Confetti Meatball Supper

This beautiful, elegant (?) dish is also from the After Work Cookbook. There should have been a vintage cookbook on creative uses of molds. In my mind, only the rare dessert and Jelly should be in molds, or perhaps muffins. Folks from decades past put EVERYTHING in molds.

Confetti Meatball Supper

It tells readers to 'keep canned meatballs on hand for this dish.' Help.

In skillet combine one 11-oz. can condensed Cheddar cheese soup, 1/4 cup catsup, 1 tsp. instant minced onion and 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce. Heat through. Add two 15-oz. cans meatballs in gravy; simmer till heated through.

Meanwhile, in saucepan combine 2 cups uncooked packaged precooked rice; 2 cups water; one 8 1/2 oz. can mixed vegetables, drained; 2 tablespoons chopped canned pimiento; and 1/4 tsp. salt. Bring to boiling. Cover. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Press rice mixture lightly into oiled 4 1/2 cup ring mold. Unmold at once onto hot platter. Fill center of rice ring with meatballs and some of the sauce Pass remaining sauce.

How would you serve this? I would think that once you delve into it with a spoon, the rest would kind of sink and slide over. I have no plans to try and find out, though!

Shrimp-Macaroni Casserole

This is also from the After Work Cookbook, Shrimp Macaroni Casserole. Yes, those are Rice Chex on the edges.

1 7 1/4 or 8 oz. package macaroni and cheese dinner mix

1/2 cup milk

2 10 1/2 oz, cans condensed cream of chicken soup

2 4 1/2 oz. cans shrimp, drained

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup bite-size shredded rice squares, coarsely crushed (?)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare macaroni and cheese mix according to package directions, except use the 1/2 cup milk. Stir in soup, shrimp, Worcest. and dash pepper. Turn into 2 quart casserole (but not ugly 70's brown like in photo). Toss together crushed cereal and melted butter. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake about 45 minutes.

Yikes.

Indian Pizza

I believe I have discussed on here how ethnic cuisine in the era of my vintage cookbooks is pretty limited. Hawaiian food is anything with pineapples, for example.

I found an unusual recipe in this one (really I could go for another week on this weird and wonderful cookbook) for Indian Pizza:

1/2 cup fresh or frozen chopped green pepper

1/2 cup fresh or frozen chopped onion

1 tablespoon cooking oil

2 12 inch frozen cheese pizzas

Curry Powder (No amount, and yes, this is the only element that I can figure out which makes this recipe 'Indian'.)

1 cup chopped cooked chicken

1 cup shredded natural mozzarella cheese (as opposed to?)

Preheat oven. Cook green pepper and onion in oil till tender. Sprinkle each pizza generously with curry powder. Arrange green pepper, onion, cooked chicken and mozzarella over each pizza. Sprinkle curry powder over top. Bake according to package directions.

Wow - that's it. Sprinkle Curry and suddenly your dish is Indian.

If you use chili powder would this be Mexican pizza? Luckily today we have many more delicious international recipes and foods available.

What is your favorite ethnic food?

Chicken in a Mold?

This is also from the After Work Cook Book. Maybe it's a personal hang-up, but I don't believe chicken should ever be molded...

Sweet-Sour Chicken Mold

2 packages sour cream sauce mix

2 3-oz. packages lemon-flavored gelatin

2 cups boiling water

1/2 cup cold water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tsp. dried dillweed

1 medium green pepper, seeded and quartered

1 medium cucumber, peeled, quartered, and seeded

1 small carrot, sliced

2 5-oz. cans boned chicken, drained and cut up

Assorted fresh vegetables

Advance preparation (as opposed to?): Prepare sauce mix according to package directions. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water; add sour cream sauce, cold water, lemon juice, and dillweed. Beat till blended. Chill till partially set. Place green pepper, cucumber, and carrot in blender container; cover with cold water. Cover; blend just till coarsely chopped. Drain well, stir chopped vegetables and chicken into gelatin mixture. Turn into 7 1/2 cup ring mold. Chill till firm.

Before serving: Unmold and fill center with fresh vegetable.

Now I like to think of myself as a creative person, but this goes beyond the bounds of even my imagination...

After Work

Yum yum. Any guesses as to what this is? It is slightly reminiscent of cafeteria food. This is from the 1974 After Work Cook Book from Better Homes and Gardens. It is Sweet-Potato-Turkey Pie.

It actually sounds ok, but maybe just looks kind of weird. I don't know why you couldn't just heat up a turkey breast and some sweet potatoes quickly, but then it wouldn't belong in a 70's cookbook, right?

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

1 17 oz. can sweet potatoes, drained and mashed (um, drained?)

