Spring = Strawberries + Spinach

Memorial Day traditionally marks the beginning of summer, but this year's holiday came so early in the month, I'm still calling it spring! Our family's lunch gathering after the two-county cemetery tour was a good meal for spring or summer. Juicy hamburgers (from Stephens' beef, of course), potato salad, baked beans, salad and dessert. I contributed the salad and dessert. It was a chance to make the yummy Coconut Cream (with ice cream) Dessert (blog of June 2, 2012) that I only make for a special occasion because it is so good we would eat it all.
The salad was a new recipe for me and was well liked. Strawberries and fresh spinach are fresh spring flavors that brought a lightness to the meal. I read that eating a serving of strawberries 3 times a week can lower a woman's risk of heart attack by over 30%. With that in mind, I should be heart healthy this spring.

Strawberry Spinach Salad          

Salad was almost gone by the time I took the pic!

Dressing Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
½ cup white sugar
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salad Ingredients:
10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
¼ cup almonds, blanched and slivered (I used sliced)

Directions: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.
In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Refrigerate 10 - 15 minutes before serving.
Since this was a 'take and eat later' salad, I waited until serving time to add the dressing to the spinach and strawberries, then sprinkled the almonds on top.

Fruit Dip and Paint

  Recently a fun social evening found several members of our P.E.O. chapter painting and eating - two favorite activities. In spite of claims that we were not artistic, each produced a lovely acrylic painting on canvas of "Happy Flowers". We were Happy Friends that night (maybe the wine helped with that and with our artistic endeavors). Fruit with dip, crackers and cheese, and a few other munchies with lots of visiting make the evening complete.
The dip was as easy to make as the painting! And (hurray!) I had all the ingredients, all 3 of them! My web search brought me to Iowa Girl Eats food blog, and this claimed to be the "best fruit dip ever" from an 'antique' cookbook of the early 1980's
.

Best-Fruit-Dip-Ever

7 oz jar of marshmallow creme
8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese
2 Tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate

Microwave the marshmallow creme until it is smooth. Soften cream cheese to room temperature and add to marshmallow creme. Drizzle in thawed orange juice concentrate. Whisk until smooth. Have lots of fruit ready to dip because you'll want to eat this by the spoonful! Remember, the fruit is the healthy part of this snack.

Brown-and-Serve Dinner Rolls

Yesterday was my turn to co-hostess the local women's Extension group. That meant taking the meat and bread for the covered dish meal. It was a good time to try the new recipe developed by Cindy Falk, Nutrition Educator at the Kansas Wheat Commission, for Brown-and-Serve Wheat Dinner Rolls. These rolls can be shaped in a variety of ways to make pan rolls, cloverleafs, snipped rolls, or bow knots. The best part is that they can be made ahead then just before serving popped in the over to finish browning and heat. Presto - hot, fresh rolls!

Brown-and-Serve Wheat Dinner Rolls     

3 cups white whole wheat flour
2 (¼ oz.) packages instant yeast
1 tablespoon salt
1 ½ cups low-fat milk
1 ½ cups water
¼ cup (1 stick) margarine or butter
2 large eggs, beaten
6 cups bread flour, divided

With 9 cups of flour and 10 minutes of kneading,
this was a workout!

1. In large mixer bowl, mix white whole wheat flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt.
2. Heat milk, water and margarine to very warm (120 - 130 degrees). For best results, check liquid temperature with a thermometer.
3. Add to dry ingredients and beat 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping bowl. Add eggs and 2 cups bread flour; beat 2 minutes, scrapping bowl. Gradually mix in enough additional bread flour to make a soft dough.
4. Knead on lightly flour surface or with dough hook 10 - 12 minutes. Cover dough; let rest 10 minutes.
5. Shape dough as desired; suggestions at bottom. Cover rolls; let rise in a warm (80 - 90 degrees) place until doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes. To check if dough has doubled, press tip of finger lightly into side of roll, If indention remains, the dough is doubled.
6. Preheat over to 300 degrees. Bake rolls 20 - 25 minutes, or until rolls are set and they are just starting to change color Cool rolls in pans or on baking sheets 15 minutes. Remove rolls to wire rack; cool completely.
7. Place rolls in sealable bags, label and date. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week or in freezer up to 1 month.
8. To serve: if frozen, defeats rolls at room temperature, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place rolls on cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, about 10 - 15 minutes.

I made simple pan rolls

To shape rolls divide into 1 ½ ounce pieces, then shape. This recipe makes about 48 rolls.
Pan rolls: Shape into 1-inch balls.  Place smooth-side up in greased pan.
Cloverleaf rolls: Divide each 1 ½ oz. piece into thirds. Shape each into a small smooth ball. Place 3 balls in each greased medium muffin cup.
Snipped rolls: Form into smooth balls. Place in greased muffin cups. With kitchen scissors, snip balls of dough in half almost to bottom, then into quarters.
Bow Knots: Roll each piece into a 9-inch rope. Tie in loose knot begging careful not to stretch dough. Place on parchment lined baking sheets.

The Tables were set - with Salads

Its Salad Season this spring. Many of the groups I attend are having salad luncheons and Saturdays was one of the most special. Each spring a team of women coordinate a Relay for Life Cancer Benefit lunch and style show. Mmmm - good food, close friends, and neat clothes; what a way to spend a Saturday.

Several hostesses planned table settings and decorated tables for eight with their own place settings, table covers, and centerpieces. There were even prizes for the ones with the most favored votes. I chose to set with friends from church at the Country Gardens table. Three long buffet tables of salads tempted us to taste each. There was even time to shop the clothes from the style show!
To help support the effort, I offered a salad. After several take-a-salad events, I was looking for a new recipe. This is one I'll use again, I brought I bit of it home, and it didn't last long.

Creamy Grape Salad       

I brought this much home, it was quickly eaten!

Ingredients:
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 pounds seedless red grapes
2 pounds seedless green grapes
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons chopped pecans
Directions: 
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla until blended. Add grapes and toss to coat.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans just before serving.
Yield: 21 - 24 servings