The Good Times were Rollin'

We celebrated the Groundhog today, even if he predicted six more weeks of winter (though, to be fair, that was the PA groundhog; local Connecticut Chuckles bid adieu to winter. . . and the Giants!), because if this is winter, it's okay.  Though, we did mostly agree that at least one more big snow would make the kids happy. (Send some our way, Lambeth!  I hope you aren't snowed in there in the UK.)

There were lots of friends--from "old" church, from playgroup, from our circle--young, older, and in between.  I like the mixing of the generations and the groups.  There was a vital, if crowded, energy.  I always, enthusiastically if mistakenly, invite more people than the house can hold, but this was one of the first times almost everyone came.  We hadn't managed a party in at least a year and a half, canceling last Groundhog Day because of snow and the fall Applepalooza because of rain.  Today, the weather agreed with us and, by the end of the party, several kids were running around in the sunny yard (and I didn't even need a jacket).

Before that, though, we talked--about school, the Komen Foundation mistake, housecleaning, food, Legos, travels, our bat and terrible tv shows about infestations, Glee's MJ episode, kung fu and num chuks, Madonna's half-time show tomorrow, the fact that I could sit for short 10-minute stretches, among other topics--and ate and ate and ate.  Oh, the food!  There were our usual sherried eggs and hashbrown casserole, plus Gommie's Cheese Bites (which are a heart attack on an English muffin) and punch.  (I noticed this week that my party foods are often childhood cheesy favorites and not in line with my current food practices, but they are tasty--and the cheese bites disappeared first!  Still, I should experiment with slightly healthier, less processed party fare.) We also had King Cake and a praline "Cajun Kringle" to add a little Mardi Gras to the proceedings and Chinese candies leftover from New Year.  It was a multi-purpose celebration today.  And our friends brought such delicious things:  date nut cookies, Swedish apple pie, apple crumb bars, vanilla cake, cornbread with jam, monkey bread, and Florida oranges.  And you know what?  We ate most of it!

Sis and Bud had been up since before their usual time, so excited that the party was today.  I remember being that excited about gatherings when I was a kid, though most of our neighborhood "hurricane parties" and crawfish boils seemed a bit more spontaneous; they were fun though, with good food and energy.  Our kids started looking out the window an hour beforehand to spot the first guest!  Then they made signs for the door and windows (which Bud made by tracing the first one once it was hanging!) and then party hats for all the kids, plus me and Mama--Groundhog Crowns!  I wore mine the whole time, with my earrings (yes, we are rather devoted to our celebration and flew our flag proudly).  Later, when the guests were here, all the kids could make paper-bag groundhogs to take home.  Sis decorated hers with bunny ears; Bud's became a penguin.

Some of our dear friends couldn't be with us and we thought of them today.  There'll be another party, though.  In about six months, when the warm that isn't quite here yet is changing back to cold, and the groundhog goes to bed.

 Cheese Bites

½ stick melted butter

1-5 oz. jar Kraft Old English Cheese Spread (or, since that is seasonal, any spreadable potted cheddar cheese in the refrigerated section like WisPride; I think Cheese Whiz would be too runny)

1 jar real bacon bits (like Hormel)

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 package 6 English Muffins

Mix together first four ingredients. Split muffin and spread on mixture. Quarter each half (easiest with scissors, esp. if you let them set a bit in the freezer first). Freeze. When ready to serve broil 5 minutes.

Gommie Hungry

The Groundhog Says...

WINTER!
That would be a nice change.

Super Wednesday

The polls are closed and the results are in:  the extended Hungry clan believes the Groundhog will see his shadow tomorrow!

Yep, Sis and Bud had a fun homework assignment to poll family members about what they thought would happen tomorrow with the groundhog.  While Mama, Sis, Bud, Ma, Gommie, Goo, and I believe there will be six more weeks of winter, Pop and Gong and Aunt Banana are optimists that spring is on the way.

Thanks for helping with their homework!  Stay tuned tomorrow to see what happens.

By the way, Bud doesn't believe the groundhog can predict the weather because the prediction seems backwards (sun + shadow = winter vs. cloud - shadow = spring).  Sis, however, believes the groundhog does actually foretell the future with his shadow.  At some point, the groundhog is as accurate as our local meteorologists, so who's to say?

The Poor Farmer's Fertilizer, or "The Bune and the Seyle"

We are all dreaming of spring. Literally. I have had several dreams that the snow has thawed overnight, at least mostly, to reveal green grass; I'm a bit disheartened that it's gone but usually very excited to see green.

