Friday, May 22, 2009

Get Fired Up Italian Style

Memorial Day weekend is the kick off to outdoor entertaining and BBQ season. So this weekend, get your grills fired up!
Here is one our favorite flavored hamburger perfect for entertaining this weekend.

Italian Style Hamburgers
1 lb. ground beef
1 package Italian salad dressing seasoning
1/2 red onion chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Let stand in refrigerator for about 1/2 hour. Take out of refrigerator and make individual patties. Barbecue to desired doneness.
Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Memorial Day

Celebrating Memorial Day
This holiday came to be for the sole purpose to remember and appreciate the men and women who gave their lives to protect and defend our nation. Although Americans for centuries have always celebrated these fallen heroes, Memorial Day became official in 1868 by General John Logan.
However, along with the remembrance of our fallen soldiers, nowadays Memorial Day is the unofficial kick off the start of barbecue season and summer.

Stay tuned for upcoming BBQ ideas, recipes, and table setting ideas.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Flip Over Summer


We found this from bhg.com and thought it was the perfect cake to kick off summer vacation:

Ingredients
· 1 10-3/4-ounce frozen pound cake, thawed
· 3/4 to 1 cup desired-flavor ice cream
· 1/2 of an 8-ounce carton frozen whipped dessert topping, thawed
· Pull-apart licorice twists
· Bright-color candy wafers and/or round candies
· Graham cracker crumbs (optional)
Directions
1. Halve pound cake horizontally. Using a serrated knife, cut off the rounded top of the cake so each layer will be level. Cut each half into a flip-flop shape*. Place ice cream in a small bowl and stir to soften. Spread softened ice cream over one of the cakes. Top with second cake. Place ice cream-filled cake on a baking sheet. Cover and freeze until firm (2 to 3 hours). Spread with whipped topping.
2. To decorate, cut the ends of two twists at a diagonal. Insert a toothpick on the underside of each twist. Arrange the two twists with the cut ends together to form a V-shape, inserting toothpicks in cake to hold the twists in place as straps. Arrange candy wafers around base of flip-flop to decorate. Cover cake loosely and freeze until serving time. Serve on a platter sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs as sand, if desired. Makes 6 servings.
3. Tip: To cut flip-flop shape, trace the bottom of a child-size flip-flop (needs to be 7 to 7 1/2 inches long) on a piece of paper. Cut out shape. Place paper, clean side down, on a piece of clean cardboard or sturdy paper; trace shape. Cut out shape. Place cardboard shape on top of one cake half and use a small sharp knife to cut around shape and through cake. Repeat with other cake half. 4. Cake for 12: For a larger crowd, double recipe and make a pair of flip-flop cakes.
Recipe and photo from: bhg.com

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Mother's Day Brunch


This looked really yummy and easy to make!
Stuffed French Toast

Ingredients
24 (1-ounce) slices cinnamon-raisin bread
Cooking spray
3 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 cups egg substitute, divided
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
Bottled cinnamon-sugar (optional)

Preparation
Trim crusts from bread. Arrange half of the bread in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Combine milk, 1 1/2 cups egg substitute, half-and-half, and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour half of milk mixture over bread in dish.
Combine 1/2 cup egg substitute, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and cheeses in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture over moist bread in dish. Top with remaining bread; pour remaining milk mixture over bread. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Uncover and bake at 350° for 55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, if desired.
Recipe From:
Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2001



Tuesday, May 5, 2009

She Is Royalty on Mother's Day

Here is a fun theme for a Mother’s Day gathering: Queen Bee!

All Mothers should be treated like royalty this Mother’s Day and here is a fun and easy idea for your Mother’s Day tablescape. This occasion is ideal for outdoor entertaining.
Set Your Table: Cover your table with a white tablecloth. Sunflowers are easy to arrange in a vase, so fill a simple vase with a variety of sunflowers. On either side of the vase, place jars of honey or small decorative woven beehives. For the place setting, use orange and yellow round place mats, white or yellow napkin, white dinner plate, and place a bee candle in the middle of each plate for your guests to take home. On all mothers’ plates place a tiara and bee candle so they are recognized as royalty.
Happy Mother’s Day!