Tag Archives: ~Food

Snowman Christmas Cake

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snowman cake
MAKES 24 servings
prep 15 minutes
BAKE at 350° for 43 minutes
EQUIPMENT
2 8-ounce ovenproof glass bowls 2 12-ounce ovenproof glass bowls 2 4-cup ovenproof bowls or
metal ball pans (such as Wilton) 9   foil cupcake liners
Chopstick or wooden skewer
INGREDIENTS
2    boxes (18.25 ounces each) yellow cake mix
8   large eggs
2   cups buttermilk
2/3   cup vegetable oil
1    bag (14 ounces) flaked coconut
1     roll strawberry fruit leather (such as Fruit by the Foot)
2    cans (16 ounces each) vanilla frosting
1     orange fruit slice
12 mini chocolate chips
2   cream-filled chocolate cookies (such as Oreo)
1    thin chocolate cookie (such as Famous chocolate wafers)

Heat oven to 350°. Coat bowls with nonstick cooking spray; coat with flour. Place foil liners into muffin-pan indents.
Combine cake mixes, eggs, buttermilk and oil. Beat on low speed until just combined. Increase speed to high; beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Spoon 2V2 cups batter into each of the largest bowls, 1 cup batter into each of the medium bowls and Vi cup batter into each of the smallest bowls. Divide remaining batter among the 9 prepared cupcake cups.

Bake at 350° until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean: about 17 minutes for the cupcakes, 22 to 25 minutes for smallest bowls, 30 minutes for the medium bowls and 40 to 43 minutes for large bowls. Transfer cakes to a wire rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, place the coconut in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Cut fruit leather into a 6-inch and an 8-inch length. Fold each in half, pressing to secure, to get 3-inch and 4-inch lengths. Use scissors to cut fringe on short end of each piece.

Invert cooled bowl cakes onto work surface. Trim flat sides to make level.

Place one of the large bowl cakes, flat-side up, on a platter. Spread top with vanilla frosting. Place the other cake layer on top, flat-side down, to create a ball. Spread a thin layer of the frosting all over cake. Gently press the coconut all over to cover.

Repeat with the remaining cakes to make 2 smaller balls.

Place the medium ball on top of the large ball. Insert a trimmed chopstick or wooden skewer for support. Place the 2 pieces of fruit leather as the scarf on top of the middle cake. Add the small ball cake on top. Add more coconut, if necessary.

Cut the orange fruit slice into a %-inch triangle for the nose and attach in the center of the small cake. Add the mini chips, pointed-end in, as the eyes and the mouth. For the hat, attach the 2 cream-filled cookies to the flat chocolate cookie with some of the remaining vanilla frosting. Arrange hat on top of snowman.

Spread remaining vanilla frosting on top of the cupcakes, sprinkle the tops with the coconut and serve with snowman.

PER SERVING 530 calories; 25 g fat (8 g sat.); 5 g protein; 73 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 463 mg sodium; 73 mg cholesterol

Thanksgiving Apron

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Material List:

  • Americana® Acrylic Paint
  • Creatology™ Wiggle Eyes
  • Container of Water
  • Paper Plate
  • Paint Brush
  • Glue Gun (Adult Use Only)
  • Iron-on Transfer Paper
  • Sharpie® Fine-Tip Permanent Marker – Black
  • Iron
  • Paper Towels
  • Fabric Medium
  • Iron-On Transfer Pen
  • Child-Size Apron

Instructions:

  1. Trace patterns onto tracing paper. Flip design face down. Use Iron-on transfer pen to trace over reverse side of designs. Position design on apron ink-side down. Press over design with iron. Lift corner of paper to check for design transfer. Remove paper.
  2. Mix paint colors with Fabric Medium 2:1 on palette.
  3. Use Lamp Black to paint feathers.
  4. Use Titanium White to paint feather tips.
  5. Use Honey Brown to paint head and wings.
  6. Use Cadmium Yellow to paint beak. Let dry.
  7. Use Honey Brown to paint line work on feathers.
  8. Use marking pen to do lettering and outlining.
  9. Let dry 24-48 hours. Heat set: Place pressing cloth or brown paper bag over painted design. Set iron on temperature appropriate for fabric type. Press design for 30 seconds with iron. Follow label instructions for laundering information.
  10. Position and adhere wiggle eyes on face.

Twas the Month Before Christmas – A Christmas Dinner Time Line

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A month in advance
Make and freeze soup and cookies.
Take stock of your cutlery, china, stemware and linens.  If your party or dinner is too large for your personal collection be sure and contact a party rental supply shop to best fit your needs.

Two to three weeks before
Decorate the house.

The week before
Make a list of everything you want to serve.
Clean out the refrigerator to make room for holiday groceries.
Shop for all non perishables.
Make place cards.
Bake and freeze desserts and breads.
Buy or make extra ice.
Polish silverware

Up to two days before
Shop for the remaining ingredients.
Make casseroles and salads that will
keep in the refrigerator.
Make centerpieces and floral arrangements.

Up to one day before
Remove frozen dishes from the freezer.
Cut vegetables.
Make stuffing.
Decorate and set tables and buffets.
Set up extra tables.
Clean and polish the dining room tables.
Iron linens.
Lay out tablecloths, napkins, glasses and silver.

Day of
Chill the wine and soft drinks.
Make punch and eggnog.
Prepare the main dish and any “sides” you haven’t made in advance.

Successful Frying

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•The secret is using the right oil. Smoke point is the temperature at which fats and oils begin to smoke, indicating they’ve begun to break down. The higher the smoke point, the better it is for frying. Lard and some vegetable oils such as corn, canola, safflower, and peanut are good choices. Shortening is not suitable for high-temperature frying.
• Moisture and food particles break down oil, so don’t reuse it more than twice. If you see smoke, discard the oil, and start over.
• Achieving and maintaining proper oil temperature is a must. If it’s not hot enough (often caused by overcrowding), the food soaks up oil, leaving it greasy. Too hot, and the outside burns before the inside cooks, creating food that’s soggy.
• Use heavy-duty aluminum, stainless steel, or cast-iron cookware for even heat distribution and the retention of high temperatures. Iron speeds up the breakdown of oil, so when using cast-iron cookware, it’s best to use the oil only once.
• Choose cookware that’s large enough to leave at least 3 inches between the surface of the oil and the top of the skillet or Dutch oven.
• Always allow the oil to return to its proper temperature between batches. We like to use a candy thermometer, which can handle high temperatures and be attached to the side of a large skillet or Dutch oven for instant readings.
• Make sure food is dry. Adding moist food to hot oil will cause spattering and popping.

Tailgate Food Tips

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The key to a safe tailgate picnic is keeping hot food hot and cold food cold. This requires planning and a few basic guidelines.

•Pack food in air­tight plastic con­tainers or bags that seal tightly and will not break.

•Layer sealed con­tainers on the bottom of an insu­lated cooler, putting heavier items in first.

•Chill all cooked foods in the refrig­erator before pack­ing them in the cooler.

•Pack highly per­ishable foods di­rectly next to ice in the cooler.

•Secure items such as bottles and jars to prevent breakage.

•Transport the cooler in the inte­rior of the car, not the hot trunk.

•Place cooler in the shade and keep the lid closed. An iced-down cooler will keep perishable food cold for a few hours but not all day in the hot sun.

•Serve food in the team spirit by us­ing baskets, buck­ets, and trays lined with fabric or linens in your school’s colors.

•Serve food with paper or plastic plates and uten­sils; cleanup will be easy.