1/2 cup fresh or frozen chopped onion

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

2 cups diced cooked turkey (diced turkey?)

1 10 3/4 oz. can condensed cream of mushroom soup (no suburban pantry is without this)

1 8-oz. can whole kernel corn, drained

1 8-oz. can peas, drained

1 small tomato, peeled and diced

(That's a lot of ingredients for after work. Now way would I have patience for that with the baby pulling on my legs and the 5 year old asking me questions.)

Preheat oven to 350. Beat first 3 ingredients and 1/4 tsp. salt into mashed sweet potatoes. Line a 9-inch pie plate with potato mixture, building up edges 1/2 inch high. Cook onion in 1 tablespoon butter till almost tender. Stir in turkey, soup, corn, peas, tomato and 1/4 tsp. salt. Spoon into sweet potato shell. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Serves 6.

Oh boy. Seems like a long baking time for after work, too.

I scanned a new knitting-romance book over the weekend by Christine Ridgeway. Cute. But - I don't know if the hobby genre can cross with romance like it does with mystery. It's strange to go from a steamy shower scene to a knitting shop, but why not? Isn't that how our lives work, after all? (grin)

What do you think? I'm working on a display of hobby fiction for the library. If you are interested, I can send you the list when it's done later this week.

Planetary Frankfurters

Nothing says class and elegance like attractive appetizers, right? Here's the back cover of the GH Appetizer book. (One more day on this, then I'll move on, I promise!) Yes, the toothpicks are really inserted in a basket handle. I would think it would be hard to pick those up, but I usually manage to grab any food I want.

Here is a recipe for Planetary Frankfurters. It defies description.

6 hard-cooked eggs, well chilled

1/4 cup relish-cheese spread (Um, I've never seen that at Target...)

7 drops liquid hot pepper seasoning (oh boy)

1/2 lb. frankfurters

Early in day: Hard-cook, refrigerate, then cut hard-cooked eggs crosswise into 1/4" slices. Select the 25 egg slices with rings of white large enough to encircle a frankfurter. Remove yolk from these slices; set rings aside.

Chop remaining smaller pieces of egg and all egg yolks; combine with cheese spread and pepper seasoning. (What?)

Now cut each frankfurter in half lengthwise (Is this early in day because this will take ALL DAY?); with the cheese mixture, spread cut surface of half of them; top with unspread ones. Scrape off extra filling, then wrap stuffed frankfurters in waxed paper, saran of foil, and refrigerate.

To Serve: Cut each stuffed frankfurter into 5 crosswise pieces; then insert each piece through a hard-cooked egg white ring, pushing a pick through egg white and frankfurter to hold in shape.

Wow. That's a lot of effort for something I am not convinced tastes good.

I'd rather have crackers and cheese myself, but I'd agree I don't have the most sophisticated palate.

Scary Snowman Appetizer

One more from the GH Appetizer book. This is the Snowman Appetizer Server. I think it looks scary at best. Here is the description:

Do ahead: At the dime store (where?), buy one large and one small plastic foam ball. With several picks, fasten the 2 balls together, then add a snowman's jaunty paper hat.

Prepare Garlic Stuffed Olives, Ham Pin Wheels, Celery Brooms.

To serve: With putty (seriously?), anchor snowman to a serving tray. For eyes, with picks, attach halved stuffed olives; for teeth, cheese cubes; for buttons, a Ham Pin Wheel. Surround snowman with Garlic Stuffed Olives, Ham Pin Wheels and Celery Brooms; also crisp crackers or wafers.

Amy's note: Then call your therapist. Who thinks this is attractive or worth the time to make? My five year old could do better.

I have been doing more teen services workshops lately, and I often hear about how teens today are not respectful. How often do you encounter disrespectful adults? Lately I've encountered a rash of adult folks who think it is ok to scold me or other people, either in public, email, etc. No matter the cause, this tone is never ok. My first job was at a law firm in the Sears Tower where folks would actually yell at anyone who made a mistake, which of course was everyone. I am always thankful that I had a boss who trained me to go to folks when things were calmer and say "That was inappropriate. I'm sorry you were upset about xxx, but I don't appreciate being treated that way when we are both professionals." Fabulous training. It's just sad how often I have to call upon it.

What are you reading or eating this weekend?

Chili Cheese Log

Here's more from the GH Appetizer Book. In this phto: Avocado Creme Cheese Dip, Ham-Grape Pickups and Chili-Cheese Log. Yum yum, this of course looks fabulous, right?

Who would ever think of putting ham and grapes together? Clearly someone tasted it by accident by mixing these flavors on their fork and thought of a recipe.

It was of course hard to decide which of these delicacies to post the recipe for, but I chose Chili-Cheese Log as the worst...

3/4 lb. natural Cheddar cheese, grated (as opposed to unnatural...)

