Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

Friday’s Fresh Five! (3/26/10)

Posted in In The Kitchen, inspiration, Photography, Recipes, Travel, tagged , , , , , , , , , on March 26, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I have a contest winner! Someone has correctly guessed the subject matter of my mystery photo! Check next week’s posts for the full story!

Many of my friends and and some of my family are traveling during spring vacation. My daughter is leaving her studies in Greece to visit Egypt and Jordan this week and all I can say is – I am so envious!! To temporarily satiate my travel bug, I’ve come up with a few ways to escape.

#1 – Grab Your Laptop and Camera and Go!!
“Have you dreamed of being able to live and work anywhere you want to? What about traveling the world while earning a living with just a laptop and an Internet connection? Such is the life of a digital nomad. It’s usually exciting, sometimes glamorous, and always inspiring.” You’ll want to pack your suitcase after viewing the colorful, travel-inspiring photos featured in this article “50 Photos to Inspire Life as a Digital Nomad.”

#2 – Say “Please” in Twelve Languages
While you’re traveling, remember to say “please” along the way.

Italian: Per favore
French: S’il vous plaît
Romanian: Va rog
German: Bitte
Spanish: Por favor
Swedish: Vänligen
Czech: Prosím
Greek: Parakaló
Chinese: Mm goi (Cantonese)
Hawaiian: ‘Olu ‘olu
Polish: Prosze
Russian: Pozhaluista

#3 – Brown Sugar
Wanted to make cookies for your trip, but ran out of brown sugar and realized your neighbor was away on vacation? What to do? Just make your own by following these recipes!

Light Brown Sugar: Mix together 1 cup granulated sugar with 1-1/2 tablespoons molasses.

Dark Brown Sugar: Mix together 1 cup granulated sugar with 1/4 cup molasses.

Both recipes make one cup.

#4 – Escape Via the Written Word
At www.thedebutanteball.com authors who have a book debut this year offer their insights on writing. The site states, ” Welcome to The Debutante Ball, a group blog for debut authors, now in its fourth season. Join us daily for our takes on bookish and not-so-bookish topics and celebrate with us as our debuts approach.”

The site is loaded with links to sites that assist writers, but it also has a list of book-related sites such as book bloggers and book websites. It features interviews with famous authors and soon-to-be famous authors. I found it a great place to just nose around, read a little, and discover new books!

#5 – A Quote You Can’t Escape From
I don’t run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run toward it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your feet.
Nadia Comaneci

Hope you have an opportunity this weekend to escape and do something wonderful for yourself!

Read Full Post »

The Whole Hole in the Bowl

Posted in In The Kitchen, Recipes, tagged , , , , , on March 22, 2010| Leave a Comment »


Today’s post came about as I listened to one of my sons tell me how much he enjoys making “Hole in the Wall” for breakfast. “Hole in the Wall” is basically a piece of bread with a hole in the center. The buttered bread is placed in a hot skillet and an egg is dropped into the hole and cooked to perfection.

This talk of toast and eggs made me think about all the times that I’ve salivated while listening to my husband and his siblings nostalgically describe their Grammy’s breakfast dish called “Bu-Bu Eggs.” After buttering a slice of toast and tearing it into bite-sized pieces, a soft-boiled egg was gently mixed into the bread and then sprinkled with salt, pepper, and a little Maggi Seasoning Sauce. For those of you not familiar with Maggi Seasoning Sauce, it is a condiment which originated in Europe, but became very popular in Asia, and is steadily gaining popularity in all parts of the world. It is dark brown in color and tastes like a cross between soy sauce and beef bouillon. The main ingredient is hydrolyzed vegetable protein, which is a commonly found ingredient in bouillon cubes.

Discussing eggs and toast can make a person hungry, so I decided to make a “Hole in the Bowl” of my own to eat. Here’s my recipe for it – which I adapted from an All You recipe:

Hole in the Bowl
Ingredients:
Crusty dinner rolls, one roll per serving
Large eggs, one per roll
Butter, melted
Chopped mixed herbs, such as parsley, chives, tarragon, basil
Heavy cream, about 1-2 tablespoons per roll
Salt and pepper
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Using a serrated knife, slice off the top of each dinner roll evenly and cut a circle approximately a half-inch from the edge of each bread roll. Gently remove some bread until there is a hole large enough to accommodate an egg. (This step is much like you would do if you were hollowing out a large sourdough bowl for spinach dip).

