LEMON MARINATED TORTELLINI AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO SKEWERS

Andrea made these yesterday and they were so pretty and yummy. This makes a very impressive appetizer. I thought they would be pretty served in a vase! The perfect bite.

20 tortellini, spinach filled with cheese
10 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and halved
20 large basil leaves

Marinade:
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

Cook tort. in salted boiling water until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Spread out in a single layer on a clean tea towel to dry. For marinade, whisk lemon and oil until thick and combined. Toss the cooled pasta and marinade together and coat well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and marinate at room temp. for 30 min. Thread 1 tort. and 1 sun-dried tom. wrapped in 1 basil leaf onto each skewer. Serve at room temp.

** MJ's notes: I added garlic and fresh parm. cheese to the marinade for more flavour. You can marinate the tort. up to 1 day in advance.

Cranberry Squares

Hi girls!

I tried this recipe the other night and it absolutely disappeared! It was even better the next day as it softened up...actually only had about 4 squares left and they vanished! When I first made it I thought I should ice it as it didn't look too pretty. But I am glad I did not!!

I would double the recipe and make it a day ahead. It says it would be a good Christmas goodie. I think it would be good anytime! YUMMY!!

Cranberry Squares

Crust
½ cup cold butter
¼ cup sugar
1 cup flour

Filling
1½ cup frozen cranberries
¼ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup flour
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt

To make crust: Cut butter into sugar and flour until crumbly. Pat into an 8” square pan. Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden.

To make filling: In a saucepan, cook cranberries (don’t bother to thaw) and ¼ cup brown sugar over medium-low heat until berries are softened and the skins pop, about 10 minutes. Cool. In a large bowl, beat eggs and gradually add brown sugar. Beat until thickened. Beat in vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to egg mixture. Stir in cooled cranberries and spread mixture over the crust. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Do not overcook.

Chocolate Zuchini Cake Muffins

Yummy! I replaced just the butter with applesauce and you couldn't even tell! Kate and Quinn gobbled them up!! And so did we.

¼ c butter (applesauce)
½ c vegetable oil (applesauce)
1 ¾ c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ c sour cream
2 ½ c flour
4 Tbsp cocoa
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cloves(I didn't have cloves so I didn't add them)
2 c grated zucchini
¼ c chocolate chips

Cream butter, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla and sour cream.
Sift dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture.
Mix in zucchini and chocolate chips.
Bake in a greased and floured muffin tin or 9 x 13 pan.
Bake at 325° F for 45 minutes less if making muffins! I did mini muffins and they took 25 minutes!

Chocolate Softies

Easy and Oh so Yummy...even better the next day!

1/2 Cup Butter or Margarine
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
2 1-oz squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/3 Cup Sour Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
Mix Wet ingredients then Add Dry....
1-3/4 Cups Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts (optional)

Stir all together and drop by teaspoonfuls(don't make cookies too big b/c they spread quite a bit) onto cookie sheet. Bake in 400 degee oven for about 6-8 minutes. Cool and then ice with icing....

Icing
1-1/4Cups icing Sugar
1/3 Cup cocoa
3 Tbsp Butter or margarine
5 tsp Hot coffee or Water (or more to get desired consistency)

Strawberry Pizza

I have made fruit pizzas before, but this was fabulous! I think the glaze would be good for a strawberry pie as well. Store bought glazes don't hold a candle to this! Easy and delicious!

STRAWBERRY PIZZA

Crust

1/2 cup soft butter

1 cup flour

1/4 cup icing sugar

Mix and press in medium size pizza pan (I used a 12 inch pan). Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.

Allow to cool completely before assembling.

Filling

8 oz. soft cream cheese

1/3 cup icing sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

11/2 t. lemon juice

Mix until smooth Spread on crust. You can add 1 cup of whipped cream folded into this if you like. They suggested Cool Whip, but I am not a big fan of it at all. I did not add it and it was still yummy!

Layer about 3 cups of strawberries cut in half.

Glaze

1/2 cup sugar

2 T. cornstarch

1 cup water

Cook and stir till thick. Add 2 T. strawberry jello. Cool in freezer for a short time...stir once in awhile.

Pour over berries.

Chill and serve with whipped cream.

YUM! YUM! YUM!

Spring Floral Design

I've been feeling lately that Spring 2008 has not yet arrived or that it just passed us by...

Ron took Pam and I up to South Fork on Sunday for a wildflower tour...

and nature, itself, told a different story!

Spring 2008 has most definitely arrived!

This is the wildflower Ron seeks after the most...the Ladyslipper. It is an orchid...very dainty and sometimes hard to find.

