Blueberry Crumble Bars

Blueberry Crumble Bars

Here's a treat using some delicious wild blueberries.  This recipe makes a blueberry compote with a simple shortbread-like base and a delicious graham crumb crumble topping. Another freezer-friendly recipe to make in advance of your seasonal festivities.

For the shortbread base, combine:

3/4 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour

Press into the bottom of a greased and parchment paper lined 9x9 inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and add the blueberry compote and crumble topping.

Blueberry Compote Filling

2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)1/2 cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 rounded tablespoons corn starch

Bring the berries and sugar to a gentle boil. Mix the corn starch with the water and add slowly to the boiling berry mixture stirring constantly. Boil gently for 1 additional minutes stirring constantly.

Graham Crumble Topping
In a large bowl toss together:
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
2/3 cups flour
1/3 cup brown sugar

Using your hands, rub thoroughly through the dry ingredients:

1/2 cups butter, cut in small cubes

Press the crumble mixture together in handfuls so that it holds together and break off chunks of crumble all over the top of the prepared blueberry compote filling. Press down very lightly and bake for about 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees or until the top is golden brown. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares or bars. Freezes well.

Kale and Quinoa Salad

Tastes & Treasures cookbook has some unique salads.  Historymaker Eddie Basha gave us Tabouli Salad found on page 130.  

Kale is the popular new vegetable so try something new like this Quinoa and Shredded Kale Salad recipe.

Quinoa and Shredded Kale Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled (prepared according to package directions)
1 cup red or green grapes cut in half
1 1/2 cup shredded kale
3/4 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine quinoa, grapes, kale, feta, and almonds. Mix until well combined.
Add olive oil and lemon juice and toss to fully coat.
Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste, top with fresh shaved Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Breakfast for a Crowd

It's always nice to prepare breakfast for company. This one is easy to make with little fuss in the kitchen. Also try John Wayne eggs on page 194 in Tastes & Treasures cookbook and Breakfast Casserole on page 195.

Breakfast for a Crowd

Ingredients:
12 thin slices of deli ham (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup salsa
12 large eggs
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray. Arrange 1 slice of ham in each cup, molding it to the shape of the cup. The ham may rise out of the edges of the cup. Spread 1 teaspoon of salsa in the bottom of each cup.

3. Break 1 egg into each ham-lined cup. Top with another teaspoon of salsa, and 2 teaspoons shredded cheddar cheese.

4. Bake until the cheese melts and the eggs are set, about 20 minutes.

TIP: Replace the salsa in this recipe with finely chopped fresh vegetables of your choice - sauted onions, peppers, tomatoes, or mushroom.

Nutritional info
108 calories, 9 g protein, 1 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 224 mg cholesterol, 269 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber

Easy Pesto Appetizer

Great recipes are often the easiest. This simple appetizer was toasted crostini topped with Classico Tomato Pesto. Add a slice of Monterey Jack cheese and fresh basil leaf. Nice presentation.

Thanks to Sue Hinton of Port Huron, Michigan for this appetizer. We enjoyed biking all around Harbor Springs last summer, then relaxing with good food and great friends.

Tastes & Treasures cookbook has many wonderful appetizer recipes too.

Centennial Aprons Sale $10

Mary Parker purchased several Centennial aprons at the December Historical League meeting. We originally had Junior and Adult sizes but only a few Junior sizes are left. We have about 12 Adult sizes left. They are a wonderful tribute to Arizona's Centennial now on sale for $10.

Mary is holding a photo of Historymakers Polly Rosenbaum and Governor Rose Mofford. Good friends their entire life, they called themselves "The Two Girls from Globe."

Denita Sewell Presents 1920s Fashions

Fashion Curator at the Phoenix Art Museum, Denita Sewell was our guest speaker at the January Historical League meeting. To a packed audience, she presented the Elegance and Grandeur of 1920's fashions.

Coco Channel was a favorite designer during that time. A unique lady who owned her own business, never married but had numerous affairs, and created apparel for the "Modern World".  Interesting that she grew up and learned to sew in an orphanage beginning at age 6. One of the favorite things I like about Coco is that she helped women say good-bye to the days of corsets and other confining garments.

Dee Steen presented Denita with a copy of Arizona Recollections and Reflections as a Thank You.

Dee Steen presents Denita with a copy of the Historical Leagues Centennial book.

Cherry Corn Muffins

Cherry Corn Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen unsweetened pitted dark sweet cherries
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
One 14.75-oz. can cream-style corn
3/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute
2/3 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place cherries in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 - 2 minutes, until completely thawed. Do not drain.

Transfer cherries and any excess liquid to a blender or large food processor. Add 1 tbsp. sugar. Pulse briefly, just until cherries reach a roughly chopped consistency. (Do not puree.) Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Mix well and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine cream-style corn, egg substitute, and yogurt. Mix thoroughly.

Add contents of the medium bowl to the large one, and stir well. Add cherry mixture and gently stir. Set aside.

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups and/or spray with nonstick spray. Evenly distribute batter among the 12 cups -- cups will be FULL to the brims.

Bake in the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 - 30 minutes. (FYI: These muffins rise significantly when baked!)

Remove muffins from the pan and allow to cool (on a cooling rack, if you've got one). Enjoy!

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

PER SERVING (1/12th of recipe, 1 muffin): 158 calories, 0.5g fat, 267mg sodium, 33g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 15g sugars, 5g protein -- PointsPlus® value 4
Thanks to Hungrygirl.com for recipe and stats