With graduation coming up next week in many schools, I thought I’d pass
along a novel idea that our new in-laws brought to a convocation
supper, the cutest little dignified Tuxedo Grads.
You will need:
- Decorative toothpicks.
- Green pepper, cut into approximately 3/8 inch (one centimetre)
squares – for the grad cap.
- Black olives – for the head and body.
- Cream cheese – to insert in the vertical slit in the olive body to
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form the white shirt.
- Raw carrot peeled, sliced horizontally, and a pie-shaped wedge cut
out of each slice. The carrot slice forms the base or “feet” of the
grad. The pie-shaped cutout piece of carrot slice is inserted into the
olive head for the grad’s nose.
Each grad consists of a decorative toothpick, on which you skewer one
square of green pepper for the grad cap, an olive head, an olive body
stuffed horizontally with cream cheese (white shirt), and a carrot
slice to form the base for the grad to stand.
Tuxedo strawberries
I recently had strawberries dipped in melted chocolate for a tasty
little snack. Then I saw another idea at an honourary tea for home
economist and former Farm Living editor Liz Delahey, who is going to be
inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame Aug. 4, 2002.
The dessert chef used white and dark chocolate to decorate the
strawberries in little tuxedos, with the dark chocolate forming the
tuxedo and the bow tie whereas the white chocolate formed the white
shirt and tuxedo buttons.
Those of you with an artistic flair might like to try that for a
festive occasion.
Special occasion punch
4 cups pineapple juice 1 L
4 cups limeade 1 L
4 cups orange juice 1 L
4 cups orange pop 1 L
8 cups ginger ale 2 L
fresh orange slices
fresh strawberries
Mix all together, adding ginger ale last, in a large punch bowl. Float
orange slices and strawberries on top for a festive touch. Serves 30.
- For an alcohol punch, add vodka.
Source: Winners from The Best of Bridge Publishing Ltd.
Fruit kabobs & sauce
Another idea for parties any time of year is a fruit kabob served with
a yogurt-based fruit dip or sauce. You can add cinnamon or lemon juice
to the sauce for flavouring, and icing sugar for sweetening, if needed.
Ideas for the fruit skewer are strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew,
kiwi, watermelon, papaya, mango, bananas, grapes, apples and oranges.
Remember that apples and bananas need to be either dipped in lemon
juice, sprinkled with ascorbic acid or sugar or prepared at the last
minute so they don’t turn brown.
Here’s another alternative for the dip/sauce.
Sauce for fruit
8 ounces cream 250 g
cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar, 50 mL
syrup or honey
1/2 cup orange juice 125 mL
Beat all ingredients together. Add more orange juice if needed to thin
the sauce. (Makes 2 cups./500 mL)
Source: Appetizers by Jean Pare, Company’s Coming Publishing Ltd.
Dilly dip for vegetables
This is my favourite raw vegetable dip, which adds calcium to the diet
for all ages.
1 cup creamed 250 mL
cottage cheese
1/2 cup plain yogurt or 125 mL
sour cream
2 teaspoons dried dill 10 mL
weed or 2 tablespoons
(25 mL) fresh dill
1 teaspoon lemon juice 5 mL
salt and pepper, to taste
Optional: 2 tablespoons (25 mL) green onion or chives, chopped.
In a blender, combine cottage cheese with yogurt; process until smooth.
Transfer to bowl; stir in onion, dill, lemon juice and salt and pepper,
to taste. Cover and refrigerate for two hours. Serve with vegetables.
Source: Saskatchewan Dairy Foundation.
Flour-free cookie recipe
The following cookies were a real hit at a class wind-up party, but
would also be a good snack to take to the field, camping, or to a
sports day. This recipe contains no flour, and can be adapted for your
own or your family’s tastes and needs.
Monster cookies
Cream together:
11/2 cups peanut butter 375 mL
1/2 cup butter 125 mL
11/2 cups brown sugar 375 mL
Beat:
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla 5 mL
1/4 cup corn syrup 50 mL
Add:
41/2 cups rolled oats 1.125 L
2 teaspoons baking 10 mL
soda
3/4 cup chocolate chips 175 mL
3/4 cup coconut 175 mL
(or other fruit, nut or
treat of your choice)
Form into balls and flatten on greased pan. Bake at 375 F (190 C) for
seven minutes.
Wedding tarts
June is a month for weddings. I came across this recipe for jam-based
tarts with a cakey filling, and made them using saskatoon berry jam.
Use small tart pans to make miniature tarts for a daintier look.
Maids of honour tarts
4 tablespoons 60 mL
raspberry jam
12 unbaked tart shells
Filling:
1/4 cup butter or 50 mL
margarine, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 mL
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour 125 mL
1/4 teaspoon baking 1 mL
powder
1/4 teaspoon vanilla or 1 mL
almond flavouring
Put small spoonful of jam in each tart shell. Cream butter and sugar
together well. Beat in egg.
Add flour, baking powder and vanilla. Stir to mix. Put about one
tablespoon (15 mL) over jam in each tart shell. Bake on bottom shelf in
375 F (190 C) oven about 20 minutes until risen and firm. An inserted
wooden toothpick should come out clean. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Yield: 12 tarts
Source: Pies by Jean Pare, Company’s Coming Publishing Ltd.
Low-fat bran muffins
1 cup flour 250 mL
11/4 cups low fat milk 300 mL
11/2 teaspoons baking 7 mL
powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 mL
1/3 cup brown sugar, 75 mL
packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 mL
1/2 cup applesauce 125 mL
2 cups 100% 500 mL
All-Bran cereal
1/4 cup ground flax 50 mL
(optional)
Optional: raisins, chopped nuts, cut-up dried apricots, dates or other
fruit.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
Mix cereal, milk, sugar, raisins and other fruit in another bowl and
let stand for at least five minutes. Then stir in egg and applesauce.
Add this second mixture to the flour mixture.
Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling each cup.
Doubling the recipe makes 24 muffins. When doubling the recipe, use
four teaspoons (20 mL) of baking powder.
Bake 22 minutes at 350 F (180 C).
Barbara Sanderson is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of
