Cookbook featured at AHS Museum

This new display in the AHS Museum lobby

drew my interest! Cookbooks are timeless . . .

Tastes & Treasures A Storytelling Cookbook of Historic Arizona is available at the AHS Museum gift shop in Papago Park. $24.95

Individual Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

How cute are these individual cakes!

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

Cake Ingredients:
2 eggs
2/3 C white sugar
4 Tbsp pineapple juice
2/3 C all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Topping:
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick or 4 Tbsp)
2/3 C brown sugar
1-can pineapple rings
6-maraschino cherries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.
BAKE TIME 10-15 min
In a mixing bowl, add eggs, white sugar, and pineapple juice. Beat for 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and turn mixer back on for 2 minutes.

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and add the brown sugar. Stir on low heat for one minute.

Spoon a layer of the warm brown sugar mixture into the bottom of each muffin tin, then place a pineapple ring on top. Add a cherry in the middle of each pineapple. Pour cake mixture over to fill muffin tin 3/4 of the way full. If you are using regular muffin tins, you will need to cut down the rings to fit or just use pineapple tidbits.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Pumpkin fans will love this easy to fix, moist cake.

Pumpkin Dump Cake
Ingredients:
1 15 oz can Pumpkin Puree
1 10 oz can Evaporated Milk
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs (slightly beaten)
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup (2 sticks) butter melted
1 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers or pecans (walnuts are good too)
1/2 cup toffee bits (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Spray a 9×13 baking pan lightly with cooking/baking spray
In a large bowl combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine.
Pour into your prepared pan.
Sprinkle your entire box of cake mix on top, followed by your nuts or graham crackers and toffee chips.
Pour your melted butter evenly on top.
Bake for 45-50 minutes until center is set and edges are lightly browned.

Notes
serve with ice cream or whipped cream

Recipe adapted from: cookiesandcups.com

Rosie's Apple Pie

My kind of recipe . . . easy and delicious.

Karen Swanson made her Mom's Apple Pie recipe to the October Historical League meeting. It was gone very quickly!

Rosie's Apple Pie

Ingredients:
6 peeled apples (medium)
1 small package raspberry jello
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter

Directions:
Slice apples in pie shell and sprinkle jello over apples.
Combine sugar and flour and butter. Crumble over apples.

Bake 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees.

Pull-Apart Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin - fruit or vegetable? Enjoy all the wonderful recipes you can make while you decide because pumpkin time is here. Great Pumpkin Cookies recipe in Tastes & Treasures cookbook is delicious. This pumpkin recipe below is also worth it.

Pull-Apart Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread with Buttered Rum Glaze


• Ingredients for Bread
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk (warm)
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• Buttered Rum Glaze 
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp milk
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp rum * or vanilla extract
• 
  
• 
Directions
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of butter, letting it bubble up and turn a dark golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add warm milk, return to stove and heat through.Pour the milk and butter mixture into the bowl of standing mixer (fitted with a dough hook) and allow to cool to warm (about 100-110 degrees F). Add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow to proof (this can take up to 8 minutes, the top will look foamy and the liquid cloudy). Add the the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
• While dough is rising, brown another 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well.** Making sure sugar evenly absorbs the butter. Set aside. Next, grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan and set aside.
• When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with hands for 1-2 minutes. Roll dough into a 20×12 inch rectangle.*** Evenly sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture and press into dough with palms of the hand. Cut the rectangle into 6 strips. Lay strips on top of each other and cut each strip into 6 even squares (cut in half then each half into thirds). Stack strips vertically into the loaf pan. Cover the pan with a clean towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After rising in the pan, bake for 30-40 minutes (mine took 37 exactly) or until top is a very deep golden brown.
• To prepare the glaze, heat the butter, milk, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil then immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum and powdered sugar.*** If dough is difficult to roll out, cover with a towel and allow to relax for a few minutes then try again.
  
