Spork and Skewer

It's wedding season, and my little sister Amanda is getting married. Several of us are having a bridal shower for her this Sunday afternoon. My aunt and I came up with the a Southern Tea theme. Hats are required; gloves are optional. It should be fun. We are serving fruited iced teas, a couple salads, croissants, and a variety of mini treats for dessert. I decided to take on the pecan tassies. Many years these show up as Christmas cookies, but I knew they would be perfect for this occasion since they are basically cute, little pecan pies. These are not as fussy to make as one might think. The end result is delicious and impressive. I know these dainty little treats will be a hit on Sunday!

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My mom gave me this recipe a couple years ago. I am pretty sure she got it from my aunt Linda. I remember Linda making it for us when we were younger. My cousins and I always loved the cheese filled tortellinies. I loved them so much, that I would save them for last when I was young. I have always been that way; save the best for last. I still assess my plate each evening, and then eat my meal from least favorite to favorite. Now that I think of it, this sounds slightly obsessive. Oh well. Fortunately, I have gotten over my habit when it comes to a composed dish (like soup). Trust me, this is one is all good.

I love this soup recipe because in the winter it warms me up, and in the summer it is delicious with fresh green beans and squash. Hope this one makes many repeat performances on your table, all year round.

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Lasagna is one of my all-time favorite foods. When I go to an Italian restaurant, there is a very good chance I will order the lasagna. The gooey cheese between the layers of noodles and meat or veggies, is just comforting. My mom taught me the roll-up method. This method greatly reduces the "fussy factor" that is often involved in assembling a lasagna. You will also end-up with perfectly portioned servings. You only need one noodle per serving, so when you couple that with my use of nonfat ricotta and lean turkey, this is a fairly figure-friendly meal. Cook this up for dinner tonight, or pack it up to share with a neighbor or relative. Everyone will love it. Enjoy!

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My mom, sister, her fiance, Ted, and myself, are all on Weight Watchers. Actually, Miles won't attend meetings, but he is also on the plan. I have been in search of new recipes that are both tasty and Weight Watcher friendly. Salmon is not the lowest point fish, but it is considered a filling food, and is therefore, a good choice for us. Good thing, because it is no secret how much I love salmon. If you are not dieting, please don't be scared away; you will love my new recipe. Weight Watchers, or no Weight Watchers, this is downright delicious.

En papillote is simply a very fancy name for cooking in little parchment paper bundles. Foil would also work for this application. There are lots of reasons why I really love this method. One, it is healthy because there is no oil needed. Two, your chicken, fish, or veggies will always come-out moist and delectable because all the juices are sealed-in. Three, it is impressive. If you serve this to guests, they each get theor own little "gift" to slice open, and oh my goodness, the mouthwatering aroma that steams out when you cut open the packets, YUM!  And, maybe best of all, you can assemble these little packets ahead of time, and then pop them in the oven 15-20 minutes before you are ready to eat. Reallly, this is a snap. This particular recipe, which is modified from Cooking Light via myrecipes.com, is soooooo good. I highly, highly recommend making this recipe as soon as possible. Wow your guests, or fancy-up a weeknight, like we did. You won't be sorry.

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I have mentioned before how I am the weeknight cook at our house. Miles works until 6:30, so I try to have dinner ready by the time he gets home. By the time I get off work, run my errands, maybe stop at the gym and finally get home, I often have very little time to spare. So, quick dinner options are always welcomed. When you couple quick with healthy, that's even better. This recipe hits both marks, and scores a bonus for adaptability. I made this dish twice in a two week span, and Miles didn't even notice because I altered it to fit what I had on hand; leeks one week, and sun dried tomatoes the next. This one is a definite keeper.

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After Miles and I got married (nearly 2 whole years ago!), I felt there was still something missing from our loot of kitchen gear we received for wedding and shower gifts. Trust me, this is an unbelievable statement, considering the tons and tons of gifts we got from our lovely family and friends. But there was one thing, and that was a Bundt pan. There has always been something about that fluted tubular pan that somehow makes a cake taste better.

Now, perhaps it was last summer, or perhaps it was the summer before, when I was perusing the aisles with my aunt Linda at the weekly Annandale Swapper's Meet (flea market). As we were walking along, she asked me if I was looking for something in particular. So, I shared with her the one void I still had in my kitchen cupboards. This was a fateful day, because not one half hour later, I was walking across the parking lot with my treasure, an Original Nordic Ware Bundt Pan. I am embarrassed to admit that I almost passed-up this valuable find when the seller did not want to come down under $8. Linda, you are very wise. You convinced me that $8 was a small price to pay for a classic, fail proof- pan. You knew that I had to have the original. I must admit; it is one of the best (kitchen) purchases I have ever made.

Now, I have a gift for you, and anyone else who also cannot resist the allure of a moist, delectable, springtime lemon poppy seed cake. I made this cake for the second time at Easter, and it was a hit. I knew it would be the second I carefully slid it out of my wonderfully reliable Bundt pan. I hope you enjoy this unbelievably moist treat as much as my Easter crowd did.

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You are probably wondering what the deal is with that name. Allow me to explain.

Guacamole reminds me of the MN State Fair. Up until very recently, there was a delicious upscale Mexican restaurant by the name of Tejas located in Edina, MN. This restaurant also had a very popular spot at the state fair. My mother-in-law, who is the director of the State Fair Foundation, is friends with the owner and chef of this restaurant. Well, each day of the fair, Tejas would do a feature called Celebrity Guacamole. The way it worked is they would bring in a local "celebrity," and I am using that term extremely loosely here, and would do a sort of interview as the owner, and head chef made a batch of guacamole with the guest. One day a few years back, Kay was asked to be the guest for Celebrity Guacamole. She agreed, but then got busy, or maybe just decided she didn't want to do it, and sent Miles to do it instead (see what I mean by loosely?). So, he did. Miles got to feel like a celebrity for 10 minutes, and he also learned a few tricks to making very tasty guacamole.

This recipe is our own, but the secret ingredient, Worcestershire sauce, is from Tejas. It is that special something that sets this recipe apart.

If you are not already a local celebrity, make this guacamole to share. Don't be surprised if your popularity starts increasing!

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