Last Thursday was my turn to host book club. I was very excited. We had read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. In honor of the book, I served three foods that had something to do with the book in some small way. OK, one of the foods had nothing to do with the book, but I served it anyway.

The Guernsey book club was hastily formed to protect a group of friends after they roasted a pig secretly. Guernsey was occupied by the Germans during World War II and all livestock was confiscated. It was illegal for them to slaughter and eat this hidden pig so when a few German soldiers found them after curfew, Elizabeth (one of the main characters in the book) quickly thought up a lie to protect them. She told them that they had been meeting to discuss books and had lost track of time. When the German soldiers expressed interest in joining them at their next meeting, they quickly formed a REAL book club which helped them emotionally survive the war years.

To celebrate the roasted pig in this book, I made what I lovingly call "Heart Attacks on a Stick." The REAL title is "Bacon-Wrapped Cocktail Sausages" from Our Best Bites web site.

Bacon-Wrapped Cocktail Sausages

1 14- oz. package of Lit'l Smokies
1 12 oz. package of lean bacon
3/4 c. brown sugar

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Using kitchen shears, cut each strip of bacon into thirds. Wrap each Lit'l Smokie with a cut bacon strip. Secure with toothpick. Sprinkle brown sugar over the sausages. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until bacon is starting to brown. Place in slow cooker and cook on low until ready to serve.

Well, can I say, these little heart attacks were a great hit! The ladies could not stop eating them! Hurray for the great web site where I found this tasty recipe!

I also served pie--but not potato peel pie. That sounded too horrible. The history behind the potato peel pie is that everything was scarce except potatoes. However, what kind of a book club would it be if they didn't serve refreshments? One book club member came up with this questionable recipe. Instead of subjecting everyone to my interpretation of potato peel pie, I made Candy Crunch Pudding Pie. This is a Kraft food recipe and it is yummy!

Candy Crunch Pudding Pie

2 c. cold milk
2 pkg (4 serving size each) Jell-O chocolate flavor instant pudding and pie filling
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip topping, thawed and divided
2 milk chocolate English toffee candy bars such as Heath or Skor, chopped and divided
1 Oreo pie crust
1 square semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

Now this is a pretty easy pie to make, but would you believe that I went to THREE stores to make this pie. The first store did not sell Oreo pie crusts. So I went to store number two. As I was making the pie, I could NOT understand why the pudding was not thick. I kept checking the recipe and I knew I had put in the right amount of milk and pudding. Finally, I looked at the pudding package a little more closely--I had purchased one INSTANT pudding and one COOK and SERVE pudding. So, I went to a third store to buy more pudding filling. OK, now for the rest of the directions.

Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended (mixture will be thick).

This is how it's supposed to look--nice and thick unlike the first batch I made that was as runny as milk.

Gently stir in 1 1/2 c. of whipped topping. Reserve 3 Tbsp of the candy pieces; stir remaining candy pieces into pudding mixture. Spoon into crust.

We could stop at this point and it would be delicious. But, we're not done yet!

Top with remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle with the remaining candy pieces, drizzle with the melted chocolate. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 8 servings.

Doesn't that look tasty?

Finally I served fresh fruit with a yummy fruit dip. They didn't get to enjoy such delicacies during World War II so obviously this had nothing to do with the book--except perhaps in their dreams. However, I wanted to serve SOMETHING healthy and this seemed like a good choice.

Frozen Strawberry Squares

Last night I made my FAVORITE springtime dessert for the second time this season--Frozen Strawberry Squares is its official name but in my family, Frozen Strawberry Dessert is the name of choice.

Last night might be the LAST time I make this tasty treat for awhile because alas--my Bosch broke.

After 25 years of it faithfully churning out yummy chocolate chip cookies, peanut blossoms, M&M cookies, and of course--Frozen Strawberry Dessert, it stopped working. Ron thinks he MIGHT be able to fix it. Ron IS pretty amazing and so I'm hoping and praying that he can perform this little miracle. A new Bosch is pretty pricey and it might be awhile before a new one graces my kitchen.

So, in memory of my Bosch and my favorite springtime dessert here is an absolutely delicious recipe guaranteed to make your taste buds happy. You don't need a Bosch or large mixer to make it, but it sure helps.

Frozen Strawberry Squares

1 c. sifted flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. pecans OR walnuts (we prefer pecans because Ron cannot tolerate walnuts)
1/2 c. margarine, melted

Stir together and spread evenly into shallow baking pan.

This is what it looks like before baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

This is what it looks like after baking.

Sprinkle 2/3 of the crumbs in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish.

For the next step, here are two tips: Make sure your mixing bowl is scrupulously clean. If it has even a slight residue of shortening from the last time you made chocolate chip cookies, it will NOT work. I speak from experience.

Second tip: If your kitchen is warm, place the beaters in the freezer for a few minutes. It will help the whipping process.

2 egg whites
1 c. sugar
2 c. sliced fresh strawberries
2 T. lemon juice
2 c. whipping cream, whipped (or Cool Whip)

The four ingredients prior to beating.

Combine egg whites, sugar, berries, and lemon juice in large bowl. (I mean it--please use a large bowl.) With electric beater, beat at high speed to stiff peaks about 10 minutes. (See why I love my Bosch?) Fold is whipped cream.

See how nice and fluffy the mixture becomes? This is before I added the whipped cream.

Spoon over crumbs. Top with remaining crumbs. Freeze 6 hours or overnight.

Doesn't it look good enough to eat?

Cut into squares. Top with whole strawberries if desired.

Garnishing with chocolate covered strawberries is EVEN better. Enjoy!

Top Favorite Recipes for 2010

One of last year's goals was to try out a minimum of 12 new recipes. There were some real losers such as the Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake mentioned in an earlier post. Emily says that it doesn't even deserve a one half star rating. But others were keepers. Here are my three favorite new recipes for your dining enjoyment. Because I'm generous like that. Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
This recipe is pure dining enjoyment. It's a little bit of heaven here on earth. If you are a sweet and sour fan like our family, you MUST try this recipe. It's that good!

*Serves 4-6

Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Vegetables and fruit:
3 large carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, diagonally sliced
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 can of pineapple, drained well

Bake chicken for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes so it is evenly coated with the sauce. Last 15 minutes of cooking time, add the vegetables and pineapple. Serve over rice.

Broccoli Cheese Bacon Stuffed Potatoes

From Parade Magazine

Wow, that's a mouthful of a title, but it describes this recipe PERFECTLY! I have made this recipe at least a half dozen times in 2010 and it's on the docket for dinner next week. This is perfect for a main course with a salad and fruit on the side. This recipe always brings happy memories because shortly after eating it the first time, I got the BEST birthday surprise EVER! Less than an hour later my darling daughters (and their significant others) showed up from Utah. Maybe that's why I'm such a fan.

4 large russet poatoes
4 T. butter
3/4 c. cottage cheese or 1/2 c. sour cream (I like it better with the cottage cheese.)
6 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
8 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
1 1/2 c. cooked, chopped broccoli
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prick the potatoes with a knife and bake them on a foil-lined baking sheet until tender; about an hour. Remove potatoes from oven.

2. Cut off and discard (or munch) the top quarter of each potato. Scoop out the flesh and mash it with the butter, cottage cheese or sour cream, and cheddar cheese. Stir in the bacon and broccoli and pile the stuffing back into the potato skins.

3. Bake another 20 to 30 minutes; or until browned and piping hot.

Broccoli and Chicken Casserole

Several years ago, my family compiled a family cookbook. I finally tried my sister Karen's delightful recipe. She calls it simply, Broccoli Casserole, but I've added chicken to the title to help describe it in all it's glorious goodness. I need to make this casserole again soon! It is a dreamy delight and perfect served over rice.

2 BIG bunches of broccoli, cut up quite chunky. (According to my sister Karen, the broccoli is the BEST part! Some members of my immediate family might disagree, but I think it is quite good, too.)
2 cans of cream of chicken soup (fat free works well for this recipe.)
1/2 c. low fat mayo. (OK, if you must use the full fat variety, that will work, too. But only use mayo. Do not substitute with Miracle Whip.)
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. curry (the secret ingredient)
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. Bread croutons. (Karen says to make these croutons, take the thick "Texas Bread" and toast in a toaster or broil them briefly in the oven. Cut the toast into 1" cubes. Saute the cubes in 2 T. butter. Delicious!) (OK, Karen says she lied! The broccoli isn't the BEST part, but the croutons are. She usually doubles the amount of croutons she uses--it's that good. I agree that it is the BEST part!)

1. Cook broccoli slightly (half cooked) Line the broccoli at the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.

2. Cook chicken and cube into chunks. Put on top of the broccoli.

3. Combine soups, mayo, curry, and lemon juice. Spoon over top of chicken. Sprinkle with cheese.

4. Place croutons on top.

5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover and continue baking another 10 minutes.

There you go! Three meals that should please your taste buds!

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Ron isn't home every night for dinner, so when he is, I want it to be special. Recently he told me he was in the mood for some type of Alfredo dish. I went to Allrecipes.com web site and found the following recipe. It is not healthy, but it tastes very good and great for an occasional meal. I would give it 4 1/2 stars out of 5.

This recipe takes some time to prepare and cook so it's best saved for a more leisurely evening. It makes a lot though and the leftovers are very good.

Enjoy!

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Ready in 1 hour Serves 8

Ingredients:

3 large boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into cubes
6 T. butter, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 T. Italian seasoning
1 pound fettuccine pasta
1 onion, diced
1 (8 oz) packaged sliced mushrooms
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 T salt
3/4 tsp. ground white pepper
3 cups milk (I used skim to make this a little healthier.)
1 c. half-and-half
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz. shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 c. sour cream (I used nonfat)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat combine chicken, 2 tablespoons butter, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove from skillet and set aside.

This smells great as it's cooking!

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al-dente, drain.


3. Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in large saucepan. Saute onion, 3 tablespoons garlic and mushrooms until onions are translucent.

Don't these mushrooms look tasty?

4. Stir in flour, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes.

5. Slowly add milk and half and half; stirring until smooth and creamy.


6. Stir in Parmesan and Colby-Monterey Jack cheeses; stir until cheese is melted.


7. Stir in chicken mixture, tomatoes, and sour cream.

Serve over hot cooked fettuccine.

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Mondays are piano lesson day at my home. I finish teaching around 5:30 pm. I don't particularly feel like fixing something elaborate that late, so frequently I will fix a slow cooker meal.

Recently I discovered a new recipe in Kraft's Food and Family magazine. Our family enjoyed it a lot and I will definitely be making this again. It may seem a little strange to have oval (or round shaped) lasagna, but don't let the shape of the dish fool you. This is a very easy and tasty recipe. I cook this recipe in a medium sized slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Prep: 15 minutes Cook on low: 6 hours Total: 6 hours 15 minutes
Serves 8

1 lb. ground beef
1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
1 15 oz. container of Ricotta cheese
7 oz. Mozzarella Cheese, divided (about 3 cups)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1 egg
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Brown meat in large skillet, drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and water. Set aside.
Mix ricotta, 1 1/2 c. mozzarella, 2 Tbsp Parmesan, egg, and parsley.

Spoon 1 cup meat sauce into slow cooker; top with layers of half each of the noodles, broken to fit, and cheese mixture. Cover with 2 cups of the remaining meat sauce. Top with remaining noodles, broken to fit, cheese mixture and meat sauce. Cover with lid.

Cook on LOW 4 to 6 hours or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses, let stand covered, about 10 minutes or until melted.

NOTE: For best results, do not cook on the HIGH setting.