Cooking Class - Leslie Christensen League Member

Give a certificate for a cooking class

from League member & professional chef

Leslie Christensen

Leslie will be conducting a cooking class 2-4 pm at the Desert Botanical Gardens on 02/05/12.

The class will feature 2 delicious recipes from Tastes and Treasures and the selected entree of
Arizona's Centennial menu celebration.

$50 for members, $62 for non-members

Leslie is donating her payment to the League.

Purchase your class online - click here or
call DBG and sign up over the phone.
480 481.8188

Leslie's Facebook Page
Private Cooking Classes and
Custom Culinary Parties

Sweet Potato Recipe Becomes a Tradition

What traditional foods do you serve at Holiday meals?
This one was a simple recipe printed in a 1958 Detroit FreePress newspaper but our family began to serve it at every Christmas meal. Our daughter named them "Fat Men with Top Hats" and the tradition was born.

Rancho de La Osa has a delicious Sweet Potato Souffle, page 122 in Tastes & Treasures cookbook. The soufflé is a definite tradition for this historic property in Sasabe, AZ.

Ingredients

2 cups mashed sweet potato

3/4 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoon melted butter

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 can pineapple slices

Directions

Mix ingredients and place on pineapple ring using an ice cream scoop. Top with marshmallow and 1/2 cherry. Bake 12 minutes at 400 degrees until the marshmallow is toasted.

Note: Bake 6 minutes, then add the marshmallow and cherry. This helps to keep them from sliding off the pineapple ring. Push the marshmallow down into a hollow in the sweet potato.

Historymaker/Navajo Code Talker Keith Little 1925-2012

The Navajo Code Talkers and Keith Little were given a wonderful tribute at the Historymakers Centennial Gala February 11, 2011. Keith attended along with fellow Code Talkers Joe Kellwood and Sidney Bedoni. The Code Talkers were honored in 2005 and the Centennial Gala 2011 brought all honorees together for a special recognition.

We realize that the passing of these courageous men must not end the acknowledgements they deserve and we continue to honor them with our Historymakers Recognition program and exhibits at AHS Museum.

When asked why he chose to go to war, he answers simply: "[because] the Japanese made a sneak attack on the US," adding that he wanted "to protect our people, land and country."

Their stories are told in the Historical League's Centennial book, Arizona Recollections and Reflections which is a Centennial Legacy Project. The chapter in Tastes & Treasures from Cameron Trading Post also talks about the Navajo people.

Cranberry Delicious Muffins

Cranberry Delicious Muffins

Nothing like warm muffins right out of the oven.

We also like Cranberry Sour Cream Muffins, page 41 Tastes & Treasures cookbook. It is from historic Garlands Oak Creek Lodge.

Ingredients:
2 large oranges
2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups (foil ones work best) and spray baking cups with nonstick spray.

Using a fine grater, zest oranges into a bowl (you'll need 1 tbsp.); set bowl aside.

Cut oranges in half. Over a mesh strainer, juice orange halves into a measuring cup until you have 3/4 cup juice. Discard oranges and set juice aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ginger. Mix in 1 tbsp. orange zest.

In another bowl, combine yogurt, egg substitute, and sugar. Add the 3/4 cup of juice from oranges and 1/2 cup water. Whisk to combine. Add wet mixture to flour mixture. Stir until just mixed and smooth. (Do not over-stir.) Sprinkle in dried cranberries and gently stir.

Evenly spoon batter into the lined cups of the muffin pan. Bake in the oven until tops are light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 - 25 minutes. Enjoy!

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Honey Nut Brie Appetizer

Honey Nut Glazed Brie from Recipe Exchange Jill Marin

8 oz of brie cheese (round or slice)

1/4 cup butter

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 Tablespoons honey

2-4 large apples, cored and sliced

Preheat oven to 350

Place cheese in a shallow ovenproof dish.

In a skillet, melt butter over medium high heat and stir in walnuts until coated.

Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg until blended. Add honey and warm, stirring constantly until it begins to bubble. Pour mixture over the brie and bake for 10 minutes or so. Serve hot with the apple slices.

Made for a New Years Eve party...Delicious!

Gooey Brownies

Gooey Chocolate Brownies

If you love the icing on top of a German Chocolate cake, you'll love this.

Brownie Puddle, page 101 in Tastes & Treasures cookbook, is also a favorite in our family.

Ingredients:
One 18.25-oz. box moist-style devil's food cake mix

One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin
1 sugar-free caramel pudding snack with 60 calories or less
1/4 cup light or fat-free caramel dip
2 tbsp. finely chopped pecans
2 tbsp. shredded sweetened coconut, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9" X 13" baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside. 



In a large bowl, combine cake mix with pumpkin. Stir until blended. (Batter will be thick.) Spread into the baking pan and smooth out the top.

Bake in the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 - 25 minutes. Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine pudding, caramel dip, pecans, and coconut. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until brownies are ready to serve.

Evenly spread pudding mixture over brownies. Slice and enjoy! (Refrigerate leftovers.)

MAKES 16 SERVINGS Note: Spray a spatula with nonstick spray and use to smooth the top of the brownies. It prevents the batter from sticking.

Per serving (1/16 of recipe = 1 brownie) 165 calories, 3.5 g fat, 298 mg sodium, 32.5 g carbs, 2 g fiver, 17.5 g sugars, 2 g protein. Thanks to Hungry Girl for recipe and stats.

Children's Holiday Party

Another fabulous and fun event for adults and children alike. The Entertainment was outstanding, Silent Auction items amazing, Children's raffle wonderful and lots of great shopping from the vendors. So much to see and do at the Arizona Biltmore Resort Saturday, December 17. Kudos to co-chairs Kassie Walters, Terrie Mainwaring and Ruth Ann Hogan for another successful fundraising event.

Co-editors of Arizona Recollection and Reflections were on hand to sell the Historical League's Centennial book. Joan Robinson, Zona Lorig and Ruth McLeod continue to get orders and ship the book, most recently to Yuma County library and Glendale public library.

Tastes & Treasures cookbook was also for sale and continues to be a great gift item.