Reese Trifle

This Memorial Day weekend was just awesome. The weather felt like it was July which made lounging in the pool, not by the pool, a perfect way to spend the day. First on the agenda was to decorate the house. I love this time of year when I display the patriotic bunting on the front windows. While it's a simple change, it just feels good. I've said more than once that "my blood runneth orange . . . and red, white, and blue!"

Steve especially loved Memorial Day as one of his best friends, Barry Price, and his family unexpectedly came down to spend the day with us. His brother Larry and Debbie did, too. Buffy and Todd as well as Keely were home for the holiday weekend. The Burtnetts came over as well. In no time, we had a house full . . . our favorite way to spend a holiday.

On the menu, not surprisingly, were the requisite grilled hamburgers and hotdogs served with a variety of toppings. Side dishes included chips and salsa, macaroni salad, cucumber salad, and more grilled jalapeno poppers since we enjoyed them so much the day before! For dessert, we had watermelon, a cookie cake, and the most popular item on the menu:  Keely's Reese trifle.

Since it was rare that we didn't have anyone over with peanut allergies, this was a perfect choice. Unfortunately, I didn't take a close-up photo of it, but you'll see it above in the top right hand corner. This was the only thing on the table where we didn't have even one spoonful of leftovers!

This recipe is already in our family cookbook. However, Keely did make a slight modification. She used sugar-free pudding and sugar-free Cool Whip. I'm thinking that's along the same lines of having a Snicker's candy bar with a Diet Coke. Yes. Guilty. But, I guess every little bit helps!  :)

Reese Trifle

Ingredients:

• 1 box fudgy brownies
• 2 boxes chocolate pudding, prepared according to directions
• 2 tubs Cool Whip, thawed
• 6-8 Reese cup candy bars (or 12-16 individual cups) broken into small pieces

Directions:
Bake brownies according to directions on box. Place half in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Top with half of the pudding followed by half of the Cool Whip. Sprinkle with half of the Reese cups.

Repeat layers: brownies, pudding, Cool Whip, and the rest of the Reese cups.

Tip: The regular size Reese cups break up better than the fun size version.

Happy Engagement

Last week, Buffy and Todd left for a cruise to the Bahamas. The night before they boarded the ship, Todd popped the question, and Buffy said, "Yes!" Needless to say, she is thrilled. So, after stopping here on their way back home, we had a small celebratory dinner for them last night.

Our family and the Burtnetts feasted on grilled chicken tenderloins, milk potatoes, fresh corn, grilled asparagus, and grilled jalapeno poppers. The poppers are already in our family cookbook and the recipe was contributed by my nephew-in-law (is that even a real word?) Chris Strong. This was the first time I made them. They are sooooo good! I'm already planning on them being my go-to appetizer for football season, made with orange peppers of course.

For dessert, I made "engagement cupcakes." This was another opportunity for me to try something I found on Pinterest:  heart-shaped cupcakes. I thought it was such a clever idea to place a marble in each muffin tin before baking:

 

So far, so good. But, when I took them out of the oven . . .

. . . I thought this is a joke! These look nothing like hearts! For once, Pinterest let me down! Disappointment quickly turned into giggles. Laughing is about all I could do at this point, especially when I saw this on half of them:

I'm sure that wasn't supposed to happen! I kept telling myself, "It's the thought that counts." So, I proceeded. I'm still not sure how this happened, but in the end, they really did look like heart-shaped cupcakes.

After swearing I will never try this again, I now know that I will. I'll just make certain next time that I don't fill the muffin cups too full.

More importantly, the happy couple seemed to enjoy their special dinner and cupcakes.

It looks like the wedding will likely be May, 2013. So for the next year, let the wedding plans begin!

Bacon Asparagus Strata

I had such a nice Mother's Day yesterday! I planned on taking Mom to brunch, but I obviously waited too late to do anything about it because all of the restaurants I called were either sold out or didn't take reservations. It was a blessing in disguise. We ended up taking brunch to Mom, and I'm hoping now that this will be a new tradition for Mother's Day.

The menu was small, but completely sufficient. I made cinnamon rolls, but this time I topped them with caramel icing and pecans. I also had fruit salad, using strawberries, pineapples, and blueberries. Then, Keely and I made two different breakfast casseroles. The first one was my Aunt Marilyn's Easy Breakfast Casserole, which is already in the family cookbook. Made with sausage, eggs, and cheese, it was delicious. The second one was a new recipe that I saw on Pinterest and wanted to try:  Bacon Asparagus Strata. It was hard for me to choose which one I liked the best. I was glad I didn't have to choose!

