Pampering Esther Style

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food, fun, girlfriends, Heart to Heart, Photos

This gallery contains 48 photos.

Click on a photo to see the photos up close.

Focaccia with Rosemary and Grapes

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food, Heart to Heart, recipe

If you’ve been going to Heart to Heart then you probably had an opportunity to taste this amazing bread Mari Jo baked for us. Here is the recipe in case you want to try it out yourself.

Ingredients:

1 pound pizza dough (she bought hers at Trader Joe’s)

2 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil

Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

1 garlic clove minced

1 shallot cut into thinly sliced rounds

1 tblsp. fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 cup green grapes

1/2 cup red grapes

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll the pizza dough into a rectangle on a sheet of parchment paper. Place the dough and the parchment on a baking sheet.

Using a pastry brush, cover the top of the dough with olive oil. Sprinkle the dough with coarse sea salt. Sprinkle the dough with the garlic, shallot, and rosemary. Spread the grapes over the top of the dough and push down into the dough.

Bake the focaccia until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

14 Ways to Save on Groceries

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food, fresh food, groceries, save

1. Line the bottom of your refrigerator’s crisper drawer with paper towels. They’ll absorb the excess moisture that causes vegetables to rot.

 

2. To keep herbs tasting fresh for up to a month, store whole bunches, washed and sealed in plastic bags, in the freezer. When you need them, they’ll be easier to chop, and they’ll defrost the minute they hit a hot pan.

3. A bay leaf slipped into a container of flour, pasta, or rice will help repel bugs.

4. Stop cheese from drying out by spreading butter or margarine on the cut sides to seal in moisture. This is most effective with hard cheeses sealed in wax.

5. When radishes, celery, or carrots have lost their crunch, simply pop them in a bowl of iced water along with a slice of raw potato and watch the limp vegetables freshen up right before your eyes.

6. Avoid separating bananas until you plan to eat them – they spoil less quickly in a bunch.

7. Put rice in your saltshaker to stop the salt from hardening. The rice absorbs condensation that can cause clumps.

8. Stock up on butter when it’s on sale – you can store it in the freezer for up to six months. Pack the butter in an airtight container, so it doesn’t take on the flavor of whatever else you’re freezing.

9. In order to make cottage cheese or sour cream last longer, place the container upside down in the fridge. Inverting the tub creates a vacuum that inhibits the growth of bacteria that causes food to spoil.

10. Believe it or not, honey is the only nonperishable food substance, so don’t get rid of the stuff if it crystallizes or becomes cloudy. Microwave on medium heat, in 30-second increments, to make honey clear again.

11. Prevent extra cooked pasta from hardening by stashing it in a sealed plastic bag and refrigerating. When you’re ready to serve, throw the pasta in boiling water for a few seconds to heat and restore moisture.

12. Keeping brown sugar in the freezer will stop it from hardening. But if you already have hardened sugar on your shelf, soften it by sealing in a bag with a slice of bread – or by microwaving on high for 30 seconds.

13. If you only need a few drops of lemon juice, avoid cutting the lemon in half – it will dry out quickly. Instead, puncture the fruit with a metal skewer and squeeze out exactly what you require.

14. If you’re unsure of an egg’s freshness, see how it behaves in a cup of water: Fresh eggs sink; bad ones float.

Recipes from ‘Stories of Christmas’

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food, fun, girlfriends, Heart to Heart, meals, recipe

10 Bean Soup                           Serves 12 1/4 cup each of the following beans: Black eyed peas                       Pinto beans Black beans                               Lentils Great northern beans            Red beans Small lima beans                    Navy beans Split green peas                       Pearl barley   Wash beans thoroughly, place in large container, cover with water and 2 Tblsp salt – soak overnight.  Next day, drain, put into large pot, add 2 quarts (8 cups) water and 1/2 lb.ham or ham hocks.  Bring to a boil.  Stir occasionally.  Simmer 2 – 2 1/2 hours, then add:   1 lg. onion, chopped                 1 29 oz. can diced tomatoes 1 pod red pepper OR 1 tsp chili powder juice of 1 lemon                          salt & pepper to taste 1 clove crushed garlic   Simmer another 30 minutes.   Tastes even better made ahead and refrigerated a couple of days! It’s okay to substitute different types of beans, or omit 1 or 2 – just be sure to add an extra 1/4 cup of something you already have.  (I used only eight kinds at Heart to Heart and it turned out fine!)  Enjoy!   Brownie Truffles Bake package of brownies as directed ( a little more well-done is okay, just not burnt!)   With a food processor, crumble brownies into a medium bowl.  Add:   3 Tbsp  heavy cream                  3 Tbsp  brandy 1 Tbsp vanilla                              1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (opt)   Mix until blended.  Chill 20 minutes.  Shape into balls and roll in powdered sugar.  Keep refrigerated until served.   Cheesey Broccolli   Nope – did not make this from scratch, I’ll admit it!!!  It’s a Bear Creek soup mix found in the soup aisle ( top shelf in Food 4 Less!)  Their Tortilla Soup mix is good, too – sometimes I add cooked chicken and broken tortilla chips – pretty yummy!   Thai Pumpkin Soup is Marilyn’s creation and Mary Jo made the great Spicy Chicken!  I want the recipes for those, too!!!

Up a River Without a Paddle

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food, forever girlfriends, fun, girlfriends, girls, Heart to Heart, life, women

August 1st–Ladies, you are invited to our Up a River Without a Paddle or Kids event. (If you are under 18 years old, you qualify as a “kid” and are not invited to this all women’s river ride.)

We will be meeting at the church at 12:30 where we will carpool and head towards Bradley where we will take a 2 hour float down the river and then go to the Gunderson’s for a bar-b-que. Dress for water floating and bring your intertube, water bottle, sunscreen, $3.00 for the bar-b-que, and a change of clothes.

Please RSVP on the sign-up sheet outside so we will know how much food to buy.

Quilt Raffle!

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4th, Creativity, family, food, fun, fundraiser, girlfriends, life, quilt raffle

 

We have a beautiful quilt made especially for this raffle by Charity Gunderson.

Ticket sales will begin Sunday, May 16th!

We’d love it if you took some and sold them at your workplace or in your neighborhood!