A Pinch of Love, A Smidgen of Joy - Honoring Momma

Momma and me

Last Thursday, December 18, would have been Momma's 60th birthday. It was a bittersweet day, filled with food, sweets, memories, and JOY. She would have loved spending time with her family and friends to celebrate, as we would have loved spending time with her.

Even from an early age, one of my favorite ways to spend time with Momma would be in the kitchen. It's one of the best rooms in the house for conversation, laughs, hugs, and some delicious eats. I have some great memories with Momma in the kitchen over the years...

My family honored Momma on her birthday with poinsettias and Christmas flowers on her grave in Arkansas. And because I am here in Maine and was working that day, I honored Momma by doing something she loved so well - feeding people. I had a Christmas party at work, and I made the appetizers and dessert for the party. I also made Christmas cookies for friends at church and placed them in pretty packaging. It was a special way to give JOY to others on a day that my Momma gave JOY to the world by being a part of our lives for the time she was able.

Here are a few recipes that I made for my work Christmas party, which got great reviews! Also I included one of my favorite cookie recipes Momma would often make at Christmas-time and coincidentally is one of my favorites!

EnJOY cooking and baking for your family and friends! Momma would be happy to know her recipes are bringing delicious JOY to others. :)

Pat's Hidden Valley Ranch Party Pinwheels (pg. 9, "A Pinch of This, A Smidgen of That" Cookbook by Patricia Rains

2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch original dry mix
2 green onions, minced
4-6 (10-12 in) tortillas
1/2 cup diced red or green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced celery  (I omitted this part)
1 cup sliced black olives, drained (I omitted this part)
(I also added 1/2 pound of sandwich-sliced turkey and 1/2 pound of sandwich-sliced ham, dividing it into a few pieces for each tortilla)

Mix the first three ingredients. Spread on tortillas. Sprinkle on remaining ingredients, and lay on the turkey/ham if using. Roll and wrap tightly. Chill for 2 hours. Cut off roll ends. Slice 1/2-inch pinwheels. Place decoratively on serving tray. Makes 3 dozen or more.

I also made sausage stars for my Christmas party, but forgot to snap a picture, and by the time I remembered they were all devoured! Folks love these delicious little treats, found on pg. 9 of the cookbook, or here on the blog post: Hearts and Stars!

Kenda's Cranberry-White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Eggnog
(a revised version of "Ruth's White Chocolate Bread Pudding," found on pg. 100 of "A Pinch of This, A Smidgen of That" cookbook by Patricia Rains)
(Note: makes 2 large casserole dishes of bread pudding)

For pudding:
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup eggnog
1/4 cup butterscotch schnapps 
1 cup sugar
1 large bag of white chocolate morsels
12 whole eggs
2 pkgs. (8 count) hot dog buns, cut into small chunks
6 large cinnamon sugar donuts, cut into small chunks
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup pecans 

For white chocolate ganache:
1 cup eggnog
1/4 cup butterscotch schnapps
1 large bag of white chocolate morsels

For pudding:
Stir whipping cream, eggnog, butterscotch schnapps, and sugar in a heavy saucepot. Bring mixture to a boil; remove from heat and carefully add white chocolate pieces. Allow chocolate to sit and melt for several minutes, then, whisk until smooth. Whisk well together a dozen eggs in a large mixing bowl. Slowly pour hot cream/chocolate mixture into the eggs in a steady stream, whisking constantly as you pour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the inside of two 9x13 casserole dishes. Place half of the hot dog bun chunks and donut chunks into the dish. Pour 1/4 of the liquid mixture into one dish and then 1/4 into the other. Using fingers or a rubber spatula, push and swirl the bread and allow it to absorb the liquid. Gradually pour another 1/4 of the liquid into one dish and then the remaining 1/4 into the other. Sprinkle fresh cranberries and pecans over both bread puddings. Cover them with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to an hour; watch it closely. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and it has a nice brown finish to the top of the bread.

For white chocolate ganache:
Bring eggnog and butterscotch schnapps to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and carefully add white chocolate morsels. Whisk chocolate into the hot liquid, melting it and making sure it doesn't stick to the sides or bottom of the pan. Baste over the top of the hot bread pudding, and use any leftover ganache served on the side.

 Snickerdoodles (pg. 156 of "A Pinch of This, A Smidgen of That" cookbook by Patricia Rains)

1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white Crisco solid
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons or more granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon ground Saigon cinnamon

Heat oven to 400*F. Mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt together, and place aside. Beat sugar, butter and shortening together until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well-mixed. Use a spatula to fold in the flour mixture until all of the flour is taken up. Shape dough by rounded teaspoonsful (or use a cookie scoop) and roll in combination of granulated sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place 2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake about 10-12 minutes until crackled and golden, but not browned. Remove immediately from pans to cool.

EnJOY!

Super Seats, Super Eats, Super Party

When Super Bowl XLVII, the biggest game in American sports, kicks off on February 3, 2013, what will you serve your football enthusiasts? If you can't be at the Superdome, the next best thing is relaxing at home with friends and family as you enJOY watching the San Francisco 49ers battle it out with the Baltimore Ravens. As important as the game may be to fans, just as important are the snacks you'll serve.

