White Pizza Wontons

Super simple idea for a Holiday party.

White Pizza made with Wontons
Ingredients:
12 small square wonton wrappers (stocked with the tofu in the refrigerated section of the market)
3/4 cup light/low-fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 cup chopped brown mushrooms
2 cups chopped spinach leaves
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray.

Place each wonton wrapper into a cup of the muffin pan, and press it into the bottom and sides. Lightly spray with nonstick spray. Bake until lightly browned, about 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and seasonings. Mix well.

Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Cook and stir mushrooms until mostly softened, about 3 minutes. Add spinach and cheese mixture. Cook and stir until mushrooms are soft, spinach has wilted, and cheese is hot, about 1 minute.

Evenly distribute mixture among the wonton cups. Top each cup with a tomato half, and sprinkle with basil.

Thanks to Hungry Girl for the recipe.

Apple-Cranberry Wild Rice Pilaf

Yummy idea for Christmas dinner.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups apple juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup wild rice blend, rinsed and drained
1/2 large onion, diced
1 Fuji or honeycrisp apple, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Garnish (optional)
fresh thyme
fresh parsley

Directions:

Bring broth, apple juice, Dijon, 1 tablespoon butter, salt, pepper, dried thyme, oregano, parsley and bay leaf to a boil in a large nonstick skillet. Add rice, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 45-60 minutes or until rice is tender and almost all of the liquid has been absorbed, checking rice for doneness at 45 minutes. Once cooked, drain rice and leave in fine hole strainer.
To the now empty pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Increase heat to medium high and add onions and apples; saute for 5-7 minutes, or until onions and apples are tender. Add garlic and saute for 30 more seconds.
Return rice to skillet along with cranberries, pecans and apple cider vinegar. Toss to evenly combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Garnish as desired.

Creative Christmas Tree Appetizers

Dig in to these healthy appetizers!

Annual Holiday Meeting

Leslie Christiansen, host Joan Galloway, Sandy Loeffler

Laughter, fabulous food and friendly conversation were the focus of the event at Joan Galloway's home. The beautiful Christmas decorations got us all in a festive mood while the December meeting was full of good news.
Museum Director Tawn Downs mentioned the new carpeting in the Steele Auditorium as well as the new exhibits and programs at AZ Heritage Center at Papago Park.

Linda Corderman, Bonnie Newhoff

Nina Filippi, Linda Fritsch, Karen Swanson

Cookbook co-chair Linda Corderman gave encouraging news of the 15 historic venues that have submitted recipes for Tastes & Treasures Volume II cookbook. She also spoke of the new Cherished Legacy Recipes section where participants can honor someone special in their life with a Tribute Page. The page includes a photo, short story of the person and recipe. A lasting legacy, this section makes the book more personal as well as tells the history of members, food and family. Gift Certificates are available for Christmas, birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Anniversaries, etc.

Historymakers Gala co-chair Deb Hester told us about the Gala progress and the exciting dinner and program March 4, 2017

Hospitality chair Meg Knopf presented Sandy Loeffler with a Thank You gift for her support.

Tour chairs Sharron McKinney and Judy Blackwell spoke of the January and February tours.
Judy Blackwell and Claire Nullmeyer reported on the new members and their orientation programs.
The Esteban concert was a big hit. Chair Pam denDraak reported on his very enthusiastic performance.

Pam den Draak, President Anne Lupica, Sharron McKinney, Renee Donnelly, Karen Swanson

Honey Roasted Butternut Squash and Cranberries

There are so many recipes with the ever popular Butternut Squash. This one sounds intriguing.

Honey Roasted Butternut Squash and Cranberries
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, peeled + chopped
a hearty drizzle of olive oil (approx 1-2 TBSP)
salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste
2 cups fresh cranberries
2-3 TBSP honey [or extra, to taste]
1/4 cup finely crumbled feta
ground cinnamon, to taste (optional)
fresh or dried parsley, to garnish (optional)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Lightly drizzle or spritz a baking sheet with olive oil.
Add cubed squash to the sheet along with another drizzle of olive oil.
Sprinkle with a light layer of salt, pepper, and garlic powder, based on taste preference.
Roast at 400 F for 25 minutes on the center rack.
At the 25 minute mark, pull out the oven rack, and add your fresh cranberries to the roasting pan.
Return to the oven for 10 minutes or until the cranberries have started to soften and burst a bit.
Remove from oven and add a sprinkle of cinnamon (approx 1/8-1/4 tsp depending on preference) along with feta and honey.
Garnish with parsley for a burst of color and dig in while it's hot!

Thanks to peasandcrayons.com