What's Cooking in The Pot? by Mrs. Doubtfire

What's Cooking in The Pot?

Archive for 200712 ( return to current blog )

Saturday December 29, 2007

New Year's Eve Party Ideas

PARTY HOSTING 101

The key to a good New Year's Eve party at home is the same as any (other) party, and that is setting a mood. You need to make sure your guests feel welcome from the second they walk into the door. You need to greet them, offer them a cocktail or a beverage, and there needs to be food immediately ... Then, it's (all about) setting a party mood in your house.

To set the mood, I recommend dimming the lights and getting the music going early. Be sure to do a little festive decorating and have party hats and noisemakers to encourage the fun.

Having a few activities planned and some games handy isn't a bad idea, either.

Charades lets people be silly, and they're more likely to be silly on New Year's Eve than other nights. And Twister, especially if it's a bunch of singles - need I say more? Monopoly and Life are too time-consuming and require too much thought. Save those for a family game night.

Want another tip? Keep things sexy but simple.

If you're not asking people to dress up, you might suggest to them in the invite that you want them to maybe do creative dressing or creative festive. Maybe you're going to get guys in jeans and bowties; you might get women in jeans and feather boas, but someone's going to step it up.

MIND YOUR MANNERS

And if you're planning on going to a party at a friend's house this year, be the life of the party without killing it.

Everyone has an obligation to be a fun guest. If your mood's not up, don't go ... And most importantly, no one wants to be stuck with a really drunk guest, because then we have to worry about what to do with you. You become the host's responsibility, and no one wants to ring in the new year like that.

Now that you have the basics out of the way, check out six recipes sure to get your party started this New Year's Eve.

PARTY STARTERS

4 recipes guaranteed to add flavor to your New Year's Eve night!



Tuxedo-ed Strawberries TUXEDO-ED STRAWBERRIES Ingredients * 24 strawberries, stems intact * 11⁄2 cups semisweet chocolate chips * 11⁄2 cups white chocolate chips Instructions 1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Wipe strawberries clean with paper towels. 2. Place semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe glass bowl. Cook on 50 percent power or defrost for 45 seconds. Press finger into chocolate to see if it is melted; if not, heat for another 45 seconds. 3. Repeat process until chocolate is soft. Stir until mixture is smooth. Repeat process with white chocolate chips. 4. Holding one strawberry by its green top, dip three-fourths of the strawberry into melted white chocolate. Let excess chocolate drip off. 5. Repeat with remaining berries. Place on lined sheet. 6. Dip each white chocolate-dipped berry, at an angle, into the semisweet chocolate, creating one side of the “lapel.” 7. Repeat at an angle on the other side of the berry. Place on waxed-paper-lined sheet. 8. Place a small amount of melted semi-sweet chocolate into a small zip-lock bag. Cut the tip off the corner, creating a very small opening. 9. Pipe on buttons and a bow tie. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm, about 1 hour. Makes 24 pieces. “They're easier than they look to do. If you don't feel like you can do this technique, just dip them in melted chocolate chips and call it a day.”



Vodka-spiked cherry tomatoes with sea salt trio VODKA-SPIKED CHERRY TOMATOES WITH SEA SALT TRIO Ingredients * 24 cherry or grape tomatoes * 11/2 cups vodka * Assorted sea salts for dipping Instructions 1. Place cherry tomatoes in a decorative glass bowl; pour vodka over. 2. Arrange three sea salt varieties in small bowls. Place toothpicks nearby. 3. Encourage guests to dip the cherry tomatoes in the salt of their choice. Makes 24 pieces. “You dip them in a trio of sea salts, and you can use a smoke salt, you could use a Hawaiian salt – there’s so many cool salts out – and guests just take a toothpick and dip it in the salt of their choice.”



Pistachio grapes PISTACHIO GRAPES Ingredients * 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature * 2 oz goat cheese, at room temperature * Salt and pepper to taste * 24-36 seedless red or green grapes * 1⁄2 cup pistachios, shelled, finely chopped Instructions 1. In a medium bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese and goat cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 2. Scoop about a teaspoon of the mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap; place grape on cheese and use plastic wrap to encase the grape in the cheese mixture. 3. Roll the coated grape in the chopped pistachios; press into the nuts gently to fully coat each grape. Repeat with remaining grapes, cheese and nuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 24-36. “The juicy top of the grape inside with the nut and the cheese is just a terrific combination.”



