THE FAMILY TABLE

Spenser here for visit

2010-08-13T11:21:00.001-05:00

Our grandson Spenser Olson is here for a visit on the farm and we are doing some fun after school recipes that are kid friendly!!!!
We are going to make cinnamon rolls and "no bake" brownies.

I love trying new recipes, this one is from Martha Stewart.

"No Bake" Fudge Brownies

Ingredients

Makes 2 dozen

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups evaporated milk (from one 12-ounce can)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups finely ground chocolate wafer cookies (from two 9-ounce packages)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons salted cocktail peanuts
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
Salt

Directions

Line a 9-inch square baking dish with plastic wrap, leaving a 1-inch overhang on all sides.
Heat chocolate and evaporated milk in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until chocolate melts and is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Set aside 1/3 cup.
Combine cookies, 2 cups coconut, 1 cup peanuts, the sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Pour in chocolate mixture; stir until combined.
Spread mixture evenly into dish. Spread reserved 1/3 cup chocolate over top. Finely chop remaining 2 tablespoons coconut and 2 tablespoons peanuts; sprinkle evenly over chocolate. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Remove brownies from pan by lifting plastic wrap. Remove plastic, and cut into 24 brownies.

Cinnamon Rolls

1 frozen raw yeast bread loaf, place in lightly oiled large bowl, cover and place in warm place. Let rise till triple in size, about 3 hours.

When dough is triple in size, place on flour surface, roll out to form a rectangle about 18"x10".

Mix:

1 stick softened salted butter

1 cup sugar

4 TBLS ground cinnamon

Spread mix evenly over the dough. Roll dough to form a thin log shape. Begin rolling on long side and roll completely. Cut log into 1" pieces and place cinnamon side up in cupcake paper and place in cupcake pan. Repeat with all pieces.

Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove and top with frosting, if desired. Recipe follows:

Frosting:

1/2 stick softened butter

2 TBLS whipping cream

1 tsp pure vanilla

1-1/2 cups XXX sugar, spreading consistency.

place 1 tsp on the top of each cinnamon roll and let it melt down into the roll.

These were delicious and the kids had such a good time making them.

Remember, "Find something that you love and share it with someone".

Sandra Boyett

Vegetable Garden Meals

2010-08-13T10:12:00.000-05:00

Well, summer is blazing and our gardens are ready for harvest. I must admit, my vegetable garden probably have used a little more TLC. But, we managed to harvest some beautiful and delicious eggplants.

Today we are going to prepare a couple of dishes that begin as one preparations and make two distinct and delicious dishes.
Let's start with the base for our two dishes.
In a large saute pan over med/high heat, add:
4 TBLS olive oil
2 large eggplants, washed sliced and chopped to bite size pieces
1 large onion peel and chopped
4 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
S&P to taste
Continue sauteing until tender, adding extra olive oil as mixture absorbs the oil and begins to get dry.
remove from heat and set aside.

Eggplant Cornbread Salad
1 recipe of your favorite cornbread cooked, cooled and cut into bite size pieces, set aside in large bowl.
Add to cornbread:
1 cup of eggplant base
2 tomatoes chopped to bite size pieces
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Blend together:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup buttermilk
Pour over cornbread and toss together, cover and serve at room temperature or refrigerate and serve cold.

Eggplant Ragoue

To the remaining eggplant base, add:

2-15 ounce cans of roasted chopped tomatoes

2 TBLS italian seasoning

Simmer until heated through out and flavors have blended, S&P to taste.

Serve over your favorite prepared noodles and top with shredded parmesan cheese.

These are delicious meals as a whole or as side dishes.

Find something that you love and share it with someone.

Sandra Boyett

2010-05-26T18:15:00.000-05:00

Mexican Wedding Cookies
Ingredients
1 pound soft unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups finely chopped pecans
5 cups sifted pastry flour
Powdered sugar for dusting
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and powdered sugar in mixer until light and fluffy, about 1015 minutes. Add vanilla, salt and pecans. Remove from mixer and stir in pastry flour by hand being careful not to overmix. Form into football shapes about the size of small walnuts and place on a buttered cookie sheet. Bake 1012 minutes or until just beginning to get the slightest bit colored on the bottom. Remove upon the first sign of color and set on a rack to cool. When cool enough to touch place in a bowl with powdered sugar on top and bottom and toss gently. Occasionally toss with sugar while cooling, trying to get as much sugar as possible to stick. When cold, place cookies in airtight container and cover until ready to serve.

