Easter Preparations

Tomorrow is Easter and by now you have likely colored your eggs, set your menu, have your groceries purchased,  made your Paska and have also thought about how you will set your table.  

We had a sibling dinner on Thursday so I am able to show you what our Easter table will look like again tomorrow.  The difference on Sunday will be two leaves added to accommodate the whole family.  

If you want to know how to fold bunny ear napkins... Martha Stewart will show you how!

My favourite flower in spring is Grape Hyacinth that can be found in garden stores in our area this time of year.  In the photo above you can see that I popped a plant into an egg cup and added a label to create a place card. 

These wooden boxes keep changing with the seasons. 

I've lined the wooden boxes with plastic and filled them with dirt.  

It will be an easy cleanup when I want to transplant the English Daisies and Grape Hyacinth outside after Easter. 

I've enjoyed playing around with natural ways to color eggs. 

There is no lack of ideas on Pinterest if you want to know which vegetables are best to use for natural coloring!  

  If you want to avoid food colorings all together, this is an easy idea.  I used a white pen to draw designs on our brown eggs. 

If you are running short on time and can't make it to the garden store, try to use whatever is growing in your yard. One year,  I picked some moss and some weeds with tiny flowers and popped them into these eggs cups to hold the place cards.

If you haven't started baking Paska yet,  I'm happy to tell you it doesn't take as long as you think it might.   Here is the recipe.   

 All you need is

• an orange
• a lemon 
• milk
• butter
• yeast
• flour 
• salt  
• sugar. 

It will take about 1/2 - 3/4 hour to mix up the dough, then it will need to rise for an hour.  After it has risen, shape into buns or loaves and then let rise about one more hour.  Bake loaves for about 25 minutes or buns about 15 minutes.  From start to finish you can have Paska in under four hours.  While the Paska is rising, set your table, color some eggs, make the icing and put together your Easter baskets!  

Whatever you do to prepare for Easter, we wish you a most wonderful day celebrating what matters most, the risen Christ!  

Happy Easter!

Good Friday

Matthew 27:45-46 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Matthew 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

Matthew 27:54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

John 19:31-33 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

What Christ's Sacrifice Means for those who will believe

Romans 6:22-23 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

1 John 5:11-12 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

It's so comforting to know that Good Friday isn't the end of the story but that Resurrection Day is coming. God bless you as you prepare to celebrate Christ's Resurrection.

For those of you who are still preparing food for Easter Sunday Celebrations I'll re-post my Seernaya Paska recipe here. You still have time for it to be ready to go with your Paska on Easter.

Seernaya Paska for Kulich/Paska (Russian Easter Bread)
The X and the B are for Xpucmoc Bockpec (Christ Arose)


Seernaya Paska
Ingredients:
9- hard boiled eggs
1-1/2 pounds Farmers cheese /a dry curd cheese like a dry cottage cheese can be substituted.
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup butter
1-1/2 cups sugar

Press the Farmers cheese through a sieve. (This is the hardest part of the recipe and optional) We do this if the cheese we are using has large curds. I usually use a wooden spoon and press it through a wire strainer a little at a time.
Separate the egg yolks from the whites. (You will not be using the whites).
Press the egg yolks through the sieve.
Cream the sugar and butter together.
Beat in the egg yolks.
Beat in the cheese.
Add whipping cream and mix well.
You will place the mixture into a container lined with 3 layers of cheesecloth with holes in the bottom so the liquid can be strained. (I've used plastic flower pots adding extra holes in the bottom) You will need enough cheesecloth to wrap up and over the top of the cheese. Place the cheese mixture into the cheese cloth lined strainer. Bring the ends of the cheese cloth up and tie the ends on top of the cheese in a knot. Place the sieve into a larger bowl suspended with enough room for the cheese to drain without sitting in the drained liquid. Place a plate on top of the cheese an place a heavy rock, brick, or other weight on top of the plate. Refrigerate over night draining off the liquid every few hours.

Farmers Cheese or Hoop Cheese can be hard to find. There are Russian/Ukrainian delis that sell a dry curd cottage type cheese that will work. If you can find a dry cottage cheese at the grocers that will work too.