Today, the children put on a puppet show, which title they carefully inscribed on the marquee of the theater, "The Bune and the Seyle" (read "The Bunny and the Seal"). The title characters have green trees (blocks and scarves) and flowering plants (leis in discarded paper tubes) and realize that some of the flowers give birth to baby bunnies, much to everyone's delight. The end. Loud applause. Twice more, a few variations, lots of applause.

Bud was a tad disappointed about the Groundhog's prediction, thinking it meant the end of snow immediately and the complete inability for him to have another snowball fight. Sis just keeps assuring him that spring will come soon. Not today.

And not Saturday or Tuesday/Wednesday, when we are expecting more snow. Someone at church called snow the "poor farmer's fertilizer," which I'd never heard before. If it is, my garden is going to be gorgeous! I do pine for seeds and plants and gardens. As you might know I'm a novice, even relatively indifferent, gardener at best (meaning I forget to weed and water, trusting the plants to be hearty and do their plant thing in nature as nature intended. Maybe "ignorant" is a better word.) But reading And the Good Brown Earth and How Groundhog's Garden Grew to the kids, flipping through The Green Hour and Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots and Sunflower Houses and Toad Cottages and Shooting Stars, I get carried away somewhere warmer . . . . I have a Seed Saver catalog upstairs and am having delusions of grandeur of tipi-shaped bean poles covered in flowering runner beans with large yellow squash and kale nearby, and herbs and hanging tomatoes and even some flowers, watered by my rain barrel and with mulch from my "Death Star" composter . . . . with trips to our CSA and to the PYO for berries to put up again. At least I have 6 more jars of strawberry jam to get us through until the snow melts (which I'm predicting for April, later for our 8' mountain), until I can have my postponed Groundhog Day party turned "welcome spring" garden-planting party.

Until then, I say, bring on that fertilizer!

Trust the Groundhog

Check out Phil!

Six More Weeks . . .

That's right, more winter. Which makes sense, because we are expecting snow today. Sis was disappointed in the prognostication, but Mama and I welcome a bit more snow. Bud vacillated. We watched it live both on the computer and scanning a few channels on tv, particularly because they had homework to get the groundhog's prediction. And for the first time, Mama and I, who have watched for years on tv, saw the groundhog talk to the man in the hat who then read the scroll--you could actually see Phil searching the stump for his shadow. And it was there, apparently (despite it being cloudy in Punxsutawney, PA). We're going to try to find out the predictions of the other groundhogs, whom we've read about in our great groundhog book, Groundhog Weather School by Joan Holub (one of many books we have on groundhogs, the prettiest being Lynne Cherry's How Groundhog's Garden Grew)--Staten Island Stan, Sir Walter Wally, and the nutria Pierre C. Shadeaux down in Louisiana! Happy Groundhog Day!

Lions and Dragons and Groundhogs--Oh, My! (Part 2)

What a day! A day that started at 6 a.m. with Bud wondering if it were morning (no, not yet) and my putting the Sherried Eggs in a cold oven for 1 1/2 hours so they could cook with enough time to make all the other food for our Groundhog Day party. The other food included Muffins (Strawberry/Blueberry and also Chocolate Chip), Bohemian Coffee Cake, Hashbrown Casserole, and Orange Biscuits. Which made it a very baking-heavy morning, since I don't think most of those would have been as good had we made them the day before. The kids were helpful throughout, thrilled to help with the muffins, especially because those would also double as their breakfast. They also helped Mama carry up all the party paper goods up from storage, set the table with cloths and placemats (double protection from hot dishes), hung up the "Pin the Tail on the Groundhog" poster we'd made on Friday (I'd wanted "pin the shadow" but I was vetoed), and arranged the cinnamon paper plate groundhog art project supplies and example (again, that we had made on Friday by drawing groundhog faces on paper plates, putting down glue, and then shaking on cinnamon which looked remarkably like fur all things considered). They also put away the toys they couldn't bear to share, dressed themselves, and managed both to self-entertain (Bud has been practicing his dragon and lion dancing and drawing) AND not make a mess while Mama and I finished things up.

Then we all enjoyed the party! It was the usual melange of church and playgroup friends, with fewer of each than expected because of last-minute illness (hope you're feeling better, Miss L!), a funeral, forgetfulness, and the like. But small was actually okay because we were able to relax and talk to everybody. I had been worried about having the party, wondering if I were the only one who really enjoyed them, Mama being shy and the kids sometimes becoming overwhelmed. But it all worked out well and I'm so glad we persisted. It might be that we keep Groundhog Day small and intimate, it being indoors, while Applepalooza, being outdoors, can be big and long and crowded. Anyway, so there were lots of friends and the good food they brought, including Oatmeal Bars, Organic Crunch Bread, and some tubed cinnamon rolls made special with the addition of raisins.

