Equal Opportunity Cooking

I am not going to pretend to know much about the Jewish religion. I have a very superficial knowledge of Jewish holidays and customs. I have had one Jewish friend in my life and few Jewish aqaintances. There is no specific reason why I just have not encountered many Jewish people. According to Sperlings Best The Jewish population of Fayetteville makes up just 0.10% of the total population. I have lived here for about 14 yrs so that might have a little something to do with it.

Honey Cake is a Traditional Rosh Hoshana/Jewish New Year dessert. I saw this Honey Cake on Smitten Kitchen and it looked so moist and was such a beautiful dark brown that I knew I had to make it.

I am pretty sure you don't have to be Jewish to eat or enjoy Honey Cake but I thought it might be nice to understand a little bit about it.

Rosh Hoshana (Jewish New Year) begins at sundown Sept 29th (this year).

Like Southerns eat black eyed peas for good luck on New Years (according to the traditional calendar) and Northerners eat cabbage;Jewish people eat Honey. Honey is supposed to encourage a "sweet" new year. Apples are also supposed to be good luck as they represent the "sweetness of life." Apparently the two combined are especially good luck.

The apple thing ...well I read that AFTER I had my heart set on adding pears to this. I mean honey and pears? Tell me that does not sound good! I am sure apples would also be a great addition. Heck, Go CRAZY, add BOTH! I also did not add the almonds to this but the recipe calls for them sprinkled over the top.

The only other change I made to this was the original recipe called for whiskey I did not have any whiskey so I substituted spiced Rum. I thought the spicy flavor would compliment it nicely.

Was I right? Well let me tell you I can't find anything wrong with it! I was very diligent in measuring ingredients and my "non-baking self" is pretty proud of this. I was not disappointed in how moist it is and it is equally dark and beautiful just like the pictures I saw on Smitten Kitchen

Pear and Honey Cake

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup room temperature coffee
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup-spiced Rum
2 pears peeled and diced
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (optional)

Fits in three loaf pans, two 9-inch square or round cake pans, one 9 or 10 inch tube or bundt cake pan, or one 9 by 13 inch sheet cake.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Generously grease pan(s) with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Make a well in the center, and add oil, honey, white sugar, brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee , orange juice and rum . (If you measure your oil before the honey, it will be easier to get all of the honey out.)

Using a sturdy wire whisk mix until dry ingredients are well incorporated. Fold in diced Pears.

Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). Sprinkle top of cake(s) evenly with almonds, if using. Place cake pan(s) on two baking sheets, stacked together (this will ensure the cakes bake properly with the bottom baking faster than the cake interior and top).* This part is Smitten Kitchens specific instructions I am not sure why but since she is a master baker and I am not, I listened.

Sand or Sugar, Do I Have to Pick?

Oh my goodness where has the summer gone? Less than 2 weeks before school starts(the unofficial end of summer) again. I have to admit, I have not been cooking much this summer (at least not much "new" stuff) I have on the other hand I have taken some time for myself and made several trips to the beach, hung out with friends,spent some time with my daughter, just generally relaxed and enjoyed the summer.

I hope that you have also been enjoying the summer and have not noticed my lack of posting too much.But in case you are missing me here is a recipe for a wonderfully light and airy dessert that is great finish for a nice summer dinner. Just a little sweet, just a litte tart and not too heavy. The only downside is it requires the use of your oven. But one look at the pillowy soft "cake layer" over the custard layer and I dare you to say it is not worth it. I found this recipe on a blog called Patent and the Pantry


Now for anyone who is not familar cooking in a "water bath" let me give you a little instruction so that you can avoid the pitfall( that I had the first time I tried it) of sloshing water into your dish.
Place a kitchen towel in the bottom of the baking dish, place ramikins on towel, place entire dish IN the oven and THEN carefully pour boiling water into the baking pan. When the Cakes are done. Carefully pull out racks a few inches and remove Ramikins from baking dish before removing dish from the oven.
Lemon Custard Cakes

Unsalted butter, at room temperature, for custard cups
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 TBS. all-purpose flour
2 to 3 TBS. grated lemon zest (from one lemon)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp. salt
Powdered Sugar
Preheat the oven to 350. Bring water to a boil. Butter six 6-ounce custard cups, and place them in a roasting pan or baking dish lined with a kitchen towel.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until the mixture is light; whisk in the flour. Gradually whisk in the lemon zest and juice, then whisk in the milk.