Honey Lavender Ice Cream

Ingredients

Makes about 1 quart

2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup dried lavender
1/3 cup honey
5 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, lavender, and honey. Bring to a gentle boil, cover, and remove from heat. Let steep for 5 minutes. Strain mixture, reserving milk and discarding lavender.
Combine egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until very thick and pale yellow, 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, return milk to a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
Add half the milk to egg-yolk mixture, and whisk until blended. Stir mixture into remaining milk, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Remove from heat, and immediately stir in cream. Strain mixture into a medium mixing bowl set in an ice-water bath, and let stand until chilled, stirring from time to time. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Store in an airtight plastic container up to 2 weeks.

Babyback Ribs and Watermellon Salad

2010-05-20T09:06:00.000-05:00

Well, summer is closing in and we are all thinking of summer activities. So, today on the cooking show we prepared babyback ribs and a wonderful watermelon salad. This si a meal that takes no active time to prepare and allows you , the host, plenty of time to participate in the activities of the day. I encourage every one to use paper plates and throw away cups and just have a relaxed, fun-filled day.

Babyback Ribs
1. 3 racks of the freshes ribs you can buy
2. wash and dry the racks
3. Now season on both sides with your favorite dry rubs, I used Kansas City Cowtown seasonings. They can be purchased online at www.cowtownbbq.com
4. Sprinkle the back side of the ribs first, be cautious and remember that the first ingrediant in most of the powder seasonings is salt.
5. Line a cookie sheet with 3 large pieces of heavy duty foil, 2 pieces over-lapping each other and covering the sheet sideways, leaving about 10" on the sides of overhang. Now place the 3rd piece of foil length ways with the same amount of overhang.
6. Place one rack of ribs in the center of the sheet, lenght ways, with meaty side up, sprinkle top side with more seasoning and place 2nd rack on top of 1st rack with meaty side facing up, and sprinkle the top side of 2nd rack with seasoning and repeat with 3rd rack the same procedure. Only place the racks 3 high. If you want to cook more place a second stack of ribs next to the first stack on the same cookie sheet. 2 stacks of three will fit nicely on one sheet. If you have more to cook. start a second cookie sheet.
7. now wrap the ribs with the overhand of foil, like it is a baby, wrapping tight abd sealing the sides.
8. Place in an oven preheated to 350 drgrees and bake for 31/2 hours.
9. Let rest 15 minutes and seperate stacks and coat with your favorite bbq sauce.

Watermelon Feta Salad

2 pounds cubed watermelon

8 ounces feta cheese, cubed

Mint and basil leaves, julianned

Toss all the above in large salad bowl

In a sauce pan, dissolve 1/2 cup sugar in 1/4 cup white vinegar. Add a pinch of salt. Remove from heat and whisk in 6 ounces of plain yogurt. Pour 1/2 of dressing over the tossed salad and serve remaining dressing for dipping the mellon as desired.

Please enjoy!!!

Hand tossed pizza

2010-05-06T09:33:00.000-05:00

Well school is about to be dismissed for the summer and mom's are scrambling to find things to keep the little one's busy. Well letting children participate in the preparation of their meals is one way to keep them busy. get them to eat and pass on a little family tradition. Things that will be remanenced in their adult life with pleasant memories. I recently made a trip, along with my sister, to stay with my grandchildren a few days and when I visit, we always cook. On this trip, we made our own pizzas and had them for dinner. On my last cooking show I shared this with my own children and our viewing audience. So, let's get started.

Hand Tossed Pizza

1 bag frozen yeast bread rolls, thawed and risen

1 jar pizza sauce

shredded cheese of your choice

I used white american

8 ounces softened cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

topping of your choice

For the savory pizzas I used:

pepperoni

left over meat loaf, crumbled

feta cheese, crumbled

roasted sliced tomatoes

roasted bell peppers, sliced

sliced mango

spinach leaves

fresh basil, minced

chopped smoked turkey

sliced olives

sliced greek peppers

For the dessert pizzas I used:

mini chocolate chips

baked sliced apples, baked with a little sugar and cinnamon

Putting it all together:

1. Take a handful of the thawed and risen yeast dough, on a floured surface form a ball and press out till flat and the size mini pizza desired.