Looking at the Easter Table

At this time of year I like to go and look for the first signs of spring . . .  even in the wild . . . tiny bright green leaves or delicate buds of all colors making their first appearance.

A few sprigs in a vase can add a simple, yet beautiful look to the table.

One Easter I used a bunny shaped chocolate container to cut out some large cookies

and they added some fun.

I rolled them out slightly thicker than the small cookies and baked them until golden around the edges. I let them cool on the cookie sheet for fear of breaking them.

I've been asked for the icing recipe and, although I gladly share it, it's not one I  measure.

Start with about 2 Tbsp of soft butter or margarine in a 4 cup measuring cup or bowl. 

Then add about 2 cups of icing sugar (confectioners sugar) and a few Tbsp of milk. 

Stir well and adjust to a consistency that spreads nicely ... 

adding more icing sugar or milk, as needed. 

For piping, make sure it's not too runny. 

Spread on cookie and let air dry a few hours until set. 

I froze these cookies and thawed them, leaving them to air dry,

 as the icing thawed out wet and then dried again.

Another way to make a pretty centerpiece is to display sugar cookies in a basket.

Behind this bunny, you will notice the Paska used as a centerpiece.

I got that idea from Ellen.

Still another way to use Paska in a decorative way, before it  disappears,

 is to make Paska in cupcake tins and put them in little cupcake baskets or holders.

I hope these ideas inspire you today.

You can find the sugar cookie recipe here

and Lovella's Paska recipe here

Peach Mango Ham Steak

If you're still wondering what kind of meat you want to prepare for Easter and if you only have a few people to serve this is the perfect ham dish. It's easy, pretty and delicious. If you have more people to serve, buy more ham steaks and make extra sauce.
This peach mango sauce can also be used over ice cream or in a crisp. So many possibilities.
 Recipe adapted from an old Country Woman magazine.

• 1 ham steak, 1 1/2 pounds, fully cooked. It doesn't really matter if it's a little over or under that weight. The one I purchased was approx 1/2" thick.
• 1 can of sliced peaches (473 ml / 16 oz), drained. Reserve 1/2 cup syrup.
• 1 mango, peeled and cut into strips. I used a medium sized mango but it doesn't really matter.
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup orange juice

1. Grill ham steak just long enough to heat through and to give it nice grill marks. Cover and keep warm while preparing peach mango sauce.
2. In a medium size bowl (microwave safe) whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, orange juice, and reserved peach syrup.
3. Cook until thickened and smooth, approximately 4 minutes, whisking frequently to prevent lumps.
4. Stir in peach and mango slices.
5. Pile on top of your ham steak, making sure you get some of the sauce as well. If you have extra, serve at the table for those who would like more fruit.
6. Serves: 4 

Easter Egg Nests

Over the past decade, we have made wee bird's nests in my kitchen every year about this time. From the oldest to the youngest, the grands have all participated.  Usually, we make the nests from rice krispee treats and add little peeps and eggs.  This year we tried something different as well.  The nests are made using a 'Chinese Noodle Cookie' recipe.

• 1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 3 cups chow mein noodles

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
2. Place chocolate and butterscotch  chips in large glass bowl. 
3. Heat in microwave at full power, stirring every 30 seconds until chips are melted (about two minutes).
4. Stir in chow mein noodles until fully coated.
5. Drop by large scoops onto prepared baking sheet, forming a nest shape with your fingers.
6. Place a few 'birds eggs' in the center of each nest.
7. Chill for 30 minutes to harden. 

To make the nests of Rice Krispee Treats...press scoops of the mixture into greased muffin pans and shape into nests.  Or simply forms balls of the mixture and create free-form nests with well-greased hands on a lined cookie sheet.  Then call the wee grands...

...and let them fill the nests with 'peeps and eggs'.  It's a fun Easter project for kids in the kitchen!

This year Lucy, the youngest grand (upper right), came to help me fill the nests.  Some went home with her.  Others are the place-cards for our family dinner this Easter.

