Holm Family Cookbook

Mushroom, bacon, and potato breakfast casserole

Instead of a fun spring break this year, my daughters and I got to experience "spring broke." My oldest daughter came home from college for spring break with a cough/cold thing she'd had for two weeks and the first Monday she had off, she went to the doctor to get a prescription for a sinus and ear infection. Towards the end of her spring break she started feeling a little better, but I got the cough/cold thing and she went back to school without getting to do anything fun. My youngest daughter started her spring break with a severe sore throat, swollen glands, chills, and a fever and the doctor told us it could be mono or strep throat. Fortunately it was neither, but she got to spend her spring break with me and my hacking cough and on and off fever, on the couch watching movies.

By the time Easter weekend rolled around, we were feeling better and were ready to entertain our cousins from Yuba City for the weekend.  We usually have a family event on the Saturday before Easter at the party barn and on Easter Sunday at cousin Wendy's house, so on Friday night my sister Nancy and I try to show them a good time in Livermore and fit in as many places as we can.

On Friday night we met Nancy in downtown Livermore a little after 5:00 and went straight to Demetri's for flaming saganaki and shots of ouzo. Demetri stopped working for a moment and had a shot with us. That ouzo is great for hacking coughs (Nancy has the same hacking cough as I do).  Next, we stopped at the First Street Ale House for salads (ok, I had a Paulaner hefeweizen too). The Black and Bleu Salad is our favorite. It has strips of thinly sliced marinated tri-tip on top and crumbled bleu cheese mixed with red onions, tomatoes, carrots, and mixed lettuce. After a bit of shopping, we headed out to the Underdog at Concannon Vineyards for dessert and wine. As usual, the desserts were fabulous.

On Saturday morning I planned to make apple French toast casserole, but discovered I did not have brown sugar, which is a required ingredient for that dish (note to my kids: when you use something up, put it on the shopping list!). So, I decided to improvise my favorite potato and ham bake casserole with a lower fat mushroom and bacon version.  I keep of bag of crumbled bacon in my freezer for moments like this. 

The bag of crumbled bacon from my freezer

The casserole can be made the night before and heated before serving in the morning.  I have provided my improvised recipe directly below and the original recipe at the bottom.

Mushroom, Bacon, and Potato Casserole - Serves 9

Non-stick spray or olive oil

1/2 to 3/4 package frozen hash browns, thawed

Salt and pepper to taste

1 8-oz. package fresh sliced mushrooms

1 chopped shallot or 2 tablespoons chopped onions

1 - 2 tablespoons of crumbled bacon

1 to 1 1/2 cup 2% milk shredded Mexican four cheese blend

4 eggs

1 1/3 cup non-fat milk

Cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 425˚F.  Sautée the mushrooms and shallot until brown in olive oil or in a skillet sprayed with non-stick spray .

Use the non-stick spray or olive oil to oil a 8 1/2 - by 11-inch baking dish. Season the thawed hash browns with salt and pepper.  Line the baking dish with the thawed hash browns, pressing them firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan as you would when making a graham cracker pie crust. Spray the hash browns with oil or brush with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until crispy. 

While the hash browns are baking, whisk together the eggs and milk. Season the egg and milk mixture with salt and pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper.

Remove from the oven and put the sautéed mushrooms and shallot into the browned crust. Sprinkle on the crumbled bacon. Cover with the cheese. Pour on the egg and milk mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes, until golden and an inserted knife comes out clean.

The browned hash browns on the left, finished version on the right

Here's the original, fully loaded recipe

Potato and Ham Bake Breakfast Special - Serves 6

This recipe was given to me and my sister, Susie Calhoun, by Raelene Vieux. The Vieux family are local cattle ranchers who are used to serving large meals to many people. You can double the recipe to serve twelve people—use a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. When I make this dish, I use hash brown patties and omit the butter.

1/2 (30 ounce) package frozen hash browns, thawed

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1 1/2 cups diced ham

1/2 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 2 ounces)

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)

2 eggs

2/3 cup half-and-half

Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Line a 12-inch pie pan or an 8- by 8-inch baking dish with the thawed hash browns, pressing them firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan as you would when making a graham cracker pie crust. Pour the butter around the edges. (If using patties, omit this step.) Bake for 20 minutes or until crispy. Remove from the oven and arrange the ham, chilies, and cheeses in layers on the browned crust.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and half-and-half and pour the mixture over the layers. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and an inserted knife comes out clean.

Here's to a happy and healthier spring!

~merry~

Super nachos made of leftovers from Super Bowl Sunday

On Super Bowl Sunday we had an impromptu party of 10 and as usual we had enough food for 20 or more people. There were pizzas, wings, veggies, chips and dips, a pot of chili, beer bread, brownies, BBQ beef, cupcakes, candies, turtle chex mix and more. Needless to say, there was a lot of food left over.

By the way, one of the favorite candies at the party were Hershey's Almond Joy pieces. My daughter picked them out as they met our criteria for the Super Bowl teams' colors (blue and white).  The Almond Joy pieces and the wings were about the only foods that were totally consumed.

We also had Patriot punch, which was made with fresh blueberries, blueberry flavored vodka, and lemonade. I'm not a fan of the Patriots--just thought it sounded better than Giants punch.

Since the room was full of Raiders and 49er fans, we were not as focused on the game as we could have been. There was a lot of talking and laughing, and when the commercials came on everyone quieted down and the sound went up.  One of my friends from elementry school is a movie/commerical editor and we watched for his commercials along with all of the other clever commercials that air during the Super Bowl. My favorite work of his this year was the Honda CRV commercial with Mathew Brodrick: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhkDdayA4iA

Our Super Bowl fare included veggies, candies, scoop style tortilla chips, and chili

Artichoke dip, pita strips,  BBQ beef, turtle Chex mix, and sweet and sour chicken wings (click here for wing recipe)

To get rid of some of the leftovers I've been packing them to work the last couple of days for my coworkers to eat. Tonight I made some super nachos with the leftover chili, chips, cheese, and veggies. Below is my recipe.

Super Nachos

Ingredients

Leftover chili

5 oz. or more of Scoop style tortilla chips

1 cup or more of shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican cheese, or cheddar/Monterey Jack mix)

1 tomato, chopped

1 avocado, scooped out of shell and cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons chopped onion (or more if you like onions)

1/2 lime or lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Cilantro, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix the avocado and onion. Squeeze lime juice over the top and mix. Salt and pepper avocado mixture to taste and set aside.

Place a layer of chips on the bottom of a cast iron frying pan or ovenproof pan with the scoop side up. Spoon half of the chili into the chips. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the top of the chips and chili. Place another layer of chips, chili, and cheese over the top. Bake for 7 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Sprinkle the chopped tomato over the top. Spoon the avocado over the top and sprinkle with the cilantro. Serve immediately.

~merry~

"Men, I want you just thinking of one word all season. One word and one word only: Super Bowl." ~Bill Peterson, football coach

Tostada Dip, a Super Bowl party favorite

Watching the 49ers play the Giants a couple of weekends ago reminded me of the playoff game and Super Bowl parties I attended in the 1980’s when the 49ers won the Super Bowl four times. I often brought tostada dip to the parties and the dip was just about as popular at those parties as Joe Montana was to Niners Fans. Long time Livermore resident, Eleanor Barbera, gave me the tostada dip recipe.