2. Place the mini pizza dough rounds on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam.

3. For the savory pizzas, put a base of pizza sauce, spread with spoon and leave about

1/2 inch from edge clean, no sauce.

4. Now get creative with any combonation of ingrediants that you or your children desire.

5. Place in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for about 12-15 minutes, cool for 5 minutes, slice and enjoy.

6. For the dessert pizza, blend the softened cream cheese and the powdered sugar until smooth. Now, spread a layer of sweetened cream cheese, leaving that 1/2 inch rim clear.

7. Now let's get creative again. top with any of the sweet toppings that you have chosen, one or a combination.

8. Place in pre-heated 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, cool 5 minutes, slice and enjoy.

As you can see, we had a great time and all the kids loved it. This is one of my favorite things to share with my children, grandchildren and friends. It brings joy to my life, all the kids have fun and hopefully, this will help bring cooking back to the home for this generation, which is my desire.

As always, find something that you love and share it with someone.

Upside Down Rhubarb Cake

2010-04-28T12:03:00.000-05:00

I have never tried anything with rhubarb before and lately I have been seeing it in every magazine. The one in Martha Stewart looked so intriging, I just had to try one. The recipe is a variation of the one I saw in the magazine. I believe that within certain boundries you can successfully change certain ingrediant wheather it is because of taste or out of necessity, because you don't have on hand certain things you need.Give this one a try.

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

Makes one 9-inch cake; Serves 10

FOR THE TOPPING

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

Coarse salt

FOR THE CAKE

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for buttering pan

1 pound rhubarb, trimmed and cut on a very sharp diagonal about 1/2 inch thick

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon finely grated grapefruit zest plus 1 tablespoon fresh grapefruit juice

2 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the topping: Stir together butter, flour, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until moist and crumbly.

Make the cake: Butter a 9-inch round cake pan (2 inches deep). Dot with 4 tablespoons butter (cut into pieces). Toss rhubarb with 3/4 cup sugar; let stand for 2 minutes. Toss again, and spread in pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Beat remaining stick butter and cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in zest and juice. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, until smooth. Spread evenly over rhubarb. Crumble topping evenly over batter.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and top springs back when touched, about 1 hour. Let cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake, and invert onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. The rhubarb will be too hot to handle safely right after baking. But if the cake sits much longer, it may stick.

Wheather you cook, sing or sew, find something you love and share it with someone.

Apple Turnovers

2010-04-28T11:52:00.000-05:00

Apple Turnovers, I guess there is a reason why Apple pie is so American. There is nothing that smells like apple pies baking. The whole house fills with the auroma and with feeling of love. Please try these apple turnovers, they are easy and delicious!

Apple Turnovers

Ingredients

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

1 1/4 pounds tart apples, such as Empire or Granny Smith (3 apples)

3 tablespoons dried cherries

3 tablespoons sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on top

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch kosher salt

1 package (17.3 ounces, 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the orange zest and orange juice in a bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples and then cut them in 3/4-inch dice. Immediately toss the apples with the zest and juice to prevent them from turning brown. Add the cherries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Flour a board and lightly roll each sheet of puff pastry to a 12 by 12-inch square. Cut each sheet into 4 smaller squares and keep chilled until ready to use.

Brush the edges of each square with the egg wash and neatly place about 1/3 cup of the apple mixture on half of the square. Fold the pastry diagonally over the apple mixture and seal by pressing the edges with a fork. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, make 2 small slits, and bake for 20 minutes, until browned and puffed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Please enjoy!

adapted from Ina Garten

new twist on on old south of the border taco

2010-04-14T17:45:00.001-05:00

Pulled Pork Taco with Chipolte Sauce:

This is a delicious dish and beautiful too, you will definitely need napkins and probably a knife and fork. This is a full meal.
Pulled Pork:
3-4 lb boston butt
Rub with a compination of :
1T barbeque seasoning
3T salt
3t Emeril Essence
1T bbq seasoning flakes
rub well with above mixture and place in roasting that is heavily lined with foil. Wrap the foil around the boston butt making sure you have a tight seal. Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 5 hours, remove and let rest unwrapped for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and pull the lean pork apart and place in bowl and mix well with BBQ sauce. Recipe to follow.