2. Paint melted butter on the interior of the bread bowls and on the inside of the lids. Arrange rolls on a rimmed baking sheet. Reserve tops.

3. Carefully crack an egg into each roll. You don’t want the yolk to break. Pour a bit of cream gently around the egg yolk being careful not to let it overflow. Sprinkle with herb mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

3. Bake until eggs are set and bread is toasted: 15 minutes for a slightly runny egg or 20 minutes for a more hard-boiled type egg. After eggs have cooked for either 15 or 20 minutes, place buttered bread tops on baking sheet along side the bread bowls and bake until golden brown, about another 5 minutes. Take baking sheet out of the oven and let sit for a couple of minutes. Place tops on rolls and serve warm.

These photos aren’t the best, but let me just say – I devoured the whole Hole in the Bowl!  I dare you to say that quickly five times in a row! Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Lemon Cornmeal Cake

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , on March 15, 2010| 3 Comments »

Looking for ways to use up the last few Meyer lemons hanging in my garden, I rediscovered this recipe while rummaging through my 3-foot stack of recipes “to try.” This Lemon Cornmeal Cake With Lemon Glaze and Crushed-Blueberry Sauce by Abigail Johnson Dodge sounded complicated, but was relatively easy to make. With a full tablespoon of lemon zest in the batter and a lemon glaze on top, it did not disappoint in the lemon department. The cornmeal gave the cake a nice rustic texture, too. Although the Crushed-Blueberry Sauce was a beautiful complement in taste and in color, it was not absolutely necessary. It does dress up the cake, however, so if I were serving this at a brunch or as a dessert to company, I would serve it with the sauce. I made a few notes on my copy of the recipe for the next time I make this cake, and believe me, I will be making this cake again!

Linnell’s Adaptation of Lemon Cornmeal Cake With Lemon Glaze and Crushed-Blueberry Sauce

Cake Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup sugar
3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled.

Glaze Ingredients:
Up to 1-1/2 cups packed powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons or more fresh lemon juice
lemon zest, optional

Blueberry Sauce Ingredients:
3 cups fresh or frozen (13-14 ounces, thawed) blueberries, divided
2/3 cup packed golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
pinch of salt

To Make Glaze:
Combine 1 cup of the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in small bowl. Stir with spoon until smooth and paste-like adding more lemon juice by 1/2 teaspoonfuls if glaze is too thick to spread. If too runny, slowly add the last 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, checking periodically to make sure it’s not too sweet. If not serving with the blueberry sauce, add some lemon zest to the glaze. Set aside.

To Make Blueberry Sauce:
Combine 1-1/2 cups blueberries and all remaining ingredients in medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a simmer, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until berries are very soft and liquid is syrupy, stirring often, about 7 more minutes. Remove from heat: add remaining blueberries. Using back of spoon, gently press fresh blueberries against side of pan until lightly crushed. Cover and chill. Serve chilled or rewarm before serving. Can be made 2 days ahead.

Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

To Make the Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×2 round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment. To do this put pan on top of a piece of parchment paper and trace around the bottom of the pan. Cut out parchment circle and insert in the pan.

Melt butter and let cool.

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; whisk to blend. Set aside.

Whisk buttermilk, eggs, lemon peel, and vanilla, in a small bowl. Pour buttermilk mixture and melted butter into the flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold liquids into the flour mixture until just blended – do not stir. Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean and cake pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Remove from oven. Immediately run knife around sides of the cake. Place a rack on top of cake in pan. Using oven mitts, hold pan and flip cake onto rack. Remove pan from cake. Place another rack on bottom of cake and flip it again so that the cake is back to top side up.

Stir glaze until blended. While cake is still very hot, drop glaze by tablespoons onto cake and spread to 1/2-inch of edge. Cool completely. Serve with Crushed-Blueberry Sauce if desired.