If you are in need of some bird's nests for your Easter table...there is still time.  Both methods are simple...and can be created in short order.

Happy Easter from my kitchen to yours!

Rice Dyed Eggs ...and more

Eggs are a symbol of the resurrection, and have been an Easter tradition for centuries. From beautifully painted works of art to simple dyed eggs, they have become an integral part of our Easter celebrations.  I'll show you one more method of colouring eggs today, as give you a few suggestions of what to do with all those hard-boiled eggs after Easter.  

Rice-dyed eggs have a more speckled and natural look, and are also a fun method to use when dying eggs with kids.

• hard boiled eggs
• rice (long grain or pearl)
• small containers with lids (large enough to hold an egg)
• food colouring 

1. Place 1/4 cup rice into each container.
2. Add about 15 drops of food colouring (or a few good squirts), using a different container for each colour. If you prefer a more vibrant colour, add more food colouring.
3. Place lid on container and shake to colour rice evenly.
4. Add cold, hard-boiled egg to rice. Close container and gently shake until your egg is the desired shade.  

If you find peeling eggs a real challenge, here are some tips:

How to peel a hard-boiled egg ~ Julie's method

How to peel a hard-boiled egg ~ Lovella's method

And now for a few recipes that use hard boiled eggs.  Eggs are nutritious and delicious anytime, but  especially at Easter!

 Guacamole Deviled Eggs ~ Lovella

 

Spring Salad with Asparagus and Eggs~ Bev

Potato Salad (for the family or for a crowd) ~ Judy

Overnight Layered Salad ~ Bev

 Summer Borscht ~ Lovella

Rainbow Pasta Salad ~Judy

Spinach Salad ~ Bev 

Puff Pastry Easter Carrots~ Kathy

Avocado and Egg Salad Sandwich ~ Judy

Egg Salad Pinwheels  ~ Anneliese

*Boiled eggs that have been stored in the fridge are safe to eat for a week.

Enjoy!

Hot Cross Buns

 I first shared this recipe for Easter 2012 and am reposting them for Flashback Friday since Easter is only a week away!  My Mom made them every Easter  and we ate them still warm from the oven on Thursday before Good Friday.  If there were any left...they would be our breakfast on Good Friday.

These lightly spiced buns are soft and moist and perfect with a hot cup of tea.

This is a smaller batch.  It would make 24 buns in 2 9X13 pans...or  you can make part of the dough into small loaves which you can slice up.  It toasts up wonderfully.

• 5 teaspoons yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups candied diced fruit and citrus peel (sometimes called Glace Cake Mix) found in the baking aisle
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 1/2 - 5 cups flour

1. In a large bowl, mix together the yeast, sugar and warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes until the yeast has puffed up.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the milk and butter until the butter begins to melt. 
3. Add the sugar and the eggs to the yeast mixture and the milk and butter after.  (Be sure not to add very hot milk to the yeast and egg mixture.  It should be warm but not hot to touch.
4. Mix 1 cup of the flour with the candied fruit and stir well.
5. Add several cups of flour and the nutmeg and vanilla to the liquid ingredients and then add the fruit. 
6. Knead until it forms a ball.  Don't over knead.  It should come together but it will still be sticky because of the fruit.  Knead using a bit of additional flour for a few minutes.
7. Put into a large bowl where it can double in size.  Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise.
8. Once it has doubled, form into buns and place them in greased pans.  Take a very sharp knife and cut an X across each bun. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise until doubled and very light.
9. Preheat oven to 325 Convection or 350 F regular bake and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix honey glaze in microwave safe bowl: 

• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 2 tbsp. water

1. Microwave for 1 minute.
2. Brush over buns.
3. Pipe your favorite butter icing across each bun in the X's. 





Poppy Seed Lavender Cupcakes

These little cupcakes are a new recipe to me, given to me by my friend, Doreen. I made these for a bridal shower recently, but I thought they would be nice to post for Easter. English Lavender is safe to use in cooking but should be used sparingly, so your food does not taste like perfume. One of the more popular things to do is to take a cup of sugar, throw in some lavender and seal it up. Use this sugar in any cake or cookie recipe you have for a subtle but amazing lavender taste. You can purchase lavender at organic or natural food stores if you do not have access to home grown.

