Recipe(tried): Easter Menu & Recipes 2002

Hello Everyone!

The last few days have kept me busy around the house and not being able to cook and post to my delight....funny when you notice something has to be fixed in the castle, you start noticing others things too!!

First the old wood screen door in the porch had to be replaced. After 17 years, the bottom came apart...so I found one at Home Depot for about $32.00. I also had to get a latch, two handles, dove grey paint, primer and a spring thing. Needless to say, I had never replaced a screen door so this was new territory for me.

It took me two days to do this...first I brought it home, sanded it down a little bit then I gave it two priming coats of white paint. Afterwards, I gave it two coats of the dove grey to match it to the porch. This took me the entire weekend!

The unscrewing of the old door and getting all the latches and door handles on was quite a trip!! Nevertheless, I persevered!! I learned how to use a drill too!! Now that is empowering, getting that drill to go!!

Finally, the door was hung and it looks terrific...DH was very impressed with my work...of course! I saved him $$$ by not hiring a handyman!! His new nickname for me is "Tilly, the HandyWoman"!!!

Since I have gotten involved in all this , I took notice that the pegboard in the garage was a virtual mess, so were his tools and the entire mess just had to be sorted. So off I was again to Home Depot where, to my amazement, I discovered all sorts of cute gadgets and holding thing-a-majigs to put on a pegboard to hold all these screwdrivers and things! They have little cups and screw on bottles to put nails in. All sorts of things to organize your mess!! What a deal!!

So, now that all of that stuff is out of the way, I can start concentrating on my Easter Dinner. I needed to plan the menu and post it. From there I copy it and makea out the list of ingredients I need. Then I scan the flyers the grocers put out and go about buying all my specials.

Ai, does it ever stop? I truly believe that a housewife's job is never done, always something around the corner...and do we ever work hard for the money!!! Yes, we do.

Here is this year's menu...Happy Holidays to all!!The Menu:

Apple Cider Sugar Baked Ham
Classic Potato Salad
Cool Green Bean Salad w/Dill & Feta
Creamy Macaroni & Cheese (Stouffer's)
Sweet Potato Crunch
Spinach Strudel
Strawberry Bavarian Trifle
Black Dog's Black Fudge Bottom Pie
Iced Tea
Rolls and Butter
Coffee

The Recipes:

Apple Cider Sugar Baked Ham

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

Drain pineapple juice from canned pineapple slices and combine with a little bit of orange juice to make 1 cup.

Combine pineapple/orange juice, cinnamon syrup, dark brown sugar, mustard, garlic 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.

Classic Potato Salad
serves 8

1 c. Hellman's mayo
2 T. vinegar
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. sugar
1/4 t. black pepper

6 medium potatoes, peeled, cubed, and cooked
1 c. sliced celery
1/4 c. finely chopped red onion
6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/3 c. chopped gherkin pickles
1/2 c. red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c. 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 c. veg. oil
1/4 c. vinegar
3 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. black pepper
1 T. dried dill
1/4 t. paprika
1/2 t. 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 t. 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 c. mayo
2 T. 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.

Sweet Potato Crunch

6 sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/3 c. well packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 stick butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 t. Cinnamon-Cider Syrup
handful of small marshmallows

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. Sprinkle on marshmallows arounbd the edges and bake additional 5 minutes.

Spinach Strudel
serves 4-6

6 mushrooms, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. butter, melted
2 (10 oz. each) pkgs. frozen spinach, thaw and drain
1 8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. blk, pepper
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
2 T. water

Saute mushrooms, onions and garlic in butter til tender. Add drained spinach and cook 2 mts. or until excess moisture is evaporated. Add cream cheese and stir til well blended. Add salt and pepper and nutmeg. Cut equally spaced 1/2 inch strips along both long edges of pastry, leaving strips attached. Place cooked spinach mixture in center. Fold strips over mix forming a Chevron pattern (take one strip from the left and one strip from the right and fold over, not across but sort of bringing them down. Then you will see the "V" in the middle with a little bit of the spinach showing.). Combine egg and water. Brush egg mixture over pastry. Bake 350 for 20-30 mts.

Strawberry Bavarian Trifle
Serves 12

1 quart strawberries, sliced
2 pkgs. (4 oz. each) French Vanilla Pudding
3 cups milk
1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip
36 ladyfingers, the crispy type not soft
2 Tbsp. amaretto
1 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. water

In a skillet combine the sugar, water and almonds and cook over med-high heat til sugar caramelizes the almonds. Cool and set aside.

Mix pudding with milk till creamy and thick. Fold in Cool Whip. Line bottom and sides of trifle bowl with lady fingers, brush amaretto. Spoon half of the bavarian cream over the ladyfingers, then sliced berries, then bavarain cream and top off with remaining berries. Chill covered overnight. When ready to serve, sprinkle the sugared almonds over the berries.

Black Dog's Fudge Bottom Pie
serves 8

Best cut when semi-frozen, cut it that way at beginning of meal and it should be thawed by dessert time.

Graham Cracker Crust:
1 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/8 c. powdered sugar
1 t. cinnamon
2 1/2 T. butter, melted

Mix sugar, cinnamon and graham cracker crums in a bowl. Combine with the melted butter using a fork to bind til crumbly. Press nto a 9-inch pie plate and freeze til ready to use.

Chocolate Fudge:
1/2 lb. dark chocolate
1/2 pint heavy cream

Chop the chocolate anad mix with the cream in a heavy duty saucepan. Melt the chocolate and stir the cream as you do this over medium heat. Watch that it does not burn. Whisk it to make sure there are no lumps. Cool slightly. Pour onto the frozen pie shell and chill til it is set.

Filling:
2 boxes of Jell-o instant french vanilla mix
1 pint heavy cream
1 pint light cream

Garnish:
1 chocolate bar to shave on top in curls

Pour both cream into a large mixing bowl, add the pudding mixes and whip on high speed til firm peaks form.

Spoon the filling into the pie shell over the chocolate and swirl it so it makes a high dome in the middle. Garnish with chocolate shavings and freeze uncovered for 5 hours. Semi-thaw in the fridge to slice. Thaw completely to serve.