Kentucky Bourbon Southern Peach BBQ sauce:

Combine the following in 2 quart sauce pan that has a lid:
1 cup diced frozen peaches
1T minced garlic
1 cup ketsup
1 cup store bought BBQ sauce
1/4 cup Bourbon
2T Worchestersire sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 pinch ground clove
1 pinch pepper flakes
Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring frequenty, when boil reached reduce heat to very low, place lid and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring about every 30 minutes.
Stir a generous portion into the pulled pork and place the rest in a serving bowl to serve with taco"s for extra applications.

Chipolte sauce:
Combine the following in a blender and blend well. Place in serving bowl.
1 cup honey
juice of 1 orange
3/4 cup chopped celantro
2T of canned chipolte peppers

To assemble the taco:
1. Place a wheat tortilia shell on a griddle or skillet with a pat of butter, begin to warm the shell and then place about 1/2 cup shredded cheese, spread the cheese evenly, let cheese melt.
2. Place a portion size of BBQ mixed pulled pork in the center, spoon a small amount of the chipolte sauce over the taco, you can add more later if desired. The chipolte sauce is made from smoked jalipeno peppers.
3.Fold the taco in half and place on plate.
Serve with sour cream, pico, extra BBQ sauce and extra chipolte sauce

Please try this recipe, I think it will replace your old taco's. The extra sauces and be frozen for up to a year.

new twist on an old south of the border taco

2010-04-14T12:11:00.000-05:00

Ingrediant list for new twist on an old south of the border taco:
boston butt about 3.5 lbs
salt, Essence by Emeril, barbeque flavored flakes, liquid smoke, foil
Chipolte sauce:
1 can chipolte, honey, an orange, fresh celantro,
Barbeque sauce:
1 cup ketsup, 1 cup bbq sauce, 1 cup chopped frozen peaches, 1/4 cup bourbon, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 t minced garlic, 1/2 t salt, pinch ground clove, pinch pepper flakes
Wheat tortilia shells, sourcream, pico, shredded cheese

Spring Bliss

2010-04-08T07:53:00.000-05:00

Spring is such a beautiful time of newness and growth. I think that the blooms, buds and green grass lifts everyone's spirit. Have you ever wonder why we make resolutions on New Year and not on Spring? We were talking with the twins last week about the spring equinox and how on the first day of spring, that the day and night is the same length of time and from that point on untill the first day of summer the days would gradually get longer. The long warm days allow for new growth and the ability to have the wonderful Meyer's lemons that we used today. We may manipulate the time of day with daylight saving time, but the order of the universe remains constant. I feel that this is just the way God's love is for us. No matter how we manipulate things His love is constant.

This cake was featured in Living Magazine and is slightly modified.

Meyer Lemon Crepe Cake Curd Mousse

Ingredients

Makes about 3 3/4 cups

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from one 1/4-ounce envelope)

1 tablespoon cold water

4 large eggs plus 6 large yolks

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons finely grated Meyer lemon zest (from 2 lemons), plus 3/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice (from 5 to 6 lemons)

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

add the syrup from the cansied lemons to the whipped cream for sweetness and flavor

candied lemon recipe follows

Directions

Sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand until softened, about 5 minutes.

Whisk together eggs and yolks in a heavy small saucepan. Whisk in sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium-low heat, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove pan from heat; add gelatin, stirring constantly, until gelatin dissolves and mixture is slightly cool. Add butter, a few pieces at a time, stirring after each addition, until smooth.

Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing with a rubber spatula to remove as much curd as possible; discard any undissolved bits of gelatin and egg. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours or overnight. Stir curd, and gently fold in whipped cream. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Stir before using.

Candied Meyer Lemons

Ingredients

Makes 2 cups

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

2 Meyer lemons (do not peel), preferably organic, washed well and sliced 1/4 inch thick

Directions

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a large saucepan, and heat until sugar dissolves. Add lemons, and cover surface with parchment. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until rinds are translucent, about 30 minutes. Let lemons cool in syrup.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer lemons to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Let stand to allow excess syrup to drip off.

The lemons can be stored in the syrup for up to three weeks in the refrigerator.

