Easter Round-Up Part One

Hoping soon for a US declaration to hear the Easter Bunny's services  will be listed under essential. Since I believe in being proactive and ready with options for a grocery store run, here are some Ever Ready holiday specials for your consideration. 

Asparagus Quiche with Dill Havarti and Bacon paired with Mini Lemon Mousse Tarts and a chocolate carrot treat.
Quiche recipe previously posted 
https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2020/03/asparagus-round-up.html

Mini Lemon Mousse Tarts

Recipe makes about 24 mini tarts
Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 cups heavy cream, liquid
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 oz. softened light or regular cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 TB. prepared jarred Lemon Curd (found in the jelly aisle)
• 2 TB. lemon zest
• Garnish, raspberries
• 1/3 cup each toasted coconut and almonds
• 2 boxes Mini Phyllo Pastry Shells

Directions:

• In a small bowl beat softened cream cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar, lemon zest and lemon curd. 
• Whip cream and fold into cream cheese mixture until well blended.
• Refrigerate until serving.
• Mix coconut and almonds together.
• Fill mini pastry shells with lemon mousse filling, sprinkle with coconut/almond mixture and top with a raspberry. Serve immediately. 

Another Serving Option 

Use same filling but making 4 trifles served in a fancy glass. I used a wine glass.

You will need torn pieces of a prepared (bakery style) angel food cake and fruit e.g. raspberries, strawberries or blueberries.

Layer filling twice with cake pieces and top with nuts and coconut.

Pair the meal with an Asparagus, Snap Pea and Radish Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad 

Cook's notes: Recipe adapted from eatingwell.com and serves 4. Broccoli can be substituted for asparagus.
Salad Ingredients:

• 1/2 bunch asparagus, cut off asparagus spears from bottom about 4 inches up
• 2 cups sugar snap peas
• 1-2 cups radishes, thinly sliced
• 3 TB. finely chopped scallion
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup Herb Mediterranean Feta Crumbles
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts or almonds

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Ingredients:

• 2 TB. honey
• 1 TB. Dijon mustard
• Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup dark good quality balsamic (I splurged and used dark chocolate balsamic-so good)
• 1/2 cup good quality olive oil
• 1 TB. minced fresh garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Salad Directions:

• Fill a medium bowl with ice water and place in sink. Bring water to a boil in a large pot.
• Place asparagus and snap peas in boiling water. Lower heat to medium high and boil until al dente about 1-2 minutes. Drain snap peas and asparagus using a colander. Place veggies in ice bowl of water for 1 minute. Drain again.
• In a bowl add cooked asparagus, snap peas, sliced radishes and tomatoes. Drizzle with dressing and top the salad with crumbled feta cheese and toasted almonds or walnuts to serve.

Vinaigrette Dressing Directions:

• Mix all balsamic dressing ingredients in a blender. Taste taste to balance ingredients. Transfer to a screw type jar until serving. Reshake the jar and refrigerate any leftovers.

Creamy Lemon Almond Pastries

The following message is nothing but the truth. I read it in today's paper.  

I was quite encouraged by today's breaking news posted in the MPLS Star Tribune (4-7-20) from New Zealand. (This is not a tale!)  It read...Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy are essential

Around the world, billions are staying home to curb the spread of the coronavirus, except for medical personnel, police officers, pharmacists, grocery store workers and others who have been deemed essential workers in many places. In New Zealand, that list grew by two after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Monday that the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy were considered essential workers, too.

So I am hoping it won't be too long before the US makes a similar declaration. Meanwhile my plan is to move forward with my Easter selections. No matter where you and your family  plan to gather, you'll find this a winning family recipe to brighten up an Easter brunch.

Creamy Lemon Almond Pastries
Cook's Notes: A time saver for easier assembly. Have the following items prepared and ready to go. 

