August 2011 Meeting Info

Our next meeting, on August 10th at 6:30 p.m. will be "Wild Card...Anything Goes!" So you can try out ANY new recipe from soup to nuts and everything in between.

The meeting will be at Angel's home: 1102 W Ovington.

Hope to see a bunch of you there!

St. Patrick's Green recipes

We had a GREAT turnout last night! So many people and some very yummy eats.

Sybil brought: RUSTIC SPINACH PIE from PuffPastry.com

1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 pouch dry onion soup and recipe mix
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup whipped cottage cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.

Heat the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the spinach, soup mix and black pepper and cook for 2 minutes or until the spinach is tender, stirring often. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Beat the eggs, cottage cheese and feta cheese in a large bowl. Stir in the spinach mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 12-inch square. Press the pastry into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, leaving the excess pastry draped over the sides of the pan. Spoon the spinach mixture into the pan. Fold the excess pastry in over the filling.

Bake for 45 minutes or until set. Let the pie cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.

AND

CUPCAKE POPPERS from BettyCrocker.com

Cupcakes
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box
1/4 teaspoon each gel or liquid food colors (neon pink, neon purple, neon orange, neon green, classic blue)

Frosting
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
Gel or liquid food colors (neon pink, neon purple, neon orange, neon green, classic blue)

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 60 mini muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box. Divide batter among 5 small bowls, about 3/4 cup each. Make 5 different colors of batter by adding 1/4 teaspoon food color to each bowl; blend well.

Fill each muffin cup with 1 level measuring tablespoon batter, making 12 cupcakes of each color.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely, about 10 minutes.

In large bowl, beat marshmallow creme and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Beat in powdered sugar until fluffy. Divide frosting among 5 small bowls, about 1/3 cup each. Using the same 5 food colors, lightly tint frosting in each bowl to match the cupcake colors.

Assemble each popper using 2 mini cupcakes. Cut tops off each cupcake horizontally (save bottoms for another use). Spread or pipe about 1 tablespoon frosting on cut side of 1 cupcake top. Form a sandwich by placing cut side of second cupcake top on frosting; press lightly. Repeat with remaining cupcake tops. Store loosely covered.

Karen brought: FROSTED CREAM CHEESE SUGAR COOKIES
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, cream cheese, sugar and egg until nice and frothy (about 4 minutes). Add the vanilla and almond extract and beat for 1 minute or more.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix them around so that all ingredients are well incorporated. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat for about 2 minutes. Press the dough into a large jelly roll (sheet) pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let the pan cool completely.

FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
3-1/2 cups powdered sugar (or more)
1 tsp vanilla
Food coloring or icing paste

Sprice brought: AUTHENTIC IRISH SODA BREAD from FamilyFun.com

Ingredients
2 cups white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. butter, chilled
1 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

Cut in the butter until it is pea-sized. Stir in the raisins and buttermilk or yogurt. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, knead 1 minute, and shape into a disk.

Cut an "X" in the top and bake on a greased baking sheet for 45 to 50 minutes. Makes one 8-inch-wide loaf.

Sherry brought: DOUBLE PISTACHIO CAKE from her friend, Gwen Young

CAKE:
1 yellow cake mix
1 (4 serving) pkg Jell-o instant pistachio pudding mix
3 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 cup club soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Blend all ingredients, beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into greased and floured pans.. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Cool pan for 15 minutes. Frost and garnish with additional nuts and coconut.

FROSTING:
1 pkg Jell-o pistachio pudding
1 envelope dream whip
1-1/2 cups milk

Combine and beat for 5 minutes.

Memory brought: GRINCH BREAD from Food.com

1 (18 1/2 ounce) package yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1 (3 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup maraschino cherry
1/2 teaspoon green food coloring
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 x 5" loaf pans. Mix together cake mix, eggs, oil, water, pudding mix, sour cream, cherries, and food coloring. Pour into prepared pans. In a small bowl, stir together cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle tops of loaves with mixture. Bake for 45 minutes. Cool.

Mary brought: Fried Cabbage from her friend, Sarah Degener

1 head cabbage, cored and chopped into chunks
6 slices bacon, uncooked, chopped
1 whole onion, chopped
Chicken bouillon powder
Cayenne pepper

Fry bacon on medium heat until done. Add onion and saute until barely clear. Add cabbage and saute until limp. Sprinkle mixture with the chicken bouillon and stir. Add cayenne pepper to taste. Simmer until cabbage is tender, stirring frequently.

