Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Healthier Dip

I have been on the lookout for a healthier dip to serve with chips or a vegetable tray. We really like my version of ranch dip (check my archives for that one), but I saw a container of dip made with yogurt at Walmart and decided to search my obsessively-huge files of recipe clippings. Never fear...there it was, a clipping from some magazine from years ago. Hope all the ingredients are still available in stores!

Healthier Dip
2 C yogurt (plain, lowfat)
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed
1/3 C minced onion (think I'll use green onions)
1 envelope Lipton Vegetable Recipe Soup Mix
raw vegetables or chips

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Place in middle of chips or raw vegetables for dipping.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Menu for March 7- March 13

What a great weekend! Hubby and I got to see all three sons, I got to "cook big" for them, and we just spent time as a family. On Saturday evening we stretched out in the living room, after a ham dinner, and caught up on American Idol. The opinions on musical talent (as well as movies, political policies and almost anything else you can think of-are varied at our house!) We all agree that the panel of Idol judges are too soft in their comments this year......Oh, Simon, please come baaaaacckkk! I found myself sitting and imagining what Simon would have said to some of the participants after they had a performance that was lacking.
Oh, well, it's Monday and time to jot down my menu on a wipe-off board on my fridge, and share it with you. Always make a menu for the week; it will save you time and money (less trips to the store, saving you precious gasoline, as well).

Monday, Mar. 7
Chicken and noodles
green beans
fruit

Tues., Mar. 8
Swiss Steak (peppers, onions, tomatoes)
Rice

Wed., Mar. 9
Vegetable Barley Soup
Grilled Two Cheese Sandwiches

Thurs., Mar. 10
Chili with crackers
Jello

Fri., Mar.11
Chicken Casserole
Salad
Iced tea

Sat., Mar.12
Scrambled Egg/Bacon on Bagel Thins
Fruit

Lasagna
Hot rolls
salad

Sun., Mar. 13
Leftover Lasagna

I'll be joining:
Orgjunkie.com
Momscrazycookin

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Abe Lincoln's Favorite White Cake

Last night, I was quickly looking through some old recipes that I bought out of an estate auction in the early 80's in the Ohio River Valley Area (WV, KY, Va and Ohio). This folded piece of very fragile letterhead stationary caught my attention. It appears to be the stationary of maybe a publication. The top is printed in a beautiful old font and declares: Country Gentleman; Service Department; Independence Square, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Readers: If you can provide further information about the history of "Country Gentleman" please leave it in my comments box so we can all benefit. It would be interesting to me!)

Abraham Lincoln's Favorite White Cake

Long, long ago, a certain little French caterer in Lexington, Kentucky, made a wonderful white cake in honor of his countryman, Lafayette, who was to pay a visit to the city. The cake was beautifully decorated with flags made of colored sugar, and with marvelous icing, but the cake itself contained only the whites of eggs, and when cut was snow white. Thereupon, every cake baker in the Blue-Grass region immediately began making white cakes; and the recipe for the most famous of all was originated in the household of the ancestors of Mary Todd, who many years afterward, made it for Abraham Lincoln. Later, when she became his wife, he declared this white cake was the best in Kentucky. Here is Mary Todd's recipe with modern baking powder included:

1 Cupful of butter
2 Cupfuls of sugar
1 Cupful of milk
3 Cupfuls of flour
3 Teaspoonsful of baking powder
Whites of 6 eggs
1 Teaspoonful of vanilla or other flavoring, as preferred
1 Cupful of chopped, blanched almonds

Cream the butter well, add the sugar and cream again, sift flour and baking powder together, add to butter and sugar, alternately with the milk. Then stir in the chopped nutmeats and beat well, finally fold in the stiffly-beaten whites of the eggs, pour into a well-greased, paper-lined pan and bake one hour in a moderate oven. Ice with boiled icing to which you have added half a cupful of candied pineapple and cherries cut in very small pieces.

Personal note: Many years ago, Hubby took me on a trip through Virginia (I was missing my sister, Becky, who lived in Manasses at the time). One of our side trips was to tour a plantation owned by some distant ancestors of Mary Todd (and the Lees). Shirley Plantation is known for its beautiful, suspended staircase. It is a fond memory of one of our summer trips that we took as a young couple, all because "Nana and Pappy" were willing to keep two little boys for a week. God bless grandparents!