Good Afternoon Everyone!

Well, I must say my roof looks "mahvelous" as Fernando would say!! They did a stupendous job...at lunch time yesterday I brought out to them slices of apple-cheesecake. They cleaned up so nicely later making sure there were no nails or trash left out.

As promised yesterday, here is the posting of our Easter menu for this Sunday. I usually try to have a variety of hot and cold foods as everybody has a different palate for what goes with the baked ham. We have quite a few friends coming so I hope they all enjoy it.

APPETIZERS:
Deviled Eggs
Spinach Dip in Hawaiian Round Bread

SALADS:
Classic Potato Salad
Greens Beans and Feta Salad
Frog's Eye Salad

ENTREES:
Apple Cider Sugar Baked Ham with Raisin Sauce
Sweet Potato Crunch
Tarragon Asparagus
Spinach Noodle Pudding
Easter Sunday Potato Casserole
Sister Schubert's Yeast Rolls

DESSERTS:
Italian Ricotta Cheesecake
German Sweet Chocolate Layer Cake

BEVERAGES:
Assorted Sodas
Iced Almond Tea
Wine/Cordials
Coffee

Holiday Deviled Eggs
serves 12

1 dozen eggs
mayo
a few drops of hot sauce
mustard
relish
salt and pepper
paprika

Boil eggs, when cool enough to handle, peel and slice in half. Scoop out yolks, Put them in a bowl and mash fine. Add enough mayo to bind, add mustard, about 1 teaspoon. Add about 1 Tbsp. relish, a few drops of hot sauce, salt and pepper and blend well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Pipe into eggs and arange on egg platter, sprinkle paprika and refrigerate til ready to serve.

Spinach Dip in Hawaiian Round Bread

This is the one dip everyone asks for the recipe...

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 container (16 oz.) sour cream
1 cup mayo
1 phg. KNORR Vegetable Soup and Recipe Mix
1 can (8 oz.) chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 scallions, chopped
1 Hawaiian Bread Round, scoop out middle to make a bowl and reserve

In a med. bowl, stir the spinach, sour cream, mayo, soup mix, water chestnuts and green onions until well mixed. Cover and chill 2 hours to blend flavors.

Stir before serving. Pour into a prepared round of Hawaiian Bread, serve with crackers and the scooped out bread pieces. Makes 4 cups.

Classic Potato Salad
serves 8

1 cup Hellman's mayo
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. black pepper

6 medium potatoes, peeled, cubed, and cooked
1 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/3 cup chopped gherkin pickles
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

Combine 1st 5 ingred. in a large mixing bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients and toss gently but thoroughly to coat with sauce.

Cover and chill.

Fresh Green Bean Salad with Dill and Feta
Cool and crunchy salad.

Dressing:
1 cup veg. oil
1/4 cup vinegar
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. dried dill
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. dried mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
Combine in a glass jar and shake well. Refrigerate for later use.

Salad:
2 lbs. whole green beans, trimmed
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 sliced onion
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
3 stalks green onions, chopped
4 oz. feta cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. sour cream

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook beans til tender with salt, garlic and onion slice. Drain and cool. Toss beans with bacon, green onions, cheese, 1/4 cup dressing, mayo and sour cream. Chill before serving. Use more dressing if needed before serving.

Frog's Eye Salad

1 pkg. ancini de pepi pasta
1 12 oz. container of cool whip
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 can mandarin oranges, drained

In a double boiler cook the following til thickened:
2 beaten eggs
1 Tbsp. flour mixed with 3/4 cup sugar

Cook pasta, do not rinse but drain. Combine pasta and egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnite. Nest day, gently fold in remaining ingredients. Serve cold

Apple Cider Sugar Baked Ham

1 whole or half pre-cooked ham such as Smithfield
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup Apple Cider Cinnamon Syrup (Wms. Sonoma Brand)
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1 orange peel
1 lemon peel
whole cloves
pineapple slices
candied cherries

Combine pineapple juice, cinnamon syrup, dark brown sugar, mustard, and peels in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Remove peels and set aside.
Wash ham and score in a diamond pattern and stud with cloves. Put in a oven proof roasting pan, brush some of the sauce on ham and bake for 1 hour at 350. Baste occasionally. Lower heat to 300, arrange pineapple slices with toothpicks on ham and cherries too. Continue basting and cook for 1 more hour. Use all the sauce on the ham.

