For the winter is passed.
The rain is over and gone.
The flowers are springing up.
And the time of the singing of the birds has come.
Song of Solomon 2:11-12
Lemon Lush
Thank you to Cathy D. for sending me this dessert, perfect for springtime, light and
refreshing. It is a quick and easy dessert to prepare, given to her
by a friend where she works.
Her words to describe it, simply "very
yummy".
Ingredients:
Crust - Mix 1 stick of butter and 1 and 1/2 cups of flour
until crumbly.
(Use salted butter or add scant ¼ teaspoon salt with flour.)
Spray bottom of pan
with cooking spray.
Press into bottom of
9"x13" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees until light brown, approx.
15-20 minutes.
First layer
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 (8 ounce) tub whipped topping (such as Cool Whip brand)
Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar till blended. Add whipped topping
and stir till blended. Spread on cooled crust.
Second layer - Mix 3 packages of instant lemon pudding with 4 and 1/2 cups of milk.
Spread onto cream cheese layer.
Top layer - Spread second 8 ounce tub of whipped topping.
Garnish with walnut
halves, blueberries, OR lemon zest.
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 |
| Lamb and Green Beans
|
One of my newspaper column readers wrote to me asking if I could find the recipe for this dish she had in a Greek restaurant in Boston MA.
This popular lamb
dish is called “Arni me Fassolakia” (pronounced ahr-NEE-meh
fah-soh-LAHK-yah); Lamb and Green Beans.
This is a popular casserole cooked on top of the stove, with bone-in lamb
preferred, stewed with tomatoes, potatoes, and string beans, seasoned
deliciously with mint, cinnamon, and dill.
However, I have Lebanese friends who gave me
their recipe for Lamb and Green beans and it is the same
except for changes in the seasoning, no dill, using ground cloves and allspice
instead.
The recipe in the picture is the Lebanese version, made by my good friend April Hawkins of Milford MA. It is one of my favorite recipes as I love lamb.
Lamb & Green
Beans
Ingredients:
4 pounds lamb, cut
into large pieces (shoulder chops best)
1 onion, chopped
½ cup olive oil
1 and ½ cups water
2 teaspoons kosher
salt
2 and ¼ pounds fresh
or frozen string beans (cut is best)
3 large tomatoes,
peeled and pulped in blender
4 tablespoons tomato
sauce
2 and ¼ pounds
potatoes, peeled and cut into very large pieces
½ tablespoon chopped
fresh mint
1 heaping tablespoon
chopped fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon ground
cinnamon
1 heaping tablespoon
chopped fresh dill
In a large pot on top
of the stove, sauté the onion in olive oil, adding meat and cooking over medium
heat until well browned. Add water, tomatoes, sauce, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 1 hour until meat is tender. Add
beans, potatoes, and remaining seasonings. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer
again for about 45 minutes. Add water if necessary, but this should be thick
like a stew; Let sit off heat for 15 minutes before serving.
********
********
"Come for Coffee" Almond Puff
Made first by my sister-in-law, Donna Jackman, this quickly became a family favorite. Donna made this for many of our get-togethers. It's perfect for a church coffee hour, a brunch, or coffee with friends.
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons water
1 cup flour
Cut butter into flour. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over mixture; mix with fork. Round into ball and divide in half. On an ungreased baking sheet, pat each half into a strip, 12x 2 inches.
Next Step:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 eggs
finely chopped nuts
1 cup water
1 cup flour
In medium saucepan, heat butter and water to rolling boil. Remove from hat and quickly stir in almond extract and 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, beat in eggs all at one time, until smooth. Divide in half; spread each half evenly over strips, covering completely. Bake about 60 minutes or until topping is crisp and lightly browned. Cool. Frost with glaze and sprinkle lightly with nuts.
Glaze:
Mix 1 and 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons soft butter, 1 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla). Add 1-2 tablespoons warm water until smooth.
********
Note: If you want to do bacon with this, separate room-temperature bacon on a baking sheet, put in oven with the French toast, will take about 20 minutes to cook.
********
A gift from Lisa, my son Mark's significant other, and very special to me.
Lisa's Mom operated an Artist's Gallery in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and this pitcher was hand-made by one of the artists who displayed her work there. The inside of the pitcher is as beautifully painted as the outside.
Note: The card on the right depicts the magnificent mountains that hover over main Street of Telluride, Colorado, where they live.
Made first by my sister-in-law, Donna Jackman, this quickly became a family favorite. Donna made this for many of our get-togethers. It's perfect for a church coffee hour, a brunch, or coffee with friends.
Almond Puff
Ingredients:1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons water
1 cup flour
Cut butter into flour. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over mixture; mix with fork. Round into ball and divide in half. On an ungreased baking sheet, pat each half into a strip, 12x 2 inches.
Next Step:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 eggs
finely chopped nuts
1 cup water
1 cup flour
In medium saucepan, heat butter and water to rolling boil. Remove from hat and quickly stir in almond extract and 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, beat in eggs all at one time, until smooth. Divide in half; spread each half evenly over strips, covering completely. Bake about 60 minutes or until topping is crisp and lightly browned. Cool. Frost with glaze and sprinkle lightly with nuts.
Glaze:
Mix 1 and 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons soft butter, 1 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla). Add 1-2 tablespoons warm water until smooth.
********
Oven Baked French Toast
The first day of spring is this week, and even though we are
still looking at a lot of snow out there, I know that Spring fever is touching
a lot of us. Celebrate the end of winter with a Sunday brunch or simply a big breakfast for your
family where you can take time with each other.
This recipe is perfect as it is quick and easy to throw together. Note: If you want to do bacon with this, separate room-temperature bacon on a baking sheet, put in oven with the French toast, will take about 20 minutes to cook.
Ingredients: 1/4 cup butter,
melted
2
tablespoons sugar
1/2
teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs
3/4 cup
orange juice
8 slices
sourdough bread, cut thick (about 3/4 "), or use texas toast.
Use a baking pan large enough for all 8 slices. Preheat oven.
Pour melted butter into the pan
and swirl around to coat. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the
butter. Beat eggs with orange juice and dip each slice of bread for about 15
seconds on each side. Lay in pan. Bake 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes.********
A gift from Lisa, my son Mark's significant other, and very special to me.
Lisa's Mom operated an Artist's Gallery in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and this pitcher was hand-made by one of the artists who displayed her work there. The inside of the pitcher is as beautifully painted as the outside.
Note: The card on the right depicts the magnificent mountains that hover over main Street of Telluride, Colorado, where they live.
