Penguins Appetizers

Look what carrots, black olives, Fromage (try flavored cream cheese) and toothpicks can do. Fun for adults but even more entertaining for the kids to make.

Thanks to Vibrations for the idea.

Mt View Elementary teacher appreciates Historical League

"Arizona Recollections and Reflections is a great resource for each classroom to have," writes 4th grade teacher Karen O'Keefe of Mountain View Elementary. "Teachers can turn to it when the students' textbooks refer to Arizona, and students can use it for their research papers. Thank you VERY, VERY MUCH!"

One of the goals of the Centennial Legacy Project was to create a book featuring our Historymakers. The book, Arizona Recollections and Reflections, is now being donated to schools and libraries across Arizona. To date we have donated over 1600 copies.



Receiving such a nice Thank You note is always appreciated.

Lynn Trimble, Raising Arizona Kids, wrote a wonderful online article about the book and the museum www.raisingarizonakids.com/2012/11/sharing-the-gift-of-arizona-memories/

Julia's Moore Tasty Tuna Salad

Julia brought a delicious salad to one of the Historical League meetings. With lemon slices and dill on top, the presentation was lovely.
Look for other delicious salad recipes in Tastes & Treasures cookbook.




Tasty Tuna Salad

Ingredients:
1 (7 ounce) can white tuna, drained and flaked

6 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese 

3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish 

1/8 teaspoon dried minced onion flakes 

1/4 teaspoon curry powder 

1 tablespoon dried parsley 

1 teaspoon dried dill weed 

1 pinch garlic powder

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and serve with crackers.
Serves 4

Skinny Chunky Monkey Cookies

Want to make a special treat for the kids? Try these healthy cookies. We also like Special Chocolate Chip Cookies from page 191 in Tastes and Treasures cookbook.

Skinny Chunky Monkey Cookies

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas
2 cups oats
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees.
Mash bananas then add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Let sit for 20 minutes.
Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes.

Makes 30

Strawberry and Cream Dream bars

Cheesecake is good in so many variations. Tastes & Treasures cookbook has a wonderful recipe on page 170. The following recipe adds lots of extras. Add some blueberries and it becomes a 4th of July treat.

Strawberry and Cream Dream bars
Ingredients:
Crust
1 pouch ( 1 lb 5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 large egg

Filling
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 package ( 8 ounce) cream cheese, softened

Topping
3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, mix together the cookie mix, butter and egg until a dough forms. Press dough into the bottom of the baking pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

In a small, microwave-safe bowl, microwave white chocolate chips for 45 to 60 seconds or until chips are melted. Stir until smooth. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in the melted chocolate chips. Spread this mixture evenly over the cooled sugar cookie crust. Refrigerate while making the topping.

In a small bowl, crush 1 cup of the strawberries. In 2-quart saucepan, add the 1 cup of crushed strawberries, sugar, cornstarch and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes. Gently fold in remaining strawberries. Spoon over the filling. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until set.
Serve and enjoy!

Thanks to countrycook.net

Refreshing Watermelon Cake for the Fourth of July

Found this lovely recipe on the internet. Can't wait to try it for the 4th of July celebration.

Watermelon Cake

Ingredients:
Whipped cream or Coconut Whipped cream (Paleo Version)
1 Large Watermelon cut in a circle like a cake
Blueberries
Raspberries
Almonds

Directions:
Cut your watermelon according to the photos.
Pat the watermelon down with wipes to dry it.
Frost it with whipped cream.
Add Almonds to the side.
Decorate the top with fresh fruit of your choice. Add an American flag to top it off!

Southwestern Bacon and Cheese Strata

Company is coming and I love to look like I know what I am doing in the kitchen, when it really isn't true. This recipe makes it look simple to cook breakfast for overnight guests. Thanks to historic Rancho de La Osa for giving us the recipe for Tastes & Treasures cookbook, page 118.

Southwestern Bacon and Cheese Strata
Ingredients:
 10 cups cubed trimmed white bread
14 eggs, beaten
4 cups milk or half-and-half
16 slices hone or mesquite-flavored thick bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard, or 1 tablespoon Dijon mustaard
1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeno chile
2 cups (8ounces)shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:
Mix the bread, eggs and milk in a large bowl and let stand for 20 minutes. Add the crumbled bacon, white pepper, dry mustard, jalapeno chile, Cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese and mix well. Spoon into a 9X13-inch baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 8 to 10 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking and place the dish on a baking sheet for ease in handling and for catching any spills.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the strata for 45 to 60 minutes or until the center is firm and the top is golden brown. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a drizzle of salsa.

Serves 8