For the crepes, I used packaged French style Crepes. Martha made her own crepes and I am sure they are delicious but time restraints prohibit many of us from doing everything from scratch. The packaged crepes are very good and allow more of us the luxury of making this cake.

Easter Dinner

2010-04-01T21:37:00.001-05:00

Strawberry Whipped CreamTart

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup plain yellow cornmeal

2 Tbsp. sugar

¾ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

6 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into pieces

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2/3 cup buttermilk

1 Tbsp. orange marmalade

1(16-oz.) container fresh strawberries, cut in half

½ cup orange marmalade 2 cups heavy cream

2 Tbsp. sugar

Garnishes: fresh mint sprigs, sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 425°. Place first 6
ingredients (in order of ingredient list)
in a food processor. Process 20 seconds
or until mixture resembles coarse sand.
Transfer to a large bowl.

Whisk together egg and buttermilk;
add to flour mixture, stirring just until
dry ingredients are moistened and a
dough forms. Turn dough out onto a
lightly floured surface, and knead 3 to 4
times. Press dough on bottom and up
sides of a lightly greased 9-inch tart pan.

Bake at 425° for 20 to 22 minutes or
until golden and firm to touch.

Microwave 1 Tbsp. marmalade at HIGH 10 seconds; brush over crust. Cool 45 minutes.

Stir together strawberries and ½ cup marmalade.

Beat heavy cream with 2 Tbsp. sugar
at medium speed with an electric mixer
until soft peaks form. Spoon onto corn-
meal crust; top with strawberry mixture. Garnish, if desired.

Herbed Roasted Potatoes

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1½ Tbsp. butter

3 Ib. small Yukon gold or red potatoes,
peeled
¼ cup lemon juice
4  tsp. chopped fresh thyme ¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper

1.    Preheat oven to 400°. Cook olive oil
and butter in a skillet over medium heat,
stirring constantly, 3 to 4 minutes or
until butter begins to turn golden
brown. Remove butter mixture from
heat, and add peeled potatoes, tossing
gently to coat.
2. Spread potatoes in a single layer in a
15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.
3. Bake at 400° for 40 to 45 minutes or
until potatoes are golden brown and
tender, stirring twice. Transfer potatoes
to a large serving bowl, and toss with
lemon juice, chopped fresh thyme, salt,
and pepper until well coated. Serve
potatoes immediately.

Sunday Best Glazed Ham

1 (9lb.) fully cooked, bone-in ham
40 whole cloves
½ cup firmly packed light brown
sugar
½ cup honey
½ cup bourbon
'/₃ cup Creole mustard
¼ cup molasses

Ø Preheat oven to 350°. Remove skin
from ham, and trim fat to ¼ -inch
thickness.
Ø Make shallow cuts in fat
1 inch apart in a diamond pattern;
insert cloves in centers of diamonds.
Ø Place ham in an aluminum foil-lined
       13-x 9-inch pan.
Ø Stir together brown sugar and next
4 ingredients; spoon over ham.
Ø Bake at 350° on lowest oven rack 2
hours and 30 minutes, basting with
pan juices every 30 minutes. Shield
ham with foil after 1 hour to prevent
excessive browning. Remove ham
from oven, and let stand 30 minutes.

According to The Encyclopedia of Religion, 1987 “Easter” “It was a popular Easter custom amongst Europeans and Americans to eat ham at Easter, because the pig was considered a symbol of luck in pre-Christian European culture.”
German tradition believed that pigs are symbols of luck. If you had a pig to feed your family you were considered lucky, because times were hard.
(This luck of the pig is probably one of the reasons that people keep their money in piggy banks.)
Occasionally, when we cook we need an ingredient that we don’t have. This happened to me while baking the tart; I needed buttermilk and didn’t have any. So, I mixed plain yogurt, sour cream and a little skim milk and it worked wonderfully. Necessity surely is the “Mother of Invention”.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE IN POTATO PEEL -

100 gm of potato peel or skin has 58 kcal,
2.57 gm of protein,
12.44gms of carbohydrate,
0.1gms of fat,
2.5gm of total dietary fiber,
0.021mgs of thiamine,
0.038mgs of riboflavin,
1.033mgs of niacin,
11.4mg of vitamin C,
30mg of calcium,
3.24mg of iron,
413mg of potassium,
10mg of sodium.