DeeAnn brought: HOT REUBEN POT PIE from Pillsbury.com

1can (14 oz) sauerkraut, drained
1/2cup chili sauce
1/4cup mayonnaise
1lb sliced corned beef (from deli), cut into 1/2-inch strips
1can (12 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Jr. Golden Layers® refrigerated buttermilk biscuits 1cup shredded Swiss cheese (4 oz)

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 2-quart round casserole with cooking spray.
Spread sauerkraut evenly in bottom of casserole.
In medium bowl, stir chili sauce and mayonnaise until blended.
Add corned beef; toss until evenly coated. Spoon over sauerkraut. Cover; bake 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, separate dough into 10 biscuits; cut each biscuit crosswise in half. Arrange biscuit pieces over partially baked casserole. Bake uncovered 18 to 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake 3 to 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Irene brought:

Julie brought: IRISH RHUBARB CAKE from ebfarm.com

Filling:
1 pound trimmed rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch slices
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Dough:
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons as garnish
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, separated

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate and set aside.

Combine the rhubarb, sugar, and orange zest in a bowl and stir to blend. Set aside at room temperature while you make the scone dough.

Place the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or with your fingers, breaking up the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

In another small bowl, whisk together the orange zest, buttermilk, and egg yolk. Set the egg white aside for the garnish.

Add the liquid ingredients to the bowl with the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Gather the dough in your hands and squeeze it lightly to form a cohesive mass. Don't overwork the dough or your scone cake will be tough.

Lightly flour a work surface and divide the dough in half. Pat one half into a flat disk, then roll it out into a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Add the rhubarb mixture, including any juices. Pat the remaining piece of dough into a flat disk, and roll it into a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to the pie plate, arranging it atop the rhubarb filling. With a knife or scissors, cut the edges of the top and bottom pastry rounds so they are even with edge of the pie plate. Press the edges together to seal the dough. Alternately, you can wet the edge of the bottom pastry and then press the top layer against it to adhere. Avoid creating a thick, bulky crust.

Cut 3-4 slits in the top dough to allow steam to escape during baking. Lightly whisk the reserved egg white with a teaspoon of cold water, and brush some of the egg wash over the top crust. Sprinkle the wet crust with the 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Bake until the cake is golden and the rhubarb is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving. Cut the cake into wedges and serve warm.

February Meeting

Hiya,
Our February meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February, 9th at 6:30 p.m. at Cei's home.

The theme is: Red Hot Night. Bring something red, or something hot or something red and hot (spicy).

Hope to see you all there!

January's Recipes

Sybil brought: Fancy French Cheese Puff Fake-Out by Rachael Ray

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
Salt and ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 cup milk
3 eggs

Pre-heat oven to 450ºF. Prepare a mini muffin pan or popover tin by spraying each cup with nonstick cooking spray and dropping a small dollop of melted butter into each one.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, thyme, salt, pepper and cheese. In a blender, process the milk and eggs until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the blender and process until the batter is smooth, about 2 minutes.

Divide the batter evenly between the cups, filling them up about halfway. Bake the cups until puffed and deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool the popovers briefly in the pan then remove them while still rather hot. Serve warm.

Cei brought: Mexican-style Pork and Sweet Potato Slow Cooker Stew from Weight Watchers

1 small poblano chile
1 pound(s) lean pork loin, boneless pork roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup(s) canned chicken broth
1 large sweet potato(es), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small onion(s), chopped
14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, fire-roasted, undrained
1/2 tsp Durkee Ground Cumin Seed, or other brand
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Turn on a stovetop burner and place poblano chile over open flame (use tongs or a long-handled fork to keep fingers away from flame); carefully turn to char on all sides. Place poblano in a plastic or paper bag; close bag and set aside for 10 minutes to steam. Rub poblano skin off with your hands under cold running water; core, seed and dice poblano. (Note: If you have an electric range, broil poblano on high, 3 inches from flame, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides. Follow remaining directions above.)

Place pork in a 5-quart slow cooker. Add broth, sweet potato, onion, poblano chile, tomatoes, cumin, salt and pepper; stir well. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 6 to 7hours. Add lime juice and stir well. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.
Serve with a spoonful of fat-free sour cream if desired.

Jody brought: Meaty Baked Beans from Slow Cooker Favorites

8 ounces ground beef
8 ounces bulk pork sausage
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 16-oz cans pork and beans in tomato sauce
2 15-oz cans kidney or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 15-oz cans butter beans or black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup bottled barbecue sauce
4 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained and crumbled
1/2 cup packed brown sugar or granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
2 TBS lime juice
2 TBS yellow mustard
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

In a large skilled cook ground beef, sausage, onion and garlic until meat is brown. Drain fat. Place meat mixture into a 4-1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker. Stir in the undrained pork and beans, drained kidney beans, drained butter beans, barbecue sauce, cooked bacon, sugar, water, lime juice, mustard, chili powder and pepper.