Ingredients: 

• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ cup oil
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• ½ teaspoon soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon lavender
• ½ cup sour cream 

Method:

1. Beat eggs well. Beat in the sugar mixed with lemon zest, poppy seeds and lavender.
2. Stir in oil until well mixed and vanilla.
3. Mix dry ingredients. Then add alternately with sour cream to wet ingredients.
4. Scoop (using small melon baller size scoop) into prepared muffin tins.
5. Bake 13 min at 350° F. Yield: 36 mini cupcakes
6. Ice with cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle with colored sugar or sprinkles. 

Saturday in Bev's Kitchen - Vaspa (Vesper)

While I was growing up we had Vaspa (low German) or Vesper (high German) for at least one evening meal each weekend.
Our mom would bake fresh zwiebach most Saturdays and they would be the star attraction at either Saturday or Sunday's evening meal (Vaspa).

If it was just our family around the table, the zwiebach were served with sliced cheese and various home made jams and jellies.

If company was present Mom would add some sort of cold meat - either cold Cutletten or Kotletten, sliced baked ham or farmer sausage and always, several kinds of pickles.
Sometimes she would make a Jello salad and/or a potato salad as well.

Dessert always consisted of a variety of Platz, bars and cookies.
 Mary Emma Showalter, writes in the "Mennonite Community Cookbook" that no good Mennonite hostess considered a meal for company to be complete unless there were
 "7 sweets and 7 sours" on the table served in pretty dishes.

  

My husband remembers his youth group gathering on Sunday nights at one home for Vaspa, and then moving on to the next home and to the next until the supply of zwiebach was exhausted.

 Vaspa  is still served in our homes now although I don't think as often as in years past.

Recently I served Vaspa as we celebrated my husband's birthday with our care group. 

There were no complaints!
The zwiebach were devoured and there wasn't a speck of Jello left!
At the end of the meal when everyone was finished their meal, the host or hostess would bless their guests at the end of the meal by saying
"Gesegnete Mahlzeit"
Literally translated it means "Blessed Mealtime" but for us as children it meant
"You can leave the table now!"

If you haven't served "Vaspa" before, try it sometime.
It is a simple meal that is easily prepared ahead of time.
Vaspa includes the following:

Buns (Zwiebach are the traditional choice!)
 (you can pick up fresh soft buns at your local supermarket or bakery
 if you'd rather not bake your own.)
butter and various kinds of jam or jelly
sliced cheeses
cold meat
(ham, farmer sausage and Cutletten would be the traditional choice)
Jello salad
raw vegetables and dip
pickles

Platz (traditional)
cake, cookies or bars

coffee and tea
 and, in days past, "Prips" or Postum"
Does anyone remember that?

Enjoy!

Strawberry Shortcut Layer Cake

It's still some time before those ripe juicy strawberries will be ripe for the picking.  In the meantime, if you need a quick and delicious layer cake I think you will agree that this one is a winner.

It uses a cake mix which is perfect when you are pinched for time in the kitchen.

• 1 15.25 ounce (432 g) boxed Strawberry cake mix (with pudding in the mix)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream (not fat reduced)
• 1/2 cup melted butter

1. Line two 9 inch pans with parchment paper on the bottom. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, sour cream and then drizzle in melted butter and beat on medium speed 2 minutes.  Batter will be thick.  Spread evenly into the two pans and bake 25 minutes and then test by sticking a toothpick in the centre.  It should come out clean.
3. Remove the pans to a wire rack.  Allow to sit a few minutes until cool enough to handle.  Carefully turn the cake out onto your hand and then put parchment paper side down on a wire rack to cool.

Creamy Pudding Strawberry Frosting

• 1 package instant vanilla pudding 
• 1 1/2 cup cold milk
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 2 heaping tablespoons strawberry jam

1. Beat together instant pudding and cold mix in a medium mixing bowl for two minutes.
2. Add whipping cream and beat until fluffy.  Beat in the strawberry jam and then refrigerate until set.
3. Cut each layer into two layers to make a 4 layer cake.  Spread a thin layer of frosting between each layer and then a thin layer on sides and the remaining on top.  Garnish with sliced strawberries.

For an easy way to serve smaller and average appetites and to get 16 slices out of a 9 inch layer cake, cut cake into four even pieces and then split that four to make eight pieces and then cut a V-shape at the top of each piece.  You can make even more small pieces by cutting each of the edge pieces in half. That's the way my Mom did it!

Irish Meatball Stew for a Crowd

Happy St. Patricks Day.  I haven't a speck of Irish blood in me but I enjoy a good pot of stew and my nephew married a little Irish girl. ..so that is good enough reason to make some Irish Stew for me.

I put this one together for our pastorate a few weeks ago.  Don't be put off by the task of making a large number of meatballs.  They can be made a day or two in advance and refrigerated until you are ready to use them.

It will serve 25 - 30 with a salad and some crusty buns.

Meatball Ingredients

• 5 pounds ground beef
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups panko crumbs
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese or other hard cheese
• 1 large onion, minced fine
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon rosemary
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Combine all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl or a large pot if necessary using your hands.
3. Line two rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper.
4. Roll meatballs about 1 1/2 inches and lay side by side onto the cookie sheets.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes or until browned.

Stew Ingredients

• 2 large onions, diced
• 2 heaping tablespoons minced garlic
• 24 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
• 5 pounds small potatoes cut into chunks
• 10 large carrots peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 head of celery cut into chunks
• 2 pounds green beans cut into chunks
• 2 cartons beef broth 900 ml size
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worchestire sauce
• 1 can Guinness beer (you could substitute additional beef broth for the wine and beer but these ingredients make a difference in the complexity of the flavour)
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• fresh ground salt and pepper to taste after it has finished roasting

1. In a very large roaster, layer the vegetables and meatballs.  If you do not have one roaster large enough you can divide it all between two and adjust the roasting time as it will cook faster.
2. Combine the red wine and the cornstarch and set aside until 1 hour before the stew is finished.
3. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the top.
4. Bake at 350 covered for about 3 hours. Stir in the cornstarch and red wine and cook one more hour. (Stir it once each hour to  ensure that it roasts evenly.)

Lemon Soufflé

This pretty dessert is as light as a feather and so refreshing after a heavy meal.

I've given instructions for serving it souffle' style

but it can be served in stemmed dessert or parfait dishes instead.

• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
• 2/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 envelopes unflavoured gelatin
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• Lemon wedges, candies, mint leaves or edible flowers for garnish*

1. Prepare 8 half-cup sized, straight sided dishes or 1 four-cup straight sided dish: Make a collar by measuring a length of foil or parchment paper long enough to encircle the dish. Fold in half lengthwise so that it is about 2 inches higher than the 1/2 cup dishes or 3 inches higher than the 4 cup dish. Fasten the collar to the top of the dish using tape so it stands up 1 inch above the smaller dishes and 2 inches above the serving dish. Set dishes aside.
2. Place water in a small saucepan and sprinkle both envelopes of gelatin evenly over the water. Let sit until gelatin is softened. (about 5-7 minutes)
3. Heat saucepan over low heat until gelatin has dissolved and mixture is clear.
4. In large bowl of an electric mixer, combine eggs and sugar. Beat at high speed until mixture is very thick and a light lemon colour. This will take about 7 or 8 minutes.
5. In another bowl, with clean beaters, whip cream until soft peaks form. Place in refrigerator.
6. Combine lemon rind and juice and add to cooled gelatin.
7. Pour gelatin mixture into egg mixture and continue to beat until well blended.
8. Chill egg/gelatin mixture in refrigerator for about 5 minutes. Stir it once or twice until it begins to mound.
9. Fold in chilled whipped cream with a silicone spatula until all white streaks are gone.
10. Spoon into prepared dishes.
11. Garnish with a bit of whipped cream, candied lemon slice or a violet and a mint leaf if desired.