1 3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. garlic salt

1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire

Chili powder

Three to four days ahead (I'm serious, that's what it says): With an electric mixer, thoroughly combine Cheddar and cream cheeses, salt, pepper, garlic salt, Worcest. Shape into 2 thin logs.

On waxed paper, sprinkled with chili powder, roll each cheese log until thoroughly coated with chili powder.

Wrap logs in waxed paper, saran or foil, refrigerate for 3 - 4 days to ripen.

Um, ripen? Is that why it's so brown in the picture?

Painful.

Deb Baker over at the Cozy Chicks blog (check out what I'm following on the left there) is looking for honey recipes. Deb is doing a new series. She's a really fun author of a doll series and an Upper Michigan cozy series as well. Busy lady.

Hors d'Oeuvre Birthday Cake

Here is the first book in the 1958 Good Housekeeping series, Appetizers. I actually didn't have this one, and found it over the weekend. Yes, that is shish kebobs of a sort stuck in a candle on the cover.

But then the book gets open, and some very odd recipes are in this one. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bought it!

Here's Hors d'Oeuvre Birthday Cake:

1 1-lb. round loaf pumpernickel

1 jar or pkg. cheese spread (um, a little vague)

2 21/4 oz. cans deviled ham (oh boy)

1 4-oz can liver pate (yes, together)

3 3oz. pkg. cream cheese

1/4 cup top milk or light cream

Birthday candles

Red carnations and laurel leaves

How many recipes do you know that start with pumpernickel and end with red carnations/laurel leaves? You know this has to be a winner; I just wish they had put a picture.

Several hours ahead: Cut 1/2" thick slice of pumpernickel from bottom and top of loaf (save these to use next day) (How?). Then slice remaining loaf into 5 layers.

Starting from bottom, put layers together with the following fillings; cheese spread, olive spread, deviled ham, and liver pate. Refrigerate until ready to use. YIKES.

To serve: Place 'cake' on round tray. In bowl, rub cream cheese with milk till smooth; use to frost loaf. (Uhoh, another sandwich loaf disguised as a birthday cake this time.) Around cake on tray, put candles, securing them with melted wax. Place red carnations and laurel leaves between candles.

Seriously. Would someone really want this as a birthday cake? Olives, deviled ham and liver? It's not a birthday cake without tons of sugar.

No real time to read now and I want to get to my friend Norm Cowie's manuscript of his upcoming Fang Face as my son has strep, but I did read Barbara Delinsky's Suddenly recently. It's about a small town pediatrician practice, and what happens when one commits suicide. It's not a downer - it causes them all to reasses. Great book.

Hot Finger Foods

Who wouldn't want to go to a party and see this arrangement? Um, me, anyone vegetarian, anyone w/o Pepto Bismol at home...

This is still more from the Cocktail Time Cookbook. However! For the first time in ages, my husband and I got to go antiquing for a few hours over the weekend. I bought a few gems chock filled with prune holiday recipes. I'm actually planning on giving library talks on vintage cookbooks and cookies this holiday season. If you live in the Chicagoland area, you've been warned.

So here's the electric griddle willed with odd meats. How about these for your next party?

Sugar 'N' Spice Cubes

1 can luncheon meat. (Yep, a can.)

2 Tablespoons sugar

Preheat griddle to 300 F

Trim off round ends of meat. Cut into 18 1-inch squares. Roll in sugar.

Place on ungreased griddle; grill, turning frequently, until browned all over - about 8 minutes.

Wow.

Chicken Livers With Bacon

1 lb. chicken livers

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 lb. bacon

Wash livers; dry on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Wrap half a bacon slice around each chicken liver. Thread 2 or 3 livers on each of 6 wooden skewers. Arrange on rack in portable electric broiler (everyone has these, right?). Broil, 5-6 inches from heat, 6-8 minutes. Turn, broil 7 minutes longer.

These will not be featured in my proposed talks, don't worry.

I got a big disappointment in a writing contest today. Not only did I not final, I came in dead last (18 folks, and only a couple points difference, but still). Now I knew the piece needed work, and I wanted the feedback, which is one reason I entered the contest. However, one judge said more backstory and another said cut it all. One said too edgy for YA and the other said not dark enough. There were definitely helpful comments in there too, but I really want to read the ones that finaled. There are definitely times when I feel I may just stick with my safe librarian writing and speaking where I know I garner respect. Results like this make me feel stupid for even trying to write fiction, though many very talented writing friends warned me that nothing good comes out of contests. Clearly I need to watch Susan Boyle sing some more.

Here's to a better week ahead.