Cover, cook on low-heat setting for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

DeeAnn brought: Coconut Squares a recipe from her sister

PART I
½ cup butter
1 cup flour
½ cup brown sugar

Cream butter and sugar.
Add flour and cream well.
Put in 8x13 pan and pat down with hands.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes

PART II
1 cup sugar + 2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 eggs
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ cups coconut
3 Tbsp flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ cup chopped nuts

Beat eggs, add other ingredients (except nuts) and mix well.
Add nuts and mix by hand.
Pour over Part I.
Put back in oven and bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees.
Cool and cut.


Memory brought:

Recipes from Dining on a Dime RS Meeting

Tara brought:
Quinoa and Black Beans

1 tsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1-1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp ground cumin
1-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.

Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer for 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Patty brought:
Chipotle Chili Cornbread Bake (From The Pampered Chef)

1 medium green pepper
6 green onions with tops, divided
1 lb of ground beef or turkey
1 can (16oz) chili beans in sauce, undrained
1 cup chunky salsa
2 tbsp Chipotle Rub
1 pkg (8.5oz) corn muffin mix
1 container ( 8oz) sour cream
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tomato, seeded and diced

Coarsely chop bell pepper. Thinly slice green onions. Reserve 1 tbsp of onion tops for garnish. Combine bell pepper, onion bottoms, and meat; mix well. Microwave, covered on high 7-9 min or until beef is no longer pink. Pour off juices. Add beans, salsa and rub to beef mixture; mix well. Cover; microwave on HIGH 5 minutes or until hot.

Meanwhile, combine muffin mix, sour cream and egg in batter bowl; mix well. Scoop muffin mixture evenly over chili; spread evenly to edges of dish. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 7-9 minutes or until center of cornbread springs back when lightly pressed. Sprinkle cheese over cornbread, if desired; cover and let stand 5 min. Garnish with reserved onion tops and tomato, if desired.

Mary brought:
Fried Rice

2 eggs
½ tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 c. chopped green onions
½ c. frozen peas
½ c. diced ham
2 c. cooked rice
2 Tbsp. chicken broth
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
½ tsp. pepper
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil (optional)

Beat the eggs with salt in small bowl.
Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in wok over medium heat.
Pour in beaten eggs. Stir continuously until eggs are cooked dry and separated into small pieces.
Remove eggs and set aside.
Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in wok over medium-high heat 1 minute.
Add green onion and rice. Stir-fry 5 minutes.
Add broth and soy sauce. Stir to mix well.
Stir in cooked eggs, peas and ham.
Add pepper and sesame oil

Remove from heat and serve warm. This recipe will serve 6 and may be doubled or tripled. Also, shrimp, pork and or chicken can be used instead of or in addition to the ham. More veggies also can be added.

January's Meeting of the Pioneers

To start off the new year we will be making Comfort Foods. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on January 12th at DeeAnn's home.

Be sure to email DeeAnn your recipe.

December's Recipes-Appetizers and Desserts

Mary brought Texas Crab Grass from Carol Hawkins
1/2 cup butter
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 pkg frozen, chopped spinach (cooked and drained)
1 7-oz can crabmeat
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Melba rounds or crackers

Slowly melt butter in a heavy saucepan. Add onion and saute until soft. Add spinach to onion mixture. Add crabmeat and cheese. Transfer to chafing dish and serve with Melba rounds or crackers.

Sybil brought Sweet Snowballs from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Magazine
In the container of a food processor, process 1 (18-ounce) package golden cream-filled vanilla sandwich cookies, Golden Oreo® Sandwich Cookies, until crumbly. Pour into a large bowl. Add 1 (8-ounce) package of softened cream cheese. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer until well combined. Using hands, shape into 30 (1-inch) balls. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt 2 (6-ounce) packages of white baking chocolate, Baker’s®, according to package directions. Dip balls in white chocolate, and place on a baking sheet covered with wax paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until firm.

AND Two-Layer Fudge from Kraft Foods

1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk, divided 1/2 cup chopped PLANTERS Walnuts 1 tsp. vanilla 1 pkg. (6 squares) BAKER'S White Chocolate Make It
MICROWAVE semi-sweet chocolate and 3/4 cup milk in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

ADD nuts and vanilla; mix well. Spread onto bottom of foil-lined 8-inch square pan.

MICROWAVE white chocolate and remaining milk in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Spread over semi-sweet chocolate layer. Refrigerate 2 hours.

AND Parmesan Puff Pastry from Paula Deen

Ingredients
1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup butter, melted
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.


On a lightly floured surface, unfold pastry sheets. Cut each sheet into 13 strips, about 3/4 by 10-inches apiece.