Sausage rolls

SAUSAGE ROLLS

Ingredients
* Flour for dusting
* 1 sheet of pastry from a 17.25-oz box frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
* 16-oz package bulk breakfast sausage
* Egg wash (1 egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon milk or cream)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray; set aside.
3. On a lightly floured surface, unfold thawed puff pastry. Cut along the fold lines to create 3 equal-sized rectangles. Roll out each rectangle slightly to a 10- by 5-inch rectangle; set aside.
4. Divide sausage into 3 equal pieces. Fashion each piece into logs the length of the pastry.
5. Place a log just off center on each pastry piece. Fold pastry over the sausage.
6. Seal the long edge by crimping with a fork; roll the pastry log over until the sealed seam is underneath.
7. Brush the pastry log with egg wash. Cut log into 8 pieces. Place the sausage rolls on the prepared baking sheets.
8. Repeat with remaining sausage, pastry and egg wash. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 24 pieces.

“They are classic British pub fare.”

RAISE YOUR GLASS!

Here are simple mixed drinks you can make at your New Year’s Eve party

BREEZE FREEZE MOCKTAIL (FOR YOUR DESIGNATED DRIVERS)

Ingredients

64 oz can of pineapple juice
12 oz can frozen pink lemonade,thawed
12 oz can frozen orange juice,thawed
7UP-

Instructions

Blend together juices and then freeze. Scoop mixture into glasses and top off with 7UP. Garnish with a cherry or slices of orange. Make enough frozen mixture to have on hand for the drivers for the entire evening.

COSMOPOLITAN

Ingredients
* 2 oz citrus vodka
* 3⁄4 oz orange-flavored liqueur
* 2 oz cranberry juice
* 1⁄2 oz fresh lemon juice
* Ice
Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes.
2. Shake well and strain into a frosted cocktail glass.
3. Rub the rim with orange zest (if desired) and drop it into the glass and serve.

PEACH BELLINI

Instructions

Mix the peach nectar, lemon juice and schnapps in a chilled glass. Add half a cup (or more) of crushed ice, stir, and add the champagne. (Serves 2).

May be prepared in a blender to produce a frozen drink.

APPLE MARTINI

Intructions

Pour all ingredients into a shaker. Shake well and strain into a Martini glass.

A couple of good wines in both Red and White are a good addition to these specialty drinks.

Don't forget to have a couple bottles of bubbly on hand to toast the New Year in.

Have a safe and fun New Year kiddies!

Posted by Mrs. Doubtfire at 4:13 PM - 11 Comments Add a Comment

Saturday December 22, 2007

Holiday Friendship Fruitcake

This recipes has been in my grubby little hands for years and it is simply

divine. This is the absolute best ever fruitcake that I have ever had the

pleasure of eating and I've made it many times over the years. This aint no

hard round brown typical frisbee that weighs 10 lbs that they pass off as

fruitcake. This is the real deal! If you've never tried fruitcake and have heard

horror stories about how awful it is, then you've never tasted MY

fruitcake and darlin, you are gonna love this one.

It takes a bit of effort but I assure you it is well worth it. It is a holiday

favorite of mine to make several batches and share them with friends.

I hope you enjoy and you'll give it a try.

FRIENDSHIP FRUIT STARTER

In a 1-gallon glass jar with wide mouth and lid, combine the peaches, pineapple, maraschino cherries, sugar on the schedule as instructed. Stir two times the first day. Stir once a day afterwards. Keep loosely covered with cloth and store at room temperature.

Follow the schedule as directed, stirring daily, then drain the mixed fruit and use to make cakes as directed in the cake recipe.

Note: Do not discard the syrup or fruit juice from the canned fruit (use it in this recipe along with the fruit).

Also very important** ONLY USE A WOODEN OR PLASTIC SPOON WHEN STIRRING--DO NOT USE METAL!!!!

USE A LARGE WIDE MOUTH GLASS JAR WITH A LOOSE FITTING LID OR IF YOU PREFER JUST COVER WITH A TOWEL DURING THE 30 DAYS IT TAKES TO PREPARE. (If you use a tight fitting lid, it will inhibit and grow mold and you will see mold specks floating on top of the juice. If that happens you will have to discard everything and start over.)

DAY 1:

1 1/2 cups starter juice
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 (29 ounce) can sliced peaches in heavy syrup cut into bite sized chunks

To 1 1/2 cups starter juice, add 2 1/2 cups sugar and 1 can of peaches, including syrup. Keep loosely covered with cloth and stir daily. Keep at room temperature.

