A to Z Recipes
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Happy Valentine's Day! I love this holiday. Even though I have fond memories of being the recipient of an extra helping of love in previous years, my fondest memories are of the times I extended it to others. So, today I offer you extra recipes and other goodies in this issue. I hope you enjoy all that is here and that you will accept it as a show of my affection for you and in thanks of your support of this publication. Doing an A to Z Recipes newsletter several times a week (and for many years daily) has been a highlight in my life. Thanks for being here with me and have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Maggie

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Low Carb Sinfully Delicious Desserts: Cheesecakes, Pies, Cookies, Mousse, Tiramisu, Fudge, Chocolate, and More
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Did You Know?...

Valentine's Trivia

15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day.

Worldwide, more than 50 million roses are given away as gifts on Valentine's Day.

73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.

About 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are exchanged each year. That's the largest seasonal card-sending occasion of the year, next to Christmas.

About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets.

Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent on the telephone, an "Improvement in Telegraphy", on Valentine's Day, 1876.

California produces 60 percent of American roses, but the vast number sold on Valentine's Day in the United States are imported, mostly from South America. Approximately 110 million roses, the majority red, will be sold and delivered within a three-day time period.

Cupid, another symbol of Valentines Day, became associated with it because he was the son of Venus, the Roman god of love and beauty. Cupid often appears on Valentine cards holding a bow and arrows because he is believed to use magical arrows to inspire feelings of love.

During the late 1800s, postage rates around the world dropped, and the obscene St. Valentine's Day card became popular, despite the Victorian era being otherwise very prudish. As the numbers of racy valentines grew, several countries banned the practice of exchanging Valentine's Days cards. During this period, Chicago's post office rejected more than 25,000 cards on the grounds that they were so indecent, they were not fit to be carried through the U.S. mail.

During the Middle Ages, the belief that birds chose their mates on St. Valentine's Day led to the idea that boys and girls would do the same. Up through the early 1900s, the Ozark hill people in the eastern United States thought that birds and rabbits started mating on February 14, a day for them which was not only Valentine's Day but Groundhog Day as well.

February 14, 270 A.D. : Roman Emperor Claudius II, dubbed "Claudius the Cruel," beheaded a priest named Valentine for performing marriage ceremonies. Claudius II had outlawed marriages when Roman men began refusing to go to war in order to stay with their wives.

Hallmark has over 1330 different cards specifically for Valentine's Day.

Humorous valentines of the 19th century were called "Vinegar Valentines" or "Penny Dreadfuls." Vinegar Valentines were introduced in 1858 by John McLaughin, a Scotsman with a New York City Publishing Business. Penny Dreadfuls with comic designs drawn in 1870 by American cartoonists Charles Howard became known as Penny Dreadfuls.

In 1929 in Chicago, gunmen in the suspected employment of organized-crime boss Al Capone murder seven members of the George "Bugs" Moran North Siders gang in a garage on North Clark Street. The so-called St. Valentine's Day Massacre stirred a media storm centered on Capone and his illegal Prohibition-era activities and motivated federal authorities to redouble their efforts to find evidence incriminating enough to take him off the streets.

In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.

In the United States, 64 percent of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine's Day with their sweethearts.

In Victorian times it was considered bad luck to sign a Valentine's Day card.

In Wales, wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favorite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!"

It wasn't until 1537 that St. Valentine's Day was declared an official holiday. England's King Henry VIII declared February 14th a holiday.

On February 14, 1779, Captain James Cook, the great English explorer and navigator, was murdered by natives of Hawaii during his third visit to the Pacific island group.

One single perfect red rose framed with baby's breath is referred to by some florists as a "signature rose," and is the preferred choice for many for giving on Valentine's Day, anniversary, or birthday.

Only the U.S., Canada, Mexico, France, Australia and the U.K. celebrate Valentine's Day.

Sir Alexander Fleming was a young bacteriologist when an accidental discovery led to one of the great developments of modern medicine. Having left a plate of staphylococcus bacteria uncovered, Fleming noticed that a mold that had fallen on the culture had killed many of the bacteria. He identified the mold as penicillium notatum, similar to the kind found on bread. On February 14, 1929, Fleming introduced his mold by-product called penicillin to cure bacterial infections.

Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.

Teachers will receive the most Valentine's Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts. Children ages 6 to 10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine's cards with teachers, classmates, and family members.

The "I Love You" computer virus was detected in Hong Kong on May 1, 2000. In four days the virus had mutated into three different generations. Figures by Trend Micro Inc. showed that "I Love You" had infected 3.1 million computers worldwide.

The 17th century a hopeful maiden ate a hard-boiled egg and pinned five bay leaves to her pillow before going to sleep on Valentine's eve. It was believed this would make her dream of her future husband.

The ancient Romans celebrated the Feast of Lupercalia in honor of Juno, the queen of the Roman gods and goddesses on February 14. Juno was also the goddess of women and marriage.

The Empire State Building in New York City played a prominent role in the movie Sleepless in Seattle. This year 15 couples will take (or renew) their vows on the 80th floor of this famous landmark.

The first American publisher of valentines was printer and artist Esther Howland. During the 1870s, her elaborate lace cards were purchased by the wealthy, as they cost a minimum of 5 dollars - some sold for as much as 35 dollars. Mass production eventually brought prices down, and the affordable "penny valentine" became popular with the lower classes.

The first photograph of a U.S. President was taken on February 14, 1849 by Matthew Brady in New York City. President James Polk was the subject of the famous picture.

The first televised tour of the White House aired on February 14 in 1962. First Lady Jackie Kennedy hosted the tour.

The heart is the most common symbol of romantic love. Ancient cultures believed the human soul lived in the heart. Others thought it to be the source of emotion and intelligence. Some believed the heart embodied a man's truth, strength and nobility. The heart may be associated with love because the ancient Greeks believed it was the target of Eros, known as Cupid to the Romans. Anyone shot in the heart by one of Cupid's arrows would fall hopelessly in love. Because the heart is so closely linked to love, it's red colour is thought to be the most romantic.

The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine's Day.

The Kama Sutra is believed to be the oldest sex manual in existence. Generally considered the standard work on love in Sanskrit literature, the book is thought to have been written around 300 A.D.

The most fantastic gift of love is the Taj Mahal in India. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan as a memorial to his wife, who died in childbirth. Work on the Taj began in 1634 and continued for almost 22 years. required the labor of 20,000 workers from all over India and Central Asia.

The oldest known Valentines were sent in 1415 A.D. by the Duke of Orleans to his French wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. It is still on display in a museum in England.

The oldest surviving love poem is written in a clay tablet from the times of the Sumerians, inventors of writing, around 3500 B.C. It was unromantically named Istanbul #2461 by the archeologists who unearthed it.

The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Red stands for strong feelings which is why a red rose is a flower of love.

Valentine's Day is big business. Consumers will spend an average of $77.43 on Valentine's Day gifts this year. E-commerce retailers expect to rack up about $650 million in sales of food, candy, flowers, and other Valentine's Day gifts. Of that amount about $350 million will be for gifts and flowers and another $45 million will be spent on food (including chocolate) and wine.

Wearing a wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand dates back to ancient Egypt, where it was believed that the vein of love ran from this finger directly to the heart.

A ring has been included in wedding ceremonies since the 12th century. Pope Innocent the Third ordained that marriages had to take place in church and that a wedding ring should be exchanged during the service.

In England, the Romans, who had taken over the country, had introduced a pagan fertility festival held every February 14. After the Romans left England, nearly a century later, the pagan ritual was abolished by Pope Gelsius who established St. Valentine's Day as a celebration of love in 496 A.D.

In America, the pilgrims sent confections, such as sugar wafers, marzipan, sweetmeats and sugar plums, to their betrothed. Great value was placed on these gifts because they included what was then a rare commodity, sugar. After the late 1800's, beet sugar became widely used and more available, and sweet gifts continued to be valued and enjoyed.

Chocolate manufacturers currently use 40 percent of the world's almonds and 20 percent of the world's peanuts.