With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add to the lemon mixture; gently fold in with a whisk (the batter will be thin).

Divide the batter among the prepared cups. Place the pan in the oven, and fill baking dish with water to reach halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake until the puddings are puffed and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusting with powdered sugar.

Notes:
I am definitely contemplating trying Lime next time and I think orange might also be tasty variation.

Trifles and Tribulations

About a year ago I made a lovely Trifle to take to a dinner party. Unfortunately, there was a horrible food tragedy enroute to the party and the Trifle ended up on the floor board of my car. I decided then and there that I would never again make a Trifle unless I would be serving it at the same location that it was made.
Just a few facts about Trifles- They are Top heavy. They are Bulky and I don't know anyone who has space for them in their refrigerator. The make a HUGE mess when spilled in your car!

However, a few months ago I got a package from my Mother that changed my life forever! Ok, maybe I am exageratting just a little but I was VERY excited when I found inside the most AWSOME Trifle bowl ever! The pedestal and bowl actually separate and if that isn't enough to make me jump up and down and clap it has lid too! I know, I know, I get WAY too excited about this kind of stuff but let me tell you when you put the time (and money) into making a beautiful dish and instead of getting to present your lovely concoction to the hostess and bask in the praise of OHH's and AHH's and MMM's you have to show up to a dinner party empty handed and spend the next week cleaning custard and whipped cream out of your car (and on every hot day for the rest of the summer you realize you can"t REALLY get whipped cream and custard of carpet), well ....

Now let me start by saying that no one needs a recipe for a trifle. You have cake layers custard or pudding layers whipped cream layers and you can have fruit and/or jelly layers. You can moisten/flavor your cake layers with juice or liquers if you please. So, go crazy, use your imagination! It will be yummy and beautiful!

I have made two trifles in the last couple of weeks. The first was a Peach Melba trifle (similar to the one that haunted me every hot day until I traded my car in last week) and a Blueberry Delight Trifle which only became a trifle when I put it in a trifle bowl. I usually make this in two layers in a 9x13 pan. So if you don't have a trifle bowl you can make it like that and trust me it will tastes EXACTLY the same!



Peach Melba Trifle

4 peaches peeled and cut into slices
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1 pint of fresh raspberries
4TBS Water
1 1/2 cups seedless raspberry jam
1-16oz pound cake cut into 1/2 in slices
1 large pkg instant french vanilla pudding prepared as directed except replace 1/4 cup of milk with 1/4 cup of Grand Marnier .
1-16 oz container of whipped topping (thawed)


Place layer of pound cake in bottom of trifle bowl. Mix 2 tbs water with Grand Marnier and brush onto pound cake with pastry brush.
Spread 1/2 of jam mixture onto cake, Spoon 1/2 of pudding mixture on top and a layer of peaches and raspberries Repeatlayers arranging fruit in a pretty pattern (I tossed in a few blueberries) Chill for 1 hour
NOTES: You can replace the Grand Marnier with apple juice or orange juice to moisten the cake and make the pudding as directed on package.




Blueberry Delight

1 pkg Cream Cheese,room temp
16oz container whipped topping thawed
1 cup powdered sugar
2 (Bar type) Angelfood Cakes
2 10z can Blueberry Pie filling

For ease of cutting place the angel food cake in the freezer for a couple of hours (not required but you will thank me). With electric mixer mix Cream Cheese and powdered Sugar. Fold in Whipped topping and mix just until incorporated (don't over beat). Slice cake into 1inch slices and place 1/3 into trifle bowl. Spread 1/3 of the mixture over cake, Spread 1/3 pie filling on top Repeat for 3 layers. Chill for 1 hour.

Want S'more Pie?

No, this is not a blog about redneck translations I promise! It is also not for the faint of heart or...sweet tooth. This recipe is RICH and VERY sweet! Diabetics, consider yourself warned!