* I found the tiny violets at a local store that sells cake making supplies. They had trays of tiny flowers made up and sold them by the piece. You can also use edible flowers such as violas or violets.

Hummingbird Cake

When I saw a picture of this cake, I had to try it and if you have any reason to make a cake for a special occasion in the near future, this is easier than it looks. I got the recipe from Danielle, a dear friend of my daughter, who made it for her little girl’s birthday. Danielle, whom I admire for her creativity and ability to make things beautiful, gives credit to Martha Stewart.

Cake Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup vegetable oil +1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups white or brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups mashed bananas
• 1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut

Frosting:

• 12 oz cream cheese
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• ¾ cup butter, room temp
• 4 cups confectioners sugar (approx)

Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Gradually add sugar , beating until right consistency for spreading. Can be refrigerated for several days. bring to room temp before using.

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. (rack mid level) Grease two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans. Line the bottom with parchment or wax paper. Grease paper (if using wax paper) and sides of pan, then dust with flour, tapping out any excess. Set aside.
2. In med bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla well, stir in oil until combined. Beat until mixture is pale yellow and fluffy.
4. Add bananas, pineapple, coconut and nuts, stirring until combined. 
5. Add flour mixture, blending well.
6. Divide batter between two pans. 
7. Bake until golden brown and cake tests done, 30 - 40 minutes.
8. Transfer pans to wire rack and let cool 10-15 min. Run a knife along edge of cakes. Invert onto racks. Remove paper and cool completely. (Assemble cake or freeze for another day)
9. With serrated knife, trim and discard rounded top off one layer. Place layer on serving platter. Spread top with ¼ inch of frosting. Top with untrimmed layer. Frost sides and top of cake with remaining frosting. Decorate with pineapple flowers.

Dried Pineapple Flowers

1. Preheat oven to 225 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Slice off top and bottom of pineapple. Standing pineapple on end, peel off sections, cutting in a downward motion. Trim to remove eyes or use a small spoon to scoop.
3. Slice pineapple into very thin slices and place on baking sheets. The thinner you cut the slices, the faster they will dry and the brighter the color will be. 
4. Bake until tops look dried, about 30-40 minutes. Flip slices (at this time I cut some indentations into the sides so that the petals would be more exaggerated) and bake until completely dried, about another 20 minutes. I used convection bake which has a fan on it, and that worked well. You can also put them on a cooling rack in the oven for the last part of drying.
5. Cool on rack. You can make these ahead and store them in a muffin tray – slip into plastic bag and refrigerated up to three days.

Pineapple Carrot Cake - Gluten Free

Pineapple carrot cake is one of my favorite desserts. I have brought this cake to pot lucks or dinners and only the people who know me ask if it is gluten-free -- the rest just go back for a second piece! Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups white corn flour or brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 - 8 oz tin - crushed pineapple , drained
• 1/2 cup of chopped nuts (pecan , walnut) optional

Method

1. Sift together dry ingredients (except sugar) and set aside in bowl.
2. Beat eggs and sugar add oil and vanilla.
3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture and carrots and pineapple and mix with wooden spoon until well blended and smooth.
4. Pour into a 9x13 inch baking pan and bake for about 45 minutes at 350'.
5. Let cool and then ice with cream cheese icing -

Icing

Beat until smooth 1 - 8 oz- pkg of cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter and two cups icing sugar.
Enjoy!!! *

Carrot Cake for 30

One of the first things that I would encourage you to do if you are doing a lot of baking for a large crowd would be to invest in a proper pan.  I have an 11 X 15 straight sided light-colored aluminum pan that serves  30 pieces.  You could probably divide it in half and bake it in two 9 X 13 pans but the cake would not be as deep nor would it bake as evenly flat on top.  Carrot cake can be baked the day ahead which just allows the flavors to blend and gives you a bit more of a breather when you are preparing for a larger group.