 

Whether your team wins or not, if you want to be a winning host/hostess, plan some great finger foods like these Sausage Stars. They are easy to prepare and always appreciated as a great savory snack.



Let's get started by collecting our ingredients...

FILLING PREPARATION:

Cook sausage and blot dry with paper towels.

I usually line a large mixing bowl with paper towels and use them to squeeze out whatever excess grease I can from the browned sausage. Then, while the sausage cools, I chop the veggies.

Combine chopped peppers and olives with sausage.

Add Ranch dressing.

Stir to combine and add cheeses.

(NOTE: This mixture can be made the night before and stored in the refrigerator. This is usually what I do. Then, it only takes 5 minutes after the stars are filled for them to bake at 350 degrees and be ready to eat.)

If you store in the refrigerator for later use, cover and then remove when ready to fill baked wonton shells.

STAR PREPARATION:

When ready to prepare stars, preheat oven to 350 degrees. QUICKLY, separate and arrange single won ton wrappers in muffin tins (DO NOT spray or coat pans with shortening) so they form “stars.” These will stand up and bake better if you keep them COLD until ready to place in the tins. Handle them as little as possible to keep from warming them as you arrange the “star.”

Bake only 5 minutes until the “raw” look disappears. They may turn a little “golden” on the tips, but should not brown. You just want them to firm up so they hold the filling. After removing from the oven, you can leave these shells in the tins and fill them to bake immediately. Or, you can remove the empty shells from tins and place on baking sheet and set aside for filling later, after you have finished baking all the shells. (Shells can be baked a few hours or the night before and covered with wrap, ready to be filled the next morning.)

Use a teaspoon to fill prepared stars with sausage mixture. Place back on the baking sheet.

Bake 5 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted. Makes about 50 yummmmmy stars.

HINTS FOR LEFTOVERS:

Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator and warmed in a toaster oven or microwave for a quick snack. Toaster ovens work nicely, since they keep the crusts more crisp.

Sometimes, depending on how full I prepare the “stars,” I may have some leftover filling. If so, my hubby likes to split a breakfast biscuit (already baked) and top it with the filling, then toast it in the toaster oven for a quick breakfast snack. I have also spread the filling on Pillsbury crescent roll dough before rolling them up to bake. (YUMMY and QUICK appetizer!)

The Super Bowl is the second-largest food consumption holiday of the year, according to the USDA, behind Thanksgiving and ahead of Christmas Day. Make this the best Super Bowl ever and be a STAR in the kitchen by serving these great snacks! Don't forget to print the recipe or copy and paste it to a file you can store on your computer.

Pat’s Sausage Stars

Ingredients:

2 c. (1 lb.) sausage cooked, crumbled & blotted well with paper towels

1 1/2 c. sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

1 1/2 c. Monterey Jack cheese, grated

1 1/2 c. bottled Ranch dressing (sometimes I use the Lite version)

1 - 4 oz. can chopped ripe black olives, drained

1/2 c. red or green (I occasionally mix these) bell peppers, chopped small

1 pkg. Of 50 fresh won ton wrappers (keep COLD until ready to bake!)

FILLING PREPARATION:

Cook sausage and blot dry with paper towels. Combine with Ranch dressing, olives and peppers. Stir to combine and when cooled, add cheeses. (NOTE: This mixture can be made the night before and stored in the refrigerator. This is usually what I do. Then, it only takes 5 minutes after the stars are filled for them to bake at 350 degrees and be ready to eat.) Use a teaspoon to fill prepared stars (see below for preparation) with sausage mixture. Place back on the baking sheet. Bake 5 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted. Makes about 50 yummmmmy stars.

STAR PREPARATION:

When ready to prepare stars, preheat oven to 350 degrees. QUICKLY, separate and arrange single won ton wrappers in muffin tins (DO NOT spray or coat with shortening) so they form “stars.” These will stand up and bake better if you keep them COLD until ready to place in the tins. Handle them as little as possible to keep from warming them as you arrange the “star.” Bake only 5 minutes until the “raw” look disappears. They may turn a little “golden” on the tips, but should not brown. You just want them to firm up so they hold the filling. You can leave these in the tins and fill them to bake, if only making a few, but if you need to make more “stars” and need to reuse the tins, remove the empty shells from tins and place on baking sheet and set aside for filling later. (These can be baked a few hours or the night before and covered with wrap, ready to be filled the next morning.)

HINTS FOR LEFTOVERS:

Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator and warmed in a toaster oven or microwave for a quick snack. Toaster ovens work nicely, since they keep the crusts more crisp.

Sometimes, depending on how full I prepare the “stars,” I may have some leftover filling. If so, Ken likes to split a breakfast biscuit (already baked) and top it with the filling, then toast it in the toaster oven for a quick breakfast snack. I have also spread the filling on Pillsbury crescent roll dough before rolling them up to bake. (YUMMY and QUICK appetizer!)