125 Best Cheesecake Recipes
by George Geary
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Next Monthly Theme...

Favorite Ground Meat Recipes

Here's the scoop on the current theme:

Just about everyone has a favorite recipe for using that extremely convenient ingredient "ground meat". What is your favorite way to prepare it? Do you have a special chili, meatloaf or casserole recipe you would like to share with the group here? We would love to make this theme topic as huge a success as possible. It can start with you sharing the recipes your family enjoys using ground meat. For us in the Blackwell household, we enjoy hamburger steaks, smothered in pan gravy. My personal favorite, Mish-Mash, is a special recipe that I will share with you in this theme for March.

Please use this link: Favorite Ground Meat Recipes

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 your favorite theme recipes 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.

See the A to Z Recipes Theme Issues collection here:

A to Z Recipes Theme Issues

The theme issue for Favorite Ground Meat Recipes has a deadline of February 25, 2005, and will be posted on March 6, 2005.

Please use this link: Favorite Ground Meat Recipes

As usual, only recipes are to be sent to: A to Z Recipes Inbox.

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125 Best Ground Meat Recipes:
Using Beef, Turkey, Chicken, Pork
By Ilana Simon
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Crazy Corner...

Bad To The Bone

Shared by Pam, OH

"Bisexuality immediately doubles your chances for a date on Saturday night."
-Rodney Dangerfield

"There are a number of mechanical devices which increase sexual arousal, particularly in women. Chief among these is the Mercedes-Benz 380SL."
-Lynn Lavner

"Sex at age 90 is like trying to shoot pool with a rope."
-Camille Paglia

"Sex is one of the nine reasons for incarnation. The other eight are unimportant."
-George Burns

"Women might be able to fake orgasms. But men can fake a whole relationship."
-Sharon Stone

"Hockey is a sport for white men. Basketball is a sport for black men. Golf is a sport for white men dressed like black pimps."
-Tiger Woods

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch."
-Jack Nicholson

"Clinton lied. A man might forget where he parks or where he lives, but he never forgets oral sex, no matter how bad it is."
-Barbara Bush (Former US First Lady, and you didn't think Barbara had a sense of humor)

"Ah, yes, divorce, from the Latin word meaning to rip out a man's genitals through his wallet."
-Robin Williams

"Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place."
-Billy Crystal

"According to a new survey, women say they feel more comfortable undressing in front of men than they do undressing in front of other women They say that women are too judgmental, where, of course, men are just grateful."
-Robert De Niro

"There's a new medical crisis. Doctors are reporting that many men are having allergic reactions to latex condoms. They say they cause severe swelling. So what's the problem?"
-Dustin Hoffman

"There's very little advice in men's magazines, because men think, 'I know what I'm doing. Just show me somebody naked'."
-Jerry Seinfeld

"See, the problem is that God gives men a brain and a penis, and only enough blood to run one at a time."
-Robin Williams

"It's been so long since I've had sex, I've forgotten who ties up whom."
-Joan Rivers

"Sex is one of the most wholesome, beautiful and natural experiences money can buy."
-Steve Martin

"You don't appreciate a lot of stuff in school until you get older. Little things like being spanked every day by a middle-aged woman. Stuff you pay good money for in later life."
-Elmo Phillips

"Bigamy is having one wife too many. Monogamy is the same."
-Oscar Wilde

"It isn't premarital sex if you have no intention of getting married."
-George Burns



15 things a man can do at Wal-Mart -- while his lady is taking her dammed sweet time:

Shared by Sandra H., AL

1. Get 24 boxes of condoms & randomly put them in people's carts when they aren't looking.

2. Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5 minute intervals.

3. Make a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the restrooms.

4. Walk up to an employee and tell him/her in an official tone:'Code 3 in Housewares' . . and see what happens.

5. Go to the Service Desk and ask to put a bag of M&M's on lay-away.

6. Move a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

7. Set-up a tent in the Camping Department -- and tell other shoppers you're sleeping over; invite them in if they bring pillows from the Bedding Department.