In a shallow dish, combine cheese, basil, and garlic. Brush pastry sticks with melted butter. Roll pastry in cheese mixture, lightly coating each side. Gently twist pastry sticks, and place on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

DeeAnn brought Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn from OurBestBites.com
Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn
Recipe by Our Best Bites


2 bags of Simply Salted (or similar) popcorn (or about 20 cups of popped popcorn)
2 c. honey roasted peanuts
3 c. peanut butter chips (I used Reese's)*
2/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips *
1 Tbsp. vegetable shortening or oil
*I LOVED this suggestion from one of our readers. If you want more chocolatey flavor in your popcorn, substitute 1 c. of the peanut butter chips with 1 c. of chocolate chips and then still drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn at the end.

Place the peanuts popped popcorn in a very large bowl. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the peanut butter chips and vegetable oil or shortening and heat for 2-2 1/2 minutes or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Drizzle the melted peanut butter chips over the popcorn and peanuts and toss to combine.


Spread the popcorn onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet. In a Ziploc bag, heat the semi-sweet chocolate chips until just melted and smooth (about 1-1 1/2 minutes, mashing the bag every 20-30 seconds). Cut a small corner in the Ziploc bag and drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn. Allow to stand long enough to become solid (you can transfer the pan to the fridge or freezer to hurry this step along). When done, break the popcorn into small pieces and enjoy!

AND

Pepper Popper Dip modified from Jalapeno Popper Dip at OurBestBites.com
2 8-oz pkgs Neufchatel cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 4-oz cans fire roasted green chilies
Crackers or sourdough baguettes, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients and spread into a 9-inch pie plate or small baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until dip is bubbly and golden brown.

December's Meeting of the Pioneers

Hi all,
The December meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 8th at 6:30 p.m. at Sybil's home.

The theme is Appetizers and Desserts. Please bring one of each and come join the fun.

Please email your recipe to DeeAnn so she can get it posted. Be sure to sight where your recipe came from. We need to give credit where credit is due.

See you in December!

November's Recipes

Mary brought Creamy Red Potatoes (adapted from the Fix It & Forget It cookbook)

2 lbs small red potatoes, quartered
8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
10-3/4 oz can cream of potato soup
1 envelope dry Ranch dressing mix

Place potatoes in slow cooker.

Beat together cream cheese, soup, Ranch mix. Stir into potatoes.

Cover. Cook on low for 8 hours, or until potatoes are tender.

Mary then added 1 cup sour cream, six slices pre-cooked bacon (chopped) and some grated cheese.

They were YUMMY!

Sprice brought Crockpot Chicken Salsa
3 chicken breast halves
3/4 cup salsa (give or take the amount)
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Place chicken breasts in crockpot. Pour salsa over the chicken. Use enough to lightly cover each chicken breast. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

In the crockpot, use two forks and shred chicken. Add cans of black beans and corn (as much as desired) and continue to cook.

Thirty minutes before serving add in the sour cream.

Serve as a taco filling with chips/tortillas/tostadas. Top with salsa, cabbage, cheese, etc.

Sybil brought Cheesy Potato-and-Ham Casserole from 101 More Things to Do With a Slow Cooker cookbook

Bottom layer:
1 pkg (32 oz) frozen has brown potatoes (cubed or shredded)
1 Tbs dried chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1 carton (8 oz) sour cream
1 can (10.75 oz) cream of chicken soup
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 cups chopped cooked ham

Topping:
1/4 cup butter or margarine (melted)
1 pkg (6 oz) herb-seasoning stuffing mix

Combine bottom layer ingredients in a greased 4.5 to 6 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle stuffing mix over the top, then drizzle on butter. Cover and cook on low heat for 5-6 hours or on high heat 2.5 to 4 hours.

Irene brought Simple Bread Pudding from Fix It & Forget It cookbook

6 to 8 slices bread, cubed
2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Sauce:
1/2 of an 11.5 oz can concentrated white grape juice
1 Tbs cornstarch

Place bread in slow cooker.

Whisk together milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla in a bowl. Pour over bread.

Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2.5 hours or until mixture is set.

Combine concentrated juice and cornstarch in a saucepan. Heat until boiling, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened. Serve drizzled over bread pudding.

Memory brought Corn Chowder and Banana Coconut Bread

DeeAnn brought Crockpot Lasagna from Jessica Seinfeld.
The recipe was wrong so I am not going to even add it. But, it is great to know that you can assemble lasagna in a crockpot with uncooked noodles and they will cook beautifully. Give it a try.

November 2010 Meeting

Hello,
Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 10th at 6:30 p.m. at DeeAnn's home.

The theme is Crockpot Creations.

We will be choosing the themes for next year's meetings so be sure to come with ideas on what you want to experiment with in 2011.

Hope to see you all there!