I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen. Her recipes are always amazing and her pictures are Beautiful! She is also a "real" baker, unlike me. She made every part of this pie from scratch from the actual graham crackers for the crust to the marshmallow topping. Now I have made home made marshmallows before but I draw the line at graham crackers. But for this I decided that the store bought versions would still produce a yummy finish although I am certain that Deb's version is far superior. Forgive me Deb but the filling is the only part I actually made from scratch and it is so ridiculously simple I could hardly believe it. If you are feeling especially creative and want to try your hand at the Real deal S'Mores Pie check out Smitten Kitchen. But if you are lazy like me this is pretty tasty too!

I opted to make single serving pies hoping it would help me to moderate my portion control a little bit. I also opted to use half and half instead of heavy cream which made me a little nervous thinking it might not set up right but it worked fine.
This is pretty simple. I did decided to pipe on the Marshmallow cream in order to give it some texture when the marshmallow was toasted. This was incredibly messy but I am pleased with the results. Spreading the marshmallow cream on evenly would also work just fine (and likely you could use quite a bit less cutting down a bit on the incredible sweetness). If you don't have a creme brulee' torch you could place them under the broiler for a few minutes but keep a VERY close eye on them.

S'mores Pie

12 mini Graham Cracker Pie crusts
16 oz Marshmallow Creme
7 oz of Bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghiradelli 60% Cacao chips)
1 cup Half and Half
1 egg at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.

Place mini pie crusts on a cookie sheet. Place chocolate into a bowl. Slightly beat egg in a separate small bowl. In a heavy sauce pan bring Half and half just to a boil. Pour over Chocolate and let stand for 1 minute. Whisk together chocolate and Half and Half then whisk in egg.
Ladle chocolate evenly into pie crusts. Bake for 15 min. Let cool for at least 30 min. Top with marshmallow cream. Brown topping to desired color with Butane torch or under broiler.

Notes: One deep dish Graham cracker crust could be substituted for mini crusts. Increase baking time to 20-25 min. (It will be still a little jiggly in the center but will firm up as it cools)
Spraying inside of piping bag and tip with cooking spray will make handling marshmallow cream easier to handle.

Dare to Drool!

When I cook I am always about " a big bang for your buck!" If I put a lot of time and effort into a dish it has to be not just "good" , but AMAZING! If something is fairly easy but looks and or tastes like it was really hard all the better! This dessert definately falls into the "BIG BANG FOR YOUR BUCK" category!
Now I would not call it "easy" in fact this is the second time I made it and though it was much better this time than it was last time, I still have some tweaking to do. But it's not exactly hard either. The thing about it is, even in it's less than perfect state...its still pretty amazing! I am making this my official "go to" dessert for times when I am cooking to impress.

I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen which referenced another version on Simply Recipes and of course I did a little more research other places before I made it. One look at the beautiful picture on Smitten Kitchen's blog and I KNEW I had to make it.I mean what is not to like? They look just like clouds ...gotta be like Heaven! It is called Pavlova however I call it Pavlov ...you know as in Pavlov's dog? I mean tell me you can look at this without your mouth watering!

Both times I have made it I have followed pretty closely Smitten Kitchen's recipe but they turned out VERY differently both times. I am not exactly sure why. The last time the Meringues got too much color , they were very chewy and never really got crunchy on the outside even after cooking them much longer than the recipe called for. This time the color turned out perfect,the inside was still soft but the outside was a little too crunchy and they tended to shatter when you tried to assemble them.I even baked them a little less time than the recipe called for. As I understand it they should be crunchy on the outside (but not shatter) and marshmellowy on the inside. I have a feeling that humidity plays a big part in these. I think I also am going to try just a tad lower temperature the next time (which will likely be soon).

So there are 3 layers to Pavlova.

Layer 1 the Meringue. I will let you look at the recipe here since it does officially belong to her. Besides she has a great blog and you should check it out anyway. She does WAY more baking than I do. I wish I dared to try her breads they look amazing

Layer 2 whipped cream. I am gonna be honest the first time I just used cool whip and it tasted just fine. The second time I actually made real whipped cream (1 cup cold heavy cream, 3 TBS sugar and 1 tsp. Vanilla extract) except I replaced the Vanilla extract with Grand Marnier and it was quite tasty. It's up to you if you want to beat the cream. You won't lose anything by taking a short cut here.

