Hillary Clinton has had one disappointment after another. Her Hillary Care package was rejected during Bill Clinton's time in office; she lost in the primary to Barack Obama in 2008; and the biggest disappointment of all, the 2016 presidential election when Donald Trump was elected. In spite of all this, she showed up at the inauguration. She smiled and talked and waved and was a class act. I'm not a Hillary fan, but I was proud of her, and my aunt would have been proud of her, too.
Tasting: On Muffin Monday, I made Pineapple Muffins.
PINEAPPLE
MUFFINS
4 cups flour
2 Tbs baking powder (yes,
2 Tbs)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
4 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 cups crushed
pineapple, drained.
Heat oven to 425°.
Mix dry ingredients in a
large mixing bowl.
Mix eggs, milk and butter
in another bowl; add to dry ingredients.
Stir in pineapple and mix
well.
Spoon into greased muffin
pans, 3/4 full.
Bake 20-25 minutes.
Makes 24 muffins.
Note: They don’t have a pronounced pineapple taste,
but they’re a nice not-too-sweet muffin to have with your morning coffee or
afternoon tea.
As for the rest of the week -
Tidy Up Tuesday - I went through all my food stored in the garage, the garage refrigerator, the freezer, and the kitchen refrigerator. I made a vow to make a supreme effort to eliminate waste in the future. Now I'm wondering if that's a good move. I had some apple scones in my freezer, so I made caramel frosting to drizzle them and then took them to Robert on Where To Wednesday. But I had too much frosting, so I made cupcakes to use it. This "use it" problem continued, as you'll see later.
Where To Wednesday: As planned, we went to Cafe 11. Of the three different things we ordered - salad, sandwich, pizza - the pizza won first place. It has a thin crust, and the toppings are cut into nice small pieces so you get a variety on each slice. The owners are very nice, and very generous. My salad came with a breadstick and a drink. I don't drink soft drinks and usually don't like iced tea unless I brew it at home. I asked for water, so she gave me a cookie instead of a drink. She did the same for BilI with his sandwich. Their baked goods looked really fresh and really delicious. The replica wedding cakes were beautiful and they have photos of all kinds of cakes to choose from.
I didn't forget to take photos - I forgot to take my camera to take photos. Duh!
Try It Thursday: I decided to make a new bread recipe (to use an envelope of Italian salad dressing mix). Can't waste!
ITALIAN
SEASONED BREAD
1 cup plus 3 Tbs water
(70° to 80°)
4-1/2 tsps butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 envelope Italian salad
dressing mix
1 Tbs sugar
3 cups bread flour
4-1/2 tsps nonfat dry milk
powder
2-1/4 tsps bread
yeast
Place ingredients in bread
pan, sprayed with cooking spray, in order directed by the manufacturer.
For Oster: Water and
butter first; then all dry ingredients whisked together; then yeast in nest
made in dry ingredients.
Select Basic bread (1),
medium crust (P), and 1.5 pound loaf.
Looks great, right? Wrong. This is the bottom - look at the top:
I believe I need some practice. Between the sunken top and digging out the paddle, I ended up with small slices.
But it tasted great, so I made croutons. Can't waste!
Friends Over Friday was delayed to Saturday when we planned to celebrate our Aunt's birthday. Besides, I wanted to see the inauguration. I watched all day and all evening. This is history in the making, and I didn't want to miss it.
So Sayonara Saturday became Happy Birthday, Auntie Kack. She would have been 103.
She was the step-mother to our only blood cousin, Bos, who lived in California. When she was visiting Bos, they came to my house for lunch (I also lived in California at that time), and I made quiche. Auntie Kack had never eaten quiche, and she loved it. I gave her the recipe and I think she made it every week until she made her transition.
Tasting: So Brother Bill came over and we had ham, quiche, vegetable salad, and carrot soup. Tapioca pudding with peaches for dessert.
To make quiche, just whip up 3 eggs, add 1-1/2 cups half-and-half, and 1-1/2 cups shredded cheese (use Swiss or Parmesan or a mix of both - also can add in some Cheddar as part of the 1-1/2 cups). Add whatever you wish: bacon, mushrooms, olives, sauteed onions, green pepper. Bake 45-55 minutes at 400 degrees in an unbaked pie crust. Let stand 20 minutes before cutting. Easy-Peasy.
Then I made carrot soup to use up the extra carrots I bought for last week's stew. Can't waste!
CARROT-APPLE SOUP
I got this recipe from
Taste of Home Magazine and didn’t change a thing, except to add some salt. It had five stars (the best), and I liked it
as is.