8. When a clerk asks if they can help you, begin to cry and ask:
"Why can't you people just leave me alone?"

9. Look right into the security camera, use it as a mirror and pick your nose.

10. While handling guns in the Hunting Department, ask the clerk if he knows where the anti-depressants are.

11. Dart around the store suspiciously, while loudly humming the theme from "Mission Impossible."

12. In the Auto Department, practice your "Madonna look" using different sized funnels.

13. Hide in a clothing rack . . and when people browse through, say:
"PICK ME!!! PICK ME!!!"

14. When an announcement comes over the loudspeaker, assume the fetal position and scream, "NO!...It's those voices again!!!"

And last but not least:

15. Go into a fitting room, shut the door and wait a while . . . then yell loudly:
"There's no toilet paper in here!"



Shared By Richard, Bradenton, FL

Per capita candy consumption is nearly 25 pounds per year, per person. Thinking about sending some sweets or chocolates this Valentines Day?

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Choc olate Passion: Recipes and Inspiration from the Kitchens of Chocolatier Magazine
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The Art of Chocolate: Techniques & Recipes for Simply Spectacular Desserts & Confections
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Lusc ious Chocolate Desserts
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LEMON CHIFFON CHEESECAKE

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Hellmann's or Best Foods Real Mayonnaise
2 eggs
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (9-inch) graham cracker crust
1 cup cherry or blueberry pie filling (optional)

1. Preheat oven 350.

2. In mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and Hellmann's or Best Foods Real Mayonnaise until smooth. Gradually beat in eggs, lemon peel and vanilla until smooth. Pour into prepared crust.

3. Bake 25 minutes or until center is almost set. On wire rack, cool 1 hour. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight. To serve, top with cherry pie filling.

Serves: 8



CUCUMBER SANDWICHES

1 lg. cucumber, peeled
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. snipped green onion stems or snipped chives
30 rounds or fingers of white bread, buttered

Cut cucumber in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Dice and drain in a strainer for at least 1 hour. Mix cream cheese, garlic salt, Worcestershire sauce and salt until well blended. Stir in drained cucumber and snipped onion. Spread on buttered bread rounds. Make open faced or closed sandwiches. Refrigerate, covered with waxed paper and a damp cloth, until serving time. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.



ONE-BOWL CHOCOLATE FUDGE

1 pkg. (8 sqs.) Baker's semi-sweet chocolate
2/3 c. sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
1 c. walnuts, chopped

Microwave chocolate and milk in 1 1/2 quart microwave bowl on High 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla, salt and walnuts. Spread in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Cut into squares.



SIRLOIN TIPS & MUSHROOMS

1 1/4 lb. sirloin, cubed 1"
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
3/4 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/3 c. water or beef broth
1/2 c. dry red wine
1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. Dijon style mustard
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. whipping cream, chopped
Parsley

1. Coat skillet non-stick pan spray. Add garlic until pieces brown, remove to casserole with a cover.

2. Add 1/2 cup wine to skillet; saute the mushrooms and add to the meat (in a 1-quart covered casserole). Microcook wine and mushrooms on high 3 1/2-4 minutes, stirring each minute.

3. Cover. Bake slowly at 275 degrees for 1 hour until tender.

4. Add water or broth remaining wine and soy sauce to the pan in which the meat was browned.

5. Boil stirring up the brownings until reduced to a glaze. Blend the mustard, cornstarch and cream. Add to the pan. Boil until thick.

6. Pour off juices from meat into the sauce in the pan. Boil, whisking until smooth and thick. Blend with the meat. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve over rice.

Preparation 20 minutes.
Cook time 1 hour. Oven temperature 275 degrees.

Serves 4.



PRALINE WANNA-BE'S

20-24 graham crackers
1 c. butter (not margarine)
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. pecans, chopped

Line a 15 x 10 x 1 inch greased jelly roll pan with whole graham crackers. Bring the margarine and sugar to a rolling boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. When bubbling has stopped add nuts. Spoon over graham crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool slightly and break into squares.



