Our Lovely Lunch

Brandy, Emily, and Caden came over today and we had a lovely lunch together!

"Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast."William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Our Menu:

Chicken Salad on Whole Grain Bread
Roasted Garlic for Sides of Sandwich Bread
Marinated Asparagus (gift from my mother)
Sautéed Mushrooms to serve on top of our chicken salad
Organic Spring Salad Mix
Chocolate Cobbler topped with scoops of vanilla bean ice cream
Coffee

Chicken Salad
In “The Good Housekeeping Cookbook) … I saw a recipe for Gourmet Chicken Salad. I altered it according to tastes of all involved and it was SO delicious!

Gourmet Chicken Salad
½ cup of mayonnaise (I used more of this and all ingredients bec/ I used a whole food processor bowl of cubed chicken breasts)
1 T. lemon juice
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 T. heavy cream
1/8 tsp. dried marjoram
4 large thick pieces of cold cooked chicken or turkey
Tomato slices (had not tomatoes)
Cucumber slices (had none)
Snipped parsley (forgot it)

Mix mayonnaise with lemon juice, salt, pepper, cream and marjoram. Use to coat pieces of chicken. Serve on greens, garnished with tomato and cucumber slices and snipped parsley. Makes 2 to 4 servings, depending on size of chicken pieces.

HOW I DID IT:
Filled food processor with cold, cubed, cooked chicken breasts. Drizzled heavy cream over it, added mayonnaise, salt, pepper, lemon juice, marjoram and mustard. Pulsed it until desired consistency. All ages loved it!

Roasted Garlic

I have a clay garlic roaster I’ve had and used for many years. I got it for under $10 when a Montgomery Wards store was going out of business! I’ve read you can use pie tins, baking dishes, and so on as long as they are oven safe!

I take a big knife and slice the very tips/tops of five or so heads of garlic and place cut side up in dish. I drizzle olive oil over the tops and sprinkle kosher salt and grind pepper over all. Roast at 350 degrees F. for 40 to 50 minutes.

My five year old eats this spread on his sandwiches!

Sautéed Mushrooms
I do my portabella and other fresh mushrooms the same.
I drizzle olive oil in a big cast iron skillet and put one to a few pats of butter depending on how many I’m making. I add sliced mushrooms to the skillet and sprinkle kosher and freshly ground pepper over them. Turn on high and either cook all the way through or cook to a certain point and change heat to medium.
Even my little grandgirl adores these!
Chocolate Cobbler
Rated: 4 out of 5 by 155 members Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 45 Minutes
Yields: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons
unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
powder
1 1/2 cups boiling water

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Melt butter in an 8x8 inch baking dish while the oven preheats.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa. Stir in milk and vanilla until smooth. Spoon this batter over the melted butter in the baking dish.
3. Stir together the remaining cup of sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa powder. Sprinkle over the batter. Slowly pour boiling water over the top of the mixture.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until set. Serve slightly warm with ice cream.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 10/9/2008

Mother & Daughter-in-Love Day!

This is a day each week I devote a day to time with my DIL and two grandbabies. It is a way that we stay connected even when things get busy and we make time to spend together.

I wrote an entire post on this and lost it one day --- and was so frustrated that I never wrote another. I am still not up to re-writing the whole thing but I'll try to post the recipes we try each week on our day:)

This week's menu:

Salmon Patties

Skillet Fried Potato Slices

Roasted Garlic

Biscuits

Tomato Gravy

Pumpkin Roll

Black Top Alaska Salmon Patties

(on the back of the Salmon can)

1 can Black Top Pink Salmon

2 cups soft bread vrumbs

1/3 cup finely minced onion

1/4 cup milk

2 eggs

2 T. minced parsley (I used sweet basil bec/ I'm out of parsley)

1 T. lemon juice

1/4 each salt and dill weed

Dash pepper

Drain salmon, reserving 2 tablespoons liquid; flake. Combine all ingredients including the 2 tablespoons of liquid. Shape into 8 [1-inch] patties. Pan-fry on both sides in 2 tablespoons of oil or butter until golden brown.

My grandgirl was SO adorable helping with this... smile. She added the bread crumbs and some of the other ingredients and then helped stir. We have a two step wooden stool handed down from Blake's grandmother and this is the biggest help with kids in the kitchen.

Emily peeled her first potato and ended up taking a little help from her mother!

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Tomato Gravy

Scrape hot oil around a skillet (I use any skillet I've cooked meat in usually OR you can pour some oil, butter, or grease in skillet and heat that) --- sprinkle some flour into the skillet and stir or whisk until well mixed. Let cook for a minute or few and then add milk or water. Stir and add canned tomatoes. Let slowly cook until thickened and take off heat. Serve immediately.

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Libby's® Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling
Submitted by: Libby's®Rated: 5 out of 5 by 209 members
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 15 MinutesYields: 10 servings
"Delicious and easy to make."
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup powdered sugar (to
sprinkle on towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100%
Pure Pumpkin
1 cup walnuts, chopped
(optional)
1 (8 ounce) package cream
cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons butter or
margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
(optional)
DIRECTIONS:
1.
PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle towel with powdered sugar.
2.
COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and slat in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
3.
BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.
4.
BEAT cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com
Printed from Allrecipes.com 9/26/2008