Publisher's Desk...
Good morning to one and all. We are doing well here. Well...as well as can be
expected with headaches and runny noses, lol. Seriously, we should all be in
fine form for the weekend. I have to work some of it but plan to do something
fun with the kids when I am not.
Today's issue has some of the best recipes around. I rummaged through my files
for a spectacular dessert to share with you. While presentation is important,
when a dessert tastes as good as the one in the Publisher's Choice, it
could be served on a paper plate and please. We have a humorous look at
chocolate in Ramblings, a great tip on layer cakes in Did You Know?,
and the zaniest piece from Mary Jane in Crazy Corner. It is hoped
that every issue brings you something enjoyable. Like Nancy discusses in
the Mail Box, sometimes it brings you some memories of great times and
wonderful family members. Each one is prepared and delivered by a2z family
members with great care so you can sample life as shared by others. I'd like to
share one more thing before we get to the issue...
A smile is the light in your window that tells others that there is a caring,
sharing person inside.
~ Denis Waitley
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Enjoy!
Ramblings...
ALL I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE I LEARNED FROM EATING CHOCOLATE
Some people are semi-sweet; others are just plain nutty.
Don't cry over spilled milk - unless, of course, it's chocolate milk.
Blind dates are like chocolate - they are usually chunky and they quickly
disappear.
When life presents you a rocky road, just eat your way out of it.
Keep your fingers off other people's bonbons.
Flowers and champagne may set the stage, but its chocolate that steals the
show.
An ounce of truffles is worth a pound of anything.
Milk Chocolate. . . for all it's worth.
You never really know a person till you've shared a box of chocolates with them.
A kiss is just a kiss, but a chocolate kiss is bliss.
The best things in life are not fat free.
When all else fails, fudge it!
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The Art of Chocolate
Techniques & Recipes for Simply Spectacular Desserts & Confections
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Did You Know?...
Layer Cakes, How to Remove from Pans
You??™ll flip when you see how easy this technique is!
Cool the cake layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Cover a rack with a
towel; place the rack, towel side down, on top of cake layer; turn over racks
and cake as a unit. Remove pan.
Place a rack on bottom of cake layer; turn over both racks so the layer is right
side up. Remove towel. Repeat with remaining layer(s). Cool layers completely on
racks.
Source:
Betty Crocker Kitchens
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COOKING TOOLS
These are helpful tools; sites (not downloads) that you could add to your desk top.
Cooking Units Converter
Converts metric, imperial, etc. units.
http://www.unitsconverter.net/
Recipe Quantity Calculator
This is a WONDERFUL tool, especially for those who cook for one or two:
http://www.fruitfromwashington.com/Recipes/scale/recipeconversions.asp
Great conversion tools on one website
Convert measurements, calculator, you name it FREE!
ConvertIt.com
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The Mail Box...
Welcome to The Mail Box where a2z family members may send mail for all to read. It is expected that opinions, suggestions, etc. posted here be done with kindness and respect for all involved. If you have a message for the group, please send it to maggieblackwell@hotmail.com with "Mail Box" as subject. As in ALL items for posting, your first name and location must be included in the message. Posting is at the discretion of the publisher.
If you would like to view the current Reader Opinion
Poll on the web site, visit this
MailBox link.
NEW MAIL:
Hi Maggie,
Today's "Rambling" (Special Thoughts, submitted by Bette, regarding poverty in
Arkansas) touched a chord with me. I went back to rural Kentucky last October to
visit my 98-year-old grandmother. She's in great shape, lives alone, cooks,
cleans, etc. She took me into the guest bedroom and proudly showed me the huge
stack of quilts she's been working on. There must have been a dozen or more,
made from scraps of polyester fabric and hand tied. I asked her what in the
world she intended to do with all those quilts and she said, "Why, I make 'em
for OLD people!" It was all I could do not to chuckle...I love that woman. She
turned 99 in June and I told her I'd be back for her 100th birthday bash.