There was only one minor upset and even it ended well. But while we adults were having such a good time upstairs, one girl cut a chunk of hair from another girl downstairs in the basement. The girls weren't upset and the moms handled it well, despite the obvious chagrin (we all felt for the mom of the young hairdresser!) and surprise that accompanies such a thing. The newly-coiffed girl's mom was even laughing about it, once the surprise wore off. Besides it wasn't obvious. And kids inevitably do something like this--I remember cutting my neighbor boy's hair when I must have been 3 or 4 in Dallas.

But pretty much after that, everyone departed for home. Until a time-challenged guest came over at 2 pm! It was okay because she called first, her errands having taken much longer than expected. We'd finished getting most of the trash cleaned up and toys put away, even vacuumed, and were all sitting around watching lion and dragon dancing on the computer as well as drawing pictures of dragon and lion dancing for Bud, who has become obsessed with both the traditional Chinese New Year dances and New Year's in general. See, in this house, we jump from one holiday to the next, and, if the Groundhog Day party was over, it must be Chinese New Year! So, when our friend arrived we ate a few more of the morning's treats while watching Bud do his dragon dance: picture him holding a plastic dinosaur-headed stick (with grip that opens and closes the mouth) that is tied with two scarves in a long tail that he had another person hold up on a long, cardboard wrapping paper tube, so they could dance in swirls and circles to our Chinese music! In fact, it was rather like having a post party-- we never see her (beyond the few times I see her in passing at my exercise class) so it was good to sit and chat.

The rest of the day included more drawing pictures of lion and dragon dancing, plus a very late rest time and more eating of leftover food. Now we just have to see what the groundhog says on Tuesday, but my guess is he'll see his shadow presaging 6 more weeks of winter. It's just hard to imagine spring is coming when it was something like 12F this morning with snow and ice everywhere.

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Orange Biscuits

1 can refrigerator biscuits

½ stick oleo

2/3 cup sugar

½ cup orange juice

Melt oleo and sugar; add juice and coat biscuits. Bake at 350°F til brown (15 minutes).

Gommie Hungry

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Bohemian Coffee Cake

1 cup oil

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup whole milk plus 1 tablespoon vinegar added)

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients. Pour into greased and floured pan (I think it's 9 x 13). Bake 1 hour at 350F.

teaching colleague in Texas

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All-Star Muffins

3 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose or cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons butter

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

(Note: the KA cookbook mentions all sorts of add-ins, approximately 2 1/2 to 3 cups of whatever you desire)

Preheat oven to 400F and lightly grease 16 muffin cups or use paper liners.

In medium bowl, whisk flour, powder, soda, and salt, then set aside.

In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy and almost white in color. Scrape down the bowl to make sure all the butter is incorporated, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until the batter is smooth. Fill muffin cups and bake 18-24 minutes , until tester comes out clean. Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan to finish cooling on a rack (muffins left in pan with become touch from steaming).

(1 basic muffin, 274 calories)

King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion All-Purpose Baking Cookbook

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Sherried Eggs

18 eggs
¾ cups milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can mushrooms (drained)
2 tablespoons dry Sherry
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Beat eggs and milk together well. Scramble until soft.
Place in large greased casserole.
Mix soup, mushrooms, and sherry together. Spread on top of the scrambled eggs, mixing in slightly.
Top with cheddar cheese. Refrigerate overnight.
Place in cold oven at low temperature (250°F) and bake for 1 ½ hours. Served 8-10.

Frederick-Talbott Inn, Indiana

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Hashbrown Casserole

32 oz. bag frozen hash browns
10-1/2 oz cream of mushroom
1 pint sour cream
2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup melted butter

Mix and spread into 13 x 9” baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.

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Miss B's Oatmeal Bars

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup flour

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix first 5 ingredients together then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and pour into an 8 or 9 inch square greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until done. Let cool completely in pan before removing/cutting.

Miss B

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Miss L's Organic Crunch Bread (coming soon)

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Scope Creep

When my projects threaten (or actually do) spread out so as to involve the majority of our resources, time, and energy, Mama calls it "scope creep." And she says I'm having that now.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

See, our annual Groundhog Day party is this weekend and I've been planning the menu for awhile, as you may recall.