• Chilled but thawed pastry sheet
• Beaten egg-pastry brush
• Lemon icing
• Toasted coconut and almonds 

One pastry sheet makes 9 Lemon Almond Pastries and recipe adapted from a publication available at most grocery stores Taste of Home Sunday Brunch
Ingredients: 

• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup each coconut and almonds
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons 2% milk
• 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar plus 3 tablespoons
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons lemon curd
• 3 teaspoons grated lemon zest, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

Directions: 

• Beat egg with water and set aside. 
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a parchment lined baking sheet toast coconut and almonds for 3 minutes. Watch carefully so mixture doesn't over brown. 
• Place toasted nuts and coconut in a small cup and set aside. 
• Icing-add lemon juice, milk and 2/3 cup confectioners sugar and 1 teaspoon lemon zest, mix well and set aside.  
• Beat cream cheese, lemon curd, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar  and almond extract. 
• On a lightly floured surface, unfold puff pastry. Roll into a approximately 12 x 9-in. rectangle. Using a pastry cutter, pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut pastry sheet into 9 rectangles. Spoon rounded tablespoons of cream cheese mixture in center of each rectangle.

• Brush edges with egg mixture. Fold each pastry into a triangle shape.
  

• Wrap puff pastry around filling to cover completely. Pinch edges together to form a ball.
  
• Place seam side down, 2 inches apart, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush pastries with remaining egg mixture. Pierce each once with a fork or long skewer. 
• Bake until golden brown, 16-18 minutes. Loosen pastries from the parchment and place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Underneath cooling rack place a sheet of wax paper to catch spills.  
• After 10 minutes brush each pastry with lemon glaze. Top with coconut and almonds. Serve warm.

Postscript: If doing this as a family activity can divide up the cooking tasks as follows

one person on cream cheese mixture

one person on icing

one person placing cream cheese mixture on squares and forming a ball according to above directions

Some EGGcellent Ideas

Looking for some EGGcellent ideas to keep the Easter spirit alive during these hard times? Ever Ready has some family friendly ideas the whole family can pitch in to make.

Resurrection Rolls
Cook's Notes: Easy roll making with marshmallows and crescent rolls
at https://mixandmatchmama.com/2016/03/resurrection-rolls/

What to do with a box of peeps? Let your imagination go wild with these ideas.
https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2013/03/imagination-goes-wild.html

Easter Blondies
https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2013/03/imagination-goes-wild.html






Nine Healthy Easter Snacks for Kids

Note some recipes come with tutorials.

https://www.forkly.com/food/9-healthy-and-fun-easter-snacks-for-kids/

Easter Egg Nest Cookies
https://www.creationsbykara.com/easter-recipe-nest-cookies/
Chunky Guacamole Deviled Eggs

Cook's Notes:  Deviled eggs meet guacamole for a perfect Easter treat or your next Margarita and Chip gathering. 
Recipe makes 12 servings and can easily be increased to serve more. Inspiration comes from Food Network Magazine April 2020. 
Cooking Tip:  Peel hard boiled eggs right after they have been submerged in cold water for 2 minutes. Chill peeled eggs for 30 minutes which helps eggs hold shape better for slicing and filling.  
Ingredients: 

• 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chilled
• 1 avocado peeled, remove inside, mash
• 2 tablespoon red onion, minced
• 2 tablespoon Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
• Lime squeeze 
• 3 tablespoons diced cherry tomatoes, patted dry on a paper towel 
• Dash of sea salt and red pepper flakes
• Optional: cilantro

Directions:

• Slice each egg in half, and remove yolks. 
• In a small bowl add yolks, mashed avocado, onion, spices, mayonnaise and lime squeeze.
• Mix ingredients all together and fold in diced tomatoes.
• Fill each white with mixture. Refrigerate several hours before serving. 

Pantry Crumb Cake

Behind this door lies all the supplies needed to make Pantry Crumb Cake 

Cook's Notes: Since we all are trying to limit our grocery store runs, family friendly recipes that include using pantry staples are welcome. This one is a winner on many levels. 

