with 1/8 of the cooled mushroom mixture and place on half of rolled-out pastry. Fold other half of pastry over. Trim and seal with a two-tined fork. Brush well with a mixture of beaten egg and one tablespoon cold water. If desired, when all chicken breasts are pastry-wrapped, roll pastry trims into thin ropes and shape into a bow for each chicken bundle. Add additional strips to sides. Brush trims with egg mixture. Place on a large cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes, or until pastry is golden. Serve with *Béarnaise Sauce.

*The recipe is not included, because the packaged mix from Knorr is perfect, foolproof, and easier.

RICE PILAF

From Simply Recipes – here is the link: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/rice_pilaf/.

RUM CAKE

(Springfield Symphony Cookbook, Year Eight)

(Submitted by Mrs. J. T. Brown and Mrs. Dean Alumbaugh)

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 box yellow cake mix

1 small instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup light rum

1/2 cup oil

Heat oven to 325°.

Generously grease and flour a tube or Bundt pan and sprinkle the chopped nuts in the bottom.

Place all remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat at medium speed for 5 minutes.

Pour batter over nuts and bake for one hour.

Cool cake in pan 20 minutes and then ice.

Icing:

1 stick butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup light rum

1/4 cup water

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil; boil one minute.

Pour over the cake while in the pan and after the 20-minute cooling period.

Leave in pan until completely cold and then turn out on serving plate.

And I'm so stealing her idea of putting butter in egg cups so each person has his own little butter dish.

Theme Dining: Here's the second May lunch. I decided to call it Lazy Daisy Lunch because most of it can be prepared in advance. I even found an old recipe I haven't used in years called Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake which I believe is from the 1980's.

THE INVITATION

(The envelopes were made from magazine pages and the picture on the invitation probably came from a seed catalog. The little stick-on daisies were from Joey when she heard I was doing a Daisy lunch - I think they're Martha Stewart)

THE TABLE

THE MENU

THE FOOD

THE PARTY FAVORS

(Six note cards with envelopes and a refrigerator magnet)

THE RECIPES

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

1-1/2 lbs fresh asparagus

2 cups chopped onion

4 Tbs butter

4 cups chicken broth

1/2  cup whipping cream

Salt and white pepper

Cut tips off the asparagus and reserve.  Snap off woody ends and discard.  Cut stalks into ½” pieces.

Sauté onion in butter over low heat in heavy pot for about 20 minutes until transparent.

Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Add asparagus stalks, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes.

Puree soup in blender using batches of some liquid, some asparagus.  Start blender on low-pulse, working your way up to liquefy-high.  Hold down lid with a dish towel.  If it splashes, it’s hot.

Return soup to pot, add asparagus tips and simmer until tips are tender, 5-8 minutes.

OR, cook tips in a little butter in a small skillet while the simmering is going on and add them on top of your soup after you put it in bowls (or cups).

Stir in cream.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring up to serving temperature.

CRUNCHY CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Reminisce Magazine

1 cup chopped celery

1 Tbs butter

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1-1/2 cups cooked rice

10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup mayonnaise

8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained

2 Tbs minced onion

Salt and pepper

Topping:

1 Tbs melted butter

1/2 cup crushed corn flakes

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Heat oven to 350°.

Sauté celery in butter until crisp tender.

Mix with remaining casserole ingredients and spoon into ungreased 2-1/2 qt. casserole.

Combine melted butter and cornflakes and sprinkle on top.  Sprinkle with almonds.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Note: I cut the water chestnuts into smaller pieces.

This works equally well in 13 x 9 or 11 x 7 glass baking dish.

CRANBERRY SALAD

Cora Belle

1 small pkg cherry jello

1 cup boiling water

1 Tbs lemon juice

1 large can whole-berry cranberry sauce

1 cup diced apple

1 cup diced celery

Dissolve jello in boiling water and cool.

Add cranberry sauce and lemon juice.

When slightly thickened, add apple and celery.

Chill several hours or overnight.

Cut in squares, put on lettuce leaf with a dollop of mayonnaise and a celery leaf.

CHEDDAR BREAD

Cream of Wheat Package

7 Tbs Quick Cream of Wheat

1-1/4 cups flour

3 Tbs sugar

4 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp thyme

1 cup milk

1/4 cup salad oil

1 egg, beaten

1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (about 6 oz.)

Heat oven to 400°.

Grease an 8” X 8” X 2” baking pan.

Mix first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Add remaining ingredients and stir until just blended.

Bake 30-35 minutes.

Note: 7 Tbs. Cream of Wheat is between 1/3 and 1/2 cup.

LAZY DAISY OATMEAL CAKE

Janice

1 cup Quick oatmeal, uncooked

1-1/4 cups boiling water

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1-1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

Pour boiling water over oatmeal and let stand 20 minutes.

Heat oven to 350°.

Beat butter until creamy, and gradually add both sugars. Beat until well mixed.

Add eggs and vanilla.

Whisk together flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon and add to creamed mixture. Mix well.

Pour into a well-greased and floured 9” square pan.

Bake 50-55 minutes.

Note: Original recipe calls for white frosting, but I like it with just a sprinkling of powdered sugar, or vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. 

QUICK CREAMY CARAMEL SAUCE

From C & H Sugar (Revised)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup whipping cream

In a four-cup microwaveable bowl or measuring cup, micro butter on high 45-60 seconds to melt.

Whisk in brown sugar and cream until blended.

Microwave on high for 1 minute, then stir.

Microwave on high 1-2 minutes more until bubbly and slightly thickened.

Sauce will thicken more as it cools.

Good over plain cake, ice cream, or baked apples.

Note: For Caramel-Pecan Sauce, just add the desired amount of chopped pecans.

Sorry, that's all I have for you this week. These theme dinners take time. But Yay! May is finished. The week ahead looks like 80's temps, and I plan to get back to my weeds and patios.  Maybe I should do some before-and-after photos, so you'll see what I'm up against. Next week's post won't be very exciting, but sometimes you just have to do what needs doing. Lots of work to do on my June goals, so I hope to get an early start. 

The four Tablescapes are finished, and one Theme lunch (Berry Bonanza) is mostly ready, but the Tea is only in the planning stages, and I need another Theme lunch idea. Suggestions are welcome. I'm thinking Blossoms, President's Favorites, or Say Cheese. And I'm doing the tea on the outdoor patio which hasn't been planted yet, and the furniture needs to be painted. Guess there won't be much reading going on this week.

Tidbits: Just so you won't be bored this week, here are some National Days.

Monday - Chocolate Chip Day (that's an easy one)

Tuesday - Coquilles Saint Jacques Day (I have some scallops in the freezer)

Wednesday - Cherry Cobbler Day (another easy one using my Quick Cobbler recipe)

Thursday - Take your pick: 

                  Cheese Souffle Day (I've always said I'd like to try making one)

                  No Dirty Dishes Day (not sure what this means, but I'm going to eat out)

                  Visit Your Relatives Day (maybe I'll visit Becky and Jim and we'll all eat out)

                   

Friday - Devil's Food Cake Day (Easy Peasy)

Saturday - Be a Millionaire Day (I wish)

                Quiche Lorraine Day (This could be a start on a Say Cheese lunch)

Sunday - Strawberries and Cream Day (another Easy Peasy)

LIVE IT UP

 WE COME WITH EXPIRATION DATES

GO FISHING OR

TAKE A DRIVE TO THE LAKE

EAT LOTS OF SALADS THIS WEEK

DON'T FORGET SUNSCREEN

AND CHOCOLATE

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE