Late note: Even if you are not into French cooking, try this site. It is so cozy and warm and interesting. I might want to do this. http://www.cookingwithfriends.com/images/stories/pdfs/Brochurecookingwithfriends.pdf
Another long wonderful day with the Cincinnati Lechlers came to an end about 8:30 this July 4th evening. The family arrived about 11:00 and it was a fun filled day. Some were worried about rain, but I told them it never rains on a Lechler Cooke Rd. party. Once when we had one son's (David's) wedding reception in our backyard with enormous tents and two hundred and fifty guests, it rained every place in Columbus but not on Cooke Rd. Mike's third son was born the same day and so he ushered people back and forth to the hospital from the reception to see the new born--it rained all the way there and back until he hit Cooke Rd. where nary a drop fell the entire evening. So I say, don't fool with me when it comes to weather...or, as it turns out, cards. Kathy, a very good competitor, introduced us to a 'golf' card game. I thumped my guests soundly in that new endeavor. Oh it was fun. The food was so good. It was a potluck and so we got to try several new dishes as well as old standard July 4th fare in the two meals we enjoyed together. It's hot today, so the pool was a life saver for cooling off in between other games.
The dogs had guests as well, so it was a rowdy event all round, but now that everyone has gone the pups are tuckered and they will sleep well tonight, as will I. I'll post pictures. Oh, Glenda made her famous Hawaiian cake to top off the day. It is so good! If you haven't tried it, please do. It is in a couple of places in my blogs and I dare not print it yet again. If you can't find it, just email me and I'll send it to you. I hope your day was a good one too.
Note:
You'll find Joy the Baker's blog listed to the left of my blog page. I used her bourbon orange BQ recipe in two different dishes for this party. It is good on chicken wings or chicken in any form. I would make this again and again.
I am always checking out food blogs and I found this yummy sounding recipe for lemon cake pie. It looks like a pie, but has a custard type cake thingy...I am going to try this. Let me know if you try it too--if it is awful, I'll take it off, but her pictures of it look enticing...so here goes.
Dana's Lemon Cake Pie
Ingredients
1 9-inch deep dish pie crusts, I use Marie Callender's frozen. No need to defrost. No need to prebake
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel, (I usually add more)
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, (please use fresh)
3 eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups milk, I use 2%
Directions
Put rack on lowest position in oven.
Preheat oven to 375.
In a medium bowl, stir together melted butter and sugar.
Stir in flour, salt, lemon peel and lemon juice.
In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with milk until well blended, stir into lemon mixture.
In another medium sized bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until they hold distinct but moist peaks. Gently fold egg whites into lemon mixture. (Don't mix it too much.).
Pour filling into pie crust.
I always end up with more filling than will fit in the pie crust so I put it in a couple ceramic ramekins and cook it along with the pie.
Bake on the lowest rack of the oven until the top is browned and the center jiggles only slightly when pan is gently shaken (45-55 minutes). If the crust begins to brown excessively, drape it with foil.
Let cool before serving. But it's good warm too!
Here is Joy The Baker's recipe. I've tried it and will make it over and over. I, however, add some heat to it.
Bourbon Orange Coriander Barbecue Sauce
Print this Recipe!
makes about 2 1/2 cups
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar (1/3 cup if you’d like it less sweet)
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add onions and saute until translucent and slightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Lower heat to low and add bourbon. Scrape the browned bits of onion and garlic from the bottom of the pan as the bourbon heats. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, until reduced and thickened.
Mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Serve over cooked chicken, on top of meat loaf, cheese burgers or veggie burgers.
From Three Many Cooks...yum
Apricot Chicken Salad with Basil and Almonds
Serves 6 to 8
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, microwaved on high power for 15 seconds
1/2 cup apricot jam
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
6 cups shredded meat from a very large or 2 small rotisserie chickens
16 dried apricots (a generous 1/2 cup) cut into small dice
1/2 cup chopped roasted salted almonds
4 large scallions, sliced thin
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Whisk cream cheese, jam, and lime juice in a small bowl. Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing; toss
We are trying something different this year for Thanksgiving and there are dozens of people involved. We have rented a beach house and large condo for a week at Hilton Head to have the event of giving thanks for all of our blessings. The children and grandchildren are all older and soon will be branching off themselves, so we thought one last gasp at getting us all away and together might be fun. Over the 4th we started to plan and sort rooms and who would stay where and sleep on what. I just know several turkeys and hams will be invited. (LOL) I am sure this will be a one shot Thanksgiving and we will revert back to the homestead from then on, but it should be a memorable family time. (The Cincinnati Lechlers are also trying to get us to commit to a safari in South Africa too, in 2012, but I am not sure about that one. Andy and one of the boys would probably be a better combination on that trek than dragging me while kicking and screaming for air conditioning and cocktails.) Both events are far away but time has a way of zipping in on us without warning and turkey time is just around the corner. Until then, however, we have two more months of summer and a nice autumn to look forward to. I think this summer, due to Matt and Jake, the Cooke Road property has never looked better. Those men have kept things really nice outside and it a pleasure not to have to fuss with it. I am not into gardening although I do like it to look like I am. The lilies are especially lovely this year.
I follow Dorie Greenspan, a cook book writer and blogger. She has a nice site, but it has been hacked. Someone has written to her followers asking for money writing that she is stuck without cash out of the country. She is actually in Paris right now and certainly not out of cash--so if you received these emails for any one, they are probably scams and without merit. It is very embarrassing for her since she is a bit famous in the world of food, so I'm just saying, watch out because now she is blocked from Facebook, her emails AND her blog while the investigation goes on. IS THERE NO PEACE?