Layer 3 sauce I made a Tripple berry Sauce

Tripple Berry sauce

1 bag frozen raspberries

1/3 cup sugar
1 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)
1 pint fresh strawberries sliced

Thaw raspberries then puree in Food processor. Add 1/3 cup sugar. Bring raspberries and sugar to a boil simmer for about 2 minutes. Strain raspberries puree through a fine sieve. Mix in blueberries and strawberries. Chill until ready to serve.


The idividual componets can be made ahead of time but the Pavlova should be assembled immediately before serving. Place Meringue on plate. Place about a 1/3 cup whipped cream on top of Meringue and spoon berry sauce over top.

You can top this with anything you like. My son does not eat berries so I drizzled chocolate syrup over the top. Next time I make it I think I am going for a peach melba type flavor....mmmm doesn't that sound yummy! The best thing about this dessert is it very light and refreshing. Definitely good after a meal when you don't want a heavy dessert!

Note: Several recipes I read suggested Piping the Meringue from a pastry bag. I did this the first time (maybe that was the difference) and found it to be an incredible Pain and Mess! I was much more pleased with the more free form "clouds" I got from just spooning them on to the parchment paper.

A Foodie's shame

You really can't classify my post today as "cooking." I was stressed for a super fast and easy dessert to make to take to a church function. I have a well know reputation for my cooking at my church so I had to tread very carefully with this one. Besides being fast my other requirement was that it had to be something that already had all of the ingredients for. What I came up with was something that the kids loved and was not meant to rival the lovely cakes and pies that some of my usual competition brought. My only defense is that at least it was not store bought.
This is a twist on Rice Crispy Treats. Every time I make Rice Crispy treats I think of the commercial they had for them several years ago. The mom is in the Kitchen behind closed doors and the family is on the other side imploring "Are they done yet?" Cut back to mom who is reading a Romance Novel,"NOT YET! These things take time!" Eventually Mom picks up the plate of rice crispy treats, toussles her hair and flicks some flour on her face. Sighs, puts on a fatigued expression and delivers them to the cheers and accolades of her loving family. I LOVE that commercial!

This is where I reveal on of my guilty pleasures. I LOVE FRUITY PEBBLES! Growing up we did not keep sugared ceareals in our house, it was Cherrios (only the plain kind back then) or Rasin bran.When I got married (at not yet 18) I ALWAYS bought "the good stuff" ! Yes ,I know I talk about eggs bendedict and Feta cheese omlettes. I spend hours pouring over cookbooks and websites and debate the virtures of fresh herbs over dried. I have matured now. ....I don't eat sugared cereal for breakfast, now it is a late night snack!!!!!

ANYWAY, I have prattled on for long enough. I hope that no one finds this recipe TOO hard!

Fruity Pebbles Treats

3Tbs Butter
5 cups Fruit Flavored Rice cereal
1- 7oz jar Marshmellow cream

In a large bowl melt butter add Marshmellow cream and microwave just long enough to make stirring easy. Add Cereal and mix well making sure all cereal is well coated. Place in 9x13 pan press down very firmly with rubber spatula. Cool for 10-15 mins till bars are firm. Cut into squares. Enjoy your kids praises!!

Note: Coco Crispys are also pretty yummy!

New Toys

They say that the only difference in Men and boys is the price and size of their toys. I am not a man but I like toys too! OK, get your mind out of the gutter I am not talking about that kind of toys! Mine don't generally come with wheels, but there are some on my wish list that are pretty pricey. Like a new kitchen, island stove with grill top and convection oven. One of those hidden refrigerators that have different "zones" Granite counters and lots of other things I see on "Kitchen Trends" and " I Want that" Unfortunately unless I hit the lottery those are pretty much just pipe dreams.
But I did get some new toys for Christmas. One was a food processor and another was a Creme brulee set with a torch. I decided to play with my new toys today and used them to make dinner.

Menu:
Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon Plum sauce
Garlic-Truffle Smashed Potatoes
Steamed Veggies
Orange-Ginger Creme Brulee

Would you like to join me for Dinner?

