The Recipes for January

Hostess for January 2009: Tracy
Tracy's Main Dish recipe: Savory Meat Pie

2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup sliced green onions
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp celery salt
Pinch ground cinnamon
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup chili sauce
Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs milk

In a saucepan, cook potatoes in boiling water until tender; mash and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, brown beef; drain.
Stir in next 9 ingredients.
Simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Stir in the potatoes, parsley and chili sauce; remove from the heat.
Place the bottom pastry in a 9-inch pie plate; brush with mustard.
Add meat mixture.
Top with remaining pastry; seal and flute edges.
Cut slits in the top crust.
Brush with milk.
Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350 degrees; bake 25 minutes longer or until golden brown.
Yield: 6 servings.

Jeanette's Side Dish recipe: Wild Rice Stuffing Bake

1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
3 tbs butter
1 egg
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tbs minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3 cups day-old bread cubes
1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice

In a skillet, saute celery and onion in butter until tender.
Combine egg, soup, broth, parsley, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.
Add celery mixture, bread cubes and rice; mix well.
Spoon into a greased 1 1/2 qt baking dish.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until set.
Yield: 6-8 servings.

Adrea's Side Dish recipe: Creamy Asparagus Casserole

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed creamy chicken mushroom soup, undiluted
1/2 c milk
1 package (10 ounces) frozen cut green beans, thawed
1 package (8 ounces) frozen asparagus cuts and tips, thawed and drained
1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
2 cups cubed day-old bread
1 tbs sliced almonds
1 tbs butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine soup and milk.
Add the beans, asparagus and mushrooms; mix well.
Pour into a greased 8 inch square baking dish.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Toss bread cubes, almonds, butter; sprinkle over the casserole.
Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes longer or until bubbly.
Yield: 6-8 servings.

Krissie's Side Dish recipe: Frozen Cranberry Banana Salad

1 can (20 ounces) pineapple tidbits
5 medium firm bananas, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 can (16 ounces) whole-berry cramberry sauce
1/2 c sugar
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/2 c walnuts

Drain pineapple juice into a medium bowl; set the pineapple aside.
Add bananas to the juice.
In a large bowl, combine cranberry sauce and sugar.
Remove bananas, discarding juice, and add to the cranberry mixture.
Stir in pineapple, whipped topping and nuts.
Pour into a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. dish.
Freeze until solid.
Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before cutting.
Yield: 12-16 servings

Sara's Dessert recipe: Lemon-Lime Mousse

1/2 c sugar
2 tbs cornstarch
Pinch salt
3 egg yolks
2/3 c milk
1/4 c lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp grated lime peel
1 c whipping cream, whipped
Lime slices and additional lemon peel, optional

In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt.
In a bowl, whisk egg yolks and milk; stir into sugar mixture.
Add juices; whisk until smooth.
Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.
Cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
Add peels.
Cover surface with plastic wrap; refrigerate until completely cooled.
Fold in whipped cream.
Spoon into dishes.
Garnish with lime slices and lemon peel if desired.
Yield: 6 servings

Laura's Beverage recipe: Mocha Punch

1 1/2 quarts water
1/2 c instant chocolate drink mix
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c instant coffee granules
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
1/2 gallon chocolate ice cream
1 c whipped cream, whipped
Chocolate curls, optional

In a large saucepan, bring the ater to a boil.
Remove from the heat.
Add drink mix, sugar and coffee; stir until dissolved.
Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
About 30 minutes serving, pour into a punch bowl.
Add ice cream by scoopfulls; stir until partially melted.
Garnish with dollops of whipped cream and chocolate curls if desired.
Yield: 20-25 servings (about 5 quarts).

We meet to eat on January 31st at 4:30pm at Tracy's!

How It Works

How it works
Every month we will meet twice. The first meeting of the month is the recipe meeting. This will be a meeting on the 2nd Wednesday evening of the month, in which a hostess chooses the cookbook and brings it to the meeting. She will hostess both the recipe meeting and the subsequent eating meeting which will happen on the last Saturday of the same month.