CHERRIES IN THE SNOW

6 egg whites (at room temp.)
3/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 c. sugar
2 c. soda crackers (sm. pieces)
1 c. coarsely chopped nuts
2 tsp. vanilla
1 (12 oz.) carton non-dairy whipped topping
1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling

Beat egg whites until frothy, add cream of tartar, slowly add sugar and beat until it peaks. Fold in the soda crackers, nuts and vanilla. Spread in ungreased 9x13 inch pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Let cool. Spread whipped topping over top then spread can of pie filling over all. Makes about 15 servings. (Blueberry or peach pie filling are also delicious to use instead of cherry pie filling but not as festive for Valentine's Day.)



CANDY BAR MELTAWAYS

Easy enough for older kids to prepare.

17 oz. roll Pillsbury Slice 'n Bake refrigerated sugar cookies*
1 pkg. (9 1/2 oz.) Milky Way junior candy bars
-OR-
4 Milky Way bars (2 1/8 oz. ea.), cut up
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice cookie dough into 1/4 inch slices; place slices in bottom of 13x9-inch pan and press together to form a crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; arrange candy evenly over crust. Return to oven 2 to 3 minutes or until candy softens. With spatula, quickly spread candy evenly over entire surface. Sprinkle with nuts, pressing in slightly. Cool; cut into bars. 36 bars.

TIP: *A 16-oz. roll Pillsbury Slice 'n Bake refrigerated natural flavored chocolate chip cookies can be substituted for the sugar cookies.



CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRIES

1 can Eagle Brand milk
1 (2 lb.) bag powdered sugar
1 (24 oz.) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cake paraffin
1 lg. can maraschino cherries

Mix Eagle Brand milk and sugar thoroughly. Chill overnight. Roll mixture around cherries, sealing well. Freeze. Heat chocolate chips and paraffin until melted. Dip frozen cherries in chocolate and paraffin mixture. Cool on wax paper.



MOCHA BOURBON BALLS

1 lb. vanilla wafers, crushed
2 c. walnuts, chopped
2 tbsp. cocoa
2 c. confectioners' sugar
3 tbsp. light corn syrup
4 (1 oz.) jiggers bourbon or rum
Confectioners' sugar (for rolling)

1. Blend together crushed wafers, chopped nuts, cocoa and sugar.

2. In separate bowl, mix corn syrup and bourbon together. Gradually add to crumb mixture.

3. Shape into balls the size of small walnuts and roll in confectioners' sugar.

4. Chill overnight.

Yield: 5 dozen.

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Heart Healthy...

DIABETIC CHOCOLATE-PECAN FUDGE

1 env. unflavored gelatin
1/4 c. water
1 sq. unsweetened chocolate
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sweet & Low liquid
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. chopped pecans

Soften gelatin in 1/4 cup water for 5 minutes. Melt chocolate with cinnamon and Sweet & Low liquid. Slowly add evaporated milk and water. Add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Remove from fire and add vanilla; cool. When mixture begins to thicken, add nuts. Turn into dish. When firm, cut into small 1-inch squares.

Each piece equals 1/3 milk exchange and 1/2 fat exchange.



CHOCOLATE CHERRY HEARTS

3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
6 oz jar of Maraschino cherries

1. Spray non-stick cooking spray on a non-stick cookie sheet with lip, set aside.

2. Beat eggs and cream of tartar in a medium-size mixing bowl until soft peaks form.

3. Slowly pour sugar into the egg mixture and mix until stiff glossy peaks form.

4. Fold in pecans, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt.

5. Spoon mixture onto prepared cookie sheet and spread thin and evenly.

6. Bake in oven at 250 degrees for about 20 minutes.

7. Remove cookie sheet and let sit for a few minutes.

8. Using a 3" heart-shaped cookie cutter begin making cuts. Press firmly to insure even shapes.

9. Place cookie sheet back into oven and bake at 250 degrees for 20 additional minutes.

10. Remove hearts carefully and let cool on wire rack.

11. Spoon a few cherry halves on top of hearts.

Servings: Approximately 14
1 Heart per serving: Calories 90, Protein 1.5 g, Fat 3 g, Carb 12 g.

Tip: Best if stored at room temperature and eaten within 5 days.

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For Two...