1 Tbs butter
8 medium carrots, thinly
sliced
2 medium tart apples,
peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, thinly
sliced
5 cups chicken broth
½ tsp rubbed sage
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
Salt, if needed
In large saucepan, melt
butter.
Add all vegetables and
cook and stir until onion is tender.
This will take about 5 minutes.
Add balance of
ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce
heat to simmer. Cover and cook about 20 minutes or until
carrots are tender.
Remove bay leaf and let
soup cool for five minutes.
Puree in batches in
blender, working from pulse on low to blend on high.
Return to saucepan and
heat again.
And Vegetable Salad. I made meatloaf on Monday, and had two extra green peppers to use, so I made a double batch. Can't waste!
VEGETABLE
SALAD
1 15 oz can Le Seur peas,
drained
1 15 oz can white shoe peg
corn, drained
1 15 oz can French cut
green beans, drained
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped green onions
Small container pimientos,
optional
Dressing:
1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
While the green beans are
still in the can, run a knife through to cut the pieces into 1/2’s or 1/3’s.
Mix all salad ingredients
together in a large mixing bowl.
Mix all dressing
ingredients together in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil, stir to make sure sugar is completely dissolved, then
cool.
When cool, add to salad
and chill.
Note: Whole kernal corn can be used in place of shoepeg, if desired.
After lunch, Bill and I went to Urban (Flea) Market for a bit of -
Thrifting: Bill has a really good eye for quality (and he can spot napkin rings from fifty feet away), and he discovered some perfect dessert plates for me. Remember the dessert plates I bought from Craigslist which were advertised as Italian, but when I took a good look discovered they were French scenes? Well, these are truly Italian. They're called "Tuscan Seasons".
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
I paid $2 per plate, which is less than 10% of what they sell for on the internet.
I had good luck with Craigslist also. I got all this for $5 total. It's all in perfect condition.
Candy dishes
Trivets - I needed these. The red ones are Hallmark.
And from another Craisgist seller for $5
Mim made Chicken Curry at our last Cooking Club lunch at her house. I've never made it before, but thought I'd give it a try. This will be perfect for the condiments.
The Pepper Report: His wounds have healed and the hair is growing back. It's a slow process, but if he'll just leave it alone, I believe it will grow back to completely cover the bald spots.
Temptations: I have so many things I wish to accomplish, and so many things I love to do, I've deviated from my main goals. I've decided to make my main focus the completion of the books I've started.
First I'll work on the book of Teas. I'll share my progress, and hope you won't get sick of teas before I've moved on to Tablescapes.
This is the beginning of the book:
FOREWORD
Regardless of age, inside every grown woman there’s a
little girl who will promptly appear at the mention of a tea party. Let’s release the little girls – bring out
the teapots!
We’re all busy, we don’t have proper tea party
paraphernalia, we’re on a diet, and we’re on a budget. But – here’s some good news. Teas are the easiest way to entertain and the
least expensive. Here you will find easy
recipes for an afternoon tea using inexpensive super market ingredients.
Here’s the next good news – you don’t have to wreck
the budget. You can set a beautiful
table shopping Craigslist, thrift stores, flea markets and yard sales. And the hunt is exciting – like searching for
buried treasure. Afternoon tea doesn’t
have to mean china cups, a silver tea service, and white linens. We all enjoy a beautiful formal tea, but
everyday tables can be exciting, too.
Now about that diet – more good news. A few finger sandwiches, a scone, and a
couple of little cookies have fewer calories than a meal of meat and potatoes, salad
or vegetable, and dessert. Entertain
your lady friends with teas. When
entertaining couples, go out to eat so you can select items which fit with your
diet and you can skip dessert if you wish.
The best good news – these teas take place in the
afternoon. Working girls have plenty of
time on a Saturday morning to prepare for a tea that same afternoon. And some things can be made ahead and frozen
or refrigerated. We retired ladies are
lucky – we can work a tea into our schedule very easily.
I’ve prepared a year of twelve teas for you. There are three for each season; you can do a
tea each month and impress your friends.
Each tea has recipes for two savories, two sweets, and scones with
accompaniments; tables using mostly bargain finds, and a plan to make it
easy.
If you’d rather host a tea luncheon, simply expand the
tea at the beginning with a cup of soup or a fruit cup, in the middle with
additional savories, and at the end by adding a cake or tart. You’ll still need only one kind of scone, and
don’t omit them because they sound difficult.
They’re really quite easy and I’ll give you tips along the way.
Okay, ladies, choose a tea and let’s party. Oh, and don’t forget to watch for some fun
hats when you’re shopping for your table items.
You might want to do a fancy tea someday.