Nancy in New Mexico
Nancy,
What a wonderful story. And your grandmother sounds like an angel! Stories like
that remind me of the times when me and the kids have had some rough times
(financially) and they wanted to give toys, clothes and food to people with even less
than us. And we did give. And we always will. Grandmother is a fine example for
all of us, isn't she? Make sure you share her birthday bash stories with us!
Thanks for sharing. I know Bette will be thrilled to know she made a difference
in your day, dear!
Maggie
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Discussion Forum
Our discussion forum at QuickTopic is where a2z??™ers go to meet others, swap recipes, and give feedback about what is going on in A to Z Recipes. To join in at QT (or just to read) use your web browser to go to:
A to Z Recipes Discussion Forum
Also, the Florida Bunch are planning another A to Z Family Reunion in September. Guess who the "guest of honor" is? Go to the QT and find out!
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Subscribe button when you get there.
NOTE:
Maybe once you get to the site using the above link, you could add it to favorites. Links that are easy to find are more likely to be used again.
Next Monthly Theme...
Fresh Is Best!
What a great theme topic as we all know, fresh is best! So, what are we looking for in this month's theme? We would like recipes using fresh ingredients. No canned vegetables, fruit, etc. It would be ideal if all ingredients were fresh, although some seasonings and spices that are dried may be used. This is great for those of you who, like me, shy away from a lot of canned goods. A peek in my pantry will find very few canned or packaged goods, but almost never a packaged gravy, sauce, etc. Let's have some fun with this theme while the picking is great for fresh fruits and vegetables.
Here is the recipe submission set of rules:
A to Z Recipes continues with its popular Theme Issues. We will share theme recipes and post them on the first Sunday of each month. Send your recipes no later than the last Friday of each month to have them posted in the next monthly theme issue. You may send in TWO of your favorite theme recipes and in ONE email. If the number of recipes exceeds those needed in the issue, the publisher will post as many from every submitter as possible and save the remaining recipes for the following Sundays of that month. The rules for recipe submissions for the monthly theme issues are the same as ALL recipes submitted for posting.
The rules are as follows:
As a service to your fellow readers, please send only recipes that are in a form that others could easily copy and save for their own use. Recipes that would require a lot of editing or cleaning up or use non-standard measurements should not be submitted. Recipes without a name and location of sender may NOT be posted or posted without any credit given. There will be NO recipes posted that are from other recipe-zines. A to Z Recipes protects the privacy of its readers and does NOT publish email addresses. There will be no exceptions.
The deadline for August's theme issue is Friday, July 30th.
Theme recipes must have subject: "Fresh Is Best" and will be posted on Sunday, August 1st.
As usual, only recipes are to be sent to: A to Z Recipes Inbox
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Crazy Corner...
This is for women only...
Shared by Mary Jane, Stockton, CA
Please be careful. This person has found her way into my house and could also go
to yours.
A very weird thing has happened. A strange old lady has moved into my house. I
have no idea who she is, where she came from, or how she got in. I certainly did
not invite her. All I know is that one day she wasn't there, and the next day
she was!
She is a clever old lady and manages to keep out of sight for the most part, but
whenever I pass a mirror, I catch a glimpse of her. And, whenever I look in the
mirror to check my appearance, there she is hogging the whole thing, completely
obliterating my gorgeous face and body. This is very rude! I have tried
screaming at her, but she just screams back.
The least she could do is offer to pay part of the rent, but no. Every once in a
while, I find a dollar bill stuck in a coat pocket, or some loose change under a
sofa cushion, but it is not nearly enough. I don't want to jump to conclusions,
but I think she is stealing money from me. I go to the ATM and withdraw $100,
and a few days later, it's all gone!
I certainly don't spend money THAT fast, so I can only conclude the old lady is
pilfering from me. You'd think she would spend some of that money to buy wrinkle
cream. And money isn't the only thing I think she is stealing.
Food seems to disappear at an alarming rate-especially the good stuff like ice
cream, cookies, and candy. She must have a real sweet tooth, but she'd better
watch it, because she is really packing on the pounds. I suspect she realizes
this, and to make herself feel better, she is tampering with my scale to make me
think I am putting on weight, too.