Easter

2010-03-30T14:44:00.000-05:00

Easter is a joyful celebration shared with our children and our extended families. I know that we can all think back to being a child and looking forward to the family egg hunt. When I was a child, we would gather at my grandmothers house and all my cousins would come and we could hardly wait till time for the hunt. The uncles would always hind the eggs(real eggs) and we would wait patiently at the house. They would hind them beyond the pasture in the woods and along the side of the pasture was an electric fence. The pasture came very close to the edge of an embankment and there was a trail about 2 feet wide that we had to walk along to get to the woods. I can remember my heart racing as I walked along the trail just knowing that one little stumble and I might touch the fence. On occasion someone would touch it and let out a squeal, Thankfully I managed to avoid the electric fence my entire childhood but as an adult I've been shocked a couple of times and it let me know , I was right to have a racing heart and try with all my might to walk the path cautiously. What great memories of family times. My mom always decorated a front yerd tree with easter eggs up until the day she died, that will be 3 years this October, and I sure do miss her. But he teadition of decorating an easter tree is still carried out in the front yard of her house by her grandchildren, my daughter, Austin and my son, Zachary. I smile everytime I drive past and get a warm feeling knowing that she is remembered.

Tomorrow we will be cooking a meal that you might want to prepare for Easter sunday.
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup plain yellow cornmeal

2 Tbsp. sugar

¾ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

6 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into pieces

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2/3 cup buttermilk

1 Tbsp. orange marmalade

1(16-oz.) container fresh strawberries, cut in half

½ cup orange marmalade 2 cups heavy cream

2 Tbsp. sugar

Garnishes: fresh mint sprigs, sweetened whipped cream

1 (9lb.) fully cooked, bone-in ham

40 whole cloves

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

½ cup honey

½ cup bourbon

'/3 cup Creole mustard

¼ cup molasses

3 Tbsp. olive oil ½ Tbsp. butter

3 Ib. small Yukon gold or red potatoes, peeled

¼ cup lemon juice

4 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

¾ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

Please check back tomorow for the recipes and photo's
Sandra

Spring Break

2010-03-23T20:07:00.000-05:00

Well, I missed you guys last week, but we were on a mountain trip with the kids. It was a wonderful trip and we did something that we had never done on vacation before, we cooked every meal except one at the house we rented. It was great!!! We came in from our day got all warm and cozy in PJ's and cooked a wonderful meal every night. We all chipped in and it was not much work for any one of us. I recommend that you give this a try and see if you think it makes the vacation less stressful, no waitnig in lines, no wasting 2-3 hours every night, but most of all there was so much more time just to be together.

We are making Easter doughnuts this week and you will need:
Wheat flour
White flour
Active dry yeast
Shortning
Sugar
Salt
Nutmeg
Eggs
Milk
XXX confectioner sugar
Vanilla

2010-03-23T19:45:00.003-05:00

Yeast Doughnuts

Serves:

20 to 25 doughnuts

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups milk

2 1/2 ounces vegetable shortening, approximately 1/3 cup

2 packages instant yeast

1/3 cup warm water (baby bottle warm)

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

3 cups all-purpose 50/50 wheat/white flour mix, plus more for dusting surface

Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying (1 to 1/2 gallons, depending on fryer)

Directions

Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm enough to melt the shortening. Place the shortening in a bowl and pour warmed milk over. Set aside.

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer and add the milk and shortening mixture, first making sure the milk and shortening mixture has cooled to lukewarm. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients on low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined. Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well. Change to the dough hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter or pastry ring and using a 7/8-inch ring for the center whole. Set on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a tea towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 365 degrees F. Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side. Transfer to a cooling rack placed in baking pan. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes prior to glazing, if desired.

Glaze:

¼ cup milk

1-teaspoon pure vanilla

2 cups XXX confectioners’ sugar

In small sauce pan, heat milk, add vanilla and stir in XXX sugar. Continue stirring until smooth.

Dip top of one doughnut at a time, invert and cool for 10 minutes before plating the glazed doughnuts.

I topped mine with, lavender blooms, coconut, sprinkles and violet blooms. This is a beautiful display for Easter Brunch.

Please try this and enjoy!!!!!!

What is proofing yeast?