Pumpkin, Pumpkin Night

Memory brought Pumpkin Pappardelle from Healthystylemag.com
1 Tbsp chopped shallots
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup diced calabaza or butternut squash
1 cup vegetable stock
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch sea salt
Pinch freshly ground blackpepper
6 oz. fresh pappardelle or fettuccine
4 tsp chopped macadamia nuts
2 Tbsp pomegranate concentrate

In a large sauté pan, sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until shallots are translucent. Add diced calabaza or butternut squash and sauté until tender.

Deglaze pan with vegetable stock. Add canned pumpkin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and cook until heated through.

Boil pasta and stir into pumpkin mixture.

Evenly divide the pumpkin and pasta mixture in four bowls. Top each serving with 1 tsp macadamia nuts and 1/2 Tbsp pomegranate concentrate.

Cook's Note
Roasted and pureed fresh pumpkin, butternut squash, or sweet potatoes may be substituted for the canned pumpkin.

Sybil brought Pumpkin Orzo from Paula Deen
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup orzo

In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken broth, pumpkin, butter, honey, balsamic vinegar, ginger, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-heat, then add the orzo. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring frequently, until the orzo is tender, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

AND Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes from Paula Deen
Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

AND Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread from Better Homes and Gardens
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Makes 1-1/2 cups (24, 1-tablespoon servings).

Mary brought Pumpkin and Black Bean soup from Rachael Ray
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cups canned or packaged vegetable stock, found on soup aisle
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
2 cans (15 ounces) pumpkin puree (found often on the baking aisle)
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 palm full
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/2 palm full
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, eyeball it in the palm of your hand
Coarse salt
20 blades fresh chives, chopped or snipped, for garnish

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add onion. Saute onions 5minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, black beans and pumpkin puree. Stir to combine ingredients and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in cream, curry, cumin, cayenne and salt, to taste. Simmer 5 minutes, adjust seasonings and serve garnished with chopped chives.

DeeAnn brough Penne-Wise Pumpkin Pasta from Rachael Ray
Salt
1 pound whole wheat penne rigate
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
3 shallots, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, grated
2 cups chicken broth
One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 pinches ground cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
Pepper
7 leaves fresh sage, thinly sliced
Grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, to pass around the table

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

While the pasta is working, in a medium skillet, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, pumpkin and cream. Add the hot sauce, cinnamon and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sage.

Toss the pasta with the sauce and pass the parmigiano-reggiano around the table

and Cinnamon-Pumpkin Custard from Better Homes and Gardens
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 2 slightly beaten eggs
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 12-ounce can (1 1/2 cups)evaporated milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar

In a medium bowl combine pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. Stir in evaporated milk. Pour into a 9-inch quiche dish.

Bake in a 300° oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Before serving, let custard stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, for caramelized sugar, in a heavy 8-inch skillet heat the granulated sugar over medium-high heat until sugar begins to melt, shaking skillet occasionally to heat sugar evenly. Do not stir. Once sugar starts to melt, reduce heat to low; cook about 5 minutes more or until all of the sugar is melted and golden, stirring as needed with a wooden spoon. Quickly drizzle caramelized sugar over the custard. Serve immediately.

Sharon brought Pumpkin Scones from Starbucks
2 Cups all-purpose flour
7 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 Teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 Cup canned pumpkin
3 Tablespoons half and half
1 Large egg
6 Tablespoons cold butter

PLAIN GLAZE
1 Cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons whole milk

SPICED ICING
1 Cup plus 3 Tablspoons powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons whole milk
1/4 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 Pinch ground ginger
1 Pinch ground cloves

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Scones:
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half and egg.
Cut butter into cubes then add it to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry knife or a fork to combine butter with dry ingredients. Continue mixing until no chunks of butter are visible. You can also use a food processor: Pulse butter into dry ingredients until it is the texture of cornmeal or coarse sand.
Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, then form the dough into a ball. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle that is about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide. Use a large knife or a pizza wheel to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough.
Bake for 14 to 16 minutes on a baking sheet that has been lightly oiled or lined with parchment paper. Scones should begin to turn light brown.

Plain Glaze:
Combine ingredients in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium speed mix until smooth.
Brush a coating of the glaze over the top of each cooled scone.
Allow plain glaze to set up.

Spiced Icing:
Combine ingredients in a cleam bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium speed. mix until smooth. Drizzle this thicker icing over each scone and allow the icing to dry before serving (at least 1 hour).

Makes 6 scones(or 12 mini's)
*Sharon had to add extra flour as the dough was too sticky!

Sprice brought Pumpkin Pasta
Laura brought Pumpkin Veggie Soup and Pumpkin Waffles

October's Meeting

The Recipe Pioneers will be making any new recipe made with pumpkin for the October meeting. Let's get creative and not just have desserts (although a few would be nice).