For an old lady, she is quite childish. She likes to play nasty games, like
going into my closets when I'm not home and altering my clothes so they don't
fit. And she messes with my files and papers so I can't find anything. This is
particularly annoying since I am extremely neat and organized.
She has found other imaginative ways to annoy me. She gets into my mail,
newspapers, and magazines before I do and blurs the print so I can't read it.
And she has done something really sinister to the volume controls on my TV,
radio, and telephone. Now, all I hear are mumbles and whispers. She has done
other things-like make my stairs steeper, my vacuum heavier and all the knob and
faucets harder to turn. She even made my bed higher so that getting into and out
of it is a real challenge.
Lately, she has been fooling with my groceries before I put them away, applying
glue to the lids, making it almost impossible for me to open the jars. She has
taken the fun out of shopping for clothes. When I try something on, she stands
in front of the dressing room mirror and monopolizes it. She looks totally
ridiculous in some of those outfits, plus, she keeps me from seeing how great
they look on me.
Just when I thought she couldn't get any meaner, she proved me wrong. She came
along when I went to get my picture taken for my driver's license, and just as
the camera shutter clicked, she jumped in front of me!
I hope she never finds out where YOU live.
She got in my house, make sure you lock the doors.
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Love is not blind.
That's why they make lingerie...
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Your Favorites...
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BLUEBERRY CREAM PIE
~Submitted by Judy, MI
A submission intended for the "Star Spangled Recipes" issue.
4 ounces low-fat cream cheese, from an 8-ounce package, softened
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups nondairy whipped topping, from an 8-ounce container
1 (8-inch) prepared graham cracker pie crust
2 cups fresh blueberries, divided
In a medium, with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sour cream and sugar
until well blended.
Fold in whipped topping.
Spoon half of the mixture into the pie crust; top with 1cup of the blueberries.
Spread remaining cheese mixture over the blueberries.
Scatter the remaining 1 cup blueberries on top.
Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate until set, about 5 hours.
Yield: 6 portions.
COUNTRY BISCUITS
~Submitted by Tena, MO
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 ounces cold unsalted butter
1 cup low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
Gently cut in butter then add yogurt. Mix with hands without overworking dough.
Dough should be slightly sticky. Pour onto lightly floured counter and roll to
1-inch thickness. Cut out 2-inch rounds and place on unlined non-stick baking
tray. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Brush tops with heavy cream and bake
10 to 12 minutes.
VIRGINIA PEANUT SOUP
~Submitted by Larry Holmes, Ontario, Canada
1 small onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
4 cups of chicken broth of beef bouillon
?? teaspoon celery salt
salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 tablespoons coarsely chopped peanuts
Saut?© the onion and celery in the butter until lime and but not brown. Sprinkle
with the flour and stir. Add the peanut butter, stir to blend and add the
chicken broth or beef bouillon, celery salt, salt and lemon juice. Heat
thoroughly. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts on top of each bowl before
serving.
Serve 4 to 8
CREAMY GREEN PEA AND CHEESE SALAD
~Submitted by Lillian, FL
1 C. sour cream
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
32 oz. frozen green peas, thawed (6 Cups)
1/3 C. chopped green onions
2 C. Cheddar cheese (4oz.)
?? C. bacon bits (purchased is fine)
Mix sour cream, vinegar and salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir in peas and
onions. Place half the pea mixture in a serving bowl.
Top with half the cheese and half the bacon; repeat layers. Cover and chill
until served. Makes 12 servings.
CAPPUCINO BROWNIES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE SAUCE
~Submitted by Joyce, IL
Source: Bon Appetit, Feb 1994, pg 58
SAUCE:
2/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup espresso beans
5 ounces white chocolate
BROWNIES:
3/4 cup unsalted butter
4 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large egg
3/4 cup flour
3 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup hazelnuts -- toasted, chopped
SAUCE: Bring cream and espresso beans to a simmer in heavy medium saucepan.
