A BEAUTIFUL HOLIDAY SALAD

Several friends have told me they are having an evening High Tea during the Holiday season.  This is a complete multiple course meal with hot tea as the beverage.  This salad would be wonderful on your menu!

Time to pull out all those lovely Christmas Recipes and enjoy the wonderful dishes of the season.  Many years ago - actually back in the 70's - Marilyn Long of Des Moines, Iowa gave me this recipe.  I just made it this week and was reminded of many wonderful Iowa memories.  You will love it for it's color alone!

To make this congealed salad, you will need the following: 

1 10 oz frozen raspberry package drained (reserve syrup)
2 3oz packages of raspberry jello
2 cups boiling water
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 6 oz can pink lemonade
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Thaw and drain the raspberries reserving the syrup.  Dissolve the jello in boiling water, add ice cream by spoonful and stir in till melted.  Stir in reserved raspberry syrup and lemonade.  Pour into a ring mold.  Chill until partly set.  Add raspberries and nuts.  Chill till firm. Turn out on a favorite plate on cake stand. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Best made overnight!

This has been a busy week in the USA with Thanksgiving. A whole lot of  cooking  happening!   

FIRESIDE COMFORT FOOD ON A SNOWY NIGHT: Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

Yesterday it snowed all day and

 we got about 8 inches at our house!

Blue Jays and Rocky Mountain Bluebirds come to my back door to squabble over the nuts and inside I decided to make some true comfort food.  Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes work for comfort.  Nearby the woodstove was fired up and cozy!

This recipe is so yummy and easy.  That's important - yummy and easy!  Here is what you will need for your meatloaf:

1.25  lb lean ground beef and 1 lb of ground turkey, 1 cup of chopped mushrooms, 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup quick cooking oats, 3/4 cup of dried chopped parsley, 1 medium onion, chopped well, 1/2 tsp dried sage,1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  I purchased a meat loaf pan which is basically 2 pans with the top one having holes in it for the juices to drip into the bottom pan. I like this pan.  They have them at the grocery store or any discount market.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until well blended.  Place this thick mixture into your butter loaf pan. Bake until loaf is firm and browned - about 1 hour 15minutes.

Remove from oven and let sit 10-15 minutes. You will be serving this with mashed potatoes and gravy.  I sliced mine and froze 1/2 right away for later use!

Now that I have made this gravy, I recommend doubling the recipe as we like a lot of gravy and could have used more!

Recipe for gravy:  3 Tb butter, 1 small onion chopped, 1 cup chopped mushrooms, 3 Tb flour, 1 can of beef stock - 1 1/2 cups, salt and pepper

This gravy is wonderful and so easy - you will use it often!  In your saucepan, melt the butter and saute  onions and mushrooms in it.  After the onions begin to brown, add the beef stock and stir in the flour and whisk it nicely to combine and reduce lumps.  Keep stirring into a gentle boil and reduce heat as it will thicken nicely.

Salt and pepper to taste and after you make this you will never need to buy any of those little brown gravy packets again.

WHO'S THAT IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH?

I guess the inevitable has happened.

PUMPKIN COOKIES FOR FALL

Here is a perfect recipe for your Fall Afternoon Tea Party - you won't be able to stay out of these and your kids will love them too!

I originally got this recipe from Bev Meller:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter the baking sheets which you will put in the refrigerator.

 Ingredients: First of all blend the following together: 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp lemon juice

In a large bowl mix these together: 2 1/2 cups sifted flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ginger, 3/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon. After combining these- mix with above 6 ingredients.

 Now add these: 1 1/2 cups of canned pumpkin, 3/4 cup nuts and 3/4 cup raisins. Keep the cookie sheet cold before dropping heaping tablespoons of dough on it. And chill dough between each batch.

Bake 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool cookies on waxed or brown paper.

Now for the icing 1/4 cup canned pumpkin, 4 Tb melted butter, 1 lb (which is 3 3/4 cups) powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp lemon juice, pinch of salt. Wait till they cool to ice. Icing can be thinned with a little milk if too thick. Makes around 5 dozen or more.

SUNDAY CELEBRATION - The Ten Commandments

My Mother in Law just sent this plate back with my husband for me.  I found it interesting that it says "state flower" since D. C. isn't a state - but a district.   Do you know the Ten Commandments (by heart) that God gave to Moses ?