Cinnamon Rolls

Historic El Chorro is famous for it's Sticky Buns - delicious and finger-licking good. The recipe is on page 78 in Tastes & Treasures cookbook. They are worth going to the Lodge to enjoy but also check out the newly renovated buildings. It now has plenty of outdoor seating. Perfect patios with big blue umbrellas for the Arizona sun and cozy fireplaces for the evening chill. You can purchase a copy of the cookbook from your waiter.

The calories in these famous Sticky Buns might scare you away. So here's a scaled down version for those of us working off those extra pounds we gained over the Holidays.

Ingredients:
Filling
1/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt

Buns
1 package refrigerated Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations Seamless Dough Sheet

Topping
3 tbsp. fat-free or light caramel dip

2 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread

2 tbsp. sugar-free pancake syrup
1 tbsp. brown sugar (not packed)
3 tbsp. chopped pecans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8 cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

To make filling, combine brown sugar with butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 10 seconds, or until butter has mostly melted. Mix in cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

Lay dough on a dry surface with the short sides on the left and right and the long sides on the top and bottom. Roll or stretch out dough into a large rectangle of even thickness. Evenly spread filling onto dough, leaving a 1-inch border around all edges.

Tightly roll up dough from the bottom, forming a log. Pinch the long seam to seal. Gently turn so the seam side is down. Cut log widthwise into 8 equally sized buns. Place a bun in each of the 8 sprayed muffin cups, spiral side up. Set aside.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine all topping ingredients except pecans. Microwave for 30 - 45 seconds, until butter has mostly melted. Add pecans and mix well. Evenly distribute topping among buns, about 1 tbsp. each.

Bake in the oven until golden brown, 12 - 15 minutes.

Let cool slightly. Gently remove buns from pan while still warm. Enjoy!

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Thanks to Hungry Girl for the lower calories/fat recipe.

Historymakers brainstorming at Arcadia Farms

Nothing like lunch at Arcadia Farms to motivate League members. Zona Lorig, Joan Robinson, Pat Faur and Ruth McLeod enjoyed salads and desserts while discussing the next Historymakers program.

The shrimp salad recipe from Tastes & Treasures cookbook, page 174, has similar ingredients. Arcadia Farms includes avocado, grilled corn, grilled shrimp, spring mix salad, chopped beets, and goat cheese with balsamic dressing. It is a lighter version of the recipe below.

Green Salad with Shrimp Tastes & Treasures Cookbook

2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons white vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 or 3 avocados, sliced
2 pounds small shrimp, cooked and peeled
1 bunch spinach, trimmed
1 head romaine, trimmed and leaves separated
1 head iceberg lettuce, trimmed and leaves separated
1 pound bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled

Combine the oil, cottage cheese, onion, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, peppercorns and cayenne pepper in a blender or food processor and process until mixed. Combine the cottage cheese mixture, avocados and shrimp in a bowl and mix gently. Chill, covered, for 8 to 10 hours. Rinse the spinach, romaine and iceberg lettuce and wrap in damp clean kitchen towels. Chill for 8 to 10 hours.
Tear the greens into bite-size pieces. Combine the greens and the shrimp mixture in a salad bowl and mix gently. Sprinkle with the bacon and serve immediately. Serves 8 to 10

Note: This is too much oil for my taste so recommend cutting it in 1/2. I also pureed the cottage cheese mixture for a l-o-n-g time but it still separated when I poured it on the lettuce. Not a pretty picture. This salad tasted great but not the best looking presentation. Too bad.

Impressive Cupcakes

Cupcakes make a beautiful presentation . . . at weddings, parties, showers, birthdays. I think this fad will be around for a long time since it is so easy to create a unique display and everyone loves the moist delicious cakes. Polly Rosenbaum's 100th Birthday cake on page 136 of Tastes & Treasures would make wonderful cupcakes.