Cake ingredients

• 5 cups grated carrots (about 8 medium sized)
• 2 19 ounce/ 540 ml pineapple chunks, drained
• 6 eggs  or to equal 1 1/3 cups  (this is important as in this quantity egg size makes a difference
• 1 1/4 cups canola oil
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 4 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons salt

Icing ingredients

• 1  8 ounce package cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons egg white powder
• 4 cups icing sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 F  (you will turn it down for baking)
2. Use a food processor to grate carrots if you have one or grate the carrots with a medium sized grater and set aside.
3. Put the pineapple in the food processor and pulse until it is mushy.  (if you do not have a food processor you could use crushed pineapple but the quantity in the can would be different so rather use 2 cups well drained crushed pineapple). Set aside
4. Line your pan with parchment paper and bring up the sides on two of the sides if you want to remove from pan.  Do not grease the remaining sides .. cakes cannot crawl up a greased side.
5. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.
6. In another large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, and sugars and beat until light.
7. Add oil and beat until thick.
8. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until moistened.
9. Add the carrots and pineapple and stir until well combined.
10. Spread evenly in the pan.
11. Put in the oven on the center rack and turn the oven down to 325.
12. Bake 50 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean in the center of the cake.
13. Let cool and then remove from pan if the cake is to be decorated for display.

To make the icing

1. In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients and mix on low until just combined and then beat until light.
2. Spread on cake and then refrigerate.

If you want to make the cake ahead but don't have refrigerator room for your party, only spread icing on an hour before serving. 

To decorate sprinkle with 2 cups crushed walnuts if desired.  This is a perfect topping.  It cuts the sweetness of the cream cheese icing and covers up the imperfect spreading of icing.

Golubtsi -Cabbage Rolls

We grew up enjoying Golubtsi, Голубцы, a Russian version of cabbage rolls. I didn’t develop a taste for cabbage until my adult years so I’d peel off the cabbage and just enjoy the filling. Today I really enjoy cabbage in all it’s cooked or uncooked forms! Once you get the cabbage leaves ready to go this is a simple recipe to make. This is my mother's version. There are many other recipes that differ from hers.

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cabbage
• 2 pounds ground beef, 15% fat
• 1-1/2 cups cooked rice cooled
• 1/2 onion, grated
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 can condensed tomato soup, (approx. 10-3/4 ounces)
• 1- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1-1/2 cups sour cream
• 2 cups water

Method:

1. Core the cabbage leaving it whole.
2. Boil the head of cabbage in a pot of water until leaves separate easily.
3. Drain leaves and let them cool while you prepare the filling.
4. Combine the ground beef, rice, onion, salt, pepper, and parsley.
5. Once the leaves are cool enough to handle you can trim some of the thick vein of the cabbage leaf to make it easier to fold.
6. Place about 1/3 cup of ground beef mixture onto a cabbage leaf and fold edges over and roll up.
7. Place in baking dish with folded seams down.
8. Continue until you use up the ground beef mixture and cabbage leaves.
9. Saute the chopped onion in a little oil until it is translucent.
10. Add soup, tomato sauce, ketchup, and water, mix well and bring to a boil.
11. Add a little of this sauce to the sour cream to temper it and then add the sour cream mixture to the sauce and mix well.
12. Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls.
13. Bake in a 350 degree oven for an hour or longer, till hamburger is fully cooked.
14. Yield: 12-18 Cabbage Rolls depending on size of your meat balls.

Serve with your favorite green side dish and some good bread to soak up the sauce!

Tips:
You may need two baking dishes to accommodate more than 12 rolls.
While the whole head of cabbage is cooking in the pot I use tongs to remove the leaves gradually as they start to release from the head of cabbage and put them on a kitchen towel to cool. I keep checking as I prepare the other steps in the recipe.
I use a sharp paring knife to trim the vein starting in the center of the thick vein away from me to the outer thicker part of the vein.

One of our sons doesn’t tolerate milk products so I made a small batch of the Golubtsi and covered them with the sauce before I added the sour cream to the rest of the sauce. We find that using hamburger that is 15% fat or more is better for these as the meat that has less fat in it can be dry.