Patriotic Fruit Pizza Cookies

"My patriotic heart beats red, white and blue." - Author Unknown

These cookies are good for patriotic holidays, campaign events, etc. Any time you want to wave the flag and eat dessert at the same time.

Recipe:
Makes: about 32 cookies

• 2 packages ready-made Pillsbury Sugar Cookie dough
• 2 containers Whipped Cream Cheese
• Any flavor jam (strawberry or raspberry work best)
• Fruit for topping (berries, etc.)

Slice dough into rounds, so that you get at least 16 slices from each package. Lay out on baking sheets and bake according to package directions, allow to cool. Spread a layer of whipped cream cheese on top of each cookie. Wash fruit thoroughly, dry, and lay in a small arrangement on the cookie, being careful not to completely cover the cream cheese (see picture). Melt 1/4 cup jam completely in the microwave or a small saucepan, adding more if needed, and brush the top of the fruit on each cookie. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Pot of Gold entrelac knitted purse

"Our purses shall be proud, our garments poor: For 'tis the mind that makes the body rich; and as the sun breaks through the darkest clouds, so honor peereth in the meanest habit." - The Taming of the Shrew, Act IV, scene iii, William Shakespeare

As I've already mentioned, I love Entrelac knitting. Here, I used it to make a purse, which was a little complicated but turned out well.

You will need:

• Yarn: about 300or so yards of a primary, dark color and 100 yd. or less of gold color. Yarn weight: worsted
• U.S. size 9 or 10 knitting needles
• Purse handles
• Darning needle
• About 1/2 yd. Polyester mix fabric for lining, in complementing color
• needle and thread in corresponding color to fabric
• Optional: crochet hook and button for making purse closure

 Cast on 36 stitches. Knit in sections of 6 stitches for this entrelac pattern. Follow the directions on this link, but take heed to my directions below for obtaining the color changes.

After knitting the first three rows, on the fourth row - knit one section of 6 stitches in the primary color, cut primary yarn and attach gold yarn, knit four sections. Cut gold yarn and reattach primary yarn, knit last section of 6 stitches.
Knit two rows of entrelac in primary color, repeat as with gold yarn. Knit two more rows of entrelac in primary color, then repeat as with gold yarn one more time.
Knit fifteen more rows in primary color, then bind off according to the directions above. Fold knitted panel over face-down with the wrong side out, and sew the left and right sides together using the darning needle and primary color yarn. Turn purse right side out. Take polyester mix fabric, measure and cut for the purse lining, place fabric panels facing each other, wrong side out, and sew sides together - Do not turn right side out. Place lining inside purse, turn top edge of fabric over, and sew to inside edge of knitted purse using regular sewing needle and corresponding thread. Attach handles to purse using darning needle and primary color yarn to sew into place.
For purse closure: Sew button on one edge of purse, in the middle of the space between the sides of the purse handle. Using primary color yarn and a crochet hook, create a crochet chain long enough to reach the button from the opposite edge of the bag. Sew the two ends to the opposite side of the bag, across from the button, and place this loop over the button to close the bag.

Good luck!

Hawaiian Islands Chicken Salad

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent." - John Donne

You don't have to be on an island (or be an island, for that matter) to make and adore this tasty chicken salad.

Recipe:

•  2 3-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
• Kool Whip
• 1/3 cup Miracle Whip
• Marshmallow Cream
• 1 8-oz. can pineapple tidbits, juice reserved
• 3 5-oz. cans chunk chicken, drained
• 1 8-oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 cup blanched, slivered almonds
• Dried cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups halved seedless grapes

 In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Mix in Miracle Whip and pineapple juice, and add the Kool Whip and Marshmallow Cream according to taste, until smooth and creamy. Stir in pineapple, chicken, oranges, almonds, grapes and cranberries until evenly coated. Chill until serving.

Aloha!

Silken Samarcand Cinnamon Buns

"With jellies smoother than the creamy curd/and lucent syrops, tinct with cinnamon;/Manna and Dates, in argosy transferr'd/from Fez; and spiced dainties, every one,/From silken Samarcand to cedar'd Lebanon." - from The Eve of St. Agnes, John Keats

Cinnamon Buns are a tasty harbinger of Fall. If you've ever made bread before, you're over half way to knowing how to make cinnamon buns. When they come out right, it's very delicious and impressive.

Recipe: 

• 2 cups warm whole milk (105 degrees F to 110 degrees F)
• 2 (1/4 oz.) packages active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar, divided
• 5 cups Bread flour
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Frosting:

• 6 tbsp. butter, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp. milk

 In a small bowl, combine warm milk, yeast and 1/4 cup sugar; let stand for 5 minutes
In a medium bowl, combine 5 cups bread flour, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and salt. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine milk mixture, oil and eggs - whisk until just mixed. Gradually add the flour mixture to the milk mixture, stirring by hand with a wooden spoon after each addition - do NOT over-stir. Fit the dough hook to the mixer and mix until dough is soft. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes (add more flour to the surface if dough becomes sticky). Place dough into a large, lightly greased bowl, turning dough over to grease the top. Cover, and let stand in a warm place (85 degrees F.), free from drafts, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until dough has doubled its size. Punch dough down, cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
Lightly grease 2 9x9 inch pans, set aside. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon, set aside. Divide dough in half.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 10x15 inch rectangle, brush dough with half of melted butter. Sprinkle with half of brown sugar mixture, leaving a 1 inch border on the long side of the dough. Roll up dough, starting at long side, jelly-roll fashion, pressing edge to seal. Cut into 1 inch slices, place in prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough, butter and brown sugar mixture. Cover pans, and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees F) for 1 hour, or until double in size.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake rolls for 25 to 30 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes. Invert pans onto serving dishes or baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Frosting: Combine all ingredients in a medium to large mixing bowl, mixing with a hand-held electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Spread frosting on top of hot rolls.
Enjoy!

Jane Austen shawl

"'It is very pretty' said Mr. Woodhouse. 'So prettily done! Just as your drawings always are, my dear. I do not know anybody who draws so well as you do. The only thing I do not thoroughly like is, that she seems to be sitting out of doors, with only a little shawl over her shoulders -- and it makes one think she must catch cold.'
'But, my dear papa, it is supposed to be summer; a warm day in summer. Look at the tree.'" - Emma, Jane Austen

I have a passion for knitted shawls, and am always in search of the best and prettiest pattern. This pattern from Cabin Fever is very pretty, although a little challenging for anyone who has never attempted lace knitting before. However, it is not hard to figure out with a little help from a knitting instruction resource.

The pattern can usually be ordered through most yarn shops, or online at the Cabin Fever website. Here is the link to the pattern.

Wear it outside on a nice Fall day, but don't catch cold!

Italian Eggplant Parmesan

"The trouble with eating Italian food is that, 5 or 6 days later, you're hungry again." - George Miller, British Writer

My blog posting is going to be a bit unscheduled and random these next two weeks, but will hopefully return to normal towards the end of the month.

Eggplant Parmesan is one of my favorite Italian foods - I grew up in a heavily Italian/Mediterranean area, and have developed an intense love of this particular cuisine.

Recipe:

• 1 Eggplant, peeled, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
• Flour
• Oil
• Milk
• Seasoned Salt
• 1 lb. Spaghetti Sauce
• 1/2 lb. hamburger
• 1/4 cup grape jelly
• 1 14-oz. can stewed, sliced tomatoes
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• Crumbled Parmesan cheese

 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Moisten eggplant with milk and coat lightly in flour mixed with a little seasoned salt. Brown slices in oil on both sides, until tender when pierced with a fork, and transfer to jelly-roll pan lined with parchment paper. Cover loosely with foil and bake in oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. Use about 8 to 16 slices for this amount of sauce.
2. Brown the hamburger in a skillet. In a saucepan, combine the sauce, jelly and tomatoes, breaking tomatoes up with a fork. Add the browned hamburger. Heat on medium heat until hot, but not bubbling, making sure the jelly is melted.
3. You can either make regular eggplant Parmesans, or "stackers" - for the former, using only 8 eggplant slices, place a good sized helping of mozzarella on the eggplant slice and top with just enough sauce to cover the whole thing, but not overflow.
For the "stackers," using 16 eggplant slices, place the mozzarella on the first slice, top with a second slice, and ladle enough sauce on top to cover the whole thing without overflowing too much.
Leave the assembled eggplants on the jelly-roll pan, and place back in the hot oven for about 3 minutes or so to melt the cheese. Serve promptly, garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve with pasta on the side, if desired.
Enjoy!

Down Home Chicken Corn Soup

"Sometimes I lifted a chicken that warn't roosting comfortable, and took him along. Pap always said, take a chicken when you get a chance, because if you don't want him yourself you can easy find somebody that does, and a good deed ain't ever forgot. I never see Pap when he didn't want the chicken himself, but that is what he used to say, anyway." - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain

"Knee-high by the Fourth of July" - American corn farming maxim

This soup is absolutely delicious during cold seasons, but is best made in summer, during the height of corn season. And in Fall. And Spring. Pretty much whenever you need a taste of home is a good time to make a huge pot of it.

Recipe: 

• 6 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 6 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1-lbs. can cream style corn
• 6 ears of fresh corn
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup half and half
• 2 tbsp. shredded carrot
• 1 tbsp. finely minced parsley
• 2 pinches ground cloves
• 1 cup dried Spaetzel
• 1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken

 In large saucepan, cook butter, onion and celery over medium heat for 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 5 to 6 minutes longer, until mixture is golden. Add broth and whisk until smooth, raising the heat a little. With a sharp knife, take the ears of corn one by one and, holding them with one end sitting on a cutting board, cut the corn off all around the cob. Add ALL the remaining ingredients except for the chicken, the fresh corn and Spaetzel, lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Add chicken, Spaetzel and fresh corn just before serving - allow soup to stand for a few minutes to heat completely before serving.

Enjoy!