Roasted Pork with Bourbon Plum Sauce

15 dried plums
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 pork tenderloin roast
1/2 cup Dijon Mustard
2/3 cup brown sugar
1TBS brown sugar
1/3 cup bourbon
1 tsp dried sage
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a small saucepan bring broth to a simmer and drop in plums let stand for aprox 30 mins. Trim roast if necessary, Rinse and Pat dry. Spread mustard all over roast then roll in brown sugar till well coated. Heat Oil in Dutch Oven. Brown Pork on all sides over medium heat. Strain off 1/2 cup of liquid from prunes and add to pan. Bring to a boil. Cover pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins.
Remove from Oven and turn Roast over. Sprinkle sage and thyme over roast, Salt and Pepper to taste. Place Plums around roast. Return to oven and bake uncovered aprox 20 mins or until meat thermometer reaches 155 degrees.
Remove from oven. Place roast on platter and tent with foil. Allow to rest for 15-20 mins. Place prunes and liquid in food processor and Puree. Slice Roast on diagonal and spoon puree over top of roast.


I found a recipe for Low fat Creme brulee and tweaked the flavors to give it a little added interest. Let me tell you the aroma of the ginger, orange and vanilla bean heating in the milk makes you want to stop and drink it right there!

Low- Fat Orange-Ginger Creme Brulee

1/2 cup skim milk
1 Tbs cornstarch
12 oz can fat free evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup fat free half and half
4 egg yolks
1 vanilla bean

Zest of one orange
1tsp freshly grated ginger
2 tsp Grand Manier (or other orange liqueur)
3 Tbs sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place six 1 cup ramekins or custard cups in a large pan (I used my the bottom of my broiler pan).

In a medium heavy saucepan, combine fat-free milk and cornstarch. Mix until smooth. Add sugar and evaporated fat-free milk and stir until combined. Add grated ginger. Split vanilla bean down middle and add to mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat.Take out vanilla bean

In a small bowl, combine fat-free half & half with the egg yolks. Beat lightly. Add a small amount of the hot milk into the egg mixture while stirring. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan. Add Grand Manier. Stir to mix.

Divide mixture into the 6 ramekins. Place pan with ramekins on shelf in oven. Pour hot water into the large pan to make a water bath for the custard. Filling until water is approx 1/2 way up ramekin. . Bake for 30 minutes or until custard is set. Remove ramekins from water bath. Refrigerate several hours or until completely cold.

When ready to serve, sprinkle 1 - 2 teaspoons of sugar on top of each ramekin. Using a small butane-fuel torch, heat sugar until it caramelizes and turns light brown. If you do not have torch place ramekins under broiler for a few mins watching carefully that sugar does not burn

I CAN bake!

Over and over I have stated that I am not a baker. Cookies though are not too hard to do. When I was a kid I used to make Snickerdoodles a lot because they were yummy and the ingredients were so basic that we always had everything you need to make them on hand. I have not made them in YEARS though. I found this recipe on Slashfood It sounded interesting so I thought I would give it a try. I will have to say though that unlike regular snickerdoodles, you might have to stock up on spices to have the things you need on hand. I for one had to purchase Cardamon which is NOT cheap. I will be looking for some more recipes that call for that so that I can get my moneys worth before it gets too old sitting in my pantry. These cookies are sort of spicy and have a unique unexpected flavor. I was not sure I liked them at first but they really grew on me. I will say though that they were the absolutely best texture of cookie that I have ever baked!!!! They were very crispy on the outside and nice and soft on the inside. They kept a nice texture stored for about a week. Though they definitely were still good almost 2 weeks after baking. I did not get pictures of the cookies but I do have pictures of a nifty gift Idea for them. I placed the dry ingredients in 3 ziplock bags and put them into a Chinese take out Gift box. (You can purchase these at the craft stores)It is a tight fit but it can be done. I will be adding instructions and giving these as gifts to my friends. Kind of a variation on the Cookies in a Jar gift. I would definitely recommend giving these a try!