  Thanks to www.sunnysideupsd.com

Jack-O-Lanterns Stay Fresh

Here's a little trick to keep your Halloween Carved Pumpkins looking great for weeks. Not sure if it

works in the Arizona heat but will try it this year!

Don't forget to save the pulp of your pumpkin (or buy canned pumpkin) for Great Pumpkin Cookies. Recipe in Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

After you scoop out and carve your pumpkin, dip it in a large container of bleach and water (use a 1 tsp:1 gal mix). The bleach will kill bacteria and help your pumpkin stay fresh longer. Once completely dry, (drain upside down), add 2 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to a quart of water. Brush this solution onto your pumpkin to keep it looking fresh for weeks.”

Orzo Salad becomes Main Dish

Barbara Cardinal created her own version of Orzo Salad from page 159 of Tastes & Treasures cookbook. We love creativity in the kitchen!
Her comments, "My husband and I had it for dinner  - I added some cooked chicken I had on hand.  It makes a great main dish salad too.  Very versatile.
Here are my changes:
- Did not saute the mushrooms.  Just chunked them and added them raw.
- Eliminated the garlic (I am not a garlic fan in salads)
- The asparagus was the very very thin stalks.
- Put in some green as well as red bell pepper.
- Doubled the amount of dressing, added some sugar and some more salt.
- Eliminated the feta cheese, since I did not have it on hand." 


Orzo Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives

Ingredients Dijon Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Ingredients for Salad:
1 pound asparagus, blanched
16 ounces orzo
1/4 cup olive oil
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup drained oil-pack sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (2 ounces) freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions for the Vinaigrette:
Whisk the lemon juice, shallot, vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl until combined. Add the olive oil gradually, whisking constantly until the olive oil is incorporated.

Directions for the Salad:
    Slice the asparagus spears diagonally into 1 inch pieces. Cook the pasta using the package directions until al dente and drain. Toss the pasta with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a bowl and cool to room temperature. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the shallots and garlic. Sute for 5 minutes. Toss the mushroom mixture with the pasta.
    Add the asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, bell pepper, green onions, feta cheese, mint, Parmesan cheese, olives and basil to the pasta mixture and mix gently. Add the vinaigrette and toss until coated. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the pine nuts. Garnish with teardrop or pear tomatoes and sprigs of Italian parsley. Serve at room temperature. You may prepare up to 1 day in advance and store, covered, in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Serves 8 or more.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

October means pumpkins - all shapes and sizes and in every dessert! This cake is easy and delicious. If you want pumpkin cookies, try Great Pumpkin Cookies from Historical League member Kay Holcombe in Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

Pumpkin Pie Cake
1 - 18oz can pumpkin (or fresh equivalent)
1 box yellow cake mix (2 layer size)
1 cup sugar
1/2 c. melted margarine or butter
1 - 13oz can evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)
3/4 c. chopped pecans or walnuts or coconut
3 eggs
3 tsp cinnamon

Beat eggs and milk together; add pumpkin, sugar and cinnamon. Mix until well blended. Pour into a 9x13 greased pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over mixture. Drizzle with melted margarine. Sprinkle with chopped nuts.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 min or until done.

Serve (warm or cold) with topping or whipped cream.

Thanks to  chellascommoncents.com

Historical League Open House features Sandra Day O'Connor Home

Carolyn Mendoza, Nina Fillipi and Zona Lorig are ready to help guests

Crowded with guests, the AHS Museum, archives rooms and the Sandra Day O'Connor home were the venue for the Historical League Open House on Thursday, Oct 17. The membership sign in table was next to the Tastes & Treasures cookbook table. Also featured were Arizona Recollections and Reflections An Arizona Centennial Historymakers Commemoration. Several people purchased books to be donated to libraries and schools in Arizona. Cindy Tidwell-Shelton specifically wants to have the books distributed in Globe. Thanks to Carol Griffith, Mariamne Moore and Karen Swanson also for helping with the books.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars from Carolyn Mendoza

Just in time for pumpkin season, Carolyn Mendoza brought these delicious bars for the Historical League October meeting. Carolyn also takes Tastes & Treasures cookbook to many venues during the year. The book is wonderful for Holiday gift giving, filled with histories of Arizona's historic venues as well as recipes.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened, cubed
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp cardamom
1 can (15 oz) solid-pack pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix flour, 1/4 cup sugar and brown sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in oats and pecans. Reserve 1 cup for topping.

Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of a greased 13 X 9 inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, spices and remaining sugar until smooth. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla. Add eggs: beat on low speed just until blended. Pour over warm crust: sprinkle with the reserved crumb mixture.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and filling is set. Cool on a wore rack. Serve or refrigerate, covered, within 2 hours of baking.

Recipe from Tasteofhome.com

Tour of new Opera Center and lunch at Durant's

Director Dave Taylor conducts tour of Opera Center

Fascinating costumes in Wardrobe Room

LtoR Renee Donnelly, Margaret Pogue, Zona Lorig, Lindy Isaksen, Linda Cathey, Gail Lucky

Barbara Cardinal, Durant's General Manager Carol McElroy, Julie Tribbey

Informative, educational and historical tours drew me into the Historical League many years ago. It is wonderful to learn the history of so many buildings and have lunch at historic restaurants.

Thursday, Oct 11 was a busy day with over 35 members and friends enjoying the Opera Center tour on Central Ave, then hearing the history of Durant's from Carol McElroy. Thanks to Lindy Isaksen and Margaret Pogue for arranging such a fabulous tour.

Durant's didn't make it into our Tastes & Treasures cookbook. With only 2,000 books left out of 20,000, perhaps it is time to write a new cookbook and include this famous, historic venue!

Sharron McKinney's Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

We often boast of great chefs in the Historical League. Sharron McKinney is proving us correct. She brought this delicious salad to the October meeting. Everyone loved it!

Tastes & Treasures cookbook has some wonderful salads. Try them all.

BEET AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD

Prep 10 min.  Roast 40 min.  Cool 15 min.  Oven 400ºF  Serves 6

Ingredients:
6 small yellow beets, tops and ends removed, halved
¼ C. olive oil
½ C. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. grated lime zest
¼ C. plain Greek-style yogurt
3 Tbsp. finely chopped shallots
3 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
6 C. arugula or mixed salad greens
½ C. soft fresh goat cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place beets in a shallow baking pan. Cover with foil.  Roast 40 min. or until tender. Uncover. Let cool for 15 minutes. Remove skins and chop beets into cubes.
 For dressing, in a screw-top jar combine olive oil, lime juice and zest, yogurt, shallots, and thyme leaves. Shake to combine.
Place greens in bowl and arrange beets on top. Sprinkle goat cheese over salad. Drizzle dressing over salad.
Can add pine nuts or chopped pecans if desired.

Librarian/teacher workshop at Carnegie Library

Thanks to our generous benefactors, we have copies of Arizona Recollections and Reflections to donate to educators throughout Arizona. 4th graders study Arizona history and high school students have Az history included with Social Studies.

Historical League members Judy Blackwell, Zona Lorig and Karen Swanson volunteered to distribute donated copies on Friday, September 27 at this Carnegie Library event.

Pictured here is Judy Blackwell giving Tanya Flanders from the Willcox library in Cochise County a book. We are grateful to Tanya for delivering six books to Willcox High School, Willcox Elem. School and then three books for small elementary schools in the area – Pearce, Cochise and Bonita.

Chocolate Chip Cookie/Oreo Fudge Brownie

We love all things chocolate in Tastes & Treasures cookbook including Espresso Brownies, Brownie Puddle and Chocolate Peannutty Treats. Here is another luscious, melt in your mouth chocolate bar.

Chocolate Chip Cookie/Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 package double stuffed Oreos
2 boxes of your favorite brownie mix - I chose Ghirardelli Double Chocolate
1/4 cup hot fudge

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 9x13 baking dish, then line with parchment paper and generously butter the paper.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed for approximately four minutes. Add in the eggs and vanilla. Lower the speed, and gradually mix in the flour, until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread the cookie dough in the bottom of the prepared dish. Top the cookie dough with a layer of Oreos.