****Please note ***-If you do not have the starter juice that a friend has given you, then you can omit that part as this recipe serves as the starter itself.

DAY 10:

2 cups granulated sugar
1 (20 ounce) can chunk or crushed pineapple in heavy sprup

Add 2 cups granulated sugar and pineapple chunks along with their juice. Keep loosely covered with cloth and stir daily. Keep at room temperature.

DAY 20:

2 cups granulated sugar
2 10oz jar maraschino cherries, halved

Add 2 cups granulated sugar and halved maraschino cherries. Keep loosely covered with cloth and keep at room temperature. Stir daily.

DAY 30:

Reserve 1 1/2 cups starter juice and leave in glass gallon jar. Count this as Day 1, and begin the process for renewing starter and making cake.

Drain fruit, reserving 1 1/2 cups juice for renewing starter. Divide the drained fruit into thirds to make 3 separate Friendship Fruit Cakes. Give excess starter juice to friends, and or simply start a new batch of fruit. Repeat this process.

NOTE: At the end of 30 days, you will have enough extra starter juice to share with your friends. Give away 1 1/2 cups of starter to each, and keep 1 1/2 cups for yourself.

At the end of 30 days, there will be enough fruit to use approximately 1 1/2 cups fruit in each cake.

Friendship Fruitcakes freeze well.

If you don't bake all three of the cakes on the same day, stir the remaining fruit mixture every day until it has been used or drain and freeze the fruit.

Drain juice from fruit and divide fruit into 3 equal parts.

Divide juice into five 1 1/2 cups portions and give to friends.

Use starter within 5 days.

The fruit mixture will make 3 cakes.

To make the cakes, buy ingredients for the three cakes.. in other words buy three sets of ingredients to make the three separate cakes.

Friendship Fruitcake

1 box yellow butter cake mix without pudding

1 -3oz pkg vanilla instant pudding mix

2/3 cup oil

4 eggs

1 cup of chopped walnut pieces

1/3 of the fruit mixture

1 cup of coconut (optional)

Mix cake mix, oil, eggs and pudding on low speed of mixer. Stir in the nuts and the fruit. Blend well. The batter will be thick. Bake in an ungreased Bundt pan at 300 degrees or until the toothpick tests clean. Cool five minutes then turn onto a plate to cool completely.

Cakes may be refrigerated for 2 weeks or frozen up to 2 years.

DO NOT freeze juice.

Posted by Mrs. Doubtfire at 2:32 PM - 10 Comments Add a Comment

Snow Cream... an Old Time Favorite

This is a long ago recipe that has faded over the years... I used to make this with my grandmother when I was just a wee one. It brought back good memories so I thought I would share it with you.

Sandy's Old-time Snow Cream Recipe

Basic Recipe

     1 cup milk
     1/2 cup sugar
     scant 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
     large bowl of snow (about 3 quarts)

Blend milk, sugar and vanilla. Stir in enough snow to make snow cream to
an ice cream consistency.

Variations -

There are many variations for snow cream. For example, substitute canned cream for milk for a heavier flavor. Add Nestles Quik for a chocolate snow cream, or use instant cocoa mix.

Another variation is to add plump raisins and cinnamon, or add a beaten egg for a nog taste. Puree an overripe banana and add to the mixture.

Get creative - you know your family's tastes.

Note: ALWAYS - ALWAYS make sure the snow is clean. It takes at least one to two hours for snow to clean the pollutants from the air, then use only snow that has fallen after that first cleansing snow.

It also goes without saying (but I will anyway), to make sure you do not collect the snow where animals and birds eat (or do other things... in other words NO yellow snow!).

Cleanliness first. Stress that with the kids, because this is a treat even the younger ones can make for the whole family.

Posted by Mrs. Doubtfire at 1:21 PM - 2 Comments Add a Comment

Various Delightful Recipes

Pinecone Almond Cheeseball

Ingredients:

2 packages (8 oz size) cream cheese -- softened
2 jars (5 oz size) process cheese spread with pimientos
1/2 pound blue cheese -- crumbled
1/4 cup minced green onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups Blue Diamond -- blanched whole almonds, toasted
bacon cooked and crumbled
crackers

Directions:

In a large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese, cheese spread with pimiento and blue cheese until smooth. With a spoon, stir in green onions and Worcestershire sauce and bacon crumbles. Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour.