And this is the first Spring tea - March
SPRING
March
Menu
Savories: Egg Salad
Tea Sandwiches, Ham and Cheese Tea Sandwiches
Scone: Prodigy Scones
with Lemon Curd and Mock Devonshire Cream
Sweets: Coconut
Macaroons, A Nice Chocolate Cookie
Tea: Plain black tea goes with everything. Keep herbal tea bags on hand to use on
request.
Note: This would be a perfect tea to use up Easter
leftovers. Leftover ham to make tea
sandwiches, Easter eggs to make egg salad tea sandwiches, and coconut left over
from the bunny cake to make the macaroons.
Recipes
Savories
Tea sandwiches should
always have both bread pieces lightly buttered to keep them from getting soggy.
Use different kinds
and colors of bread and cut the sandwiches in different shapes to add interest
to the sandwich plate. Trim the crusts
and with a sharp knife, cut squares, triangles, or strips. To make circles, use a cookie or biscuit
cutter, or the rim of a glass.
Use your favorite egg
salad and a leaf of lettuce. If your
bread is soft, you might need to add body to the egg salad. Just add one ounce of cream cheese for every
four eggs and this will do the trick.
Make the ham
sandwiches by putting a little mustard between the ham slice and the cheese
slice of your choice. Make sure the ham
and cheese go right up to or overlap the edge of the sandwich. When you trim off the crusts, you’ll have a
nice clean edge.
Scone
Years ago, before we had internet, you could use a dial-up
service to connect to different “Bulletin Boards” through a company called
Prodigy. My favorite was the crochet
board, but as with all discussions between women, we soon turned from crochet
patterns to recipes. Someone posted this
wonderful basic scone recipe, and it’s been my favorite scone all these
years. So thank you, Crochet Person
Whoever You Are. And now you know why we
call them Prodigy Scones.
PRODIGY
SCONES
3 cups flour 1/2
tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar 1-1/2 sticks butter
2-1/2 tsps baking powder 3/4 cup
buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda raisins
or currants (optional)
Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients and cut
in butter.
Add buttermilk and knead
lightly twelve times.
Pat into a 1/2” high circle
and cut with 2” cooking cutter.
Bake on ungreased cookie
sheets 10-12 minutes.
Note: These can be made, put on a cookie sheet, covered with film, and
baked the next day. Or you can go ahead
and bake them and then heat them quickly in the microwave.
Use larger or smaller cutters, if you wish, but be sure to watch them
closely, as you might need to adjust baking time.
I can make these from start to cutting out in a matter of minutes. You’ll get rave reviews for little effort.
QUICK LEMON
CURD
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup fresh lemon juice
Zest of 3 lemons (optional)
1/2 cup unsalted butter,
melted
Whisk together sugar and
eggs in a microwave safe bowl.
Stir in the lemon juice,
zest, and butter.
Microwave on high and stir
at one-minute intervals until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon.
This will take
approximately 3-1/2 minutes.
Strain to get out any
cooked egg bits.
Cool several hours before
serving.
Put any leftovers in a covered
jar or dish and refrigerate up to two weeks.
Note: Most lemon curd recipes are
made in the top of a double boiler where you stir and stir. You’ll like this nice easy alternative. Serve it at the last minute. It wilts a little on standing.
MOCK DEVONSHIRE CREAM
5 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. carton sour cream
3/4 cup whipping cream
3 Tbs. powdered sugar
Use blender or hand mixer and blend until fluffy smooth. Hand mixer will take longer. Chill.
Note:
Real Devonshire Cream is difficult to find and a little pricy. I came up with this suitable substitute. This can also be used as sauce or dip for
fruits or berries by increasing whipping cream to one cup. As with the curd, serve at the last minute.
Sweets
COCONUT MACAROONS
(From Taste of Home
Magazine)
2-1/2
cups flaked coconut
1/3
cup flour
1/8
tsp salt
2/3
cup sweetened condensed milk
1
tsp vanilla extract
Heat
the oven to 350 degrees.
In
a large bowl, combine the coconut, flour and salt.
Add
the condensed milk and vanilla and mix well.
Drop
by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheet.
You should end up with eighteen.
Bake
15-20 minutes to golden brown.
A NICE
CHOCOLATE COOKIE
1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks)
butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup finely chopped nuts
of choice (optional)
Heat the oven to 350
degrees.
Cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs and vanilla.
Whisk dry ingredients
together in a separate bowl and then add to butter mixture. Add nuts.
Drop by teaspoons onto
lightly greased cookie sheets. Use only
1/2 teaspoon for tea cookies.
Bake 7-9 minutes, remove
from oven, and cool on cookie sheet one minute.
Note: These
cookies make everyone happy because they’re crispy on the outside and chewy on
the inside. Adjust baking time according
to the size you choose.
