I am in a lunch group that meets once a month to celebrate the birthdays that fall in that particular month. Today we met in a lovely home and had a perfect summer lunch, complete with beautiful flowers as a centerpiece. (Notice in the photo how the flowers tie in with the china plates.)
MENU:
chicken crepes
tossed salad loaded with goodies
mango salad
cake
Michele’sGreen Salad:
Mixed avacados, cucumbers, red onion and butter lettuce
and top with your favorite dressing.
Laura’s Mango Salad (made by me):
2 (3 oz.) packages lemon Jello
1 (3 oz.) packages orange Jello
3 cups boiling water
1 (30 oz.) can or jar of mangos
1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese
Prepare Jello with the boiling water and juice from the mangos. Blend drained mangos and cream cheese in bender until smooth and creamy. Add Jello to mango mixture while it is still blending. Grease a 9 x 12 inch dish with spray shortening. Pour ingredients into lightly greased dish. Serve on salad greens. Serves 16.
(You can always add a dollop of mayonnaise or whipped cream on top, with a fresh raspberry.)
Terry’s Delicious Shrimp Crepes:
Make one recipe French pancakes (18 – 20).
3 eggs
3 very heaping Tbsp. flour
1 level tsp. salt
Milk
Beat eggs with a fork just enough to blend yolks and whites together. Add ½ cup milk. Then add flour and salt (not sifted). Stir in until quite smooth but do not try to get out all bumps. Add more milk until batter is about the thickness of coffee cream. Have heavy frying pan hot and put in about 1 Tbsp. of butter. Let this melt and lightly brown. Put in 2 – 3 Tbsp. of batter and quickly tip one side of pan and then the other so the batter spreads out thinly over pan. Fry about one minute and then put another piece of butter at edge of pancake then lift pancake with a spatula and turn upside down. Fry on that side for a minute until brown. While you have pancake on spatula tip pan with other hand so butter covers pan. You will have to keep adjusting flame so as not to burn the pancakes. Most of the time it can be quite hot. After each pancake put more butter in pan and proceed as for first one.
Boil 1/2 lb. shrimp; peel.
Make cream sauce:
4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. flour
One dash of salt and pepper
2 cups light cream or part milk/part heavy cream
Add ¼ cup sherry. Reserve about ½ of sauce. Add chopped shrimp to other half. Fill each crepe with about 1 Tbsp. shrimp mixture. Top with remaining sour cream sauce, grated swiss cheese and toasted buttered almond slices. Heat in oven.
Terry’s Toasted Butter-Pecan Cake with Butter Frosting
(three 9-inch layers)
2 cups chopped pecans
¼ cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
3 cups flour
2 ½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Toast peanuts in ¼ butter in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Stir frequently. Set aside 2/3 cup of pecans for icing.
Cream sugar and 1 cup butter. Add eggs, beating well after each addition; sift flour, baking powder, and salt and add to creamed mixture alternatively with milk. Add vanilla and 1 1/3 cups toasted pecans. Stir well. Bake in three 9-inch pans at 350 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes. Cool before frosting.
Butter Frosting
1 stick butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
5 Tbsp. milk
Cream butter and powdered sugar together in the mixer. Add vanilla and small amounts of milk at a time, until spreadable.
Heard Around the Room:
One friend has a daughter getting married and is in the midst of exciting wedding plans. She is working on the guest list and finalizing food for the reception.Another friend just had eye surgery for a detaching retina. If you don't think that's any big deal, check out the procedure on YouTube...... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQQW4fENItY .
Another friend shared about her aging parents and their struggles and asked us to pray for a friend of many in the room who is battling cancer.It wasn't just about the food today. It never is. Every friend there had something to share, a prayer request, a funny moment, excitement. These are the women, God willing, I hope to grow old with. These are the friends who support each other through trials and celebrate with each other through joys. We are blessed! I am blessed!