South Sea Soup

Imagine being invited to a cocktail party and being served this. My thoughts would be:

1. I dressed up for this?
2. Did they get these mugs at the thrift store or from the library staff room?

3. I'm not trying any of those! (and where are the spoons?)

Here is the photo from the McCalls Cocktail Time chapter Cocktail Soups.

Notice the murky green one at the bottom with odd objects floating in there:
South Sea Soup

1 pkg dry green-pea-soup mix

2 tablespoons finely grated orange peel

1/3 cup orange juice

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon mace

Popcorn

In medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except popcorn with 4 cups water, stir until well mixed. Cook uncovered over medium heat, 10 minutes.

Serve at once in mugs (why?). Top each serving with several kernels of popcorn.

Who thought of this nonsense?

I'm not even touching the nasty brown substance with the floating white thing in the picture. What do you think it is? That's like a creative fiction writing exercise.

Cooking for One

The Missing Anthology launch party last night was amazing! Thank you to my many friends who came to support us. We sold out of books! Authors included: JA Konrath, Henry Perez, Bob Goldsborough, Luisa Buehler, Mary Welk, Margot Justes, Norm Cowie, Susan Miura, Susan Gibberman, Dave Case and Mike Black. The crimescene part was a big hit too.

It was very weird to go from that to a day filled with a contentious room mom meeting (and follow up phone calls), diaper changes and house cleaning. But if I had programs like that every night I'd be continually exhausted!

This lovely gem from 1984 (multiple printings, starting from the 60's) came from the library. My friend Joe pulled it for me to see, with the very sad cover. If you go to these lengths and eat by yourself, that is a bit sad, I'll agree with him. But what he doesn't get, with his single lifestyle, is that I would pay good money to get one hour to myself sometimes. Even an uninterrupted trip to the bathroom or shower would be a luxury. An actual phone call by myself. A date night out that does not involve more planning than a contentious room mom meeting... Of course I'd never trade my life with the boys. I'm just saying, the set up on this cover isn't looking too bad to me. If I had a good romance book and some Doves (which I actually have right here), I could eat there. I might fill the wine glass more, though.

I pulled out a recipe for Joe and you readers then I really need a break from the fish:

Fish Puffs

Use any leftover cooked fish or canned tuna. (Really - so cod, lobster, salmon - all the same?) Flake and season with 1 tablespoon minced onion (If you eat that much onion, there's a reason you are eating alone.), 1 tablespoon minced parsley, and a dash of pepper. Combine with an equal amount of mashed potatoes. Add 1 egg, lightly beaten, and 1 tablespoon butter or margarine. Test for seasoning. Put in a greased baking dish and bake at 450F for 15 minutes, or until brown.

Yummy!

Susan Boyle and Inspiration

Have you seen the You Tube clip of Britain's Got Talent with Susan Boyle? This shy unassuming 47 year old gave herself an awkward introduction, then opened her mouth to the most beautiful voice I've ever heard. The judges were blown away, and admitted they were laughing at her in the beginning.

http://www.susan-boyle.com is her fan site, and the clip is on there along with subsequent interviews. Her performance gave me the chills. Many start are writing in that she moved them to tears. I can't wait to buy her CD. I am going to listen to this each time I get a rejection from a publisher, too!

I work with many people in the 45 - 65 range at the library, and there isn't a one who doesn't have a talent or many layers. I know several artistic cooks, some writers, painters, clothing designers, musicians and more. Tonight we are having a launch party for the Missing Anthology I edited from Echelon Press, and I am so excited that two of my colleagues have wonderful stories in there also. We will also have a Missing Crimescene activity with Mike Black and Dave Case, also great authors. If you are in the area, come enjoy. Several of the anthology authors will be there.

Parties are on my mind, so I'm taking a break from the fish recipes to feature this McCalls Cocktail Time cover. That's not really a pineapple. It's Cheese Pate-molded into a pineapple. Why would anyone want to do that you ask? I don't know either.

2 pkg. cream cheese

2/3 cup prepared mustard

2 1/2 lb. natural sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

1 jar small pimiento-stuffed olives, drained

1 fresh green pineapple frond (to go on top of the processed spread...)

Combine cream cheese and mustard in mixer, beat at medium speed until well blended.

At low speed, gradually beat in grated cheese, to combine well.

Turn mixture onto wooden board. With hands, knead until smooth and pliable. (sounds yummy...)

Refrigerate cheese mixture until chilled and able to be molded - about 45 minutes.

With hands, roll mixture into a cylinder. Place cylinder flat on cookie sheet.

Mold into pineapple shape, about 5 1/2 inches long, 15 inches around at widest part (not a typo), 10 1/2 inches at narrowest part.

OK - there are lots more steps, but I think we can figure out the decorations. I just think this is a bit weird. Why not serve real pineapple in some sort of tasty appetizer?