Cover, remove from heat, and let steep 30 minutes. Strain into heavy small
saucepan. Add chocolate; stir over low heat till smooth. Add nutmeg. (Can be
made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Before using, stir over low heat till just
melted.)
BROWNIES: Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 350. Line a 9"
square baking pan with foil, overlapping sides. Butter and flour foil. Stir
butter, unsweetened chocolate, coffee powder, and cinnamon in heavy medium
saucepan over low heat till smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk in sugar and eggs. Stir
in flour, then chips and nuts. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake till tester
inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs, about 30 minutes. Cool on rack.
(Can be made 8 hours ahead.) Using foil as an aid, lift brownie from pan. Fold
down foil sides. Using a 3 1/4" cookie cutter, cut 4 rounds. Reserve scraps.
Place 1 brownie on each plate. Cover with chocolate curls. Spoon warm sauce
around brownies.
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Heart Healthy...
TOMATO FILLO PIZZA
~Submitted by Jean, Syracuse, NY
Yield: 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 8 sheets frozen, thawed fillo pastry
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
- 1 pound tomatoes, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
DIRECTIONS
Spray jelly roll pan with cooking spray; place sheet of fillo on pan and spray
generously with spray. Repeat with remaining sheets fillo.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and onion over fillo; arrange tomato slices on top.
Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and herbs.
Bake pizza at 375 degrees F. until fillo is browned and cheese melted, about 15
minutes.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/8 of recipe):
Calories: 79, Fat: 1.2 g, Cholesterol: 2.5 mg,
Protein: 12 g, Carbohydrate: 5.4 g, Sodium: 270 mg
Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 Bread, 1 Meat
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For Two...
CHICKEN BREASTS WITH ORANGE GLAZE FOR TWO
~Submitted by Jean, Syracuse, NY
1 1/2 teaspoons butter or margarine, melted
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1/2 pound)
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons orange marmelade
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Melt butter in 8-inch skillet or 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook chicken
in butter about 15 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is no longer
pink when center of thickest piece is cut.
While chicken is cooking, mix cornstarch and mustard in small bowl. Stir in
remaining ingredients.
Place chicken on serving plate; cover to keep warm. Discard any juices left in
the skillet.
To make the glaze, pour orange mixture into skillet. Heat to boiling over medium
heat, stirring constantly. Boil about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until glaze
is thickened. Pour over chicken.
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Publisher's Choice...
LEMON-LIME PIE WITH COCONUT CRUST
All I can say in explanation of the following recipe is "be still, my heart!"
Makes 8 servings
Coconut Crust:
?? cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
Lemon-Lime Curd:
?? cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
?? cup sugar
1 t grated lemon rind
1 t grated lime rind
?? cup fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)
?? cup fresh lime juice (2 limes)
3 large eggs
1 container (8 oz) frozen nondairy whipped topping, thawed
Lemon and lime slices (optional)
Heat oven to 350F.
Crust: In large microwave-safe bowl, microwave butter on 50% power to melt, 1
minute. Stir in coconut and crumbs. Press over bottom and up sides of 9-inch pie
plate.
Bake crust in 350F oven 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden on edges.
Transfer plate to wire rack; let cool.
Curd: In large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, sugar, grated citrus rinds
and juices. Cover with plastic wrap, turning back one corner to vent. Microwave
on 100% power 6 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes, until sugar dissolves and
mixture is bubbly.
In bowl, slightly whisk eggs to break up. Whisk a little of hot lemon mixture
into eggs; scrape into lemon mixture in bowl. Microwave, covered as above, on
100% power 2 minutes. Whisk to blend. Microwave, covered, on 100% power 1
minute. Whisk until smooth. Place wrap directly onto surface of curd;
refrigerate until room temperature, 30 minutes.
Fold topping into curd. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate until firm, 2 hours.
Garnish with citrus slices, if desired.
Nutrient value per serving:
398 cal
23g fat (16g sat fat)
4g pro
43g carb
1g fiber
134mg sod
111m chol
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