Eleanor Barbera was one of those people that I would like to see as she always had a big smile for me. When my sisters and I attended Fifth Street Elementary School (which was where the Del Valle Continuation High School is now), Eleanor was the yard duty lady. Later she worked as a teacher’s aid at Almond Avenue School and after that at Jackson Avenue School. When we were older and played softball in the LARPD women’s softball leagues with her daughter Susie, she would watch our games and practices. She was quite a baseball fan and after she passed away I learned she played on a semi-pro women’s team in Merced—like the team from the movie, “A League of Our Own.” I wish I could have heard some of her stories about her ball playing days. Eleanor was of Irish and Native American ancestry and had high cheekbones, dark hair and olive complexion. She was married to Siberio “Sib” Barbera of Italian ancestry and also an avid sports fan. Eleanor and Sib lived on Third Street in one of the charming craftsman style homes that share the backside of the block that Loard’s Ice Cream Parlor is on. For several years, Sib owned and operated the Atlantic Richfield Service Station on the corner of South L and Second Street in Livermore. He retired and sold it in the early 1980s.

Sib and Eleanor Barbera

Eleanor and Sib had three children, Katherine (Kathy), Thomas Joseph (Joe), and Susanne (Susie). Kathy, also known as Kitt Gilmour, worked as a 911 dispatcher at the Lab for several years. During the last years of his life, Joe lived in the caretaker cottage on our family’s ranch and owned and operated a precision machining shop in Livermore. Susie Barbera was in our sister Nancy’s class at Fifth Street and together they would torment the boys on the playground. Susie is now Susanne Ramsey and is a computer security officer at the Lab and the daughter-in-law of well-known Livermore artist Carolyn Ramsey.

Unfortunately, the Niners won't be playing at the Super Bowl this year, but I am providing you with Eleanor's tostada dip recipe so you can eat it while watching the two teams that do make it to the Super Bowl. Following the dip recipe are some tips to make the recipe a 2012-style dip.

Tostada Dip – Serves 12

1 16-ounce can refried beans

1 7-ounce can chopped Ortega chilies

3 tablespoons mild taco sauce

2 cups guacamole dip

1 small bell pepper, finely chopped (optional)

1 medium ripe tomato, finely diced

2 stalks of celery, finely chopped (optional)

1 pint sour cream

1 small head of lettuce, finely shredded (optional)

½ pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated

½ pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated

On a plate or shallow bowl, spread the refried beans. In this order, add additional layers of chilies, taco sauce, and avocado dip. In a small bowl, combine the bell pepper, tomato and celery. Spread on top of the dip. Add a layer of sour cream on top of the chopped vegetables. Top with the lettuce, and then the cheeses.

2012-style dip tips: Garnish the top of the dip with sliced olives, chopped cilantro, and tomatoes. Use preshredded Mexican taco style cheese instead of just the Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses. Substitute the bell pepper with a chopped jalapeno pepper (be sure to remove the seeds). Serve with scoop style corn or tortilla chips, or tortilla chips made in your favorite team's colors.

Go San Francisco Giants! It's not too early to start cheering on our favorite baseball team, is it?!?

~merry carter~

The tray of mini desserts that I served on Christmas Day

Mini desserts are the rage at restaurants, catered events, and parties these days. Most people want something sweet after dinner and don't want a large dessert. Many of us also like to try a few different things, so the minis are just perfect. I decided to serve mini desserts after dinner on Christmas day this year and my guests were excited that I served them.

To make it easy on myself I bought two premade mini desserts and my daughter, Whitney, and I made one. One of the desserts that I bought was a box of mini cheesecakes from Costco. There were actually three flavors of cheesecakes in the box, which brought the number of different desserts up to five. The second dessert that I bought were mini chocolate dipped vanilla ice cream cones from Trader Joe's. These were a hit. My guests were thrilled to get the ice cream cones.

Mini cheesecakes from Costco

Mini chocolate dipped vanilla ice cream cones from Trader Joe's

The dessert that Whitney and I made was a chocolate mousse layered with crushed Oreo cookies that we topped with fresh whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles, and a Hershey's Kiss all made in shot glasses. Most dessert recipes can be prepared in mini containers.  I purchased the shot glasses that I served them in at World Market. Pier 1 Imports currently has a nice selection of mini glasses and other serving dishes for mini desserts and appetizers. If you stop by the store, Pier 1 Imports has a pamphlet about tasting parties that includes ideas and some recipes. The Pier 1 Imports website has a beautiful display of photos and recipes - click here to check them out.

Chocolate mousse layered mini desserts that my daughter and I made for after dinner on Christmas Day

Mini martini glasses available at Pier 1 Imports stores

Mini sampler set available at Pier 1 Imports

The mini desserts can be easy to make. Whitney and I really did not follow a recipe. We made a packaged mousse recipe, crushed Oreos, and made some whipped cream. To get the mousse and the whipped cream into the glasses without making a mess all over the sides of the glasses, we put the mousse and whipped cream into plastic zip-lock bags with a hole cut into one corner of each bag and piped the mousse and whipped cream into the glasses.  I put a frosting tip into the hole in the bag with the whipped cream so that the whipped cream looked a bit more decorative. We sprinkled some decorative candies on top of the whipped cream and topped the dessert with a Hershey's kiss.

Surprise your guests this New Year's Eve with some mini desserts. Go crazy with them!

~merry~

Tablecloths like this red one can be purchased for just a few dollars at the after Christmas clearance sales

I think it is imperative to have beautifully decorated tables when you are entertaining and one of the primary reasons for this is if you have a cooking disaster, your guests are less likely to notice it if the table is well decorated and the food is presented well. It is possible to have a beautifully decorated table and spend very little money.  At the after Christmas sales I purchase candles and other decorations that I can utilize at other times during the year if they don't look seasonal or for Christmas the following year. Garage sales are also great place for finding items to use for table decorations.

Last year I bought some beautiful red tablecloths and silver glass candlesticks at the Target after Christmas clearance sales and used them to decorate this year. The tablecloths and candlesticks were 90% off.  I have some strands of crystal beads that I purchased for 50% off at our local craft store that I wove in and out of the candlesticks. Years ago I purchased some plastic ice chips and glass shaped like diamonds at a discount store that I sprinkled throughout the centerpiece.

 Strands of crystal beads were woven in and out of candlesticks in my Christmas centerpiece

The only thing I purchased for my Christmas table centerpiece this year were some white hydrangeas that I placed in some ice cream sundae glasses that my aunt discarded several years ago. I purchased the hydrangeas at Costco. Trader Joes is also a great place to find inexpensive fresh flowers and plants. 

In my centerpiece this year I also used other candlesticks that I had in the house and used white tealight candles and white cloth napkins to tie it all together. The white cloth napkins can be purchased at World Market and can be used time and time again.

Discarded ice cream sundae dishes with white hydrangeas and silver glass candlesticks added a touch of elegance to our table this year

If you are planning a dinner party for New Year's Eve, you might want to shop for the decorations now at the after Christmas clearance sales. The prices can't be beat!

~merry~

Hey, what are you waiting for!?! Get out there and shop the after Christmas sales!

For nearly 50 years clam dip has been served at my parent's parties and family events

When I was a kid in the 1960's my parents belonged to two dinner clubs. Each month the members of the clubs would take a turn hosting a dinner party at their house. When it was my mother's turn to host "club" it was quite a production getting the house ready. I can remember using the electric floor polisher to polish the hardwood floors in the living room. The polisher was taller than I was. It had two rotating felt pads on the bottom and a long pole with handles to hold to control the polisher.  There was an electrical cord attached to the top portion of the pole and the other end would be plugged into the wall. I can remember polishing the floors a few times with no parental supervision. At least twice I lost control of the polisher (I think I may have lost control when I tried to ride it). It spun wildly around and around, the cord wound around me and the polisher. I don't remember how the polisher was stopped. Apparently I did not get hurt, but I have to wonder why as a small child I was operating it in the first place.