But it's changing again. I'm thinking of adding so-called Bohemian coffee cake, orange biscuits (to replace french toast casserole), creamy breakfast couscous, and a batch of muffins (probably 1/2 strawberry, 1/2 chocolate chip). That's in addition to sherried eggs and hashbrown casserole. Plus punch and other drinks. And Mama thinks I'm going overboard, that we'll have too much food, especially because guests always generously bring dishes as well. But I either like or want to try or want to share all of those. Bud and Sis would only eat the muffins, as would, I imagine, all the other kids. Mama must have the savories, which don't interest me much. The couscous is WW point friendly. And the coffee cake is just plain good. And who can resist orange biscuits??

So what to do?

At least I have a few more days to figure it out, do the shopping, and start the cooking!

But I'll include some of the recipes here (and here) so you can help decide . . . .

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Orange Biscuits

1 can refrigerator biscuits

½ stick oleo

2/3 cup sugar

½ cup orange juice

Melt oleo and sugar; add juice and coat biscuits. Bake at 350°F til brown (15 minutes).

Gommie Hungry

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Bohemian Coffee Cake

1 cup oil

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup whole milk plus 1 tablespoon vinegar added)

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients. Pour into greased and floured pan (I think it's 9 x 13). Bake 1 hour at 350F.

teaching colleague in Texas

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Creamy Couscous Breakfast Pudding

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup whole wheat couscous

pinch salt

3 cups fat-free milk

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/4 cup fat free egg substitute

1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Bring the water to a boil in a heavy saucepan over high heat. Stir in couscous and salt. Reduce heat and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Cover and let stand about 5 minutes.

Whisk milk, sugar, and zest into couscous. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently to break up any lumps. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Whisk together 1/2 cup of the couscous and the egg substitute in a small bowl. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring, until the pudding is thick and creamy, about 5 minutes longer.

Stir in wheat germ and vanilla. Serve topped with almonds.

WW Momentum Cookbook (3 pts per 3/4 cup w/o almonds)

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All-Star Muffins

3 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose or cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons butter

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

(Note: the KA cookbook mentions all sorts of add-ins, approximately 2 1/2 to 3 cups of whatever you desire)

Preheat oven to 400F and lightly grease 16 muffin cups or use paper liners.

In medium bowl, whisk flour, powder, soda, and salt, then set aside.

In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy and almost white in color. Scrape down the bowl to make sure all the butter is incorporated, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until the batter is smooth. Fill muffin cups and bake 18-24 minutes , until tester comes out clean. Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan to finish cooling on a rack (muffins left in pan with become touch from steaming).

(1 basic muffin, 274 calories)

The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion All-Purpose Baking Cookbook (Hi KA blog reader! You always stop by when I include your company's name, so I'm dropping you a note this time. Hope it's okay that I included the recipe here. I'm excited that I found the unbleached cake flour at one of the local stores; can't wait to try these muffins).

Breakfast Bounty

Just as I'm starting to consider the menu for my Groundhog Day brunch, Mark Bittman writes about brioche for french toast and bread pudding instead of challah. I am considering making a marmalade french toast casserole and so will look for brioche when I go bread shopping, even though it calls for sourdough which I don't really like (my bread machine book has a recipe for brioche but I think that's overdoing it for me). Yum!

Otherwise, I'm thinking sherried eggs, hashbrown casserole, and fruit salad, pretty much like last year, and maybe an oatmeal bar! (And yes, Miss J, we'd love it if you make the blueberry crumble. I'll call you about coffee soon!) Brunch is fun because no one else around here has a morning party, so it's not like we see the same dish (read: that admittedly tasty cream cheese-salsa dip) all the time.

The Groundhog Says . . .

He loves the Pittsburgh Steelers!

And there will be six more weeks of winter.

Not sure how he saw his shadow on this cloudy day, but with a Nor'easter on its way, I'm sure he's right.

"Our Guests are Gone So We Can Be Messy"

Our 2nd Annual Groundhog Day brunch and open house guests have left, a smaller group than we expected, but no less fun (perhaps more so for being intimate). And indeed, on their departure, Sis began to sling green royal icing around the kitchen in a Jackson Pollock-inspired approach to cookie decorating. Bud got in the act and poured handfuls of sprinkles on already decorated cookies. Cookie decorating--this time with paintbrushes to make it easier--was the highlight of the morning. Though, the train table and the twin baby dolls cum stroller were also a hit. Yes, many of our guests were under 3' tall. Those who weren't sat around talking about kindergarten, football (particularly injuries--here's the link for Mr. C and Mr. V), IT (3 of the adults work in IT), living overseas (one had lived in Hong Kong and South Korea; a couple just moved back from 3 years in London), teaching (two who teach on the college level), and such. So, while it was really cold outside and we're all hoping for no shadow on Monday, it was warm and happy here. Thanks to those of you who came! And get well soon to all of those who had to cancel.

