Strawberry Shortcake Day

Strawberry Shortcakes
Short on prep time; long on pleasure

a quick bake of 10-12 minutes

a quick macerating of berries

a quick whip of cream

a slow spoon through luscious layers

a slow savor of flavorful textures

a slow 'mmm'

Remove the stems from 2 pints of strawberries. Slice thinly (1/4" to 1/8").  Put into a bowl with 1/4  to 1/2 cup of sugar (depending on how sweet the strawberries are to begin with).   Set aside at room temperature to macerate (which means that the sugar will soften the strawberries and help release their juices).Stir occasionally. After the strawberries have been sitting for 20 minutes or so, remove half the strawberries to another bowl and coarsely mash them. 
  
Heat oven to 425°F. Stir 2 1/3 cups Bisquick baking  mix, 3 Tbsp melted butter, 1/2 cup milk, and 3 Tbsp of sugar in a mixing bowl until soft dough forms. Drop by 6 spoonfuls on to a greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 6 biscuits. Split in half.  Whip 1 cup chilled heavy cream, with 1/2 tsp vanilla  and 2 Tbs. powdered sugar. Spoon the mashed berries with their juice over the biscuit bottom, spread the whipped cream on top of the berries, then arrange the berry halves on top of the cream  Set the other shortcake half on top.  Sprinkle more powdered sugar lightly over the top. Serve immediately.  Mmm...

Bacon Takedown

Bacon,bacon, bacon....   that commercial for dog treats almost makes me come runnin'.    Well, next Sunday is a baconalia -  basically a food and wine festival where all the items contain bac0n—everything from bacon hash to bacon taffy.  There is a current craze for things 'bacon': soda, gum, ice cream and chocolate.  I've heard that bacon chocolate actually makes a great fondue for dipping pretzels. I'll try that but draw the line at bacon soap!  BAKON vodka was used in a Bloody Mary that I had recently - no discernible difference.  If you'd care to try it, you might consider making your own bacon vodka.  This recipe was on Steve & Chris' show:  Cook 1 lb. bacon; add 26 oz. vodka to fat.  Let sit 4-5 hours, then freeze.  Remove fat, strain through cheesecloth, use in a Bloody Mary:  In a celery salt rimmed glass, pour 1 oz. bacon vodka, 1-2 dashes Tabasco, 5-6 dashes Worcestershire sauce, lime wedge and tomato juice to fill.  Garnish with a bacon slice.  Bottoms up!

Tickets on sale now for Jun 19, 3-6pm, $15, Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville, 617-718-2191, tickets here

Invitations

Invitations serve to request one's presence for an occasion. They also create anticipation for that event. Their form and language set a tone. For example, engraved bond paper is the customary device for weddings. A backyard BBQ invite, however, will be far less formal.

Invitations for any occasion convey the following:

Who – host and guest of honor, if applicable

What – event and type (dinner, cocktails only, etc.)

When – date and time

Where – place

A request also calls for an answer. It is important to include RSVP (accompanied by a phone number and a date). RSVP is an acronym for 'repondez, s'il vous plait' (polite French for 'please respond'). You need to know who is coming (how many for seating and food purchase requirements) and by a certain day (lead time for preparation, orders, etc.)

The invitation tells the recipient that s/he is special and that her/his company is desired. The host(ess) is told by the prompt response that his/her hospitality is sought and eagerly anticipated. Thus the invitation plays an important social function apart from  the social function. I am a huge fan of invitations!

National Iced Tea Day

Today is National Iced Tea day as well as ball point pen day and Judy Garland's birthday.  I'm celebrating by singing "Somewhere over the rainbow" while writing a letter with pen as I sip from a cold glass. (phew -  multitasking!) Iced tea was created on a scorching hot day at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis  when festival attendees were uninterested in the hot tea that Richard Blechynden was serving. Attempting to salvage the day, he poured his brewed tea over ice, and the quintessential English tradition of “taking tea” was forever changed.

Iced tea fun facts:

• The oldest known recipe for sweet ice tea was published in 1879 in a community cookbook called Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree. This recipe calls for green tea. In fact, most sweet tea consumed during this time period was green tea. However, during World War II, the major sources of green tea were cut off from the United States, leaving consumers with tea almost exclusively from British-controlled India.
• Today, if you ask for an “Arnold Palmer” you will be served a mix of iced tea and lemonade. It is named after its creator, golf legend, Arnold Palmer.
• “Texas tea” in the Beverly Hillbilly’s theme song refers to oil--nothing to do with tea at all.
• In 2003 Georgia state representative John Noel tried to pass a house bill making it mandatory for all restaurants to serve sweet tea. Mr. Noel insists it was an April Fools' Day joke but admits he wouldn’t mind if it became law.
• The famous “long island iced tea” drink doesn’t contain any tea.
• It has been more than 100 years since Blechynden’s cool idea and iced tea remains one of the America’s most beloved beverages.
• Source:  Coffee and Tea newsletter                                                                             Buzz:  the key to sweetening iced tea is to add sugar to hot tea and then chill

Food guru

Buzz:  I've just been approved as a food guru at www.faboverfifty.com   Great site with lots of information shared by women 'of a certain age.'

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Nancy

Egg Day

My foolproof hardboiled egg method:  place 12 fresh large eggs in single layer in a saucepan, cover by 1 inch with cold water, bring to boiling, remove from heat, cover pan for 20 min, drain and run under cold water.  Shell and prepare in a number of ways.  Here is how I made them for Easter:

June celebrations

June is National Adopt a Cat month, National Iced Tea month, Potty training awareness month and Aquarium month.  We also can celebrate Donald Duck's and Oscar the Grouch's birthdays, and World juggling day.  Today is Donut Day.  An easy way to make 10 donuts and munchkins:  Open 1 can buttermilk biscuits. Place all of the biscuits on a cutting board. Use a small circle-shaped cutter to remove the centers from the dough. Pour 1/2 – 1 cup vegetable oil oil in a pan and place over medium heat. Place 1/2 of your donuts in the hot oil. Watch very closely because they only take a few  minutes to fry. Flip them over as they turn golden brown  and then place them on a paper towel to cool. Cook the other five and lastly, the little donut holes can be cooked all at the same time. Again,watch closely since they finish cooking very quickly.  Sprinkle your donuts with a generous coating of cinnamon/sugar or powered sugar or you can also place them into a paper sandwich bag with the sugar and shake to coat evenly.