SCALLOP AND PASTA TOSS

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon reduced calorie margarine
1 cup celery, diagonally sliced
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 green onion, sliced
1/2 cup carrot, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 pound scallops (the recipe calls for bay, I prefer ocean and quarter them)
2 tablespoons water
1teaspoon white wine Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups cooked spinach linguine

Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray; add margarine. Place over medium heat until margarine melts. Add celery and next four ingredients; saute until tender crisp.

Add scallops and next five ingredients; cook 5-7 minutes or until scallops are opaque, stirring occasionally. Place cooked linguine in a large serving bowl and add scallop mixture, and toss gently. Serve immediately.

Servings: 2



BACON STUFFED STEAK PINWHEELS
Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 slc side bacon
1/4 cup minced fresh mushrooms
2 tbl minced onion
2 tbl fine dry bread crumbs
2 tbl shredded Swiss cheese
1 tbl snipped parsley
good dash of pepper
1/2 lb top round steak cut 1/4" thick
1 tbl vegetable oil
1/3 cup water

Method:

Heat a skillet and cook the bacon slices until just tender. Remove them and set aside on paper towel to drain. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp. of the pan drippings and then add the mushrooms and onion. Saute until tender but not browned. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley and pepper. Set the pan aside.

Cut the steak into 4 strips, each about 1" wide. Place 2 strips together, overlapping slightly to form a long strip. Repeat with remaining 2 strips. Pound the meat slightly to flatten it. Spread the reserved stuffing over both strips and then roll up like a jelly-roll. With the spiral side up, wrap each with 2 slices of the bacon and secure with a toothpick.

Heat the oil in a skillet (you can use the same one as the stuffing) until medium/hot and then add the steak pinwheels. Brown both sides and then remove them to a baking dish and add the water to the pan (don't pour it over the meat). Cover tightly with foil and bake in a preheated 350 oven for 45 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.

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Publisher's Choice...

SPICY GRILLED SIRLOIN WITH ONIONS

Preparation Time: 5 minutes plus marinating
Grilling Time: about 20 minutes
Serves 4 to 6

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) boneless sirloin steak, or 4 to 6 (8-ounce) top sirloin steaks
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large sweet white onions, such as Vidalia, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 limes, cut into wedges

1. Heat a charcoal grill until coals form white ash or preheat a gas grill to high. Sprinkle soaked mesquite chips over the coals, if desired. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, the paprika, cumin, and black and white peppers. Brush steak on both sides with a little of the oil, then use fingers to rub steak with spice mixture. Let the steak stand about 15 minutes to allow spices to penetrate.

2. Place steak on grill 4 inches from the heat source and cook for 8 minutes. Using tongs, turn over and grill 8 to 9 minutes more for medium (smaller top sirloin steaks will cook in less time). Transfer steak to a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, brush the onion slices with the remaining oil and sprinkle with the remaining salt. Place onions on grill rack and cook, turning with a spatula, until softened and charred, 8 to 10 minutes.

4. Thinly slice the steak across the grain (leave smaller top sirloin steaks whole). Top with the onions and serve with the lime wedges.



STRAWBERRY LAYER CAKE

Preparation Time: 30 minutes plus cooling
Baking Time: 50 minutes
Makes 16 slices

Cream-filled and full of strawberries, your sweetheart will feel loved by this dessert sensation.

1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 container (16 ounces) light frozen whipped topping, thawed
4 cups sliced strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 325F. In a medium bowl, combine flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, and baking soda. Mix well.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat egg yolks, water, oil, and lemon juice. At low speed beat in flour mixture until smooth.

3. Using clean beaters, beat egg whites at high speed until foamy. beat in cream of tartar until soft peaks form. beat in remaining sugar until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Fold beaten egg whites into flour mixture. Pour batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan.

4. Bake until top is golden, about 50 minutes. Invert pan and place center over neck of a bottle. Cool completely. Turn cake out onto a large plate.

5. Split cake into 3 layers. Place one layer on a serving plate; spread with 1/3 of topping and 1/3 of strawberries. Repeat with second layer. Spread remaining topping over cake. Garnish with remaining strawberries.

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