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It occurred to me as I linked to the post on our first Groundhog Day party that we'd had a "birthday cake" last year and sang to the Groundhog, mainly because those were the only kinds of parties Sis understood. We had the party again this year but no cake. And that's because our dear Miss T, who gave me my first lesson in cake decorating, has moved to Georgia and wasn't here to guide me. But we did do decorated sugar cookies in your honor. We miss you, Miss T!

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Blueberry Crumble French Toast
This was my favorite dish at breakfast at the Frederick-Talbott Inn the morning Mama and I went to Winter on the Prairie at Conner Prairie Living History Museum. MMmmmmm! I could’ve been a pioneer with sustenance like this! I sent the cook my mom’s Orange Biscuits recipe in exchange.

bread sliced ¾ inch thick (they use Italian; I used challah)
8 eggs
1 cup milk
¾ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup flour
1 cup dry oats
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (we skipped this)
1 to 2 cups blueberries

Grease a 6 x 10 baking dish. Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice bread in ¾ inch thick slices and place in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared pan. Cut additional bread into small pieces to fill in spaces around slices.
Beat together eggs and milk. Add vanilla.
Pour egg mixture over bread. There should be enough liquid to cover bread. Let sit one to two minutes to allow bread to absorb egg mixture. Turn bread slices to evenly soak both sides.
For topping, blend together with a pastry cutter the butter, brown sugar and flour or use your fingers to work the butter into the sugar and flour; stir in oats. Sprinkle over soaked bread in baking dish. Top evenly with nuts and blueberries.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until the bread is puffy and bubbles rise around the sides of the pan. Let sit 5 minutes before cutting into rectangles to serve. Peaches or apples may be substituted for the blueberries. Serve with maple syrup or blueberry syrup.

Frederick-Talbott Inn, Indiana

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Sherried Eggs
Another treat from Frederick-Talbott Inn in Indiana, part of both breakfasts we ate there. Yum!
18 eggs
¾ cups milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can mushrooms (drained)
2 tablespoons dry Sherry
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Beat eggs and milk together well. Scramble until soft.
Place in large greased casserole.
Mix soup, mushrooms, and sherry together. Spread on top of the scrambled eggs, mixing in slightly.
Top with cheddar cheese. Refrigerate overnight.
Place in cold oven at low temperature (250°F) and bake for 1 ½ hours. Served 8-10.

Frederick-Talbott Inn, Indiana

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Hashbrown Casserole

32 oz. bag frozen hash browns
10-1/2 oz cream of mushroom
1 pint sour cream
2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup melted butter

Mix and spread into 13 x 9” baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.

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Bud's Favorite Punch

1 bottle sparkling cider
1 container lemon sorbet (we used orange sherbet)
1 can of pineapple rings
1 pint of blueberries

Combine. Yum.

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My Favorite Coffee Punch
Actually, today I cheated and just pulled out the coffee ice cream to drop dollops in hot coffee.

1 pot of coffee (hot or cold)
cream to taste
1 container of coffee ice cream

Combine. Yum.

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Chocolate Cut Out Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a standing mixer with a flat beater, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed. Add the egg and vanilla extract and blend on medium speed. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low speed.

Knead into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hours.

[Roll, cut, and bake as usual--the book's instructions are too long to include here.]

Bake in preheated 375F oven for 12 to 14 minutes for large cookies or 10-12 minutes for small cookies. The cookies are done when the edges are golden brown.

Yield: 12-16 large cookies (4-6") or 30-35 small cookies (2-3")

Meaghan Mountford, Cookie Sensations


Royal Icing

3 tablespoons merengue powder
4 cups (1 lb) powdered sugar
3 tablespoons warm water*

Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes at low speed with a heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer).
NOTE: Keep all utensils completely grease-free for proper icing consistency.
* For stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.
**When using large countertop mixer or for stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.
Thinned Royal Icing: To thin for pouring, add 1 teaspoon water per cup of royal icing. Use grease-free spoon or spatula to stir slowly. Add 1/2 teaspoon water at a time until you reach proper consistency.

