Julie's Punch Recipe

As requested, here's the recipe for the delicious punch that Julie served at the meeting.

CHILLED CHRISTMAS PUNCH

Yield:  3-3/4 quarts

Prep Time:  10 minutes

Cook Time:  5 minutes

2 cups water

3/4 cup granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon  ground cinnamon

One 46-ounce can pineapple juice, chilled

4 cups can-apple juice, chilled

1 liter ginger ale, chilled

In a saucepan, bring the water, sugar and cinnamon to a boil; stir until sugar is dissolved.  Chill

Just before serving, combine the syrup mixture, juice and ginger ale in a punch bowl or large pitcher.  Serve over ice.

Source:  RecipeGirl.com (via Taste of Home)

Hope you all enjoy and Have A Very Merry Christmas!!  

See you next year, 2017

Julie

Here's another recipe from our December potluck:

Quinoa Party Salad

Adapted from Clean Eating, Nov/Dec 2011

 

I allow 2 hours or more to prepare this.  Hands-on time is 10-15 minutes.  Serves 8.

In a fine-mesh strainer, thoroughly rinse

            2 c quinoa (tri-color looks festive)

In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil

            4 c water

Add the quinoa, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed.  Let cool (but if you don’t have a long time, it will work to use the grain while it is still warm.)

Prepare the dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk together

            ¼ c olive oil

            juice of 1 lime

            1 T ground cumin

            pinch of red pepper flakes

Stir until well combined and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine:

            3 c frozen corn kernels, thawed

            1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

            1 medium red pepper, chopped

            1 medium orange pepper, chopped

            1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped, or to taste

            1 c fresh cilantro, chopped (measure first, then chop)

Add the quinoa and stir to combine.  Top with the dressing, then season with salt and pepper to taste; mix well.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

Toffee Recipe

From Julie: So here is the toffee recipe that everyone was asking for.

 

Ibby’s Metaphysical English Toffee

                (from the book "Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder" by Joanne Fluke

 

Also, recently known as

 

"Christmas Crack"

 

Preheat oven to 350, rack in the middle position.

 

16-oz. box Keebler Club Crackers

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups milk chocolate chips (12-oz. bag)

2 cups chopped pecans or sliced almonds

 

Line a 10 x 15 cookie sheet (jelly roll pan) with foil.  Spray the foil with Pam or other nonstick cooking spray.

 

Line the pan completely with Club crackers, salt side up.  Cover the whole bottom, breaking the crackers if necessary to make them fit.  Set the pan aside while you cook the toffee mixture.

 

Combine the butter with the brown sugar in a saucepan.  Bring it to a boil over medium high heat on the stovetop, stirring constantly.  Boil it for exactly five minutes, stirring constantly.  Adjust heat if it sputters too much.  Pour the mixture over the crackers as evenly as you can.  Slide the pan into the oven and bake the toffee for 10 minutes.

 

Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the milk chocolate chips over the top.  Give the chips a minute or two to melt and then spread them out as evenly as you can (I put the pan back in the oven for a minute).  Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top of the chocolate and refrigerate (or freeze) the pan.

 

When the toffee has thoroughly chilled, peel it from the foil and break it into random-sized pieces.

This stores very well for a longer period of time in a plastic bag in the freezer.

 

Taco Soup

Friday and Saturday were our usual fun days of sewing together. Lots of sewing progress and just as much visiting.

Nancy brought soup for our lunch on Saturday, and boy, was it good. Here's her recipe:
 
(Rosemary is Nancy's cousin, and a former CSQ member, before she got too busy to sew!)

TACO SOUP FROM ROSEMARY WILLAFORD

1 pound hamburger brown & drain

1 onion

2 16 oz. cans pinto beans
2 16 oz white corn
l large can diced tomatoes
1 pkg original buttermilk ranch dry mix
1 pkg taco seasoning dry mix

I cooked the onion and hamburger together and then added the seasoning mix to the hamburger.

I found you can taste the taco seasoning better when added to meat.

Do not drain the beans, corn or tomatoes. 

I cooked mine on the stove top in a Dutch oven.  You can also use a Crockpot.

Combine everything together and cook until you feel all ingredients have blended together.

Sour cream and shredded cheese on top can be added or anything you like. 

 

Nancy

 

 

Carol's Lemon Flavored Yellow Summer Squash Bread Recipe

Carol treated us to a wonderful bread at the last meeting. Several people asked begged for the recipe and Carol has obliged!

Time to get to the kitchen....

Get the recipe at Creative Culinary.

Nora's Potato Candy

1/3 c cold mashed potatoes (no seasoning just the potato)

2 c   confectioner sugar

2 c   chopped shredded coconut

1/4 t salt

3/4 t  clear vanilla

2 squares baking chocolate

Combine all ingredients except the chocolate

Let mixture stand 10 min.

Form small balls

Let stand 20 min to get dry enough to dip

Dip base of ball into melted chocolate

Place on wax paper until chocolate hardens

Enjoy!

Recipes

We had a lot of wonderful food at our December meeting.

 

More food arrived after I took these pictures, including a "Dump Cake" hot out of the oven. Inkie made the cake for Dot and shared the recipe with us.


DUMP CAKE

l large can of crushed pineapple and juice
l can of cherry pie filling
l box yellow cake mix
2 cups chopped pecans
2 sticks of butter (melted)

Put in layers, in order given, in greased 9 x l3" baking dish.  Bake at
350 degrees for 30-40 minutes!

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Cranberry Relish recipe given to me (Becky) by Elsa Brooks, Dec. 2010
1 bag of fresh cranberries
2 cups sugar (or less to taste)
2 large oranges (seeded), use rind and all
1 large can crushed pineapple
      (Note: navel oranges do not have seeds and that is what I used)

Easy to make:
Combine cranberries and oranges
Run through food processor or grinder
Add sugar, mix well.
Add pineapple, mix well.

Place contents in plastic containers and freeze. Makes 2-1/2 qts.

Great relish for meat, fowl, or bread. Best to let ripen for a day in refrigerator before packing into containers.

Source:  Nashville 200 Years of Hospitality

Notes from Elsa: I used apples instead of oranges. I cored the apples and left the skin on. The relish (made with apples) tastes very similar to the cranberry relish that I have purchased at the Cheese Shop in Stuarts Draft, VA.

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Are there other recipe requests? 

I would like to have the recipe for the delicious little coconut goodies.