Panhandle Style Raisin Sauce for Ham
makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 cup dark raisins
1 1/4 cups Orange juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1 cup pecan halves

Combine raisins and orange juice in a saucepan. Cook over med. heat till raisins are plump, about 5 mts. In a small bowl, mix sugar and cornstarch. Stir into the raisin mixture, add spices and cook til thick. Add pecans before serving.

Sweet Potato Crunch
This is an old Georgia recipe from my sister and it is heavenly!!

3 sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 stick butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg

Crunch Topping:
1/3 cup melted butter
1/3 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tblsp. cinnamon

Boil potatoes til tender. Take skin off when cooled and able to handle. Put in a large bowl and whip them til fluffy adding all other ingredients. Pour into a buttered casserole and top with the crunch topping. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Spinach Noodle Pudding

1 pkg. (8 ozs.) noodles (fine or medium)
1 onion, chopped
8 ozs. sour cream
1 pkg Birds Eye Creamed Spinach
2 eggs, beaten
bread crumbs to sprinkle on top
1 stick butter
salt and pepper to taste

Saute your onions until golden in 1/2 stick butter. Cook noodles according to directions on pkg. Drain noodles and toss with the other 1/2 stick of butter, blend with the spinach, sour cream, sauteed onions and eggs. Salt and pepper to your taste. Blend well. Pour into a buttered casserole dish and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake 350 for 45-60 minutes. YUMMY!!!
This recipe easily doubles to serve 16

Tarragon Asparagus
Serves 10-12

3 lbs. asparagus spears
water
salt to taste
2 Tbsp. passover margarine
1 Tbsp. fresh snipped tarragon
3 Tbsp. chopped scallions
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Cut off tough ends. Fill a pan large enough to hold asparagus with water, add salt and bring to a boil. Add asparagus and cover. When water boils again, uncover and cook for about 4 mts. Do not overcook, you want crisp-tender. Drain immediately, melt margarine in skillet, add tarragon, scallions, parsley and lemon juice. Cook for about 3 minutes. Drizzle over asparagus and serve.

Easter Sunday Potato Casserole
serves 6

1/4 cup melted butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1 bag frozen O'Brien hash browns, defrosted
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese for topping

Combine all ingred. in a large bowl except the 1/2 cup grated cheddar. Spoon into a 9x13 buttered baking pan. Top with the grated cheese and bake at 350 for 45 mts. or until cheese is bubbling. Let stand 10 mts. before serving.

German Sweet Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting

4 oz. German sweet chocolate plus 1/2 c. boiling water
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
4 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Melt chocolatea in wtaer. Cool. Cream butter and sugar, add yolks one at atime, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and chocolate. Beat well. Add flour alternately with buttermilk and baking powder. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into 3 greased and waxed-papered 9" round baking pans. Bake at 350 for 40 mts. Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Then invert onto serving platter ready to frost.

Coconut-Pecan Frosting

12 oz. can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks, well beaten
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups grated coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 1/2 sticks margerine

Cook milk, sugar, yolks, butter and vanilla til thickened. Add coconut and pecans. Stir to blend well. Cool. Then beat with a wooden spoon to spreading consistency. Spread 1/3 frosting onto 1st layer of cake spreading on top and onto sides. Layer next cake and spread 1/3 frosting repeating procedure for third layer, spreading frosting all over sides smoothly.

Italian Ricotta Cheese Cake

3 lbs. ricotta cheese
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lemon and 1 orange rind, grated
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
6 eggs, separated
3 tbsp. anisette
3 tbsp. creme de cocoa
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 c. heavy cream

Butter a 12-inch springform pan and sprinkle bottom and sides with graham cracker crumbs.

Beat ricotta until smooth, gradually adding 1 1/2 cups of sugar and egg yolks.

Add flour, vanilla, orange and lemon rind. Beat egg whites with 1/2 cup sugar til stiff.

Fold whipped cream, egg whites and chocolate bits into the ricotta mixture. Stir in the sour cream.
Turn into a 12-inch springform pan.

Bake in preheated oven 425 Degrees F. for 10 minutes.

Lower temperature to 350 Degrees F. and bake 1 hour. Turn off heat and allow to cool in oven with door closed. Best baked at night and let it sit on oven overnight, next day refrigerate.

Ginger Almond Iced Tea
yields 3 qts

1 cup boiling water
5 reg. size tea bags
1 cup sugar
4 cups water
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1 qt. ginger ale, chilled

Pour boiling water over tea bags, cover and steep 5 mts. Remove tea bags, squeezing gently. Stir in sugar and next 4 ingredients, chill. Stir in ginger ale just before serving. Serve tea over ice.