Fish'N'Foul Cookbook

That's not a typo, Readers. On my search for pastry covered salmon for my friend Joe, I pulled out my McCall's set, the Fish'N'Fowl volume, M13, 1981. I changed the title of the blog after reading a few recipes. It should be a crime to do some of these things to fish.

Do you know what this picture is?

Can't guess? Deviled Tuna Bake - you all knew that, right? Don't worry, I'm not putting up that recipe.

Instead, I'm posting an interesting looking salmon one.

Salmon-Apple Salad Sandwiches

(Give it a chance - you may not want to make this for the kids' lunches, but...)

1 can salmon, drained and flaked

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1 cup chopped, peeled, tart cooking apples

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp finely chopped green onion (lot of chopping in this recipe)

1/4 cup mayonnaise or cooked salad dressing

1/2 tsp. salt

4 frankfurter rolls, split

1. In medium bowl, toss together all ingredients, except frankfurter rolls. (Good thing they told us that.)

2. Use mixture to fill frankfurter rolls. (Wow, these directions are so helpful.)

Makes 4 sandwiches.

I read Lisa Kleypas' new hardcover today. I love her historicals, and this is the best of her hardcover. Good romance in that it is funny, predictable and has a feisty heroine. Kind of like Jayne Ann Krentz, the former librarian turned author. Can't have too many of those.

Spring Snowballs

This is a photo of the River Oaks Garden Club Luncheon from the Southern Living Socials and Soirees cookbook. I was looking through this one as my friend Joe asked me to find fish wrapped in phyllo dough. Apparently, he was intrigued by the pastry wrapped meats from my Easter blogs, and said he had some good salmon in pastry at a cafeteria at work. I came across Fish Pudding and Congealed Tomato-Tuna Salad this morning, but I don't think those would tempt even him.

Instead I found this charming but weird picture. Yes, those are cut out chickens from break on the bottom sandwiches. And yes, the other is bread wrapped around asparagus. Scary. Who has a chicken cookie cutter anyway? (Although I did buy dinosaur shaped ones last week...)

Also I found this great recipe. I will have to do this one soon.

Snowballs (tint them for spring if you like, but if you ask your five year old to help, you will likely have extreme jewel toned colors)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Dash of salt

1 (12 oz.) package of vanilla wafers

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 tsp. sugar

1 (7 oz.) package flaked coconut

Combine 1/2 cup sugar, pecans, egg, pineapple, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan; mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Cool to room temperature.

Using 3 vanilla wafers per serving, spread pineapple mixture between wafers sandwich-style. Cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight.

Beat whipping cream until foamy; gradually add 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 tsp. sugar, beating until soft peaks form.

Frost top and sides of each stack of wafers with whipped cream; sprinkle liberally with coconut. Chill until serving time. To serve, place on individual serving dishes. Yield: 10 - 12 servings.

You could buy whipped cream or Cool Whip to do this one. Also, I think most folks would want two, so that individual serving dish nonsense can be forgotten. Just put the plate out with all of them on there, and make sure you saved a few in the fridge for yourself later after your family has eaten them.

Easter Basket Cake

Happy Easter. I love this idea from the Betty Crocker Cake and Frosting Mix Cookbook from 1956. It is a lemon chiffon cake baked in a tube pan (angel food cake style). I love the decoration ideas:

Use a sharp knife (as opposed to?) to cut a shallow sloping slice from outer edge to center of cake. Make canter cut no deeper than 1/2 inch. Fill hole made by tube pan with cut cake?

Huh? Why not just make a two layer cake?

To frost basket: Take fluffy white frosting and tint pale yellow. Frost sides and make a basket weave pattern on sides by drawing inch-long horizontal and vertical lines with tines of fork.

How long would that take?

For basket handle: Fashion handle of pipe cleaners or coat hangers. Wrap with several strips of aluminum foil. Then wrap handle with pastel yellow ribbon; secure ribbon with transparent tape. Tie mauve ribbon on top. Press handle into top of cake basket.

Seems a lot harder than it needs to be! What's with the foil first?

Then there is a recipe for making those cute eggs for the top, like fondant.

My friend Gail wrote me yesterday and suggested that the Eggs on toast cake looked tasty, with a few modifications: 1. Use peach halves, and 2. save the juice to mix with vodka for cocktails. Good thinking!

Another friend was talking to me about how Easter is the season of hope and new beginnings. May you all enjoy those things in abundance.

Easter Cake

My 1968 Farm Journal Cooking for Company has great recipes, but very few pictures. That's ok, though as you can go down and look at yesterday's cute picture again! ha.