An Electrolux floor polisher just like the one I used to polish the living room floor

Another big job that needed to be done for the dinner parties was polishing the silver. My mother had a set of Wallace Grand Baroque sterling silver flatware that would always be tarnished when it was time to entertain. We would use silver polish and cloth diapers to polish the silver. The silver polish would always get into the ornate handles and it would take some work to get it out. While this job was tedious, it was much safer than polishing the hardwood floor.

Wallace Grand Baroque sterling silver flatware

Prior to the guests arriving, ashtrays would be set out around the house and a silver cup with cigarettes in it would be placed on the coffee table in the living room so the guests could help themselves to a cigarette. I really can't remember what my mother would serve for dinner for "club," but I do remember that a lot of highballs were served along with clam dip and ridged dip chips before dinner was served.

A cup like this would be filled with cigarettes for the guests

Highballs made of whiskey and carbonated water were served

While the highballs aren't flowing nowadays like they used to in the 60's and you won't find cigarettes at my parent's parties or our family events, clam dip is still being served. On Christmas Eve our cousin Lori usually makes clam dip for us to eat while we wait for Santa to arrive and sometimes two family members bring it to our Fourth of July family reunion. The clam dip is almost always served with ridged dip chips and is gone before you know it. Below is Lori's recipe from our cookbook.

Clam Dip

Ingredients

1 6-ounce can of minced clams

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped green onion

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Dash of Tabasco

Directions

Drain the minced clams, reserving some of the clam juice in case it is needed later. In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, green onion, lemon juice, garlic salt, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco. Add the clams and mix thoroughly. If the dip is too thick, add some of the clam juice and stir well. Serve with chips or crackers.

.

So I have a confession to make. In the morning after "club," I would take sips of the highballs that were still on the coffee table and end tables. The highballs with the cigarette butts floating in them really didn't taste that great.

~merry~

A sample of the wide variety of cookies and candies from this year's exchange: chocolate crinkles, double orange, snickerdoodle biscotti, shortbread, English toffee, lemon drops, chocolate balls

Three years ago I blogged about a Christmas cookie exchange 11 of my coworkers and I started that year at work. At the first exchange we were wowed by the French chocolate bark our coworker Louella brought for the exchange. She neatly packed the bark into twelve small green glass bread pans. The wife of another coworker brought chocolate Christmas mice, which were also a hit.  Click here to read about the first exchange

That year I brought the spritz cookies that my family and I make at a yearly spritz cookie making party. To read about the cookie making party and see the recipe, click here. 

Last year, I was not into making cookies for the exchange, so I made homemade peanut brittle. Believe it or not, peanut brittle is quicker and easier to make than cookies. Click here to learn how to make it and get the recipe.

I spent some time this past weekend prepping for the third annual cookie exchange. I made muddy buddies, a snack mix, instead of cookies. And, as I am writing this blog, it is 6:30 a.m. and I have potatoes baking in the oven for the luncheon we have in conjunction with the cookie exchange. The first year we had a taco and taco salad bar at the luncheon.  I made easy picante chicken in a crockpot for the tacos and salad. Click here for the recipe.  Last year we had a baked potato bar. When the call went out this year for ideas for the luncheon some people wanted tacos again, others wanted baked potatoes. There were no suggestions for anything new, so we are having a taco and baked potato bar.

It's now 9:30 p.m. and I'm feeling a bit queasy from all of the decadent sweets that I ate today. The variety of cookies and candy that my coworkers made for today's cookie exchange was incredible. There were snickerdoodle biscotti, lemon drop cookies, shortbread, English toffee, oatmeal raisin cookies, double orange cookies, chocolate mint chip cookies, and chocolate crinkles. Louella wowed us again this year with some chocolate balls made from an Ina Garten recipe. Besides the wide assortment of cookies and candies, there was also a variety of packages that the cookies were packed in.

A sample of the cookie packagings

Muddy buddies

Muddy Buddies

Ingredients

9 cups Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Wheat Chex, or Chocolate Chex cereal (or combination)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

Measure the cereal into a large bowl and set aside. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on high for 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 20 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Pour the mixture over the cereal, stirring until evenly coated, and taking care to not break the cereal. Pour into a 2-gallon resealable food-storage (Ziploc) plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal the bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

NOTE: If you don't have a 2-gallon resealable Ziploc bag, use two 1-gallon bags. Put 1/2 of the cereal mixture and powdered sugar into each bag. Rotate shaking the bags.

~merry~

Christmas cookies and happy hearts, this is how the holiday starts.

Apple French Toast Casserole with apple syrup spooned over the top

If you are like me and like to entertain, you are probably always looking for the perfect recipe to feed to guests. Last week I found the perfect breakfast/brunch recipe on the Tasty Kitchen Website (you should check out the Tasty Kitchen Website, there are a lot of great looking recipes there). The ingredients, description, and photo of this Apple French Toast casserole made the recipe sound and look fantastic, so I made two batches of it the Wednesday before Thanksgiving just to make sure it was as good as it looked. I took one batch to work and left the other for my kids and their friends to eat. I received rave reviews from both groups. We were leaving on Thanksgiving Day to stay at my cousin Becky's house in Yuba City for a couple of days, so I made another batch before we left. I figured we could pop it into the oven when we got back from our early morning shopping escapade on Black Friday. 

The two batches that I made the day before Thanksgiving were made with pre-sliced Texas toast. The batch I prepped on Thanksgiving was made with sourdough bread. While the casserole was good with the Texas toast bread, it was exquisite with sourdough bread.

Now about the surprise ingredient . . . It's Jack Daniels Whiskey. The original recipe called for bourbon, which I did not have, so I used the closest thing to bourbon that I had on hand. Just in case you're thinking Jack Daniels is bourbon whiskey, it's not. The Jack Daniels website set me straight: Jack Daniel's is not a bourbon - it's a Tennessee Whiskey.  Anyway, about the Jack Daniels in this recipe--it complements the butter and adds richness to the flavor. However, if you don't have or can't have whiskey or bourbon, I think the recipe would be fine without it.

Jack Daniels is the surprise ingredient in this decadent French toast casserole

This dish can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight or you can make it the day you plan to serve it. You do not need to serve it with syrup; the apples and brown sugar make a syrup that you can spoon over the top of each serving.

On Black Friday when we returned from shopping we did pop the casserole into the oven and it sure hit the spot for us hungry shoppers! By the way, I want to set the record straight about the shopping--Becky, Laina, and I were not some of the bad shoppers you might have seen in the news on Black Friday. We were on our best behavior and did not shoot, pepper spray, push or shove, or rip anything out of the hands of any of the other shoppers . . .

Apple French Toast Casserole - Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

½ cup butter (one stick)

1 cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons Jack Daniels Whiskey

4 to 6  baking apples (e.g., Granny Smith), cored, peeled, and sliced

1 loaf sour dough or French bread, cut into 1 inch slices

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1½ teaspoons cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Dash of salt

Directions

If you are making this dish the day you are serving it, preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Melt the butter and sugar together over medium heat in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine. Cook until slightly thickened. Add the whiskey and whisk again. Continue to cook for about 1 minute.

Spray a 9″ x13″ pan with cooking spray. Pour the butter and whiskey mixture into the bottom of the pan. Arrange the sliced apples on top.