This crumb cake is more of a snack or breakfast item than a showy dessert. It’s the kind of thing a small family can devour in a few days, and a single person can freeze in slices, at the ready whenever the urge for brown sugar and butter hits. (Just wrap each slice up separately and store them in a container in the freezer; a slice will thaw in under an hour on the counter.) This cake is also extremely adaptable: Use whatever spices you like. If you don’t have oats, use more flour or chopped nuts. And feel free to use whatever fruit, fresh, frozen and thawed, or canned, you have on hand. I used a pint of raspberries and next go around it's blueberries. I found yogurt worked well for recipe. 
Recipe adapted from Melissa Clark NYT

Ingredients:
Cake Topping

• 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), melted
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon or 1-1/2 teaspoons regular ground cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice or combination of ginger and cardamom 
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts 
• Dash nutmeg 
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Cake 

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon regular ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup sour cream, yogurt or nondairy yogurt, buttermilk, crème fraîche, or milk acidified with 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange zest
• 3/4 -1 cup fresh, frozen and thawed blueberries,  raspberries, cherries, minced apple, pear or chopped pineapple or canned fruit, drained

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 square glass pan.
• Add all the topping ingredients to a medium bowl. Use a rubber spatula until they all start to clump together. Squish or roll the mixture into mostly large crumbs with some smaller ones.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined, set aside. 
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla extract. Add half of the flour mixture, then beat in the sour cream. Add the remaining flour, and mix, just until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Fold in the zest and fruit, if using.
• Pour the batter into the baking pan and top evenly with the crumbs. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan.   

Postscript-Remember the last posting that featured cactus blooms?

And remember how I said needed to be quick before gone? Well...did not realize how quick I needed to be and fortunate to get photos. By early morning all blooms in the front yard  had been devoured, a nightly snack raid for a traveling herd of javelins!! They left their footprints behind in the rocks. So sad.

Cookie Break

Who can resist taking a cookie break in these uncertain times :) especially when 

the cookie is inspired by my favorite candy bar and  

the recipe ingredients were halved for a mini batch but probably the best part all the ingredients were on hand and didn't require a grocery store run. 

 Cook's Notes: These cookies are the perfect blend of coconut, almonds and chocolate. What's not to like? Coconut and  almonds can be toasted ahead. 
Recipe adapted from smalltownwoman and makes 24. 

Ingredients:

• 1- 1/8 cups all purpose flour (1 cup plus two tablespoons)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter softened (1 stick)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1- 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate or bittersweet chips
• 1 /2 cup sweetened coconut flakes (shredded coconut), toasted
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions: 

• Make batter and chill one hour in refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• In small bowl whisk to combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• Using mixer cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla and egg and mix just until incorporated. Slowly blend the dry mixture into the creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips, coconut flakes and sliced almonds.
• Using 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop drop by rounded spoonfuls onto parchment covered cookie sheets. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Allow to cool for ten minutes before moving to cookie cooling racks.

Cactus Blooms

One needs to be quick to capture the beauty of cactus blooms. They only last a day or two. One afternoon 2 blooms burst open in the span of an  hour. 

Blooms ready to pop

The Great Texas Dance

Tales of Zebadiah Creed are a series of historical fiction books written by award-winning, singer- songwriter Mark C. Jackson.

He has been a long standing member of the Western Writers of America, a supportive, collaborative and prestigious association of writers who promote and write Western Literature.

Jackson's first book “An Eye For an Eye” was a 2018 winner of American Fiction Award, Best Adventure/Historical Fiction.

“The Great Texas Dance” is Jackson's sequel book in the Zebadiah Creed series with a publication date slated for April 22, 2020. A captivating tale that spans the entire Texas Revolution 1835-1836. The story depicts a personal portrayal of men and consequences of their decisions made during the savagery of battle. Loyalty, friendship and betrayal often fuel desperate acts allowing men no way out. Jackson skillfully interweaves his fictional characters into the historical reality of the times with a believable story of hardship, valor and true grit. Each of Jackson's books are intended as a stand alone novel though it's helpful to the reader to read the books in order. Readers who are history buffs will particularly enjoy this series following Zebadiah Creed's adventures.

