Scotch Bars and a little bit of Emily's Etiquette

What a strange combination of topics, and I'm sure they could be two separate posts! 

A few weeks ago my younger cousin Tom from Colorado e-mailed me for an old family recipe! While I didn't have the recipe, I knew where to get it! From the keeper of all the family records, LOL!!!

This recipe was introduced to our family via my Aunt Esther (married to my mom's brother), and now that she has some Alzheimer's she doesn't remember everything, so I couldn't ask her. Esther was quite the family baker back in the day. 

Next up, phone Aunt Mae, yup, she had it, I knew she would, and she reminded me that this was Aunt Esther's recipe - she's so honest. Aunt Mae is my mom's youngest sister and whenever I need a family recipe, she's my "go to aunt." I don't know why this recipe is named Scotch bars, I don't know what's Scotch about it! All I know is that they are very rich, and delicious, and I hope you enjoy them!

Scotch Bars

Ingredients

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup flour

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup Chocolate bits (or more if you like)

1 cup chopped walnuts (or more if you like)

Directions

Cream butter, sugar, yolks and vanilla in a large mixing bowl, mix flour slowly then mix in oatmeal.

Spread the mixture on a quarter baking sheet

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes.

Immediately sprinkle chocolate bits then nuts.

Cool, cut into squares and enjoy!

A little bit of Emily's Etiquette

I saw this quote recently on a fellow bloggers site, and I loved it! 

“Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.” ~ Emily Post

Then it made me begin to think about etiquette.Did you know there are Ten Lost Rules of Etiquette . . . I didn't!

10. Men's wedding clothes.

9. Opening the door.

8. Writing Thank-you notes.

7. Asking for gifts.

6. Leaving at the right time.

5. Arriving on time.

4. Dinner.

3. Parental unity.

2. Discretion on the street.

1. Money talks.

If you'd like to read the detail on these Lost Rules of Etiquette, please click here.  I must admit, it was fun to read some of them!

P.S. It's snowing AGAIN as I write this post . . . will it NEVER end?  When you have a moment please check out my Voki on my side bar to hear my personal greeting!

Lobster Mac & Cheese for Mom

With crustacean for decoration

I made lobster mac & cheese and it was a huge hit!  I made this for my mom, she loves lobster, however she got sick and was unable to make it for lunch.  It was disappointing because we had planned this luncheon a few weeks ago.  I knew she was sick when she turned down a lobster roll that my brother bought her.

Undecorated

 Last March mom had a major stroke, then she fell and broke her hip and had another mild stroke.  She's amazed her doctors, because she's doing so well. She has no speech impairment or paralysis and her memory is perfect. We, and she are very fortunate.   The stroke did make her a bit of a "drama queen" which is kind of funny because she wasn't one!  While she was in rehab I would bring her a lobster roll from Maine every week when I went to see her - she just loves lobster!  For now mom's luncheon has been rescheduled.  I wonder if she'll still want lobster, she also loves shrimp!

I used a Martha Stewart mac & cheese recipe and then added the meat from two 1 1/2 pound lobsters.  It was really delicious!

Mac & Cheese Recipe

•                 Serves 8
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound medium pasta shells
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 4 cups whole milk
• 4 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (1 cup)
• 4 ounces Havarti cheese, coarsely grated (1 cup)
• 4 ounces Muenster cheese, coarsely grated (1 cup)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 6 slices white sandwich bread

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Butter a shallow 4-quart baking dish (oval or 9-by-13-inch rectangle); set aside.
2. Generously salt boiling water; add pasta. Cook, according to package instructions, until 2 minutes short of al dente. Drain pasta, and return to pot.
3. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium. Transfer 2 tablespoons melted butter to a small bowl; set aside for topping. Add flour and mustard powder to remaining butter in saucepan. Cook, whisking, 1 minute (do not let flour darken). Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until sauce is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Remove sauce from heat. Gradually whisk in cheeses; add Worcestershire sauce, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add sauce to pasta, and toss to combine; transfer to prepared baking dish. Add the lobster at this point.
5. Place bread in food processor; pulse until very coarse crumbs form (you should have about 3 cups). Add reserved melted butter, and pulse just to moisten. Scatter crumbs over pasta in baking dish. (If making ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.)
6. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. (If refrigerated, bake for 30 to 35 minutes.) Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Sweet...Raspberries and Cream Charlotte from Sarabeth

Two of my blog friends and I received the same cookbook for Christmas.  We decided to select a recipe and post it for Valentine's weekend.  This lovely recipe is from Sarabeth's Bakery From My Hands to Your's cookbook, I did a post on Sarabeth a few weeks ago, you can read it by clicking here.  The links to their blogs are at the end of this post.

Here's the recipe, a detailed one is below.

So I lit the candles on the dining room table

Then I set the table with our china and silver.

 Poured the tea!

Cut into this sinful dessert!

doesn't it look like the book?

Mmm, would you like a bite?

Below are links to my blogger friends that have posted a "Sweet" recipe from Sarabeth's cookbook!  Enjoy and have a wonderful fun-filled weekend with the people you care about!

From Beyond My Kitchen Window 

and

My Farmhouse Kitchen

The Recipe!