On a work surface, with hands, shape cheese mixture into the shape of a large pinecone. Arrange on a serving dish. Beginning at the narrow end of the pinecone, carefully press almonds about 1/4 inch deep into cheese mixture in rows, making sure that the pointed end of each almond extends at a slight angle.

Attach a pine sprig or two to garnish if desired. Serve with crackers.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Another delightful favorite of mine is a sweeter cheeseball served with cinnamon graham crackers.

Pineapple Cheeseball

1 small box of vanilla instant pudding mix

2 -8 oz pkg cream cheese

1 can of crushed pineapple, drained and squeezed to get majority of juice out

3 TBSP powdered sugar

Serve with Cinnamon flavored graham crackers

Blend all together and form into a ball. Chill at least two hours or overnight. Arrange on a serving dish and spread on the cinnamon graham crackers.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Speaking of cream cheese which I adore, here is a great salad that is a bit different that is perfect with the holiday meal.

Pear Salad

8 oz pkg cream cheese

1/2 cup of half and half milk

1 small pkg of lime jello

1 can of pears in juice

Prepare the jello with the pear juice from the can cooking on the stove to dissolve the sugars. In a separate bowl, blend together the cream cheese, and half and half. Add the warm lime jello and the pears. Blend with a mixer until smooth. Pour into a mold and chill until set firmly.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

These cookies are perfect for afternoon holiday guests.

Italian Lemon Cookies

Dry ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

1 stick of unsalted real butter ( no substitutions)

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp lemon zest

3 TBSP lemon juice

1 - 15 oz container of Ricotta Cheese

Lemon Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp lemon zest

3 TBSP of lemon juice

Blend together the dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. In a larger bowl, blend all of the wet ingredients together until mixed well. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well blended. Take a teaspoon full and roll into a ball and put on cookie sheets 1 inch apart. Bake 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool completely on cooling rack while you make the Lemon Glaze. Frost cooled cookies and let sit for 2 hours to let the icing firm up.

This is a great cookie to serve with eggnog and herbal teas or specialty coffees especially when you have friends over for an afternoon of holiday fun.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Well little ones, I have a wonderful fresh turkey in the oven right now and I have appetizers to make for the next few days. I will post more recipes very soon.

As always-- Bon Appetite!

Posted by Mrs. Doubtfire at 1:02 PM - No Comments Add a Comment

Sunday December 16, 2007

Apricot Cranberry Quick Bread

Apricot Cranberry Quick Bread

1 pkg Pillsbury Nut Quick Bread mix
1/2 cup finely chopped apricots
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cranberries
1 Tbsp grated orange peel
1 cup water
1 egg

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bottom only of a 9x5 or 8x4 loaf pan. Combine all ingredients; stir 50 to 75 hand strokes until dry particles are moistened. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Cool 15 minutes, remove from pan. Cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in refrigerator.

PS-- This recipe also goes nicely with the lemony fruit dip and fruits for the holidays when you need something quick and easy for guests. Served with a fresh pot of flavored coffee in your best cups and saucers and you've got a party!

Happy Holidays!

Posted by Mrs. Doubtfire at 10:25 PM - 6 Comments Add a Comment

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

About Me

Author: Mrs. Doubtfire
From USA

This blog is about...
Food, recipes, wellness, helpful hints, with a dash of humor

My: Profile Gallery Interests Bio Guestbook 100 Things

Bookmark History

Blogstream Sponsors

Find anything & everything at Amazon.com

15% OFF all Board Games & Baby Items at
Board Games Plus and Everything Mommy
for Blogstream members. Enter coupon code:
BSTREAM08 at checkout.

Send Free
Just Saying Hi
Greeting Cards at
Greeting Cards.com

Good Morning

PARTY HOSTING 101

MIND YOUR MANNERS

PARTY STARTERS

TUXEDO-ED STRAWBERRIES

VODKA-SPIKED CHERRY TOMATOES WITH SEA SALT TRIO

PISTACHIO GRAPES

SAUSAGE ROLLS

RAISE YOUR GLASS!

BREEZE FREEZE MOCKTAIL (FOR YOUR DESIGNATED DRIVERS)

Ingredients

64 oz can of pineapple juice12 oz can frozen pink lemonade,thawed12 oz can frozen orange juice,thawed7UP-

COSMOPOLITAN

64 oz can of pineapple juice
12 oz can frozen pink lemonade,thawed
12 oz can frozen orange juice,thawed
7UP-