BestFest Breakfast at Hassayampa Inn

Staying so close to the BestFest event was great. Thanks to Carolyn Mendoza for getting us wonderful rooms at the Hassayampa with a view, cozy but charming, and including breakfast.

The scrambled eggs served with grape salsa were a hit. Try this recipe from page 33 in Tastes & Treasures and add chopped red grapes for an interesting addition.

Corn Salsa page 33 Tastes & Treasures

1 or 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced
1 ½ cups roasted corn (about 2 large ears)
¼ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
½ red onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup vegetable juice cocktail
1 tablespoon lime juice
salt to taste

Combine the jalapeno chiles, corn, bell peppers, cilantro, onion, tomato, sugar, vegetable juice cocktail, lime juice and salt in a large bowl and toss to mix.

Makes 3 ½ cups

AZ Centennial Celebration in Prescott

BestFest is the event to celebrate the Centennial with the kick off in Prescott September 16-18. Four members of the Historical League set up the booth on Friday to showcase our own Arizona Recollections and Reflections Centennial book as well as Tastes & Treasures cookbook, Old Ned aprons, Centennial aprons, hats and visors. 

Carolyn Mendoza is ready to accommodate our first group of shoppers. League members Zona Lorig, Norma Jean Coulter and Ruth McLeod join her. 

 

Prescott is the perfect small town to feature this agenda.

Fun times with the unveiling of the Arizona Centennial postage stamp, patriotic songs, bands, speeches and more. The stamp is beautiful and it is a FOREVER stamp. The Elks Theatre was open for tours with Historymaker Elisabeth Ruffner meeting and greeting guests. Elisabeth also signed several Arizona Recollections and Reflections Centennial books for the League. They were the first ones sold at the event.

Historical League Tour - 10/27 "100 Years 100 Ranchers" Photo Exhibit at Sky Harbor Airport

The 2011-2012 Tour season begins Thursday, October 27, with a guided visit to Terminal 4 at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to view the “100 Years 100 Ranchers” photo exhibit, part of the Arizona Centennial celebration. Lunch will follow at the Golden Buddha Restaurant at the Chinese Cultural Center.

Scott Baxter, a Phoenix photographer, traveled tens of thousands of miles in his Ford pickup for nearly a decade, rounding up Arizona ranchers and shooting more than 15,000 frames of film for these 100 black and white portraits. Each photograph features a rancher whose family has been working the land since statehood or longer. At Terminal 4 from October to May, the photographic legacy then moves to the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg and to the Tucson Museum of Art.

James Burns, Desert Caballeros museum director, praised Baxter’s work, saying “…I can’t imagine having a state centennial celebration and not having a project like Scott’s.”

Email Judy Blackwell for details on time and cost.

Strawberry Shortcake Muffins

Recipe exchanges bring new ideas. This muffin recipe (page 41 in Tastes & Treasures) takes the one from Garland's Oak Creek Lodge to a different level with the addition of heavy whipping cream instead of sour cream. Great to make with either Strawberries, Cranberries or Blueberries .
Tobe Daum made the Blueberry Muffins for a League meeting. Yummm.
Strawberry Shortcake Muffins from recipe exchange

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup heavy whipping cream or 1/2 cup whipping cream and 1/2 cup orange juice (I prefer the cream and juice)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup fresh strawberries diced

Directions:
Mix flour, baking powder, and sugar in medium bowl. Cut in butter.
In another bowl, mix egg, vanilla, whipping cream, and orange juice.
Add egg mixture to flour mixture and mix with a spoon. Gently fold in strawberries.

Spoon batter into greased muffin tin or use paper liners. Bake at 350 for 20 t0 25 minutes. Check at 18 to 20 minutes. Tops of muffins remain light. Cool before removing from pan.
Makes 12 muffins.

Cookbook in Croatia

Didn't know I could buy Tastes & Treasures with Croatian money but found this on a website. And the cookbook only costs 158,68 kn (21,44 € or 29,94 USD). www.superbookshop.net/index.php?page=book&ean=9780976836308

Amazing how this book has traveled the world. I especially love it when we ship to one of our armed forces serving in a remote post overseas. It brings a little of "home" to them when they are so far away. They may not be able to prepare the recipes but they can read the history of our wonderful state.

Caprese Corn Salad

A pretty side dish with cheese and corn - my favorite foods all in one recipe. Oh My.

Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 ear corn, husked and cleaned
8 ounces tomatoes or 1/2 pint grape tomatoes or 1 chopped tomato (drain the excess water after chopping)
3 ounces fresh mozarella (we used shredded)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions: You can boil the corn cob but we love the extra flavors when it is grilled. Scrape corn kernels into a medium bowl.
Cut tomatoes, drain and add to bowl.
Cut cheese into dice a little larger than corn kernels (or use shredded cheese). Add to bowl.
Toss with oil and basil. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 2 servings.

Note: Grilling corn brings out such nice flavors. The recipe for grilling vegetables is on page 100 Tastes & Treasures cookbook. Lon's at Hermosa Inn share easy instructions for Grilled Fennel. It works for most vegetables.

White Pizza

White Pizza makes a very impressive presentation when topped with fresh sliced tomatoes and basil. And basil is so healthy, full of Vitamin K.

Ingredients:

1 large low-fat, high-fiber, burrito-size tortilla (about 100 calories)
1/3 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1 tbsp shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt
Dash black pepper
4 thin slices plum tomato
4 fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put tortilla on a baking sheet sprayed lightly with nonstick spray. Bake in the oven until slightly crispy, 3 - 5 minutes per side. Leave oven on.

In a small bowl, mix ricotta cheese with mozzarella cheese. Set aside.

Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat on the stove. Add onion and, stirring occasionally, cook until softened and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Immediately stir onion into cheese mixture. Add garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and mix well.

Spread cheese-onion mixture evenly on top of the tortilla. Top with tomato slices and basil leaves. If you like, sprinkle with a dash of salt.

Return pizza to oven and bake until hot, about 5 minutes.

Makes 1 serving.

PER SERVING (entire recipe): 200 calories, 3.25g fat, 930mg sodium, 33g carbs, 7g fiber, 7g sugars, 17g protein