In Book One, “An Eye for An Eye”, the reader is introduced to the protagonist Zebadiah Creed. He's a wilderness hardened man with a code of honor driven to a revenge mission to find the men responsible for his brother's death. He boards a steamboat on the Mississippi and heads to New Orleans.

The second book, “The Great Texas Dance”, finds Zeb's original mission sidetracked as he becomes involved in the militia and their battle plans. A suggested quick online read of the key players of the

Battle of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution will help sweep the reader into a fast paced, gripping and action packed drama. Zeb meets up with another volunteer Grainger. They are sent from the Alamo on an urgent mission to deliver important papers to Sam Houston. Bowie and some 200 militia at the Alamo are faced with overcoming insurmountable odds and desperately need reinforcements.

Scenes are vividly written, often rough and raw, depicting the realities and emotions of fighting for independence from Mexico as the revolution spans a six month time period. Fast paced, realistic dialogue moves the action along. Descriptions of the sights. sounds and even smells of the battle scenes and skirmishes give the story line an authentic tone. Main characters are fully developed, fascinating but flawed when faced with choices and a need for quick decisions. Jackson's writing makes them all come alive on the pages. Zeb Creed, the protagonist, becomes a risk taker. He is to be admired for his bravery, steadfast loyalty, and stubbornness with an unshakable code of honor. The narrative switches frequently requiring the reader to pay close attention to the events and actions as they unfold.

The book title suggests, from a historical perspective, that the issues of slavery and racism perhaps were contributing reasons for Texas wanting to claim their independence from Mexico. But it's a perspective not fully addressed in history and often skirted or danced around. After the Texas Revolution ended in 1836, the Constitution of the Republic of Texas made slavery legal.

To learn more about the author, Mark C. Jackson, planned events and to preorder his newest book go to www.markcjacksonwriter.com

Jackson is currently working on Book Three of the Tales of Zebadiah Creed Series, with a planned title "Blue River of Heaven".

Ranch Avocado Dip

Mid-Afternoon Healthy Snacks

Ranch Avocado Dip
Cook's Notes: The perfect lo-cal dip made with low fat yogurt, fresh avocados and dry Ranch dressing. If you like guacamole dip then you'll certainly enjoy this one and has fewer calories. Ranch Avocado Dip is an easy dip under 15 minutes to put together. 

Cooking Tip: Use a Ranch Dip mix not a Buttermilk Ranch Dip. 
Ingredients:

• 1 cup low-fat or zero fat yogurt
• 2 large avocados
• 2 TB. red onion, diced
• 1 (o.5 oz.) package Ranch dressing
• 1 TB. lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• Optional: 1 cup diced grape or cherry tomatoes

Directions: 

• Cut, pit and dice avocados. Add to a medium sized bowl and mash with a fork.
• Add in yogurt, red onions and dry Ranch mix. 
• Mix well and refrigerate several hours for flavors to meld.   

Other Healthy Snack Ideas to Satisfy Your Cravings

Trail Mix
The best part about creating  your own trail mix is you can assemble it with pretty much any ingredients you like! I load mine with superfood, protein-packed, heart-and brain-healthy nuts. I add in a bit of dried fruit, chocolate, and typically one more goodie to add flavor and texture and keep things interesting.

Sliced Apples and Hummus Dip

Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Recipe link https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a25416301/protein-balls-recipe/

REJOICE 

 The official April 2020 National Poetry Month poster below features the artwork of Samantha Aikman, winner of this year's National Poetry Month Poster Contest for Students.

Aikman's design was selected by judges Alison Bechdel, renowned cartoonist, and former U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera. It features the following line from the poem "Remember" by current U.S. Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo: “Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.”
Order your free copy or download a pdf 
https://poets.org/national-poetry-month/get-official-poster