Chocolate Chai Snickerdoodles
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
2 ts vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder

Preheat over to 350F. In large mixing bowl, stir together sugar and spices; set 1/2 cup of the mixture aside. Add butter to mixing bowl and cream with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in cocoa powder, followed by the eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and baking powder by hand or at low speed. Form dough into 1-inch balls and roll in reserved sugar mixture. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on wire rack and store in an airtight container. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

A Leap of faith

When you hear what I have made today, I will bet that your first thought is going to be "EWWW!!!" I am not sure what made me think that this really MIGHT be good. I figured it would be interesting to say the least. I suppose I took the risk just because I like ...No love, Basil. (Just in case you have not noticed this already). AND I have a lot of basil growing in my garden and I am not sure how much longer it will last. So, open your mind. Last week I made (drum roll..........) Basil Ice Cream. Ok, I will give everyone a minute to wrap their minds around this......................................................................................................................................................... Hear me out! Basil is in the MINT family! The finished product actually tastes a bit like Mint Chocolate chip but it has a fresh twist at the end. A small scoop of this at the end of a meal is a light refreshing dessert. Don't get me wrong, I am not going to be running out to the store at midnight to get my basil ice cream fix or anything. My favorite is still Ben and Jerry's Triple Brownie fudge. But, I do think I will make it for my next dinner party. If for no other reason than to have fun seeing people's reaction to it. I think it is something interesting and something people will talk about. So here is the recipe, I got it from The Food Network (of course) It was on Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello. I cut the recipe in half and just made a pint for the trial run. YEA, I WAS SCARED! Plus 8 cups of basil is a lot..Even if you grow it yourself. I think I will make a quart soon though so I have some on hand for people to try out. So here it is I DARE you to try it!
Basil Ice Cream
8 loosely packed cups basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon powdered vitamin C
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
1 cup shaved, bittersweet chocolate

Blanch the basil leaves in boiling salted water for 5 seconds, then place in an ice bath. Drain and wring the basil dry in a dish towel. Chop coarsely.In a food processor, puree the basil with salt, vitamin C and just enough softened ice cream to make a puree (about 3 tablespoons). You should have about 1 cup basil puree. Add the remaining ice cream and puree. Quickly take the finished pureed ice cream and transfer it from the processor back to the freezer container. Add chocolate and mix in thoroughly. Place container in freezer. Freeze for at least 1 hour
Notes: That is the original recipe ( of course) I made some changes. I used regular kosher salt, I used Fruit Fresh instead of Vit C powder although I think if you eat it the same day this really is not necessary at all and I used a Hershey's Special dark chocolate bar and grated it.

A Trifling Dessert

So, can anyone tell me HOW...just HOW do you transport a trifle bowl? The only way I can think of is if you have someone hold it. What if you don't HAVE someone who can hold it?I can tell you how NOT to transport a trifle bowl. You DEFINATELY should not transport a trifle bowl in floorboard of you car. EVEN if you are holding on to it with one hand while driving! Because when you let go for a NANO-Second to answer your cell phone...even with one of those high-speed MCDonalds looking ear-piece thingys it WILL, I repeat WILL ,fall over and land on the floorboard of your car. Rendering an afternoon and several $$ completely wasted! It will also put you in a VERY VERY bad mood!!!

I was so excited. I was going to a dinner party and I decided that this Peach Melba Trifle sounded scruptious! I envisioned ohh's and ahh's from the other guests! I imagined moans as they took the first bite! imagined, "Oh, Sindy you are SUCH A GOOD COOK!" I got none of that ...what I got as I carried in the half empty, dasterdly trifle bowl with what now looked the birthday cake of a 1 yr old AFTER he smeared it all over himself. Were pitiful looks ...pats on the back , and "I am sure it will still taste wonderful" There was a enough left in the bowl to try. But it was ruined...it could be the best thing in the world ..but it just wasn't the same.

Ok, I did try it and it was good ...sigh ! Really it was ....sigh! OK, I just can't stop pouting enough to be objective. I would recomend that you try it ..the ingredients will tell you that there is no way that it wouldn't be good. But I WILL advise you that you should make it and SERVE it in the same location!
The only good thing is ...I actually had the presence of mind to take a picture of it BEFORE I left home. So ...YOU get to see it BEFORE it became a pile of mush! Pitty that my friends did NOT!