The butter, brown sugar, and whiskey mixture covering the bottom of the pan

Sliced apples arranged in the pan

In a medium or large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Dip each side of the bread into the egg mixture and arrange the bread on top of the apples. Pour the leftover egg mixture over the bread. 

Sour dough cut into 1-inch slices works best for this recipe

Dip both sides of the bread into the milk and egg mixture

If you plan to serve this dish the following day, cover the dish and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place the uncovered casserole dish in the heated oven. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until apple slices have softened and bread is golden brown (one of my casseroles took about 70 minutes to cook). 

The casserole is cooked until the bread is browned and apples soft

To serve, use a large serving spoon or spatula to remove a slice of the bread and the apples below. Flip it over onto a plate and spoon some of the apple syrup from the casserole over the top.

I'm planning on serving this Christmas morning.

~merry

The last time I turned down a whisky, I didn’t understand the question.  ~Unknown

A "BOO!" bag

Several years ago, I was in the kitchen fixing dinner and the doorbell rang. It was still light outside and the kids and I went to the front door and opened it. No one was there. We looked up and down the street, but did not see a soul. However, sitting on the doormat was a black bag and attached to it was a piece of paper with a ghost and the word "Boo!" printed on it. We opened the bag and inside there was a piece of paper that said:

The air is cool, the season fall,

Soon Halloween will come to all.

The spooks are after things to do . . . . .

In fact, a spook brought this to you.

"Boo" is a shield from the witching hour,

Just hang it up and watch its power.

On your front door is where it works,

It wards off spooks and scary jerks.

The treats that came with this crypted note,

Are yours to keep--enjoy them both.

The power comes when neighbors like you,

Will copy this and make it two.

Just a short day to work your spell,

Or a big zap will strike your tail.

And don't forget a nifty treat,

Like something cute and something sweet.

Please join the fun, let's really hear it,

And spread some treats and Halloween spirit!

The bag was also filled with candy, some wax teeth, and temporary Halloween tattoos. We followed the cryptic note's instructions and put the picture of the ghost on our front door, made two bags filled with Halloween treats and surprises, and copied the picture of the ghost and the cryptic note. We left the bags on two unsuspecting neighbor's doorsteps and rang the bell and ran. Days later, nearly every house in the neighborhood had a ghost on the front door or window.

We lived in a newly developed area and the following year we had lots of new houses and neighbors in the neighborhood, so as soon as October rolled around we booed some of the new neighbors. We've never figured out how the first person that booed us was out of sight so quickly in the daylight. My daughters would wait until dark, always dress in black, and had a plan of where to hide after running from a house they had just booed so they would not be seen.

Some of the things that we've put in the boo bags over the years have been candies (usually well wrapped so that people don't think this is a plot to poison them), Halloween decorations, glow necklaces for the kids to wear trick or treating, pumpkin candle holders, Halloween tea towels, pumpkin carving kits, pumpkins with the names of each child painted on them, and a bottle of wine for mom and dad (wouldn't want them to miss out on the fun!).  I've also used plastic buckets and plastic pumpkins instead of bags.

For years it's been our tradition to boo the neighbors and then every night until Halloween we would walk around the neighborhood to see how far and quickly the boo's spread. This year sadly for me, my oldest daughter is away at college and the younger one isn't thrilled with the thought of going alone. So, I decided to boo my workplace. The people that I work with like to have fun, so I'm hoping that they will all have a great time with it.

On Thursday I made my two boo bags and left them in front of a couple of coworker's doors before they got to work. One of the coworkers promptly put up the decorations that were in the bag and posted the ghost. I saw the other one take his bag home, I assume to show his small children.

The items for an office Boo! included pumpkin pie flavored candy corn, pumpkin carving kit, candies, flashing spider, candies, and window stick-ons

The bags stuffed and ready to Boo!

This year I found a great website that has a poem and a picture of a ghost, including a poem and ghost that can be used for the office. Downloading the poem from this website is perfect, because you don't have to find a copier to make copies of the ghost and poem--you can just download and print! The poem also mentions the website so that the people that get booed can download and print too or find out more about what just happended to them. There are also links to other blogs and stories about booing. Here is the website: http://www.beenbooed.com/

On Monday I leave for a couple of business trips, so I will be gone for two weeks. I'm looking forward to seeing how far the boos have gone when I get back!

NOTE:  Booing is not recommended for all neighborhoods, especially if you are dressed all in black and running from someone's house in the dark. Please use caution.

~merry~

Strawberry shortcake

Throughout my career in IT I have had the opportunity to host and mentor interns. Several years ago I participated in a program that brought native Hawaiians to the mainland to learn a variety of technologies, such as networking, computer hardware repair, and vacuum technology. I really enjoyed working with the Hawaiians. I learned a lot about the islands and the Hawaiian culture. Also, most of the Hawaiians would bring me macadamia nut shortbread. If you have not had these cookies before, you ought to try them. They are awesome.

This summer I had the opportunity to mentor a student named Whitney from a small college in South Carolina. She is the sweetest and most polite young lady I think I have ever met. I'm hoping some of her southern manners rubbed off on me.

The time Whitney was here just flew by--it seemed like she had just arrived and it was already time for her to go back to South Carolina. To send her off, I hosted a luncheon at my house.  Since the luncheon was during a workday, I had to make things that were quick to make, but  I also wanted the food to be good. I ended up serving chicken Marsala (click here to go to the recipe. I am telling you folks, this chicken Marsala rocks!), baked potatoes, Caesar salad, fresh fruit display, strawberry shortcake, and Trader Joe's tiramisu.

Chicken Marsala

When it came to the strawberry shortcake, instead of making individual shortcakes, I made one large cake. In the interest of time, I used canned whipped cream instead of whipping my own. I found the recipe on-line and it looked beautiful when served. Unfortunately it looked a lot better than it tasted. The cake was heavy, hard, and I could taste the shortening.

Since this cake looked so nice when it was ready to serve and was fairly easy to make, I was determined to tweak the recipe to make one that tasted as good as it looked and I think I succeeded.  Here is my tweaked recipe:

Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients

3 to 4 cups sliced strawberries

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar, plus 4 tablespoons of sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

2 cups heavy whipped cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease and flour one 9 inch round cake pan.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar onto the strawberries. Mix in and let the sit. 

Into a medium sized mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add 1/3 cup sugar and mix. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter with the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. 

Break the egg into a small bowl and beat the egg.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the milk and beaten egg. Use a fork to mix the ingredients. Mix until nearly all of the flour is mixed in. Roll up the mixture and kneed two times, while still in the bowl to mix all of the flour in.

The egg and milk poured into the "well" in the center of the flour

Spread the batter into the greased and floured cake pan. Sprinkle a bit of sugar on top. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool for about 15 minutes on a wire rack.  To remove the cake from the pan, place a platter that is larger than the cake pan over the top of the pan. Hold the plate onto the pan and turn the pan upside down. The cake should drop onto the plate. Cut the cake in half, making two layers. If part of the shortcake breaks while you are cutting it, no worries. You can use the whipped cream to hold it together.

The dough spread into the cake pan

Shortcake baked to a golden brown

Pour the whipped cream into a mixing bowl. Add the vanilla and sugar. Whip the cream until you can form peaks.

Spread 1/3 of the whipping cream on the bottom layer of the cake. Spread half of the strawberries on top of the whipped cream. Place the top layer of the cake on top of the bottom layer. Spread 1/3 of the whipping cream on the top layer of the cake and spread the rest of the strawberries on the top.

Serve each piece of shortcake with a dollop of whipped cream.