The cupcakes pictured here were served at the home of Nancy Taub for the March meeting of Alpha Delta Kappa teachers group. About 30 teaching professionals meet monthly and enjoy an educational presentation. Zona Lorig and Ruth Mcleod were invited to speak about the Historical League's new Centennial book, Arizona Recollections and Reflections. The Centennial book and Tastes & Treasures Cookbook were well received and sold to the group.

League member Debbie Esquer gave the introduction prior to the presentation of the Centennial book. Debbie is a new Historical League member but very knowledgeable of our mission. We are glad to have her join our group.

Historymaker John Driggs gives us Green Corn Tamales

Green Corn Tamales was the recipe given us by Historymaker John Driggs for Tastes & Treasures cookbook. There is an interesting history behind the recipe. Apparently, John and his wife, Gail, had enjoyed Pancho's Patio restaurant on North Central Ave, above Camelback Road in the 1950's. They knew the owner Elma Van Zandt and she shared her recipe for Green Corn Tamales with them.

Sadly, Pancho's Patio is long gone but the wonderful food Elma created can still be enjoyed today. Recipe on page 128 of Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

Bridal Shower Confections

Decadent chocolate covered strawberries and dessert trays with mini cream puffs and chocolate eclairs were spectacular.

The bride has a degree in fashion design and has created costumes for the theatre so centerpieces of shoes and hats seemed very appropriate.

Who would have thought that alternating red and green grapes on a skewer would look so attractive? Mother-of-the-groom, Pam Fischer, shows us her creations.

Yogurt was the filling in the paper cups served with a strawberry and Meyer Lemon cookie, served by Historical League member and co-hostess Kay Holcombe. Yummmm. They were like a mini version of the yogurt parfait served at Hassayampa Inn in Prescott. Recipe on page 52 of Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

A feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.

Green Beans with Lemon and Nuts

Vegetables are so tasty alone but embellished with lemon and nuts makes them more like a special treat. Tastes & Treasures cookbook has a wonderful recipe for Herb-Roasted Vegetables thanks to The Cottage Place in Flagstaff. El Tovar at the Grand Canyon also gave us their recipe for Melange of Sauteed Vegetables. Try them all.

Green Beans with Lemon and Nuts
Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or pecans

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook beans and garlic cloves in a 4-quart saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.

Finely mince garlic cloves, transfer minced garlic and drained beans to a bowl and toss with nuts, parsley, zest, oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 8 servings.

Approximate values per serving: 70 calories, 5 g fat, 0 cholesterol, 3 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiver, 6 mg sodium, 64 percent calories from fat.

Zucchini Apple Carrot Bread

Eat your vegetables. No problem. Especially when the veggies are in this delicious quick bread with a blend of zucchini, carrots, apples and raisins. Carrot bread recipe on page 197 in Tastes & Treasures cookbook is a good one. The recipe below adds even more vegetables.

Zucchini Carrot Apple Bread

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

3 eggs

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Pinch of cloves

2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup shredded unpeeled zucchini

1/2 cup plumped yellow raisins

1 cup finely diced, peeled apples

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Cream Cheese Drip Frosting

Ingredients

1/2 cup cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 to 3 cups confectioners’ sugar

Orange juice as required

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8 X 4 inch loaf pans or one Bundt pan. This recipe can also make 18 to 24 muffins. Place pans on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet.

In a mixer bowl, blend the sugar, butter, eggs, orange juice and vanilla. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet batter along with the shredded carrots, zucchini raisins apples and walnuts. Spoon into prepared pan(s).

Bake until done, about 1 hour, or until loaves spring back when gently touched with fingers. Cool to room temperature before icing.

Cream Cheese Drip Frosting - Place the cream cheese, butter, and most of the confectioners’ sugar in a food processor or mixer bowl. Blend, adding more of the confectioners’ sugar and drizzling in a bit of orange juice to make it a soft, fluffy topping. Add more confectioners’ sugar or orange juice if necessary for smooth consistency. Frost top of loaf or cake, it will drip down the sides, and garnish with shredded carrots and a dusting of cinnamon before serving.

Makes 8 to 12 servings. Freezes well.