Next, prepare brownie mixes according to package directions. Mix in hot fudge sauce. Pour brownie batter over the cookie dough and Oreos, and spread evenly. Bake for 45 minutes. Let brownies cool completely before cutting. Serve with additional hot fudge topping if desired.

Thanks to BrownEyedBaker for recipe.

Movie History in Arizona

Do you know the movies that have been made in Arizona?  Think John Ford's 1939 'Stagecoach' with John Wayne, 1945 Gene Tierney in 'Leave Her to Heaven', 'Tin Cup' filmed at AZ Golf Resort south of Tucson, 'Forrest Gump', 'Return to Planet of the Apes',  Chevy Chase in 'Vacation' and more.

Thanks to Carolyn Hartman for bringing Michael Kucharo, ex-officio president of the Arizona Film and Media Coalition to be the guest speaker at the Historical League October meeting. His presentation was filled with the history of movie making and movies in Arizona. We learned about the beginning of making pictures including the Magic Lantern, Mutoscope, Zoetroope, Thomas Edison and George Eastman working on moving pictures, and Nickelodeon.

Just in time for Arizona's Centennial, the Lubin Co. Studios was Arizona's first movie studio, opening in Tucson in March 1912.

Arizona's tax incentives lapsed in 2010 for film makers so many are going to other states. more at www.azfilmandmedia.org

Historymaker Ed Mell exhibit opening

Honored as a Historymaker by the Historical League in 2003, Ed Mell continues to contribute to Arizona. His new exhibit opening and reception will be at P.V. Town Hall, 6401 E. Lincoln Dr. on Tuesday Oct 8 from 5:30-7:30 pm. The show runs through next September. His paintings and sculptures are filled with western scenes and vibrant Arizona skies. Mell also designed Arizona's official stamp commemorating the state's centennial.

Claire Nullmeyer Chocolate Raspberry Trifle

Claire Nullmeyer with her Chocolate Raspberry Trifle

Summer Trifle from Tastes & Treasures cookbook page 154 is a delicious recipe. Claire Nullmeyer brought a mouth-watering chocolate simplified version to our September Historical League meeting.

Claire sent in her recipe:
 An adaption from Magnolia Bakery Cookbook "Accidental Trifle".
1.Use your favorite cake recipe (chocolate, white, yellow). Bake according to directions, allow to cool, break into bite size pieces.
2.Mix 2 large packages of instant chocolate pudding according to directions.
3.Whip 2 cups of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla (or almond extract).
4.Cut up fresh fruit (berries, peaches, bananas etc.)
5.In a large glass bowl, starting with cake bites, alternate layers of cake, pudding, whipped cream, fresh fruit until 3/4 full.
6.You can garnish with chocolate wafer crumbs or crushed nuts.

Governors become Historymakers

From The Arizona Governors 1912-1990 by Dr. John L Myerss

Governors Babbitt, Mofford, Williams and now Raul Castro have all been honored by the Historical League as Historymakers. Governor Castro will be celebrated at Historymakers Gala XI along with 8 other inductees on February 8, 2014 at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa. Arizona Recollections and Reflections Historymakers book tells about their life stories in photos and biographies. Tastes & Treasures cookbook features recipes and food memories from Historymakers. More at www.HistoricalLeague.org

Avocado, Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Rancho de La Osa has a fascinating history starting in the late 1600s. Their dinner menu is superb including Bibb Lettuce with Avocado and Pine Nuts. This recipe can be found on page 120 of Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

Another salad recipe we really enjoy is this crunchy, low-calorie, delicious one below.

Avocado, Tomato and Cucumber Salad

2 cups grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
4 cups avocadoes, diced medium


2 cups cucumbers, peeled and diced medium1 cup red onion, diced small
4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
fresh black pepper
Lettuce (if you want)

Toss all ingredients in a bowl and top on a bed of lettuce (if desired)
Makes 8 servings