Easter Brunch & Egg Hunt Today

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~appetizers~
Meatballs
Shrimp cocktail
Cheese chunks w crackers
Chips & dip
Cashews

~ beverages ~
Pop – Water – Sweet Tea
Raspberry punch

~ main ~
Ham
Beef smoked sausage w/ sauerkraut

~ sides ~
Sweet Potato Casserole
Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
Green Bean Casserole
Pork stuffing
Corn pudding, Potato Salad & Baked Beans (Shirley’s bringing)
Deviled Eggs
Dinner Rolls

~ desserts ~
Cherry Pie w/ vanilla ice cream
Coconut Cake

Candy Buffet

BAKED HAM WITH COLA

INGREDIENTS
1 (20 oz.) can sliced pineapple
1 fully cooked smoke ham, whole or half
2-4 c. (depending on size of ham) cola beverage (I use one can per half)

DIRECTIONS
Arrange pineapple on ham; secure with wood picks. Place ham in shallow pan. Pour cola over ham; bake 15 minutes per pound in preheated 350 degree oven, basting with pan juices occasionally. Remove to warm platter and let stand 20 minutes before carving.

Optional: Score ham with a sharp knife in a crisscross pattern about 1 inch apart. Insert whole cloves into the top of the ham instead of using pineapple, pour coke over top and bake as usual.

My mom used to score the top and then hold the pineapple in place with the whole cloves, before dumping a can of cola over top.  Its all good.

Easter is the demonstration of God that life is essentially spiritual and timeless. ~ Charles M. Crowe

 

Grandma’s Cherry Pie

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Honey Glazed Ham, sliced
Cheesy Hashbrown Bake
Green Beans
Rolls w/ butter
Grandma’s Cherry pie w/ vanilla ice cream

Grandma’s Cherry Pie

INGREDIENTS
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1-1/3 tablespoons butter (about 4 teaspoons)
1 14.5-ounce can pie cherries, NOT cherry pie filling (look for Dark Sweet Pitted Cherries packed in water)
Pastry for double-crust pie

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425°F.
In saucepan, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and undrained cherries. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils (about 6 or 7 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in almond extract.
Pour mixture into a 9-inch unbaked pie shell. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust, seal edges and *crimp. If using a lattice crust, allow filling to cool before applying it. If a lattice crust is not used, put one or several vents in the crust ( I cut bird-tracks /\ /\ /\ forming a cross on top of my pies, because my mom always did). Bake at 425°F for 30 to 35 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Prep time: 25 minutes; Cooking time: 30-35 minutes; Total time: 55 minutes

*Crimping is done by pushing the outside edge of our pie crust between your pointer finger and thumb on your left hand using the tip of the pointer finger on your right hand. <- repeating all the way around the pie, then cut off the excess pie dough with a sharp knife.

Man is so made that when anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish. ~ Jean de La Fontaine

 

BAKED CHICKEN & SHRIMP SUPREME

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BAKED CHICKEN & SHRIMP SUPREME
Potato Casserole
Normandy Blend Vegetables
House Salad
Rolls/Butter
Beverage

BAKED CHICKEN & SHRIMP SUPREME

INGREDIENTS
1 c. butter
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Accent
2 tbsp. cut chives
4 c. cooked chicken, diced
2/3 c. diced pimientos
1/2 c. melted butter
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. paprika
2 cans button mushrooms (lg. can)
2 qt. milk
4 c. cooked shrimp
8 c. cooked rice
1 c. flour

DIRECTIONS
Melt butter and blend in flour, salt, pepper, Accent, paprika and chives. Drain broth from mushrooms into measuring cup and add enough milk to make 2 quarts. Add milk mixture to butter mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened. Add mushroom crowns, chicken, shrimp and pimientos. Line two oblong baking dishes, 8″x12″x2″ with rice. Fill center with chicken mixture, brush rice rim with melted butter. Unless baked immediately, cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate.

Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 35 minutes, or until bubbling hot. Time will depend on the temperature of the dish when it is put in the oven.

Serves 20

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That sir which serves and seeks for gain,
And follows but for form,
Will pack when it begins to rain,
And leave thee in the storm.
But I will tarry; the fool will stay,
And let the wise man fly:
The knave turns fool that runs away;
The fool, no knave, perdy.
~ KING LEAR
Act II The Fool, scene iv

 

Chicken Kebobs Recipe

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Chicken Kebobs
Rice Pilaf
Greek Style Green Beans
Baklava
Roll and Butter
Beverage

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Chicken Kebobs Recipe

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat and cut into cubes
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 small onion, grated
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon paprika
10 (10-inch) wooden or metal skewers

DIRECTIONS
Marinate the chicken cubes in a glass or ceramic bowl or pan with the olive oil, lemon juice, onion, cinnamon, cardamom, thyme, salt, pepper, cumin (if using), ginger, and paprika for 6 hours, covered, in the refrigerator, turning the cubes occasionally.
Preheat a gas grill for 15 minutes on high or prepare a hot charcoal fire. Skewer the chicken cubes so they touch each other but do not press against each other. If possible, use a skewer rack so the chicken grills without touching the grilling grate. Grill until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes, turning frequently. Serve hot.

True freedom lies in the realization and calm acceptance of the fact that there may very well be no perfect answer. ~ Allen Reid McGinnis

 

Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds spinach, rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
8 sheets phyllo dough
1/4 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9×9 inch square baking pan.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

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The more you own, the more you know you don’t own. ~ Aristotle Onassis

 

CLASSIC DEMI-GLACE & ESPAGNOLE SAUCE

DEMI-GLACE

INGREDIENTS
1 gallon Espagnole sauce, hot
1 gallon brown stock, hot
1 bouquet garni

DIRECTIONS
In a stock pot, combine the Espagnole sauce, brown stock and bouquet garni, together, over medium-high heat. Bring up to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and a simmer until the liquid reduces by half, about 1 1/2 hours. Skim the liquid occasionally, for impurities. Season with salt and pepper. Strain through a China Cap or tightly meshed strainer.

Yield: 1 gallon

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ESPAGNOLE SAUCE

INGREDIENTS
1 gallon brown stock, hot
1 1/2 cups brown roux
1/4 cup bacon fat
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 bouquet garni

DIRECTIONS
In a stock pot, whisk the hot stock into the roux. In a large sauté pan, heat the bacon fat. Add the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir the tomato puree into the vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the tomato/vegetable mixture to the stock/roux mixture. Add the bouquet garni and continue to simmer, skimming as needed. Season with salt and pepper.

Simmer the sauce for about 45 minutes. Strain the sauce through a China cap or tightly meshed strainer.

Yield: 1 gallon

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. ~ Aristotle Onassis