One of the best things about the menu was that everything was put together the night before. So, all we had to do was drive into Knoxville and place the casseroles in Mom's oven. Everything was ready by the time she and Dad got home from church. How nice that I got to enjoy a relaxing morning with those I love and avoid the hustle and bustle of going out!

Bacon Asparagus Strata

Ingredients:

• 8 strips bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and chopped
• 1 (9 oz) package frozen cut asparagus, thawed and well-drained
• 3/4 cup bottled roasted red sweet peppers, drained and chopped
• 12 slices dry white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
• 3 cups shredded Swiss cheese (12 oz)
• 8 eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

Lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine bacon, asparagus, and red peppers. Place half of the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the bacon mixture and half of the cheese. Repeat layers with remaining bread cubes, bacon mixture, and cheese.

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in milk, mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper. Carefully pour egg mixture evenly over bread mixture in dish. Using the back of a spoon, gently press down on layers to moisten all of the bread. Cover dish with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes or until puffed, golden, and set. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: I cut the recipe in half and used an 8x8 casserole dish instead. The only other thing I plan to change the next time I make this is add more bacon. I'll use the whole package instead. I mean, why not? :)

Chocolate Pie

Last night, our friends Steve and Cindi Burtnett came over for dinner. We had grilled steaks, milk potatoes, salad, and sliced tomatoes. Since Steve's birthday was last Thursday, I knew I wanted to make him a special birthday dessert. Given that he is a major chocolate lover, it was a perfect excuse opportunity for me to finally make my cousin McKinley's chocolate pie.

This recipe is already in our family cookbook, and the story behind it is actually one of my favorites. McKinley has taken over chocolate pie duty for Sunday dinners . . . a tradition passed down from her great grandmother, Bonnie Fulmer (Mema).

"Mema had a neighbor, Bessie Scoggins, who also made a reputable chocolate pie. However, Mema never liked Bessie’s pie because it had water in it instead of milk, and it also used less sugar. Mema loved sweets! When Pepa died, Bessie sent her chocolate pie to Mema as a token of her condolences. Even under those circumstances, Mema would be quick to defend her recipe, claiming to have the best chocolate pie if anyone else stated otherwise!"

Every time I think of this story, I smile as I picture Mema defending her pie. Such a classic Southern vision. :) When I began gathering the ingredients for the pie, I noticed that the needed items matched exactly with a recipe that I already had, except this version did not call for a stick of butter. Oh dear. My initial reaction was that an important ingredient had been inadvertently left off. I decided to trust the recipe and proceed as directed. I'm so glad I did. This turned out to be one of the best pies I've made. Even the meringue turned out better than I've ever experienced. It was a huge hit not only with the birthday boy, but with all of us! Knowing that it didn't have a whole stick of butter in it made the pie guilt free as well. Well, sort of. This is one pie that I will be making over and over again. Thanks, McKinley, for sharing this tradition with the rest of our family!

Chocolate Pie

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup plain flour
• 2 cups milk
• 3 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 pie shell

      Meringue:

• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 6 tablespoons sugar

Directions:
Mix cocoa, sugar, salt, flour and milk together. Add beaten egg yolks. Cook over low heat on top of stove, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. When thickened, remove from stove top and add vanilla. Stir well. Pour into a baked pie shell. (Note: I actually thickened the chocolate by using the microwave instead. I cooked it for 12 minutes, stirring after each 4 minute increment.)

Meringue: Beat egg whites with vanilla and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar, beating until stiff and glossy. Spread over pie filling and bake until meringue is browned.

Honey Vanilla Cornbread

My Life List: Things I'd Like to Do Before I Go #73: Attend the National Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. That's right. South Pittsburg. Not Rome. Not London. OK, Greece is admittedly on my list. But, I was just as happy to check this item off my list last April when Dad joined me on this excursion to this quaint town.