Proof the yeast to make sure it's active. Add two packets active dry yeast to 1/4 c. warm water (between 110 and 115 degrees F) and stir to dissolve. (The water should feel like a pleasantly warm shower, or about the temperature you'd use for a baby's bottle. If it feels uncomfortably hot, it will probably kill the yeast.) Add one teaspoon of sugar and let the yeast sit for five minutes. If the yeast is foamy and smells like bread, it's active.

Proofing is the formal name for the process that happens when you let dough rise.   During proofing (or proving), yeast leavens the dough when fermentation produces carbon dioxide gas that puffs it up. Dough should be proofed in a warm place without draughts and covered with a clean kitchen towel to prevent a crust from forming.   Depending on the recipe, dough may be proofed once or more.

2010-03-10T14:46:00.000-06:00

French Toast with Asparagus

Topped with an

Orange Beurre Blanc

For the Orange Beurre Blanc:

1 1/2 cups white wine

½ cup orange juice

1 small onion, fine chopped

½ cup cream

1 ½ sticks butter, small pieces

1 t orange zest

S&P, to taste

For the Asparagus:

1 pound asparagus, cut diagonally, 1” pieces

2t olive oil

S&P, to taste

For the French toast:

4 large eggs

1-cup heavy cream

1 t orange zest

½ salt

½ t ground pepper

4 one-inch thick sliced wheat bread

½ stick butter

Make the Asparagus: Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss asparagus in olive oil, spread on sheet pan and sprinkle with S&P. Place in oven for about 15 minute or until tender and golden brown.

Start the orange beurre blanc: Bring the wine and orange juice and onion to a boil, cook on medium, stirring occasionally until it has reduced to about 3 tablespoons, about 10 minutes. Whisk in cream and reduce again to about ¾, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add butter 1 piece at a time slowly and stir each piece until melted. Add 2 T orange juice and orange zest. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Make the French toast: Whisk together eggs, cream, zest and S&P in a large bowl. Pour mixture in a flat bottom dish; soak bread in mixture about 1 minute per side. Have griddle or pan hot with butter sizzling. Cook each side about 4 minutes each or until golden brown.

To Serve:

Place French toast on plate top with roast asparagus and drizzle orange beurre blanc over the top and serve immediately.

What a wonderful way to introduce asparagus to your kids or spend the morning with friends, ending with this wonderful brunch. That is exactly what I am going to do. I love rainy days and friends. We are going to relax, talk and paint wooden eggs in preparation for Easter. I find that in the hustle and bustle of my days, I rarely have time to just talk, talk about things or nothing, but just talk and visit with my friends and I miss not being able to do just that. So, for this to happen, you have to set a date and follow through. If you don’t, and say, let’s get together sometime, it will never happen.

It is much the same for the family table; you have to make it a priority.

According to the 2009 study done by the National Center on Addition and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA), compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (5-7 per week) children who ate dinner with their families infrequently (3 or fewer per week) are twice as likely to use tobacco or marijuana and more than one and a half times likelier to have used alcohol.

I know we all love our families, so let’s make them a priority. It takes a little planning and it takes a little just doing it, but very quickly it will become the routine and will seem to be easier than going through the drive-thru.

Please enjoy!!!

2010-03-08T19:35:00.000-06:00

Grocery list for Wednesday the 10th, Family Table Cooking show
My daughter-in-law, Erin, gave me a very good idea, she said it would be helpful to have a grocery list of items needed for the recipes that will be posted Wednesday after the cooking show(the show will be on youtube in 3 ten minute segments). Erin has always been just like my daughter and I am so proud that we are still close after 9 years of marriage and 3 wonderful grandchildren.
Menu:
French Toast served with roasted Asparagus and topped with a wonderful Orange Beurre Blanc.
dry white wine
2-3 oranges
shallots
heavy cream
butter
asparagus
olive oil
eggs
thick slice wheat bread
This is a great way to introduce asparagus to your children or is wonderful to serve to a couple of girl friends for brunch. It is easy and I think it will be amoung your favorite recipes. i will post a photo and the recipe Wednesday afternoon.
Sandra

2010-03-08T08:43:00.000-06:00

Fried Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 quart vanilla ice cream
1 cup crushed cinnamon Teddy grahams
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes, toasted
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
Vegetable oil, for frying
Caramel sauce, optional
Whipped cream, optional

Directions:

With an ice cream scoop, form 4 large balls of ice cream. Place on a waxed paper lined sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 2 hours.