Here's their recipe for Easter Cake for Junior Cooks:
"Looks like eggs, sunny side up, on toast - a fine Easter season dessert" (because that's what we all want in an Easter dessert)

1 pkg. chocolate or spice cake mix
1 (1 lb. 14 oz) can apricot halves
whipped cream

Bake and cool cake in a greased 13X9X2" pan as directed on package.
Drain apricot halves (save and refrigerate juice to use later in a gelatin dessert, salad or in fruit drinks) (oh boy)
To serve, cut the cake in squares and place on serving plates. Place a heaping spoonful of whipped cream on each, then put a drained apricot half, cut side down on the center of the cake square. Serve at once. Makes about 9 servings.

Many thanks for the nice notes about the boys' photo and post yesterday. We went to the Brookfield Zoo, on the only nice day this week. Today we go for baby's one year shots...

Happy Birthday Owen

A year ago my baby was born. We did not see him that day, but we did visit him on his second and third days, and then on the 12th, we brought him home. We are grateful to his birth family, and they live in our hearts. Nothing about adoption is easy, but my little family certain reaps the rewards.

I think it is a good sign that while my older son and I made red velvet cupcakes yesterday in between errands, that the little guy was desperate to join us, clinging to my legs, pulling on his brother's pants as Josh stood on a chair. He does love the kitchen. Clearly, they are both gifted.

I did pull out another Easter recipe to blog about today, from the Farm Journal Homemade Cookies book. I can't even imagine how someone invented this one, unless it was to use up the dyed eggs. We have lots of those around here, but I don't think I'll be tempted to make these:

Hard-Cooked Egg Cookies

1 c. butter or regular margarine (Yes, folks, that's an entire cup. Defibrillator time.)

1 c. sugar (ditto)

1 egg

5 sieved hard-cooked egg yolks

1 tblsp. finely grate lemon peel

3 c. sifted flour

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 c. chopped nuts (any kind?)

Beat butter, 1 c. sugar and 1 egg to blend thoroughly. Add hard-cooked egg yolks and lemon peel. Stir in flour.

Roll dough about 1/4" thick on lightly floured surface; cut with 2" round cutter. Place 1/2 " apart on ungreased baking sheet. Brush tops of cookie with slightly beaten egg.

Combine 1 tsp. sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle with nuts over cookies.

Bake in slow oven (325) 20 - 25 minutes, or until delicately browned. Remove cookies and cool on racks. Store in container with loose-fitting lid to retain crispness. Makes about 52.

Really - makes 52? Oy. I don't think this recipe could be more unhealthy if it had Krispie Kremes in it.

For Owen and his birthfamily:

Isaiah 12: 3-4 With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation, and say on that day; Give thanks to the Lord, acclaim his name; among the nations make known his deeds, proclaim how exalted is his name.

Easter Sunday Dinner

This is from my beloved Southern Heritage set again, the Celebrations volume. Here is a menu for Easter Sunday Dinner:

Baked Ham in Pastry (pictured)

Apple Aspic (also pictured, yellow stuff garnishing ham. Scary.)

Pickled Peaches (the Easter favorite)

Spinach Casserole

Frozen Fruit Salad (just go buy the bag of this)

Strawberry Shortcake

Yum yum. Now I like pastry, and I like small amounts of ham. I don't think they need to go together, and they certainly don't need to be garnished by pickled peaches and apple aspic. What's wrong with regular peaches? Talk about processed food!

Apple Aspic

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

1 1/2 cups apple juice

Soften gelatin in cold water. Bring apple juice to a boil; remove from heat and add softened gelatin, stirring until dissolved. Pour into a lightly oiled (really, oil?) 13x9x2 inch baking pan; chill until firm. Remove from pan; place in a small mixing bowl and finely chop. Use as a garnish for baked ham. Yield: about 1 cup.

Really. That's a lot of work for no good purpose. If you want it that bad, get some apple jelly. Chopping jello. What's next? Prunes? Oh wait...

Author Michele Scott: Why a Video Game?

Welcome author Michele Scott, also known as M.K. Scott! Michele has two popular mystery series out with Berkley Prime Crime, as well as a short story in the Missing anthology. She also has a new YA novel out, Zamora's Ultimate Challenge, with Echelon Press. She's also a mom of three, an equestrian, a teacher and much more. Please welcome Michele on her blog tour to celebrate the release of Zamora's!

First off I want to thank Amy for hosting “The Zamora” blog tour today. I have had a lot of fun doing the blog tour, connected with some great people and am getting the message out about the book.