Peach Melba Trifle
6 cups Frozen sliced peaches (defrosted)
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbs Fresh squeezed OJ
Zest of 1 0range
1/8 gound nutmeg
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
2 TBS raspberry Liqueur
1 1/2 cups seedless raspberry jam
1-16oz pound cake cut into 1/2 in slices
1/4 cup water
additional:
1 large pkg instant vanilla pudding prepared as directed except replace 1/4 cup of milk with 1/4 cup of Grand Marnier .

In large bowl combine peaches , sugar, oj, orange zest, nutmeg and 2TBS of the Grand Marnier. Stir well and set aside
Combine Raspberry Liqueur and jam and set aside
Place layer of pound cake in bottom of trifle bowl. mix remaining Grand Marnier and water, brush onto pound cake.
Spread 1/3 of jam mixture onto cake, Spoon 1/3 of pudding mixture on top and a layer of peaches ( removed from juice with slotted spoon) Repeat for a total of 3 layers. Chill for 1 hour.

I made some adjustments to the original recipe which I got from "Perfect Party Food" It actually had a recipe for a vanilla custard flavored with the Grand Marnier. It also called for topping it with 2 cups of heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks. I had plans to top it with store bought whipped cream ..but did not get that far ...SIGH It was also supposed to be refrigerated for at least 8 hour but I did not have time for that. ....SIGH! Did I mention that Trifle bowls by there very nature are TOP HEAVY??????

No Talent, just pretty

Is that not pretty? Doesn't it just look YUMMY? I just got my shipment from William-sonoma with my Pineapple and Mango slicer and had to try them out. The Pineapple cutter I would definately recomend! You just slice off the top and screw it down into the pineapple and it is perfectly cored and sliced. If you are careful (which I was not) you will have an intact pineapple shell that you can use to serve your fruit salad or make cool frosty Drinks (Do, you like Pina Coladas...and getting caught in the rain...). The mango slicer also CAN work very well ...sliding down over that tough pit and leaving two halves that you can just turn wrongside out and slice off the peel. HOWEVER, you have to make sure you have a nice shaped mango with the stem in the center (Which I did NOT) Anyway this is just a basic tropical fruit salad. Pineapple , Mango , Papaya, Kiwi and Bananna.

Key Lime Pie!!!!!!

Tomorrow is the 23rd annual Springfest at my church. This is a fundraiser we do each year. All of the proceeds benefit children in the local community. One of the things this money is used for is to buy glasses for children who would not otherwise be able to afford them. Last year we raised $16,000. This year our goal is $20,000. There is a GIGANTIC indoor yard sale , an auction, a plant sale, and bakesale. This year there is a silent art auction and we will be raffling off a beautiful handmade quilt and a computer. The yardsale is from 7-10am. The Raffle drawings and Auction are at 930am. Please join us at Westminster Presbyterian Church @ 2505 Village Dr. Fayetteville NC. Located at the corner of Villiage and Purdue Dr. So, this will be my contribution to the bake sale. This is a recipe that I orginally got from Southern Living 2004 http://food.southernliving.com/southern/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1023664 As usual I have tweaked it a bit by adding grated lime zest. This seems like a little thing but it really takes the flavor up a notch. The oils in the zest are a much more intense flavor than the juice alone. It is totally simple and can be whipped up in about 15 mins. The longest part is waiting for it to cool. As I have said before, I am not a baker but this one is simple enough even for me. Ingredients: 3 large Egg yolks, 1/2 cup lime juice, Pinch of salt 1 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 tsp of vanilla, 10 individual or 1 whole graham cracker crust.
Place egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and wisk well. Grate zest of 1 lime into eggs. Roll limes around on counter then place in microwave for about 20 seconds. This will help them to release more juice. Squeeze lime juice into measuring cup. Squeeze 3-4 limes until you get 1/2 cup of lime juice. Wisk lime juice into eggs. Add Sweetened condensed milk,vanilla and salt and wisk well Pour mixture into crusts Bake for 15 mins at 350 degrees. Let pies cool to room temperature and the refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Right before serving Place a dollop of whipped cream on Pie and garnish with lime slice. * Notes: When you cut limes in half after microwaving, CLOSE YOUR EYES!! Lime juice REALLY HURTS when it squirts in your eyes. It also makes the kitchen floor very sticky. Have I mentioned that I am a very messy cook????