We enjoyed browsing through the various exhibits, arts and crafts, and we even did a little bit of antique shopping. I think Dad would agree, though, that our favorite part of the festival was the trip down Cornbread Alley. Here, you pay one price and get to sample many different kinds of cornbread. We just giggled thinking about all of the creative recipes made with this Southern staple. Some of the items we tasted included Tooti Fruity Cornbread Balls, Bacon Ranch Cornbread, Louisiana Yam Cornbread, Hawaiian Cornbread Fritters, Chipotle Cornbread, and Honey Vanilla Cornbread (my personal favorite). And I thought cornbread was just your requisite side dish to a good 'ole bowl of pinto beans!

The National Cornbread Festival takes place the last weekend in April each year. Although I'm not planning on attending this upcoming weekend, it did inspire me to try making my favorite. This is so good . . . just as I remembered. I was crazy for waiting a whole year before making it myself!

Honey Vanilla Cornbread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup self-rising cornmeal
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 boxes (10.1 oz) vanilla instant pudding
• 4 cups milk
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 3 cups coconut flakes

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9x13 casserole dish or large skillet with cooking spray. Blend together cornmeal, flour, sugar and pudding. Add milk, oil, eggs and honey. Stir until well mixed. Add pecans and coconut flakes. Mix until moistened. Pour into pan and bake for 35-45 minutes.

Note: I cut the recipe in half and made cornbread muffins instead. It's a good thing I did because I still ended up with 18 muffins! I baked them at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Mmmmmm.

Fun with Fondant

After enjoying my first cake decorating class in January, I decided I wanted to take it one step further. So today, Mom and I headed to Oak Ridge to the House of Cake to learn how to make homemade fondant, cover a cake, and decorate a cake. We had such a good time!

I ended up decorating mine with a variety of flowers; Mom chose a dogwood design: 

We were pretty proud! :)

We started the class by first making the fondant. This began by melting a bag of marshmallows in the microwave for only 1 minute along with 3 tablespoons of water. I didn't know this was even possible! In fact, I'm definitely going to try this technique the next time I make Rice Krispie treats. The texture was perfect after stirring, and there was no messy pot to clean nor fear of burning. Then, we added powdered sugar. That's it. I know that I have tried fondant in the past and didn't like the taste. Although I didn't taste our batch, surely it is good given the ingredients!

After the fondant was made, we rolled it into a very large, thin circle and carefully placed it on top of our frosted cake. Here is Mom in action:

 

 

After a little tucking here and there, and then trimming off the excess fondant, we spent the next hour or so just decorating. I thought that was the best part. It reminded me of working with edible play-doh. Here are the two proud "graduates" after their fun with fondant. You should try it!

Fondant

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of miniature marshmallows
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 (2 lb) bag of powdered sugar
• food coloring (optional)

Directions:
Place marshmallows in a microwaveable bowl. Sprinkle with water. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir until melted and smooth. Add 1 pound of powdered sugar to melted marshmallows. Stir until combined. Add another 1/2 pound of powdered sugar and begin folding it into the mixture. Add more powdered sugar, if needed, until the dough is no longer sticky. Use your hands to knead the dough into a smooth ball with the consistency of play-doh.

Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a very large, thin circle approximately 15 inches in diameter . . .  enough to cover the top and sides of your cake. Carefully place on top of cake. Smooth fondant with your hands around the cake until there are no wrinkles or bubbles. Use a pizza cutter to cut the excess fondant around the base of the cake.

Now you're ready to decorate. Break fondant up into approximately 1 cup pieces and color each piece as desired. Cut out desired shapes. Using a small paint brush, adhere fondant to fondant with water.

Pineapple Cheese Ball

Admittedly, I'm not a big fan of traditional cheese balls. Most of the ones I've had seemed to be a little hard. Then by the time I try to spread some on a cracker, the cracker falls apart, and you just try to discreetly stuff the whole mess in your mouth before anyone at the party sees you. Surely, I'm not the only one who has experienced this.

Not any more! My friend Cindy Pickett makes the best cheese ball. I've had it before and was reminded how much I loved it when she made it for Sheelah's bridal shower this past weekend. I knew it would be a keeper, given it has pineapple in it. The final consistency is perfect, too. If you're looking for something to bring to a party, you should give this a try:

Pineapple Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

• 1 small can of crushed pineapple, drained
• 2 (8 oz) blocks of cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onion tops
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell peppers
• chopped pecans

Directions:
Drain all juice from the can of crushed pineapple. Use paper towels to mash the pineapple until completely dry. Add remaining ingredients, except for nuts. Mix well. Form into a ball and roll in chopped pecans. Serve with crackers.