~merry~

A toast to the retiree

Six friends and I recently gathered at Holm Family cookbook recipe tester, Sue Mears', home in Incline Village on Lake Tahoe's north shore. All teachers, we were gathering to celebrate Sherri Vares’ retirement. Our usual routine during our get togethers is to have a light breakfast, go out for lunch and return home for cocktails, appetizers, dinner and dessert. This visit was no different.

We started with fresh berries, yogurt, cinnamon toast, coffee and juice. Some headed out for a morning walk around Incline Village – beautiful day! Next stop was the Hyatt Regency’s Lone Eagle Grille restaurant. It has a beautiful bar that looks out over Lake Tahoe. The mountain style décor in the dining room gives it a warm feeling.  We all were pleased with our choices, mine being a venison quesadilla. I just can’t pass up something different!

The beautiful view from Lone Eagle Grille's bar at the Hyatt Regency

In the late afternoon the group of four retired teachers and three working teachers loaded up snack bags and headed to the movie theater. The movie Bad Teachers was playing and we saw it only fitting to see the movie. On the drive up to Lake Tahoe I had heard a review on NPR and from the review it didn’t sound bad – I must not have listened very well – I guess I was distracted by the snow covered Sierras. Fortunately, we had some Mandarin Martinis waiting for us after the movie.

Mandarin Martinis were a welcome sight after watching the movie, "Bad Teachers"

Sue loves to cook, so she has guests bring breakfast, appetizers, and beverages and she does the rest. Linda Andrade brought breakfast, Stephanie Beard, Fran Rebello, Janet Berglund and I brought appetizers. For this meal, Fran Rebello, also one of our recipe testers, got us primed with her Mandarin Martinis. Stephanie Beard brought an appetizer she had tasted at Whole Foods – ricotta cheese, with sweet onion marmalade and crackers. I made a Prosciutto and Pear Pizza from a recipe I found one holiday season in Raley’s, Something Extra, magazine.

Sue made the entrée and salad; beef burgers on whole wheat buns and Orzo with Roasted Vegetable salad. She had prepared the beef burgers stuffed with lemon herb butter ahead of time. Before going to the movie she had roasted the vegetables for the salad. This strategic move allowed her to enjoy the appetizers and Mandarin Martinis! Sue’s husband, Al, was allowed to come home to grill the burgers and of course enjoy our company. We accompanied the meal with a Wente Riva Ranch Chardonnay and a Heritage Oak Zinfandel.

To end the evening we had Sue’s Blackberry Buttermilk Cake and Sherri’s Graham Cracker Brittle with ice cream. It was a delightful way to end the evening with some of my closest and dearest friends.

The recipe from the evening I would like to share, and believe me there were many delicious recipes, is the Orzo with Roasted Vegetables. Sue found this recipe in the Barefoot Contessa Parties cookbook and changed it a bit. I have also made it and left out the feta cheese adding one pound of cubed roasted chicken. For me it is the dressing, fresh basil and toasted pignolis that put it over the top!

This recipe is a slight variation of a wonderful summer dish invented by Sarah Leah Chase in her book, The Open House Cookbook.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

1 pound of asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces

2 red bell peppers, 1-inch diced

2 yellow bell peppers, 1-inch diced

1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup good olive oil (I’ve used lemon olive oil with good results)

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup orzo or rice-shaped pasta  

For the dressing:

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

1/3 cup good olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper  

To assemble:

1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted

3/4 pound good feta, crumbled

15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the asparagus, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

The toasted vegetables

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

Draining the orzo

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature and add the pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings and serve at room temperature.

Cutting a chiffonade of basil

"Food is not about impressing people. It's about making them feel comfortable."

~Ina Garten, 'The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook'

And that my friend, is what Sue Mears does!

susie

Several years ago I would occasionally make breakfast burritos for a group of people that I supervised and I served the burritos at our Wednesday morning meeting. My group members loved them, but as my group grew to 30 plus people and our meetings were scheduled in the afternoon, I phased them out. Over the years a few of my group members would remind me how much they loved the breakfast burritos and that they would sure like to have them again.  I supervise a smaller group again and decided to surprise them with the burritos last Friday morning. This new group loves to eat, so they were happy to get them.

Breakfast burritos can be made the night before and reheated before serving. They are also a mobile food that someone can grab as they are running out the door and eat in transit. They are great to make when you are camping. They are also a good choice to serve to a crowd of people.

As for the breakfast burrito filling, eggs, potatoes, cheese, and meat are the core ingredients. I use linguica, a Portuguese sausage, in my burritos, but you can use chroizo, any other breakfast sausage, or even bacon. In the interest of time I used frozen hash browns last Friday, but you can use fresh potatoes that you boil or sauté. A lot of people use bell pepper in their breakfast burritos, but bell peppers and I don't get along, so you won't find them in mine.

Breakfast Burritos - Serves 10 (double, triple, or quadruple the recipe depending on the size of your crowd)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 onion chopped

1 32 oz. package of frozen hash browns or country potatoes

12 eggs

2 sticks of linguisa or 13 oz. of any breakfast sausage

10 flour tortillas

8 oz. Mexican four blend shredded cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Taco sauce or salsa

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onion to the olive oil and sauté until translucent. Break the eggs into a large bowl and add a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Whisk the eggs until they are evenly colored. Add the eggs to the sautéed onions. Scramble by cooking on medium heat and using a spatula to push egg mixture towards the center of the skillet. Tilt the skillet to distribute the runny egg, allowing it to cook. Continue pushing and tilting until the eggs are cooked.

Scrambling the eggs with sautéed onions

Cook the frozen hash browns according to instructions on package.

Hash browns

Quarter the sticks of linguisa lengthwise and then cut the strips into bite sized pieces. Sautee the linguisa until slightly browned around the edges.

Linguisa

Mix the hash browns and linguisa with the scrambled eggs.

Eggs, hash browns, and linguisa

To heat the flour tortillas, wet two paper towels and squeeze out the excess water. Place one paper towel on a plate. Place the tortillas on top of the paper towel and then place the other paper towel on top of the tortillas. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

Place a heated tortilla on a plate. Place a large scoop of the egg, sausage, potato mixture in the middle of the tortilla. Sprinkle on the shredded cheese. Fold the left and the right sides of the tortilla towards the middle. Fold the bottom of the tortilla towards the middle and roll towards the top.

A large scoop of the egg, potato, sausage mixture in the middle of tortilla

Cheese sprinkled on the top

The left and right sides of the tortilla are folded towards the middle

The bottom of the tortilla folded and then rolled towards the top

The finished breakfast burrito

The breakfast burrito wrapped in foil

The burritos can be wrapped in foil or placed unwrapped in a large covered casserole dish until ready to serve. To keep burritos warm, store in a 150 to 200 degree oven.

Serve with salsa or taco sauce.

~merry~

Buenos dias!

The moment our sister Nancy hears that a family member or close family friend is getting married, the first words out of her mouth are, "We'll have to throw you a shower!" I'm sure she got this from our Granny as over the years Granny hosted dozens of showers at her house. So, it came as no surprise to us when we became the co-hosts of a baby shower for our cousin Jeff's future grandson.

The shower was to be held at my house and the five of us co-hosting it would all provide food. I was also in charge of games, which became tricky as everyone provided input as to which games they hate and did not want to be played at the shower. The "don't play" list left me with only the "guess the girth of the mother-to-be" game. The rules of this game are to have the guests cut string or toilet paper the length of what they think will wrap around the stomach of the mother-to-be. The person with the length of string or TP that  comes closest to fitting around the mother-to-be wins. I also passed out raffle tickets and had a drawing for door prizes as everyone loves to win a prize.

Leslie, the aunt-to-be, was in charge of the invitations, which she had printed. I used the color scheme from the invitations for the food table and floral arrangements. I was able to find a blue tablecloth and napkins at Kohl's on clearance that matched the blue on the invitation. I got 5"x5" square white plates from World Market for the appetizers and cake, and a dark brown tray to hold the forks and plates. I love these plates and have already used them a few times since the shower.

White plates and dark brown tray from World Market

We served a variety of appetizers at the shower. We had dates and blue cheese wrapped in bacon, spinach dip served in a sourdough bread bowl, spring rolls, egg rolls, a south of the border shrimp cocktail, jalapeno hummus, mini quiches, fresh strawberries, and crackers and cheese. We had a serve yourself appetizer table, but passed most of the hot appetizers. Our local Safeway makes a great strawberry and whipped cream cake, so grandma-to-be Vicki picked the cake up on her way into town. I served a punch made with Hawaii's Own passion orange concentrate and ginger ale. This punch often has people asking for the recipe.

Dates and blue cheese wrapped in bacon

Spinach dip in a sourdough bowl

Coctel de Camarones, a south of the border shrimp cocktail

As usual we had enough food for about 4x the number of people at the shower. Fortunately, we were having a family gathering at the party barn that night, so after the shower we packed up the extra food and headed for the hills.

Below is the recipe for the shrimp cocktail, which really has a great flavor. The avocado, garlic, and cilantro really complement the shrimp.

Coctel de Camarones - Serves 8

(Shrimp Cocktail from South of the Border)

Ingredients

Juice of one fresh lime

1/2 cup finely chopped green or red onion

3 cloves chopped garlic

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

4 ripe tomatoes - chopped

8 ounces cocktail sauce (regular or spicy)

2 pounds cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 ripe avocado – peeled, pitted and chopped

Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions

In a large bowl mix together lime juice, onion, garlic, cilantro, tomatoes and cocktail sauce. Mix in shrimp, and lightly toss in avocado. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you like more of a kick, add in a dash of fresh horseradish, minced jalapeno or hot sauce. Cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours. Serve in martini or wine glass and garnish with a sprig of cilantro or lime wedge. Serves 8.

Happy Monday to you!

~merry~

June happens to be Western Heritage Month here in Livermore, kicking off tonight as the CattleWomen present cowboy entertainer Dave Stamey. The big guns come out tomorrow with Downtown Livermore’s Chili Shooters Stampede, a chili cookoff between downtown Livermore restaurants where you are guaranteed to have a rootin’ tootin’ good time!!

Each of the restaurants come up with a personal culinary or ethnic twist on classic chili. Last year was the event launch, and a couple of the ethnic restaurants understood “chili” to be chili sauce, and were serving up their finest, and of course, blistering, chili sauce! Our station was just a couple doors down, and a few of the chili tasters came in with fried palates and tears in their eyes! We had lemonade to help cool their tonsils before they tasted the Cookin’ Cowgirls chili, we were serving our Granny’s Cowboy Beans recipe. It was the first time I had to convert a recipe to 8 times over, using an excel spreadsheet, as we had to cook for about 250 expected chili judges.

Some of this year’s contenders include: Habenero Heaven Chili, Calabrese Chili (at the just-opened Milano Joe’s, who also happen to own El Charro!), Casbah’s Rockin’ Chili, Mediterranean Greek Chili, Sansar's Spicy Chili made with Lamb and Chicken, Zephyr's Sideways Chili, and many more. Round up your posse, pull on your Wranglers (unfortunately mine don’t fit anymore) and head downtown between 11am and 4pm to pick up your commemorative shot glass at the flagpole and cast a vote for your favorite chili!

Since none of the Cookin’ Cowgirls had the fortitude to enter again (it involves a County Health Permit), and rodeo weekend is right around the corner, we thought it was an appropriate time to share Granny’s Cowboy Bean Recipe. During round-up season she used to make a large batch of the beans, wrap it up tight in a big pot for the windy drive up Mines Road to the Circle H Ranch, and head way back up into the hills to feed the hungry cowboys. The recipe has become a mainstay in our house, and a family favorite, even when we aren’t wearin’ our chaps and spurs!

Gladys, Grace and Granny on the Circle H Ranch

GRANNY'S COWBOY BEANS 

1½ pounds ground beef

1 bell pepper, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 or 3 stalks celery, diced

2 (28-ounce) cans kidney beans

1 quart stewed tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Dash chili powder (optional)

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the beef, bell pepper, onion, and celery. Transfer the beef and sautéed vegetables into a large pot. Add the kidney beans and tomatoes, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until the beans are cooked and the flavors have melded. Serves 8 (or 4 hungry cowboys!).

Cowgirl up!!  Nancy

Troy Bowers serving beer to Darin Michaels and Emily Baime of the Community Tap and Table Cooking Club

Beer and food rate very high on my list of favorite things. I was watching Sacramento and Company one morning when I heard, "beer and food"--that really caught my attention.  Emily Baime and Darin Michaels were talking about their Community Tap and Table Cooking Club cooking classes, which are designed to build your culinary knowledge focusing on seasonal, local foods paired with beer. With excitement I visited their website and shared it with fellow Brew Angel, Rick Reineman, an accomplished home brewer. Rick contacted Community Tap and Table regarding pairing some of his homebrews with food. The three of them gathered, tasted Rick’s brew and then Emily and Darin created a menu to pair with the beers. The date was set, beers and food chosen.

There were seven pairings. Rick had brewed five of the beers, Troy Bowers, my husband brewed one beer and one commercial beer was used. Troy and I joined Rick and Marilyn Reineman, Judith Sanderson and Robert Hershenow in Emily and Darin’s kitchen. The kitchen was set up with different stations for preparing the meal. We were all given a menu that included the recipes. From this we chose the dish we would prepare. Cooking in front of people is not really in my comfort zone, however, Emily provided a very friendly kitchen. I chose the salad. Some drank their beer, others worked on their dish, some did both.

The salad station

Shrimp, avocado, citrus salad dressed with an olive-miso vinagerette

 After preparation, we had the opportunity to taste all of the pairings. First to cross our palates was Rocky Racoon’s Light Honey Lager (an American premium lager) paired with a shrimp, avocado, citrus salad under an olive-miso vinagerette. This is the dish I had chosen to prepare--how could I mess this up?! Marilyn prepared the Baked Brie with Salted Clove Caramel. This was then passed amongst ust. We enjoyed the brie with sliced apples and Pilsner Urquell, which was our lone commercial brew.

Caramel station

Apples, brie, and caramel

Emily had prepared a corn beef to be served with Swiss cheese on marble rye – in the form of a Panini. Robert spread mustard, precisely placed the corn beef and cheese then pressed them in the Panini grill. On the same platter we were served Emily’s homemade jalapeno pickles . . .  “guaranteed to curl your eye lashes!” Heat frightens me, so I cut a small piece of the pickle – delicious! Paired with the Panini was a California Common, an amber hybrid. Most of us would recognize the commercial version, Anchor Steam. This pairing rated high on my palate.

The panini station

Next on the menu was Bacon Asparagus Soup, paired with German Altbier. This was refreshingly tasty! The soup was served in large shot glasses. Included in the asparagus soup were tarragon, parsley, and green peas. These ingredients are what gave it the refreshing quality. The altbier beer by style is crispier and hoppier which complimented the soup.

Troy’s Vienna Lager was served with Small Bites. The Small Bites were squares of pumpernickel with chopped marinated mushrooms. A nice transition to what I call “The Big Daddy.” This was a Brasciole filled with raisins, dried fruits, and aged cheddar paired with English Barleywine. Judith prepared the Brasciole by flattening the ground pork and dried fruit, covering it with greens, prosciutto and then cheddar. Emily carefully rolled the meat into a large log. This was roasted and then served in slices with Rick’s award winning Barleywine. This brew, with 10% alcohol, uses English hops giving it an earthy, musty flavor. This beer was awarded the Best of Show at the 2009 California State Homebrew Competition.

The brasciole station

Judith cutting the brasciole

To end our afternoon of food and brew, we were treated to Kobaisc’s Candies. Cinnamon and ginger chocolates paired with Belgian Triple. Another fine pairing! Kobasic’s Candies is located right down the street from Community Tap and Table. Rick’s Triple is based with coriander, chocolate, vanilla, citrus, black pepper and orange rind. The triple is high in alcohol – 13%, but very smooth and complimented the chocolates well.

Rick's brew container from Deschutes

I recommend visiting Community Tap and Table. All of us enjoyed the company of our fellow cooks, the superb pairing of food and brew. Emily and Darin make you feel very comfortable while sharing their knowledge of food and brew… I left VERY satisfied!

~Susie Calhoun

The green bean and shrimp salad served at the disorganized potluck

A few weeks ago we had a potluck and wine tasting at the family party barn. I decided it was going to be a disorganized (–adjective 1. functioning without adequate order, systemization, or planning; uncoordinated 2. careless or undisciplined; sloppy) potluck with no coordination whatsoever. If anyone asked what they should bring, I told them to bring whatever was easiest for them or one of their favorite dishes. I really dislike it when I'm invited to a potluck and the host wants to know weeks or days in advance, exactly what it is I'm going to be bringing. I usually don't plan in advance and don't decide until the last minute, so needing to provide an answer weeks or days in advance can be daunting for me. As I expected, it turned out fine with plenty of very good food and quite a variety of it.

The only area that was maybe a little short was the dessert area. The dessert table at the party barn is usually overflowing, but this time there was probably just the right amount. There were brownies, a s'more pie, and Norwegian cookies.

The entree that was gone before eveyone made it through the line were the chicken and beef enchiladas made by Mary Chapeta. Lesson learned, put the enchiladas near the end of the line, not the very front of the line. Another Mexican themed entree that had people asking for the recipe was Teri Tith's chili relleno casserole.

Our friend Kim Bonde brought a baked potato bar along with a table to set it up on.

Kim Bonde's baked potato bar

Another one of my favorite dishes at the potluck was a green bean and shrimp salad that was brought by Lani Hernandez. I just love green beans. I love them hot and I love them cold. I could go into a lengthy commentary right now telling you about all of the different ways one can prepare green beans just like Bubba did in the movie Forrest Gump when Bubba told Forrest about all of the ways one can prepare shrimp. But, I'm going to spare you this time.

Lani provided me with the recipe for the green bean and shrimp salad--she either got it from familycircle.com or food.com, she can't remember which as the recipe is posted in both places. I'm posting it here for you. Lani said this salad is great served warm or cold. With summer approaching I'm sure I will be making this for a few events in the next few months.

Green Bean & Shrimp Salad - Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives

1 pound green beans, trimmed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1-1/2 pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Snipped chives for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Gradually drizzle in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, whisking continuously until dressing is emulsified. Add chives; set aside.

2. Green beans and shrimp: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add beans and simmer for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and place in a large bowl. Toss with dressing; set aside.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shrimp. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 2 minutes per side or until cooked through.

4. To serve, toss tomatoes with the beans. Place on a serving platter. Scatter shrimp and feta over the top. Garnish with snipped chives, if desired.

Confetti eggs can make your Easter very eggciting!

Every so often I have some eggs that have really passed their expiration date and instead of throwing them away, I use them to make confetti eggs for Easter. Several years ago someone brought some confetti eggs to a Cinco de Mayo party at my house. I saw how much fun the kids had throwing them and breaking them on each other's heads that I have been making them to liven up Easter ever since.

Throughout the year I clean out the insides of the expired eggs and store them until Easter-time when I bring them out to color them and fill them with confetti. On Easter morning our next-door neighbors have an Easter egg hunt, so I bring a couple of cartons of confetti eggs with me. After the hunt, I hand them out and the kids (and some of the adult kids) have a great time breaking the eggs over each other's heads. Later in the day we have an Easter egg hunt at our family ranch in the Livermore hills and again, the eggs are passed out after the hunt for another egg smashing melee. From what I have read, most people hide the confetti eggs with the hard boiled eggs and candy, but knowing my family as I do, I think the hard boiled eggs would get smashed on heads along with the confetti eggs, so I think it is safest to leave them separate.

The confetti eggs are fairly easy to make and can be very inexpensive if you use eggs that would otherwise get thown away or you can try to preserve the shells while using the eggs for cooking. Instead of buying confetti, you can use the circles left in hole punches or shredded paper from shredders. I have been making my own confetti for several years because I don't like to use mylar confetti and I could not find paper confetti in the stores. This year I found paper confetti at Walmart in the Easter section. The tissue paper used to cover the holes is tissue paper that came in gift bags and boxes.

Confetti Eggs

Supplies needed

Raw eggs, fresh or past expiration date

Knife or other object with a sharp tip

Water

Food coloring or Easter egg color

Vinegar

8" x 11" piece of paper folded in half

Piece of tape

Paper confetti (you can also use the circles from hole punches)

Tissue paper

Scissors

White glue

Paintbrush

Friends and family that would appreciate an egg smashed on their head

Directions

Making the Hole in the Eggs: Remove an egg from the carton. Puncture the bottom of the egg and carefully chip away at the shell until you have a hole between the size of a nickle and a quarter.

Cleaning Out the Egg: Puncture the membrane and pour out the contents of the egg.

Wash out the egg.

Coloring the Eggs: You can use this color formula to color the eggs or just use an Easter egg coloring kit. If you use this color formula, follow these directions for each color used. Mix 3/4 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and 6 drops of food color in a glass cup.

Place the empty egg shell in the food color mixture. Leave it in the color formula until it gets to the desired color. Remove the egg shells from the color formula and let them dry. Instead of dyeing the eggs, you can also use Sharpie pens to decorate them.

Filling the eggs with confetti: Fold the 8" x 11" peice of paper in half and roll into a funnel shape. The hole in the bottom should be small enough to fit into the hole in the egg and large enough for the confetti to pass through. Use the piece of tape to keep it in place.

Place the funnel into the hole of the egg and pour the confetti into the funnel to fill the egg.

Cutting the tissue to cover the hole in the egg: Make a fold in a piece of tissue paper that is at least double the size of the hole. Continue to fold the tissue until it is a long strip as seen in the photo above. Cut off one square from the strip and the cut a circle from the square. You should now have several circles.

Covering the hole: Mix water with the white glue. Start out with 1 part water, 1 part glue and adjust as necessary. The glue mixure should be watery enough to easily paint onto the egg and adhesive enough for the tissue paper to adhere to the egg. Place one of the tissue paper circles over the hole and the glue and press down the edges. Glue down any loose edges. Place the finished eggs back in the carton tissue paper side up so that the glue can dry and the eggs do not get stuck in the carton.

The Finished Eggs. Notice the eggs that were decorated with Sharpies instead of being dyed.