The
Table
A card table with a
70” square white tablecloth is a nice start for your tea collection. It can be moved wherever you wish, white goes
with everything, and it can accommodate up to four people. If you have four, you might wish to place the
food on a side table or buffet and let everyone serve themselves. You can buy nice quality tablecloths online
for reasonable prices if you can’t find what you want at a thrift store or other
bargain place. Just do a search for
“cheap tablecloths”, and you’ll find several sources.
You’ll notice that I
have not put the milk, sugar, or artificial sweetener on the table. I find that most people in my area drink
their tea with lemon only. I bring the
other items to the table only on request.
As you can see, I’ve
mixed the dishes with what I believe is a pleasing result. The patterned dishes came from Craigslist. I bought the entire set for $22 and it
included four place settings of dinner plates, dessert plates, small bowls,
cups and saucers. If I had two more
cups, I’d have six place settings. The
cups seem to be the first thing broken, don’t they? They also came with serving bowls, a platter,
salt and pepper shakers, gravy boat, cream pitcher, and sugar bowl. Maybe you already have your wedding or
Grandmother’s china sitting in the cabinet or packed away in the garage. If so, you already have dishes for your tea.
The plain yellow
dishes came from a thrift store. I find
thrift stores, yard sales, and Craigslist to have better prices than flea
markets. However, don’t rule them out –
I’ve made some very good finds at flea markets. For the solid yellow dishes, I only bought the
dinner plates, salad plates, and salad bowls.
They came from a thrift store where the beginning price is usually $1
per dinner plate and 50 cents for salad plates and bowls. If they don’t sell
right away, the price continues to decrease until sold.
I picked up the
tiered server at a flea market for $5.
The teapot came from a thrift store and I never spend more than $3 for a
plain pot. I’ll go as high as $6-$8 for
a nicely decorated pot, but check the prices at gift or department stores, and
you’ll see that this is a bargain price.
Always put the teapot on a trivet or plate. It looks better and it might save a delicate
tablecloth if the pot is very hot or you have a little drip.
The gold dinnerware
was purchased using coupons from flour years ago. It has extra plate, and is one of my best
purchases.
The doily in the
center of the table is actually a pretty, but old, handkerchief - the kind you
used to flutter from the train platform to say goodbye to your departing
friends.
Yes, I confess, the
flowers are silk and they came from my little kitchen desk. I use silk flowers any time I don’t have the
real ones blooming in my yard, and no one has complained yet. Look around your house. You have lots of items you can use on a tea
table.
I’m very fond of my
yellow napkin rings. I found eight rings
for $2 at a flea market, but they were the kind you buy and paint
yourself. When I visited my friend who
does ceramics, she painted four of them yellow and four of them pink and fired
them. Isn’t it nice to have talented
friends?
Little glass
condiment dishes are easy to find at dollar stores and cute little glass dishes
for serving lemon are very inexpensive at thrift stores.
The
Plan
Up
to a month prior to the tea: Make the Chocolate Cookies and freeze them.
Up
to three days prior: Make the Lemon Curd and Mock Devonshire Cream
and refrigerate.
The
day before the tea:
Boil the eggs for the
egg salad.
Make up the Ham and
Cheese sandwiches and wrap each in waxed paper, ready to trim off crusts and
cut into squares, fingers, or triangles the day of the tea. Don’t forget to butter the bread. I know I sound like a broken record, but this
is very important.
Make the Scones and
bake or put unbaked Scones on a cookie sheet, cover with film and refrigerate
to bake the next day.
The
day of the tea:
Make the Coconut
Macaroons. (These can be made a day
prior, but will soften, and they take only minutes to prepare).
Thaw the Chocolate Cookies.
Make the Egg Salad
and prepare sandwiches – be sure to butter the bread. Cut Ham and Cheese sandwiches. Cover the sandwiches with lightly dampened
paper towels and plastic film and refrigerate until serving time.
Bake or warm the Scones. If warming in the microwave, it takes only seconds. You don’t want tough Scones.
Make the tea, slice
the lemon, and put out the Lemon Curd and Mock Devonshire Cream at the last
minute. Pat yourself on the back!
I've finished the three Spring teas and one Autumn tea. The master plan is in place, but there's lots of work to be done. This will be my focus in the days to come. Bear with me, and if you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Where To Wednesday is at Zio's this week at 11:30. Here's the link. All are welcome.
STOP TO HUG YOUR LOVED ONES
GO FULL STEAM AHEAD WITH YOUR GOALS
USE CAUTION WITH YOUR WORDS
GO WITH THE FLOW, DON'T SWIM UPSTREAM
THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE