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 13th at 6:30 p.m. Memory Batton will be hosting the group in her home.

Hope to see you all there!

Soup and Sandwich Recipes

We had a blast this time! Memory kept us all laughing with her hilarious stories of newlywed bliss...teehee. The food was great too!

Sybil brought Benedictine Sandwiches from Paula Deen
1 medium cucumber
1 small onion, quartered
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash hot pepper sauce
1 drop green food coloring
Thinly sliced white bread
Mayonnaise
Parsley or watercress, for garnish

Peel cucumber and slice in half lengthwise; remove seeds with a small spoon. Place cucumber in a food processor and pulse about 5 times, until cucumber is minced. Place cucumber into a small glass mixing bowl.

Place onion in the food processor, pulsing until it is finely chopped. Add onion to cucumber. Add cream cheese and stir well with a spatula. Add salt, hot sauce, and food coloring.

With a round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut rounds out of bread slices. Spread a small amount of mayonnaise on bread rounds. Spread cheese mixture on half the rounds and top with another round. Garnish with a sprig of parsley or watercress.

AND Tortellini Soup from Rachel Ray

1 quart chicken stock
1 bag tortellini (16 ounces), dried or fresh, regular or whole grain
1 bunch spinach
Zest of 1 lemon
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Place a medium pot over medium-high heat and bring the stock to a boil. Drop the tortellini into the pot and cook, according to the package directions. In the last 30seconds of cooking, add the spinach and lemon zest into the pot. Season with salt and pepper and garnish each serving with some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Mary brought Quick Clam Chowder from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

4 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
3 (8 ounce) bottles clam juice
4 ounces bacon (4 slices), minced
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 pounds red potatoes (5 medium), scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 bay leaves
1 tsp minced fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried
1 cup heavy cream
2 TBS minced fresh parsley
Salt and Pepper

Drain the clams, reserving the juice. Add the bottled juice to the reserved clam juice to measure 5 cups (if short after adding the 3 bottles, add water to make up the difference).

Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook until the onion has softened and the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and coat the vegetables, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the 5 cups of clam broth. Stir in the potatoes, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir in the clams, cream, parsley. Return to a simmer briefly, then remove the heat. Discard the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste.

DeeAnn brought Parmesan Potato Soup from Allrecipes.com
4 potatoes, cubed
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon sage
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
6 cups milk
12 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled

Cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender.

In a soup kettle, saute onion in butter or margarine until tender.

Stir in flour and spices. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add potatoes, and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in milk and cheese. Heat through. Stir in bacon.

AND Hawaiian Sandwiches from Allrecipes.com
16 slices bacon
8 slices toasted white bread
1 (20 ounce) can sliced pineapple, drained
8 slices Cheddar cheese

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside.

Place 8 slices of toast on a baking sheet. Place a slice of pineapple, two slices of bacon and a slice of cheese on each. Broil until cheese is melted. Serve hot.

September Meeting of the Pioneers

Our September meeting will be: Soups AND Sandwiches. Please plan on bringing both to share.

We will meet on Wednesday, September 8th at 6:30 p.m. at Sybil's house.



BRING A FRIEND!

Delicious Fish and Seafood Night

Mary brought Broiled Tilapia Parmesan from Allrecipes.com
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.

Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Sharon brought Crab and Ricotta Cannelloni from Foodnetwork.com

1 box (8 ounces) cannelloni or manicotti pasta (about 12 shells)
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 pound lump crabmeat
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Bechamel Sauce, recipe follows

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

In a large bowl, mix together ricotta, 3/4 cup Parmesan, egg yolk, basil, crab, salt, and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Fill the cannelloni with the crab mixture and place in a buttered baking dish. Top the filled cannelloni with the Bechamel Sauce and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake until bubbly and the top is golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Bechamel Sauce:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk, warmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Sybil brought Shrimp and Wild Rice Casserole from Foodnetwork.com

1 (8-ounce) package wild rice
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (10 3/4-ounce can) condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
Salt and pepper
Directions
Cook the rice according to package directions minus 1/4 cup water. Drain and cool.

Bring 2 cups water and 1/2 tablespoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan and cook the shrimp for 1 minute. Drain immediately and set aside.

Heat the butter in saucepan and saute the pepper and onion until soft, about 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the rice, soup, 1 1/2 cups of cheese, shrimp and vegetables. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well. Spray a 9-inch square aluminum cake pan or an 11 by 7-inch glass casserole dish with vegetable spray. Place the mixture in the pan and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

DeeAnn brought: Shrimp Salsa from Allrecipes.com

1/2 pound salad shrimp (DeeAnn used larger shrimp, cut up)
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup minced cilantro 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced

1. Stir the salad shrimp, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper, and garlic together in a large glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the flavors combine, at least 1 hour. Serve cold.

AND

No Fuss Peel n Eat Shrimp with Spicy Remoulade Sauce from Foodnetwork.com

1 pound large shell-on deveined shrimp (DeeAnn used peeled, cooked shrimp and only cooked for a few minutes on the stove)
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
Remoulade Sauce, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Toss shrimp evenly in oil and seasoning and bake on a sheet tray for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve with Spicy Remoulade sauce as dip.

Spicy Remoulade Sauce:
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup stone-ground mustard
1 clove garlic clove, smashed
1 tablespoon pickle juice
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot paprika
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot)
Special equipment: a food processor
Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Chill until ready to serve.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Sprice brought Shrimp with Tomatoes and Chili Pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbs chopped onion
2 tsp chopped garlic
Chopped hot red chili pepper, to taste
3 Tbs chopped parsley
1-2/3 cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up with their juice
Salt
1-1/2 to 2 pounds unshelled medium shrimp
Grilled or oven-browned slices of crusty bread

Put the olive oil and onion in a saute pan, turn on the heat to medium, and cook the onion until it becomes translucent. Add the garlic and chipped chili pepper. When the garlic becomes colored a paled gold, add the parsley, stir once or twice, then add the cup-up tomatoes with their juice together with liberal pinches of salt. Stir thoroughly to coat the tomatoes well, and adjust heat to cook at a steady simmer. Stir from time to time and cook for about 20 minutes, until the oil floats free from the tomatoes.

Shell the srhimp and remove their dark vein. Wash in several changes of cold water, then pat thoroughly dry with paper towels.

Add the shrimp to the simmering sauce, turning them 2 to 3 times to coat them well. Cover the pan and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the shrimp. Taste and correct for salt and chili pepper. Serve at once with crusty bread to dunk in the sauce.

Next Month's Meeting of the Pioneers

Hi All,
The August meeting of the Recipe Pioneers will be held on Wednesday, August 11th at 6:30 p.m. Sprice has offered us her home for the meeting.

The theme is: Fish and Seafood

I can't wait to see what everyone brings!

Fruit Recipes from July's Meeting

Hi Everyone

We had some yummy fruit recipes last night at Penny's lovely home. Here they are:

Sybil brought: Impossibly Easy Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake from Betty Crocker

1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Original Bisquick® mix
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, cut into 16 pieces and softened
1 cup fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Spray bottom only of 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. In blender, place milk, vanilla, eggs, 3/4 cup sugar and the Bisquick mix. Cover; blend on high speed 15 seconds. Add cream cheese. Cover; blend 2 minutes. Pour into pie plate.
2. In same blender, place 1/2 cup of the raspberries and 2 tablespoons sugar. Cover; blend on high speed 15 to 20 seconds or until smooth. Drop blended raspberry sauce by teaspoonfuls on top of cream cheese mixture. With a wooden skewer or toothpick, swirl sauce into cream cheese mixture.
3. Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until about 2 inches of edge of pie is set while center is still soft and wiggles slightly. Cool completely at room temperature, about 1 hour.
4. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Garnish with remaining 1/2 cup raspberries. Store in refrigerator.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 30 to 34 minutes.

Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 340 (Calories from Fat 200); Total Fat 22g (Saturated Fat 13g, Trans Fat 1/2g); Cholesterol 115mg; Sodium 230mg; Total Carbohydrate 28g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 24g); Protein 7g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 15%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 6%; Iron 6% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 High-Fat Meat; 3 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2


DeeAnn brought: Banana Strawberry Quick Bread from Weight Watchers

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
2/3 cup sugar (I used Splenda)
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
5 Tbs canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 4 x 8 inch loaf pan with nonstick pray and lightly dust with flour.

Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg in a large blow. Whisk together the bananas, eggs, sugar, buttermilk, oil and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well blended. Transfer 3 tablespoons of the batter to a small bowl; set aside. Pour the remaining batter into the pan. Whisk together the jam and the reserved 3 tablespoons batter. Spoon the jam mixture lengthwise along the center of the batter, leaving a 1/2 inch border at each end of the pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, 55-60 minutes. Let cool in pan on a rack about 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on the rack. Cut into 16 slices.

Per serving: 180 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 27 mg chol, 156 mg sod, 31 g carb, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein, 26 mg calcium. Points: 4

Sprice brought: Watermelon Slushies from the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook

4 cups 1" cubes seedless watermelon, frozen

Place the frozen watermelon in a medium glass or plastic mixing bowl. Using a potato masher, mash the watermelon until it becomes slushy in texture. Divide among 4 dessert bowls and serve immediately.

46 calories, less than 1 g protein, 11 g carbohydrates, trace fate, 0mg cholesterol, less than 1 g fiber, 2 mg sodium

July's Meeting of the Pioneers

Theme: Fruit Galore
What does that mean?

Fruit salad, fruit pie, fruit bread, fruitcake, fruit kabobs, fruit marinades, fruit drinks, fruit pizza, fruit, fruit, fruit.

Try a new recipe that has fruit as one of the main ingredients and bring it to share on Wednesday, July 14th.

The meeting will be held at Penny's home and it starts at 6:30 p.m.

Be sure to email the recipe to DeeAnn to be posted on this blog.

Hope to see you all there!

June's Salads and Breads

Penny made: Maraschino Cherry Almond Bread from Taste of Home Contest Winning Annual Recipes 2010

1 jar (10 oz) maraschino cherries
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup slivered almonds

ALMOND BUTTER
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 Tbsp slivered almonds, finely chopped
1/2 tsp almond extract

Drain cherries, reserving juice; add enough water to juice to measure 1/2 cup. Cut cherries into quarters, blot dry and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture alternately with reserved juice. Fold in the cherries and almonds.

Pour into greased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a small bowl, combine almond butter ingredients. Serve with bread.

AND

Quilt-Topped Corn Bread from Taste of Home Contest Winning Annual Recipes 2010

2 cans (4 oz each) whole green chilies
1 large sweet red pepper
2 packages (8.5 oz each) corn bread/muffin mix
1 can (14.75 oz) cream-style corn
1 an (11 oz) Mexicorn, drained
1 cup (4 oz) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
2/3 cup water
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup egg substitute

Coat two 9-inch round baking pans with cooking spray. Slice green chilies in half lengthwise; pat dry. Place six chili halves skin side down in a starburst pattern in each pan. Cut the red pepper into twelve 1/4 inch slices and to 1 inch circles. Place slices between the chilies and circles in the center.

Place corn bread mix in a large bowl. Combine the corn, Mexicorn, cheese, water, egg and egg substitute; stir into corn bread mix just until moistened. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Immediately invert onto serving plates.


Sybil made: Buffalo Chicken Salad from Family Circle Magazine

Coat nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Cook 1 lb. chicken tenders in skillet over medium heat about 8 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until cooked through; remove from heat and stir together with 3 TBS. hot sauce (such as Frank’s).

In small bowl, stir together ½ cup crumbled blue cheese, 3 Tbls. sour cream, 3 Tbls. milk, 3 Tbls. mayonnaise.

Combine 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce hearts and ½ head iceberg lettuce in a large serving bowl and add 2 stalks celery cut into ¼ x 2 inch matchsticks, and 1 cup shredded carrots.

Drizzle dressing over salad. Toss well to combine. Top with chicken.

Serves 4

AND

Oatmeal Strawberry Bread from AllRecipes.com
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 ½ cups rolled oats
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 Tbls. ground cinnamon
1 ¼ pounds fresh strawberries, sliced
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ cup rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 7 x 3 inch loaf pans.

Stir together the flour, 1 ½ cups rolled oats, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in large mixing bowl; in another bowl whisk together the vegetable oil and eggs; stir into flour mixture until moistened. Fold in strawberries. Pour into the prepared loaf pans, and sprinkle the tops with the remaining ¼ cup of rolled oats.

Bake in the preheated oven 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pans for 5 minutes before cooling completely on wire rack.

DeeAnn made:
PEANUT-NOODLE SALAD from MyRecipes.com

This can be easily halved for a weeknight side dish. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

2 large cucumbers
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (16-ounce) package soba noodles or angel hair pasta, cooked
1 (8-ounce) package shredded fresh carrot
6 green onions, cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces

Peel cucumbers; cut in half lengthwise, removing and discarding seeds. Cut cucumber halves into half-moon-shaped slices.

Whisk together soy sauce and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl; add cucumber, pasta, carrot, and onions, tossing to coat. Cover and chill 8 hours, if desired.

AND

BACON PEA RANCH SALAD from AllRecipes.com

4 slices bacon
1 quart water
1 (16 ounce) package frozen green peas 1/3 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Place bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
2. Bring the water to a boil in a pot. Boil the peas 1 minute, until just tender, and drain. Cool peas under cold running water.
3. In a bowl, toss together bacon, peas, onion, Ranch dressing, and Cheddar cheese. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until chilled before serving

Judy made a yummy fruit salad.

June Meeting of the Pioneers

The theme for our June meeting is Breads and Salads. Bring one of each and be sure they are new recipes that you have never tried before.

We will be meeting at DeeAnn's new home. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.