Smash the eggs on some unsuspecting person's head!

~merry~

Moss green and fuchsia were the colors of the day

One of the Holm clan is getting married, so naturally there needed to be a wedding shower for the bride-to-be who is marrying into the Holm family.  Yesterday the groom’s sister, Staci, hosted the wedding shower, which was a luncheon that was extremely well done. 

Cran raspberry champagne cocktail

As guests arrived they were served a cran raspberry champagne cocktail (the recipe is below).

Staci had selected fuchsia and moss green as the colors for the shower and did an outstanding job carrying those colors throughout.

Fuchsia and lime green colored napkins, table clothes, and decorations

The food, which was catered by Bud’s Seafood Grille located in Stockton, was outstanding. The marinated and grilled filet mignon medallions were some of the best beef I have ever eaten (and believe me, I eaten a lot of beef!). There were also grilled chicken breasts that were well seasoned and moist.

Food catered by Bud's Seafood Grille

Marinated and grilled filet mignon medallions. Best.beef.ever.

To the delight of the guests, there were no games except for prizes were given to the people that had the initials of bride and groom on their luncheon and cake plates. I was a very lucky winner and had the initials on both my luncheon and cake plate. I went home with a floral arrangement and a chocolate gift basket.

Cran Raspberry Champagne Cocktail

Ingredients

1 lime, quartered

Colored sugar

Frozen raspberries (fresh will work too, but the frozen will help chill the drink)

3 parts champagne

1 part cranberry raspberry juice

Directions

Rim the glass with the colored sugar by running the fruit side of one of the lime quarters around the rim of the glass to moisten. Roll the moistened rim of the glass in the colored sugar and then dip the rim into the sugar. Hold the glass upside down and dip the rim in the sugar. Drop three or four raspberries into the bottom of the glass. Pour in three parts champagne and one part cranberry raspberry juice. The number of parts used for this drink can be altered for the taste of the individual drinking it (e.g., ½ champagne, ½ juice). Serve.

Rolling the rim of the glass that has been moistened with lime in the colored sugar

Drop three or four frozen raspberries into the glass

Fill with one part juice and three parts champagne

For my sister Nancy and me, getting to attend the shower was sure appreciated as it was a welcome relief after a few days of caring for our mother who recently had surgery. Thanks to our sister Susie for taking on the shift that prevented her from attending. Thank you Staci for a great day!

~merry~

Wine Tasting at the Calhoun Family Party Barn

Livermore is one of the oldest wine regions in California. Spanish missionaries planted the first wine grapes in the Livermore Valley in the 1760’s. Livermore’s namesake, Robert Livermore, planted the first commercial vines in the 1840’s. Pioneer winemakers James Concannon, C.H. Wente, and Charles Wetmore founded their wineries in the early1880’s. Charles Wetmore entered his Cresta Blanca Sauterne in the 1889 Paris International Exposition bringing home a gold medal and the competition's highest award, the Grand Prix. Today the Livermore Valley is home to over 40 wineries, with Wente Vineyards being the oldest continuously family owned and operated winery in California. 

Pioneer winemaker James Concannon's great grandson, Tom Concannon and his wife Teri Tith

On Sunday we had a wine tasting and potluck at the Calhoun family party barn, so it was only natural that the majority of wines we tasted were from the wineries here in the Livermore Valley. Twenty-four bottles of wine turned up for the tasting. The majority of the 24 bottles were Cabernet Sauvingnon. Of the bottles that were not Cab, four of the bottles were white wines and four of the bottles were port.

Although the wine tasting and voting were very informal, my biggest faux pas of the day, however, was not supplying red wine glasses and spit buckets for the tasting. Here I thought I was doing great because I had upgraded from the plastic cups we normally drink out of in the party barn to wine glasses, but I was still mocked all day for my faux pas. I had to remind those mocking me that they were sitting around a ping pong table in a party barn tasting the wine, so they shouldn’t expect much. There were a couple of guests that showed up with their own red wine glasses because they had previously experienced the plastic and apparently did not want to endure it again.

Another descendent of Livermore Valley pioneers, Pete Fallon, showed up with his own red wine glass

The Livermore wineries with wines in the tasting were Nottingham, El Sol, Page Mill, Wente, Steven Kent, Fenestra, Darcie Kent, and Mitchell Katz. One very good wine from out of the Livermore area was 'Loco' Tempranillo 2007 from Four Vines of Paso Robles, California. The favorite white wine of the day was a Cupcake Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay.

There was a tie for first place, which went to El Sol’s 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvingnon and to Page Mill’s 2007 Cabernet Sauvingnon. Second place went to Steven Kent’s 2007 Cabernet Sauvingnon.  The port that seemed to be the favorite as it was gone by the end of the day, was Bon Vie port from Mitchell Katz with the grapes grown by my brother-in-law. I’m not sure it’s even available for retail sale--my husband and I usually receive a bottle of it as a Christmas gift.

Tied for first place, El Sol 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Page Mill Winery's 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Even though I had to hear the good natured complaints all day about the lack of red wine glasses, I had a wonderful time and am now set up with spit buckets for the next wine tasting. Not sure I’ll have those red wine glasses though.

~merry~

Eat, drink, and be merry!

With snow on the hills, it was time for some good old-fashioned, stick-to-your-ribs comfort food. When it’s cold and rainy outside, there’s plenty of time for a fire and cooking inside.

The snow at my house this weekend

I hadn’t made this recipe for quite some time, crust and all, so I dug in my heels and got down to it. Our great-grandmother, Ida Jessen Holm, used to feed her large family along with the farm and ranch hands, neighbors, and the occasional hobo who hopped off the Southern Pacific Railroad running along Stanley Boulevard, just north of their farm in Livermore. One of her supper menus included a chicken pie she baked in a huge milk pan, using whole chicken pieces. I’m just cooking for two, and leftovers for my dad who loves chicken pie, so this is the more diminutive, urban version (even though I live in the country)!

 Leslie, Gladys, Dick (our grandfather), and Ida Jessen Holm on a buckboard

with Dora Jessen Rasmussen in the background, Circa 1905

Urban Chicken Pie - Serves 8

Flaky pastry

1 1/4 cups unsifted flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons shortening

1 egg, separated, white reserved

2 tablespoons cold water

Filling

1 (5 to 6 pound) whole chicken, boiled

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

3 tablespoons flour

Dash of white pepper

Dash of grated nutmeg

11/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup Sauvignon Blanc

3 medium cooked carrots, sliced (cooked in the pot with the chicken)

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Salt

Directions

To make the pastry, combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolk and cold water; add to the flour mixture and stir with a fork until the pastry begins to hold together. You may need to add a bit more water. Shape the dough into a smooth ball, wrap well in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the chicken meat from the bones, discarding the bones and skin. Tear the meat into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, celery, and mushrooms and cook until soft. Stir in the flour, pepper, and nutmeg. Continue to cook until the sauce is bubbly. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the chicken broth and wine. Return to the heat and cook, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens. Add the chicken, carrots, and peas, and stir. Season with salt to taste. Spread evenly in a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan.

Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and roll out on a floured board into a 12-inch circle. Place the pastry over the chicken mixture, and trim and flute the edge. Cut slits in the top for steam to escape. (At this point, the pie can be refrigerated and baked several hours later or the next day.)

In a small bowl, beat together the reserved egg white and1 teaspoon water. Brush the crust with the egg mixture. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before cutting. Serves 8

The Urban Chicken Pie baked and ready to eat

"Them that works hard EATS HEARTY!" 

   - Nancy