Pleased as Punch

This is an exciting month at my former work place. Two new agents have been hired and started work as K-State Research and Extension Agents for Greenwood County. The position that I worked in for many years first as a county agent and then as a multi-county foods specialist now has a full time Family and Consumer Sciences agent.  Welcome Amanda! Also new in the office is a new agriculture agent, Hi to Anna!
In honor of these new professionals who will be helping the people of Greenwood County, the Extension executive board held an Open House for the public to meet and greet them. Because I'm still somewhat involved and supportive of their efforts, I made the punch. Of course, the day's theme was K-State purple.
This recipe is from the third edition of Essence of Kansas, the cookbooks published by the Kansas 4-H Foundation containing recipes of 4-Hers, leaders, and agents from across Kansas. The cookbooks are a great view of Kansas people and food.
This recipe is a great purple color, and great tasting. It's been a favorite for many receptions. Thanks Sharolyn for sharing. I've noted a few changes I made.

Royal Purple Punch

1 can frozen grape juice concentrate

1 can frozen grape/raspberry/apple juice concentrate

1/2 cup sugar 

2 cups water

1 can (46-oz) pineapple juice

1 1/2 bottle (2-liter) ginger ale 

Mix ingredients. Chill and serve. 

Spring Dessert - Coconut Cream

There's something about spring, and we've had enough warm days now to make it real, that says its time for a coconut dessert, the creamier the better. My personal favorite is Coconut cream pie, but that will be another blog, This is also the season of spring luncheons. Every women's group has a luncheon, bring a covered dish. This dessert recipe fits that perfectly - pretty, serves about 24, and with a light taste and rich texture.  If there are lots of desserts you'll probably have enough left to take home, too.
We don't know much about the coconut as we usually only see it in a bag as a shredded sweetened product. Occasionally our store will have whole coconuts, but most of us don't know what to do with them and don't want to bother with cracking the shell and shredding the meat. Coconuts grow in tropical climates, so the only places in the United States that produce coconuts are Hawaii and southern Florida. One trivia fact I found was that falling coconuts kill 150 people a year, ten times the number of people that are killed by sharks. Hearing that, I'm glad they don't grow in Kansas! We have enough things falling out of the sky in the spring.

Layered Coconut Cream Cheesecake Bars
84 vanilla wafers, divided
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese softened (I used the lite variety, saved a few calories)
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) whipped topping (again, the lite variety), divided
2 packages (3.4 oz. each) vanilla flavor instant pudding
2  1/2 cups cold milk
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut, toasted, divided
Crush 60 vanilla wafers, saving out 24 (each time I've made this I've only had 1 or 2 extra cookies to eat. They count those out well!) Mix crushed wafers with butter (food processor works well to crumble wafers and mix in butter). Press into the bottom of a 13x9-inch pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer (or food processor) until well blended. Whisk in 1 cup whipped topping. Carefully spread over crust. Stand reserved wafers around edges.
 Beat pudding mixes and milk with whisk in medium bowl 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup whipped topping and 3/4 cup coconut; spread over cream cheese layer. Top with remaining whipped topping and coconut. Refrigerate 5 hours.
(to toast coconut, spread evenly in shallow pan and bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Watch carefully, as coconut can burn easily!)

Amazing Muffin Cups

Sometimes you find recipes in the most unusual places. A recent e-mail from AAA (the trip planner and auto service company) had this recipe for Amazing Muffin Cups. I'm not sure that these would travel well, or that it's something you would want to make while traveling, or if it even would give you more time for travel - but they were good. I'd seen similar recipes before, but usually for a large egg type casserole. I like this one because it makes 12 individual servings, which can be refrigerated or frozen for future meals. We had this for a light supper with a fruit salad and toast, and the extras are in the freezer for a quick breakfast or brunch. I think these would work well for a morning meeting as well. You could make the hash brown 'basket', bake it, and add the egg mixture and finish baking just before serving.

Amazing Muffin Cups
(prep time: 20 minutes)
(cook time: 25 minutes)
Yield: 12 servings

3 cups refrigerated shredded hash browns
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
12 (I used 8) breakfast sausage links
6 eggs
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
chopped fresh chives or green onions, for garnish

Spray 12 cups of muffin pan with cooking spray (be generous with the spray!) In a bowl, combine hash browns, butter, salt and pepper. Press hash brown mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, cook sausage according to package directions; cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Divide sausage between muffin cups. Combine eggs, cheese and bell pepper. Pour over sausage. Sprinkle with chives. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until set.

Hash brown 'baskets' with sausage

Ready to bake