Fun with Eggs

This is late. Hey, I have three kids. Okay, so here are our Easter festivities. First, the eggs in a nest. One bag of butterscotch chips, melted. Maybe melt in the microwave. I did it on the stove and they smelled very peculiar. Tasted fine, though. Stir in half a bag or so of chow mein noodles (the crunchy kind) and press into a Texas-sized muffin tin. Cool until set. Fill with candy eggs. Next year.

This is Eggs A La Goldenrod. Right, Mom? I think that's what it's called. Anyway, when I first made it as a married woman, I didn't remember it tasting as yummy as it does, I only remembered how pretty the sieve-pressed yolks looked up on top--like goldenrods! So, here it is: make up a white sauce by melting 2 T. butter and stirring in 2 T. flour, then 2 c. milk, heat and stir until thick. Salt and pepper it and add in 5 chopped, hard-boiled egg whites. Press the hard-boiled egg yolks through a strainer on top and serve on toast. A lovely way to use up those blue and orange eggs your kids made yesterday (in this case, last week). That's it for now!

Put the lime in the coconut, shake it all up!

The name says it all, honey. I tore this one out of the newspaper a few years ago because the words made my mouth water. It may not be the prettiest bird in the flock, but dress it up with a little lime zest or fresh fruit and you're in for a sublime experience!

Lime in the Coconut Custard Pie

13.5 oz. can coconut milk (not lite)

1 c. sweetened coconut flakes

4 eggs
1/2 c. frozen limeade concentrate

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. coconut extract

1/4 tsp. salt

9 inch deep-dish pic shell, frozen or homemade
Preheat oven to 400*, and set rack at lowest position. Combine all ingredients but pie shell in a blender and give it a good whirl. Pour into pie shell and bake 15 min. Reduce oven to 350* and bake 40 more min. Cool on rack for 30 min. Refrigerate until cold before slicing.

P.S. I use frozen pie shells and end up with an extra cup of batter. This cooks nicely in buttered ramekins for 10 min. less than the pie. It should be slightly jiggly when you pull it out, this is a custard, not a cheesecake! And whatever you do, don't taste it until it is cold.

Chocolate Cherry Cake

So the RS dinner is done. I went with Navajo Tacos and Chocolate Cherry Cake. I bought the scones from a bakery (50 was too many for from-scratch) and the chili was canned...nothing exciting. But this cake--I should have taken a picture before there were no leftovers. It took 3 minutes to stir it up and 5 minutes for the frosting, which was very fudge-like. It was so moist and decadent. The lady across from me even called it "luscious"!

Chocolate Cherry Cake:
18 oz. box chocolate cake mix (I used devil's food)
21 oz. can cherry pie filling
1 tsp. almond extract (I ran out of this last week and therefore left it out. I am sure it would enhance the maraschino-ness...)
2 eggs
Stir carefully by hand just until moist. I mixed wet first, then added the box mix. Spread evenly into a greased 9x13. Bake at 350* about 35 min.
frosting:
1 c. white sugar
6 T. butter (no subs)
1/3 c. milk
1 c. chocolate chips
Bring sugar, butter and milk to a boil for one minute. Stir in chips until smooth and pour immediately over hot cake. Cool and serve.

RS Birthday Dinner Menu

Last March, I was put in charge of planning the Relief Society Birthday Dinner. Because of the program, it was to be a four-course meal for sixty people. I was given a budget of $100. Did I stay under my limit? The answer is no. I spent 52 cents more. I will admit, though, that it was meatless. But with these pretty babies, no one noticed.

Course one--Fruit Kabobs
You know, skewers and fresh fruit. Grapes and apples in two colors, pineapple and melons.

Course two--Dinner Salad
Lettuce, shredded carrot, grape tomatoes & cucumber slices. Oh, and my famous "Rancher Bob" dressing.

Course three--Lasagna Rollups
Super-impressive and very easy. Rhodes' roll on the side brushed with olive oil & garlic salt.

Course four--Strawberry Shortcake
Purchased angel food or pound cake, topped with strawberry sauce and whip cream.

Now here comes January. That means another RS dinner to plan (and again in March). Spaghetti is off limits because the boy scouts do that in February. If you have any super ideas, leave them in my comments box, otherwise, we may have a repeat potato bar...

Save room for the best part!

And here I stash my favorite desserts!

Dole's Strawberry Sauce:
1/2 c. orange juice
1 T. cornstarch
2 c. frozen strawberries, quartered
1/4 c. sugar
1 T. marmalade (opt.)
Mix in a large sauce pan. Heat all to boiling & thickened. Cool and serve chilled. Fresh berries work also, don't leave out the OJ and I have never used marmalade (but I did use apricot jam once and that was fine).


Another RS dessert--super moist and a little bit lite, too!
Pineapple Orange Cake:
18 oz. box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
11 oz. can mandarin oranges
1/2 c. oil
Blend with a handheld mixer for 3-5 minutes. Bake in a greased 9x13 dish at 325* for 45 min. Cool completely.
Frosting:
20 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 oz. box sugar-free instant vanilla pudding
12 oz. lite whipped topping, thawed
First, scoop off 1/2 c. of the pineapple. I know that sounds odd. The original recipe called for a 16 oz. can of crushed, which I have never found or maybe it was that I didn't want to pay for two 8 oz. cans...Now blend all ingredients on low for 3 min. Frost cake and store overnight in the fridge. Fruit in cake is kind of a thing for me, huh?

In Honor of Thanksgiving

Eggless Eggnog: One package (the big one) instant french vanilla pudding mix. We use sugar-free and it is fine. Two quarts milk (1 % in our family). First blend or stir the pudding mix and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg into 2 cups milk and 2 tsp. vanilla til there are no more lumps. Before it thickens, pour into a large pitcher and add the rest of the milk, stirring well. Refrigerate for an hour or until nice and thick. Presto!

We like to water regular eggnog down with milk anyway, but if you like it on the sweet side, I suggest you add 1/2 c. sugar in with the pudding mix and as REAL eggnog is an alcoholic drink, a few drops rum extract would be fine.

If you and your apple pie recipe are in a committed relationship, break it off now. You will never use it again! Although there are three steps to this one, they are all quick and easy and there is no rolling of the crusts. Trust me, you won't be the same.

Brown Bag Apple Pie!
Crust: 1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. oil
2 Tbs. cold milk
Combine and press onto bottom and sides of a 9" or 10" pie plate.
Filling: 4 c. peeled, sliced apples (heaping)
1/2 c. sugar
2 Tbs. flour
1/2 tsp. each cinnamon and nutmeg
Combine and toss. Mound into pie crust.
Topping: 1/2 c. each flour and sugar
1/2 c. cold margarine
Combine flour and sugar, cut in margarine until crumbly. Sprinkle over pie. Preheat oven to 350*. Now for the fun part! Take a brown paper bag and set it open on the floor. Carefully lower the pie into it until it rests on the floor. Now place the bag on the counter and fold the top down once or twice until it will sit and fit on the lowest rack in your oven. Staple closed. Place bag into your preheated oven and bake for 1 hour and 45 min. Do not open the bag until it is baked and has cooled 5 min. I know what you are thinking, but I have done this in gas and electric ovens and it does not catch fire. I do recommend, however, that you don't leave the house while baking. You will suddenly say to yourself, "What is that smell?" and race into the kitchen. Rest assured, it is the smell of hot brown bag. Nothing is burning. The smell is quickly replaced by the heavenly aroma of apples and you will not be sorry. Don't forget vanilla ice cream.

I use 5 or 6 large granny smiths or a combo with braeburn or fuji, but it's so good, you could use red d's and get away with it.