This serves 2
- 1/4 cup white cranberry juice
- 2 dried figs, chopped fine
- 2 cloves, cracked
- 1 fresh fig, cut in wedges
- 1/4 cup citrus vodka
In a shaker combine all the ingredients except the fresh fig and let stand for twenty minutes (patience required here) and now add:
- 3 oz. brandy
- 1 oz. orange flavoured liqueur
Shake vigorously, strain into a martini glass with a fresh fig wedge skewered on a cocktail pick.
A little off the wall, but extremely tasty. May I make you one?
Taste Rating: 9
The Difference Between…
The difference between appetizers and hors d’oeurves is appetizers are served at the table and hors d’oeurves are served away from the table.
Always prepare ahead with small plates, napkins, cocktail knives or individual forks (usual 2 tines) to allow your guests to serve themselves and have on hand, all the ‘equipment’ needed to comfortably handle this course.
If it is a Wine and Cheese event only, watch to make sure no one leaves your home over the legal driving limit. Have a pot of freshly made coffee and perhaps something to eat. If you have to, drive them home. They will thank you for caring.
Two days to go
We belong to a Supper club which meets once a month and we are hosting one Friday. 17 people will be here. Whew!
Now it begins, clean house, make sure the bathroom shines (and again the day of) and this means clean towels, mirror, t.p. at the ready and a small sprig of fresh flowers or a lit candle that sits in a small bowl of water and will not cause any damage. Just make sure it is out before you go to bed. Check on it from time to time during the evening.
Now to check the glasses for sparkle and make sure I have all the ingredients for what we are going to make Friday morning.
Set the table the night before (as in get the dishes, cutlery, napkins, tablecloth, candles, flowers, glasses out. This is going to be buffet style and now, just thinking about it, I should go and pour myself a drink.
The fun soon begins.
Pumpkin Turtle Pie
Even with a few packaged foods, it is still from scratch.( If you made it, it’s from scratch) A great NEW pie for Thanksgiving Dinner. Try it!
- 1 graham pie crust (ready made)
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. caramel ice cream topping
- very generous 1/2 cup pecan pieces, divided
- 1 cup cold milk
- 2 pgs. each (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding
- 1 cup pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 2 cups sweetened whipped cream
- Shaved chocolate (optional)
Pour 1/2 cup of caramel topping on the pie crust bottom and sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans on top.
Beat milk, pudding mixes and spices with mixer on low just until well blended. Gently fold in one cup of whipped cream and spread into crust. Refrigerate at least one hour.
Just before serving, top with remaining whipped cream, sprinkle with remaining pecans (this time chopped fine) and drizzle remaining caramel topping across the top. Now you can add the shaved chocolate.
Note: If you stand just before serving all the calories will disappear!
Book Signing
For those in and around our area, I have a book signing coming up on October 16 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 2330 Centre Street, Abbotsford.
Come one and come all. Hostess is Sharon Stobbs. Wonderful lady who has the best snackies around.
This is a dream come true and I look forward to meeting all of you.
Poppy seed cake with White Chocolate Frosting
This is a lovely tasting and moist cake. The icing is the perfect topping.
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup Crisco oil
- 1 1/4 cups sweetened coconut
- 1 cup poppy seeds
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 1 cup vanilla yogurt
- 1 tsp. chocolate flavoring
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl beat eggs and sugar until light in colour and thickened. Add oil and continue beating until well combined.
In a small bowl, stir together coconut, poppy seeds, flour, baking powder and salt. Stir half of the mixture into the egg mixture. Add the yogurt, flavouring and remaining dry ingredients.
Pour batter into a greased and lined with parchment paper 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Smooth the top with an off center spatula and bake for about 30 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched in the center.
Frosting
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 7 oz. white chocolate
- Poppy seeds
Place butter and chocolate in a double boiler and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Whip the cream until stiff. Slowly whisk the cooled chocolate into the whipped cream and ice the cake when it is completely cooled. Sprinkle poppy seeds on top.
What a lazy day
Sunday, raining, read the paper, fooled with the crossword puzzles (many more on Sunday) and found the brain not really in gear.
Don and I had a wonderful “McD” brekkie at home where it is much better and the ambience of eating and sitting across from each other in pj’s and uncombed hair BUT with brushed teeth is to die for.
This must be the secret for being together for 23 years.
What a meeting!
The 3 brains behind Damn! I can do this.com (maybe 2 1/2) had a great meeting today and we think we discovered a way to make wilted carrots and parsnips “healthy” again.
We will showcase recipes, signature drinks, menu ideas and pictures of table settings for any number of guests or simply the two of you. I promise to do this each and every day so come on board and we can make this voyage together.
Later.
Food Fare-2nd Time
Well, we got the date right this time. Lots of people attending. This year the food was better and larger than 1 sliver for 6 tickets.
You buy food tasting tickets in packs of 10 or 20. Best food, for me, was Milestone’s (kobe mini burgers, butterscotch “pudding” with the darkest chocolate ever on top (yummy!) and a kiosk called The Baron. Their food was good.
Beer and wine tasting was available and anything you wanted to know about cooking, be it dishes, knives or pots and pans or spices galore was available.
Yup! It was worth it.
Disaster when you least expect it.
Oh sure, aren’t I the show off.
We rarely get “pop ins” but today we had two. I tried making the chocolate mousse cake, but because two separate friends were coming close together time-wise, I put the cake together without waiting for it to cool completely.
I know! I know better BUT in my defense, it tasted good. It looked like Mt. Vesuvius with lava flowing. Mousse (cold and with whipped cream) melts really fast. Silly girl!
Invitations For A Special Dinner
Set the date for your “Pre” dinner at least two months head (yes, October), as this enables the guests you want to come to work around all the invites that come their way.
At the beginning of December, set up the Christmas tree, and each day put on a Christmas CD and play it once or twice to get in the spirit.
Wrap your gifts now and set them under the tree. You have now begun the exciting process of removing stress and, as one of our guests commented, he had just received his “adjustment” and was ready to face Christmas for the first time in years after attending one of our pre-Christmas dinners.
We did this for many, many years with up to dinner for 12. When they left, we presented them with trays of Christmas baking. On each tray was 18-20 different items from tarts, cakes, candy and squares.
This way, I get to bake my heart off and really get into the spirit of the season before it even arrives.
Two fold reasons for being a terrific Hostess
The reason for keeping a note on a recipe card of the date, menu and who attended the dinner is
a) you don’t have to serve the same thing the next time they come for dinner and
b) if it is huge success you can use the same menu for another party. Be sure to list ANY dislikes or allergies of your guests on the card.
For sure on the back of the card, write down the name of the food, page it is on and what book it came from. Saves hours of searching. Like me, when I didn’t do it.
I got this idea from Martha Stewart years before I got this site going and I still have all that data in a file box. You just never know if that person from the past, comes to your door again.