24 Lady Fingers (you can make them or buy them, I bought them)

Filling

5 6-once containers fresh raspberries

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

5 teaspoons unflavored gelatin powder

¼ cup cold water

1 cup superfine sugar, divided

1 2/3 cups heavy cream

Seeds from ¼ Plumped Vanilla Bean or ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping

5 6-ounce containers fresh raspberries

Confectioner’s sugar for garnish

Directions

1. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.  Place a 8 by 3-inch metal cake ring on the pan.  Insert an 8-inch cardboard round, white side up, in the bottom of the ring.  (I didn’t do any of this, I used a spring-form pan)
2. On a clean work surface, evenly line up the lady fingers next to one another with their sides touching.  Cut one rounded end from each lady finger so the cookies are 3 inches long, reserving the trimmings.  Stand a ladyfinger, rounded tip up, inside the ring, with the rounded side facing out and the flat side of the ladyfinger facing toward the center.  To help the lady finger stand, place one of the small cookie trimmings against the bottom end to support it, and repeat with each lady finger.  Continue with enough ladyfingers to line the sides of the pan.  Line the bottom of the pan with the remaining ladyfingers, cut to fit and the trimmings.
3. To make the filling, coarsely pure the raspberries and lemon juice in a food processor.  Rub the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.  Discard the seeds.  You should have 2 ½ cups puree.
4. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small bowl and let stand until the gelatin absorbs the water, about 5 minutes.  Bring the puree and the ½ cup sugar to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often.  Remove from the heat.  Add the softened gelatin to the hot puree and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved, about 1 minute.
5. Transfer the puree to a medium stainless steel bowl set in a larger bowl filled with ice cubes and water.  Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the puree is cold and begins to hold its shape.  Remove the bowl from the ice bath before the puree sets too much.
6. Combine the cream, the remaining ½ cup sugar, and the vanilla in the chilled bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer.  Attach the bowl to the mixer and fit with the whisk attachment.  Whip just until soft peaks form.  Stir about one-fourth of the whipped cream into the raspberry puree to lighten it, then fold in the remaining cream.  Pour the raspberry filling into the lined ring and smooth the top.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the charlotte until it is set, at least 6 hours or overnight.
7. Remove the pan from the refrigerator.  Lift up on the ring to remove it.  Arrange some of the raspberries in a single layer on the filling, then top with the remaining berries.  Sift confectioners’ sugar over the top.  Slice the charlotte with a knife (wipe clean between slices), and serve chilled.

Enjoy!

Perspective & Blueberry Pie

I'm trying not to think about the 70+ inches of snow we've had this winter, so for those of you who are wondering what 70+ inches of snow looks like, here are a few pictures!   Have a wonderful day!

December 20, 2010

 Notice the gray post on the left as you look down the walkway, my cute little winter arrangement is buried under all that snow!

February 8, 2011

For all you snow weary people out there - THINK SPRING!  Have a wonderful day!  And help yourself to Brownie's blueberry pie!  It's delicious and her recipe is below!

Brownie Schrumpf was a Maine instutution. She was born Mildred Greeley Brown in Readfield Depot, Maine, attended the University of Maine, served as a home economist and 4-H officer, wrote a column for the Bangor Daily News, and actively promoted Maine procucts at the "Big E" (Eastern States Exposition) every year for the Maine Department of Agriculture. Her friends included political leaders at the State and national level, clergymen, academics, her fellow home economists, neighbors, children, academics, and her readers, who felt as if they knew Brownie like a friend from reading her columns. Her life values remained those she learned on the farm: she was loyal, interested, and always willing to help. When she left the farm to live in the University town of Orono for the rest of her life, the farm went with her and she remained true to the values she learned there.

Blueberry Pie

4 or 5 cups of Wild Maine Blueberries (fresh or frozen-I use 5 cups)

¾ cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of flour

1 teaspoon butter (broken up and spread around the pie)

Cover with pie top.

In a prepared pie shell add the uncooked blueberries, sugar, flour and butter pieces.  Cover the top of the pie with a pie crust.  Make slits in the top of the pie to vent.

Bake at 400 for 1 hour.

Blueberry pie puts everything in perspective!  LOL!!  Enjoy!

Marshmallow World . . .

The many storms have people crazed, and they remind me of Dean Martin's "Marshmallow World."  You can  CLICK HERE to listen, it's guaranteed to make you smile, as will the photos below!

No one was injured!

It's a marshmallow world in the winter

When the snow comes to cover the ground

It's the time for play, it's a whipped cream day

I wait for it the whole year round.

This guy's an engineer!

Those are marshmallow clouds being friendly

In the arms of the evergreen trees

And the sun is red like a pumpkin head

It's shining so your nose wont freeze.

Weeeeeeeeee!  Woof, woof!!

The world is your snowball, see how it grows

Thats how it goes whenever it snows

The world is your snowball just for a song

Get out and roll it along

Rushing the season & waiting for Summer!

It's a yum-yummy world made for sweethearts

Take a walk with your favorite girl

It's a sugar date, what if spring is late

In winter it's a marshmallow world.

Let's go farther South!

Chili dog anyone?

Future women entrepreneurs! 

Hope you enjoyed my "Marshmallow World!"