If you’ve been following the tour, you already know that I have three kids and why I wrote the book in the first place. So, today I thought I would share with you why I chose a video game to be the setting where the story takes place and not a movie screen for instance. Video games have been very popular in our house since their inception. Many times I have cursed the invention and at times been grateful for it. I credit the game Zelda for helping teach my oldest child to read. He would call me in the room while playing as a four-year-old and ask me to read the screen. I finally told him he needed to learn to sound it out, and he did. At seventeen he is addicted to World of Warcraft and we have had some serious battles over the fact that I believe it to be a waste of his time. Video game addiction is becoming a serious problem in our culture, however, reading is not. To me that is sad. I do know there are children out there addicted to books, but if I had to put those kids up to what I call videttes (my sons included), I think I know who would win that poll. Therefore, when I set the book around “Zamora’s Ultimate Challenge,” video game, I was hoping at the time it would entice my sons to pick up the book and then many more books after that instead of just wanting to play games. And, thankfully it did. Sure they still love their games, but I am happy to say that all three of my kids are avid readers.

Now that the book is out into the world, it is my hope that my originally goal that I set forward for my own kids will happen across the nation. I want kids to pick the book up because the video game theme entices them. I want them to then love the book so much, and love reading that they will continue to pick up more and more books. I want to see a nation of readers! So, do yourself and your kids a favor, order a copy of “Zamora’s Ultimate Challenge,” and let imaginations soar.

On another note, I love to cook and if you read any of my adult mysteries you will find recipes and wine pairings in The Wine Lover’s Mystery series I do under my name Michele Scott. I thought it might be fun to share one of my easier, kid friendly and on the lighter side recipes.

This is the light version of Chicken Parmigiana:

4 large skinless chicken breasts
1 8 oz can of diced tomatoes or two cups freshly diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp. chopped basil

Easter Bread

Yes, those are are really eggs in the center of rolls here. Check out this Easter Bread from the same Holiday Cookbook as yesterday:

1 c. scalded milk

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/4 c. corn oil

1/4 c. warm water

1 pkg. dry yeast

2 eggs, well beaten

5 c. (about) sifted flour

9 uncooked sm. eggs in shell (for real)

1 egg white, beaten

1 c. light corn syrup (opt.) (really?)

Mix the milk, sugar, salt and corn oil and cool to lukewarm. Pour the water into a warm mixing bowl. Sprinkle with yeast and stir until dissolved. Ad the milk mixture, beaten eggs and 3 cups flour gradually to make soft dough. Turn out onto floured board or cloth and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl and turn to grease top. Cover. Let rise in a warm place, free from draft, for about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch down. Shape half the dough into 9 small rolls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Make 1 1/2 inch cut in center of each roll and place 1 egg in each. Cover with a cloth. Shape remaining dough into a large round loaf and place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover. Let rolls and loaf rise for 30 - 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Brush with egg white. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes for rolls and 30 minutes for loaf. Bring corn syrup to a boil in a saucepan and brush on hot bread. Let set for several minutes before serving. Each half dough may be shaped into three 22-inch ropes, braided, shaped into circle and ends pinched together to fasten? (huh?) Let rise and bake as directed for rolls.

So, how are these rolls eaten? Do you bite through the shell too? Do you take the egg out and peel? This seems very odd. Why not cook and dye eggs separately and sit them in rolls where a depression has been made in the center. And the directions for that braided loaf? Very elaborate recipe for no good reason, as far as I can tell.

Anyone want to eat this one?

Easter Beef

Beef Wellington this isn't.

Easter Beef in an Egg Shell is from a later edition (1971) of The Holiday Cookbook I used for the last couple blogs, from Southern Living and Progressive Farmer magazines.

1 4-5 lb. eye-of-round roast beef (I've never heard of this cut, and don't want to again.)

1 tsp. prepared mustard

1 tbsp. soy sauce

Salt

Butter (any amount of salt or butter?)

Sifted flour

3 eggs

1/3 cup white wine

Pepper to taste

The roast is cooked wrapped in foil in a complicated origami that takes two lines of type in this cookbook and I'm guessing none of us want to try. It's roasted in a shallow baking pan at 300 for 3 hours. Preserve the liquid in the strange foil envelope the whole thing was wrapped in.

Now, pour 3/4 cup water into a saucepan and add 1/4 tsp. salt and 6 tbsp. butter. Bring to boiling point. Add 3/4 cup flour all at once and stir over moderate heat until mixture forms a ball and follows spoon. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and cool. Spread over the roast, and decorate top as desired. Bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes or until browned.

This is beyond anything. Who wants decorated beef? The same folks who eat sandwich loaves, I fear.

I'm having a 10,000 word writing weekend. It's good the weather is still pretty cold here and there are no temptations to go outside.

Easter Antipasto

This is from The Complete Holiday Cookbook, from Favorite Recipes Press. It looks like late 60's.