My note: Because we were painting the icing on the cookies with brushes, I divvied up the white icing in separate cups, added about a tablespoon of water per cup, and the gel food colorings. We stirred to combine, checking for spreadable consistency--I didn't want it to be so hard to spread that the kids would break the cookies. It was probably the consistency of cake batter. Then to complete the process, a muffin tin filled with sprinkles and a stack of paper cups were put out. Kids, with grown-up help, put their chosen icing color(s) in a cup, painted their cookie, and then sprinkled on toppings. Voilà!

Wilton

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Mama Teacher's Chocolate Surprise Cookies
(I'm extrapolating this recipe from her description)

vanilla wafers
caramel
chocolate chips, melted
sprinkles

Spread caramel on vanilla wafers to create sandwiches. Dip in melted chocolate. Add sprinkles. Inhale.

Mama Teacher

Making My Cake and Eating it Too

I have a friend who makes gorgeous cakes and cookies. She has a real talent for the design and execution of clever and cute cakes. Last year, she did the twins' birthday cake--completely allergen-free and totally edible, I might add--with it's perfect rice krispie barn, lake and field, and little animals. It made the party. And so, inspired by her skill, I've wanted to learn how to decorate cakes and cookies too.

And on Friday I had my first lesson. She came over and let me help with the decoration of a cake for our first annual Groundhog Day Open House. She found the design online--a groundhog coming out of a hole with forest around him--very cute. To prep, I made the cake. It was an easy box mix--with some changes to bulk it up (add an extra egg and double the oil, plus a box of complementary pudding mix)--but, knowing her talents, I was actually nervous about making (and messing up the cake). Luckily, it turned out okay, flat even.

She brought over all the colors, decorating tips, and icing and fondant ingredients. First fondant--1 cup marshmallows and 1 tablespoon water heated in the microwave for 20 seconds--add colors and then stir in 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar until manageable by hand. She made the green tree cones and I made the little fat groundhog. Thank heavens for my polymer clay modeling days--the consistency is the same so I had some experience. And this tasted better! She then became icing the cake. First a crumb coat and then a border of green stars. We opted for "grass" and so she started making little clumps of grass. I was surprised and pleased that I got a chance to try--I wasn't very good, but that only seemed to matter to me. She (and DP who was in the kitchen making chili for the gathering) was very encouraging and only filled in the most glaring gasp. She added facial details to the groundhog and then began putting leaves on the trees. This was harder and I wasn't sure I would manage but I did a whole tree by myself. And then she added a touch of snow, since it isn't quite spring here yet anyway. It was marvelous, both the cake and the lesson. Thanks, T! The cake made the party and I can't wait for my next lesson. Cookies, maybe??

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The eating of the cake was one of the highlights of the party. DD and DS had spotted the cake--protected by an upturned clear plastic tub--as soon as they entered the kitchen yesterday morning. And DD could barely contain her enthusiasm for several hours. That and decorating the groundhog cookies we made which were the activity of the party made her little cup runneth over.

The party started late in the afternoon, with tons of food--turkey and vegetarian chili, plus snacks, and rainbow punch--and lots of friends. Just in time for the start of the party, some dear (and big strong) friends moved our sleeper couch downstairs into the playroom, permanently, providing extra seating. There was groundhog decor galore--DP had seen to that with two external flags, a hat with stuffed groundhog and some earrings for me, and a stuffed groundhog that DD co-opted. For awhile, DD was totally absorbed in decorating groundhog cookies with chocolate frosting, chips, sprinkles, and colored sugars. Between gulps of punch, DS decorated some too. But soon she wanted cake.

So we took the cake out to the middle of the room and . . . sang "Happy Birthday" to the groundhog. Because that's what you do when you have cake, right? I'll remember candles next year. Because we want this to be a yearly party. We used to have a Christmas/December open house and have also had a few summer BBQ parties but a). didn't want to compete with all the Christmas festivities anymore and b). much prefer cool weather to hot (and besides we'll always be having their birthdays in the summer). We want to have an annual party, something people will hopefully look forward to, and, since I'm a big fan of groundhogs (I always seem to spot them on the Merritt Parkway), I chose this date. Besides, who else has a groundhog party? Several guests told me they'd never even heard of such a thing. Which explains the lack of themed paper goods and evite invitations.

Mark your calendars for next year . . . the cake will be great!

(DS thought this one was excellent. He spent the rest of the party eating the grass. And that's after trying to devour a tree and my groundhog. It's a wonder we got him to bed).