In a bowl, combine the teddy graham crumbs with the toasted coconut, walnuts or cookie crumbs. Spread the mixture in a shallow dish.

Roll the ice cream balls and coat them in the crumb mixture and freeze for 30 minutes.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and sugar. Dip the coated ice cream balls into the eggs, then roll in the crumb mixture, coating completely. Freeze for 1-2 hours or overnight.

Heat the oil in a large pot or fryer to 400 degrees F. One at a time, lower the balls into the oil and fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the oil and place in a dessert bowl on top of whipped cream and drizzle with caramel sauce. Repeat with the remaining ice cream.

Enjoy!!!

2010-03-08T08:40:00.000-06:00

Avocado Eggrolls (like Cheesecake Factory, feeds 1 to 2 people)

Ingredients for the eggrolls:

1 large avocado
2 tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes (bottled in oil)
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1/2 teaspoon cilantro chopped fresh
pinch of salt
3 eggroll wrappers
1 egg, beaten
vegetable oil for frying

Ingredients for the dipping sauce:

1/2 cup chopped cashew nuts
2/3 cup fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, quartered
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
4 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon tamarind pulp (or you may use juice of 1 lime)
1/2 cup honey
pinch ground saffron
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Eggrolls:

Peel avocado, remove pit and dice into bite-size pieces. Gently combine avocado with the tomatoes, red onion, 1/2 teaspoon cilantro and a pinch of salt. Be careful not to smash the avocado. Spoon 1/3 of filling into an eggroll wrapper with wrapper positioned so that one corner is pointing toward you. Place the filling about 1 inch from the bottom corner and 1 inch from each side. Roll the bottom corner up over the filling, then roll the filling up to about the middle of the wrapper. Brush the remaining corners and edges of the wrapper with the beaten egg. Fold the left and right corners over by filling and "glue" the corners to the wrapper. Finish by rolling the wrapper and filling up over the top corner, press on the wrapper to ensure it is sealed. Repeat these steps with the remaining two eggrolls and keep them covered in the refrigerator while you make the dipping sauce.

Sauce:

Combine cashews, cilantro, garlic, green onions, sugar, black pepper, and cumin in a food processor or blender. Blend with short bursts until the mixture is well blended and the cashews and garlic have been chopped into pieces about half the size of a grain of rice.

avocado egg rolls

2010-03-03T15:45:00.000-06:00

Well, today was the first cooking session for Family Table. We had a wonderful time and I enjoyed the whole filming process. Cooking is an expression of yourself. You can change, alter and create dishes to please your palate or the palate of your family. I have found that if the family has been together for several years, their palates will all be very similar. To me there is no greater joy than serving a meal that bring smiles to the table. To some cooking may seem like a chore, but I feel that it is a priviledge. If you consider all the people who eat alone everyday, it makes you glad to have someone to share a simple pleasure, like eating.
I think you will find the recipes for this show different and delicious. give them a try, and let me know what you think.
They will be posted at www.boyetthealth.com on the recipe page.
Sandra Boyett

Getting started

2010-03-02T09:29:00.000-06:00

As with any new project or job we begin, there is a learning curve. Learning curves are not bad, they are actually a good thing. Many times in my struggle to figure out how certain computer programs work or designing a new relay for life tee shirt (most recently the tee shirt) I have spent hours working on something, just to learn I forgot "one little thing" and all was lost. The important thing to remember is, don't forget the "one little thing" next time. As our children watch us try, fail, try again and succeed, this gives them permission to try things they feel are out of reach or to hard to attempt.
So, be patient with this blog, it is my first, there will be bloops along the way. But, we will work through them and learn new things along our journey.
If you have a special childhood memory from the kitchen, please let me know.
Sandra Boyett

The Family Table

2010-03-01T16:41:00.000-06:00

My mission is simple, bring cooking back to the home. When meal preparations are completed in the home there are many senses activated. Smells, sounds and conversation start to be recorded in our minds and the warmth and love that is felt that moment can be initiated years later. We will explore how this works and start developing wonderful memories for our family.
Sandra Boyett