Several Easter menus are provided, and this one goes with Cold Easter Supper. Here's the menu:
Easter Antipasto

Cold Cut Platter

Potato Chips (I'm serious)

Celery and Carrot Sticks

Butter Cream Easter Eggs

So stop worrying about a fancy Easter supper - this is all you need. I am not even putting the Easter Antipasto recipe up here, as it involves artichokes and dyed yellow cream cheese. Instead, let's focus on :

Butter Cream Easter Eggs

1/2 pound plus 1 tablespoon butter

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

3 boxes confectioners' sugar

8 oz. bitter or semisweet chocolate

1 2-inch square wax

1/4 tsp. vanilla

Cream 1/2 pound butter and cream cheese; gradually blend in sugar. Shape into small eggs. Coo for about 1 hour. Melt chocolate, remaining butter, wax and vanilla over hot water. Dip eggs in mixture and allow to cool. Yield: 90 - 100 eggs. (!!) I don't even want to think about how many I could eat.

I actually think you could make these into larger eggs and pour that hot chocolate over them, maybe turning once or something. I'd love to see how 90 - 100 eggs comes out of one 8 oz. block of cream cheese, but no pictures are provided.

I guest blog every other Thursday on Teen-Seen, and the theme this week is gaming. Check it out if you haven't already. It is part of a group blog for Quake the youth and young adult line of Echelon Press, who published Missing. I like their line of books for younger readers.

Stuffed Ham Slices

This photo is not of the Stuffed Ham Slices; that picture was too dark. But it is from the same cookbook: The Holiday Cookbook (pamphlet): 220 festive recipes for every holiday. It is from the Culinary Arts Institute, 1955.

I love the painted eggs. Nowhere are directions given on how to do that; apparently we are supposed to know.

I was intrigued by the recipe for Stuffed Ham Slices:

Set out a 13 1/2X8 3/4x1 3/4 baking dish. (???)

Set out 2 smoked ham slices, cut about 1/2 in. thick. (We all have these handy, right?)

Place one ham slice in the baking dish.

Mix together:

4 cups soft bread cubes

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Lightly toss bread mixture with

1/3 cup margarine, melted

Lightly spoon stuffing evenly over ham slice in dish. Top stuffing with second ham slice.

Insert around edge of top slice of ham: whole cloves (oh boy)

Drain (reserving sirup) (really spelled that way, not sure why)

1 no. 2 can sliced pineapple (again with the no. 2, like some secret government food designation)

Place two slices of pineapple in each corner of baking dish. Cut the two remaining pineapple slices into wedges and arrange wedges to resemble flower petals on top of ham. (Really? How does that make this more appetizing?) Brush top ham slice with reserved pineapple sirup. (so not a typo - weird)

Roast stuffed ham slices uncovered at 300F for 1 1/2 hrs. (wow!) Brush top ham slice with reserved pineapple sirup several times during roasting.

Garnish ham slices with parsley and serve.

This is a heck of a lot of work. Why not just serve stuffing with the ham slices? Sounds tasty, but too elaborate for these ingredients.

My Grandma Alessio used to do a 5 course Easter even in her apartment later in life. I remember we'd all be groaning from the pasta and chicken and out would come the ham from the oven. How is it that so many Italians are wiry and thin? Perhaps because they never stop moving; at least many that I know. I don't have the wiry and thin gene, and look more like my Irish ancestors, but my sister has always been very thin.

We dyed eggs here already, using a Star Wars kit from Target. Yes, nothing says Easter like Star Wars stickers on your eggs.

Joy's Blog features yummy vintage recipes on Thursdays. While I did a humorous one for Easter this week, I will likely do delicious ones from family and favorites in upcoming weeks. Check it out!

Bunny Breads

I love this picture. This is also from the Better Homes and Gardens 1959 Holiday Cookbook from yesterday. The recipe, however, calls for yeast and many many steps. I don't know many who could do it. I think it could be done with the breadstick in a tube dough, shaped like the bunnies.

There is, however, another great bread recipe in here: Pineapple Turnover Biscuits.

Combine 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, melted, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; divide in 10 muffin cups; center each with a California walnut half. Add 1 teaspoon pineapple syrup to each cup; top with a refrigerated biscuit (takes 1 package biscuits).

Bake at 425 12 - 15 minutes. Invert pan immediately on serving plate. Cool 1 minute before removing from pan.

After reading way too many teen mysteries all at once for my Crimespree column (yes, readers, I do this each time, I know), I need to read something lighter. I have a great manuscript to read from a friend, and some romance after that. I picked up the latest Maeve Binchy last night too. Remember when she was interviewed in People about how she was done writing? I love it. I actually think writing is like a form of OCD. Once you have the bug, it's hard to stop. I continue coming up with new ideas and proposals even though my plate is overflowing like a buffet visit.