Serves 8-10

Read Full Post »

Strudel Sticks

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , on March 8, 2010| 1 Comment »

Strudel Sticks are delicate bits of puff pastry wrapped around a refreshing lemon cream cheese filling. Great as a breakfast finger food, unless you have manners and insist on using a knife and fork! They are delicious and so easy to make you’ll want to find excuses to make them! Brunch anyone?

Linnell’s Strudel Sticks
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 heaping cup of granulated sugar
2 tsp. lemon zest
1 pkg. (17.3 oz) frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
Coarse sugar
Sliced almonds, optional

Filling:
In a small bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, and lemon zest. Set aside.

Assembly:
1. On a lightly floured surface unfold pastry sheets. Cut each sheet into 5×3-inch rectangles – this is approximately cutting each sheet into six rectangles.

2. Brush edges of rectangles with a little water. Instead of getting out a pastry brush, I just dip my finger into a bowl of water and trace around the perimeter of each rectangle.

3. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling onto each rectangle and spread to within 1/2-inch from edges. This is done easily if you first dip a finger into water to prevent the filling from sticking to your finger and then gently spreading the filling with your finger.

4. Roll jelly roll style, starting from the long side.

5. Pinch edges to seal the seam.

6. Place pastry sticks, seams side down, on a baking sheet that is lightly greased or covered with parchment paper.

7. Make 3-4 diagonal cuts on top of each pastry.

8. Lightly brush with water and sprinkle with coarse sugar and almonds.

9. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or cool.

Makes 12 Strudel Sticks.

Read Full Post »

Asian Cucumber Salad

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , on March 2, 2010| 1 Comment »

Having a child with diabetes, I’m always looking for recipes which use Splenda or in which Splenda can easily be substituted for sugar. Here’s my adaptation of a recipe by Marlene Koch, a registered dietitian.

1/2 cup hot water
1/4 cup Splenda
1/4 cup natural rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sliced green onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1-1/2 pounds cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and sliced (about 2-1/2 cups)
1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded

1. In a large bowl make dressing by whisking the first eight ingredients together.

2. Toss cucumbers and carrots in dressing.

3. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Makes four 1/2 cup servings.

Note: Marlene adds a tip which states, “To keep cucumbers crisp, sprinkle slices with 2 teaspoons of salt and let sit for one hour. Rinse well before adding to recipe and eliminate 1/2 teaspoon salt added to dressing.” I’ve done this procedure before, but in a blind taste test, my family preferred the version in which the cucumbers had not been previously salted to remove water. They thought the cucumbers were crispy enough without the additional step. If you are serving this salad soon after preparation you can probably forgo the salting step. It’s your choice whether to or not!

Read Full Post »

Friday’s Fresh Five! (2/26/10)

Posted in Aging, Community, Helping Others, In The Kitchen, inspiration, Recipes, Style and fashion, tagged , , , , , , , on February 26, 2010| 2 Comments »

The Olympics are almost over! It’s still raining! And the month of February is almost history for 2010! Now it’s time to celebrate the promise of Spring!

#1 – A Photo Sharing Idea
Look into using photo sharing services such as Shutterfly, Photobucket, or Snapfish to bridge the generational-technological photo sharing gap. Your children may post photos on their Facebook page, but these photos are normally inaccessible to grandparents. Some of this is on purpose, of course, because some photos just shouldn’t be seen by other generations! There are some photos, however, that grandparents would enjoy viewing. Have your child set up a photo sharing account and post photos he/she would like to share with his/her grandparents and then email the link to the grandparents. An added bonus is that grandparents can order print copies of photos if they wish.

#2 – Rules For Leftovers
These guidelines are from my most recent issue of Nutrition Action and are worth reviewing:

2 Hours from oven to refrigerator.
Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. Otherwise throw them away.

2 Inches thick to cool it quick.
Store food at a shallow depth – about 2 inches – to speed chilling.

4 Days in the Refrigerator – otherwise freeze it.
Use leftovers from the refrigerator within 4 days. Exception: use stuffing and gravy within 2 days. Reheat solid leftovers to 165 degrees F and liquid leftovers to a rolling boil. Toss what you don’t finish.

