FROM MAMA'S KITCHEN

          During the month in which we honor all mothers everywhere, it seems fitting to assign each person to bring one of mom's specialties to the table.  This being our last luncheon before our 3-month-long summer break adds a little extra sweetness to the occasion.  Without further adieu, here's the line up of favorites from mom's kitchen:

Screwdriver served in highball glasses

Cut-up Celery Stalks and Pimento Cheese Spread 

 

Sausage-Apple Casserole

Indonesian Yamien Noodles (left) and Latvian Sauerkraut (right)

Dessert table featuring Fresh Fruit, Banana Bread Layer Cake and

Southern Pecan Pie

          Utmost in our prayer is a safe summer filled with physical & spiritual rejuvenation.

'Til we meet again in late September, God bless my breaking-bread sisters!

Recipes

Pimento Cheese Spread

12 oz shredded extra sharp cheddar

8 oz cream cheese

1 large jar pimentos (drained but reserve juice)

mayonese

salt

pepper

dash of cayene

1. Soften cream cheese.

2. Add a few tbs of each of these to taste & texture: mayonese, pimentos, pimento juice.

3. Add salt, pepper & cayene to taste.

4. Stir until smooth, add mixture to shredded cheese (if necessary, add more mayonese and juice to achieve desired consistency & taste).

5. Refrigerate to thicken spread.

Sausage-Apple Casserole

1 lb link pork or turkey sausage

5-6 granny smith or other baking apples

1/2 cup brown sugar (1/3 cup if apples are small)

2 tbs water

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. Brown sausage, discard grease and cut into bite-size pieces.

3. Peel, core & slice apples, add cooked sausage & mix well.

4. Top with brown sugar, add water.

5. Bake at 400F for 45-50 minutes.

Indonesian Yamien Noodles

4 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 lb ground pork or chicken

1 lb shrimp, finely chopped

1 lb mushroom, finely chopped

1 cube chicken boullion

1 tbs sherry cooking wine

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp white pepper

Indonesian sweet soy sauce

Rice wine vinegar

1 pkg egg or udon noodles

canola oil

water for boiling noodles

chopped scallions, cilantro, and Thai chili peppers (optional) for garnish.

1.   Saute minced garlic in 2 tbs canola oil for 1 minute.

2.   Add meat & shrimp and cook until brown.

3.   Add mushroom, white pepper, cooking wine, fish sauce, chicken boullion and sweet soy sauce.

4.   Stir-fry until all ingredients are cooked, set aside.

5.   In a large pot bring water to a boil, seasoned with salt & add a few drops of oil to keep noodles from becoming sticky.

6.   Cook noodles according to package instruction, drain well.

7.   On the bottom of a large bowl, pour some canola oil, rice wine vinegar and sweet soy sauce.

8.   Pour cooked & drained noodles to bowl and mix well until soy sauce covers all noodles.

9.   Add meat stir-fry to noodles, mix well.

10. Garnish with scallions, cilantro, and for added heat, chopped Thai chili peppers.

Latvian Sauerkraut

2 large jars of sauerkraut

1 apple

1 finely chopped onion

1 tbs caraway seeds

1 bay leaf

3 slices finely chopped bacon

1/2 cup brown sugar

Cook everything together in a slow cooker for 8 hrs, stirring occasionally.

Banana Bread Layer Cake

Cake

1 cup softened unsalted butter

2 cups all purpose whole wheat flour

1 tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs at room temperature

1/2 cup rum

1 cup skim milk

2 very ripe mashed bananas

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Low sugar strawberry jam

Frosting

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 pkg instant vanilla puding

2 tbs powdered sugar

1 tbs maple syrup

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup skim milk

Beat in high speed all ingredients until forming firm peaks, refrigerate a few hours or overnight before making cake.

Cake

1.   Preheat oven to 350F.

2.   Sift flour into bowl along with salt and baking powder.

3.   In a separate bowl, beat at medium speed butter and sugar until well combined.

4.   Add eggs to mixture and continue to beat until well combined, reduce speed.

5.   Gradually add flour mixture and continue to beat at lower speed.

6.   Add mashed bananas, rum, milk and vanilla, beat until well combined.

7.   Pour evenly to 2 buttered 8" cake pan, gently shake side to side to level batter.

8.   Bake about 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

9.   Let cake cool on wire racks for 20 minutes before turning out for icing & layering.

10. When cake is cool enough to ice, spread a thin layer of strawberry jam over top of first cake layer, add a layer of whip cream frosting,

11. Turn other cakelayer upside down and spread a thin layer of strawberry jam, then carefully turn cake while setting it on top of first cake layer, so the filling between the cake layers is in this order: strawberry jam, whip cream frosting, strawberry jam.

12. Ice top and side of cake with remaining frosting.