Recipe meeting: the hostess can have this meeting at her home or at the party room – talk to Tracy to arrange the party room. The hostess will serve beverages and each participant will bring an appetizer of their choice. The hostess will bring the cookbook of her choice and will pass it around for everyone to choose their respective recipes.

Side dishes, beverage and dessert assignments will always be random: names pulled out of a bowl at the start of the recipe meeting. If you get something you don't like, you may trade with another group member. Hopefully there is a copier/printer in the home where we meet. If not, bring a pad of paper and pencil!

Eating meeting: this meeting will take place in the party room or home of the hostess on a weekend evening – Saturday – and will begin at 4pm. The hostess can choose the location but if using the party room she must make arrangements with Tracy 1 month in advance so she can secure the room. The hostess will direct the evening and she will bring and serve the main dish. NOTE: you can make your dish ahead of time or you can cook it at the meeting – your choice!

Hostess assignments will be alphabetical so everyone gets a chance to choose the cookbook and be the hostess with the mostess. If you can’t muster “mostess” just hostess is fine too. We love you regardless.

Yes, the hostess has a bigger job but when it’s over you get to bask in all the glory of the evening – Bri VanDeCamp would be so proud!

Responsibilities
Hostess
· Chooses cookbook and hostesses recipe meeting
· Provides beverages for recipe meeting
· Cooks Main Dish for eating meeting – bring proper utensils
Side Dish
· Cooks Side Dish for eating meeting – bring proper utensils
Dessert
· Cooks Dessert for eating meeting – bring proper utensils
Beverage
· Brings beverage and glasses and ice for eating meeting
· Provides silverware and dishes for eating meeting

Do you have commitment issues?
We'd like full commitment in our little group. This means attending both meetings in the month. If you can't commit to cooking every month - please reconsider your involvement. We're serious foodies here and feel that commitment will make our little group successful. No group like this is very fun when members only attend once in a while.

I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out!
Keep serving sizes to the size of the group - I'd hate to break up the fist fight between the two ladies fighting over the last three bites of something, let's be sensible. You should also plan to bring the proper serving utensils for your dish/drink.

Mint Juleps a Go-Go!
Each meal will be accompanied by a beverage. Either alcoholic or other, doesn't matter. This will be a fun time to research and learn new beverages too! Think about learning more about wine pairings, sodas or juices. Remember, water is a beverage as well. Cooks don’t let other cooks drive drunk – let’s be responsible ladies. Ok?

I’m allergic to fried Yak, what do I do?
We all agree to do what we can to accommodate you but you will ultimately be responsible for your own well-being. Maybe take the anti-yak meds before coming?

Cookbook Snobs we are NOT!
Any and all cookbooks are fare game for Girls + Kitchen. And, don’t forget the library has some great cookbooks too!! Bring it!

No Dough?
There is no budget for your dish - but we ask that you work within your means so you can participate each time. Wanna go over the top one time but not the next? Be our guest! You can regulate this for yourself by choosing recipes that will be best for you.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness don’t ‘cha know!
All members agree to clean up after themselves and take home any dishes or serving utensils they bring. There is a dishwasher in the party room for your use. Remember – you will need to stay until the cycle is complete.

Don’t be a big cheater!
Stick to the recipe you chose. Don’t change your mind and don’t buy it at Byerly’s. This is a cooking group. Don’t like the way it turned out? That’s part of the gig. Someone else might love it!

Save the science projects for your family!
Again, stick to the recipe. If it calls for mint, don’t substitute sage – because, well, Ick!

Maybe… Maybe Not…
There will be a blog on the WWW. In fact, we already have space at girlspluskitchen.blogspot.com. At our events we’ll be taking a few photos here and there. Your mug may or may not show up on the blog. Face it, you can run but you can’t hide. Let’s cook with pride and show off our food! The world will want to know all about our little group and will more than likely want to join… well, maybe just our mom’s will read it but who cares! Blogs are fun and nifty!