#3 – Fashion Trends
I  just watched Fashionair’s spring summer 2010 trend video and I have to say it’s a mixed bag. Here are my comments about the trends:

Sports – Layered tanks and asymmetrical sports bras are on the runway. This look is better left in the gym or on the track.

White Out – Fresh and clean looking with different whites together, but why not pop the white with some pretty spring color?

Utility and Khaki – This style is really in right now. Cargo pants and military and utility-looking tops. Style is okay, but color is drab, drab, drab.

Lingerie – Corsets, bustiers, and lace. I’ve never been a fan of wearing undergarments on the outside.

Trouser Gown – A  fashion hybrid that I actually thought was well done.

Digi Prints – These printed fabrics could be colorful and interesting.

YouthQuake – Mini and madcap – not for this over fifty chick!

Trench – Not new, but everywhere. One of the few trends I like because of the dress-up or dress-down ability.

#4 – No Sour Cream or Buttermilk?
Your recipe calls for a cup of sour cream, but you don’t have any? Just substitute cottage cheese. To 1 cup of cottage cheese add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1/3 cup of butter milk and blend until smooth.  If you don’t have buttermilk just add one tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice to one cup of milk.

#5 – A Positive Quote
“How you think about a problem is more important than the problem itself. So always think positively.”
Norman Vincent Peale

Enjoy the last few days of February!

Note: The opening photo of a Peace rosebud is for my friend Michelle, an aspiring painter of roses!

Read Full Post »

Good Morning Cake!

Posted in In The Kitchen, Recipes, tagged , , , , , on February 22, 2010| 1 Comment »

Although my internal body clock wakes me up at almost the same time every morning, I am just not a morning person – never have been and don’t think I ever will be. Because of this, I never go skiing or take advantage of after-holiday sales. However, I do like morning food! One of my favorite coffee cake recipes comes from a cookbook aptly titled Morning Food by Margaret S. Fox, the former owner-chef of Cafe Beaujolais in Mendocino. This coffee cake makes any morning infinitely better!

Buttermilk-Cinnamon Coffee Cake
2 1/4 cups white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup corn oil
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk

Mix together in a large bowl the flour, salt, l tsp. of the cinnamon, ginger, both sugars, and corn oil. Remove 3/4 cup of this mixture, and to it add the nuts and the remaining l tsp. of cinnamon. Mix well, and set aside to use as a topping.

To the remaining batter, add the baking soda, baking powder, egg, and buttermilk. Mix to combine all ingredients. Small lumps in the batter are okay.

Pour the batter into a well-greased 9x13x2-inch pan. Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the surface. Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes.

Makes 12 servings

Read Full Post »

Friday’s Fresh Five! (2/19/10)

Posted in Gardening, In The Kitchen, inspiration, Photography, Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , , , on February 19, 2010| Leave a Comment »

The saying, “Stop and smell the roses,” is one we’ve heard many times before, but do we actually do it? Most of us get stuck on autopilot day after day and do not take time to appreciate the beauty in things around us. Sometime back I took such a moment to capture this daylily at it’s prime. It was delicate in appearance, yet strong in stature, and I marveled at how the sun’s spotlight gave it an ethereal glow. In the back of my mind there was sad acknowledgment that even the most magnificent of daylilies lasts only one day, but my consolation was that I was a witness to its glory.

#1 – Speaking of Roses
In a tattered and yellowed newspaper article that I’ve kept in my rose journal for years, Don and Mary Marshall, members of a rose society said, “Early spring, just after pruning, is the time to scatter a tablespoon or two of Epsom salts around the dripline of the plant. Several generous handfuls of alfalfa meal may also be added at this time, lightly scratched into the soil and watered in.” I’ve added these supplements to my roses in the past and have been happily rewarded with healthy plants and luscious blooms.

#2 – Gives Me Hope
At GivesMeHope: Life Is Beautiful Today! read entries posted by people regarding things in life that give them hope. With all the negative news in the world, it was refreshing to read some of the uplifting entries.

Here’s an example:
I work with kindergarten children, and when a little girl wet her pants, we decided to give her dress up clothes to wear.

She was very upset and embarrassed so a little boy in the class put on a cinderella dress and held her hand the rest of the day, saying “look – everyone’s laughing at ME!”

His kindness gmh (gives me hope).

#3 – A Kitchen Tip
If you are making a recipe that requires Italian Seasoning and you don’t have any on hand, just make your own by mixing together 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. marjoram, 1 tsp. thyme, 1 tsp. basil, 1 tsp. rosemary, and 1 tsp. sage. Store any unused spice in an airtight container.

#4 – Got Ants?
Many years ago one of my friends called out a pest control company to help her get rid of ants. The exterminator told her to use Terro. She passed this advice on to me and I’ve found it to be a very effective product. Don’t buy the Terro Ant Baits. Buy the Terro bottle in the box that has the cardboard circles that you tear off. Squeeze out enough Terro to fill the circle and place the cardboard circle near where the ants are entering. Obviously, do not put Terro in areas where children or pets can reach it. Ants will come and swarm the glob of Terro and take it back to the nest. Patience and restraint are virtues here; it takes time for the ants to discover the Terro circle and it’s not a good thing to kill the ants you see crawling around, because they have to be alive to take the poison back to the nest!

#5 – Quote For The Day
Nothing is worth more than this day.
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Stop and enjoy something beautiful this weekend!

Read Full Post »

Friday’s Fresh Five! (2/12/10)

Posted in Holidays, inspiration, Recipes, tagged , , , , , on February 12, 2010| Leave a Comment »

With Chinese New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, and President’s Day creating a triple-treat long weekend for us, what’s not to celebrate? Having posted about the first two holidays, I feel it would be remiss of me not to write a post about President’s Day. Although President’s Day is specifically a celebration of George Washington’s birthday, I’d like to pay homage to some of our other American Presidents as well.

#1 – Why I Would Have Voted for George Washington
Any man who says this about his mother gets my vote: “My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.”

#2 – Presidential-related Biographical Novels
I’ve always enjoyed reading historical fiction and Irving Stone’s novels are among some of my favorites:

LOVE IS ETERNAL: A Novel of Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln

THOSE WHO LOVE: A Biographical Novel of Abigail and John Adams

THE PRESIDENT’S LADY: A Novel about Rachel and Andrew Jackson

#3 – Presidential Trivia Quiz
Courtesy of Apples4theteacher.com:

1. Who was the only bachelor president?
a. James Buchanan
b. James Monroe
c. Andrew Johnson
d. James Polk

2. Who was the heaviest president?
a. Grover Cleveland
b. Ulysses S. Grant
c. James Madison
d. William Taft

3. Who was the oldest elected president?
a. George Washington
b. Thomas Jefferson
c. Ronald Reagan
d. Woodrow Wilson

4. Which president was NOT born or did NOT die on the 4th of July?
a. John Adams
b. Calvin Coolidge
c. Thomas Jefferson
d. Benjamin Harrison

5. Which president was related by either blood or marriage to eleven other presidents?
a. John Quincy Adams
b. Franklin D. Roosevelt
c. Benjamin Harrison
d. John Kennedy

6. Which president was the youngest person to become president?
a. John F. Kennedy
b. Franklin Pierce
c. Theodore Roosevelt
d. William Clinton

7. Which president did not die in office?
a. Millard Fillmore
b. Franklin D. Roosevelt
c. Warren Harding
d. Zachary Taylor

8. Which president’s face is not part of Mt. Rushmore?
a. Thomas Jefferson
b. Franklin D. Roosevelt
c. George Washington
d. Theodore Roosevelt

Answers:
1. James Buchanan was the only bachelor president. He was the 15th president.

2. The heaviest president was William Taft, who weighed 300-340 pounds. He was the 27th president.

3. Ronald Reagan was the oldest elected president at age 69. He was the 40th president.

4. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day – July 4, 1826. Calvin Coolidge was BORN on July 4, 1872. Benjamin Harrison died on March 13, 1901. He was the 23rd president.

