Good Morning Everyone!

Yesterday my Mom and I had a wonderful day making guava marmalade and canning them for the upcoming holidays. We put up 36 pints!

We were very lucky in that while driving a nearby country road, we saw a sign that advertised guavas. We stopped in and hit the motherlode of guavas.

There are many things to do with guavas; guava cheesecake, guava glazed chicken or ribs, guava tropical rum drinks....and of course, the fun of canning them and giving them as gifts.

This year for Labor Day weekend instead of having a cook-out we decided to have a dinner when some out of town friends decided to visit. The menu for tomorrow will be:

APPETIZER:
Sweet and Spicy Brie with Nuts

ENTREE:
Baked Ham with Orange-Pineapple Honey Mustard Glaze

SIDE DISHES:
Gratin of Sweet and White Potatoes
Spinach Noodle Kugel
Sweet Glazed Carrots
Southern Green Beans
Yellow Squash Casserole
Deviled Eggs
Apple Sauce
Soft Rolls and Butter

DESSERT:
White Chocolate Cake

BEVERAGES:
Beer, Wine, Tropical Drinks and Coffee

Happy Labor Day Weekend to all!! GinaSweet & Spicy Brie and Nuts
Yield: 8 to 10 servings

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (12-ounce) round Brie cheese
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
1 baguette French bread, thinly sliced
Combine the butter, brown sugar and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until the butter melts and the sugars dissolve, stirring frequently. Add the heavy cream gradually, stirring constantly. Stir in the nutmeg and cinnamon. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
Place the Brie in a round baking pan. Drizzle the brown sugar mixture over the top of the Brie. Bake at 225 degrees in a preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the Brie is heated through. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with the almonds. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh strawberries and/or Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apple slices. Serve with the sliced bread.Baked Ham with Orange-Pineapple Honey Mustrad Glaze

serves 8

1 6-8 lb. butt end cooked ham
1 c. orange pineapple marmalade
1 T. dijon mustard
1 T. honey
1/4 c. molasses
1/2 t. ground ginger
1 T. soy sauce

Oven at 325. Wash and dry the ham. Score fatty side into diamonds and place onto large roasting pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

Make the glaze by combining the ingredients together in a bowl. Remove ham from oven and spread 1/2 glaze over the ham. Return to oven and baste every 20 minutes for an hour. Use up all the glaze. Let stand 20 minutes before carving.

Gratin of Sweet and White Potatoes

saerves 8

1 1/2 lbs. white russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. shreddead monterey jack cheese
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
2 t. freshly minced thyme
1 T. freshly chopped parsley
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. white pepper
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
2 T. flour mixed with 2 t. paprika
1 c. heavy cream
1 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. melted butter
2 c. seasoned bread crumbs
2 T. minced garlic
4 T. butter

Oven at 350. Butter a 9x13 inch baking pan. Saute the garlic in the 4 T. butter and set aside.

Use 1/2 sweet and white potato slices alternately arranging them overlapping each other to make a pretty design. In a bowl, combine the cheeses, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper and sprinkle half of this mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle the flour mix evenly over. Arrange the rest of the potato slices over again, sprinkle with the remaining cheese mixture. Mix the cream and broth in the skillet where you sauteed the garlic and pour gently over the potatoes. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 1 hour. Mix crumbs with melted butter and sprinkle over and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Let stand 20 minutes before cutting.

Spinach Noodle Kugel

serves 8

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

Florida Sunshine Glazed Carrots

Serves 8

8 carrots, peeles and sliced into 1 inch diagonal chunks
2 t. sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. allspice
1/2 stick butter
salt and pepper to taste
10 dried apricots, slivered
1/3 c. sliced almonds
2 T. fresh ornage or tangerine juice

Place the carrots in a saucpan, cover barely with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10. mts. Rinse under cold water and drain.

Stir the sugar and spices together and set aside.

Melt the butter in a skillet, stir in the carrots and the citrus juice. Sprinkle with the sugar mixture and cook over med. heat til carrots are glazed and sauce is slightly thick. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Stir in appricots and almonds and cook an additional 5 mts. Serve immediately.

Southern Green Beans

1 lb. fresh green beans, ends snapped off
2 large onion slices, chopped
1 garlic clove
2 bacon strips
2 T. veg. oil
pepper
salt
1-2 drops of hot sauce
splash of red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

Cook bacon pieces with onion in a med. pot. After 3 min. add the oil and stir. Add seasonings and garlic clove. Add vinegar and beans, stir to coat. Cover and lower heat to med-low. Check after 5 min., stir, and lower heat to low. Cook for about 25 min or tender. You should have a delicious brown sauce coating the beans when they are ready.

Creamy Squash Casserole

serves 8

1 1/2 lbs. yellow crookneck squash, trimmed and sliced
1reg. can of cream of chicken soup
1 8 oz. cont. sour cream
1 4 oz. jar chopped pimientos
1 8 1/2 oz. can water chestnuts, thinly sliced
2 med. onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 c. butter
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 8 oz. pkg. herb stuffing mix

Cook squash in salted water for about 15 min. Drain well. Saute onions in butter with garlic. When golden, pour mixture into large bowl. Add squash, soup, sour cream, pimeintos, water chestnuts and carrots. Add the stuffing and mix well. Pour into a well greased 2-quart casserole dish and bake at 350 for 30 min.White Chocolate Cake

serves 16

1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
4 eggs, separated
1/2 lb. white chocolate, melted
2 1/2 c. cake flour
1/4 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. pecans, finely chopped
1 c. golden raisins

Cream butter and sugar, beat in yolks, vanilla and chocolate. Add buttermilk alternately with flour, salt, and baking powder. Beat egg whites stiff, fold in, stir in nuts. Pour into greased 9x13 or bundt pan and bake at 350 50-60 mts. Cool 5 mts. invert on wire rack and cook completely before icing.

Icing:
1 stick butter, softened
1 8 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
1 c. pecans, finely chopped
1 lb. box powdered sugar

Blend all ingredients together excpet nuts til nice and smooth. Fold in nuts and ice cake.

Tropical Punch Colada

serves 2

1 c. pineapple juice
1/2 c. canned guava nectar
1/2 c. cream of coconut (Coco Lopez)
1/2 c.coconut rum
2 c. ice cubes

Mix 1st 4 ingred. in a pitcher. Fill 2 tall glasses with ice and pour beverage over.