There is a sweet story that goes along with the ladyslipper.

Uncle Art was married to Aunt Hannah (Auntie Mae's sister) and every spring he would seek out the ladyslippers and make a bouquet of these tiny orchids to take home to Aunt Hannah. I think that is such a romantic story...if you could have known this couple, it makes the story even more incredible. They are both gone now...but I say Hurrah for Uncle Art...a good memory!

This lily is called "Lamb's Tongue". The north pasture is carpeted with these flowers.

I think this must be the "curly lily" made famous in Mom's and Auntie Jean's stories of collecting armfuls of these when they were girls. Mom tells the tale of when they went out seeking the elusive lilies to find them across a creek from where they stood. So, Auntie Jean being the good friend that she was, decided to share her boots with Mom...Mom was wearing shoes! So with one boot on Auntie Jean's foot and one boot on Mom's foot, somehow they hopped across the creek and gathered their bouquets...

I can just imagine the giggling and carrying on!

These are white trilliums...I have seen lots of these in BC. I do believe that it is either the national flower or the provincial flower of BC...whatever it was, it was protected!

"DO NOT PICK THE TRILLIUMS"

This I have never seen in BC...a pink trillium!

Salmon Berry bush in bloom.

This wild Bleeding Heart grows prolifically at South Fork.

Even the skunk cabbage was beautiful. Maybe just because it was so very green.

This picture is of Ron's "secret" quiet spot...all you hear is the sound of the small waterfall and there is a canopy of trees and bushes all around...there is also a perfectly placed tree trunk for just sitting around and day dreaming.

Wild Irises show up on the south hill when just about all the other wild flowers are done.

I don't know what this is called, but the leaves were a beautiful shade of green and looked like shamrocks, with snowy white blossoms...you can see the veins in the flower petals, they are so sheer!

When I look at these pictures, the contrast between the dead of winter and the bright newness of spring is quite striking. Another chance at life...something new and exciting!

MMMmmmmm!

I praise God for second chances!

That was a wonderful Sunday afternoon.

A perfect day!

The Loin King

Marinated Pork Loin Roast I made for Mom when she was out! Finally posting per Her request! Very Yummy and Different and Easy! (from eat shrink and be merry!)

Marinade
1/4 cup each brown sugar and ketchup
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp each of curry powder, ground coriander, and ground ginger
1/2 tsp of salt and freshly ground pepper

1 boneless Pork Loin Roast (4lbs/1.8Kg)

-Whisk together marinade ingredients. Place pork and marinade in heavy-duty resealable bag. Turn several times to coat. Marinade overnight in refridgerator.

-Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place pork on rack in shallow roasting pan. Reserve Marinade. Roast Pork, uncovered, for about 1hr and 45 minutes to 2 hours. Thermometer to 155 degrees.

- While Roast is cooking, bring reserved marinade to a boil on stove and simmer on low for 1 minute. Brush Roast generously during the last 20 minutes of cooking time.

- Remove Roast cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

Mandarin Pasta Salad & Bread Sticks

I had this salad the other day and it was delicious. I made bread sticks to go with it...Pillsbury Soft Bread Sticks...baked and then brushed with butter and parmesan cheese when they came out of the oven...delicious and incredibly easy! I couldn't find any to buy in the store that morning, so tried these in a pinch and was amazed at how good they were!

1 inch piece fresh gingerroot

1 clove garlic, pressed

1/3 c rice vinegar or white wine vinegar (I used the latter)

1/4 cup orange juice

1 tsp. sesame oil ( the secret ingredient..a must)

1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix

2 tsp. sugar

8 oz bow tie pasta, cooked

1 long english cucumber

1 red pepper (or combine orange or yellow peppers)

6 oz baby spinach

1/2 c chopped red onion

1 can (11 oz) mandarin orange segments, drained

2 c. diced cooked chicken

1/2 c sliced almonds, toasted

Dressing

Do not peel the gingerroot...just grate on a fine grater, and then put it in your hand and squeeze as much juice as you can out of the pulp and only use the juice...for flavor without the bite. Combine, ginger juice, garlic, vinegar, orange juice, oils, sugar and onion soup mix...mixing well with whisk, put in fridge until ready to use.

Salad

Thinly slice cuke and peppers and chop the red onion. Combine with spinach, chicken, mandarins, and pasta in large bowl. Pour dressing over top and mix well. Sprinkle with toasted almonds. Very pretty salad and very delicious. Serve immediately. Double this salad and serve about 15 or so folks!