5. John Quincy Adams was the son of the 2nd president, John Adams. Benjamin Harrison was the grandson of the 9th president, William Harrison. Franklin D. Roosevelt was related by either blood or marriage to eleven other presidents: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Ulysses S. Grant, William Henry Harrison, Benjamin Harrison, James Madison, Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, Zachary Taylor, Martin Van Buren, and George Washington. He was the 32nd president.

6. The youngest person to become president was Theodore Roosevelt, who, as vice-president, took over the office when William McKinley was assassinated. Roosevelt was 42 years of age. He was the 26th president. Kennedy was the youngest ELECTED president, but not the youngest to become president.

7. Millard Fillmore served from 1850-1854. He died in 1874. He was the 13th president.

8. Mt. Rushmore honors 4 past presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the 32nd president.

#4 – A Presidential Soup Recipe
Here’s a recipe for Laura Bush’s Bake Potato Soup, courtesy of Presidential Recipes:
6 cups left over mashed potatoes
2 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 lb. of bacon, diced, cooked and drained well
1 large red pepper, diced
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup chives, minced
4 tbsp. sour cream approximately
2-3 cups of whipping cream, half and half or milk
Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, saute onions and red pepper over medium heat in 2 tablespoons butter until onions are clear. Add bacon, potatoes and whipping cream to desired consistency.

Skim milk or chicken stock may be used to reduce calories. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a garnish of a dollop of sour cream, grated cheese and chives.

#5 – Presidential Quotes
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
Theodore Roosevelt

“He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.”
Abraham Lincoln

“Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” Thomas Jefferson

“Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
John F. Kennedy

Enjoy your long weekend!

Read Full Post »

Equal Time For Fortune Cookies

Posted in Art and Crafts, Creativity, Holidays, Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , on February 10, 2010| Leave a Comment »

My last post was all about Valentine’s cookies, but this coming Sunday, February the 14th, is not only Valentine’s Day, it’s also the first day of the Chinese new year 4707. According to the L.A. Times, “This is a rare convergence — it’s only the third time since 1900 – and it won’t happen again until after 2030. Added to that, it’s the year of the Tiger, which traditionally symbolizes great passion.”

So why not celebrate both passion-filled holidays at the same time? Here are a few ideas for ways to incorporate these two distinct holidays into your upcoming holiday meal planning and table decorating:

1. Using Paula Deen’s recipe make your own fortune cookies and fill them with romantic fortunes. Even better, whether homemade or store bought, dip the ends of fortune cookies into melted chocolate, then dip into toppings of your choice such as Valentine-colored sprinkles, chopped nuts, coconut shavings, or finely chopped white chocolate. Let cool. Serve for dessert.

2. Decorate Chinese take out boxes with stickers or use rubber stamps and emboss the boxes. Place one at each place setting and serve fresh salad or delicious pasta inside of them. Stick in a pair of chopsticks and you’re good to go!

3. Make Chinese fortune cookies out of felt a la Martha Stewart and tuck Hershey Kisses and personalized fortunes into them. Scatter these on the dining table, place them in a bowl, or use them as party favors.

4. Use rice in your candlescapes by arranging candle pillars on a platter and pour and smooth white rice around them.

5. Set your table with napkins folded to resemble fortune cookies.

Materials Needed:
Solid-colored light brown or tan-colored cloth napkins
Paper strips and pens or computer printed fortunes

How to Fold Fortune Cookie Napkins:
A. Place napkin completely flat, right side down on an even surface.

B. Bring lower edge up about one third of the napkin height.

C. Fold down the top of the already folded napkin so that the top third of the napkin covers the bottom third. You should have a rectangle at this point.

D. Hold your thumb at the center top of the rectangle and fold the right half under itself and pull down so it extends about 3 inches below the edge of the rectangle.

E. Repeat a mirror image fold with the left half.

F. Fold up each of the two corners of the left tail so that they meet at the base of the large triangle and form a new triangle with the point at the bottom. Repeat with the right tail.

G. Fold the left tail up so that it touches the top point of the large triangle and creates a rectangle.

H. Fold the rectangle in half to form your fortune cookie. Turn it over so that the slit side is up. Place “giant” paper fortunes in them.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »